Beauty treatments are becoming more and more expensive—but believe it or not, your kitchen is full of tried-and-true ingredients that can give your skin, hair–and even feet–a major boost.

You can use Baking Soda as a natural face scrub! It has a great texture because it's just coarse enough to exfoliate, but if used gently won't irritate your skin. Add about 1 teaspoonful into your normal cleanser, mix (in your hand) and scrub.

Lemon Juice is a loaded with healthy vitamins and is a great remedy for brightening skin and diminishing the appearance of age spots. Since the acids in the juice may be irritating, make sure you dilute it with water. To create a solution, mix 10 drops with ½ cup of water. Dab a cotton ball into solution and apply to face. No need to rinse off!

To give your fee some great TLC, use Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil will work much better than any product you'd find in a beauty store. Many moisturizers contain a lot of water, whereas coconut oil will provide pure moisture. This works best on clean, scrubbed feet (preferably after a shower).

The acidity in vinegar works as a great toner to help restore your skin's natural pH balance. Imbalances in pH can lead to breakouts and cause "combination" skin (when parts of your face are oily while others are dry). Mix 1 part vinegar to two parts water, and apply with a cotton ball on clean skin. The smell may be a little strong, but it will fade within minutes. The protective layer on your skin locks in moisture and gives a beautiful glow. Vinegar might also be curative for arthritis.

Mayonnaise is made with an oil base, so it works as a great conditioning mask and leaves your hair with an amazing shine. Use ½ – 1 cup depending on the length/thickness of your hair. Heat in the microwave for about 10 seconds, then massage into dry hair. Cover with a towel or plastic bag, leave on for 20 minutes, then shampoo as normal. You will love how silky and radiant your hair looks and feels.

An ancient remedy known as Oil Pulling has so many benefits that it's hard to believe such a simple practice can produce such a wide array of results. Think of Oil pulling as washing out your mouth with soap, but less bitter. By swishing a tablespoon of oil around your mouth for twenty minutes, it creates a process called "saponification", meaning it basically produces soap from the healthy fats found within the oil.

Using 1 tablespoon of oil, simply swish around your mouth, pushing in between your teeth and around your gums, for 20 minutes. This shouldn't be too vigorous, and it shouldn't cause your jaw to become sore. If that's the case you're swishing too hard. As time passes, the oil expands. So even though you are only starting out with 1 tablespoon, it may end up feeling like 2 or 3 when you're finished.

Dr. Mona Vand is the creator of The Modern Pharmacist, movement created to help patients understand the connection between pharmaceutical science and overall wellness.

Photos: CC: ellas kitchen company limited, Karen Lee, Tim Hoggarth, Meal Makeover Moms, fdecomite, Stacy Spensley, Tetine

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