Frugal Beauty: How to Look Good on a Budget
Published on - July 12th, 2011 (Modified on - July 26th, 2011) (by Sierra Black) This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and raising children at Childwild.com.
Pinching pennies doesn’t mean you can’t make yourself pretty. Yes, it’s true that personal-care products and services can take a big bite out of your budget. By the time you’ve paid for your salon visit, your skin cream, your hair product, and your lip balm, you can easily be out $100 or more in any given month. You don’t want to overindulge and blow a lot of money on personal appearance. All the same, it’s important to take care of yourself, and it’s possible to do so frugally. Here’s how.
Do Less
I’ll tell you a secret: I haven’t washed my hair in weeks. I rinse it with water every morning when I take my shower (in my fancy, newly-repaired shower that now features hot and cold running water!). But I only shampoo and condition it about once a month. When I do, I use a 50-percent solution of shampoo and water. This means I’m using about 1/60th of the shampoo I used to use when I washed my hair every day with full strength shampoo. Needless to say, one bottle of shampoo lasts me a whole lot longer.
There’s a whole “no-poo” movement for people who don’t want to shampoo their hair. A lot of them rinse with baking soda and vinegar instead, but I’ve found that even that is optional.
But you don’t have to dive into the deep end to minimize your beauty routine. Simply taking good care of yourself can dramatically cut down on the number of beauty products you need to use. When I asked readers for their favorite DIY beauty tips, a lot of them boiled down to simple self care.
Simple, free things you can do to take care of yourself without the need for products include:
- Get enough sleep
- Drink lots of water. No — I mean more water than that. Lots of water.
- Smile!
Do It Yourself
Whether it’s doing your own manicure or making your own deodorant, there are lots of ways you can cut down on personal care expenses by embracing the DIY spirit. Look at each of your regular personal care expenses and ask: Would this be cheaper if I did it myself?
Some ways to take charge of your beauty routines include:
- Have a friend cut your hair. This clearly doesn’t work for everyone, but if you have a relatively simple cut and don’t need it to look perfect all the time, having your hair cut at home by a helpful friend or family member can save you a lot of money. Haircuts are probably my biggest personal care expense, so I try to space out trips to my stylist by trimming my hair at home and seeing her once every few months.
- Use oils as skin cleansers. Instead of indulging in expensive skin treatments, many of my friends swear by the oil cleansing method for cleaning and moisturizing their skin. I’ve never used the exact method, but I have used olive oil as a skin moisturizer for years and love it.
- Make skin scrubs out of sugar or salt. It’s surprisingly easy to make very good salt scrubs at home with sea salt, massage oil, and a little essential oil. These are great for home use and make lovely gifts.
- Making your own toothpaste. It’s easy to make your own toothpaste. You can do it with just baking soda and water, or you can get a little fancier. Either way, it will totally get your teeth clean. Confession time: I did this for a year or so and then went back to using Tom’s of Maine. It was just too weird to switch away from the toothpaste I’d grown up with. For me, toothpaste turns out to be one of the products I prioritize spending on, as I’ll discuss below.
- Make your own deodorant. Making your own deodorant is dead simple and it comes out great. Plus you can scent it any way you like. If mixing a few ingredients is too much for you, or if your skin is very sensitive, one commenter on the Instructables article linked above suggests getting a small spray bottle and filling it with apple cider vinegar to spritz under your arms.
Virtually any beauty product can be made simply and cheaply at home. Lip balm, soap, lotion, face masks, shampoo: A quick Google search will turn up DIY recipes for all your favorite stuff.
Doing it yourself isn’t always worthwhile. Some DIY approaches, like making your own soap, can be time-consuming and expensive. Sometimes you can’t easily replicate the quality you’d get from a commercial product. But often a DIY solution is fast, cheap, and easy. It’s usually worth considering.
Prioritize Your Personal-Care Spending
Once you’ve minimized your beauty routines to the really worthwhile stuff, you’ll probably find you have a few luxuries you’re loath to part with. I have a dear friend who cuts her own hair, makes her own shampoo and deodorant, and never wears make-up. She splurges on $75 French moisturizer for her face, though. Nothing else works as well on her delicate skin. Since this is her one personal care luxury, she feels good about paying for the product she really loves.
You may find that homemade skin cream, or cheap stuff from the drugstore, suits you just fine, but you’re unwilling to part with your Aveda hair product or your monthly visits to your stylist. Great. This isn’t an exercise in deprivation. It’s about examining your spending so you can prioritize paying for quality on the things you really want, while saving money on ones that are less important to you.
