Packed with protein and offering plenty of benefits both inside and outside of the shell, the egg is not only an important part of making magic in the kitchen, but can also become your best beauty friend. With home remedies using eggs, you will find that the uncooked egg is just as useful as one served for breakfast.
Egg Home Remedies
When using home remedies with eggs, you will find the whites, yolks and shells of this versatile dairy product can come in quite handy. To take advantage of the benefits, consider the following suggestions that touch upon home beauty treatments, cleaning up, and even repelling a pesky woodland creature from your garden:
a) Thicker Eyebrows:
If you’re looking for thicker eyebrows, beat one egg yolk and use a cotton ball to apply to brow hairs. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash off using cold water. This remedy works on improving the hair follicle.
b) Homemade Facial:
There’s no need to shell out the big bucks for a facial at the spa when you have a carton of eggs in the refrigerator. To treat dry skin, moisturize by separating the egg and beating the yolk. The egg white with added lemon or honey) is perfect for treating oily skin. The entire egg will address normal skin. Apply the beaten egg, relax and wait for 30 minutes, and then rinse off for a refreshed face. An egg white mask also helps tighten pores and firm the skin.
c) Glue Substitute:
When you need to attach paper or light cardboard together, egg whites can act like a substitute when you’ve run out of regular white glue [1].
d) Water Your Plants:
After boiling eggs on the stove, allow the water to cool, and then use to water houseplants for a nutrient-filled treat.
e) Seed Starter:
To deliver extra nutrients to seedlings, place seeds in eggshells. Arrange the eggshell halves in a carton, and fill with a bit of soil. Press the seeds inside so that they can benefit from the extra boost that comes from the eggshells. When the seedlings are about 3 inches tall, you can transplant them into your garden. After removing the eggshell, crush and place in your compost pile or garden.
f) Shrink Pores:
Add one egg white, one tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of oatmeal, and one shredded tomato into a blender, and puree until you achieve a thick sour cream-like texture – thanks to the oatmeal. Apply the remedy to your skin and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse off the treatment using warm tap water.
g) Add Volume to Hair:
When it seems your hair is thinning a bit, try mixing one egg yolk and one teaspoon of apple cider together in a small bowl. Apply the remedy to your scalp and keep on your hair for 40 minutes. Wash out the treatment and shampoo as usual. You will see that your hair will have more volume and shine.
h) Condition Your Hair:
The high amount of vitamins and calcium in eggs make it the perfect homemade treatment for your hair. An effective recipe for hair conditioner includes one teaspoon of olive oil and two egg yolks. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks from the whites – placing the yolks in a small bowl. Add in the olive oil and mix well. Apply the conditioner to your hair when it is dry, starting at the scalp and working your way down to the ends. Let the remedy settle for 10 minutes, and then shampoo as usual.
i) Baby Shampoo:
Babies need gentle products to touch their skin, and with one egg and one cup of skim milk, you can make your own shampoo for sensitive skin. Beat the egg and add in the skim milk. Mix the two ingredients until they become foamy. Rub the mixture into the scalp, and leave in for five minutes. Rinse the hair thoroughly with water.
j) Cuticle Treatment:
Soak your cuticles in egg yolks to take advantage of the B-vitamin called biotin, which works wonders for skin, hair and nails. This will help keep your hands looking younger and healthy.
k) Fight Dry Skin [2]:
Packed with calcium, eggshells added to a facial mask can work wonders for dry skin. Add three eggshells and one tablespoon of buttermilk to a blender. Blend the ingredients on high for two minutes. It is important to make sure that the eggshells are completely blended so that sharp pieces do not cut into your skin. You want the shells to become powdery. Spread on the mask and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with cool tap water, and follow up with two tablespoons of mineral water applied to the face.
l) Treat a Hangover:
The amino acid called cysteine is found in eggs, which is known to aid the body’s detoxification process [3]. This is why eggs are a common ingredient in traditional hangover cures. Eat cooked eggs when you’ve had a little too much to drink on the night before.
m) Remove Coffee Stains:
When you’ve spilled coffee on your carpet or clothing, try rubbing a beaten egg yolk into the spot. Leave it on for five minutes, and then rinse with warm water.
n) Shine Your Leather:
To revamp the look of your leather belongings, lightly beat two egg whites and then apply to the leather using a soft sponge. Let the egg white remain on the material for about 3 to 5 minutes before wiping off with a soft cloth dampened with warm water. Immediately dry the leather, and then buff to remove any residue.
o) Cool a Burn:
Egg whites have been known to help heal a burn without leaving behind a scar. There is a folk remedy that suggests rubbing egg whites on affected skin – like a salve – or soaking burned parts in a bowl of egg whites.
p) Treat Dysentery:
Back in the Oregon Trail days, dysentery was a real killer. Today, the condition causes inflammation in the intestines that is associated with bacteria, viruses and parasites. Old folk remedies suggest that applying egg whites externally to the stomach region when you have dysentery can help.
q) Fight Anemia:
Since egg yolks are high in iron, adding this food to your diet can help combat the effects of anemia.
r) Deer Repellent [4]:
To keep large animals, such as deer, away from your garden, break open an egg that has gone bad and place them around the areas you want to keep free of critters. Rotten eggs produce the smell of hydrogen sulfide, which is offensive to the creatures.
Resources:
[1] Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things by Reader’s Digest; pg. 161.
[2] Babushka’s Beauty Secrets by Raise Ruder; pg. 173.
[3] Five Minute Fixes by Jeff Bredenberg; pg. 352.
[4] Who Knew? Almanac by Bruce Lubin & Jeanne-Bossolina-Lubin ; pg. 533.