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CHEAP ALTERNATIVES FOR BASIC COSMETICS Please note, these tips are given in good faith but have not been tested or researched by Hints and Things. (see Disclaimer) TIP GARLIC BREATH - Chew cardamom seeds in their husks until soft, swallow the seeds and throw away husks. No cardamom seeds to hand - brace yourself - cut a lemon in half and chew (pith, rind and all), then swallow!   HAIR  Greasy Hair Add a dash of cider vinegar in the last rinse.  Makes hair shiny and manageable.     Normal Hair - Put 3-4 sprigs of rosemary into a jug, pour on boiling water and leave for an hour. Strain and use as final rinse. Beat an egg with water or cider vinegar and massage into newly washed hair.  Leave 5-10 minutes and rinse off with cool water.  DON'T USE HOT UNLESS YOU WANT SCRAMBLED EGG FOR SUPPER!   Fine Hair - To give body to hair, mix 1 dessertspoon of honey with 2 tablespoons of corn oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Leave on hair for ten minutes, shampoo as usual.   Dry, Lifeless Hair - Put a couple of spoonfuls of coconut oil on the hair, massage well in and wrap hot towel round head for about half an hour.  Shampoo as usual.  Not particularly suitable for blonde hair as it sometimes dulls the colour.    Add vinegar to the final rinse to give dark or auburn hair extra shine.  Adding lemon juice or an infusion of camomile flowers to the final rinse will do the same for blonde or fair hair.   For deep-treating dry hair, wash and then smooth through a tablespoon of warm odourless cooking oil (such as rapeseed or sunflower oil).  Pile your hair on top of your head, cover with a layer of cling film and a warm towel and leave for 20 minutes or so.  Wash again with a mild shampoo to remove the oil, then dry and style as usual. Sarah Nicholson More hair tips.  HANDS Dry hands - Take a large scoop of petroleum jelly and two drops of olive oil, rub into hands (rub hands together as if washing them).  Put hands into plastic freezer bags and cover with a warm towel.   Relax for thirty minutes, then wash in usual way. Smooth hands - Rub a drop or two of neat glycerine into hands every night to keep hands smooth - a bit sticky but worth it.   Alternatively, mix equal amounts of glycerine, water and Eau de Cologne together in a bottle and shake well before using. Extra dirty hands - no Swarfega to hand - rub in Vaseline leave for five minutes and then wash in hot soapy water - should work a treat. Rough hands - Mix the same amount of vegetable oil and granulated sugar together, rub hands together very hard for about five minutes, rubbing well in all over hands. Rinse and leave if possible. If necessary, wash well to remove any oil and apply hand cream. Smelly hands -To remove smells from hands use either lemon juice, vinegar or salt, however, for onions rub dry mustard well into the hands then rinse off.  Always use cold water to wash hands to prevent "setting" the odour. Stained hands - try lemon juice as this will remove most stains, however, some will need hydrogen peroxide (USE 20 VOLUME STRENGTH).   Dab on stain until it vanishes, then wash hands very well. NAILS Cuticles - Use Petroleum jelly for cuticles instead of cuticle cream. Nail varnish remover run out - use acetone, surgical spirit or perfume will do instead. Wash thoroughly and put on a little oil or Vaseline.  Acetone will, however, dry the nails and the perfume could linger for hours. Nail conditioner - Take a Vitamin E oil capsule and pierce the end with a pin.  Squeeze a few drops of the oil onto your nail and massage in.  Leave 10/15 minutes.  Remember to replace the pin into the capsule as this can be used again. Stained nails - Put a drop of smokers' toothpaste on a brush and gently brush onto nails.  Rinse off and the stain should have gone. Nail strengthener -   dip them into a salt solution (2 teaspoons of salt to a glass of water) for 2/3 minutes.   