Use a professional product, or pull the yogurt right out of your fridge!

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Yogurt

What it is: Yogurt has long been a staple in your morning meals, after-school snacks and midnight binges. But did you know that it can satisfy your skin’s hungry appetite, too? Yogurt is made by the natural bacterial fermentation of milk: When live bacterial cultures mix directly with milk’s lactose, or sugar, the lactose’s acidity is increased. What results is a product that tastes good and does even better for your body.

What it does: The live cultures that are found in yogurt lend to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it a great gentle cleanser.

Yogurt also contains lactic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid. As such, lactic acid is a natural chemical exfoliant that can remove the outermost layers of your skin. As AHAs go, yogurt contains a relatively low concentration of lactic acid and is therefore considered gentle enough to use on almost all skin types – even most sensitive skin.

To use: For oily skin, use non-fat or low-fat yogurt. For dry skin, use yogurt made from whole milk. Apply cool yogurt directly to face and allow it to sit for at least seven minutes before gently wiping off. Voila! You can throw in other helpful food ingredients, like avocado and banana, for added support.

Photo: Korres