The Hour

Chamomile Eye Soother

To soothe tired eyes: Add boiling water to two chamomile teabags. Leave to cool and squeeze excess water out then place over each eye. Use the remaining chamomile tea as a face wash, or drink the tea.

Chamomile flowers are soothing and anti-inflammatory.

Fruity Face Mask

For cleansing and nourishing the skin: Mash the papaya pulp of the fruit together, apply to a clean face. Remove after 10 minutes and moisturise skin.

Papaya is high in beta-carotene, which is converted in the body into vitamin A. It also contains a fruit enzyme which digests protein, therefore acts as a gentle exfoliant, removing dead skin without scrubbing the skin and softening the skin.

Potato & Olive Oil Hand Softener

For dry cracked skin: Grate a raw potato then mix the grated potato with a spoon of olive oil. Apply mixture to hands and relax for 10 minutes. Wash the mixture off.

Potatoes have a traditional reputation to be good for dry skin. They are a good source of minerals and vitamins, in particular vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to restore skin elasticity by increasing collagen, this is useful in dry skin which has more of a tendency to wrinkle.

Olive oil is absorbed well by the skin, moisturising it. In Mediterranean countries, olive oil is used as a liniment rub for achy joints. It will also strengthen brittle nails.

Oat Bath Scrub

For all skin types: Place oats in a sock/square of fabric. Soak the oats in the bath water, or hang under the taps while running the bath. Squeeze the material to release the oat milk and use as a scrub for gentle exfoliation.

Oats contain salicylic acid – it is a similar chemical to aspirin and can act as an anti-inflammatory for irritated skin.

A herbal tea bag may be added to add scent - peppermint to wake you up; chamomile to calm.

Egg Yolk Shampoo

For washing hair: Rub yolk into wet hair, rinse out of hair (do not use very hot water or you may end up with scrambled egg on your head).

Oil and water do not mix, which is why we cannot clean our hair with just water. An egg yolk is made up of both oil and water, along with an emulsifier so that the two can mix together. It is this emulsifier which makes it an effective cleanser, allowing the water to pick up the greasy dirt, and wash it away.

Beer Conditioner

A hair conditioner to add shine: After washing your hair rinse your hair through with beer. It is often recommended that it is used as the final rinse, but following with another rinse of water will reduce the smell of beer.

The acid in the beer makes the cuticle (outer layer of the hair) lie flat, allowing light to bounce off it and appear shiny.

Warning: although these remedies are natural, it is still possible to have an allergic reaction to them. If you suffer from sensitive skin check the remedy on a small amount of skin first.