The Secret to All-Natural Beauty Is in Your Kitchen

2/9/13

The Secret to All-Natural Beauty Is in Your Kitchen

Consider this food for thought: Great skin is as much about what you put in your body as what you put on it. But what if the same food you put in your body for healthy hair and skin could do the same good on your outside too? Celebrity makeup artist Shalini Vadhera says if you want to get gorgeous, hit the fridge. Inspired by her global travels, the founder of Global Goddess Beauty shares her top 4 all-natural beauty secrets from women around the globe.

Go bananas for healthy hair
If your hair is starting to show signs of damage from heat styling or color treatments, try this Hawaiian secret for super-shiny tresses: Use a fork to mash one banana in a bowl, then slather the mixture from root to tip. Leave the treatment on for 15 minutes, then wash with shampoo. Bananas help improve the health and natural elasticity of your hair thanks to their high levels of potassium.

Smooth skin with this sweetener
Take a cue from fresh-faced Polish women, who apply honey on their faces as an intensive moisturizer. Just a thin layer does the trick. The sweet golden goo’s firming and moisture-retaining properties make it a popular anti-aging ingredient, too. An added bonus? It helps protect the skin from the damage of UV rays.

Warm a small pot of honey in a double boiler over low heat. After testing a small dab on the inside of your elbow for a safe temperature, apply the honey generously over your entire face. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm, then cool water.

Go with garlic for stronger nails
Add chopped garlic to a bottle of clear nail polish. Let it sit for 7 to 10 days, then paint the mixture onto your nails. It's a little secret Dominican women use to strengthen their nails—and it makes them feel stronger than acrylic tips!

Dry, dull skin is the pits
Skip expensive body scrubs or spa treatments in favor of a natural, budget-friendly body treatment. Next time you snack on Greek olives or whip up a tapenade, hold on to the pits—they are a great natural remedy for dry skin. Grind them up in a food processor and use them as a body scrub to remove dry, dead skin cells.

Kate Stinchfield

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