Daisy Steiner: "I can't just pluck another winter skincare dos and don'ts out of the air!"
Tim Bisley: "Why not?"*
Yes, because this blog is nowhere near enough geeky.
I promised myself a night of pampering after managing to fit in so much
exercise the other week. No need to splash the cash though as I had
everything I needed at home already.
First, a luxurious hair conditioning treatment. Argan oil is touted as
the wonder treatment de jour. Used in Morocco for centuries, it's just
catching on in the UK big time.
I got a little 30ml sample from a friend whose family all live in
Morrocco. If you went to a salon this treatment could set you back about
£15 or possibly more. Home treatments can be dear too. £5 for 50ml.
I've seen Home Bargains online do 66 x 100ml for £17.99 so you could go
in shares with a friend or stockpile, but I suggest checking your nearby
HB shop out, or, if you have a specialist ethnic supermarket near you
try there, as they will be a lot cheaper. These shops are also great for
other natural beauty treatments like rose water and coconut oil at
cheap prices.
All you need to do is apply to your dry hair and scalp.
It's great for multi-tasking this one... you really don't need much to
really penetrate your hair so just wear an old tee-shirt, or clip on a
towel, it's not going to really drip everywhere once it's on your head.
Just don't go leaning back against your sofa or anything.
You need to leave the oil on for a minimum of 20mins, but I got on with an hour's worth of editing work.
...and yes, you can apply argan oil to your scalp if you have a dry scalp. It's pretty effective at combatting dandruff.
If you can't get hold of argan oil though, you can try olive oil, just
on the ends, or even apply your usual conditioner, wrap your wet hair in
a towel and stick a bag over the top to gently heat your hair and get
more of the conditioner into it.
With 20 minutes to go, I applied my Home Bargains 25p chocolate mask.
You don't need to use shop-bought masks though. Porridge oats in water
can make a good exfoliating mask, or mashed banana or avocado for
softness. As a teen, I used to use a paste made of caster sugar and
water, but you have to be careful not to scrub off while it's still
very grainy as it can be too harsh if you're not careful.
Mask, applied, pull a duck face. I mean muck face.
Then, you've got to get rid of it. Remove the mask with damp cotton wool
or just splash it off with warm water. Then wash the gunk off your
hair. Really wash it well. Use a second dollop of shampoo if
needed. I chose to run a bath to do this - some purists will argue this
is bad and wrong and a bit mucky, but all that argan oil goes in the
water to soften your skin after it has been rinsed off your hair. Just
remember to use clean water to rinse your hair in, or the oil will just
stick back on and it will look like you haven't washed it at all.
I finished my pamper-evening with a hand and nail treatment of slightly
warmed olive oil (just the cheap stuff), rubbing it into the cuticles.
When rinsed off and dried, I used some Home Bargains emery board (79p)
to shape and Aldi Lacura clear nail varnish (£1.99) - this is an attempt
to save my nails ahead of my wedding, because they are flakier than the
cast of TOWIE.
Sadly, I haven't earned my stripes too do this kind of thing again for a
while... despite a park run of 31.11 on Saturday and a 4 mile walk on
Sunday. But I have my gym induction tonight, so let's see how things go.
Oh, and there are no 'after' pictures. I am still ugly. But softer.
*I love Spaced.
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