How have you saved money on your personal care routines? Tell us your favorite DIY beauty tricks in the comments.
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I just remembered one frugal tip I do use: I buy men’s shaving cream (Barbasol, unscented). It protects my legs just as well as the products marketed to women, but it costs about half as much. It’s not a big savings, but it’s better than nothing.
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they have the same ingredients just different fragrances. -speaks from the manufacturing plant.
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Great Article! Here is a tip for men: I switched to shaving with an old fashioned double edged safety razor, and use a brush and shave soap in a mug instead of shaving cream. Now I save a fortune in shaving products, and in my opinion end up with a closer more luxurious shave!
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Maybe this is a rhetorical question, but do people just not exercise? It seems to me that regular exercise would mandate regular use of shampoo, body wash, and deodorant. These products can be purchased relatively cheaply at CVS/similar and last for at least a couple months.
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I would look pretty silly heading to the gym shower with a big industrial sized box of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda (bought with a Groupon at Costco!) …but I think that is the idea presented here.
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Sara, I practice hot yoga that definitely necessitates a shower. I have thick, curly hair so I only wash it 2X/week. After yoga, I rinse it with water and it smells fine.
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I was thinking the same thing. As someone who works out every other day (sometimes two days in a row) and sweat like a pig, I cant imagine not using soap, shampoos, deodorants, etc. Don’t get me started when it summertime and its hot, humid, etc.
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Sweat is water-soluble. I work out five days a week, and my shower afterwards is mostly about rinsing off in warm water, including rinsing my hair and scalp. I use soap and deodorant, and I use shampoo about once a week; I’m just a little confused about the idea that somehow sweating is filthy and must be addressed with an arsenal of suds. Just rinse it off!
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Been there, done that – doesn’t work for me. Glad it works for you, but I need a bar of mild soap thank you very much.
Its more than just sweat I’m washing off. I work out at a gym where I am touching equipment, weights, and do stretching on the floor. I don’t want to guess how much bacteria is on it. Its not the sweat, it’s what else is being picked up.
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It’s not the water that we sweat, it’s the oils that make the smell causing bacteria stick. Soap emuslifies the oils, kills the bacteria, and washes them away.
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I exercise 5-6 days per week. I use soap in the shower after I exercise (though I’m often a “wash the parts that smell” showerer, unless I’ve been in the pool). I wear deodorant — it just happens to be some that I made instead of some made in a factory. I use baking soda on my hair that I carry in my gym bag in a little snack-sized tupperware container. But when I used shampoo, I didn’t carry the whole big bottle of shampoo to the gym — I just took a little travel bottle.
It’s interesting (and frustrating) to me, reading all of these comments, that people assume that those of us who are DIY are smelly and greasy and just don’t know it. Advertising works!
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Shame on mass media for convincing us that unless we lather our bodies and hair with toxins and carcinogens that we’re just not clean.
Frugality aside, I appreciate that what Sierra is doing is very green.
To each his/her own. Some want to wear tons of makeup. Others don’t. But to chastise someone for not following what have become conventional methods only because someone else (hi media) said we should is silly. No one I know who does no-poo, makes their own deodorant, or whatever other “hippy” methods smells or is gross. On the other hand, I know people who take showers daily who reek.
Diet has a lot to do with any odors you eliminate. Take care of yourself on the inside, and the outside will come naturally.
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I agree. To each his/her own.
It makes me sad that some of the ‘must wear makeup’ comments come from other women.
The choice of wearing or not wearing makeup is part and parcel of the women’s movement—the same movement that either directly or indirectly has allowed us to vote, wear pants, attend college, participate in this conversation, and pursue any career we wish, like an astronaut, or the President!
That movement is also responsible for allowing women to be the ones CONDUCTING the job interview. So how can you judge the woman sitting across from you for living her life as she sees fit?
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Anyone in the UK will find that “Home Bargains” is great for toiletries…in many cases 50% off typical supermarket prices – and they do some top notch brands. Definitely worth a trip there to stock up. Also as a natural exfoliator – SAND is pretty good, but with all exfoliation TAKE IT EASY!
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My #1 money saver is doing my own nails. I spend less money buying all the nail polish I want than I would even paying for 10 manicures, and in a year, I’d likely need more like 50! This way I get to have pretty pretty nails at all times, but without breaking the bank
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Olive oil? Make your own toothpaste? Never washing your hair?
