Your favourite homemade recipes; face + body/ homecare/ whatever category!

rayyycharles

Hi everybody, sorry if this may be some kind of duplicate thread/ question, but im just wondering what are all your favourite homemade items? do you have family recipe hand me downs or things you have found accidentally? whether its medicinal, cleaning, body and face care, pet remedies, im really excited to see some of your favourite concoctions as this is one of my favourite topics to search for tips on MSE.

for example some of my favourites;

i make an excellent face and body scrub using vitamin e oil, sugar, coffee (ground) and olive oil- it lightly scrubs, is good for sensitive skin and also leaves a beautiful moisturised feeling from oils.

i use an old recipe of salt/ vinegar and rosemary for cleaning sides- salt for abrasive, vinegar for grease and rosemary as an insect repellant.

i discovered how amazing bicarb of soda/ baking powder and soap nut liquid is for cleaning filth from bathtubs and toilets/ sinks. cleans grease so easily and no scrubbing!

does anybody else use soap nuts for anything? i use them in a bag for my washing and they work as well as any other washing detergent ive used, and im about to use the liquid (boil handful of nuts for 30 minutes, and can re use nuts a fair few times) with citric acid for washing up liquids as well as for kitchen and bathroom cleaner.

would love to hear your best recipes :laugh:

meritaten

simple thing - but it works - using olive or sunflower oil as a make-up remover! even the best waterproof mascara is no match for it! and so much cheaper than make up remover pads!
not to mention that olive or sunflower oil used with caster sugar (or ordinary granulated) makes a great exfoliator!
just use soap before you run the water an it comes off easily!

rayyycharles

Thats a great tip meritaten! i never thought of using something like that for make up removal, and i have recently been after a nice OS recipe for this, thanks!

shandyclover

Oil-cleansing method for face cleaning/make up removal, I add a few drops of lavender oil too.

Teaspoon of baking soda mixed for exfoliating, I know it sounds harsh but it really works, I have dry, sensitive skin and it doesn't upset it, though I don't do it too often - those with oily skin or in hot sweaty climes could probably do it more often. Was a Venezuelan friend with stunningly clear skin who taught me that tip.

Dried comfrey infused in oil used for my hubby's hands which always split and bleed in winter.

Plaintain tea for DD who has mild asthma, to stop her getting lingering coughs.

Tea tree oil added to any cheap conditioner for anti-dandruff treatment. Also has stopped DD's picking up nits when they were at youth camp.

Lavender oil diluted with water in a spray bottle as a flea repellent for soft furnishings and carpets.

[Deleted User]

chamomile tea bags on eyes to rest them, or raw grated potato for bags and shadows, much cheaper body scrub is to put oats in a muslin cloth, tie and use like a flannel, also softens skin and the cloth can be reused, vinegar in last wash instead of fabric conditioner, in fact i use vinegar or steam for most of our cleaning,

meritaten

rayyycharles wrote: »

Thats a great tip meritaten! i never thought of using something like that for make up removal, and i have recently been after a nice OS recipe for this, thanks!

actually former supermodel Marie Helvin should get the thanks! Its one of her beauty tips and I have used it for at least 25 years - and my nearly sixty year old skin is almost wrinkle free!

another of her tips is to use olive oil as a hair conditioner. Warm the oil and massage into dry hair (especially the tips), wrap your hair in cling film an put a warm towel on it, leave ten to twenty mins then apply neat shampoo and massage in - rinse lightly and then work up a lather, adding more shampoo if needed. rinse thoroughly and your hair should look as if you have just had a very expensive salon hot oil treatment!

Marie was a great fan of Olive oil and I am sure she had many more tips!

rayyycharles

olive oil is supposed to be great for that, i usually use coconut oil though it is expensive!

i never would have thought that lavender in water is a good spray for flea repellant! i have that made already for a sleepy spray for my pillow so i will definitely try that, and the muslin cloth oatmeal! chamomile tea bags i will try also, as i have those too! :laugh:

tina_malteser

Natural home made quick fix Face lift
Use 2 heaped tsp gram flour (chick pea flour) and ½ tsp honey with 2 tsp of water. Apply it all over the face and neck and leave it on for 15 minutes. When removing it remember to dampen a cotton wool ball or face cloth, and wash it off. Not only does it have a tightening effect on the skin it is deep cleansing and exfoliating. Then moisturise.
The combination will have a tightening and softening effect on the skin, making it look vibrant and healthy too.

i can't take the credit for this, i saw it on a programme must be 15yrs ago,,its by Bharti Vyaz who does the Skin Wisdom range..i didn't need to do it 15yrs ago but i do now, def after a nite out or b4 a nite out..
:beer:

meritaten

oh and if you have strawberries which are past their best for eating (bananas too) they make a great face mask! just mush them up and apply all over the face - relax for ten minutes and then wipe off the excess and rinse with water.

[Deleted User]

Strawberries are also good for whitening the teeth, just bite and then rub over the teeth, also a sage leaf is good for this also

[Deleted User]

meritaten wrote: »

simple thing - but it works - using olive or sunflower oil as a make-up remover! even the best waterproof mascara is no match for it! and so much cheaper than make up remover pads!


I had a slight mishap yesterday and my gorgeous bottle of garlic infused olive oil slipped from my grasp and toppled over.Some has splashed on the wall by the unit and left a horrible mark on the plain cream paper ,any ideas how to get the grease stain out of wall paper without re-papering I have tried almost everything I can think of. The oil oil is gorgeous and cost me quite a bit so I am really cross with myself