DIY beauty tricks

There is nothing worse than jumping in the shower after a sweaty workout to discover that your housemate has finished all the shampoo. Or when you need to shave your legs and there is no shaving cream, moisturiser or soap in sight (yes it has been a while between supermarket shops).

Instead of pulling your pants back on, getting in the car and driving all the way to the shop, you should take a closer look around your bathroom and kitchen first because you’ll probably find some everyday household items that can make amazing beauty products. Some may even do the job better and often at a quarter of the cost!

Household item: Toothpaste 

Beauty use: On top of cleaning our teeth, toothpaste can be used to make yellow nails shiny and healthy again. Simply scrub your nails with toothpaste to remove stains and for even more cleaning power, add a few drops of lemon juice, which acts as a natural bleach.

Household item: Eggs 

Beauty use: Eggs are packed full of protein, which is essential for strong hair. So if you’re suffering from breakages and split ends, try whisking up some eggs and applying on damp hair as a hair mask. If you have dry hair, you can also add olive oil to act as a conditioning agent.

Household item: Petroleum Jelly 

Beauty use: If I were one day able to paint my nails without messing them up, I think I would jump for joy. But until that day, petroleum jelly makes it a lot easier to fix mistakes. Simply apply a touch of petroleum jelly to the skin around each cuticle pre-polish and then when you do accidently paint outside the nail, it will wipe away more easily.

Household item: Cooking spray

Beauty use: Speaking of nails, I never feel as hopeless as when I’m waiting for them to dry. Cooking spray speeds up the drying process and also acts as a protective film from fingerprints and dents. 

Household item: Hair Conditioner 

Beauty use: It’s already such an effort to shave your legs, so when you realise you have nothing to shave them with it’s incredibly tempting to leave them furry for another week. But now you will have no excuse. Hair conditioner provides the perfect barrier between your razor and skin and can also moisturise your legs at the same time. Be a tad careful though because conditioner tends to be slippery. 

Household item: Rolled oats

Beauty use: Rolled oats are a common ingredient in homemade bath scrubs and exfoliants, but they can also provide relief for itchy skin. So the next time you have irritatingly dry skin or are attacked by mosquitoes at a BBQ, try mixing cooking oats with warm water for a soothing bath or soak.

Household item: Toothbrush

Beauty use: This is one trick that I’ve actually gotten in the habit of doing and I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Toothbrushes are great for exfoliating your lips and making them super smooth. You can choose whether you have a separate toothbrush to do this, but I find it just as easy to do them at the same time as my teeth. I simply brush my lips gently with my toothbrush, using a circular motion. I then like to apply a lip balm to soak into my lips before applying lipstick.

Household item:  Kitchen utensil trays

Beauty use:  Ok so you may not exactly have one of these just lying around, but I couldn’t resist putting it in because it is such a fabulous idea. While you would normally use one of these to divide your knifes, forks and spoons, you can also make great use of them in your bathroom draws as a makeup divider. This way you can easily separate your most used brushes, lipsticks, mascaras etc into a draw for easy access. And when it gets dirty you just empty it and pop it through the dishwasher- much easier than trying to scrub a makeup bag.

Have you ever tried any of these DIY beauty tips? What household items do you use in your beauty routine?