Wouldn’t we all love the chance to pamper ourselves after a hellish week of papers, midterms, work and religiously watching Friday Night Lights? The hitch is that those services and products are often just a tad out of the reach of the bare and dusty folds of our collegiate wallets. But just because you might not be able to buy your way to relaxation just yet there are still a few crafty tricks you can pull out to take some time out for yourself.
We test-drived two DIY spa recipes based off of ingredients you’re bound to find in your kitchen. These natural ingredients are actually often times the same ones that go into the pricey treatments at salons. Now you can get the same treatment, without breaking the bank, and while wearing your fuzzy socks at home!
DIY Lip Exfoliator
Ingredients:
- Sugar (Dorm Kitchen)
- Honey (Stolen from the dining hall J)
- Olive Oil (Whole Foods)
Steps: Take equal parts of each ingredient and mix them together until equally blended. (We used the back end of a knife.) Then use your figure to apply as a lip balm. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and try not lick it off, even thought it tastes so great! Use warm water to wipe it off afterwards.
History: This seemed like a strange combination of ingredients to mix together, but Rnia the Manager of Steven Papageorge Salon, gave some insight to their usefulness. The sugar is an excellent exfoliator, she says, in fact any type of sugar or salt will do the trick when it comes to a scrub. The honey, she adds, is a great way to add softness and it could be used by itself to achieve soft lips. Together though, the olive oil adds moisture, the honey adds softness and the sugar works as an exfoliator. The best part though, it tastes crazy amazing!
The Final Verdict: My lips felt so smooth afterwards! I’m betting that if I use this about 2-3 times a week, they’ll retain that softness. I’m so in love with this I’m planning on making a small container of it to apply before I go to sleep. Two thumbs way up for this one!
DIY Face Mask
Ingredients:
- Banana (Whole Foods…but I assume this could also be found in the dining hall)
- Orange juice (Dinning hall thievery again)
- Honey (I used the leftover from my lip exfoliator)
Steps:
- Mash a banana a mixing bowl. (The recipe calls for a half a banana, but I used a full one for better consistency. )
- Add in orange juice (I used 2 tbsp.) and honey (2tbsp again).
- Mix very well. The desired consistency is a thick syrup.
- Apply to the face using painting stokes and leave for 15 minutes.
- Rinse with lukewarm water and then MOISTURIZE.
The Final Verdict: The only problem I had with the recipe was the smell. The orange juice and banana mixed for a sour scent that was pretty annoying to my nose. I also suggest you do this mask privately, as there are going to bits of banana stuck to your face, and that’s hardly an attractive look. Although when I took this mask off, my skin felt smoother, so the “pain” was worth it. It does dry your skin out a tad though, so be sure to moisturize immediately after.
Happy DIY-ing ladies!