Beauty Basics from Grandma's kitchen

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Beauty Basics from Grandma’s kitchen

1 November 2010 One Comment

Bizarre Bedroom Fellows

Those who came from a household where Robitussin was the miracle cure for every ache, cut and bruise are probably familiar with peculiar remedies cooked up by “The Old Wives Club.” If you think you’ve tried everything, guess again; strange ingredients you never thought to try may hold the key to luscious locks and skin that screams “LOOK AT ME!”

By Gillian Downes

Baths just got a whole lot sweeter.
PROBLEM: Ingrown hairs along your bikini line

SOLUTION: Cocoa butter is a community staple but, on its own, cocoa powder is an effective beauty treat. The anti-oxidant properties of chocolate make it a great nourishing ingredient for clogged pores. When added to coarse ingredients like sugar, cocoa powder is a valuable calorie-free exfoliate. Get rid of those unsightly bumps by exfoliating your skin at least once a week and in no time you will be wearing your teeny weeny itsy-bitsy yellow polka dot bikini with confidence.

DIRECTIONS: In a glass bowl, mix one heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder with two tablespoons of brown sugar. Add a teaspoon of virgin olive oil and mix well. Dab some of the mixture onto a washcloth and gently scrub the bikini line in small, circular motions. Repeat as necessary.

Cider house rules
PROBLEM: Break-outs and blemishes

SOLUTION: Apple cider vinegar is an old favourite when it comes to disinfecting, but its acidic content is also used to restore the natural balance of your skin, which helps keep skin blemish-free.

DIRECTIONS: In a glass bowl, mix one part apple cider vinegar with one part water. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and dab skin that’s prone to blemishes.

Product watch:
NARS Monoï Body Glow II
Available at Holt Renfrew.
Heralded as the product behind the J-Lo glow, NARS Body Glow is a staple of many make-up kits. Traditional French Polynesian Monoï de Tahiti oil is created by soaking the native tiare flower in refined coconut oil. Each bottle contains a tiare flower, and this natural moisturizer can also be used as a massage and bath oil.

Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment, $65.
Available at www.ojon.com
Made with ojon oil, a rare oil used for more than 500 years by the Tawira Indians of Central America, this treatment penetrates hair and heals it from the inside out, providing long-term care and protection for those who love to fry and dye their hair. As if that weren’t enough, ojon oil is an excellent moisturizer, so you can indulge yourself and dab it on those rough skin patches that need a little extra TLC.

COR Soap by Plank Designs, $130. Available at www.snazzygirl.com
Available at Holt Renfrew.
thinking of skincare ingredients. So when Plank Designs launched COR Soap beauty fans were abuzz and eager to explore the possibilities of infusing silver and four types of collagen directly into a beauty bar. Silver is extremely beneficial for the skin and COR lists numerous skin-saving abilities, including toning skin, fading sun spots and replenishing lost collagen.