Homemade Beauty Treatments (PHOTOS)

The latest trend in beauty products is to use natural ingredients to reap the benefits of fruits, plants, and minerals. Unfortunately, many of these products mix natural ingredients with chemicals and preservatives. Why not try making some of these treatments yourself? Everything from shampoo to lotion to deodorant can be made using simple recipes with ingredients you can find in your kitchen. You'll save money, avoid adding pollutants to the environment, and look great! Here are so fun ideas we've found around the web.

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Avocado and Carrot Cream Mask

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The vitamin E and beta-carotene in this moisturizing mask helps to improve the tone and texture of skin. The recipe is simple and a great use of those over-ripe avocados you may have in the fridge. You'll need: 1 mashed avocado 1 cooked, mashed carrot 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 egg, beaten 3 tablespoons of honey Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over your face and neck and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse completely with cool water.

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The vitamin E and beta-carotene in this moisturizing mask helps to improve the tone and texture of skin. The recipe is simple and a great use of those over-ripe avocados you may have in the fridge. You'll need:

1 mashed avocado
1 cooked, mashed carrot
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons of honey

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over your face and neck and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse completely with cool water.

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Homemade Beauty Treatments

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Comments

[DragonFly]

09:51 AM on 03/15/2010

After many years of use, I can attest to the beneficial effect of apple cider vinegar as a hair rinse.
It leaves my hair shiny and keeps my scalp happy.
And as for the smell -- it dissipates quickly.

[EcoCatLady]

10:32 PM on 03/06/2010

I've been officially "no poo" (meaning without shampoo - not a bad case of constipation) for 18 months now and my hair has never looked better. I use baking soda & vinegar although I dilute the baking soda a but further so it's like a smooth liquid. I also prefier distilled vinegar with a littel lemon oil in it. I used to use lemon juice but got tired of having to remember to get it out of the fridge before getting in the tub. Some people say lemon juice can either lighten your hair or make it rather orange, but since I'm a strawberry blonde, neither was an issue for me!

I also stopped using soap on my skin about 2 years ago and I find I no longer need much in the way of moisturizing. If I do, I use a little jojoba oil.

These recipes seem great, but allergic people should beware! I would have to say that I am allergic to at least half of the ingredients mentioned.

[goddess1871]

08:51 PM on 03/06/2010

Good idea, although I shudder to think about how fast my skin would break out after using the avocado mask...

[naturesorganic]

02:26 AM on 03/06/2010

Nice posting here....

[naturesorganic]

02:24 AM on 03/06/2010

Very Nice posting here.......

http://www.naturesorganicmarket.com/

[FPhoebe]

11:28 PM on 03/05/2010

Sigh...i wish that I could find an acne treatment that wasn't full of chemicals, but my skin is just terrible and no matter WHAT I try, the only thing that works is an expensive acne kit from the store. Can't win 'em all I guess....Hopefully someday my skin will get over the whole blemish thing and I can just use a mild homemade soap and water.

[slackerchk43]

11:26 AM on 03/06/2010

I searched for a natural solution to my acne for years and i finally found a combination of things that seem to work very well.

The first is ingesting a small amount of organic apple cider vinegar in your water (about a tablespoon full should do. It turns out acne is a manifestation of your liver not filtering out impurities properly and apple cider vinegar is a natural detox. On top of that drinking lots and lots of water is a very good thing. Yellow pee is bad, white pee is good.

The second thing to use is tea tree oil. It is a natural antibacterial. I use a couple of drops on a wet cotton pad and rub it all over my face and then follow with moisturizer. It's also a great spot treatment.

I'm no expert on anything so go ahead and google these things. Do your own research. You might find pleasing results.

[FPhoebe]

12:50 PM on 03/06/2010

I use tea tree oil on bug bites and shaving nicks, and my excessively dry, sensitive skin when it gets very itchy, and it works wonders! I never thought about using it on my face. I'll try that! Thanks :)

[MrWampler]

10:57 PM on 03/07/2010

I found that my acne did so much better once I stopped using the harsh cleansers, potions, and treatments. The chemicals stripped my skin, causing my skin to produce more oil. And using a harsh product on a red pimple only p*ssed it off more and made it more red. Once I started using gentle products and more-or-less leaving my skin alone did it start clearing up. It helps significantly if you can identify the cause of it (stress and soy in my case).

Product-wise I'd recommend LUSH. They are the only products that I honestly have seen do something positive. They don't erase acne overnight, but they do a great job at giving me "happy" skin. And I've tried everything over 20+ years: Clearsil, Neutrogena, Proactiv, numerous prescriptions, Aveda, Mario Badescu, Zeno, peels...

[Scentedflower]

09:13 PM on 03/05/2010

Simple recipe:
Beauty is in the eyes of a beholder.

[Carnacamarna]

05:26 PM on 03/05/2010

Like everything but the lavender. It's the only thing I'm highly allergic to.

[alliSINwonderland]

04:42 PM on 03/05/2010

I'm glad this article came out. People need to be aware what toxic chemicals they are putting in our beauty products. Shampoo companies design products to make your hair worse. That's how they make their money.

Stay far far away from any products that have Laurel Sulfate in them. It's a chemical designed to make your shampoo foam up but it is a cancer causing agent. It penetrates into the scalp. It's seems to be in almost everything from your face wash, hand soap, and even children's shampoo!! Google this website" The Truth About Shampoo" It's a real eye opener. Personally, I think the government allows them to continue to use this product on purpose. It's a form of population control.

[sayrock]

03:54 PM on 03/05/2010

I've used my own homemade avocado facial treatment for years. Just poke the handle end of a spoon through a ripe avocado skin, scoop out about a teaspoon full and wipe it into your palm. Then fill the other end of the spoon with plain whole milk yogurt. Squish them both together and, if you have any, squirt in a drop of two of almond oil. Massage into your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Then rinse off. Refreshing and moisturizing.

[Teju]

03:13 PM on 03/05/2010

French green clay also works quite well as a deodorant

[PhilipB]

03:10 PM on 03/05/2010

Great ideas!

[MrWampler]

12:24 PM on 03/05/2010

I've been using a much simpler homemade deodorant recipe for about a year: mix equal parts baking soda and cornstarch, a few drops of tea tree oil, and a few drops of some other foo-foo, skin-friendly oil that smells decent, like lavender oil. (It's easier to mix the oil with a tsp of BS first, then mix that with the rest of the BS + CS.) Apply with a makeup brush.

I actually got that recipe off the comments boards here on HuffPost and it has worked so amazingly well. Store-bought deodorants always made me feel clammy, and many gave me a rash. Anti-perspirants are made with aluminum and have that weird smell to them when applied. Plus they tend to ruin a lot of shirts.

[slackerchk43]

11:31 AM on 03/06/2010

Trader Joe's has a great natural deodorant for those of you lucky to live by one. Arm & Hammer also sells a natural deodorant I would highly recommend. The Tom's of Maine deodorants dry my skin out horribly but I still use them cause its better then the alternatives.

[MagicalPossibilities]

12:09 PM on 03/05/2010

I made my own deodorant for years until it started to irritate my skin. Not sure why. I mixed baking soda with a natural unscented lotion and added a few drops of lavender and tea tree oil.
Now I use the crystal stick.

[Fallopia Tuba]

11:38 AM on 03/05/2010

I voted "I want to try this!" until I read further and saw that most of these treatments contain animal products. Too bad; I'll have to work around it.

[KIVPossum]

02:35 PM on 03/05/2010

My wife's decided to try the avocado mask. Try it without the egg and you'll probably get the same results. Don't worry about using honey, the bees don't mind. Mine always thank me when I rob the hives.