How to Save Money with Homemade Beauty Products

We all want to look good, but some people are willing to spend huge amounts of money to do it. You don’t have to empty your wallet to look beautiful, however, you can save money by making your own beauty products using simple ingredients you probably already have right in your own home.

Not only are homemade beauty products less expensive, they are often just as effective as their store bought counterparts. Also, many of the ingredients are natural, so you don’t have to worry about applying harsh chemicals to your skin.

As you look through the many homemade beauty product recipes, you will see several basic ingredients used in many different ways. These ingredients naturally contain enzymes, nutrients and other components that are beneficial to your skin and body.

• Honey -Honey is high in antioxidants, moisturizing and has antibacterial properties. It is said that Cleopatra used honey in her beauty routine.
• Oatmeal -Oatmeal is an exfoliant and absorbs oil without drying out your skin. It also soothes the itching and irritation of dry skin, eczema, rashes and bug bites.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Apple cider vinegar removes oil and dirt, maintains the pH balance of your skin, reduces redness and irritation, and helps control acne. It contains alpha-hydroxy acids that loosen dead skin cells and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.
• Plain Yogurt - Yogurt cleanses, moisturizes and improves the texture of your skin. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties.

• Olive Oil - Olive oil will moisturize and soften skin. It has antioxidant properties to help reduce the signs of aging.
• Baking Soda - Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and whitener. It can also be mixed into a paste and used as an exfoliant.
• Mayonnaise - Mayonnaise is made of vinegar, oil and egg yolk, and it provides the same benefits these ingredients do individually.
• Egg - Egg whites cleanse and tighten the skin and close pores, giving your skin a more lifted and clean appearance. Egg yolks also contain fats which soften and moisturize your skin.
• Milk - The lactic acid in milk, like other alpha-hydroxy acids, loosens dead skins cells. Also, the proteins, antioxidants and amino acids in milk nourish and moisturize your skin.
• Lemon Juice - Lemon juice, along with other citrus juices, gently cleanses and exfoliates your skin. Lemon juice also has astringent properties and can lighten discolored areas.

• Aloe Vera - The leaves of this succulent plant contain a gel with proven healing and soothing properties. Aloe Vera has been used for thousands of years to relieve pain, speed healing, reduce inflammation and slow aging, as well as in many other applications. Aloe vera is also easy to grow and maintain, so pick up an aloe vera plant to keep on your windowsill.
  
• Witch Hazel - Witch Hazel is an extract from the witch hazel plant and, like aloe vera, has been used for thousands of years. It has antioxidant properties, smoothes rough skin and soothes rashes and burns. Witch hazel is also a natural astringent so you don’t need to buy expensive toners. You can buy witch hazel at your local drugstore.

You probably spend most of your beauty budget on products for your face. However, instead of buying creams, lotions and facial scrubs from the store, you can make beauty products for your face at home for much less money.

Homemade Facial Cleansers

Make homemade facial cleansers by mixing a mild abrasive with something that contains alpha hydroxy acids. The abrasives and alpha hydroxy acids act together to loosen dead skin cells and dirt from your skin, leaving it clean and fresh looking.

Homemade Cleanser for Dry Skin

• Mix powdered milk with water until it forms a paste. Rub the milk paste around your face just like you would any other cleanser and rinse it off with warm water.

Homemade Cleanser for Oily Skin

• Mix lemon juice or tomato juice with baking soda until you get a thick paste. Rub this mixture on your face and rinse with water.

Homemade Cleanser for All Skin Types

• Mix 1/2 cup oatmeal or cornmeal with enough plain yogurt to make a paste. Spread over your face, let it sit for a few minutes and wash off with water. There is no need to wash with soap afterward.

If you wear a lot of makeup, especially waterproof eye makeup, your regular facial cleanser won't be enough to remove it. Use the following things to remove eye makeup instead of buying more expensive beauty products.

• Your contact solution will remove your eye makeup just as well as commercial makeup remover. Dip a cotton swap into the solution and wipe it gently on your skin to remove your makeup.
• Use your fingertip to gently wipe mayonnaise on your eyelids to remove stubborn eye makeup
• Olive oil and coconut oil also remove waterproof makeup. These natural oils are gentle on your skin and don’t clog pores, so you don’t have to worry about acne.

There are many natural foods and plants that can tighten and tone your skin. After you wash your face, dab any of the following onto your skin with a cotton ball and rinse off with water.

• Cucumber juice
• Raw eggs
• Lemon juice
• Witch hazel

Facial Scrub Recipes

Facial scrubs loosen dead skins cells, unclog pores and stimulate your skin. Only use a facial scrub once or twice a week, and rub gently or you could dry out and damage your skin.

• Make a facial scrub by mixing 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons almonds ground to a powder and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub this mixture gently around your face and rinse off.
  
• Mix 3 tablespoons of oatmeal with 2 teaspoons of witch hazel and a small amount of water. If your skin is dry, you can also add some olive or coconut oil. Wipe gently over your face and rinse off.

Face masks unclog your pores and exfoliate, soothe, moisturize and tighten your skin. There are many ingredients in your kitchen that you can use to make your own face masks. Choose ingredients based on whether your skin is oily, dry or normal, and blend everything into a paste. Feel free to experiment with different fruits and scents to create your very own spa treatment. Apply your homemade facial mask to your face, leave on for 15-20 minute and then rinse off with lukewarm water.

