At what cost...beauty?

Started by Solars Toy, March 02, 2013, 05:49:53 AM

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Solars Toy

This post will probably be more for the women on the forum but you guys can share with your lady folks too.

I will start by saying that there was a time in my life when I spent a very pretty penny on my beauty products, BeautiControl, and really thought nothing of it.  Creamy face washes, toners, special moisturizers, scrubs, peels and even some at home microdermabrasion.  And then several things happened.....

I was home from my surgery, I was getting ready to place a new order for my BeautiControl products, and one of my sisters (a huge Mary Kay fan with sensitive skin) had started trying a simple homemade face scrub/wash.  She convinced me to give it a try since I was home for a couple of months anyway.  SO I chucked the order, put together the first scrub and was amazed at how my skin felt.  It has been almost a year now and I have not gone back to the heavily chemical laden products the beauty industry wants me to use.

Here is just 2 of the simple beauty recipes I use.  The one that started it for me and still used by my sister.

Honey-sugar face scrub.  Take about a tsp of sugar and add about 1/2 tsp of honey.  Mix to make a thick paste. Apply directly to the face and scrub.  Add a little water (my sister uses milk) to start it dissolving and continue to scrub until the sugar dissolves.  You will be amazed how soft your skin will feel.  I actually make a small jar of the honey and sugar and leave it in the shower.

Natural Toner  This one I make and keep in a small bottle which lasts me a month or so.  2 oz water, 1 T lemon juice, 1 T witch hazel.  I use it at night and also in the morning before doing my make up.

As to a moisturizer,  I use Jojoba oil.  A small amount goes along way and does not leave my skin feeling. greasy.  I have a 8 oz bottle that is still over 2/3 full after a year.  A little does go a long way.

As you can tell the costs of these natural products is pretty cheap, most of the products are already in your home, or just a small investment at a local health food store.  My Jojoba oil was $7.99 for the 8oz bottle and the witch hazel was around $3.00 at the drug store.  No where near what I was spending on the BeautiControl products.
I have some other recipes for masks and a at home microdermabrasion I have been using and will share them too if your interested.  Toy


I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

JustKari

I'd love to hear your recipes, I used to be a Mary Kay consultant a long time ago.  I would love to have the skin that I had while using all those products, without spending all that money.

Solars Toy

Quote from: JustKari on March 02, 2013, 06:01:01 AM
I'd love to hear your recipes, I used to be a Mary Kay consultant a long time ago.  I would love to have the skin that I had while using all those products, without spending all that money.

My sister had used Mary Kay for over 30 years.  She really likes the scrub and she uses a tiny bit of milk instead of water.  I will share some of the other things I have been doing later.  The AHA mask was weird (and a little smelly) but my skin still looks so clear and smooth a week later.  Toy
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

Solars Toy

So moving on to some weekly-biweekly facial solutions.

If you want a mild microdermabrasion  to revive the skin take about 1/2 - 1 tsp of baking soda and add water to make a paste.  Gently scrub your face with a circular motion.  After a couple of minutes rinse with warm water.  I will stress to be gentle - you will quickly learn how hard you can scrub.  They recommend not to do this more than once a week.

A new mask I just tried last week was a AHA mask.  Do not expose yourself to direct sunlight for a few hours after using as your skin may be sensitive to the sun.  Take 1 - 1 1/2 T of half and half or whole milk, add 1 tsp fresh lemon, cut a wedge of the lemon and add it to the milk and lemon mixture.  Let this sit at room temperature for 3-4 hours.  It will start to curdle but this is good.  Apply the mixture to your face, neckline, and decollete and wait 20 minutes.  Rinse. 

Please let me know if you try any of these and your results.  Sunday is my experiment day so off to try a new mask...where is that sour cream.  Toy 
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

Elfie

sounds good,,,,,, I've done the baking soda thing, liked it alot....
Nature is an infinite sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
Blaise Pascal

Solars Toy

So today is a deep conditioning hair day.  I usually do this a couple of weeks before I color it again.  The mask I frequently use consists of coconut oil and honey.  Today I am trying something different.  Because we are short on eggs today I am thinking of trying the powdered eggs I have from Shelf Reliance.


Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of glycerin in a bowl until smooth.
Add in a beaten egg and two tablespoons of caster oil.  Mix thoroughly.
Apply the mask on the entire length of your hair.  Place hair in a plastic cap, leaving for two hours.
Wash hair with shampoo.
(from budgetsavydiva)

Will let you know how it goes later.  Does anyone else do a homemade hair treatment?  Toy
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

Solars Toy

Quote from: Solars Toy on March 17, 2013, 08:20:44 AM
So today is a deep conditioning hair day.  I usually do this a couple of weeks before I color it again.  The mask I frequently use consists of coconut oil and honey.  Today I am trying something different.  Because we are short on eggs today I am thinking of trying the powdered eggs I have from Shelf Reliance.


Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of glycerin in a bowl until smooth.
Add in a beaten egg and two tablespoons of caster oil.  Mix thoroughly.
Apply the mask on the entire length of your hair.  Place hair in a plastic cap, leaving for two hours.
Wash hair with shampoo.
(from budgetsavydiva)

Will let you know how it goes later.  Does anyone else do a homemade hair treatment?  Toy

Ok so I tried the stuff above and at first I was a little concerned.  My hair felt like I had put on axle grease.  I waited the couple of hours and was surprised how easily it washed out.  My hair was really soft once it was dry.  May actually use this one again.  Toy
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

JustKari

Quote from: Solars Toy on March 17, 2013, 08:20:44 AM
So today is a deep conditioning hair day.  I usually do this a couple of weeks before I color it again.  The mask I frequently use consists of coconut oil and honey.  Today I am trying something different.  Because we are short on eggs today I am thinking of trying the powdered eggs I have from Shelf Reliance.


Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of glycerin in a bowl until smooth.
Add in a beaten egg and two tablespoons of caster oil.  Mix thoroughly.
Apply the mask on the entire length of your hair.  Place hair in a plastic cap, leaving for two hours.
Wash hair with shampoo.
(from budgetsavydiva)

Will let you know how it goes later.  Does anyone else do a homemade hair treatment?  Toy

At one time, I had quite a few friends who used the "no poo solution" which is much less obnoxious than it sounds.  Regular shampoo tends to increase the amount of oils in your hair, because when you wash your hair, it strips all the oils out, forcing your hair to create more.
IIRC, the no poo solution was Apple cider vinegar and water.  The problem with it is that, at first, your hair will create a TON of oil and your hair would be a greasy mess.  However, after about two weeks, your hair is supposed to become super soft, manageable, just wonderful.  All of my friends that did it stopped using conditioner, they didn't need it.  I just don't think I could hide for two weeks to get it to that point, and my hair is already low on the grease scale, because I don't wash it more than every other day.

Solars Toy

Quote from: JustKari on March 22, 2013, 08:31:18 PM
At one time, I had quite a few friends who used the "no poo solution" which is much less obnoxious than it sounds.  Regular shampoo tends to increase the amount of oils in your hair, because when you wash your hair, it strips all the oils out, forcing your hair to create more.
IIRC, the no poo solution was Apple cider vinegar and water.  The problem with it is that, at first, your hair will create a TON of oil and your hair would be a greasy mess.  However, after about two weeks, your hair is supposed to become super soft, manageable, just wonderful.  All of my friends that did it stopped using conditioner, they didn't need it.  I just don't think I could hide for two weeks to get it to that point, and my hair is already low on the grease scale, because I don't wash it more than every other day.

I have read about the no poo method and have been intrigue but like you don't know if I could make it through the couple weeks.  I am lucky enough to only have to wash my hair about twice a week.  Toy.\
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.

Mountainshield

My brother in law just had Liposuction and is scheduled for plastic surgery for his nose next, in Colombia though this is much more normal than in northern europe, but Liposuction and breast implants have really become popular here as well. For both men and women. So to answer the topic question I would say it is not worth spending huge portion of your income unless it benefits health such as good hygiene.

As for natural products, if its more economical and you get better result then I understand that you would choose that option. I find this video informative about the natural vs cosmetic corporation debate. Please know this is not a post against what you two have said as you are arguing the result/economical side of natural products and not that non natural cosmetics are dangerous.

Story of Cosmetics, The Critique

Solars Toy

#10
Quote from: Mountainshield on March 27, 2013, 06:44:35 AM
My brother in law just had Liposuction and is scheduled for plastic surgery for his nose next, in Colombia though this is much more normal than in northern europe, but Liposuction and breast implants have really become popular here as well. For both men and women. So to answer the topic question I would say it is not worth spending huge portion of your income unless it benefits health such as good hygiene.

As for natural products, if its more economical and you get better result then I understand that you would choose that option. I find this video informative about the natural vs cosmetic corporation debate. Please know this is not a post against what you two have said as you are arguing the result/economical side of natural products and not that non natural cosmetics are dangerous.

Story of Cosmetics, The Critique

Thanks for sharing Mountainshield.  I started going this route when I got tired of spending the money I was on all those specials washes, creams, etc.  If I can go in my kitchen and find something just as effective that is not layering chemicals on my face then that is even better. 

As to the lengths people go to look better it is hard for me to imagine spending that kind of money.  I have several friends who have breast implants, something that I never quite understood.  A breast reduction for health reasons is a different story.  Toy  :smile:
I pray, not wish because I have a God not a Genie.