Vaseline (petroleum jelly) makes great nail cream. Sarah Nicholson SKIN Some people recommend the use of lemon to lighten/whiten skin, however, I have received the following warning from Angela Fealy - A word of warning about using lemons/lemon skin to whiten skin: I developed psoriasis on my elbows after trying out the old wives' remedy for whitening elbows, and I haven't been able to get rid of it. Not only my elbows suffered though, it started to appear in smaller spots every now and again - so be really careful. Aqueous cream is really cheap (approx. £3.00 for 500ml tub in the U.K.) and can be used as a general moisturiser all over the body.  It can also be used in place of showergel/soap. Thanks to Louise Jones for sending us this one. Dry Skin - Mix one large spoonful of rosewater to 2 of glycerine and smooth onto face, leave overnight. This can be done whilst around the house during the day.  After several hours, wash off anything remaining.  It has a slightly sticky feel but should be worth it. Body scrub - Make sure skin is damp with water, then rub in salt crystals.  This removes dead skin and allows moisturisers to penetrate into the skin more easily. Toner for oily skin - Take a tomato, some cucumber and a double measure of Vodka, liquidise together and then rub into skin.  Leave for three minutes, wipe off with damp cotton wool.  This is an excellent astringent for oily skin. Face mask for oily skin - Take the white of an egg and mix with 4/5 drops of lemon juice.  Apply to skin with brush.  Leave ten minutes and then remove with hot water. Face mask for dry skin - Mix an egg yolk with one spoon of honey.  Spread on face and leave for ten minutes.  Rinse off with warm water. Ingrowing facial hair - Mash up some chick peas and water, use as facial scrub 2/3 times a week. Use sheets of toilet paper rather than tissues or cotton wool for removing makeup and nail varnish. Baby lotion is a good substitute for make-up remover. Sarah Nicholson Raid your fridge and kitchen cupboard for the materials for a face-mask or scrub.  For oily skin, mash some strawberries or papaya with some lemon or lime juice to make a fragrant face-mask.  For dry skin, do the same with avocado and honey.  Apply to your face and neck and lie back with slices of cucumber on your eyes for 20 minutes before rinsing.     A facial scrub can be made from a thick paste of oatmeal in milk, adding a little honey if your skin is dry.  Massage in well for a minute or two, using small circular motions, then rinse off. Sarah Nicholson EYES Baby oil on cotton wool removes eye make-up very successfully.  Old tea bags make perfect eye pads. Place a slice of cucumber on each eye to relieve tired eyes.  Hairspray on a clean mascara brush keeps curl in lashes.   Vaseline (petroleum jelly) eyebrow definer. Sarah Nicholson   LIPS Use Vaseline as a lip gloss.     PERFUME To make your perfume linger longer, put a drop of oil wherever you put your perfume. Don't rub perfume into skin as this alters the fragrance - just dab on gently.   TONING LOTION Rosewater soften the skin while witch hazel tightens it and is antiseptic. This lotion keeps well in a bottle. Normal skin - 3 spoonfuls of rosewater to 1 spoonful of witch hazel. Greasy skin - 2 spoonfuls of rosewater to 1 spoonfuls of witch hazel.   BATH PRODUCTS Dusting Powder - Cheap Chic!  Purchase a bottle of your favourite cologne and an inexpensive baby or unperfumed powder.  Soak a cottonball with the cologne.  Place it in a dusting container and place the lid back on.   Store away for about 3-4 days.  Now open the container and you will have your favourite scenting dusting powder without paying the full cost. Sent in by "Siren" of the U.S.A.  Thank you Inexpensive bath salts, take a cup of Epsom Salts and place in a container that can be resealed.   Add no more than a teaspoon of your favourite perfume to the salts and seal.   Shake and leave two weeks.  This makes bathtime fun with your favourite scent. Thank you Mrs. Gore       Copyright © 2000-2020 Hints and Things All Rights Reserved. No portion of this site may be reproduced or redistributed without prior written permission from Hints and Things. 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