Face Mask Recipes for Dry Skin

• Beat a raw egg until it is smooth and wipe it onto your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth.
• Mash an avocado with a small amount of oil until it is smooth.
• Mix 4 tablespoons yogurt, 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1/2 of a crushed banana

Face Mask Recipes for Oily Skin

• Mix 1 tablespoon honey with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Mix 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon milk
• Mix 4 tablespoons honey with one finely grated apple

Instead of buying expensive teeth whitening products, make your own using things that have natural bleaching and abrasive properties. Apply each of these homemade whiteners to your teeth after you have brushed them with regular toothpaste. Also, with the exception of hydrogen peroxide, you will need to brush your teeth again after using one of these homemade teeth whitening treatments to remove any food particles that could cause tooth decay.

• Hydrogen peroxide, although not a food, has whitening properties. In fact, it is one of the key ingredients in many commercial teeth whitening products. You can save money by skipping the fancy product and packaging and simply buy a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Swish a capful of hydrogen peroxide around your mouth after you brush your teeth everyday to whiten them. Be careful not to swallow.
  
• Both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are bleaching agents, so imaging how effective they are together. Mix 3 teaspoons of baking soda with hydrogen peroxide until it forms a paste. Brush this mixture onto your teeth and leave it on for a few minutes. Rinse your mouth with water, being careful not to swallow. Be gentle because baking soda is an abrasive and can damage the tooth enamel if you brush too hard.
• Rub fresh sage leaves on your teeth or mixed powdered sage leaves with water to make a paste. For additional tooth whitening power, mix some baking soda in as well.
• For a tastier tooth whitening experience, rub crushed strawberries on your teeth. Strawberries contain malic acid which gently lifts tooth stains. Don't leave the strawberries on your teeth for more than a few minutes, however, because the acid can damage the enamel.
  
• Please note that you should never use lemons or lemon juice to whiten your teeth because they will cause irreparable damage to the enamel.

The average person spends just as much money on hair products and services as they do to care for their face. You can save money by making many of your hair care products at home.

Homemade Hair Conditioners and Rinses

• After washing your hair, comb 1/2 cup of mayonnaise through your hair and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Rinse your hair and shampoo again. The mayonnaise removes built up dirt and soap, leaving your hair shiny. Make sure you use real mayonnaise and not salad dressing or you will dry out your hair.
• Beat together 1 egg yolk, 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and 1 cup water until frothy. Massage this mixture into your scalp and through your hair. Rinse with water.
• Mix 3 cups distilled vinegar with 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Pour this vinegar mix over your hair after you shampoo as the final rinse. The vinegar will leave your hair soft and shiny.

Homemade Hair Coloring

• Naturally Add Highlights by mixing 1 cup lemon juice into 1 gallon of warm water. Pour this mix over your already dampened hair and sit out in the sun. Wash out after about an hour. Repeat this process regularly to add highlights to your hair.

• After you shampoo, rinse with black tea or coffee to naturally darken your hair. Catch the liquid as you pour it over your hair and repeat this rinse 15 times. After the final rinse, wrap your head in an old towel and let it sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with clean water. Repeat this process daily for several weeks to gradually darken your hair.

Homemade Hair Styling Products

• Make Your Own Hair Gel by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin into 1 cup of warm water. Stir until it is dissolved. Store this homemade hair gel in the fridge and use it just like you would commercial hair gel.
• Instead of buying hairspray, make your own at home. Peel and cut a lemon into wedges. Put the lemon wedges into a pot, cover with 2 cups water and boil until half of the liquid is gone. Let the remaining liquid cool and then strain. If this liquid feels sticky, dilute it with a bit of water. Put your homemade hairspray in a spray bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to one week. If you want it to last longer, add 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol to the mix.
  

With so much focus on maintaining a beautiful face, it is easy to forget that the rest of your skin needs to be taken care of as well.

• Pour oatmeal into your bath water to soothe dry and itchy skin. Add powdered milk to the water to make your skin soft.
• Use aloe vera gel to soothe sunburns and rashes
• Dab a cotton ball dipped in vinegar over sunburns, poison ivy rashes and bug bites to relieve itching.
• Rub olive oil onto dry skin and pat with a paper towel to remove any oily feeling.
• Rub a lemon peel over your elbows and knees to smooth out and lighten any rough or discolored areas.
• If you have rough hands, pour 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into one hand along with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Rub your hands together briskly until the sugar dissolves. Rinse with water. The sugar exfoliates and the lemon juice lightens and softens the skin.
• Mix cornstarch into a bowl of warm water and soak your hands for 5 minutes. Doing this on a regular basis will keep your hands soft.
• Rub olive oil or melted shortening on your feet before bed and slip on some old cotton socks to get rid of dry, flaking feet.

Just because you are male, doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from taking care of yourself.  Here are some homemade skin and body care recipes that will save you money.

• Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and put into a bottle. Use this mixture in place of your regular, store-bought aftershave.
• Use aloe vera gel to soothe razor burn.
• If your hands are rough and dry, rub them with olive oil or lemon juice and sugar.
• Rinse your armpits with vinegar to reduce body odor.
• Sprinkle baking soda in your shoes to control foot odor.