Is this a website for re-enacting life as the ancient Romans?
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years ago i saw meryl streep on a talk show saying that the longest she’d ever gone without washing her hair was 27 days. she said the less she washed it, the better it looked!
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I tried making my own toothpaste, shampoo, and facial scrub — partly out of concern for the ingredients, and also to see if I could get really high quality results at pantry prices. The toothpaste was not a great success, but the other stuff was good and simple.
I stopped using it after a while, more because of the (perceived) hassle of mixing up the ingredients than anything else. However, I did use everything everyday. I’m a big sweaty greasy Italian meatball, so no skipping on personal care for me. I’m going to try the oil cleanser, too — I’ve heard of that before. I think I’ll make up another batch of shampoo when my store bottle runs out, thanks for the reminder!
I don’t understand why people heap so many hateful comments on Sierra’s posts. I’d never read a comic book, but that doesn’t make me scorn JD. I love the different styles of all the contributors to this site — it’s one of my favorite features!
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My only concern for home made items is the lack of a preservative. Even natural preservatives are only good for a short time. The most cost effective way (from what I understand) is to make a large batch at a time but if it doesn’t last until you can use it all does it really make it better than getting a good brand for cheap with coupons?
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First I want to say that I like reading a variety of ideas and advice. They may not all work for me but I do get different ideas and learn different information.
I’ve used baking soda on my hair as a dry shampoo and it works okay (when I’ve gotten out of bed too late to wash my hair). AND I’ve used it as a sub for deodorant when I ran out and didn’t realize it. But that doesn’t work well because I still sweat.
One thing I’ve found is that make up isn’t important to me. I’ve tried at various times to wear it on a regular basis, but I don’t like it, it’s not fun, and it’s not important to me. I’d rather sleep later than spend time putting it on and do other things than learn how to do it right and take it off.
My skin looks best when I don’t wear make up and use cleansers as minimally as possible. I use pure shea butter and aloe gel for moisturizers and stuff when I need it.
Isn’t part of having good personal finance spending money on things that are important and not spending on things that aren’t?
Some people may be really horrified – but I don’t shave my legs or underarms in the winter when I’m all covered up. In the summer I only deal with it when its noticeable.
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I like this kind of post even if specific tips don’t appeal to me. My grooming goals are to look my best, simplify my routine, save money, and avoid excessive chemicals. This means I may pay quite a bit for some products, while making others myself.
I work in an office setting and I wash my hair about once per week. In between washings, I use dry shampoos, which absorb oils and keep my hair smelling fresh. If you shampoo less frequently, you will produce less scalp oils. It may take a few weeks.
For all the naysayers, what do you think your ancestors did, back when the only soap available was made from tallow and didn’t exactly rinse clean? They used vinegar, rain water, powders, herbs, and other simple methods. Stripping our hair with detergent every day is a very modern practice.
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First of all…this is my first time responding here, so want to start by giving a shout out to J.D., all the contributors, and all the respondants who keep me movivated and inspired to lead a life of financial integrity.
Now…on to some of the issues. Firstly as a nurse, I can tell you that if you wait until you are thirsty to drink water…you are already behind the eight ball, so to speak! The best indicator of your hydration status is the color of your urine…which should look like a pale lemonade…NOT iced tea-LOL. And NEVER EVER underestimate the benefits of being well hydrated. I have seen almost comatose, circling the drain, elderly people become completely different patients after a simple 250 mL bolus!
Now onto the whole poo issue. I always had fine stringy hair…then I stopped shampooing everyday. I DO use a miniscule amount of shampoo on my bangs and roots daily and use a mild conditioner on my ends every day. Once a week I do a through washing and apply a deep conditioner. Since then I now have thick full wavy “bed head” hair that is the envy of all my co-workers! And for the record, I use NO styling products, don’t own a blow dryer and NEVER comb/brush my hair when wet…just run my fingers through it. For all those sceptical of not washing every day….just give it a try…you may be pleasently surprised.
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I avoid styling products, too. I think that makes it easier to stretch out shampooing. I also like the natural texture of my hair better now.
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I agree with simplifying my beauty routin but I’m not about to make deodorant. Come one, deodorant is not that expensive and neither is shampoo.
