Still tightening up on your finances but can’t bear to give up your favorite (albeit, overpriced) beauty products? Fear not! Some household items pull double-duty and perform just as well—if not better—than your go-to brands.
The same wonders it does for your lips it can do for dry, flaky elbows, knees, knuckles and cuticles. Avoid menthol-based balms for cracked skin, as unflavored balm works best.
Tame or re-texture fringe bangs or reshape unruly brows and sideburns with just a touch of balm warmed up between fingertips and applied lightly, layering as needed as you would with styling paste.
Got a slow-moving, sticky dress zipper? A little lip balm helps zippers glide smoothly.
Neosporin: Great for healing cuts and scrapes, Neosporin is also great for healing active pimples. Of course, never pick at a pimple if you want to avoid infection, so dab a little Neosporin on the zit to help reduce inflammation and redness, fight bacteria and speed healing.
Eye Drops: Need relief in a hurry? Put Visine Eye Drops on those gnarly little red bumps that can sometimes appear overnight. The drops cut down on redness in a minute for zits and minor cuts.
Olive Oil: So many cosmetic companies claim to have ultra-gentle eye makeup remover that you can get dizzy from all the formulations. After 15 years of testing them myself, only one product removes waterproof eye makeup more quickly and gently—olive oil! Not just for your pasta al dente, an olive oil saturated Q-tip can soften lash glue from false lashes. For mascara and eyeliner, use as you would any makeup remover—just note that it’s obviously not oil-free so don’t use on lash extensions or if you’re sensitive to nut or fruit oils.
Need to soften stiff or dried makeup brushes with caked-on foundation? Soak in olive oil for a few minutes, massage the product out of fibers, then lather up in baby shampoo or Dawn Liquid Dish Soap. Rinse well and air dry.
Smooth rough, flaky skin with a half cup of olive oil mixed with a quarter cup of sugar for a natural body scrub!
A little ingenuity and experimentation will yield new uses for old favorites and save you a few dollars in the process. Trying these tips could inspire you to discover your own secret uses for just about anything in your household pantry.
