My Grandma recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. She's a boating, gardening, curly-haired beauty who lives for a good piece of Italian bread—and is still stunning in her old age. 

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On her birthday, we visited a local florist to pick cut flowers for her room, then an Italian bakery where she asked giddily if we could get a piece of crumb cake. Back at home, while digging in to the strawberry-filled dessert, I asked her how she felt about turning 92. “I don’t feel that old,” she said, shaking her head, “I think it’s because I’m a good sleeper.”

Related: This 67-Year-Old Grandma Was The First Woman To Hike The Appalachian Trail Solo

What other simple health and beauty habits did my Grandma have that provided her with a white smile and bright complexion at 92? I had to know, and I asked others to share their grandmothers' best natural old-school beauty tricks, too. Most of these old-fashioned remedies are straightforward and require inexpensive kitchen ingredients—meaning you may have all you need to strengthen your hair, fight wrinkles, and soften your lips right in your pantry.

Read on to bring your beauty routine back to a simpler time. 

Related: 11 Women Share The Best Advice Their Grandmothers Ever Gave Them

Rain water for long hair

rain water
Sam Edwards/getty

Samuella Becker’s grandmother came to the U.S as a teenager from Romania and passed down many beauty remedies: “The one that stands out the most, is her rushing to put out big basins in her Akron, Ohio, backyard whenever it rained,” Becker reminisces. “Then, before the mosquitoes set in, she would get the basins and rinse her thick, luxurious hair. When she died at 96, she only had a few grays and kept it in braids; it was so long.” 

Try it: Good Ideas Rain Wizard Rain Barrel

Related: 3 DIY Natural Home Cleaners Just Like Grandma Used To Make

preview for Kitchen Hack: Whip Cream In A Mason Jar

Fresh cream for soft skin

Michelle Duffy’s Great Aunt took advantage of living on a farm and worked wonders with her surroundings. “At night she would rub the cream from the top of fresh milk on her skin,” says Duffy. “She had beautiful, soft skin with barely a wrinkle, which hid her 95 years.”

Try it: Here's how to use milk for silky smooth skin

Related: How Much Should My Daughter Know About Her Grandma’s Mental Health Issues?

Rhubarb to ease redness and fight wrinkles

Boldijarre Koronczay, president of Eminence Organic Skin Care, knows a thing or two about listening to his mom. After being diagnosed with a one percent chance to beat his childhood leukemia, Koronczay’s mother and grandmother took to their garden.“They fed me organic, biodynamic foods, believing that by providing me with the purest nutrition from the earth, I would get better.”

Years later, and cancer free, he’s following their natural footsteps and using homemade recipes in his organic skincare line. One of his favorite ingredients? Rhubarb. “It’s a good source of ascorbic acid and Vitamin C, which makes it great for fighting wrinkles,” says Koronczay. “When applied on the skin it can also work as an astringent and disinfectant helping to heal.”

Try it: Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant

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Witch hazel to unclog pores

“After my mom told me Witch Hazel would unclog my pores and get rid of blackheads, I used it everyday,” says Kelly Scardelli of her teenage years. “It was her favorite astringent, because it had natural oils that didn’t dry out her skin.” Years later, my mom passed this remedy down to me, and every night I wipe down my face with a cotton pad soaked in Witch Hazel.

Try it: Thayers Witch Hazel

Related: 23 Organic Beauty Buys Under $15

Egg white face mask to prevent wrinkles

The incredible edible egg fights wrinkles. “My mom whisked one raw egg white and applied it to her face until it dried,” says Lindsay Troyer-Shannon. “She did this once a week and had the most amazing skin.”

Try it: Here's a recipe for an egg white face mask, and more amazing things you can do with eggs

Apple cider vinegar to cleanse hair

With all the product and environmental toxins damaging to hair, Mickey Dunkin learned the perfect tip from her mother, Cheryl. “She taught me to use apple cider vinegar to give my hair a good cleaning,” says Dunkin. If used once a week after washing hair normally, this old-fashioned remedy can clear hair of greasy build-up.

Try it: Here's more on washing your hair with apple cider vinegar

Cod liver oil for strong immune health

“If you talk to many baby boomers, they have vivid memories of taking liquid cod liver oil or the gel caps,” says Dr. Peggy Fuller of Esthetics Center for Dermatology. Full of immune-supporting antioxidants, it was the perfect way for her mother to keep a house of six children healthy. “We all lined up to take it. The taste was not bad to me, but oh, that smell!  I developed an affinity for it, and believe it lessened my childhood asthma.” 

Try it: Cod Liver Oil 

Coconut oil to remove makeup

Casey Higgins remembers watching her mom, Rita, use coconut oil on her face when she was young, but only asked why when she started to adopt a more holistic lifestyle. “That was about two years ago, and now I use it everyday,” Higgins says. Rub the oil into your skin wherever there is makeup. Then, with a warm, wet washcloth gently wipe it all off.

Try it: Here are 10 nourishing ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine.

Related: I Tried 5 Different Oils On My Face—This Is The Best One

Black tea soak for sunburn

“One summer during camp, my mom had to pick me up from the community pool, because I woke up from a nap with throbbing, lobster-red legs,” says Shawna Steward. “At home, she sat me in the tub with about two inches of lukewarm water, draped tea-soaked towels on my legs, and let them soak for 20 minutes until they stopped stinging.”

Try it: Here’s how to make her mom’s soothing soak: brew tea in a pitcher (about 5 teabags). Once tea is at room temperature, sit in the tub and soak a washcloth in the tea. Then pat your inflamed skin. You can also put the teabags directly on your skin, especially under your eyes, to reduce redness. 

Related: 6 Best Mineral Sunscreens You Can Get Online Or At A Drugstore

Mayo as hair conditioner

“Weird, but it works!” says Candice Gosselin about her 84 year-old grandmother’s recipe for shiny hair. Most common jars of mayo contain soybean oil, which is has lots of fatty acids that make hair shiny, smooth, and tangle free.

Try it: “I keep it on for a least an hour under Saran Wrap to get the full effect,” says Gosselin. Just be sure to wash it all out!

Related: 7 Old-School Parenting Tips That Seem Crazy In The Modern Age

Oil and vinegar to spot treat acne

Who knew controlling acne could be so simple? Olive oil is also effective at removing makeup, and is often touted as a wrinkle-fighter. 

Try it: “My dad taught us to use oil, vinegar, a touch of salt, and sugar as an acne repellent,” says Stephanie Carranza. “I did this once a week in high school and never broke out." 

Related: 5 Skin-Detoxing Herbs That Can Heal Your Acne Naturally