Cut on Health and Beauty Aids

Don't buy expensive over-the-counter medications when a cup of tea can cure your ailment - naturally. Feeling a bit 'high strung'? Instead of paying for expensive over-the-counter medications, try a cup of soothing chamomile tea. Green tea contains antioxidants and other healthy ingredients. Ginger tea will soothe an upset stomach.

Find a beauty supply store and buy shampoo in a one-gallon concentrate. When mixed with water, it will make up to eight gallons of shampoo. While you're there you can also pick up any additional hair care products you may need that would be twice the price at the salon.

You've seen the ads claiming "XYZ Skin Rejuvenator takes years off your face." Well, it doesn't. All skin moisturizers, make-up removers and other beauty aids contain the same ingredients. Buy a store brand moisturizer and don't pay $35 for a tube of the same stuff with a fancy brand label.

Any shampoo can be diluted with water and still wash hair effectively. Next time you have a little bit of shampoo left in the bottle, add an equal amount of water and see if you notice a difference. Chances are you won't, and if you do this on a regular basis you'll pay half as much for shampoo.

Rose water, available in any supermarket, is an inexpensive, lightly scented mixture that has many uses around the house. It's a great skin toner, you can mix it with plain yogurt for a refreshing mid-day facial and you can even iron wrinkled clothes with it.

Get in the habit of drying your razors (carefully!) after each use and you'll find that they retain their sharpness much longer. Since razors are a regular expense this can help stretch your personal care budget.

Mix a small amount of oatmeal with warm water to create a paste and let the mixture stand for a minute. Gently work the mixture into your skin to remove excess skin oil and grime. A commercial facial scrub can cost $25. This homemade facial scrub costs pennies and it's all natural.

Did you know that skim milk is great for removing makeup at the end of the day? Simply pour some skim milk into a small bowl and warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Gently work the warm milk into the skin of your face to remove the day's make-up. Then, rinse with plenty of plain, warm water.

A typical salon can charge anywhere from $20 to $50 for a special treatment to remove buildup from gels, mousses, and sprays. An inexpensive alternative that you administer at home costs a little more than a dollar. Wash your hair with shampoo, then rinse and towel dry. Saturate your hair with apple cider vinegar, wrap in a plastic cap and heat with a blow dryer for 10 minutes. Rinse hair well and shampoo again. You'll get similar results as the fancy salon at a fraction of the cost.

For an inexpensive exfoliant for face and body, you can buy powdered rice bran from a health food store. Mix a little with water and apply. It will leave your skin feeling smooth and radiant. It's all natural, and costs a lot less than what you'll find at the mall.

A child's haircut can cost from $10 to $15 and to keep them from looking shaggy probably needs to be done once a month. If you have two kids that could add up to over $300 each year. You can pick up a pair of electric clippers for about $25 and they often come with an instructional video.

The body doesn't know the difference between all-natural vitamins and synthetic vitamins. Buy the no-name brands and save.

When it comes to buying over-the-counter medications, always buy the generic brand. It's every bit as effective as the expensive, brand label varieties.

Look at the ingredient labels of everything from lip balm to skin softeners and you'll see that lanolin is one of the main ingredients. A large jar of lanolin costs a few dollars. Use a dab of lanolin to moisturize dry elbows, chapped hands and lips. Use a pea-sized dab of lanolin to condition your hair.