We spend a lot of money on cosmetics and beauty products every month. But do you know that our own kitchen has more beneficial and potent ingredients at one-tenth of the price of store-bought beauty products? Mint leaves which are used everyday in our kitchen for cooking also has a whole lot of skin and hair care benefits. Read on my post on Beauty Benefits of Mint Leaves to know how to incorporate mint leaves for skin and hair care in our home.
Mint is a natural cleanser which has antiseptic and anti-microbial properties. It comes packed with high contents of vitamin A, salicylic acid and antioxidants that helps to treat acne, blemishes and inflammation.
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Acne treatment Salicylic acid is the ingredient mainly used in all OTC acne products. And mint is a natural source of salicylic acid. To treat acne naturally, make a face pack by grinding mint leaves, tulsi leaves and neem leaves into a fine paste. Mix with rose water and apply all over face. Leave on for 20 minutes. This will also heal blemishes and acne scars
# Exfoliating scrub To prepare a mint scrub at home, take two teaspoons of oatmeal and add dried mint leaves powder to it. Make a paste using milk and scrub your face gently with it. It helps to brighten the skin, remove dead cells and purify skin.
# Deep pore cleanser To make a simple mint cleanser, extract the juice from mint leaves. Add a teaspoon of honey to it. Dab a cotton in the mix and cleanse your face gently with it. This helps to deeply cleanse the pores of all dirt and impurities and helps to tighten the pores.
# Clear skin toner Simmer mint leaves in hot water for half an hour. Now filter out the leaves and store the mint extract in a bottle. Use this as a toner everyday morning and evening to get clear, blemish-free skin.
# Sun tan remedy If you are suffering from tanned skin, make a paste of mint leaves and cucumber slices. Mix with yoghurt and apply on affected areas to get relief from sun burn and remove tan.
# Invigorating foot soak After a long and tiring day at work, soak your feet in warm water with mint leaves. This relieves stress and tension while energizing you.
# Soothing foot cream If you are suffering from dry, cracked heels, massage a mixture of mint juice, milk and petroleum jelly on your feet every night. It soothes, moisturizes and hydrates your feet while mint’s anti-bacterial properties takes care of toe fungal infections.
# Lightening lip balm
Microwave two teaspoons of petroleum jelly and add mint juice to it. Allow it to cool and harden to use as a lip balm. This helps to lighten pigmented lips.