beauty using common household ingredients

1. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets
Old World Tips
for a Glamorous New You
Raisa Ruder and Susan Campos
NEW YORK BOSTON

2. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
Bashbuka’s Beauty Index Eyes
Oy, the Soy ~page96
Crow’s-Feet:Heard it Through the Grapevine~page92
Body Heat FineLines:Alomond Joy~page96
Sunburn:Burn out~page105
The Soother~page104
Self-tanner:Coffee tanner~page103
Skin is In
BrownSpots:Summer Sour Cream~page119
Get rid of bad spray tan~page97
Spot Remover~page114
Body Glitter~page102
Agespots:Spot on~page113
Reducecellulite:Mustard Body Wrap~page101
DrySkin/Eczema:Honey, Honey~page118
Oilyskin:Oil Out~page110
Hair Removal Pimples:Acne Aches~page110
Pimples:MilkMustard~page67
Ingrownhairs:Soak it in Sugar ~ page85
Sweet Scrub~page86
Ingrownhairs:Ingrown Headache~page87
Shaving:Shaving Cream~page88 Hands and Feet
Manicure:The 10-Minute Manicure~page92
DarkNails:The Yellowing Effect~page96
Eyelashes Calluses:Clear AwayCalluses ~page96
GrowyourLashes:Raya’s Revitalash~page59 Pedicure:The Perfect Pedicure ~page97
Eyemake-upremover:Take it All Off~page60
Hair
Make your own Scent… Addbody:Volumize ~ page73
BathSalts:Aromatherapy Bath Salts~page37 Hairgrowth:Hair Sprout~page72
PerfumedOil:Orange Glow~page38 C-Squared ~page72
ScentedLotion:Scent of a Woman~page39 Dryhair:Help!~page76
Cider conditioner~page78
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3. Chapter One
My Babushka’s Beauty Secrets
Name:RaisaRuder
From:HailsfromUkraineandMoscow
Occupation:Esthetician(withleaningstowardsthe
GreenParty)
Currently resides:LosAngeles,California
Age:OnceyoubecomeaHollywoodcitizenthere’sno
needtorevealyourtrueage.
A bove are my vital statistics. For the past 15 years,
LosAngeleshasbeenmyhomewhereIworkasan
esthetician.IntheUkraine,mygrandmother(or,aswe
say it back home, my babushka) taught me everything
aboutbeinganaturalesthetician.Bytakingitemssuchas
fruit,milk,herbs,teasandotheringredientswe’dwhip
upfabulousfacials.Ratherthanusecreamsandlotions
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4. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
laced with preservatives, we preferred applying natural day products without the fancy names, pretty packag-
products—itsavedourskinanditsavedusmoney! ing and preservatives. Decades later, I still believe my
Whoknewseveraldecadeslatertherecipesmygrand- babushka’s beauty remedies can go head-to-head with
mother concocted would become all the rage in Holly- anydepartmentstorebrands.Ratherthanpay$250for
wood. In a city always on the cutting edge of beauty, it expensive labels, my grandmother’s recipes were fresh,
seemsironicthemostfamousfacesinTinselTown.The fantasticandinexpensive!Thechartbelowrevealswhat
recipes in this book are (mostly) all-natural remedies I wewerebrewinginourtinyvillageyearsagoandhowit
usetomaintainHollywood’syouthfulglow—fromexfo- pricesoutagainstdepartmentstoreproductstoday.
liatingscrubstovitaminCserumstohairtreatments.
I’vemixedupmyfavoriteconcoctions—someofmy
grandmother’s original Ukrainian recipes — as well as Department store = $250 vs. Babushka’s olive = $1.95!
Vitamin C serum oil, orange lemon serum
othersI’vedoctoredupsincemovingtotheUnitedStates.
Here’smymotto:Whyspendhundredsatadepartment Revitalash = $150 vs. Babushka’s = under $1
storemakeupcounterwhenyoucancreateityourselffor castor oil concoction
under$5?Afterwhippingupandtryingtheserecipes,I Eye moisturizer = $150 vs. Babushka’s = $0.50
promiseyou’llfeellikeyou’vespenthundreds!Justasthe apple/honey remedy
weekly magazines show us how to get celebrity clothing Quick dry for nails = $28.59 vs. Babushka’s = $0.25
for less — Babushka’s Beauty Secrets creates glowing skin for sunflower oil
under$5. Deep hair = $900 vs. Babushka’s = $2.00
My grandmother didn’t believe in be- conditioner mayonnaise mask
ing wasteful. She saved everything. Alpha hydroxyl = $78 vs. Babushka’s = $3.50
My clients love hearing stories about cream strawberry mask
howmygrandmotherwasvirtuallya The satisfaction of knowing you saved hundreds
packrat.Herhousewassoneatand of dollars by using products that are just as good
cleanbutshecouldn’thelpsavingev- (if not better) and preservative free = PRICELESS!
eryitemorfindinganotherpurpose
forit.
