IF you’re a beauty fan on a budget, here are a few tips to look your best and save money in the long run.
Instead of splurging on products, a Moroccan woman has shared several DIY cultural remedies to try and cheap items to purchase instead, including an Amazon exfoliator.
Reddit user LallaSarora came in clutch with tips for a nice beauty routine on a budget.
Not only were they useful money-saving tricks, but some of them also helped the environment by using products much longer.
For example, if you have tubes of cream, she recommended cutting the ends off when they’re empty.
“Generally, there will be some product left that you weren’t able to squeeze out that you can just scoop out and store in an empty container,” she explained.
The same goes for sheet masks, which are “just fabric soaked in serum.”
Instead of throwing away the packaging, she suggested squeezing out the excess serum and use as you would usually apply a facial serum.
Next, she encouraged others to hit up a Middle Eastern market and buy 100% pure argan oil.
“Us Moroccans use argan oil for every area of beauty, not just hair,” she said.
She explained that she rubs it on her skin, brows, and lashes at the end of her skincare routine every night.
“My eyelashes are complimented often. I don’t even wear mascara unless I’m going to a special event because my eyelashes are just long by themselves,” she added.
She said she uses argan oil on her lashes because it “doesn’t cause sunken under-eyes like some brands of lash serum do.”
LallaSarora gushed about the “really versatile” oil in another comment.
In addition to being a great lash serum, she said some people use it to remove makeup and strengthen their nails.
“It’s common to put some in a bowl with an equal amount of lemon juice,” she added.
She explained that “the lemon juice brightens the nails while the argan oil strengthens them.”
Also, she advised women to not go all out on their nails.
“It’s enough for your nails to be filed, shaped, and buffed, maybe with a slick of clear nail polish,” she said.
The Reddit user also shared an at-home teeth whitening method.
“If you don’t have a tooth whitening mold, you can DIY one,” she said.
All you need is a football mouthguard.
Hold it under hot water with a spoon until it gets “a bit wobbly and bendy.”
“Place it on your teeth, using your tongue and fingers to press it in so it takes the shape of your teeth and gums,” she explained.
Once that is done, cut any excess edges away.
Then, apply whitening gel on your teeth and put the mold on.
She recommended leaving it on for 10 to 15 minutes.
“This is cheaper than having a mold made at the dentist, and whitening gel is more economical than strips,” she said.
She also shared how you can create a DIY foot soak with kitchen oil.
First, place warm water and the oil in a bain.
“Soak your feet until they’re soft, then scrub any dead skin off.
She said you can add anything to the foot bath, like salts, bubble bath solution, milk, herbs, and even bath tea.
“After you’re finished exfoliating your feet, follow up with a foot mask (they’re pretty inexpensive) or rub thick lotion or glycerine on your feet before putting fluffy socks on,” she added.
As an alternative to perfume, LallaSarora recommended Arab attars, which are fragrance oils.
“Like with argan oil, you can buy them from Middle Eastern shops, they’re inexpensive, very potent and there’s a huge range to choose from,” she said.
They’re not drying as they have no alcohol in them.
“If you rub some on yourself before spritzing perfume, it will also help the perfume last longer,” she suggested.
She also revealed that you can find some good quality dupes of existing perfumes if you look hard enough.
“I have a Zimaya dupe of the famous Delina by Parfums De Marly that not only smells 99% similar but also lasts longer,” she said.
She said it retailed for £260 pounds or almost $350 USD, but she got it for £40 pounds, or around $53 USD.
You can also use them as a hair perfume by running it through your hair, and since it’s oil-based it lasts.
Speaking of nice tresses, the Redditor admitted that she is “dandruff-prone” and an “amazing” solution to her issue is aloe vera.
“My dandruff has improved so much since I started rubbing it into my scalp after washing my hair while it’s still damp,” she added.
Small, flat, round silicone brushes that she called “shampoo brushes” are also an inexpensive way to control dandruff control and stimulate hair growth.
She said you’ll find a shampoo brush in every hammam pack and toiletry bag in Morocco.
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“They’re non-negotiable,” she added.
A hamman is similar to a public steam room or bathhouse associated with Islamic culture.
LallaSarora also mentioned an Algerian item called a kardoune that decreases frizz, stops your hair from getting tangled while you sleep, and straightens.
“You wrap a long, thin piece of ribbon around damp hair in a low ponytail, tightly rolling from top to bottom,” she said.
“It prevents frizz and stops your hair getting tangled in the night. It also helps straighten it. Secure it using scrunchies and use hair oil beforehand if you want.”
Lastly, she recommended Korean bath towels from Amazon as an inexpensive exfoliator.
The website sells a set of four Korean Exfoliating Mitts for $8.99.
“They’re literally the only exfoliating mitt I’ve found that are just as effective as the ones Moroccans use in the hammam,” she said.