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Wow. I’m kind of amazed (appalled?) at how judgmental some of these comments are. Nothing riles people up like personal hygiene or nutrition advice, apparently.
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May I please put a plug in for another cheap beauty product….Witch Hazel. You buy a bottle of it for a dollar or two at any pharmacy and use it as an astingent to close the open pores on your face. Not perfumed. can be used by women and men.
I have also started refilling the talc bottle with corn starch from the pantry.
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When I got my ears pierced, the person who did it (a registered nurse, in fact) recommended witch hazel to help heal. (Peroxide actually dries out tissue with repeated use and impedes healing). I use it as a toner too, but I read somewhere it also helps heal bruises as well.
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I’d rather be in debt that not washing my hair or using real deodorant. Just saying.
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After reading many comments, I have come to the conclusion that GetRichSlowly readers are:
* Never smelly, even without shampooing or wearing deodorant
* Have fantastic skin, even without “expensive skin care products”
* Their hair always looks great, even after a self-cut/friend-cut or just a professional cut once per year
I’m pretty sure most people are seriously kidding themselves and need a reality check, else someone needs to tell me how I was the one person born with the need to use deodorant to not stink.
Here’s some real tips on how to save money AND take care of yourself:
* Buy your makeup on sale – tons of coupons for Revlon, Mabelline, etc. If you’re a dept store makeup/skincare person, buy it on eBay or Costco. If you must buy it at the dept store, use Ebates/FW cashback sites and combine it with their GWP promos, then eBay the promo (if you’re not going to use it).
* Costco moisturizer is great. Provides SPF and anti-aging and its fairly cheap.
* Shampoo & Conditioner – you don’t need to use a lot of it if you don’t have a lot of hair. Just a nickel sized drop. A bottle at Costco is $6 after coupon and lasts for months. You could also go crazy with the double coupons and try to get it for free.
Btw – the one thing I have to wonder is if all of this penny pinching is good for people in “career-climbing” kind of positions. I honestly think that not looking stylish, presentable and clean is a career limiting move. Spending some amount of money on clothes that look smart and personal hygiene items might make the difference on a promotion of thousands.
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Totally agreed with Sunny, those were some very helpful tips and observations. As a man (a construction worker), you can tell who skimps on deodorant, especially in hot weather. You don’t want to be the guy (or gal) who is known as “no friend of the bath”. As a man who has dated/clubbed/socially interacted with many girls, it definitely boosts the attractiveness of average or below average women at least a notch or two up if they: are very clean and smell fantastic, have noticeably stylish/soft/shiny hair, dress fashionably in a way that accents their body’s strengths, and radiate the concept of “taking care of herself”. If you are 43 and happily married and your husband doesn’t care, more power to you. If you are trying to self-improve (probably why you’re reading this blog) you might want to spend a lil extra in this department.
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I loved this article, and the point that it is important to be frugal in beauty where you see fit. For me, it would never work to shampoo my hair only once a month. However, I buy the bargain shampoo, and watch for any that goes on clearance or buy it bulk. Where I cut back is on hair cuts. Since graduating high school in 2002, I have donated my hair every 2-2 1/2 years, with free hair cuts (available at several salons if you donate your hair to Locks of Love or Wigs for Kids) and usually only get one haircut in between at a cheaper chain salon or at the local beauty school. I am now an optometrist and still can’t bring myself to pay as much or more for a haircut as patients pay me for an eye exam.
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I really liked this article, probably because I already do many of the things that Black suggests. I used to be a product junkie, and I bought the expensive moisturizers, skin products, and soaps, etc, in the hopes that it would solve my nagging acne problems. Turns out I just needed another dose of Accutane, and now I’m back to using the cheap products recommended in the book Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me (my library has it!).
Everyone has totally different needs. When my complexion was bad, I wore makeup to cover it up. Now that my complexion is good, I prefer to go without makeup, in fact, I think women look trashy if they wear too much makeup. Even well applied makeup on women who don’t need it looks gross to me.
Personally, I shampoo every other day. I’d prefer to do it less, but I have very fine hair and it gets very oily. Sometimes I can wait an extra day by rubbing cornstarch in my hair to absorb the oil. Works great! I also use baking soda for toothpaste. (No cavities ever.) I use one of those deodorant stones and I love it.
I used to room with a woman who made men’s knees go weak she was so gorgeous, but I knew her dirty secret: she only bathed a couple times a week, washed her hair as infrequently as she could get away with-once a month usually, and wore no makeup or deodorant. She just didn’t like to bathe. She didn’t smell bad at all, and she always looked fantastic!
