Nothing beats being pampered from head to toe at a weekend spa get away, but you don't have to wait until you have the time or the money to reap some of the benefits. You can quickly throw together ingredients you have in your kitchen for a luxurious mini-treatment or to maintain your skin in between spa visits.



Coffee grounds

Drinking too much coffee can have disastrous effects on your body, including encouraging the formation of cellulite. Used topically, however, caffeine can actually reduce cellulite by increasing the blood flow, breaking up the cellulite cells, and drying them up to be absorbed by your body. It also acts as a vascorestrictor, minimizing varicose veins and firming the skin. The coffee grounds themselves are an exfoliants.

Honey

Cleopatra, Madame du Barry, and other famous beauties throughout history, knew about the youth replenishing benefits of honey and made it a part of their beauty regime.

Raw honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, contains antioxidants and moisturizes. You can use it directly on your skin to treat yogurt. The lactic acid and enzymes in yogurt can exfoliate, clean, and hydrate your skin. It will sooth a sunburn while reducing the redness, and minimizing sun damage. Yogurt can also relieve an itchy scalp and dandruff.

Cucumbers

Hydrating, nourishing and astringent cucumbers will cool and soothe your skin, restore its natural ph balance, and can be used to reduce puffiness around your eyes.

Cucumber is also great for reducing redness!

Sea Salt

Sea salt is detoxifying, soothing, and relaxes the muscles. When used as a scrub it increases the circulation.

Avocados

Possibly the world's most perfect food, avocados have been used by the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incans for centuries, on their skin and hair to stay beautiful and healthy.

Avocado is moisturizing, can reduce age spots and heal sun damage. The oil penetrates into deep tissues and increases collagen and regenerates connective tissue, keeping your skin young and elastic, and preventing wrinkles. It will keep your skin soft and can psoriasis and eczema.

Avocado slices can be used to reduce puffiness around your eyes.

Coconut oil

Virgin coconut oil can be used all over your body, face, and hair as a moisturizer which will absorb nicely and doesn't leave you skin greasy. It has a light, pleasant coconut smell, but is not overpowering.

Coconut oil contains antioxidants, and can reverse sun damage, including persistent redness. Used immediately after a sunburn it is soothing, speeds healing, and can help prevent age spots.

A natural antioxidant, the oil will soothe a sunburn, speed healing, and help repair the long-term damage. It can protect your skin from wrinkling and age spots.

Women in the Philippines attribute their beautiful, glossy hair to the use of coconut oil as a natural conditioner.

Coffee Scrub

½ cup coffee grounds

¼ cup sea salt

¼ cup avocado oil

Mix together well. Use after your shower or bath, while the pores are open from the heat. Massage into a circular motion all over your body (except your face). Rinse off in the shower, wiping off grounds with a soft sponge. Use before, not after shaving.

Milk and Honey Bath

Add 3 cups milk and ¼ cup honey to hot bath water.

Yogurt mask

Smooth plain yogurt over your face, neck, and chest. Leave on for fifteen minutes. Rinse well. Moisturize.

Moisturizing Avocado Mask

Mash up ½ avocado and spread over face, neck, and chest. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse.

Leave-On Avocado

Rub the inside of the peel of an avocado on your face using gentle, upward strokes.

Cucumber Redness Buster

Grate cucumber. Lie down and place grated cucumber all over your face. Wait 15 minutes. Remove and rinse with cool green tea. Moisturize.

Coconut oil

Warm coconut oil in your hand for a few seconds to liquefy. Use on your face and body just like any other moisturizer or as a massage oil. Apply a small amount to the tips of your hair as a leave-in conditioner.