DIY Anti-Aging Hacks that Won’t Break the Bank
Creams and serums that promise to take years off your skin can cost hundreds of dollars per month! But you can get great results from natural treatments and smart makeup strategies.
Fight wrinkles
Cream signs of aging
Smooth fine lines and wrinkles with this simple moisturizing cream. In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons honey, 2 teaspoons castor oil, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Massage into the face and neck, and leave on for 5 minutes. Rinse with warm water, and enjoy younger-looking skin!
The goodness of grapes
You’ve probably heard about the benefits of resveratrol, the powerful antioxidant in red grapes and red wine. It helps boost the production of opens in a new windowcollagen, giving your skin a younger look. Try this mask to help minimize fine lines and firm the skin. Combine 5 red grapes, 2 to 3 teaspoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon honey in a blender. Apply the mask to the face, and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
INSTANT NIGHT CREAM: Don’t buy expensive vitamin E creams! Instead, just use the capsules you find in the vitamin aisle at the drugstore. Break them open and massage the oil into your face before bed.
Kick wrinkles with kiwi
Kiwis are rich in vitamin C, which is known for its potential as an antiaging ingredient. Plus, the little black seeds are effective at exfoliating the skin. Mash 2 kiwis (peeled and chopped) in a small bowl, then stir in ¼ cup cornmeal. Massage into skin for a few minutes, then rinse.
Pinch for relief
Many people hold opens in a new windowstress in the area between their eyebrows, and in time, vertical stress lines will develop there. When you feel your brow knit together with concentration or stress, take a moment to pinch the muscle there, working from the center of the brow along the brow line in each direction with a thumb and bent forefinger. Not only will it make you feel better, but it will prevent wrinkles, too!
You’ve probably heard it before, but wondered if it was true: Does Preparation H really diminish fine lines and wrinkles? It does! Try applying first to an inconspicuous area.
Pungent but powerful to erase age spots
If you’re looking to eliminate unsightly age spots, sometimes you have to get serious! Grate a medium onion onto a cheesecloth or sturdy paper towel, then squeeze the onion juice into a bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon each of white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Dab the mixture on the age spots twice a day (keeping away from your eyes), and keep it in the fridge when you’re not using it. You should see results in a week or two!
Perk up tired eyes
Your eyes may be calling for opens in a new windowcaffeine! Soak two tea bags in hot water until they plump, then plunge them into ice water for a few seconds. Squeeze out a bit of excess water and then place the bags on closed eyes for 15 minutes. The caffeine shrinks those dark blood vessels that bring on circles and forces out fluid to de-puff the entire eye area.
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Ditch a double chin
If a double chin is driving you nuts, use a little makeup to hide it. When applying powder or foundation to your face, use a slightly darker shade under your chin, which will make it appear to recede. Blend toward the back of the jawline to add definition.
Chest hack
To instantly make your chest look more youthful, mix up this treatment and apply to your visible cleavage area: 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon each honey and plain yogurt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Rinse off after 10 minutes. It will brighten, tighten, and make you feel 10 years younger!
Gentle cleansers
Get radiant with rice
Loaded with vitamins B and E, rice smooths and softens skin when used to make a daily opens in a new windowface wash. Simply boil ½ cup white rice in 2 cups water. Remove the rice and let the water cool. Use a cloth to massage the rice water onto your skin, then rinse.
Treat your pores to tea
Place three bags of chamomile tea in a medium-size bowl; add several cups boiling water. Cover the bowl with a towel, and allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes. Then remove the towel, place it over your head, and hold your face over the bowl for about 5 minutes. The steam will open your pores, and the chamomile will help unclog them.
Calm and tone with cucumber
Grate a cucumber on the side of a box grater or in the food processor. Mix in about ½ cup plain yogurt—enough to bind the mixture together. Apply the cooling blend to clean skin, and leave it on for 5 minutes to tighten pores, reduce puffiness, and tone skin. Rinse with cool water.
Brighten with kiwi
Here’s an all-natural facial cleanser that works well for normal to dry skin types. The opens in a new windowvitamin C from the kiwi will help brighten skin, and the cornmeal will remove dead skin cells.
- 1 kiwifruit, peeled
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or almond oil)
- 1 teaspoon cornmeal
Puree the peeled kiwifruit with the yogurt, honey, olive oil, and cornmeal. Rub gently into your face and neck, then rinse well.
Cleanse, soften, and smooth in one step
Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with enough lemon juice to create a paste, then rub all over your face. Leave on for a few minutes so the mild acids in the lemon and baking soda can get to work. Combining the natural disinfectant properties of lemon and the gentle exfoliating powers of baking soda, this easy DIY face wash cleans, tones, and unclogs your pores.
Renew and smooth
Nourish with nutmeg
This nutmeg-milk facial scrub provides a double whammy of skin nourishment: opens in a new windowNutmeg works as an astringent, exfoliant, and anti-inflammatory (goodbye blackheads and acne), while the milk’s lactic acid works as a peel to eliminate dead skin cells. To make the scrub, combine nutmeg and milk until the mixture resembles a paste. After washing your face with a cleanser, massage the nutmeg scrub onto your skin in gentle circular strokes. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse.
Butter up your skin
This facial mask contains two exfoliating powerhouses—oatmeal and buttermilk. Buttermilk contains lactic acid, which helps dissolve dead skin cells to reveal younger-looking skin. Puree 1 tablespoon rolled or instant oats, 1 tablespoon honey, and ¼ cup buttermilk in a blender. Massage gently into the face, and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.
Honey for your hands
Combating severely opens in a new windowdry skin can really seem like a losing battle. Whip up this intensive moisturizing cream to start fighting back. In a bowl, stir together ¼ cup shortening (at room temperature), 1 tablespoon honey, and 1/8 teaspoon rosewater. Massage a little into those dry hands (or feet) anytime they need a little extra help. Store the leftovers in a tightly sealed jar.
Try a little tenderness
The next time you buy a pineapple at the supermarket, don’t just toss the peel. Use it on your feet! Pineapple contains bromelain, a natural meat tenderizer, which is also great at exfoliating rough spots on your skin like your heels and elbows. Rub the fleshy part of the pineapple peel against your skin for several minutes, then rinse.
Berry good scrub
Try this fresh strawberry scrub to exfoliate and remove dry skin, particularly on trouble spots like the feet, hands, and elbows. Mash 1 cup strawberries with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt. Massage onto skin, leave for a few minutes, then rinse. The strawberries and salt will slough the dry skin away, and the oil will provide lasting moisture.
Smooth away cellulite
To reduce the appearance of cellulite while exfoliating, try this brown sugar and coffee scrub. When rubbed against the skin, it helps increase circulation and make the cellulite less noticeable.
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground coffee
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 vitamin E capsule
In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Massage a small amount on damp, clean skin for a few minutes, using circular motions. Rinse with warm water to reveal firmer-looking skin!