Skip to main content

Look after your skin on a budget

Celebrities spend a fortune on cosmetic procedures, relaxing massages and lunchtime treatments – but there are ways to pamper and preen on a budget. Not all beautifying techniques are expensive, so here’s how to look great without breaking the bank.



Exfoliate
If you are looking to improve your complexion, it’s a good idea to exfoliate on a regular basis. Simply get your hands on an exfoliating gel and rub the cream all over your body. The small abrasives will get rid of dead skin cells and should open your pores. If you can’t afford luxury cosmetics you can even make your own exfoliating product. Simply mix salt or sugar with butter and make your own skin rejuvenation treatments at a great price.

Moisturise
dryskin After a bath or shower, rub a decent moisturiser into your skin in small circular movements. This will hydrate your skin and improve your circulation – leaving you with a radiant glow. Run out of cream? Then apply olive oil to your problem areas. Olive oil has been used for centuries to improve the texture of skin and is an ancient beauty remedy. Butter mixed with a little water will also do the trick, so raid your kitchen cupboards frequently.

Make a face mask
facemaskLearn how to make your own facemask and knock up an age-busting concoction. There are many formulas online, but avocado’s good for lines and wrinkles. Start by mashing this exotic fruit into a smooth paste and apply it to your skin for around 30 minutes. The antioxidants are thought to reduce the signs of ageing and should leave your skin fresh. Rinse it off with lukewarm water and pat dry, to keep the moisture locked in. Botox can make you look younger, but if you’re counting the pennies, this is a great alternative.

Condition your hair
Hair conditioning treatments can be rather costly, so why not try a natural remedy? Blend a banana until all the lumps have gone and apply it to your hair. Leave this innovative mask on for around forty minutes before rinsing it with coldish water. This wonderful fruit should make your hair shiny and you should find it soft to the touch. Bananas can also condition the skin, so get creative in the kitchen.

Exercise
Toxins are purged from the body via sweat leaving the skin clean and clear. Therefore, it’s a good idea to work out a couple of times a week. If you can’t afford gym membership, take the dog for a run, walk to work or put an exercise DVD on in your front room. You could also go for a long bike ride at the weekend or take the family on a fun-filled outing. So long as you’re moving, you’ll burn calories and will look fabulous throughout 2012.

Get enough sleep
If you’ve got dark rings underneath your eyes, you might not be getting enough sleep. A lack of rest can leave you looking tired and pale, so get as much shuteye as possible. If you find it hard to unwind, try taking a relaxing bath or listening to some calm music – as this should help. The world’s a busy place, but you’ve got to put time aside for yourself. The average adult needs around eight hours of sleep per night, so don’t miss out – it’s free after all.

Wear minimal makeup
Makeup can block your pores causing blackheads, pimples and acne – so try not to wear it very often. Leave your face to breathe as much as possible and take mascara, foundation, blusher, eye shadow (and any other cosmetic product) off before you go to sleep. If you feel unconfident without makeup, try wearing a tinted moisturiser. This will even out your complexion without damaging your skin and is available at a good price.

Stay out of the sun
Excess exposure to the sun can cause wrinkles, age spots and skin cancers. It can also speed up the ageing process, so it’s wise to stay in the shade. Wear sun cream every day of the year and save yourself a fortune on Botox treatments and microdermabrasion. If you travel to a warm climate, cover your body in long, loose clothes and wear a hat to protect your scalp. A tan might seem glamorous, but it could leave you looking old down the line.

(Guest Post by Isabella)

Comments

  1. Bhagya9:21 AM

    bare minerals by nivea are awesome :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Champa9:21 AM

    Olay has great toner with witch hazel for about $4 a bottle. Biore is also a great skin care line. I use their blackhead strips and they work very well. Whatever you get, make sure you get a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, but I would personally say either Biore or Olay.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Daksha9:22 AM

    a neutrogena system. face wash, toner and then a lotion. neutrogena makes great products and you can get ones that are good for your skin type.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bhagya- I have always been a fan of Nivea.

    Champa - I have only ever used Biore pore strips, I'll have to check out their other stuff

    ReplyDelete
  5. Suniti3:37 PM

    The best advice I've been given and could give someone is to love yourself. :) Be proud of how you look. Dress up your advantages (example: beautiful eyes, cheekbones; sculpted arms, etc.) and downplay your disadvantages/whatever you don't want people to stare at (you know the list).

    And once you know what you're doing, your confidence level will soar through the roof! There's nothing better than KNOWING you look amazing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. sour cream mask for about 5 mins
    for baby soft clean skin

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments posted on this blog are moderated and approved only if they are relevant, on-topic and not abusive. Avoid using links to your site/blog in the body of your comment unless it is highly relevant to the post.

Popular posts from this blog

Highly Effective Indian Home remedies For Delayed Periods

Delayed periods or Irregular menstrual periods have become very common these days for a lot of women in their reproductive age and they suffer great agonies when their period does not come on time. A delay of 4-5 days may be fine but if it exceeds 8 days, then it's certainly a cause for concern. In this post, I'll be sharing highly effective Indian home remedies for your delayed periods . I'd been a long sufferer of irregular periods during my teenage to early twenties. I've tried most of the recipes here, along with Kapalabhati pranayama, yoga poses, mudras and other lifestyle habits. Now my periods are extremely regular like clockwork; not a day less or more than 28. When I look back, I'm surprised how I managed those years of anxiety and fear about my late periods. 

11 things you can do with olive oil

Besides lemon , milk , sugar , aloe , turmeric , sandalwood and honey , olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid. It is a mild, non-irritant, antibacterial oil that is rich in antioxidants; hence is ideal for the skin. Here are a few things that you could do with olive oil .

Home remedies for sleeplessness

The day dawns beautifully for those who have had a night of good sleep. But the same day drags on for those who have spent a disturbing, sleepless night. Sleep is a biological necessity even as eating and drinking are. Sufficient sleep renders a person normally sociable, lively and high-spirited. It’s a nature’s way of rejuvenating the person for the next day. Realize all this, and make sleep a physiological habit. The consequences of long time sleep deprivation can be very grave. Lack of sleep takes its toll on the skin and hair. It causes acne-breakouts and makes one look aged and haggard beyond years. Experts opine that during sleep as our metabolic rate falls, blood goes to those areas which need the most repairing. This also steps up the production of collagen and keratin, which aid the regeneration of skin cells and help resist premature ageing. So for a younger looking and a problem free skin you need to have a good quality of sleep every night.

Get rid of head lice with these home remedies

Lice infestation is such a bothersome, distracting and embarrassing problem. Surely everyone harbors them at one time or the other. It is usually common among school children but soon spreads to other members of the family. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a sign of poor hygiene, as lice are not fussy whether they lay their eggs in clean or dirty hair. But yes, a dirty scalp can well serve as a perfect breeding ground for these tiresome creatures. Lice get transferred easily from child to child owing to the close contact of heads, during play, while sitting together or by sharing caps. Though there are many chemical and herbal over-the-counter preparations to remove lice, it is better to refrain from using them for they might also remove a good bit of your hair, while others could have a drying effect on the hair.  There are many home-remedies which do work well but the age-old method of regular combing with a close-toothed comb on all counts, is the most eff...

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...