15 ways to save money on your beauty routine

Over the years, I’ve figured out a few ways to save money on basic hygiene and grooming, and I’m putting a bunch of them into this post. I didn’t include two really obvious tips – comparison shopping for the lowest price and trying cheaper brands to see if you can replace the more expensive ones you use – because I think you guys can figure those out for yourselves. These tips mostly focus on getting the most out of your products, doubling one product for another, and making your own products whenever it’s actually cheaper to do so.

1. Use smaller amounts. I know, this one’s fairly obvious. But try moisturizing your legs with half the lotion you normally use. Only put toothpaste over a half or a quarter of your brush – that’s all you really need. This can work with items like face powder, too. Basically, you want to think about the amount of stuff you normally pump out or put on a brush, try a smaller amount and see if it works.
2. Use every last drop. Whether you drain bottles to make sure you’ve used every bit of product or cut them to get at those last bits stuck to the sides, you’re doing yourself a favor. Many manufacturers set bottles up not to let you get all the product out so you’ll have to buy more stuff sooner.
3. Don’t buy eye creams (unless you’re sensitive to regular moisturizers around the eyes). They really don’t do anything your normal moisturizer can’t do – unless you have certain issues with sensitivity (the link explains in more detail).
4. Make your own lip balm. Cheap, green and rather easy if you use a microwave. Or for an even simpler recipe: easy homemade lip balm, with no microwave and no mess.
5. Puffy eyes? Instead of buying cosmetics for it, save your morning coffee grinds for a coffee mask to bring that puffiness down.
6. Cut your own bangs between haircuts instead of paying for a “bang trim” or returning to your hairdresser sooner than the rest of your hair needs it – here’s how.
7. Make liquid soap from bars. This is a great way to use up the last sliver of bar soap, save what you’d have spent on liquid soap, and avoid some of the weird chemicals that go into many liquid soaps.
8. Make your own soap. Not only can you save money, but you can get creative with your own soap recipes.
9. Instead of buying scrubs, turn an old lotion or body wash into a body scrub with the addition of coffee grinds, ground almonds or some other exfoliant. Olive oil with salt or sugar also works great.
10. Learn how to keep hair tools clean. Keeping curling irons and the like clean can make your tools last longer.
11. Make your own sugar based hair removal gel. This is a big money saver, and it’s not very difficult.
12. Finish off lipsticks and other cosmetics by scraping the last of the product from its container into a contact lens case or an old makeup container. Discipline yourself not to buy more until you actually run out.
13. Need a leave-in conditioner? Make your own.
14. Instead of buying concealer, make your own from your foundation. It’ll match color better, too.
15. Get quick temporary acne relief with egg whites.

Bonus Tips – Less expensive products that work:

The above tips were meant to work without you having to find cheaper brands of stuff, which anybody can do. But if you are interested in hearing about less expensive products that work, there’s a few I recommend:

• Cerave cleanser and moisturizer for sensitive skin.
• Queen Helene’s mud masks.
• Mineral deodorants – they last forever, which saves you money, plus they work much better and are greener, etc.

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Posted in Frugal, Health and Beauty on November 6, 2009