You already know that eggs can be used as food. But did you know that they are much more versatile than that?  Here are some of other popular uses for eggs:

Make paint. Mix pigments, egg yolk (the membrane carefully removed) and an agent (water, vinegar, or white wine). Then paint away! You’ll be in good company; some of the most famous artworks were executed in this medium (for example, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus). Do note that you need a rigid, non-flexible base; you can’t paint on a canvas with egg tempera paints – that’s why oils were invented.

Water your plants. Next time you make a hard boiled egg (here’s a recipe), don’t pour out the water! Instead, let it cool and then water your plants with it. With their high content of calcium, eggshells are also good as compost.

Treat your hair. Has your mane lost its lustre? Break an egg! Place the yolk into a small bowl and add olive oil, stirring constantly, until you get a mixture with the consistency of mayonnaise. Apply it to your hair, leave on for 20 to 60 minutes (60 is better), then rinse and wash with a mild shampoo.

Treat your skin, part 1. Save the whites from the above recipes to make a mask that cleanses and smooths the skin. Beat the whites and apply on your face avoiding the eyes and mouth. Let it harden on your face (this usually takes 15 to 20 minutes), then rinse with water. Your pores will look smaller and any puffiness will be less pronounced.

Treat your skin, part 2. Now that your skin is clean thanks to the egg white treatment, give it a nourishing and moisturising mask made of egg yolk. Beat the yolk with a fork and coat your face, avoiding eyes and mouth. Keep the mask on for 15 to 20 minutes, until it goes hard. Wash off with water.

Warning: While some people swear by both albumen and yolk masks, others have reported mild to severe break-outs after putting egg yolk on their face. This could be because of all the hormones that go into chicken feed these days, so if you’re going to give it a try, you may want to go with organic eggs.

Note: All unused egg yolks and egg whites will survive for up to three days in a fridge, stored in separate containers.