Frugal Family: Beauty for Less

Walking down the aisle of any drug store or looking through a magazine you see products that claim to make you look younger, clear your skin of blemishes and more. The prices on these miracle creams and lotions can be overwhelming and of course – the frugalista has alternative do-it-yourself less expensive solutions that can be found at the grocery store.

In talking to a nutritionist friend, the idea that you are what you eat came up. She does feel that what we eat impacts how our skin looks. She based her belief on the fact that she knows when she’s dehydrated she can see the dryness and lines in her skin. She also suggested eating more fruits, veggies, nuts and fish and taking Vitamin C to help synthesize collagen production.

Avocado oil has been a beauty secret of mine for years. The idea of using straight oil on my oily face sounded like a bad idea but I tried it and surprisingly it cleaned my skin and I had less breakouts. Apparently what I learned in science class was true – like dissolves like so the oil cleaned the oil from my face.

Avocado oil is rich in vitamins A, D and E, lecithin, as well as potassium which is known as the youth mineral. It also is high in sterolins, which are reputed to reduce age spots and help heal sun damage and scars.

A study done at the Department of Food Engineering and Biotechnology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 1991, it was found that avocado oil significantly increases the amount of collagen in the skin which normally is under attack as we grow older.

Tea tree oil is also something that I always have on hand for breakouts. The smell is something to get used to but I find that it works wonders and a little goes a long way.

What about hair care? I keep hearing about dry shampoo on commercials lately. A less expensive alternative to those products is simple baby powder. A little, very little, in your hand that you run through your hair starting at the scalp and then brush through with a natural bristle brush will take care of excess oils and dirt and leave you with fresher looking hair. Does it really work? I’ve never tried that one but I have used baking soda to wash my hair.

If you have dandruff you can try the a scrub of 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon honey and ¼ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.

One frugalista tip that I’ve often used is beer. I’ve read that the proteins from the malt and hops found in beer coat, rebuild and repair damaged hair. I’ve tried it and it has seemed to give my hair a little more bounce and shine and the smell does go away once my hair is dry.