Does your skin-care budget need a little trimming? Here are a few money-saving facial treatments that are kind to your skin and don’t involve elaborate recipes. And you probably have them in your kitchen or bathroom right now…
Sweet exfoliant: Wet your face, then massage about a teaspoon of olive oil into your skin to moisturize. Then scrub your face with a teaspoon of sugar to remove dead skin cells. Rinse with warm water. Wipe off any excess with a warm, wet towel. This is a good once-a-week face buff.
Kitchen makeup remover: Use whipped sweet butter or vegetable shortening to take off your makeup. (Good to know for emergency sleepovers!) Makeup remover for oily skin: If you have oily skin and butter is a bit too greasy, pull out the powdered milk. Combine one teaspoon of nonfat dry milk with enough warm water to give it a milky consistency. With cotton balls, apply the liquid to your face and neck (avoiding the delicate eye area), gently rubbing it on. Once you have covered your entire face and neck, remove the makeup and dirt with a tissue…again, gently. Pat dry. Note: Whatever makeup remover you use, keep it on your eyelids and face for at least 30 seconds so that it has a chance to sink in and make it easier to gently rub off the makeup.
Bracing tonic: For an invigorating astringent that can help keep the acne away, mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of just-boiled water. As soon as the liquid is cool enough, apply it to your face with cotton balls. Be careful not to get it near the eyes. Your skin will feel smooth and tight. Unfortunately you’ll smell like coleslaw for several minutes. Use this treatment to freshen you skin at least every other day—or whenever you have a craving for coleslaw.
Money-saving moisturizer: Petroleum jelly can soften and protect your skin, but it’s a gooey gel, so to use it as a moisturizer, apply with water. Wet your clean face, and rub on a small glob of petroleum jelly. Keep adding water as you thin out the layer of jelly all over your face and neck until it’s no longer greasy. Rinse with more warm water, and pat dry. We don’t advise glopping on the petroleum jelly as an overnight moisturizer, unless you enjoy sleeping on plastic bags.
Homemade lip gloss: Don’t put the petroleum jelly away just yet. You need it to make homemade lip gloss. Simply dig out the clump that remains from your favorite tube of lipstick and put it in a small microwave-safe glass bowl along with an equal amount of petroleum jelly. Zap the bowl on high for 10 seconds at a time, until the mixture is melted. In between zappings, stir it with a toothpick. While it’s still warm, transfer your new lip gloss to an empty gloss container.
Thanks to Richard Gray, creator of FrugalWorld.com and author of The Frugal Senior: Hundreds of Creative Ways to Stretch a Dollar! for help with these tips.
