Zit-ridden. Blotchy. Dry. Itchy. Unfortunately, our skin has plenty of ways to look and feel unfavorable.
When expensive creams and pastes, aromatherapy, and conventional beauty treatments all fail – or are just out of your budget – it’s time to fall back on some unusual strategies. Odd? Yes. Out of the ordinary? Certainly. Highly effective? You betcha.
Here are five proven, kick-ass skin hacks that could be your next secret beauty weapon – no matter how weird they may seem at first glance.
1 – Harness the power of crushed aspirin
Aspirin contains salicylic acid, a powerful exfoliant. A paste made of crushed aspirin tablets and a few drops of water can quickly clear skin debris and can even dissolve pore-clogging keratin plugs. As an added bonus, it directly reduces acne-induced skin pain and swelling.
A word of warning, though: It works best on white- and black-heads, not erupting zits. That’s because it does not affect skin oil production or acne-causing bacteria, meaning that its best applied regularly as prevention.
Salicylic acid is also available in various lotions, creams, and spot-treatments – including some make-up. You can, for example, apply concealer and acne treatment simultaneously.
2 – Mix up a sweet exfoliant
Ready to drop overpriced exfoliators from your skincare budget? Sweet! Quite literally.
To efficiently and gently scrub away layers of dead skin, mix up your personal exfoliant using sugar and oil. Free of toxic additives, eco-friendly, and even edible, this exfoliant is quick to whip up.
Combine one cup of either brown sugar, pure unrefined cane sugar, or raw turbinado sugar with 3-5 tablespoons of non-clogging oil (such as coconut, hazelnut, hemp seed, jojoba, olive coconut, sesame, or almond oil). Mix well, and scrub away!
3 – Fight dark bags with tea bags
Following a party, a Netflix marathon, or a late-night study session, the dark panda rings around your eyes will give you away.
Luckily, they’re easy to get rid of – with tea bags. When you’re brewing green or black tea to get you going in the morning, save the bags. Stick them in the fridge for a while, then apply them to the dark bags under your eyes. The natural antioxidants and caffeine in the tea leaves, combined with the pleasant chill, will instantly make you look fresher.
4 – Purify your air
If you’re suffering from acne, you might want to take your battle to the air.
Often, acne is the result of low-grade inflammatory processes in your body that can wreak havoc on your immune system. A major cause of these processes, especially if you’re living in a city, are airborne pollutants.
To tackle this issue, consider investing in an air purifier. These devices filter pollutants and other irritants, such as pollen and animal hair, out of the air. Not only will you breathe more easily, your skin will also benefit.
5 – Life gave you lemons? Time for facemasks!
Brimming with vitamin C, lemons can give new life to dull skin. Instead of putting the acidic juice straight onto your sensitive skin, though, you can mix it with honey to make a lush mask. Honey itself was hailed as an anti-inflammatory beauty must-have in Ancient Egypt already. Combined with lemon juice into a viscous blend, honey will help replenish your skin – even in the 21st century.
Conclusion
To achieve a radiant skin tone, it’s not necessary to invest heavily into expensive beauty products and treatments. Instead, you can harness the natural power of ubiquitous ingredients like lemons, honey, tea bags, clean air, oil, and sugar. Apply, wait, and watch as you glow up.
