DIY BB Cream

Let's do it : bb cream ,

mix your favorite foundation ,

moisturizer and sun screen ,

to make your bb cream

28 Wonderful Personal Care Uses of Baking Soda

Hair Care

Squeaky clean hair: Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your usual shampoo bottle to help remove buildup from conditioners, mousses, and sprays, and to improve manageability.

Dry shampoo: For oily hair. Sprinkle on your hair and comb through, then fluff with a blow dryer.

Chlorine remover: Rinse hair with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in 1 pint water to remove the dullness or discoloration caused by chlorinated pools.

Combs and brushes: Hair spray and oil buildup on combs and brushes can be removed by soaking them in a sink of warm water and adding 3 tablespoons baking soda and 3 tablespoons bleach.

Body Care

Hands: Remove fish, onion, or garlic odor from hands with a solution of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water or liquid soap. Rub mixture in your hands, and rinse off.

Elbows: Rub a baking-soda paste (water and baking soda) onto your elbows to smooth away and exfoliate rough skin.

Feet: 

• Soak tired feet in a basin of warm water with 3 tablespoons baking soda
• Add 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart warm water, and soak feet for 10 minutes to relieve foot itch.
• Smooth rough and hardened calluses and heels by massaging them with a paste of 3 parts baking soda per 1 part water.

Soothe minor mishaps: 

• For sunburn pain, saturate a washcloth with a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart water. Apply to affected area.
• Ease windburn or poison ivy irritation with a paste of 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Do not use on broken skin.

Relaxing baths: 

• Baking soda added to the bathwater has a softening effect on the skin. Add 1/2 cup to a full bath.
• Make bubbling bath salts with 21/2 cups baking soda, 2 cups cream of tartar, and 1/2 cup cornstarch. Mix them together, and store in a covered container. Use 1/4 cup per bath.

Relieve Itchy Wintery Skin: In a bath with 1 cup baking soda and 11/4 cups baby oil in the water.

Sponge bath: Freshen up with a washcloth dipped in a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda to 1 quart water.

Deodorant: Apply cornstarch to your underarms with a powder puff first, then apply the baking soda.

Nail Care

Clean fingernails and toenails by scrubbing them with a nailbrush dipped in baking soda. This also softens cuticles.

Mouth Care

Toothpaste:

• Mix 3 parts baking soda with 1 part salt. Add 3 teaspoons of glycerin. Add 10 to 20 drops of flavoring (peppermint, wintergreen, anise, or cinnamon) and enough water to make a paste. Spoon into a small, refillable squeeze bottle.
• Sprinkle baking soda into your palm, dip a damp toothbrush into it, and brush your teeth.

Refreshing mouthwash: To freshen breath, use 1 teaspoon baking soda in 1/2 glass of water, swish the solution through your teeth, and rinse.

Dentures and other dental appliances: 

• Soak dentures in a solution of 2 teaspoons baking soda dissolved in warm water.
• Use baking soda to soak athletic mouthguards, retainers, or other oral appliances.
• Scrub dentures, mouthguards, and retainers with a toothbrush dipped in baking soda.
• Soak toothbrushes in a baking-soda solution overnight.

Facial Care
Baking soda can also do wonders for your face.

Exfoliating:

• Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, and use as a gentle, exfoliating facial scrub after washing with soap and water. Rinse your face clean.
• Mix baking soda with oatmeal in your blender; it makes a great facial scrub. 

Shaving:

• Men with sensitive skin may find that a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 1 cup water makes a great pre-shave treatment or a soothing aftershave rinse.
• For instant relief of razor burn, dab on a baking-soda solution.

As you've seen, baking soda is a valuable asset in your health and beauty routine. Keep some in your medicine cabinet.

Natural Microdermabrasion

Ever seen those ads for microdermabrasion (not even sure I’m spelling it right!). Well, they look expensive and I’m leery of the chemicals they might contain. No worries though… the kitchen can help! Baking soda is a very effective natural and gentle abrasive that pulls off dead skin cells and makes skin glow!

