Beauty Savings

On a routine trip to restock my medicine cabinet, I realized how much beauty products can cost. Just the basics like hair care, moisturizers, and cleaners can cost a small fortune. Instead, I experimented with some other alternatives to my usual products as well as alternative places to buy them.

Do It Yourself

Learning how to create beauty in your own home is better than paying for it at salons; it allows you to only pay the product cost rather than the services fee as well. Manicures and pedicures are nice, but money can be saved if you and a friend practice on one another. The end results may not look like professional nails the first few times, but with practice the two of you can improve, save money, and have fun all at once.

Some procedures are tricky and should be done at salons. Yet, even treatments such as highlights which were once only hairstylists' tasks can now be done easily at home. Consider even having the original procedure done at the stylist and then touching up yourself in the weeks afterwards.

Better Bargain Hunting

Shopping at beauty supply stores is a great way to save. While some products might be more expensive because they are professionally graded, other basic needs will be cheaper and available in bulk. Hair coloring treatments can be purchased for half price if not better due to the multiple uses in each box. (You'll need to buy the color and activator in one box and a bottle of developer separately - still equaling a better deal.)

Other items like face creams and hair removal products can also be found in bulk as well as the perks of salons such as skin soothing lotion and heavy duty conditioners. Check on-line chain stores like Sally Beauty Supply at http://www.sallybeauty.com/ for tips and product information to help you on your trip.

Grandma Knew Best

Face it, Grandma wasn't spending a fortune on beauty products so why should you. Try some old-fashioned and frugal beauty secrets:

• Cold cream is a great way to remove makeup and firm the skin without costing a fortune like other products.
• Cucumber slices remove puffiness around the eyes.
• Some women swear that a jar of mayonnaise used as a deep hair conditioner is better than any high priced product out there.
• For foot care and other drastically dry skin areas, try petroleum jelly before bed. Some generic moisturizers are labeled as Vitamin E enhanced which can be great to use on skin in need of deep refreshing. Brand name products such as Eucerin claim to do the same thing for sometimes four times the price!

One tip my doctor gave me when my son had cradle cap was to use kitchen grade vegetable oil. He said it was harmless and great for eczema and other problem skin dryness. It worked like a charm for $1 a bottle!

Editor's Note: Here is a series of ThriftyFun articles about "Your Own Spa" that provide tips and beauty recipes for a variety of spa treatments. There are also many other tips and recipes on ThriftyFun in our Beauty section.

• Homemade Facials
• Homemade Manicures and Pedicures
• Homemade Haircare
• Homemade Body Scrubs and Wraps