For almost 2 decades I worked in the cosmetic industry and had all the
hook ups to the top of the line department store skin care and makeup lines.
Well times have changed and
I am now a penny pinching housewife on a strict budget.
I've done my research, gotten creative, and have replaced
Bloomingdales with
Walmart. No worries. It's all good. Here are a few tricks I've picked up.
- No need for fancy smancy exfoliants. Miracle Whip salad dressing removes dead skin just fine. Now I'm talking Miracle Whip brand ONLY. Regular Mayonnaise will not work. Begin by washing your face and patting it dry. Now rub a small amount into your skin and let it dry a few minutes. While the skin is still slightly moist, start massaging your face with your fingertips, rubbing vigorously. You will be surprised at how much dead skin will roll right off. Ew. This treatment also works great on feet, elbows, and knees.
- Toners smoners. Restore the natural Ph-balance or acid mantle to your skin with apple cider vinegar. Pour some into a basin of warm water and splash your face thoroughly. Let it dry without towel drying. Do this every morning before applying moisturizers or makeup. Misting a thoroughly clean face with mineral water is great too and if you prefer, mix up a cup of water with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, place the mixture in a spray bottle and use this to mist your face.
- After you've applied your makeup, spray your face with mineral water or soak a tissue in mineral water and lightly dab it all over your face. This will set your makeup and keep it fresh longer than usual.
- If you're grossed out by the Miracle Whip suggestion, a paste of oatmeal and water makes an awesome facial scrub and exfoliant. Apply to face and allow to dry until it feels tight. Rub off with your fingers in a back and forth motion. Not only will this slough off dead skin, it will help get rid of blackhead. Concentrate around the nose area.
- Tried and true, a teaspoon of sugar with soap lather is another great method of exfoliation.
- Did you know that the fastest way to dry up a blemish is with lemon juice? Well, it is. Dab it on your juicer a few times a day and it will clear up in no time.
- Castor oil, in its odorless form, makes a seriously good eye cream. I've learned that plastic surgeons use it on their patients following surgery. Before bedtime, apply a light amount of Castor oil around your eyes.
- Everybody should know that placing fresh cold cucumbers on your eyelids will rid them of redness and puffiness. Well, cold teabags work well too. I recommend green tea teabags
As for facial masks, I could go on and on and on. There are oh so many yummy facial mask recipes you can whip up right in your own kitchen that will do wonders for your skin. One of my favorites is simply applying an egg white to my face. After it hardens and drys, I rinse it off and my skin is unbelievably smooth and firm.
How about one of these?
http://www.beauty-soap-and-bubbles.com/homemade-facial-masks.html
Rose and Honey
Honey and oats are used in the beauty industry to soften and heal the skin tissue and help attract moisture to the skin
- 1-2 tbs of honey
- 1 cup porridge oats
- 1 tbs of rose water
Mix ingrediets together adding more honey if required.
Avocado Face Mask Choose the ingredients which feel most suitable to your skin today.
- half ripe avocado
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (normal or oily skin)
- 1 egg yolk (normal to dry skin)
- 1 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp olive or avocado oil
Peel and mash the avocado half in a bowl Beat in the remaining ingredients and use immediately.
Banana Face Mask 
- half medium size banana
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp plain yoghurt (oily skin)
- 1 tbsp cream (normal to dry skin)
Peel and mash the banana in a bowl Beat in the remaining ingredients and use immediately.
Pineapple and Cornmeal Pineapple is a natural
exfoliate. 
- 1 slice of pineapple half an inch thick
- 2 tblsp plain yoghurt
- 4 tblsp cornmeal
Puree the pineapple. Put the puree in a bowl and mix in the yoghurt and enough cornmeal to make a thick paste. Leave it for 5 minutes before using to let the cornmeal soften.
Here are a few more links for reference.
http://www.wittyliving.com/recipes/facial-mask-recipes.html
http://www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com/facial-mask-recipe.html
