This post shows you frugal beauty hacks to keep you looking your best every day!
Are you a frugal spender but love looking your best? The pressure to keep up with expensive beauty trends when inflation is at an all-time high calls for a change.
As I entered my 30s, I figured I should make more of an effort to take care of my skin and started searching for different night routines.
Did you know the Korean skincare routine has 10 steps? Who has the time or energy for that?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure their skin looks amazing but I admit, I’m a little lazy. I don’t use too many products or take up too much time to do a routine.
Self-care is a necessity and I get it. But I believe you can still achieve your beauty goals without spending a ton of money.
This doesn’t mean you have to be extreme and throw all of your products away. It just means work towards finding a more holistic and consistent routine that is personally tailored to you.
Doing these frugal beauty hacks in my 20s have helped me stay looking fresh with minimal effort!
Why Women Should Be Frugal When It Comes to Beauty
There’s nothing more attractive than a woman who is comfortable in her own skin. Whether that’s natural or with make-up! But this is about more than surface-level reasons than looks! There are serious factors for why you should research more frugal beauty hacks as alternatives:
- Women Get Charged More. Did you know the beauty industry capitalizes on your insecurities to make you consume more? Simple solutions to problems are expensive and some solutions even make your problems worse, causing you to buy even more products. It’s a deep science!
- Save More Money. If you’re spending hundreds of dollars a month or even a year on beauty products, you could be using that money for your financial goals like investing or paying off debt. How many skincare products are in your cabinet right now that you’re actually using?
- Simplicity is Key. Being frugal isn’t about sacrificing quality, it’s about being resourceful and mindful. With so many products out there, simplicity makes you look and feel better. It’s easier to tell if something is working or not when you’re not using 10 different products at once.
12 Frugal Beauty Hacks to Start Early to Look Good and Save You Money
1. Wash Your Face in the Morning with WATER ONLY to Prevent Dryness
I’ve always followed the standard rule of washing your face twice a day but it always felt slightly too dry. During winters, I would have flaky patches and it wasn’t cute.
A year ago, I stopped washing my face with soap and only water in the morning and my skin loves it.
Instead, I wash with soap and moisturize at night before bed. In the morning, I just take a washcloth with warm water and wipe my face and eyes to wake up.
Then, I put on sunscreen and go. That’s it! And it has my skin balanced, glowy, and supple in all weather! If your skin seems too dry throughout the day, try it!
2. Use Aquaphor as an Overnight Mask for Ultimate Moisture
The first time I saw this was on a layover and a flight attendant shared her secret with me! I was in disbelief.
For best results, skip the Vaseline and get some Aquaphor. It’s an occlusive, contains humectants, and absorbs easier to the skin.
Use your moisturizer and then a layer of Aquaphor to seal in the moisture while sleeping.
You will wake up with soft and dewy skin with a glow all day. This is also a frugal beauty hack to keep your face from drying out when traveling on a long flight.
3. Use a Cotton T-Shirt to Dry Your Hair to Prevent Breakage
If you’re a natural hair or curly hair girl, you understand the struggle of hair breakage.
The curlier or kinkier the hair, the more fragile it is so you have to take every step to be gentle with your strands.
If this is you, stop using towels to dry your hair. You’re causing unnecessary breakage and it’s taking all the moisture out of your hair!
Use an old cotton t-shirt to wrap up in before you start the rest of your routine and you will definitely feel a healthy difference.
4. Use Green Tea Bags to Reduce Eye Bags and Puffiness
If you have allergies, get them in check. Don’t rub your eyes. In fact, avoid touching your face at all with your hands.
I naturally have eye bags under my eyes and there’s nothing you can do to get rid of them permanently.
I’m a huge green tea drinker and will place the bags in a Ziploc bag and then use them on my eyes in the morning.
One over each eye for five minutes. This is a great way to reduce wrinkles and shrink the blood cells that cause puffiness.
5. Drink Water to Look Good On the Inside and the Outside
If you don’t do anything else, start drinking water from the moment you wake up and be consistent throughout the day.
Water naturally brightens and clears skins, prevents deep wrinkles and lines, and just looks overall more smooth.
It’s good for your diet, your appearance, and the overall functioning for the body. Start first in the morning and hit goals throughout the day.
As a reminder, I keep a full Stanley cup on my work as a reminder to finish by the end of the 8-hour work day.
7. Use Dove Soap as a Face Wash to Keep Your pH Balanced
If you’re struggling to find a face wash that doesn’t leave your face completely stripped, think about using a Dove beauty bar!
I used the sensitive bar once as a back-up when I ran out of my usual and let me tell you, Dove understands my skin!
I haven’t been able to find anything else that mildly and gently cleanses while still leaving my skin feeling moisturized.
It’s a perfect and budget-friendly option to add to your skin care regimen!
8. Wear Sunscreen Everyday to Prevent Wrinkles and Sun Spots
I’m a black girl that loves to tan in the sun!
It’s my secret hack to clear skin while still being safe at the same time. The key to fresh and supple looking skin is wearing sunscreen.
My favorite brand is Black Girl Sunscreen. A little goes a long way and it doesn’t leave a weird cast on my skin.
In fact, it gives me a shiny and sun-kissed glow and can go under make-up. Make sure you’re covering your face, neck, and hands for best long-term use.
9. Rinse Off in the Shower With Cold Water for Moisturized Skin
I’m still working on incorporating this tip. Because who wants to end a nice hot shower with a cold water rinse?
Not only does this seal in the moisture from your skin and keep you from getting dry, but there are internal health benefits.
Going from hot shower and rinsing cold activates the lymph nodes ensuring that bacteria is properly draining from the body.
Simple changes like this are the health benefits are immaculate. So try to incorporate this routine, a bit at a time,
10. Buy Mini Quantities of Your Favorite Expensive Products
It’s unrealistic to go cold turkey on your favorite products but a great hack is to buy mini quantities.
Not only is this more sustainable since you’re more likely to use up the products, but it’s overall less expensive.
Pay attention to sales throughout the year, right after the holidays, or when things go on clearance for the best deals.
I love trying out perfume samples in this way so you can be sure to spend money on something you actually love!
11. Shop in Your Kitchen for a Deep Conditioner
If you’re a 4C hair girlie, ingredients in the kitchen will become your best friend for a hydrating deep conditioner!
Here are some of my favorites:
- Honey: A natural humectant that draws moisture from the air to keep your strands hydrated.
- Olive oil: Perfect for sealing in moisture if your hair is over processed and dry.
- Avocado: Perfect to add Vitamin E and Olive Oil for a hydrating mask.
12. The Drugstore Products Work Just As Fine, If Not Better
Stop listening to the trend that your makeup is cheap or your hair products aren’t working due to cheap products.
Personally, I believe these “think pieces” and videos on products are a scam to get you to consume more.
The “secret” to retaining moisture for the high porosity girls is to wash your hair every week! Consistently. Getting ahead of the dryness state by infusing maximum hydration into your strands is the solution.
My staple products drugstore include TreSemme, Herbal Essences, Blue Magic, Queen Helene, and Miss Jessie’s Leave In Conditioner!
