< Parent Traps: The Beauty Beat: or How to Have More Money to Spend on Good Food

Saturday, May 05, 2007

The Beauty Beat: or How to Have More Money to Spend on Good Food


How many times have I heard people say that they can't afford to eat better? Way, way too many. The truth is, from a nutritional point of view, you can't afford not to eat better. Poor eating habits lead straight to the doctor's office, the pharmacy and eventually to the hospital. And none of those options are cheap, or even reasonable at this point. (The same is true for companion animals, by the way. And sadly, we've seen the catastrophic effects of cheap ingredients during the past few months.)

Instead of spending money on empty-calorie junk food, why not cut corners in the cosmetics department? If you use moisturizers, skin lotions and bath products, you're probably paying a hefty amount for what is basically water and a few other (often toxic) ingredients. Here are some alternatives:

Next time you're tempted to blow the budget on a product that promises to fix your most annoying problem, check out the Beauty Brains. The site is operated by two chemists who can tell you if that $100 bottle of shampoo can turn your hair into spun gold or not. Search their archives, sign up for a daily email or send them a question about a product. This is the site where I learned that good old (inexpensive) coconut oil can strengthen and moisturize dry hair as well as far more costly treatments. Whenever my hair starts to look like Sideshow Bob's, I grab the coconut oil. Plus, it's a great skin moisturizer, and you can cook with it, too!! Seriously, it's a healthy, "good fat," but be sure to get the food grade, virgin coconut oil. Nothing's better!

MakeupAlley is another good place to check out products before you buy. You'll have to register to use the service (it's free), but once you have an account, you can find out what other people have to say about specific products -- and potentially save yourself a bundle. Example: One of the most popular blemish treatments is a super-cheap aspirin "mask," and many users rave about their favorite moisturizer -- none other than good old Vaseline. Another nice feature -- if you bought a product that you wish you hadn't, you can offer it in exchange for something else on the site's "swap" list. Just think -- you might be able to unload that fuschia eye shadow for something you'll actually use.

Finally, you can find loads of information, recipes and ingredient resources for making your own cosmetics at the aptly named MakeYourCosmetics website. Enjoy!

(Photograph of Old English Sheepdog pup from www.bobtail.ru, because few things are more beautiful than a puppy.)

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home