Ways To Save On Grooming Expense – Part II

by Dr. Charlotte Gorman

Simply put, most people have to have at least a minimum amount of grooming. Some require more than others because of their particular jobs or contact with the public.

If not carefully controlled, the buying of grooming aids and services can take a large bite out of your budget. The suggestions below will help you keep you and your family properly groomed while keeping the expenses to a minimum.

1. Use a lip brush to get the remaining lipstick from down inside the tube. The lip brush will quickly pay for itself by enabling you to get additional lipstick. Since about one-fourth to one-third of the lipstick is down inside the tube, the use of the brush should cut your lipstick expenditures by approximately 25 to 33 percent. Over the years, you could save several hundred dollars.

2. Use petroleum jelly for cleaning makeup from your eyes and face. Petroleum jelly usually is much lower in price than facial cleansers.

3. Some stores which sell cosmetics will do a complete makeup job free of charge. If you are going to have to replace a makeup item which you have exhausted or if you would like to try a new inexpensive item, such as a lipstick or blush, why not take advantage of the expertise of the makeup demonstrator. Don’t be pressured into buying every item that the demonstrator uses on your face, but don’t go through the makeup session if you have no intention whatsoever of buying anything. The prices of the items normally are higher than comparable items at a discount store, for example, so watch yourself; or you could end up "paying" for the makeup session.

4. Shampoo and style your own hair and that of family members at home. Doing this at home is far cheaper than having it done at the beauty or barber shop.

5. Dye or color rinse your and family members’ hair at home. Coloring hair will be much more expensive at the beauty salon or barber shop.

6. Unless your hair is in "bad" condition, don’t let your beautician or barber put special conditioners on it or give it special oil treatments. You could save several dollars. Even if your hair does need special conditioners or treatments, give your hair this special care at home yourself and save the several dollars.

7. If you have the ability, cut your hair and family members’ hair at home rather than go to the beauty shop or barber shop. You could save $10 to $25 or more per haircut.

8. If you can’t cut your or family members’ hair, perhaps you can at least trim your own and family members’ hair between cuts by a professional. This will result in fewer visits to the beauty shop or barber shop and less expense for you.

9. Give yourself and family members home permanents instead of getting them done at the beauty shop. Home perms will be much cheaper. Follow carefully the directions which come with the home permanents. If you can’t give yourself perms, maybe a friend or family member could help.

10. Wash (roll, if necessary) and dry your own hair and that of your family at home, and just get a "comb-out" at the beauty salon. A "comb-out" will cost only a fraction of the price of the complete works.

11. Call the local cosmetology schools (beauty schools/colleges) or barber schools and volunteer to have your name placed on the list of people to serve as models on which the instructors can demonstrate hair cutting, perming, shampooing, conditioning, hair rolling, coloring, styling, and blow drying to students. Getting occasional free hair care decreases your outlay.

12. Get permanents, shampoos and sets, cuts, and other hair care at cosmetology schools (beauty schools/colleges) or barber schools. Their regular prices could easily save you from 50 to 85 percent of the prices at beauty salons and barber shops. Call for information and an appointment. Even though students will be doing the work, instructors will oversee their work. I have always been pleased with the quality of the work students have done on my hair.

13. Watch the newspaper for specials at cosmetology schools (beauty schools/colleges) and barber schools. For example, at a cosmetology school I once got a permanent on sale for $7.50 (one-half off the regular price) which also included a cut, shampoo, and set. There is a wide gap between $7.50 and what most beauty salons charge for a permanent.

14. Watch the newspaper for specials at beauty salons and barber shops. For example, one advertisement read, "Hair specials–permanents, shampoo and styling, cuts–2 for 1 on Thursdays in March. Bring a friend and split the cost." Another stated, "Permanents half-price for the month of January." Such specials could ease your financial burden for hair care.

15. If you have to resort to paying full price at a beauty salon or barber shop, then call eight to ten different ones. Ask what their prices are for particular items, such as permanents, cuts, shampoos and styling, conditioning, coloring, and "comb-outs." The prices normally vary a great deal among the different salons and barber shops.

