26 Essential Beauty Tips, Secrets, and Home Remedies

Besides the obvious tools to looking your best (fitness, nutrition, style...) here are some lesser-known health and beauty tips for silky hair, glowing skin, sparkling teeth and healthy nails.

Hair Treatments

Conditioners, special shampoos and other hair treatments can increase the shine of your hair, help protect it and even repair some damage. But if you're afraid of the high price tag that often accompanies salon quality products, here are some simple at-home hair remedies that do the trick.

Dull Hair Remedies
Four household products ensure lustrous hair:
1. Lemon juice - mix it with water and rinse for added shine and bounce
2. Baking soda - mix it into your shampoo to eliminate dirt and grease.
3. Beer - after shampooing, rinse hair with flat beer to add body and shine
4. Tea - boil tea leaves and let cool; apply liquid to dry hair and let sit for 20 minutes; rinse with warm water.

Oily Hair Remedies
Two solutions to fight greasy hair:
1. Carrots - boil and mash them and apply to hair; let sit for 15 minutes; wash and rinse
2. Aloe and Lemon - mix ½ teaspoon of aloe and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with regular shampoo; wash and rinse.

Dry Hair Remedies
Apply a deep conditioning treatment once a week. Work any of the following ingredients through hair; put on a shower cap or wrap with saran wrap; let sit for 20 minutes; wash and rinse.
1. Mayonnaise
2. Olive oil/ baby oil/coconut oil
3. Egg yolk
4. Mashed avocado
5. Mashed banana

Skin Treatments

Forget expensive designer products. Glowing skin is as easy as opening the fridge:

Oily Skin /Acne Remedies
Create a mask or spot treat with any of the following ingredients:
1. Garlic - natural antibacterial properties make garlic a great acne treatment. Press into a paste and apply on acne
2. Honey and apple - mash together, and apply to individual pimples
3. Tomato paste - apply a layer to face and let dry, rinse
4. Cooked oatmeal - apply a layer to face and let dry, rinse
5. Egg yolk - apply a layer to face and let dry, rinse

Dry Skin Remedies
Soft, supple skin is a cinch with any of the following:
1. Almond oil - use as a primer before foundation or as a night moisturizer.
2. Banana - mash and apply to face; let sit for 20 minutes
3. Mayonnaise - apply to face; let sit for 20 minutes

Exfoliating Remedies
Slough off dead skin cells with these simple solutions:
1. Coffee - mix a quarter cup of ground coffee with a tablespoon of salt; rub on face then rinse off.
2. Pineapple - a natural acid exfoliant; puree pineapple and apply to skin; let sit for 20 minutes.

Nail Treatments

Most nail damage is the result of environmental influences (washing dishes, housework, yardwork, etc.), so try to protect your nails from these culprits. But when all else fails, one at-home remedy can rescue dry, brittle nails:

1. Olive oil - olive oil moisturizes nails and softens cuticles without weakening them, preventing hang nails caused by dry skin. Soak nails in olive oil for a few minutes every week.

Tips for Teeth

Teeth discoloration can point the finger at many offenders - ageing, smoking, consuming staining foods and beverages like coffee, red wine, cola, and blueberries. So it's inevitable that many turn to teeth whitening to restore those that were once pearly.
You have your pick of expensive teeth whitening procedures and over-the-counter chemical treatments, but for a more natural solution, try making a paste of the following ingredients:
1. Strawberries - they contain malic acid, which acts as a mild astringent when mixed with baking soda or powder
2. Lemon juice and salt - lemon juice also contains acid
3. Apple cider vinegar and baking soda
4. Orange peel and bay leaves

You can find even more beauty tips in this complete health and beauty guide.