Tell me about your 'free' beauty fixes

[SunshineOutdoors]

Hi, I want to spend some time pampering myself and improving my skin, hair and nails but I don't want to spend money.

I'd love to hear of any simple, home made pampering treatments that I can enjoy in the evenings after dd is in bed. Especially skin softening, moisturising, hair silkening (is that a word?), natural hair lightening, foot and hand improving. Have ideas that lots of kitchen stuff can be good, e.g. Have heard of bathing feet on oats and water but not sure of the details of how to do this.

Please give me some cheap and easy tips! Thank you

Aaah! I meant to write Please tell me..... I promise I'm not rude and demanding!

This isn't actually free, but very cheap. When I am using a lemon for salad or whatever, I squeeze juice onto my hands and pat it onto my face for 5-10 minutes. It does sting a tiny bit sometimes, but stops quite quickly. It's a fruit acid facial and it definitely makes my skin glow.
I think it is best done at night and care should be taken in the sun afterwards.
Oh I also put honey on my face when I am using honey, again it gives my skin a nice glow and leaves it feeling moisturised.
A friend swears by brushing with bicarb to whiten teeth, she said it almost makes her vomit, but it's worth it - I don't share this view, but I hate the taste of baking soda in anything - soda bread - burn it!
Oil rubbed into the cuticles strengthens nails, I try to do it every night and you can use any old oil, currently using expensive argan oil, but bought from a middle-eastern store it was much cheaper than a 'proper' shop-bought Morroccan oil.

Thanks rowingboat that's exactly the sort of tips I was after. I'll try the oil on cuticles right away!

Don't worry Sunshine, I didn't even notice and I'm paranoid about coming over as demanding (only, secretly, in my head do I stamp my feet and pout).

Ah, I'd have got more replies if I'd put that please in though!

Am more than happy with the one I did get though rowing boat !

Mine's not free either but really cheap. Once a week, before you go to bed put a layer of sudocream on your face (just enough so you can see te white). In the morning your skin will look glowing. It sorts out any red patches, spots etc. I read that tip on MN once and I now swear by it

Ooh I'm going to try that one! These are exactly the tips I wanted! I put 'free' because I meant things that I probably have in my house already or that I would use for another purpose too. I definitely have sudocrem, or 'magic cream' as it's known here!

I use a small bowl of sugar or salt, pour olive oil in and use this as a scrub in the shower. Bargain! :)

Aspirins crushed with water make a great face scrub/mask. Lots of aspirins crushed with water and put on your feet soften the skin.

Body lotion after showering becomes a habit and makes your skin look and feel great.

Honey is a magic thing. I use it on my face in the bath, slather it on, then use olive oil (or any really) and massage it in afterwards and then rinse with water. You can do a sugar scrub first if you want as well.

Just make sure you rinse really really well as it's sticky otherwise. I also went through a phase of moisturising with olive oil with some tea tree oil in it, but it wasn't enough for winter and I got a bit flaky.

Egg yolk in your hair for protein. Beer or vinegar for shine. I only have a hazy memory of these so you may want to google first!

Nope, very much married and sharing a bed with DH he does annoy the hell out of me through the night with his snoring though!

I actually like te smell of it, and use old pillow slips

Egg in hair = good. Don't wash it out on a hot rinse or it'll scramble.

This isn't an advert I promise! I follow 'a thrifty mrs' - she blogs loads of cheap/free beauty tips.

Vaseline all over hands then put on cotton gloves, then go to bed. Can do same with feet and socks.

Not a pampering thing but as well as suncream on my face every morning, I make sure I put it on the backs of my hands and fingers.

lemon on elbows
I use bicarb of soda most nights now instead of toothpaste. I cover my teeth in it, then floss...the floss carries some of the soda deeper that way. Where I've got gaps (from tooth removal) i rub a cotton bud dipped in soda and it's removed all the stains from the teeth either side of the gap (i don't have a gappy smile BTW..t.he gaps are near the back!)

Ritechem in Surbiton for the free decent sized samples of Roche Posay skin care..that you can just help yourself to
I should add that I do buy a lot in there!

Almond oil is a brilliant all round moisturiser. I've been using the oil cleansing method now for a few years and my skin has never looked so good (it's T-Zone oily) and the oil on oil is a bit counterintuitive but it works. You use a mix of castor oil and almond or avocado oil - rub it into your face - use a clean washcloth wrung out in hot water (Just like Eve Lom but you don't have to take out a mortgage to get your slap off).

Skin clean and soft. Result. Then I add a few drops of almond oil. If you don't like the idea of oil cleansing a few drops of oil added to a face cream makes a great night cream too.

Not really a pampering tip but if you get an oily nose in summer, a dab of milk of magnesia will sort it out. Much cheaper than the serums you get and lasts longer.

cider vinegar for final hair rinse

I sometimes put milk power in a bath of hot water or tie a muslin full of oats to the tap and let the water run through it. After which you can use the contents as a cheap scrub. Both make skin so incredibly soft.

Mayonnaise for a really intensive hair mask.

Thanks for sharing guys! going to try some of the suggestions.

My aunt swears by mixing sunflower oil with sea salt as a brilliant scrub/exfoliator (lighter than olive oil).

Ooh milk of magnesia I will have to try ! Great thread thanks all x

Am resurrecting this thread in the hope that people will respond with an update and or some other tips

I just did the asprin face mask- brilliant
have rubbed olive oil on my cuticles and feet-nice
OCM- LOVE IT