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I don’t understand how this advice ISN’T an exercise in deprivation: making your own deoderant and using 1/2 or no shampoo? To save money? Last I checked a stick of deoderant (name-brand) was under $4 and lasts over a month. Same for a bottle of shampoo. So the advice here could save me $8 a month? The whole “minimize what you don’t need so you can spend on what you love” makes sense until you take it this far. What’s next, using the same toothbrush for 2 years and only doing it once a week so you can “save money”? It’s like a Depression-era mindset.
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Last year I was unemployed and on a strict budget. I couldn’t spend much on hairdresser, but at the same time I needed to look tidy when attending job interviews.
If you have just a bit of grey hair you know what I mean.
DIY is fine, but after a couple of months my hair looked terrible anyway.
You need all the confidence in the world to attend a job interview, so looking bad doesn’t help at all.
I found an ad looking for models for a very expensive salon (I live in London). The hairdresser was very experienced and was on her last examination to become a top stylist or something like that. I had the best color and cut of my life, all for free, and the only price to pay was an afternoon of my time, while they discussed every step of the procedure. I went back many times, until I found a job and had to go back to a regular hairdresser on a saturday afternoon, have a rushed service and spend a lot.
I also found a lot of beauty salons doing the same kind of training sessions.
It’s not for everyone, but people with unusual working hours and students should consider this.
Free high quality stuff is less expensive than cheap products and terrible DIY, after all…
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Not washing your hair and oil based skin solutions are not an option in FLA. I have to wash my hair twice a day and even though I am older I still have an acne problem. I have to use a prescription wash from a dermatologist. With a heat index of 111 yesterday, you would understand. Also, if you have an exercise regimen, again, not shampooing is not an option, especially in Florida.
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Perhaps you should give the oil-cleansing method a try? Did you read the article provided in the link? I’m 37 and suffer from acne, and I read the article and it actually makes some sense! I began it yesterday, when the original blog submission by Sierra was posted, and I swear I notice a difference already. Try it!
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I live in Phoenix, and it is definitely possible.
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There is a fair bit of practical advice that is missing from this article, advice that everyone can follow, not just people with a lot of spare time and a willingness to change their habits massively. Here’s some stuff I would have included:
-switch to solid soap instead of using liquid shower gel. A good bar of soap is much cheaper and just as cleansing as a bottle of shower gel, is better for the environment (it’s concentrated, there’s less packaging) and, in my experience, lasts a lot longer. You can get 6-packs of moisturing soap at the 99p store. Make sure you store it on a dish out of the spray of the shower so it lasts longer.
-Cut down on the amount of conditioner you use. If you keep a comb just for combing your hair before you wash it, you’ll find you need less conditioner to de-tangle. I have chest length fine straight hair and find I only need to use a dollop about the size of a £2 coin (about an inch and a half in diameter). Don’t waste conditioner on your roots, you’ll only make them greasy.
-Learn to compromise and find products within your budget that work for you. The SPF in a £4 moisturiser works just as well as in a £20 moisturiser, in fact most of the ingredients are identical. Don’t be afraid to mix more expensive lotions and potions with own brand chemist stuff. Right now I’m using a cleanser from Clinque (high end), a moisturiser from Neutrogena (mid range) and a Boots own brand eye cream (extremely affordable)
-Have nights in with friends where you give each other facials and manicures. It’s like being 13 again and having a sleepover, only this time you can drink wine and actually know what you’re doing with that emery board!
-Buy make-up online instead of from department stores. Beware though, Ebay is littered with fakes and knock offs, which may be harmful, so stick to trusted sites.
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Thanks – these are *exactly* the kinds of tips that should have been in the original article. None of this “no-poo” baloney!
I’m a big fan of Boots and always stock up there when I’m in the UK or Thailand.
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I like these tips much better too. The conditioner one wont work for my hair type (very curl, long, tangles easily), but I agree with using bar soaps, mixing high end with lower end brands and shopping online for makeup (assuming you already know the brands and colors that work for you).
Pedicure, manicure and facial parties are fun, just make sure you have your friends bring their own equipment and maybe even get a bottle of barbicide just in case.
