Just when you thought you’ve heard it all.
Experts are revealing some of their bizarre yet best-kept beauty secrets, from using ketchup as hair toner to nipple cream for chapped lip relief.
Say you’re in a pinch and need to tone down the green hues in your hair, Anita Rice, a co-founder of the London-based salon Buller and Rice, told The Guardian that ketchup is an at-home alternative, although they would “never” use it at the salon.
“If bleached or light hair has a green hue after swimming, it’s easily available even on remote holidays,” she explained. “It works because the red coloring counteracts the green tones, while the acidity acts as a clarifying agent, helping to improve the purity of the color.”
She recommends applying it to only the green areas of dry hair for 10 to 20 minutes before washing per usual.
Other hair hacks include using sexual lubricant as a hair gel substitute for sleek ‘dos, which Evo Hair international color director and Olaplex ambassador Tom Smith calls “one of the oddest secrets in hairdressing.”
“Session stylists often use it on celebrities before they hit the red carpet,” Smith dished, adding that the lube “defines the hair texture, adds an incredible wet-look shine and will not dry into the hair, unlike gels or mousses.”
“Water-based or silicone-based lube will work, although if the hair has been pre-styled, silicone-based lube will retain the style’s shape while making hair appear wet – though it will require much more washing out afterwards.”
Other tips and tricks from experts were Glycerin and rosewater products to moisturize and soothe the scalp, mixing the liquid from Vitamin E capsules into lotion to calm sunburns, cleansing the face with coconut oil and applying diaper rash cream to body rashes to stop itching.
Meanwhile, Dr. Leah Totton, a medical and cosmetic doctor and the founder of her namesake skin clinic, told The Guardian she swears by lanolin nipple cream for chapped lips and “to give them a glassy finish with no stickiness.”
“I discovered the cream when I was breastfeeding: I had my daughter in a harsh winter and realized the nipple cream made a great hand moisturizer, and then started using it on my lips, too,” she said.
Lip balm, on the other hand, also has a dual use: to tame unruly eyebrows.
Dermatologist and Self London founder Dr. Anjali Mahto prefers “emollient-based balms like Lanolips or Laneige lip sleeping mask” to control brow hairs.
“They provide excellent moisture and control, keeping my brows neat and my hair smooth throughout the day,” Mahto said. “And because they not only serve their primary purpose, but also double as an effective solution for unruly hair, they are a versatile staple in my beauty routine.”
For DIY facials, experts advise freezing concentrated rice water as ice cubes.
“It works so well because the rice water is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as ferric acid, which help improve tone and radiance,” Herbar founders Catarina Oliveira and Rui Liu told The Guardian. “The ice cube format is a bonus – the cold helps tighten pores and depuff the face.”
Meanwhile, massaging the skin with a spoon can “alleviate tightness,” aid with “depuffing” and give “the face a natural lift,” facialist and holistic skincare expert Donna Ryan said.
“To begin, apply a few drops of face oil to your skin to act as a lubricant. Allowing the spoon to glide smoothly, and with gentle pressure, use the rounded edge to massage the neck, shoulders and face in upward strokes,” she explained. “This motion promotes blood circulation, relieves tension and stimulates lymphatic drainage, resulting in a rejuvenated appearance.”
The GelBottle nail artist and trainer Giorgia Capella revealed that teabags are a helpful tool when fixing broken nails on the go.
“Push the break shut and use nail glue to stick a small piece of the outer net to the area, like a mesh connecting the pieces of nail. Add a layer of top coat to the entire nail, sealing everything in,” she said. “Then trim any over-hanging teabag to the shape of your choosing, filing down any rough edges. Refresh your teabag plaster with every manicure until the split grows out.”
Meanwhile, stockings have two uses when it comes to beauty routines. Socks, explained celebrity tanner James Harknett, can be used in lieu of a tanning mitt when applying self-tanner.
Black tights, on the other hand, can be used as a wig cap, according to Steam Bar founder Judy Koloko.
“My non-sexy, go-to product is black tights. It may be a very well-known hack, but I swear by it as sometimes my wig cap goes awol, usually when I am about to run out of the house for that all-important meeting!” she explained.
“So, out come the tights – the lower the denier the better, as that way it’s not putting too much friction on your hairline.”
