Staying Beautiful on a Budget

As a former beauty pageant winner, I used to take my beauty for granted. Until I started losing it. Flab, wrinkles, graying hair and a diming complexion changed my reflection in the mirror into someone I didn't want to be. I started fighting back in my mid-thirties, and now that I'm forty-three people guess my age at twenty-nine. I don't spend a fortune on creams or salon visits. I use a simple routine that helps keep me beautiful on a budget.

Hair Care

I grow my hair long, because long hair is associated with youth. I color it with drug store hair color every three weeks, to keep gray hairs well hidden. To keep the color fresh, I use a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. Every Friday evening I soak my hair in beer and wait two hours before rinsing. This fortifies my roots and keeps my hair shiny. I brush my hair lightly with an ionic hair brush, I let it dry naturally, and I never use heat instruments on it, either hair dryers or curlers.

Skin Care

I use quality department store facial cream that costs $45 and lasts me six months. To save money, I use it as eye cream as well, while for my neck I buy cheap drug store vitamin E enriched cream that costs $4 a jar. Every evening I wash my face with a PH neutral soap bar. After applying facial cream, I blow dry my face for one minute to introduce blood to the cells and revive the skin. Once a week, I cut open a few capsules of vitamin E and smear them into my skin as a 30 minute facial mask.

Eye Care

To sooth the skin around my eyes, I place a slice of cucumber or potato over each closed lid. After five minutes the skin around the eyes feels cooler, puffiness appears diminished and elasticity is improve. I also find that wrinkles appear less prominent as the skin becomes hydrated.

Ace Treatment

For the occasional acne that still plagues me well past my fortieth birthday, I use a homemade remedy of strawberries mixed with equal parts of organic sour cream. The salicylic acid in the strawberries is commonly found in store-bought acne medications. And the pro-biotics in the sour cream fight the bacteria underlying the skin infection.

Teeth Care

I avoid strong tea or coffee that stain teeth and, instead, drink light herbal tea like green tea, which acts as a skin cleanser as well. I avoid whitening toothpastes because these cause the skin in my mouth to peel in an allergic reaction, which I have heard others complain about as well. Once a year I use white strips to thoroughly bleach my teeth. Recently I came across a recipe of half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with a ripe strawberry. Left on the teeth for five minutes this homemade bleach method works well on faintly discolored teeth.

Body Toning

I am not a fan of exercise. To lose twenty-six pounds in my mid-thirties, I started running five times a week for half an hour. After I reached the desired weight of 140 lbs., I kept the weight off by having a big breakfast and taking fish oil three times a day. To help tone my leg muscles and keep my posture upright, I wear Sketcher's shape ups on my afternoon walks with my dogs. I also do fifty push-ups every morning before showering.

Makeup

I am a strong advocate of natural beauty. I use an illuminating concealer around my eyes, to reflect light off dark circles. I use no skin makeup; instead, I wipe my face with a dry, clean towel to remove shiny traces of oil (you can also use store-bought blotting paper instead of a towel). The rubbing effect also rushes blood to the skin and gives it a healthy appearance. I use drug store water-proof mascara and long-lasting lipstick.

Honey Bubble Bath

For a soothing spa treatment, I fill my bath tub with warm water, four tablespoons of my favorite body wash and an equal portion of honey. The running water generates plenty of soap bubbles, while the honey creates a soothing skin conditioner. After getting a massage from my husband, I replace the honey with salt to extract lactic acid from my sore muscles.

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