Yousee,strictlyoutofnecessitywe The beauty business brings in 40 billion dollars a
were making the equivalent of modern year.Mostofitiswrappedupinprettypackaging.This
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5. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
blenders and food processors. We did everything by since moving to the States. She’d be proud of my new
hand! We would try out different concoctions on one creationsaswell.Ioftenthinkmybabushkawouldsuffer
anotherandfinetunetheendproduct.Theytaughtme stickershocktoseethepricesoflotionsandmaskstoday.
howtowhipupanaturalbromideforjustaboutanyskin Todayweallhavestressinourlivesandthere’snothing
problem. betterthanalittlepamperingtowashawayadifficultday
-especiallywhenit’sinexpensiveandguilt-free.Trustme
it’sfunandaddictive!
£ aBushka’s top five ingredients £
B
1. Potatoes – I think it was because they were so avail-
able. However they do serve multi-purposes. _ A FIHOW TORSET-up SpA _
V E-STA HOME
2. Vodka – Again, it was so available and a national
treasure. Just know it is the best preservative. It’s actually quite easy. Make sure all your guests bring
a comfy robe (or sweats) and slippers. Don’t forget the
3. Milk – She loved the vitamins in milk and how it act-
ed as a sort of bleaching agent for the skin. I always
weekliesandthefashionmagazinestocatchuponallthat
frivolousreading.Justrelaxandforgetabouteverything
£
think how she’d love those “Got Milk” commercials.
elsegoingoninyourlife.
4. Olive oil – Olive oil was a luxury for my grandmoth-
er. If it wasn’t so expensive back then we would have
used it daily. Sunflower oil became the substitute. Step 1. Set the Mood
The winters were so brutal that oil became a daily Designate a small area where everyone can gather,
ingredient in all of her recipes. All over Europe women eat and hang out. Offer up everything from signature
love olive oil for the skin.
cocktailstofantasticfingerfoods!Definitelyhavesome
5. Eggs – Since she used every part of an egg my ba- mellow music playing in the background to set the
bushka really got every penny out of it – from the
mood.
shell to the yolk.
Don’t forget to…
ImportingtheserecipestoAmericawasneverpartof £ Light unscented candles to create a tranquil and
my grandmother’s master plan. Nor was it really mine. peaceful feel. I say unscented so you don’t offend
She’dbeproudtoseesomeofheroriginalrecipesinthis yourguests.
book,andwouldn’tmindthefactI’vedoctoredupothers £ Lavender spray – my favorite brand is called Aura
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6. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
CaciaAromatherapy(availableatWholeFoodsorat
varioussitesonline.) £ r u i t k e b a b s £
F
I
£ Waterwithflavoredicecubes–Don’tthrowawaythe
mpress your guests with this fresh twist on the
peels from the lemons, oranges, and limes! These
traditional kebab! Set aside grapes and whole
icecubesofferjustahintofflavorforalightertaste strawberries without the stems while you slice
andthecolorfulpeelslookbeautifulinsideaglassof up fruit such as bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew
water. and pineapple (it’s important pieces are thick enough
£ Find the esthetician. Either hire a professional or so they don’t fall apart while putting the kebabs to-
gether).
decide who will take on that role. I’ve seen many
Once all your fruit it
teenagedaughtershappilyvolunteer.Ormaybethe sliced up, stick wooden
hostess? skewers through the
£ Youcanhireamassagetherapistforyourparty,but pieces. Get creative
ifyou’reonabudget,simplytaketurnsgivingone and stack the fruit on
anothermassages,facialsandpedicures. the skewers in differ-
ent combinations and
patterns (but make
sure to leave enough
space at the bottom
£
for your guests to pick
them up with). Then,
put all the fruit kebabs
Step 2. Create the Menu
out on a tray (or even arrange them in a vase to make
a colorful centerpiece!) Offer small bowls of yogurt as
Food dipping sauce and let your guests enjoy this fun and
Someofmypartyfavoritesinclude: healthy treat!
Finger foods ~ small sandwiches, vegetable platters, Place green grapes (cut in half) in a separate
bowl so your guests can apply them directly to the
etc…
skin. Just rub the green grape juice near crow’s feet.
