With 2017 finally here and resolutions taking place, it's important to take care of and love our bodies. Here are 17 tips and hacks to keep you feeling rejuvenated during 2017!
1. Wash Your Sheets and Pillow Cases!
Let's start out easy: wash your pillow cases, sheets, and comforters!! Like right now. This will help get rid of all those dead skins cells and germs that you left there from 2016. Washing them regularly helps keep dirt and oil at bay which also helps fight acne, plus, it's such a great feeling cuddling under fresh, cleaned sheets after a very long day.
2. Wash Your Body, Skip Your Hair!
It is easily forgotten that your hair's natural oils are what helps it stay healthy. In today's society, however, people often wash their hair to keep it from looking oily and "unhealthy." People forget that shampooing their hair regularly strips our hair's naturals oils from the hair strands which isn't healthy for our hair at all. So even if you shower regularly, have a skip day for washing your hair to help the oils come out and do what they need to do.
3. Coconut Oil!!
Again, go organic for this one! Organic coconut oil on your hair over night is such a great conditioner. It softens the hair, hydrates it, and help repair dead ends. Do at as many times a week as you want. Just put it in your hair (make sure to warm it up either with your hands or in the microwave first) and apply it to your entire head. Take a few minutes to massage it int your roots as well. Then leave it in your hair over night (make sure to put a shower cap on or put a towel on your pillows so no oil leaks onto your bed) and then rinse and shampoo it out in the morning!
4. Vinegar Baths!!
Okay, so your first thought for this was definitely "Weird," or "Gross." But vinegar baths have many different health benefits and should definitely be given a chance. For one, vinegar baths help keep body odors at bay! Weird, I know. But vinegar keeps the bodies PH levels at balance, which helps keep feet, armpit, or any other body odors away. Vinegar is also really healthy for the body and hair. Rinsing yourself in organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar is definitely the next bath bomb.
5. Aloe, Aloe, Aloe!
I'm not talking about the aloe lotion or gel you get from the store for sunburns, I'm talking about the fresh aloe plant with untouched gel inside the leaf. This plant can be found at most renovated Strack-an-Van-Till's or Meijer's. This plant helps moisturize the skin and hair. Cut a fresh leaf, scrape the gel from inside, blend it (in an actual blender, not with your makeup sponge), and apply it to your face and hair over night and rinse. It honestly works!
Tip: Add some fresh Aloe to your legs or armpits or face when you get razor burn! It'll be gone in 20 minutes.
6. Rinse with Cold Water!!!!!!!!
Those last few bullets bring me to my next one, whether it's a hair mask, face mask, early morning face wash, before bed face wash, or just a shower, always, always, always, always, ALWAYS, rinse with cold water. It is a terrible habit for people to just wash or shower with hot water and then get out. Hot water damages the hair and keeps the pores open and vulnerable. Rinsing with cold water keeps dead ends away and also closes the pores, keeping them from allowing oils, dirt, or other harmful and acne causing substances away.
7. Face Masks!!!
This one is probably unknown by a lot of people, but if you're using a clay face mask (one that does not peel away) do not let it dry all the way. If it dries all the way it strips all the your skins natural oils from your pores, which is really unhealthy for your skin. Let your mask get just slightly damp all the way around and then wash it. Your skin will still retain the masks benefits, but it'll also keep your natural oils as well.
8. Peel Up, and Away!!
On the other end, if you are using a peel away face mask, never peel downwards. When using peel away masks you are supposed to lift the mask up and away, which helps get all the dead skin and black heads off for good by pulling them out and up.
9. Charcoal Mask!
If you are looking for a quick and cheap way to remove your pesky blackheads, head to your local grocery store. Just grab some activated charcoal tablets (near the vitamin, digestion area) and some liquid, child's glue. Mix them together and you have an easy $5 mask to remove those blackheads.
Recommended: Only use it on nose or between eye brows. The glue may hurt to remove and should not be on sensitive areas of skin.
10. Bobby Pins!
Bobby pins are not just for your hair. If you are in the shower and do not feel like using a mask to remove blackheads, just use a bobby pin. If you use the closed end of the bobby pin you can easily scrape out blackheads from your nose.
Recommended: Make sure your pores are open with hot water first and that the bobby pin is clean.
11. Vaseline!
You know, the tub of petroleum jelly that you can buy at a drug store? Yeah that stuff helps your eye lashes grow. Just put some on your eyelashes, and maybe even your eyebrows if you need some extra help there, over night and wash in the morning. Do that for a few weeks and "Ta-do!" Longer lashes. You are welcome.
12. Cucumbers
Those dark circles? Everyone has them! Late nights and long days add up. Cut up a fresh cucumber and put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, and then put a slice on each eye for 15 minutes. Do this for a week or two and those dark circles will be gone! You can even do this with tea bags!!
13. Sugar Scrubs!
Although I have never used one on my face, I always use these on my lips especially during winter because the cold wind destroys my lips. Just rub some on your lips and rub them together and rinse with water. Apply some chap stick and be amazed! You can make your own with honey and sugar, or buy some at your local '5 Below' store for roughly $3.
14. Scented Lotion!
Any scented face lotion, through it OUT! It causes acne and irritates your facial skin. Not worth the pretty scent at all. Switch to an acne relieving moisturizer, or even an Eveno or eczema lotion. Your skin will give you lots of thanks for it later.
15. Biotin = Life!
If you are looking for a very easy and not time consuming way to help with your skin, hair, and nails just stock up on some Biotin from your local drug store. Find the highest MG you can and buy it. Take it daily with your other vitamins and it will help your hair and nails grow tremendously!
16. Hair Up!!
Another easy way to help your hair grow, stop putting it up into a pony tail every day. It smothers your hair follicles and also rubs on your ends, creating more dead ends. It might be super hard to do, but this might be a big cause for your dead ends. Let your hair flow and show!
17. Water, Water, Water, WATER!!!!
Drink more water! this not only benefits your outer beauty, but your inner beauty too. Knock out the pops and sugary drinks to a more beneficial drink. Water helps regulate the bodily systems and also help decrease acne. Maybe add some fruit to make it more "worth while." Just like water, eating healthier will help your entire body out in the end. It is not only for your skin and face, but for your body as well. Add extra fruits and veggies to you diet and lessen the sugar intake!
Stay fresh and make sure to add some of these goodies to your next shopping trip!