I know it may not work for everyone but I’ve learned to do my own hair-color over the years. Skipping drugstore box colors and buying the dyes where you have to mix with developers are a much better option. Sally Beauty Supply (at least in the States) has basic hair color equipment, capes, etc to help cut down on the mess and give you a better result. I can do my own basic trims, but I must go pro when it comes to serious cuts.
I know this wont work for everyone, but if you can do it, you can easily save hundreds of dollars in one year.
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I actually went and re-wrote the entire article here at my own blog.
http://rumade.blogspot.com/2011/07/post-rewrite-frugal-beauty-how-to-look.html
Valid criticism much appreciated if you’d take a look!
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I ended up writing my own version of this post:
http://rumade.blogspot.com/2011/07/post-rewrite-frugal-beauty-how-to-look.html
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Wow. I’m surprised people are still talking about this one
(Including a few people with my name… it’s a little confusing 
I would love to see some of the tips (like Ru’s post) compiled into another post. The are some great ideas here that everyone can take advantage of without compromising their personal standard for cleanliness and grooming. (Though it is fun to try new things sometimes too!)
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For people considering home made toothpaste, you might want to check with your dentist about this first.
I used a natural baking soda toothpaste for almost a year and at the end of the year, I had five (5!) cavities because there was no fluoride in the toothpaste. In retrospect I don’t know what I was thinking — I guess I didn’t think about the function of toothpaste beyond cleaning your teeth — but even with dental insurance and going to the dental school to get this fixed, it was not cheap to have the cavities filled. I also had such sensitive teeth from my enamel being worn down by the baking soda that the dentist had to give me some special toothpaste with extra fluoride to build it back up. I could have bought several lifetimes of toothpaste with the money I spent on dental care fixing these problems. (Although ironically, I don’t even pay for fluoride toothpaste — I just wait until it’s on sale for free a drugstores and pick it up then).
If you like using baking soda to brush your teeth and don’t get cavities, great. If you are prone to cavities then you might want to be more careful, because if you get cavities when using fluoride toothpaste, it is likely to get worse if you stop. And unlike some of these other choice (ie. not washing your hair for a month), you can’t necessarily undo the damage to your teeth. This can be a health issue, not just a hygiene issue. My dentist told me all this and I think most dentists agree.
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Yeah, I’d be very wary of using alternative toothpastes. Baking soda was probably a fairly acceptable toothpaste in the past but these days our teeth are exposed to lots of acid and sugar, even in healthy things like fruit. Baking soda is also highly abrasive, that’s why you use it as a household cleaning product!
Your teeth can stick with you for life, they’re an important part of you. I’ve heard of links between tooth decay and other illnesses, so it really is a health issue.
If you want to save on toothpaste:
-buy it in a traditional tube rather than the canister style. Canisters of toothpaste are more expensive for exactly the same amount of toothpaste, and more product gets wasted inside the container.
-stock up when toothpaste is on special offer. The chain chemist Boots in the UK often does 3 for 2 offers across all dental care.
-don’t use as much. Contrary to what the adverts always show, you don’t need to paint a line of the stuff on your brush head. A small pea-sized dab cleans just as well.
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With all the discussion about the potential for offensive odor if one follows Sierra’s tips, I’m surprised no one has brought a similar problem: the potential for offending others with the smell of chemically-scented products.
I am extraordinarily sensitive to artificial fragrances. For me, being near someone who smells like a cocktail of scented shampoo + conditioner + hair styling product + deodorant + after shave/perfume + laundry detergent + fabric softener will give me a headache and nausea.
Fragrance-free products are not always available at my local retailers, and when they are, they don’t often go on sale, nor do their manufacturers offer coupons. Trying a homemade alternative to some products (like the baking soda/vinegar option for hair cleaning) would be worth it for me, if such formulas have the potential to save me the time of locating unscented products, and the expense of paying full price for them.
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I spend about $25/month on beauty.
I get a trim and layer shaping 1x/ year (I’m growing out) $20
I wash my hair twice/week. I use as little product as I can get away with. $135/year based on the cost and amount of bottles of product I buy. (this includes shampoos, conditioners, and stylers)
Get my eyebrows shaped once/year and maintain them myself ($20)
Do my own manis and pedis (total is about $30/year for nail polish and supplies)
I do splurge on soap. I use Savon De Marseille block cut soap, but it’s concentrated so I don’t have to use that much.I also do not store it in the shower. I use one block every 2 months (yes I bathe daily or twice a day). $7/block = $42/ year
I buy a large bottle of concentrated formula of Dessert Essence gentle face cleanse. It lasts 1 year = $15
Deoderant is about $50/year
Grand total = $312/ year or $26/ month
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This was disappointing to me. I was expecting an article with frugal beauty tips (which is something I’ve never heard much of on GRS) and what I got was someone telling me to not wash my hair but once a month? Umm….no thanks. I’m okay with paying a few bucks/couple months for Suave shampoo to wash my hair every day.