How to Do It: Wet face with warm water. Pour some baking soda into hands and massage into your face for at least 3 minutes. It will sting a little (its called abrasion!). Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

30 Old Wives Tales About Food in Your Kitchen that Might Actually Work

I found a bunch of Old wives tales that I put together. I think a lot of them are great, and I can't wait to try some of them. But keep in mind, they are tales, so some of them might not work out.

Enjoy these tips. I think they are a fun read.

1. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

2. If you are making gravy and accidentally burn it, just pour it into a clean pan and continue cooking it. Add sugar a little at a time, tasting as you go to avoid over-sugaring it. The sugar will cancel out the burned taste.

3. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

4. When boiling eggs, add a pinch of salt to keep the shells from cracking.

5. Burned a pot of rice? Just place a piece of white bread on top of the rice for 5-10 minutes to draw out the burned flavor. Be careful not to scrape the burned pieces off of the bottom of the pan when serving the rice.

6. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

7. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

8. To make scrambled eggs or omelets taste really rich, add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat together.

9. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste, or at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste.

10. Never put citrus fruits or tomatoes in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor of these persnickety fruits.

11. Re-heat leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove; set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the Food Network and it really works.

12. If you happen to over-salt a pot of soup, just drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

13. To make really easy deviled eggs with easy clean-up. Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg white. Just throw bag away when done.

14. To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place a cup of water with them in a microwave. The moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

15. Place a slice of bread into a bag of hard brown sugar. Within a couple of days it will be soft again. A piece of an orange peel will also work wonders.

16. For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor. Rubbing your hands with coffee beans or lemon works well too.

17. Before making popcorn on the stove or in an air popper, soak the kernels in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water, then pop as normal. The additional moisture helps the popcorn pop up quicker and fluffier with fewer duds.

18. To keep potatoes from budding in the bag, put an apple in with them.

19. If you have over spiced your food, add in some lime juice while tasting it until it is the flavor you like.

20. After boiling pasta or potatoes, cool the water and use it to water your house plants. The water contains nutrients that your plants will love.

21. If you happen to have some leftover wine at the end of the evening, (and don't plan to drink it the next night,) freeze it in ice cube trays for easy addition to soups and sauces in the future.

22. Don’t store your bananas in a bunch or in a fruit bowl with other fruits. Separate your bananas and place each in a different location. Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer.

23. If you are not sure how fresh your eggs are, place them in about four inches of water. Eggs that stay on the bottom are fresh. If only one end tips up, the egg is less fresh and should be used soon. If it floats, it’s past the fresh stage.

24. The substance in onions that causes your eyes to water is located in the root cluster of the onion. Cut this part out in a cone shape, with the largest part of the cone around the exterior root section. Or, another good tip, chew gum while cutting.

25. If your salt is clumping up, put a few grains of rice in with it to absorb excess moisture.

26. To clean fruit stains off of your fingers, rub them with a fresh, peeled potato. White vinegar can also do the trick.

27. Keep iceberg lettuce fresh and crisp in the fridge by wrapping it in a clean, dry paper towel and storing lettuce and paper towel in a sealed baggie in the fridge.

28. If your loaf of bread is starting to go stale, just put a piece of fresh celery in the bag and close it back up. For some reason, this restores a fresh taste and texture to the bread.

29. When making a soup, sauce, or casserole that ends up too fatty or greasy, drop in an ice cube. The ice will attract the fat, which you can then scoop out. A piece of bread works great too.

30. Boil water before freezing it into ice cubes to make crystal clear cubes.

Sugar Scrub

Sugar is not good for your body. It is, however, great for your skin! Since your skin doesn’t metabolize and store glucose or fructose like your fat cells do, sugar is a great way to tighten and smooth skin! Sugar scrubs in stores are expensive! Sugar scrubs in the kitchen are not!

How to do it: Mix equal parts of white or brown sugar and olive or almond oil and add essential oils of choice (optional). To exfoliate skin, rub the mixture onto skin and massage in for a couple of minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Enjoy!

8 Ways to Use Lemon For Beautiful Skin

Lemon is an amazing fruit. It is good for you on the inside and out. I had no idea that lemon could do so many great things to make my skin look and feel better. Check out these 8 ways lemon is truly a miracle fruit.

