Part of living a sustainable lifestyle is reusing or repurposing what you already have. On a recent episode of the fourth hour of NBC’s Today Show, hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford shared some home beauty tips. By repurposing everyday household ingredients rather than buying new beauty products you are reducing your carbon footprint because you are not adding packaging and bottles to landfills. The first tip is a solution to a problem that many people will face this summer: the dreaded sunburn.

According to Hoda and Kathie, you can easily relieve the burn by mixing equal parts vinegar and water into a spray bottle and applying to the effected area. You might think that the vinegar would only add to the burn but by diluting it with water it becomes a salve because it has acetic acid and will help relieve the inflammation.

Another year round problem, that rears its head in the summer in particular is product build-up on you hair causing it to lose its luster and shine. By pouring a splash (WAY less than quarter shot) of vodka into your shampoo (shaken not stirred) and using this once a week will help get rid of product build up, dirt and oil.  The only risk is using too much vodka or too often as it can over strip your hair. It might be prudent to pour some shampoo into an empty bottle and then add the splash of vodka so that you can still use your favorite product every other day without worry.

Do you have dark circles under you eyes? (who doesn’t). Well, there is no need to buy expensive products to alleviate the problem when the solution is hiding right in your pantry: Potatoes.  Potatoes contain a natural skin-bleaching agent that can help lighten those ugly under eye circles. The steps are simple grate the potato, place in a piece cheesecloth and put in a small plate in the fridge where it can drain.  Once all the liquid has been drained, gently (and avoiding contact with the eye) use a cotton ball to place some of the liquid on your under eye and let sit for 20 minutes. After that, place the shredded potatoes on the area under your eyes for 20 minutes. If you do this regularly you will see results in about three-four weeks.

Manicures and pedicures are back in all their glory for summer, and the brightest and darkest colours are the ones that will leave a stain on your nails. The simple solution is to get a soft clean toothbrush and brush your nails with whitening toothpaste. Speaking of Mani and Pedis here are two easy ways to get your hands and feet summer ready. Mix ¼ C water with ½ C oatmeal and massage into your hands. Make sure to concentrate on knuckles, cuticles, and wherever else the dry skin builds up in the summer.  The oatmeal acts as a light exfoliator for the hands and should be followed-up with a lotion to seal in the moisture. For feet exfoliate them with ½ cup of sea salt mixed with 2 tsp of almond oil. This is a more abrasive exfoliator which will work well to get rid of calluses and then seal with lotion once you are done.

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