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No one has mentioned the best way to look good:
Get enough sleep.
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Yes, it’s in the original post
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Actually having met Sierra I can honestly say I didn’t smell her up close but she certainly didn’t smell like rancid fat. Sebum is oil and wax and really isn’t something that goes rancid quickly as any oil we humans produce is pretty saturated and not volatile like vegetable oils. I would venture to guess “greasy” people you have met in the past smell rancid not due to the sebum but due to the crappy oils they used in their conditioners, most of which WILL go rancid if they aren’t rancid when they’re bottled in the first place.
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I love it when people display their hangups on the Internet, such as in some of the comments on this post. Just because your mama spanked you as a child for getting dirty doesn’t mean you have to take it out on other people. SOME people do fine with the “no shampoo” method. Some people do not. But unless you’ve actually sniffed Sierra’s hair, do not speculate on its aroma.
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Not wash your hair during one month ???!! Really : A bottle of shampoo isn’t that expensive !
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I love this! Especially the idea of sacrificing in other areas to splurge on a great moisturizer.
I’m pretty frugal in a lot of areas, but I swear by Archipelago Botanicals Soy Lotion Milk for body lotion. Very light pleasant scent.
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Sorry. Not gonna happen. There is no way I’m going to go a month without washing my hair with real shampoo. If you have dry skin, maybe you can get away with it, perhaps it might even be recommended in some circumstances, but not for me in my lifetime. My hair is oily, my skin is too, and the idea of waiting a month to use soap will not only feel grungy and uncomfortable, but is a social necessity.
I think a no soap/shampoo movement will only be possible for a very small segment of society.
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Couldn’t resist adding to the conversation. I’m a physician. I work closely with people. I have colleagues who are known to discreetly point out when somebody’s personal hygeine habits aren’t working (we teach students and residents…how to keep your person inoffensive to sick people is important). We have to tell people to use deodorant, occasionally. Much more often we have to tell people to scale back — way back — on the “product”. That “clean” smell many commentors seem to be after? Triggers allergies, asthma, and nausea in many.
I don’t use shampoo (my own allergies, couldn’t find something I could tolerate at a price I was willing to spend), just baking soda, occasional castile soap, and apple cider vinegar. It’s just as easy to do as bottled shampoo. My hair — previously oily, now not — is great. It doesn’t smell. I asked. A happy bonus is that I don’t get helmet head cycling back and forth to work anymore and I don’t need styling products. Otherwise, cetaphil, minimal makeup. Doesn’t seem to have affected my professional progress any.
And as for comments that the saved amounts don’t add up? I sure wish I’d known about this stuff when I was a student and pinching pennies for lentils.
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I think buying your stuff using CVS bucks would be the cheapest way to go. After the initial investment of buying things, often people (those who know how) get their H&B aids free or for pennies.
I stocked up on make-up at CVS a couple of years ago because it is so much more expensive here in Poland than in the US.
It doesn’t have to cost much to wash your hair or even wear makeup. There are ways to do it cheaply. Sales, coupons, flea markets, etc.
I’ve found if I don’t wash my hair the second day it is limp. If I skip and try to even go one extra day after that, I feel like everyone is looking at me cuz I know that my hair just looks terrible. I’ve seen plenty of Polish women with dirty hair. I think that many of them are from poor homes and don’t have running water in their apartments. I don’t have any desire to skip deo either as I can smell myself when I don’t. I’ve been around too many people on buses who don’t use it either…hmmm..
I didn’t think that any nationality would condemn Americans for being dirty–but they might condemn the women for not dressing up enough. I mean, Americans will go out in sweats, etc, but many other cultures would NEVER do that. But that isn’t necessary a ‘dirty/clean’ issue. That is something different.
