Finding time to watch cooking shows on TV, I watched a new one. Franco's Hot Dish (This is a pun because he himself is considered a spicy dish.)
My husband pointed out the Host's shrimp and pineapple tacos, which looked so delicious that I'll be making them soon, but what really caught my eye was avocado.
Franco mashes them together to make guacamole. Peru I eat avocado with everything, but I was surprised when Peruvians also put it in their hair and said it's what makes their hair shiny!
It brought back memories of my high school days in the early to mid-'70s, when I would devour books filled with kitchen serums. I remember avocados being recommended for those with dry hair, due to their high oil content and moisturizing properties. My own hair is terribly oily, so I'd never tried this avocado trick, but I wondered how easy it would be to rinse mashed avocado out.
Instead, lemon juice is recommended for oily hair, and this acidic juice promises to also add golden highlights, like a sort of natural bleach.
What I really liked was the mask.
I used to have oily skin (and sometimes I still think I have oily skin), so I made masks with egg whites and lemon juice, or honey and oatmeal. Mix the ingredients of your choice together to make a paste, apply it for 20 minutes, and wash it off. I love these homemade masks because they smell amazing and the oatmeal is also great for exfoliating.
Honey and lemon are recommended for most skin types, and avocado has reappeared as a mash for dry skin.
For teens who don't have the budget for beauty products, it turns out these kitchen beauty products are free, fun, and often actually effective.
I've tried using cold tea bags on my under-eye bags and couldn't tell a difference, and I found the egg-white lemon hair concoction a little difficult to wash off. But lemon juice alone works well as a facial astringent, especially if you use fragrant American lemon.
Lately, my older daughter and I have been using extra virgin coconut oil as a hair conditioner and eye makeup remover. We also buy almond oil from the Indian grocery store to give our hair a little shine. Ingredients like lemon, avocado, oatmeal, olive, and coconut oil seem to be effective whether ingested or used topically.
My old beauty “cookbooks” had lots of recipes for making your own lotions, scrubs, etc, but I didn't have enough ingredients to try them at the time.
Today, there are beauty products available that use citrus fruits, herbs, nuts, and a variety of other edible ingredients. The principle is the same: acids fight grease, and oils moisturize and brighten the skin. Herbs have many benefits, and my favorite skincare products, Clarins, are plant-based.
I miss my oatmeal and honey masks so I might try making some.What could be more natural, sustainable, fun and inexpensive than a serum you can make from your pantry these days?
