In our constant attempts to maintain youthful skin and prevent ageing, many of us wind up spending a fortune on beauty products that more often than not, make promises they can’t really keep. Have you ever heard of the saying, “prevention is better than cure” ? We live in an age where, unfortunately, we trust expensive, man-made products a lot more than we trust cheaper, natural alternatives that actually work. Natural products work just as well if not better when it comes to the prevention of wrinkles, premature ageing and even common problems like acne, blackheads and chronically dry skin. Here is a nice list of anti ageing products that you most likely have stored in your kitchen, and probably never looked twice at when you found yourself dealing with annoying skin problems.
This is one of my absolute holy-grail skin anti ageing products that I seriously cannot live without, at least not anymore. When my mother first recommended I use this for my face every night a few years back, I was horrified because I very ignorantly thought that because olive oil is, well, oil, then it will most likely cause me to break out and have excessively oily skin! I was completely and utterly wrong, because by the time I did my research and became more and more convinced of how wrong I really was, I decided to give olive oil a try. Now, even though I’ve never dealt with any particular skin problems on my face such as teenage spots or anything of the sort, I did tend to either get a little too oily on my t-zone (especially during the summer and when I wear makeup) and a little too dry if I wasn’t careful (during the colder months). I would also have the odd few breakouts here and there, especially back when I would wear foundation everyday and my skin had a tendency to go red and look a little irritated (which I eventually came to realise that it was in fact sensitivity to the moisturisers, the alcoholic toners and the makeup removal wipes I was using!)
So anyway, fast forward to about 3 years ago when I decided to start using olive oil to moisturise my face every night. The stuff is magic! My skin became normal skin (I used to have combination skin) and the redness I used to get basically disappeared. I rarely get any breakouts but if I ever do, the olive oil I massage onto my face at night always seems to do the job overnight and I would make wake up the next morning with very clear, blemish-free skin! Not only that, but it has helped tremendously to give my skin a naturally healthy glow and a soft feel and texture – even during the cold and dry winter months.
Bottom line is, don’t be afraid to use olive oil to moisturise your face before bedtime, and make sure you go for cold-pressed, virgin or extra virgin olive oil. It will not cause you to break out and as it’s a natural anti-inflammatory, unclogs pores by absorbing impurities, heals and rejuvenates and repairs skin cells, it will actually help to diminish skin problems including acne! The antioxidant properties in olive oil also make it a natural anti-ageing product as they help to protect your skin from free radicals which speed up the ageing process, and the fatty acids will help to maintain the skin’s elasticity. I have a friend who has suffered with acne in the past and if you look at her face now, you will not believe that she had once struggled with any form of skin problems, and certainly not acne! What is the one beauty secret she swears by, you wonder? Yup, you guessed correctly – GOOD OL’ OLIVE OIL!
Aaaah. The smell alone reminds me of Rose Turkish Delights (cries). It is said that Cleopatra used to bathe in water filled with rose petals, before she came out with beautifully soft and silky skin. You’ll be happy to know that this naturally, gorgeously scented water carries with it not just moisturising properties, but also toning benefits. The way I like to use it is, I pour a decent amount onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over my face after I’ve cleansed it at night, and right before applying that liquid of gold I just faffed on about, olive oil. Rose water’s amazing toning properties will balance out the pH levels of your skin and close your pores, leaving you with silky soft and squeaky clean skin, ready for moisturising. You’ll smell like a rose, too, which you surely can’t complain about. The best part is, rose water is a natural (emphasis on the word natural) toner that contains no harmful, alcoholic ingredients that dry out your skin and cause irritation!
Yes, some more divinely scented waters. Orange blossom water smells heavenly and carries with it an impressive abundance of health and beauty benefits. Asides from its skin toning properties, it also helps to soften, brighten and soothe the skin. So if you happen to have ran out of rose water, then orange blossom water is a wonderful alternative! This is one of the best anti ageing products to find in your kitchen!
It isn’t just for cake baking and sweetening your hot beverages! Brown sugar can be an excellent natural exfoliant. Go for brown sugar with slightly thicker granules and you can mix it with honey and olive oil and then use it to exfoliate your skin! Just apply the mixture directly onto your face and use your fingertips to very gently rub it onto the skin using slow, circular motions. Depending on your skin type, you can do this once a week or once a fortnight. You will have a soft and smooth, bright, youthful glow! (Plus if you happen to accidently get it in your mouth, you definitely won’t complain).
The sweet-smelling, everything-softening coconut oil is one of the best anti ageing products to get from your kitchen! Its all-round, multi-purpose properties will not only moisturise and provide your skin with a gorgeous glow and brightness, it’s also helpful when it comes to speeding up the healing process of skin injuries and preventing infection because of its anti-microbial properties! And as for anti-ageing? Coconut oil contains an abundance of vitamin E which is a well-known, natural anti-ageing miracle!
Divine smelling cinnamon powder is one of the best natural anti ageing products as it boosts collage production (which will maintain the skin’s youthful elasticity) and improves blood circulation, which will keep your skin cells functioning well and will in turn provide you with a beautiful, healthy glow. Mix cinnamon powder into your olive oil, honey and brown sugar exfoliating scrub and watch the miraculously instant results!
Go with raw honey! Not only does it taste good (especially when used to sweeten tea, mmmm), but it also works wonders for your skin. With its skin repairing benefits and anti-bacterial, anti-ageing properties, raw honey will serve to fight off wrinkles and will work as a natural antioxidant, which means it will protect your skin from those pesky free radicals that are notorious for speeding up the ageing process. Honey is one of the most effective anti ageing products and every girl will have it sitting in her kitchen cupboard!
Coffee. It smells good, it tastes good and it tightens pores and removes dead skin cells! Because it’s rich in antioxidants and skin tightening components, coffee comes with heaps of anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing benefits as well as diuretic properties which help tremendously with the healing of sun damaged skin and the redness caused by it!
So next time you brew coffee in the morning, DO NOT throw away the coffee grounds! Instead, store in a jar and reap the anti-ageing, skin softening benefits!
Don’t throw away your tea bags! Chamomile is another one of those anti ageing products every girl has in her kitchen that is bursting with antioxidants that help protect your skin and keep it as fresh looking as a ripe, summer peach! It’ll also help to minimise the appearance of dark under-eye circles and will perk up tired skin, while its anti-inflammatory properties will help heal and soothe redness associated with sensitive skin, sunburn and rosacea.
The lactic acid in yoghurt make it one of the best anti ageing products every girl has in her kitchen! Because of its skin tightening and dead skin dissolving properties, lactic acid will ward off the formation of wrinkles and will keep your skin looking fresh, smooth and young!
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