As I say on page 59 of Body Drama, gorgeous skin doesn’t have to cost a fortune! You can beautify your skin for pennies with common household products. On pages 32 -33 I share how to give yourself an aspirin-based facial to soothe spotty skin, and page 59 offers even more facial recipes (like the Honey-Avocado Facial Mask, which is my favorite), but I couldn’t resist sharing a few more ingredients to use in making your own homemade facials, as well as a couple of ingredients good for body scrubs. After all, why buy when these masks and scrubs are so cheap to try?
Remember, food and chemical allergies also apply to what you spread on the outside of your body. For example, if your throat closes when you eat avocados, DO NOT use the avocado facial mask. Even if you don’t have any allergies that you know about, it’s a good idea to do a “patch test.†Before using, dab some of the mask or scrub on your neck or inner wrist and wait five minutes to check for allergic reactions, such as redness, tingling, or a rash.
Depending on your skin’s needs, try mixing and matching these cheap facial mask ingredients to get started on a path towards smooth skin. For a single application, only a tablespoon or two of each ingredient is necessary.
- Raw Egg, either whole, just the white, or just the yolk (egg is good for all skin types, and extra yolk is great for dry skin)
- Cucumber(very refreshing mashed up in a mask OR sliced and placed over eyes during relaxation)
- Lemon Juice (great for skin discoloration from old pimples)
- Strawberries (great when mashed up for skin discoloration from old pimples)
- Sour Cream (especially for dry skin)
- Olive Oil (especially for dry skin)
- Baking Yeast (especially for oily skin)
- Tomato (great when mashed up for oily skin)
- Milk of Magnesia (especially great for oily skin)
- Oatmeal (exfoliates and moisturizes)
- Cornmeal (exfoliates and moisturizes)
- Banana (softens and moisturizes)
- Honey (I mentioned this in Body Drama, but I wanted to plug it again, as it is great for all skin types to tighten pores, to draw out impurities, and to soften skin)
Inexpensive Facial Mask Ingredients
Inexpensive Body Scrub Ingredients
Many of the ingredients used in facial masks can also be used in body scrubs, especially cornmeal, olive oil, oatmeal, and as I mention on page 59, coffee. Two more ingredients that are too harsh to use on our faces (or genitals) but are perfect for the rest of our body parts include sugar (brown and white) and salt (table or epsom).
For an all-over body scrub, triple the number of ingredients that you would use for a facial. For example, if you use one tablespoon of honey, two strawberries, and one tablespoon of cornmeal for your facial, use three tablespoons of honey, six strawberries, and three tablespoons of cornmeal for your body scrub. As you become more accustomed to making your masks and scrubs, the proper amounts will become easier to gauge!
If you’re interested in purchasing a few extras for your facials and scrubs, consider these under $10 oils:
- Lavender Essential Oil (just a drop or two for any skin type will bring a boost to your facial routine)
- Tea Tree Oil (especially good for acne-prone skin)
- Vitamin E Oil (great for skin discoloration from old pimples)
More Cheap Extras!
If you’re looking for a good toner, many women swear by witch hazel as an inexpensive but effective facial refresher. Also, milk of magnesia can be used not only as an ingredient in your facials but also as a soothing toner, especially if you have oily skin.
If you have dry skin, try a week of moisturizing your face and body only with olive oil. It may work wonders for you, but if it doesn’t…you can always cook with the rest!
Contact me if you have other cheap facial ingredients that you’d like to share! I’ll include them on this list and credit you!
