More helpful beauty tips

I thought these were pretty interesting tidbits in a magazine I was reading. I haven't tried them yet, but wanted to pass them along. What you don't eat, use for topical beauty!

Strawberry Smoothie Mask
in a food processor oblender, combine 1 c frozen or fresh strawberries, (or a mix of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries). Blend into the berries 1 c vanilla or plain yogurt and 1 1/2 T of honey. Pour into an 8 oz glass and enjoy your smoothie, but leave enough to coat your face! It will be a little drippy at first, but a smooth layer will stay on. Leave it on for about 8 min before rinsing it off. Strawberries have more antiaging vitamin C per serving than oranges or grapefruit which helps to fight those nasty wrinkles and lines we get as we age. You should do this once or twice a week.

Pomegranate Exfoliating Scrub
Cut off Pomegrantate crown and score the rind in sections, without cutting all the way through. Place in a bowl of water for 5 - 10 min. Break away the rind from the seeds, which will sink. Strain the seeds. In a food processor, combine 2 T seeds and 1 c uncooked oatmeal. In a bowl mix the oatmeal and seeds mix with 2 T honey and 2 T buttermilk. Apply to face for a few minutes then rinse. For rough patches, like elbows, add 3/4c turbinado sugar before scrubbing. Enjoy the remaining seeds, the ones not mixed with anything, with your favorite cheese. Pomegranates are one of the most antioxidant rich fruits, which has more inflammation fighting antioxidants than red wine or green tea.

Olive Oil drizzle
Olive oil reduces inflammation and disarms free radicals. The ancient Romans massaged olive oil into their skin. Inflammation is a major cause of wrinkling and sagging of the skin. Use the oil on your rough patches and even on your lips for a kissably smooth mouth! After dinner, drizzle a few tablespoons of extra-virgin oil into a small bowl and dip your favorite bread into it for a nice snack or before dinner as an appetizer.

Green Tea
Sip at least 3 big mugs of green tea, from tea bags, every day for an antioxidant boost! Chill the damp tea bags in the fridge and put on eyes for 10 - 15 min. Green tea contains tannins, which act as an astrigent when applied to the skin and can help reduce puffiness.

Pumpkin pudding
In a food processor or blender, combine 2 c canned pupkin, 4 T vanilla yogurt, 4 T honey, and 1t pumpkin pie spice. Separate 1/3 of the mixture to a different bowl. With the remaining 2/3 pumpkin mix, add 2T cream cheese and 1/2 t vanilla extract and mix well. With the 1/3 you kept separate, smear it all over your face and leave on for 10 minutes and rinse. Eat the pudding! You should do this once per week. Pumpkin is full of wrinkle fighting plant pigments called carotenoids. It is full of vistamins C E and A and powerful enzymes. (Personally, I'd pop that pudding into a baking pan and bake it til it was more of a custard to nibble on.)

The mighty Coconut!
Coconut oil, per the Michigan State University studies, is 48 percent lauric acid, which strengthens the immune system, kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi on contact, makes your hair shiny and thick, relieves dry patches. Coconut oil will also speed up weightloss. For winter illness protection, consume 3 1/2T of coconut oil daily. For your hair, massage 2T coconut oil into the hair and scalp, cover with a shower cap for 30 minutes and then shampoo. Repeat once or twice weekly. For your skin, apply a small dab of coconut oil two times daily. At first it will feel greasy, but will soak into your skin in about 15 minutes and be very smooth. A coconut milk bath will sooth your whole body. I don't recommend a coconut milk shampoo however, it took me 4 washings to get it out of my hair! Just pour a can of coconut milk into your running bath water, get in and enjoy a nice little respite from the day.