Fade age spots - Just apply straight lemon to the areas before bed and wash off in the morning with cool water. After a week or two, the lemon will have cleansed the skin and lighten the color. If you want an all over body treatment, just add 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice to your bath and soak for 20 minutes.

For brighter, softer skin use fresh lemon juice on any area of your body, including the knees, elbows, and face to brighten up and soften your skin.

Get Rid of Blackheads If you rub lemon juice on the area with your blackheads, it should make them disappear. Do this every night and rinse with cool water in the morning until blackheads are gone.

Make a moisturizing mask for dry skin by mixing equal amounts of honey, lemon and olive oil. Apply the mixture to dry areas on the skin and allow it to dry thoroughly for about 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

As a toner for oily skin, combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vodka, 1 tablespoon distilled water, and 1 teaspoon witch hazel. Apply with cotton balls and rinse with cool water. If you store in the refrigerator, it should last up to a week.

To exfoliate dead skin cells rub a cut lemon dipped into a half-teaspoon of sugar over your face for a few minutes, or create a mild mixture by using lemon juice, sugar and a small amount of water. Do this once a week to help remove dead skin cells and refresh your skin.

To make a lemon anti-wrinkle mask mix a teaspoon of honey, a few drops of lemon juice and a drop of sweet almond oil. Apply this mixture on the face and allow it to dry for 20 minutes and wash off.

If your skin is sensitive to the citric acid in lemons, you can dilute the juice with some water. Using a cotton ball to apply is the best way. Try not to use lemon juice on your skin before any sun exposure since it will make your skin more sensitive to the sun.

Credits to: mythirtyspot

The Most Effective Way To Cleanse Skin Naturally (and it works on all skin type!)

I admit, I was skeptical before I first tried this, since my skin is naturally oily and I wasn’t sure it would work for me. I had also had very acne prone skin when I was younger, and was afraid that a method like this would bring back the acne… I was wrong!

What is Oil Cleansing?

Though it sounds somewhat crazy at first, the idea of using natural oils to cleanse the skin gently actually makes a lot of sense. The basic idea of oil cleansing is to use natural oils in specific combination to cleanse the skin and naturally balance the skin’s natural oils. This produces much more nourished and moisturized skin that traditional soap and detergent based facial cleaners. As the website dedicated to the oil cleansing method explains:
“The basic concept of this skin care and cleansing method is that the oil used to massage your skin will dissolve the oil that has hardened with impurities and found itself stuck in your pores. The steam will open your pores, allowing the oil to be easily removed. Should you need it, the smallest drop of the same oil formula patted over damp skin will provide the necessary lubrication to keep your skin from over-compensating in oil production.”
Even Acne.org explains the benefits of oil cleansing:
“Fact: Oil dissolves oil. One of the most basic principals of chemistry is that “like dissolves like.” The best way to desolve a non-polar solvent like sebum/oil, is by using another non-polar solvent similar in composition: Other oils. By using the right oils, you can cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally, gently and effectively, while replacing the dirty oil with beneficial ones extracted from natural botanicals, vegetables and fruit that heal, protect and nourish your skin. When done properly and consistently, the OCM can clear the skin from issues like oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, blackheads, whiteheads and other problems caused by mild to moderate acne–while leaving your skin healthy, balanced and properly moisturized.”

But Does It Work?

This is the part I’m most excited to share! Even in third trimester of pregnancy, when my skin usually goes a little hormone-crazy, I have ZERO breakouts, red pots, or splotches! For the past two months, I’ve been using only oil cleansing (and occasionally, a plain antibacterial microfiber cloth to remove makeup if I don’t need to completely cleanse skin again).
When I first started using Oil Cleansing, I had an adjustment period where my skin got worse for about a week. Most resources I’ve seen suggest that this is a detox reaction as impurities are pulled from the skin, and this is definitely what it seemed to be for me. After that, my skin gradually improved and by 3-4 weeks of using only oil cleansing, I had no excess oil, no dry skin, and no blackheads…
I cringe when I think of the dozens of chemical laden products I used, especially in high school, to try to keep my acne under control! The skin care industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it seems that the best solution is one of the most simple, inexpensive, and easy!
I asked several friends and family members who now use the oil cleansing method how it has worked for them, and they seemed to have the same results. Some even noted that the combination of  oil cleansing and taking Gelatin daily has been the best anti-aging treatment they’ve discovered!

