Whitening your teeth can make a huge difference in the way you look, literally brightening up your entire face. Improving the way you care for your teeth will result in a brighter smile,

unless you’re Amy Winehouse.

~Clearing your mouth of stain causing materials such as tea, coffee, dark sodas, wine, or cigarettes is a good start. If you have no desire to quit any of these habits then start carrying a travel size kit which includes toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. An effective rinse helps to kill bacteria that can produce bad breath (gross), plaque, tarter and stains.

~Visit your local health food store and purchase a non-peroxide brightener/polisher.

~You can also make your own teeth whitener combining strawberries, orange peel and some baking soda! It is a mild polisher but much milder than bleaches. Overusing bleach can leave your teeth and gums feeling sensitive…ice cream will never be as enjoyable again, and is that something you really want? Of course not.

Shampoo and conditioner alone won’t give your dry hair the quench you crave. For luxurious locks you need to eat right and make time (at least once a month) to deep condition your hair. This will help you replenish lost moisture and leave you with touchably soft, shiny hair. If time and money are not your friends then turn to your fridge for the best at home treatment.

Recipe:

½ Avocado (whole if you have long hair)

1 small jar of mayonnaise

Plastic food wrap

Hair towel

Peel and remove pit from avocado and mix with mayonaisse until it’s a consistent green. Start by massaging mixture into scalp and roots and work you way to the ends until your hair is thoroughly saturated. Pile your hair into a bun and secure it with a clip. Take the saran wrap and cover your hair. Next, take a pre-heated (from the dryer) hair towel and wrap it over the towel. The heat from the towel will further help with the deep conditioning process.

You can leave in the conditioner for about 15 mintues, I prefer to leave it in for 30.

Once the time has passed, rinse your hair and shampoo as usual.

Note: If you have an oily scalp, avoid putting the mixture on your roots and drench the rest of your hair as usual.

Beautiful, radiant skin is one of the most common health and beauty concerns for people, and rightfully so. Our skin is our bodies largest organ, and when it’s not at its best, it is exposed for the rest of the world to see. Although salon facials are a soothing luxury, we don’t always have time to make an appointment, travel to a salon, wait for service, and sit through the relaxing but time-consuming treatment. Not to mention it can get costly!

There are a variety of at home facial treatments for a variety of skin types, and these facial treatments will provide surprising results to those who try them.

Yogurt Face Mask for Sensitive Skin:

 Ingredients:

1 Cup Natural Yogurt (I like it right out of the fridge)

½  Cup Oatmeal   (Any kind works, preferably non-sweetened)

Cook oatmeal in boiling water and wait till it cools. Mix the two ingredients together and apply to the skin for 10-15 minutes. Wash off the mask with a washcloth steamed in the microwave. Be careful not to burn yourself, a moist cloth only takes about 30-40 seconds to warm up.

At home recipe for Oily Skin:

This recipe is as simple as it gets, and it works wonders for the skin.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 egg white, and a drop of lemon juice.

Cook oatmeal in boiling water and wait till it cools. Mix the oatmeal and an egg white, once mixed thoroughly add the lemon juice drop. Let the mixture dry on face for 10 minutes. Then gently wash off with a few splashes of warm water. Follow through with a steaming washcloth to the face.

A Classic Recipe for Dry Skin:

Ingredients: 1/2 avocado (yummy!) and 1/4 cup of honey

Mash the delicious avocado in a bowl then stir in the honey. Apply the mix to the skin and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse face with warm washcloth, then follow through with a cool washcloth to rejuvenate the skin.

Those of you who are Blessed with Combination Skin:

If you have combination skin then use two types of masks. Apply the oily skin treatment mask to the t-zone and the dry/or normal skin mask to the rest of the face. Beautiful skin sometimes calls for clever solutions!