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I probably spend less than $20 a month averaged out over the year on personal hygiene/beauty. I don’t get my hair cut every month, I get pedicures maybe 3 times a year now and spend about $60 a whack. I get my eyebrows waxed or threaded 4-6 times a year at about $15 a time. But other than my Redken shampoo and conditioner that isn’t cheap but lasts me quite a long time, I don’t need to spend very much on hygiene/beauty products at home. If you watch for good deals and clip coupons, you won’t have to pay for things like soap, toothpaste, body wash. I don’t use a lot of makeup and I stick with a few brands I like. If there is a sale and a coupon, I buy. I haven’t paid for toothpaste or razors in a long time. All that stuff you can get for free or near free if you work at it a little. I can’t imagine spending time making my own products. If it works for you, great. I just don’t have the time or patience.
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I’m really concerned that you used your home made toothpaste for a year, whilst there are lots of different toothpastes and lots of gimmicky functions that they all do- FLUORIDE is a key, must have ingredient!!!
There are loads of studies into it and it is well proven but it’s late and I’m afraid I’m feeling too lazy to get some links… but please use fluoridated toothpaste or at least research the field then make an informed decision
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I think it’s really irresponsible to advise using baking soda as toothpaste. It’s highly abrasive and can thus weaken enamel and abrade the gums. It should only be used *very* carefully, and, in terms of cleaning teeth and preventing cavities, it’s really no better than going without toothpaste entirely.
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One way I save a little is that I use my more expensive (Origins) face products at in the morning & use the cheapy drug store ones at night.I like Olay sensitive skin face wash & Cetaphil. That way the expensive one lasts twice as long. You can pick & choose where to slurg & were to go for the cheap stuff.
Also, stock up when there are sales.
Also, as others have said, surprising long hair is cheaper & easier to maintain. You just don’t have to get it cut as much. And if its dirty you can pull it up. I had short hair for a long time & spent $90 every 6 weeks to get it cut & colored. Now I have long hair, don’t color it & get it cut 2 or 3 times a year.
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Although I do agree that one can look good on a budget, I don’t think hygiene should be compromised. Washing your hair only once a month might be a bit much.
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i am a frugal tree hugging granola eating hippie miser and i only stink on occasion. i don’t use anything but natural products to clean my body, my hair and my house. i shower when i am dirty and don’t when i am not.i wash my thrift store clothes when they need it and not a second before, and i make my own laundry soap cause i hate the smell of store bought soap. but i am all for it if you want to do it another way.
everyone has a different priority when reading this blog so complaining about articles of which you have no interest is kind of silly and selfish. i don’t travel but i don’t piss and moan about the articles regarding cheap travel. if your only interest is stock tips you are in the wrong place.
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Yes. Glad someone gets it
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The deluge of comments about how people that follow these methods are usually dirty/stinky/unattractive is so frustrating that I’m going to share some pictures of myself, after switching to no ‘poo. Chicken fried kittens, ya’ll, it ain’t that crazy…
http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/06/hygienic-hippies-giving-up-shampoo-and_14.html
I get compliments on my hair all the time, now and before (when I was using shampoo/conditioner, but only once a week). I don’t stink, either. On top of that, I wash my clothes with nuts, I use a salt stick for deodorant, and coconut oil as lotion- http://cortneywithoutau.blogspot.com/2011/03/salt-oil-and-nuts-how-to-be-hygienic.html
And yes, I know it’s a bit gauche to share links to one’s blog on another person’s blog and I usually avoid it like the plague, but it’s pertinent to the post and it’s the experience of a real person who does these kind of “hippy” things. Similar to the woman who shared her picture up above to put a face to all of this, I think a lot of people have just never seen/met people who do these things, so they draw their own conclusions.
I’ll be the first to say these practices don’t work for everyone, for various reasons, but they work for me, I don’t stink, and I promise I’m not Quasimodo’n ’round town frightening the villagers
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Does anyone know why so many people keep leaving comments saying that they’ll never use any of these natural recipes? Why don’t use just not use them? You don’t really have to tell us about it.
Fanny: I haven’t used castor oil, but I trust this woman implicitly; she gets the facts before recommending anything:
http://www.cosmeticscop.com/cosmetic-ingredient-dictionary/definition/309/castor-oil.aspx
I use olive oil at night because it’s apparently one of the best things I can do for my skin. Much cheaper, too, even if you buy the fanciest brand.
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No shampoo for a month? Horrible!! I agree with you Annelise! Go girl! El nerdo, “Gee, your hair smells terrific!”
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Passed by your post and decided to share it on my blog so my followers can see it too. I used the same title, “Frugal Beauty: How to Look Good on a Budget”
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