Taking care of your skin can feel like a full-time job, especially when you're not sure if skin care products are really all they claim to be. And sometimes you'll run across treatments that sound too crazy to be true. Fish eggs? Honey? Can these things really improve the look and radiance of your skin? Here are five real treatments you've probably never heard of that can actually do just that.
Korean body scrub
If you've never had the chance to have someone scrub all the dull, dirty, dead skin from your body, you've been missing out on a great chance to give yourself the exfoliating treatment of a lifetime. Trained spa service providers like those at Island Spa & Sauna use exfoliating mits to rub you down from head to toe, removing grimy skin and unclogging your pores as they go. You'll literally be able to see the dead skin falling off your body, but customers say the treatment isn't painful; it's more like a full body massage. The treatment leaves your skin so soft, said one woman who underwent the Korean body scrub for a Buzzfeed video, you'll be comparing it to that of a newborn baby.
Lemon and yeast blemish remover
When zits and other skin blemishes come calling, sometimes it seems like all you see when you look in the mirror are those tiny imperfections. Rather than running out for an expensive zit remover cream or popping the pimple by hand, try this recipe passed on to Reader's Digest from The Doctorsbeauty expert Kym Douglas: "Make a paste using a little bit of brewer's yeast, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of water. Apply right on your blemish and leave for ten minutes."
If you want to leave it longer or if you'd like it to have more contact with your skin, apply a bandage to it. Douglas says the yeast will fight the bacteria while the lemon dries out the blemish.
Caviar facial
That's right, it turns out that famous fish egg delicacy isn't just a garnish, caviar is great for your skin, too. And it's now an ingredient in a trending facial that spas offer as an age-defying facial for customers looking to prevent or lessen the look of age spots.
Beverly Hills MD points out that caviar has a high antioxidant and protein content, similar to seaweed and algae, which are other ingredients often added to facials to improve their effect on the skin. A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine also found that caviar extract can help boost the skin's collagen production "and also beneficially affect mitochondrial function." Basically, it helps your skin retain its plump, full look and reduces the occurrence of fine lines and wrinkles.
Honey moisturizer
Apparently, honey may be the last skin product you ever need. It's popping up in all sorts of products, but the plain stuff might work the best. Women's Health Magazine explained, "Honey is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air into the skin and ensure it's retained it in the layers where it's needed most for penetrating, long-lasting hydration." You can test out honey's moisturizing powers yourself by spreading some on clean, dry (and, you might consider, hairless) skin, let it sit for around 20 minutes, then rinse it clean.
According to Women's health, honey can also be used as a pore cleanser, a scar fader, an exfoliator, and an acne treatment. Try them out. Which honey treatment works best for you?
Vegetable oil heel healer
When the cracks in your heels start resembling miniature models of the Grand Canyon, another application of lotion probably isn't going to do anything. You've got to heal the cracks, which means calling in the cavalry-and raiding your pantry. Livestrong.com says applying vegetable oil with a warm wet towel before bed will allow the oil to penetrate and soften the skin cells over night. Here's the key: slip on a pair of socks immediately after rubbing your feet down with the oil. This helps retain the moisture in your skin (and keeps the vegetable oil off your sheets) leaving your feet slightly moistened and soft in the morning. Plan on repeat treatments for really deep fissures.