What You Need:

Want to try Oil Cleansing and see the results for yourself? All you need are a couple of natural oils and a clean wash cloth!
The most common oils used are Castor Oil and Olive Oil, though any natural oil can be used. Castor Oil is naturally astringent, so it helps pull impurities from the skin, making it ideal for oily or combination skin (and even dry skin in lesser amounts). Castor oil should never be used undiluted on the skin, and I always add at least twice the amount of other oil as Castor Oil when making an oil blend.
There is some controversy over the growing practices for Castor Oil (the harvesting and manufacturing exposes workers to a compound that can be toxic, but it is removed in processing), so many people choose to avoid this oil. The finished castor oil is not toxic, so there is no concern there, but for those who don’t want to use it due to its un-sustainable growing practices, hazelnut oil works wonderfully in its place.
My favorite other oil to use is Olive Oil, though sunflower, safflower, or even coconut oils work great.
I get all of the oils I use for oil cleansing from Mountain Rose Herbs, though many local stores might carry them as well. Just look for oils that are cold pressed, organic and pure.

What to Do:

If you are new to oil cleansing, it may take a couple of tries to figure out what blend of oils works best for you. Personally, I use a mix that is 3/4 olive oil and 1/4 castor or hazelnut oil and it is perfect for my skin. Other articles I’ve seen and friends who also use the method recommend these ratios:

• Oily Skin: 1/3 Castor Oil or Hazelnut Oil and 2/3 Olive, Sunflower or other oil
• Combination Skin: 1/4 Castor or Hazelnut Oil and 3/4 Olive, Sunflower or other oil
• Dry Skin: All nourishing oils like olive oil, or a very small amount of Castor/Hazelnut Oil added to the nourishing oils.

To find out the best blend for you, I recommend starting with the suggested amounts above for your skin type and adjusting if needed. When I started, I mixed up very small batches (1 teaspoon castor oil to 2 teaspoons olive oil, etc) until I figured out the right blend for me.
I’ve also found that even pure coconut oil works great once skin has adjusted, though it can be drying on some skin types. One friend uses a half and half mix of coconut and olive oil that she blends in a blender to create a cream, and this works perfectly for you.
To Wash Face With Oil Cleansing:

1. In the shower or at the bathroom sink, pour about a quarter size amount of the oil blend into your hand and massage into the skin on your face (don’t wet skin first). Use smooth circular strokes and let this also be a gentle facial massage. Massage for at least a minute (two minutes is better) or until you are sure that the oil has saturated your skin. This will also remove make-up very effectively, so there is no need to remove make-up first. You can even leave the oil on the skin for up to 10 minutes to really deep clean pores. 
2. Place a clean washcloth under very hot tap water (or shower water) until it is completely soaked and quickly wring it out. Open it and place over your face. This will create steam against the skin to remove the oils and any impurities in the skin. Leave the wash cloth on for about a minute, or until it cools. Repeat if needed with the other side of the washcloth and then use the corners of the washcloth to gently remove any remaining oil. There will still be a thin layer of oil on the skin and this is beneficial.
3. Typically, no moisturizer is needed after the adjustment period, but if you still have dry skin, try reducing the amount of astringent oil and using a tiny bit of homemade organic lotion to moisturize skin.

Notes on Oil Cleansing:

• It is normal for it to take a week or so for skin to adjust, and you may even see more oily skin or more breakouts during this time as impurities leave the skin. If you can, resist the urge to use harsh soaps or facial cleansers during this time, as it will make the adjustment period take longer.
• You will likely have to experiment some to find your perfect ratio.
• If you do this in the shower, make sure to clean your shower floor regularly so it doesn’t get slippery!