Fragrantly Beautiful

Cool beauty tips for hot weather

BY BONNIE BING
The Wichita Eagle

When temperatures soar, it's tough to look and feel fresh and pretty.
Believe it or not, you should head to your kitchen for a variety of ways to stay cool with summer beauty treatments.

1. Cool as a cucumber
Cleopatra was right. She cooled cucumbers in the River Nile, then had them rubbed all over her body.
Use cucumbers to clean your pores and tighten skin.
Rub cucumber over your legs after shaving or waxing to soothe your skin.

2. Chill out
Drink ice water. Your body burns up to 25 calories just by turning up its metabolism in order to warm a glass of water.

3. Get into your spice rack
For an odor-eliminating foot powder, mix together one tablespoon ground ginger with one tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Dust over clean, dry feet with a large blush brush. Ginger has antibacterial properties, and cornstarch has absorbent power.

4. Another cool treat for hot, smelly feet
Add three capfuls of an antiseptic mouthwash to a foot bath. Soak feet for 10 minutes. After drying, apply antiperspirant to the soles of your feet.
Add ½ cup vinegar to a foot basin of very warm water. Soak until water cools or for at least 10 minutes.

5. Get super soft feet
Cover them in whole-fat yogurt, then put on socks. Wear the socks for at least an hour and then soak off the yogurt in warm water that has a couple of chamomile tea bags in it. Pumice off rough skin, dry and apply a rich moisturizer.
Can't find your foot brush? Use a Brillo pad.

6. Treat that burn
Dip a gauze pad or small washcloth in a bowl of whole milk and apply to affected area.
Wrap a cup of oatmeal in cheesecloth or the leg from a pair of panty hose. Hang it from your faucet so the bathwater will run over it.

7. When in doubt, spritz!

Refresh your face throughout the day by carrying a spritzer bottle filled with cooled chamomile tea or plain water.

posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 3:58 PM