We've all heard those weird DIY tips about getting your hair shiny, skin clear and other natural so-called beauty boosters. They're passed down from friends or moms and perhaps tried on a cold winter day with a well-stocked pantry full of potentially beautifying products. But do these concoctions - beer, eggs and mayo for hair or hemorrhoid cream, toothpaste, food and other substances that have no business being on your face to zap zits and get skin in shape - actually work? In some cases, yes - but in some cases, they can be ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Let's start with the edibles. First, slathering full-fat mayonnaise on your hair to deep condition it works...if you can stand the smell. All those fats and oils do a great job of moisturizing dry tresses, but you can find other deep conditioners that work just as well and smell a whole lot better. If you just can't stay out of the pantry for a dry-hair remedy, then go for olive oil. It smells a bit better and does just as good a job as a deep conditioner.
Don't be sour on your haircolor - if you need a new, lighter color, then try lemons. The acid in lemon juice definitely will lighten your hue when you allow the UV rays of the sun to hit it. For your face, think outside your mouth when it comes to toothpaste - that old wives' tale about it drying up zits is true. But it should be plain white toothpaste - not a gel - applied to the spot only to dry it out overnight. Can taking tea help sunburn's pain? It sure can - used teabags or a whole lot of black teabags steeped in a cool bath will pull the sting out of your skin due to its antioxidant properties. And the same stuff that shrinks swelling, um, down south is great for puffy eyes, too. That's right - hemorrhoid cream works to shrink those unsightly bags. So the next time you hear about one of those strange treatments, give it a try. It just might work.