Women around the world spend billions and billions of dollars each year on cosmetics, hair care products and other beauty supplies, and as new products and treatments for the various and sundry issues that women face are developed, the cost of looking beautiful increases. This is probably the most common complaint I hear as a cosmetologist. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune to look good. There are dozens of beauty secrets that have been passed down from generation to generation, and most of them utilize items you already have in your home.
 
      Here are some simple tips for meeting your beauty needs without using expensive store bought products. These are perfect for women who are looking for “Beauty on a Budget” as well as those times when you discover you’re out of your usual beauty product.
 
Hair Care:
 
      •  Does your hair need deep conditioning? Try mayonnaise. Simply apply the
         mayo to freshly washed hair, comb it through and wrap the hair in plastic.
         Leave it on for 20-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Mayonnaise
         contains vegetable oil which softens and conditions and egg which smoothes
         and strengthens the hair. Besure to use only real mayonnaise, not Miracle
         Whip® or other “salad dressing”. These products will leave a pungent smell in
         the hair.
      •  Believe it or not, a great leave-in conditioner for your hair is nothing other than
         laundry room fabric softener. It's very strong, so be sure to dilute it.
         Suggestions: combine 1 cup water with 1/4 cup fabric softener. It will smooth
         and detangle the hair.
      •  Do you have problems with oily hair and scalp? Use witch hazel when you
         don't have time to shampoo. Apply to the scalp and roots of the hair with a
         cotton ball then comb the hair to distribute evenly. It dries quickly and leaves
         the hair looking fresh and clean.
      •  Witch hazel is also an excellent “volume builder” for the hair. If your hair is fine
         and limp, try using witch hazel in the final rinse after shampooing the hair.
         Blowdry the hair using a vented brush to lift the hair at the scalp while drying.
         You’ll find yourself with fuller-looking hair that has more body and holds a style
         better.
      •  Having trouble with dandruff and flaking but don’t have dandruff shampoo on
         hand? Crush some aspirin (about 30) and add it to your favorite shampoo. It will
         help clear up the flakes.
      •  If you want to add body to your hair, try beer. Wash your hair as usual, then
         pour the beer onto the hair and massage it in. Leave it on for a few minutes
         then rinse it off. You’ll find that your hair has more body and will hold a style
         longer. Use a full-bodied beer for this purpose, not a light beer.
      •  If you want to warm up the color of your brown hair? Try this: boil the skin from
         a couple of ordinary brown onions in water. Allow to cool as use in the final
         rinse when you wash your hair. After a few uses you should see the hair color
         begin to warm up and look less mousy and dull.
      •  To make your hair shiny, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to the final
         rinse when you wash your hair. The acid of the vinegar helps to contract the
         cuticle layer of the hair, leaving it looking shinier and healthier. It also helps to
         control oiliness.
 
Skin Care:
 
      •  For rough dry skin (especially on hands, knees and elbows) combine equal
         parts vegetable oil and granulated sugar and mix into a paste. Use the paste
         on the rough areas and rub gently for about 5 minutes. Rinse the mixture away
         and leave the areas if possible. If not possible to leave the residue on the skin,
         wash the areas with soap and water and apply immediately moisturizer.

      •  If you have a problem with puffy, swollen eyes, try saving your used tea bags in
         a re-sealable container in the refrigerator. Place a bag over each eye when
         needed to reduce the swelling and puffiness.
      •  To help lighten dark circles under the eyes use raw potato slices. The
         potassium in the potatoes helps to take away the discoloration, leaving you
         looking fresh faced and rested.
      •  If you’re out of cold cream or need a quick make-up remover, use vegetable
         shortening fresh from the can. It is an excellent emollient and smoothes and
         moisturizes the skin while lifting away the make-up. After removing the make-
         up, wash your face as normal to remove the residual shortening.
      •  If you are plagued by blemishes (pimples), you can reduce the redness of the
         pimples by applying a dab of eye drops (the kind to remove redness and
         soothe itchy eyes) to the pimple. The ingredients that soothe and clear away
         the redness of the eyes helps to dilate the capillaries in the skin and lessen
         the redness of the pimples in your skin.
 
Nail Care:
 
      •  For a quick and easy manicure, lemons are just the thing. Simply combine
         one cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. Soak your fingertips in
         the solution for five minutes, then rinse them and pat dry with a soft cloth. The
         acid in the lemon juice will soften the cuticles and remove the dead skin cells.
         After soaking, you can easily push back your cuticles while patting them dry.
         Rub the nails with the peel of the lemons to distribute the fruit oil from the
         lemon skin, and buff the nails to a shine with a soft cloth. Not only does the
         lemon juice help soften the cuticles and dead skin, it also helps to fade stains
         and leave the nails brighter and the free edge whiter.
      •  If you ever find yourself with a jagged edge on a fingernail and no emery board,
         try using the striking plate from a matchbook or matchbox. They are basically
         ultra-fine-grained grit panels that will usually do the trick.
 
      •  If you find that your nail polishes tend to go “bad” before they are used up, try
         storing the polish in the refrigerator. It will last longer and will always be
         smooth and easy to apply. In addition, if you have polish that has gone hard or
         become gummy, place the bottle in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes. In
         most cases, this will revitalize the polish and it will be “like new”.
 
      These are just some of the various “household” hints that have been in use for decades by women who wanted to economize or make do in a pinch. A lot of women find that the tips are worth using full-time, especially when you want to take a more natural approach to beauty and personal grooming. Whatever your reasons for trying them, these tips will help make your beauty routine more flexible, less-expensive, and convenient. And we all want that, right?