1. Skip the body scrub...try the Sweetheart’s Chocolate-honey Scrub
From the National Honey Board and Christopher Watt Esthetics in West Hollywood, California:
Recipe:
- 2 cups honey (100 percent pure is best)
- 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
- 6 Tbl. grated unsweetened chocolate (or dry cocoa powder)
- 2 cups kosher salt
In a rubber mixing bowl, combine honey and grapeseed oil. Stir in chocolate and salt, mixing completely. Consistency should be grainy and thick. Apply scrub to your skin and gently massage all over your body. Remove with warm, damp towels or rinse off in shower. Makes two treatments.
Beauty Benefit: The rough texture of the salt exfoliates the skin while increasing circulation and ridding the body of toxins. Honey provides a moisturizing effect and fights damaging free radicals, as does cocoa, which contains antioxidants.
2. Skip the deep-conditioning treatment…try the Yolk Hair Masque
From Shizuka New York Spa in New York City:
Recipe:
Whisk one or two egg yolks without the whites (use more or less, depending on the length of your hair) in a bowl until frothy and light colored. With a towel around your neck and shoulders, massage the yolk mixture into freshly shampooed hair, but don't massage into your scalp. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes, but no longer -- it'll begin to smell. Thoroughly rinse your hair until water runs clear and finish with another shampooing.
Beauty Benefit: The high fat content (cholesterol) is densely saturated with protein that will deeply replenish parched, coarse, chemically treated, or straightened hair, adding luster and shine.
3. Skip the facial...try the Banana and Avocado Face Mask
From The Ritz-Carlton Spa in Naples, Florida:
Recipe:
- 1 small ripe banana
- 1 small ripe avocado
- 2 Tbl. plain natural yogurt
- 2 drops vitamin E oil (slice open the vitamin and squeeze out contents)
Mash the banana and avocado together to form a thick lime green-colored paste. Add the yogurt and vitamin E oil; mix well. Cleanse and gently steam your face over a bowl of boiling water, covering your head with a towel. Massage the mixture into your face and leave on for 15 minutes; then rinse. This mask can be left on for up to 25 minutes, though for sensitive skin, 10 minutes is enough.
Beauty Benefit: The potassium and natural oils in the banana and the high fat and protein (plus vitamins A, D, and E) in avocado moisturizes and refreshes dry or sun-damaged skin.
4. Skip the pore-tightening mask...try the Tomato Tightener from India
From Shobha SoHo in New York City:
Recipe:
- 1 small or medium unripe tomato (the greener, the better)
- 1 tsp. honey
In a blender, puree tomato and honey to a thick pulp. Cleanse your face well and exfoliate with your favorite product or washcloth to ensure pores are open. Using two fingers, gently massage the pulp into your face. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then rinse off with cold water. Put leftovers in Tupperware and place in the fridge; they'll last for up to a month.
Beauty Benefit: The tomato acts like an astringent to tighten pores and remove excess oil, while the honey is a natural moisturizer that will soften the skin once the oil is removed.
>> Want to be pampered for real? Check out great spa services where you live
-- Grace Jidoun
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