Maintaining a beauty or grooming regime as well as a strict budget can be a tricky balancing act, especially considering the price of some of the products we consider essential!
However, many of the top beauty products are made up of everyday ingredients, so you can quite easily create your own versions for a fraction of the cost of the store-bought equivalents!
Have a root around in your home for the following items:
Ground almonds
Your skin can take a battering during the winter, with icy winds and rain leading to dry patches and painful cracked skin, and our hands seem to take the brunt of it!.
A great way remedy for dry, cracked palms is to mix 1 tbsp of ground almonds with 1 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of honey and 2 tbsp of oil.
Apply the paste to your hands and leave for a few minutes, before rising off to reveal revived, soft palms!
Couscous
Looking for a dry shampoo alternative? Couscous could provide the unlikely alternative!
Mix 6 tbsp of couscous with 30 drops of lemon essential oil and 20 drops of coconut oil. Whiz up in a blender then massage a bit into your hair. Brush it out thoroughly, and you’ll be good to go with hair that can last another day!
Toothpaste
It’s a popular hack: smothering pimples and spots with toothpaste before bed in the hopes of waking up with clear skin. And it’s not just an old wives’ tale or urban myth – dermatologists have confirmed that this really does work! The baking soda and methanol in toothpaste help to soothe inflammation and dry out pimples.
Hair conditioner
While its primary role is obviously to make your hair look great, your conditioner can also be useful for other grooming tasks.
One of the handiest of these is that it can double up as shaving cream. The nourishing qualities of conditioner make it a perfect substitute for shaving foam, and is even suitable for those with sensitive skin.
Sea salt
Sea salt is often touted for its many purifying qualities, so it comes as no surprise that it makes a great exfoliating skin cleanser.
To make the perfect body scrub mix together one cup of course sea salt and half a cup of baby oil. Place this mixture in a screw top jar and leave overnight. Give it a stir and it’s ready to use. Massage it in and rinse off in the shower – simple!
Sea salt can also be used to make a spray that will give your hair a beachy texture every day of the year. For that sun-kissed look add 1 tbsp of sea salt, 1 tbsp of coconut oil, 1 tbsp of conditioner, 1 tsp of lemon juice to a cup of water. Mix together and then pour into an old (or new) spray bottle!
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice that many swear by not only because it’s tasty, but because of its high level of antioxidants. The spice also plumps skin by brings blood to the surface – making it perfect as an alternative to anti-ageing creams or lip-plumping glosses.
To steer clear of the not-so-natural celebrity look, simply rub a little Vaseline on your lips and dab a small amount of cinnamon on top. Leave for a few minutes before wiping off for the perfect pout!
Do you use any ususual ingredients in your daily regime? Let us know!
