Experience Nature’s Basic Beauty Aids: Mayonnaise, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice

If you want healthy, glowing, beautiful skin and hair, you might peruse the products available at your salon or favorite department store. But if you’re looking for natural remedies to improve age spots, wrinkles, dry scalp, dandruff and the frizzies, you’ll likely have what you need in your pantry or refrigerator.

Olive oil, while delicious for sautéing meats and vegetables, also can improve unwanted issues such as flakiness when massaged into the scalp. The antioxidants and nutrients naturally contained in olive oil can help protect the scalp from dryness that causes dandruff and other irritating conditions. Vitamins A and E are beneficial for the skin, so gently massaging olive oil, which is rich in these nourishments, onto the scalp is a head-hugging experience.

Take one-half to one cup of olive oil and heat it until it’s just warm–not hot–then rub it into the skin; it’s a great way to heal problems caused by lack of moisture. After you treat your scalp, massage and comb the oil through the hair to coat it, creating a natural moisturizer. Wrap your hair in a towel or a shower cap for 20 minutes or more (even overnight if needed), then wash your hair with your normal shampoo and conditioner. You can also pour the cold olive oil directly into the palm of your hand and massage it into the hair and scalp. Olive oil gives hair a healthy shine, creates a smooth texture and takes away frizz. You’ll never suffer an itchy head during a board meeting or have to brush flakes from your shoulders again!

A fried chicken sandwich just isn’t complete unless it’s slathered with mayonnaise; it’s an essential ingredient for tuna salad. But did you know that spreading the natural product made from egg yolks, oil and vinegar as a topical treatment can be good for the hair, nails and feet? Mayonnaise is also a natural sunburn soother. Just spread it gently over the affected area.

For a natural hair conditioner, spread mayonnaise all over your hair and comb it through from roots to ends. Wrap your head in a warm towel for at least 20 minutes to allow the hair to absorb the generous amounts of protein from the mayo. Rub shampoo onto your head to help break down the oil in the mayonnaise. Rinse and repeat shampoo if necessary. Your hair will dry silky and shiny.

Are your feet cracking from dryness caused by a long winter? Applying mayonnaise to your feet and covering them with cotton socks can help. Leave the mayo on your feet for as long as you like. Wrapping plastic bags around your feet will keep the mayo from making a mess on your floors. If you suffer from dry facial skin, applying mayo to the face for 20 minutes once per week can help moisturize and protect it. The vinegar contained in mayo helps lift off dead skin cells.
Lemon juice is a beautiful accompaniment to seafood dishes or squeezed into a glass of icy water. This vitamin C-packed produce is good for you both on the inside and on the outside. Mix two teaspoons lemon juice with one teaspoon sugar to create a natural exfoliation treatment. Rub it into the face and neck and let sit for ten minutes before jumping into the shower. Vitamin C produces collagen in the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Use this method as often as you exfoliate. You can also create a body scrub with a mixture of lemon juice, salt and olive oil to help smooth winter-worn elbows, knees and heels.

Create a steam facial to deep clean your pores by adding lemon peel from half a lemon to a small bowl of boiling water. As the water steams, cover your head with a towel and lean over the bowl, allowing the citrus scent to fill your sinuses and deep cleanse your pores. This is especially beneficial to women with oily skin or skin prone to pimples. As a natural treatment to rid your skin of blackheads, squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a bowl and rub the juice into your skin, making sure to avoid the eyes. The juice will absorb excess oil on the skin that can clog pores. The low pH of lemon juice, an acid substance, kills some types of bacteria that cause acne. However, if acne is severe, it’s always advisable to consult your doctor.

Do you suffer from dry and brittle nails? Rubbing a slice of lemon over your nails every day will make them shiny and strong. Another way to strengthen nails and soften cuticles is to squeeze juice from half of a lemon into a ramekin or very small bowl of warm water and a squirt of hand soap; soak nails for about ten minutes and rinse. So when life hands you lemons, juice them! HLM

Sources: beliefnet.com, homeremediesforlife.com, beauty.allwomenstalk.com, medicaldaily.com, realsimple.com.