When you think about beauty from the inside out, or how you really are what you eat, you naturally think about what you're putting in your body. But what about what you put on it? While there are plenty of luxury skin creams, scented body oils and deep-conditioning hair treatments to choose from, it can also be fun -- and cost effective -- to take a DIY approach to beauty.
Here are five in-your-body/on-your-body foods we know not only for their delicious taste and health benefits but also for thier beauty-on-the-outside applications.
Avocado
Avocado is ideal for moisturiizng because the natural oils that make this fruit so creamy are great at sinking deep into skin to keep it hydrated and reduce flaking. Once warmer weather arrives, avocado can also help soothe the red, inflamed skin of a sunburn.
Eggs
Place an egg white into a bowl and beat it thoroughly until it reaches a foamy consistency, then apply it directly to your face. Leave the egg mask on for about 15 minutes. When you feel your skin tightening, gently wash off the mask with warm water and a soft cloth.
Wondering what to do with the yolk? Add it to your breakfast tomorrow! Egg yolks aren’t the bad guys we once thought they were. They contain more nutrients than egg whites, including seven vitamins: B6, folate (a B vitamin), B-12, A, D, E and K. Of those, vitamins A, D, E and K are found only in egg yolks and not in egg whites. In fact, egg yolks are one of only a handful of foods in which vitamin D is found naturally.
Coconut Oil
With nearly as many beauty applications as it has for cooking, coconut oil is a friendly fat that comes in handy for moisturizing cuticles, as a stand in for shaving cream, as a natural eye makeup remover and even as a cheekbone highlighter!
Olive Oil
This essential part of a healthy fat source in our diets also has numerous beauty applications. Try it as a pre-shampoo hair treatment by warming olive oil in hot water, then applying it generously to the ends of hair and scalp. Leave the oil in for 10 to 20 minutes, and then shampoo it out. In addition, you can fight those winter dry-lips with a DIY exfoliator made of coarse sugar with a teaspoon of olive oil and a splash of lemon juice for added flavor. Try it on your whole body!
Strawberries
Chock full of vitamin C (which gets rid of plaque) and astringent by nature (helping to remove stains), strawberries will leave your smile brighter and your teeth healthier. Simply mash the fruit using a toothbrush (or, in a pinch, just swish!) to spread over your soon-to-be pearly whites. Leave on the strawberry mash for five minutes once a week.
