I love natural beauty hacks! They’re a fantastic way to feel and look better without harming yourself or the environment. While your kitchen is full of ingredients that can enhance your beauty naturally, here are seven beauty blogger hacks using throwaway items that will keep you looking your best.
1. Whiten teeth with banana peels
Before you toss out that banana peel, give your teeth a quick rubdown with it. A thin paste will form on the surface of your teeth and can, over time, whiten your teeth naturally. Simply let it remain on your teeth for about ten minutes before brushing normally. Your teeth will absorb the minerals potassium, manganese, and magnesium from the peel and the effect will be a brighter, whiter smile.
2. Eliminate shoe odors with newspaper
Newspaper is great for absorbing odors. Whether you’ve got a pair of ballet flats that are smelly after a hot summer or your gym shoes could use some freshening up, a wad of newspaper in each shoe can help eliminate odors. Newspaper is also great for helping boots and handbags retain their shape in storage.
3. Boost brunette hair with used coffee grounds
Add your old, cooled coffee grounds to your conditioner to create an easy hair mask. Apply it to wet or dry hair and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it out. This mask works particularly well if you have darker hair, as it can deepen and richen your natural color. The caffeine in coffee may also help with hair growth.
4. Organize your jewelry drawer with egg cartons
Are you an accessories collector? Keep your earrings looking new and your necklaces untangled by using an egg carton to separate them. Just cut the lid off and insert the bottom of the egg carton in your bureau drawer. Fill each little egg cup with a piece of jewelry of your choice. You can even stack cartons easily, making storage a breeze.
5. Strengthen your nails with leftover garlic
If you’ve minced too much fresh garlic for dinner, don’t throw it out. Instead, add it to a bottle of clear nail polish. Use it as a base coat to strengthen nails over time. Research shows that low selenium levels may cause weak nails. Garlic contains significant levels of selenium and may help prevent future nail breaks.
6. Make a lip stain with nearly empty blush palettes
When you come near the end of your blush palette, keep the remainder. Break up the hard-to-reach blush to form a powder and mix it with lip balm or coconut oil. The blush will color the balm and make for an alluring lip stain in a shade you already know you love.
7. Wake up sleepy eyes with used green tea bags
Did you have a particularly late night? Try green tea in two forms for a pick-me-up. Once you’re done brewing your plain, unsweetened green tea, place the tea bag on a saucer to cool. After you’ve enjoyed your cup of tea and the tea bag is cool, place on each eye for five minutes to de-puff eyelids, tighten skin and brighten dark circles.
Do you have a favorite beauty hack that relies on something you would otherwise toss in the garbage? Let us know in the comments.