Smoothies ~ Some of these same ingredients will go
Grapes are a good source for plumping skin and
intoyourmasks reducing the look of wrinkles.
Sweets ~ Howaboutstrawberriesandorangesdipped
inchocolatesauce?
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7. Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
Chapter Four andcandramaticallyreducestress.IngredientslikeEp-
somsaltsarefantasticfordetoxificationbybringingout
Rest and Relaxation
thetoxinsintheskin.
My babushka thought baths were the ultimate in
luxury.Althoughshelivedinasmallhome,shecreated
five-starbaths!Wheneverwewerestressedorupsetshe’d
makeuptheperfectbubblebathwithabeautifulhome-
madescent.I’dstepintothebathandfeellikeroyaltyand
suddenlymytroublesseemedtovanish.
Thischapteroffersupsomeamazingoldrecipesyou’ll
love!Sopickarecipe,drawthewaterandrelax!
Babushka’s Bubble Bath
T here’s nothing better than a warm bath! The next
severalpagesarededicatedtoalittleRRwithdif-
ferentrecipesforeverythingfrommilksoakstobubble
Try a little pampering with a luxurious bubble bath. We loved those
evenings when my babushka would draw us a warm bath. To this day
there is nothing more relaxing for me than a bubble bath, and I still
baths to creating your own scented lotions. No need to consider them such a special treat.
buy those expensive, drying, perfumed bath salts when Total time
Ingredients:
youcanwhipitupintheprivacyofyourhome. 15 Minutes
1 cupextravirginolive
Beforegettinginabath,Ialwaysfilltheroomwith
G cuphoney
steamfromtheshowertoaddmoisturetotheskin.Some-
Hcupliquidsoap(Mostofthebigchains
times,I’lleventhrowalittleeucalyptusessentialoilon
carryanumberofunscentedsoaps)
theflooroftheshowertocreateahealthyscentedsteam.
1 Tablespoonofessentialoil
InEasternEurope,wehavealwaysknownbathsand
steams can be very good for one’s health. In Russia, Puttheoilintoablenderandslowlyputintheremain-
peoplearefondofsomethingcalled“thebanya.”These ingingredients.Blendonhighforoneminute.Pourthe
arebasicallysteamroomswhichhavebeenusedforcen- mixtureintoareusablebottleandputonthelid.Shake
turies by the Russians. Baths are wonderfully healing wellbeforeusing.Nowaddsometothebath!
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8. Babushka’s Beauty Secrets Create a Fab Five-Star Spa
which is brilliant for the skin. Not only does it nourish the skin but it will
Milk Bath help with exfoliation.
There’s an old legend about how Cleopatra loved to bath in milk. For Total time
Ingredients
centuries, women have indulged in milk baths because of the soothing 20 Minutes
1 CupGoat’smilk
and moisturizing effects. Here is a milk bath that’s quite easy to make
Afewdropsoflavender
using ingredients from the kitchen. It isn’t Cleopatra’s exact recipe but
1 Tablespoonextravirginoliveoil
it’s as close as it could get.
Mix the goat’s milk, olive oil and lavender together in
Ingredients Total time
10 Minutes a medium sized bowl and stir with a metal spoon since
1 cuppowderedmilk a wooden spoon will soak up all the fragrance. Then
½cupEpsomsalts placeitinacontainerofyourchoiceandshakeitupand
¾Tablespoonofbakingsoda add it to your bath. When you’re done throw it back in
1 teaspooncornstarch the refrigerator. You’ll love the feel of your skin while
Afewdropsofessentialoil. bathinginit.
Simplymixallingredientstogetherinamediumsized
bowl.Addtoyourbathwaterandenjoy! Babushka’s Beauty Tip
Goat’s milk is all the rage in Hollywood.
S
Many actresses believe in giving their small
ince babushkas are famous for telling incredible
children goat’s milk rather than whole
stories, my grandmother would tell us about
milk. Women love putting it on their faces
how Cleopatra bathed in milk - an expensive
as well, since it’s known to be extremely
and rich skin treatment back in those days. We never
gentle on the skin.
realized why milk worked, only that it did! Now we
know that the lactic acid in milk is an alpha hydroxy
which helps get rid of dead skin while moisturizing at
the same time.
Rosewood Scrub
My babushka believed certain scents could change your mood. Lavender
Lovely Lavender is known to be very calming. Have you ever noticed how it’s always a
These days many people prefer goat’s milk to regular milk. So here’s relaxing and therapeutic for the tootsies. So relax, you’ve had a long day
another luxurious recipe that takes advantage of this other kind of milk and deserve to get pampered in the privacy of your own home.
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