Apple Cider Vinegar . . . skin & hair beauty benefits

Who knew that an effective alpha-hydroxy acid sits on the shelves in your grocery store at a very attractive price compared to the expensive products sold at department stores?

Women have used natural apple cider vinegar for many beauty benefits since the days of ancient Babylonia. It regulates the pH of the skin and is rich in alpha-hydroxy acids, promoting a softer, smoother appearance on the skin's surface and reducing scaly conditions.

It is important to use apple cider vinegar made from cold pressed, organically grown whole apples, in which no chemicals or preservatives have been added and is not pasteurized.

Apple cider vinegar is an effective natural hair care product since its acidity is close to that of natural hair. It can be used alone or with certain herbs and essential oils to make a vinegar rinse used to treat dandruff and itchy scalp.

As a hair rinse, it will help balance the pH of your hair, remove the buildup that can result from the use of these hair care and styling products, leaving it soft, shiny and easier to manage. Mix 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar with 1 quart water and use as a final rinse after shampooing or don't rinse it for extra conditioning.

The acids and enzymes contained in apple cider vinegar kill the bacteria that causes dandruff. For a powerful dandruff fighter, mix 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts warm water to balance scalp pH and control dandruff. You can also apply undiluted vinegar to the scalp, allow it to penetrate for a half hour to one hour, then shampoo with a mild shampoo.

The beauty benefits for the skin are varied . . .

Rub a little apple cider vinegar on tired, sore, or swollen hands or feet and feel the soothing difference.

Get rid of blemishes and make your skin more youthful by patting apple cider vinegar on your face before bed for softer, smoother skin in the morning.

Dab age spots with straight apple cider vinegar and leave on overnight to lighten them.

Apply ice cold apple cider vinegar to skin burns to prevent blistering.

Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your bath and soak for 10 minutes to soothe a sun burn.

Dab insect bites with apple cider vinegar to soothe the sting and itch.

Hands stained from chopping berries? Dab some straight apple cider vinegar on the stains to make them disappear.

For soft feet, combine 1 cup white distilled vinegar to 2 gallons warm water. Soak feet for 45 minutes then use a pumice stone or file to remove dead skin from heels and callused areas of feet.

Fight toenail fungus by soaking toes in a solution of vinegar and water, using 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water, 15 minutes per day.


Don't worry about the smell . . . it will disappear as it dries . . .


© Gina Alfani 2007; 2008

The Battle of the Best Drugstore Mineral Makeup

As I was researching an article I am writing that considers the pros and cons of the new trendy "must have" beauty product, minerals makeup, I came across this excellent article comparing the value and quality of the drugstore brands as an alternative to the more expensive cosmetic lines.

Although I have not jumped on the minerals makeup bandwagon, since I am usually up in the middle of the night, I have been tempted by the lure of the intense hype surrounding minerals makeup that has found me with the phone in my hand ready to place an order. Me, my credit card, infomercials or the home shopping networks on television can be very dangerous.

Then I remember my budget and the stockpile of my beloved Adrien Arpel makeup foundation that I have used for as long as I remember . . . I'll do a blog about her in the future . . . she is one of the ladies I most admire in this world.

If you have tried minerals makeup, but found it a bit too expensive for your budget, check out this article for some bargain values that may work for you. I've said it before, it is not always how much you pay for a product, it is the value of what you pay for . . . sometimes you are just paying for the expensive packaging, marketing costs associated with the brand name and not the quality of the product at all . . . apparently, that applies for minerals makeup too!

Get those kabuki brushes back out . . . minerals makeup can be affordable!

Are you makeup obsessed?

You should be if you are not since I don't care who you are . . . none of us was born perfect and we should always try to look the best we can. It is the one single thing in life that can make me feel better instantly . . . pampering myself and putting on the makeup even if it is just for me. Your mirror should reflect back the most outwardly beautiful person you can be, it will just make you feel better if you do that for yourself.

I'm one of those women who has little stashes of make up bags here and there . . . you can never have too much makeup. My belief is that you don't have to buy expensive makeup . . . drug store makeup is just as good . . . REALLY, with the exception of foundation. In my opinion, good skin care is what is important.

I made my own glittery lip gloss that is just as good as my glittery Lancome lip gloss that cost $20+ . . . the base was clear lip gloss from the drug store that cost me maybe $1.50 for the entire tube and I added my own loose makeup glitter to it. The best deal at the drug store makeup counter of no name makeup are the eyeliner and lipliner pencils . . . they are awesome and so cheap.

As a young adult, one of my ambitions was to be a famous makeup artist to the stars . . . I so wanted to do that. However, when I went to beauty school I discovered that touching strangers grossed me out . . . but beauty school was a blast anyway. I'm still an awesome makeup artist though . . . and I'm always going through the internet looking for new looks, techniques and makeup products.


Some of my favorite makeup blogs . . .

NecessaryMakeup.com

The Makeup Bag

The Makeup Girl

Click here for an awesome tutorial on how to achieve that cat-eye look from Temptalia.


I have lots of favorite make up blogs and websites . . . will be sharing them with you . . .