Need skin-care help? Try looking in the fridge

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Egg whites, oatmeal, lemons and tomatoes are thought to help skin. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser On TV "Natural Beauty, Salon Secrets at Home," noon Sunday, KHET

DuPriest, a California aesthetician, creates a full range of skin-care products with ingredients found in most household kitchens.

She mixes masks from egg whites, bananas or avocados. She squeezes lemons and strawberries to create an at-home alpha hydroxy acid treatment. (The lemons contain citric acid, and the strawberries contain folic and ascorbic acids.) Mayonnaise becomes a scalp moisturizer, while a cup of apple cider vinegar added to bath water soothes sunburn.

DuPriest covers the full range of skin-care needs, from cleansers and exfoliators to toners and masks, as well as potions for the hair and scalp. With a little ingenuity and elbow grease, they can all be made for just a few cents.

Here are two of her recipes.

Oatmeal mask for softening the skin: Mix one egg white with two tablespoons of oatmeal or oat bran. Add a tiny bit of warm water until it is the consistency of a thick soup. Apply to face with a soft paintbrush or fingers. Leave on until dry (about 15 minutes). Rinse with warm water.

Green-tea toner: Steep a green-tea bag in one cup of hot water. Add one cup of cool water and pour in a small plastic bottle. Apply to face with a cotton ball.