7 Incredible Skincare From Food That You Usually Throw Away

7 Incredible Skincare From Food That You Usually Throw Away

Charmaine Kon by Charmaine Kon on May 20, 2017
Why you should care

We take a look at food waste that can nourish your skin.

I’ll be honest, nothing floats my boat like effective skincare solutions that are also cheap.

Perhaps 90% of the time you’re throwing away plastic bottles and driving to work instead of carpooling. We make the case for that 10% and teach you how to use food products you were going to toss anyway.

1 Old Milk

glass milk

SOURCE: eatthis.com

Soft and Moisturised Skin

Cleopatra famously took milk baths to soothe and soften her skin. Copy this by pouring milk all over your body in the shower. The water, fat, and protein content in milk make it a good moisturiser; fresh and pasteurised milk works best.

Soothe Sunburns

Milk also does wonders for sunburnt skin. Soak a soft cloth into refrigerated milk and use it as a cold compress to see anti-inflammatory and skin repairing benefits. Avoid whole fat or milk cream products.

2 Expiring Yoghurt

Brighter Skin

For brighter skin and to fight blemishes, add a few drops of lemon or orange juice to 1 – 2 tablespoons of yoghurt for a mask. If you have sensitive skin, ditch the lemon juice as it might be too acidic.

Tackle Acne and Enlarged Pores

Add 2 tablespoons of yoghurt to some ground oats and lime juice for a mask paste that will absorb excess oil and bacteria while exfoliating the skin.

3 Leftover Oats

oats bowl

SOURCE: authoritynutrition.com

Soothe Dry and Sensitive Skin

Speaking of oats, if you don’t want to waste an old batch, then mix 5 tablespoons with water and ground to a paste. Add honey to boost the mask’s soothing and anti-inflammatory benefits.

4 Rice Water

Tackle Impurities and Sensitive Skin

Instead of throwing away the water you use to rinse your rice, you can use it as a toner! Soak ½ cup rice in 1 cup filtered or boiled water and let it sit overnight. Strain the liquid and use it as a toner.

As an astringent, rice water reduces excess oils and helps tackle impurities. Plus, its Vitamin B3 content is a good lightener for dark spots.

5 Coffee Grinds

coffee gronds

SOURCE: huffpost.com

Smoother Skin

After brewing your coffee, use those grinds as a body scrub. This enhances circulation, boosts collagen, and of course, exfoliates dead skin to reveal a smoother and softer surface!

6 Used Tea Bags

Soothe Tired and Irritated Skin

Once brewed, leave to cool before placing tea bags on tired eyes or on sun burns.

7 Cucumber Slices

cucumber eye mask

SOURCE: healthyhomestead.com

Reduce Puffiness

This is for the times when you only need three quarters of a cucumber for your ham sandwich and you don’t know what to do with the rest, since cut cucumbers go bad in the matter of days.

Cucumbers contain soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that are good for tired and puffy eyes.

Why you should care

We take a look at food waste that can nourish your skin.

Related Stories