How to Save Money on Hair and Beauty – Tips From an Ex-Hairdresser and Beautician
One member of the team here at The Thrifty Issue was a hairdresser and beautician.
A lot of hair and beauty can be done yourself, at home for quite cheap.
Often, more natural products have been more effective as well.
With some experimenting over the years, they’ve worked out how to get thousands of dollars worth of beauty done for a few hundred a year.
Here are some of their top tips.
Disclosure this post may contain affiliate links.
1. DIY vs Professional
Some things should be left to a professional, especially if you are not confident.
For example, if you are doing your hair from dark to blonde or if you want a Brazillian, both of those are often better left to professionals.
Decide what you are comfortable doing and want to learn. Not everyone needs to DIY everything but there are many things that can be done yourself.
Often, it is simply a matter of getting the right tools such as a wax pot, nail kit and hairdressing scissors plus a little knowledge and practice.
Going from head to toe, here are some options:
Head
Use coconut oil for many things e.g. dandruff when it is an issue.
I prefer Macadamia oil or other nut oils for a full treatment or the ends of my hair.
Tone blonde hair regularly by mixing a tiny amount of intense purple dye with conditioner and leave it in after shampooing for a few minutes then rinse out.
Face
A face scrub of rice flour mixed with a little green tea is great.
Drinking a lot of water, proper sleep and eating well are all essential for good skin too.
For a full facial, cleanse, scrub, use a mask, toner, serum, eye cream and moisturiser.
Tint eyebrows and lashes with DIY kits from pharmacies.
Waxing
Some waxing can be easy such as chin, lips, sides of face, legs etc. Get your own wax pot.
Strip wax is used for legs etc. Wax goes on in the direction of hair then ripped off and as soon as it is ripped off, place your hand on the area to ease the pain a little.
Don’t use deodorant or other products within 24 hours of waxing.
Sugaring is another option we’ve done a few times with great results.
Nails, Body and Massage
40% urea cream iss recommended for dry, cracked heels.
This is the exact cream and it’s under $20.
A body scrub of oil and sugar is nice, especially with coffee grounds but don’t use too much.
Use a dry body brush to exfoliate and for your lymphatic system.
Get a manicure/pedicare kit with my file, buffer, cuticle stick, polish, top coat and a foot file.
All you need to do is file your nails, push back cuticles, buff ridges, clean, paint and coat them.
Cosmetic and Other Treatments
Friends of ours have lip fillers, botox, pigment treatments, laser etc.
Laser hair removal can save a small fortune long term for those who are eligible to get it.
How you spend your money and what treatments you get are up to you.
2. Use Natural Products
Your pantry has plenty of products you can use to create body scrubs, hair treatments, face masks and anything else you can think of.
Coconut oil is essential for us as we use it for everything from cracked heels to body scrubs, scalp masks, massage oil and even healing.
Due to the nature of coconut oil, it can be great for healing infections.
Since I was a teen, I have tried different mixtures for face masks, beauty products, even a skin wrap. There are so many recipes you can try depending on your needs.
One I loved was the gelatin peel.
Gelatin Peel
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon gelatin
2 Tablespoons milk
Method:
– Clean your face.
– Mix gelatin and milk together in a bowl then heat in the microwave for 10 – 15 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave, to make a smooth paste. Test the temperature before applying it to your face. You don’t want to burn your skin.
– As with all masks, avoid the skin close to your eyes as it is more delicate and this mask is strong, it can remove some facial hair, so be careful.
– Leave it on your face for 15 minutes then peel it off. Go gently as your skin might be sensitive in areas. You don’t need to rip it off fast like a band-aid.
– Clean your face again, then tone and moisturise.
3. Use Up Everything
Too often we throw something out before we use it all. Cut open bottles, use brushes to get the last bits out of jars and be smart about the products you have.
When we have a large container of something, we go through it quickly and are much more careful with how much we use when it is almost empty.
Decant product into small bottles and top them up as needed to get the same effect as a large bottle running out.
Do not use items that are past their use-by date or have issues. This can pose a health risk.
4. Schedule Time To Do It
Every weekend we have a self-care night where we do masks, our nails and hair etc.
Saving money on beauty and doing it well means scheduling it in is essential.
You won’t magically find the time as we are simply too busy. So put it in your schedule and do it.
5. Wholesalers, Sales and Warehouses
Never pay full price. Even if you are using supermarket brands, they go on sale all the time.
If you want to use professional products look for warehouses that sell to the public in your area.
More expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Find the products which work best for your needs and buy them on sale or at discount warehouses etc. Check out eBay and Facebook Marketplace too.
6. Only Get What You Use
How often have you bought something because of advertising or it looked cool? Then it ended up sitting in the cupboard going to waste.
Think carefully about your purchases and needs when it comes to beauty then buy only what you will actually use.
When places have free gift time or bonuses it can be tempting to buy things but do you really need them or are you just buying because it’s free gift time?
7. Cash Back and Discounts
Along with the sales we already mentioned, look for cashback and other discounts. Check out Shopback and Honey to get cashback on all your purchases.
As for discounts, join all the loyalty programs and read this about how to get a discount on everything.
We scour clearance sections and use a few specific beauty sites that we get cash back with and maximise any promotions they have to get free and discounted beauty too.
How do you Save Money with Beauty?
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