Mother Nature, it seems, has given us plenty to work with when it comes to enhancing our beauty. Before you reach for another packaged beauty product, here are 5 natural tips to up your beauty game:

Aloe Vera is a tried, tested and trusted ingredient for smooth skin but did you know that combined with lemon and honey it is a perfect mask for face and neck? Use one tablespoon aloe vera, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and one teaspoon honey.

Apple Cider Vinegar for strong, shiny hair. I love the sharp flavour it gives veggies and it generally is great for cleaning them too but ACV (as it is popularly called) is also great for the hair as it helps to clean the scalp while maintaining optimal pH balance. Just use it as a final rinse after washing hair.

Eggs. Is your cholesterol level high? Ditch that egg yolk then. Don’t toss it in the bin though, it provides more than enough protein which is needed for new hair growth and helps improve the appearance of the face by minimizing fine lines, wrinkles and improving the general appearance of the skin.

Pepper wears many hats not only in stimulating the palate, acting as a rich source of fibre and helping with ailments such as arthritis and asthma but it seems pepper is also great for the hair too (we just discovered that). It helps prevent thinning because it contains capsaicin which helps activate nerves and increase blood flow. Well, don’t go pouring pepper powder on your scalp, the best pepper for this is cayenne pepper. Mix 1 teaspoon with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and apply to thinning areas. Rub some of the pepper oil mixture on the thinning scalp. Wash off with cool water and shampoo after a couple of minutes, careful not to let the water get in your eyes.

Lemon may be best known for brightening the colours of our fabrics but what we might not know is that it also helps us get rid of nasty acne and helps maintain smooth skin. Hearing this, I’d immediately cut it in 2 and rub on my face but we can’t do that because…well, there is a technique for everything. Instead, what you should do is mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with one teaspoon cinnamon powder and put it on pimples overnight. Be careful though, this doesn’t work for those with sensitive skin. To lighten dark spots and cleanse skin, dip a cotton swab in fresh lemon juice and apply on face and neck.

Any other natural remedies you know? Don’t be shy, share them with us in the comments below