Alright, so I'm 20 years old and a very broke college student. I understand well the need to conserve money, but also the desire to keep your face clear, hair undamaged, and lips looking smooth. The trick is to attain all of these things without spending too much money, or taking a lot of time. We get tired! We have homework, we never sleep, and we are still expected to look flawless. These won't solve your caffeine addiction or help you remember to eat, but at the very least these are some simple tricks you can use, and all it takes is a bit of money and a trip to Walmart.
Here's 10 beauty hacks all college girls should know and use!
1. Honey
Honey is actually really good for your skin. It's antibacterial, so it's great for face masks and it's cleansing. It's gentle on the skin so as long as you aren't allergic to bees, this is a really good trick. It's also great in body scrubs. Also, apparently if you put honey on a blemish and put a bandaid on it to sit overnight, it eases the redness and irritation, cleans out the pore, and then BOOM! No more blemish. Theres also milk and honey masks, where you mix honey into warm milk and apply it to your face. It cleans, and your skin will absolutely glow. Just make sure you dilute it in your masks and scrubs or it will be very sticky and hard to work with.
2. Coconut Oil
This one is probably the biggest hack in the arsenal. Want your hair to grow longer? Coconut oil. It keeps your hair masks together, protects against damage, and encourages the follicles at the scalp to grow longer. Want softer skin? Coconut oil. It moisturizes and softens without all of the chemicals and toxins, so you get soft skin and it smells good. It's great to cook with too.
3. Vaseline
This is another one that has a couple of uses. It's a great lip balm, so it'll soothe chapped lips, and if you mix color into it you'll have a tinted lip balm that keeps your skin happily moisturized.
Here's a fun one: I don't know how or why considering how it works on lips, but it also lengthens your eyelashes. Apparently if you put just a little bit on a q-tip and spread it on your eyelashes the way you would mascara, leave it overnight, and then wipe it off in the morning, you have fuller, thicker, longer eyelashes.
Lastly, just like coconut oil, this will be a great moisturizer, particularly for really chapped skin. This is a great trick fr the winter when your hands crack and there's wind and no moisture anywhere? Yeah vaseline is essential.
4. Lemons
When life gives you lemons, right?
Lemons are super cheap and they are AMAZING for your skin. Lemon water is a great detox for your body, and drinking it throughout the day clears your skin and fast. Ingesting lemons and citrus also balance your body's natural pH balance. So yes, it is good for a woman's general body health. Lemons also are great, albeit in small amounts, in masks and scrubs. I have personally used a little bit in my homemade scrubs. It brightens the skin and cleans your pores, and adds to an overall clean feeling. Remember to use in only small amounts if you're putting it on your skin though. It is acidic, and it will hurt.
5. Coffee
No I don't mean drinking it. Coffee grounds are GREAT for the skin. They help lessen stretch marks, and caffeine tightens the skin, as well as acting as an exfoliant. Use this in your scrubs and your skin will be soft and stripped of all of the dead skin and flakiness from dry skin. We're all making and drinking coffee anyway, might as well make good use of it.
6. Brown Sugar
Just like coffee, brown sugar is wonderful for the skin. It exfoliates the skin, smells amazing, and makes a gentle scrub. It is gentle enough for the face, and strong enough to work on tougher skin like the legs. Additionally, mixing brown sugar and lemon and applying it to the underarms helps get rid of dark spots from shaving. And ladies exfoliating is your friend. It helps with ingrown hairs, soft skin, and just that general "glowing" look everyone seeks after.
7. Witch Hazel
Witch Hazel is a bit more expensive at Walmart, but it is a wonderful natural part of a skin care routine. It is a natural astringent, so it helps your skin calm down. Irritation from breakouts? Soothes the irritation from blemishes. Irritation from a harsh cleansing? Witch hazel has your back. And it's plant based so it's great for those seeking more natural care options, rather than something loaded with chemicals.
8. Charcoal
If you walk down the face wash isle, or the body wash isle, or even the isle that has masks and scrubs, you will see many things labelled as containing charcoal. But why? Charcoal has a lot of cleaning power. It works into pores and clears even the toughest of blackheads. It acts as a detoxifier, and helps draw out dirt and nastiness. If you have clogged pores and stifled skin, charcoal is your best friend.
9. Rose Water
Rose water is a treat for your skin and honestly it does so much. This is also a natural astringent, and a natural cleaner. It clears and closes pores, and brightens your skin. Also, obviously, it smells amazing. It is a tad on the expensive side, but along with witch hazel it is a natural product and is therefore worth the investment.
10. Green Tea
Green tea is kind of like lemons in regard to this list. It is great and healthy to drink, and great to use for your skin. Drinking green tea is great for digestive health, and it helps clear your skin. Combine green tea, and lemons and oranges for a citrus treat that is amazing for your stomach health, pH balance, and skin. Now as for your skin, green tea also has caffeine so it has an effect similar to that of coffee. Additionally, if you take used bags of green tea and put it on your eyes, it provides moisture and removes the bags under your eyes.