16. Let your hair dry naturally, and save yourself the expense of buying a hair dryer and the electricity required to operate it.

Dr. Charlotte Gorman is an Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A & M University System. She is the author of The Frugal Mind, The Little Book of Living Frugal, and co-author of Speak for Yourself: A Handbook on Practical Public Speaking.

The Healing Power of Honey

By Elizabeth Cole, author of 101 Things To Do With Honey

Apitherapy, the treatment of various conditions using honeybee products, has been around a long time. Honey is one of the oldest medicines we have, with proof of its healing power dating back more than 5000 years. Even Hippocrates found that honey "cleans sores and ulcers of the lips, heals carbuncles and running sores." It has been a staple ingredient of folk medicines throughout the ages and now, it is even gaining credibility with current medical and scientific communities. British researchers have proven that applying raw honey to fresh wounds prevents infection as well as any medication and often eliminates the need for antibiotics. They have also learned that honey-treated cuts and scrapes heal quicker than those treated with medicated ointments. Other researchers have found that honey can alleviate asthma, calm nerves and induce sleep, ease pain and relieve diarrhea.

Raw honey can be a valuable part of your "First Aid Kit." Here’s a few suggestions:

Bee Stings : Dab on a bit of honey immediately. It helps draw the stinger out, eases the pain and neutralizes poisons.

Blisters : Combine 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. Aloe Vera gel and 10 drops lavender oil. Dab on blister, cover with bandage. Change bandage and repeat 2 to 3 times per day.

Burns : Immediately spread a thin layer of raw honey over the burn. Especially good for oil splatter type burns and steam burns, but of benefit to all types of burns. It relieves stinging, prevents blisters and infection, and speeds healing.

Sunburn : Combine 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera gel . Paint onto sunburned skin with pastry brush or damp sponge.

Wounds : The high levels of potassium found in honey make it very difficult, if not impossible, for bacteria to survive. Applying a thin layer of raw honey to any cut, scrape or scratch is beneficial.

Beyond treating injury and illness, there are other reasons to pay attention to honey. Incorporating it into your daily diet is an excellent step to take towards maintaining general good health. Dr. D.C. Jarvis says, "I am saddened when people tell me that they don’t eat honey because it costs more than white sugar. In the long run, you must pay either the grocer or the druggist."

Honey can be substituted for white sugar very easily, even in baking, and the health benefits for everyone but especially for children are worth every penny.

By Elizabeth Cole, author of 101 Things To Do With Honey

DMSO – Human Use

Q. A friend recently told me about the many uses of a product called DMSO. You can buy it at health food stores. She said it can relieve just about every ailment you can think of from acne to joint pain and that it works on pets too. I looked it up on the internet and it certainly sounds like a "wonder drug." Has anyone heard of this before or has anyone used the product? Are there any testimonies out there? I would like to hear from others who may have used it. Thank you. – Ana

My aunt used to use it all the time. I think it comes in a gel and liquid form. She would swear by it! If you had anything that hurt she would get that out and rub it on. She mostly had neck pain. She would rub some on the back of her neck and then cover it with a thin cling wrap. That is because it would otherwise leave a wet-greasy mark on her shirt collar. It has a very weird odor also. But she was such a believer in DMSO! – Connie

We have long used DMSO for our horses. It works great on the legs when they have been worked and are a bit sore. I have never heard of people using it, though. I guess if it is good enough for your beloved animals, then it must be fine for humans—IF used moderately and not in large doses. I would do some careful checking with your own doctor AND veterinarian before using it on your own self.

An alternative might be Everflex Cream which has proven scientific research to help.  I go with the natural stuff before drugs, but I’ve found mixed feelings on DMSO.

My father used DMSO for years. We used it on our horses, and you could only get it from a veterinarian. I am surprised that you can now buy it at health food stores. He claimed that it relieved his aches and pains – the problem? It smells! It goes through your system quickly and the smell comes out your pores!! No one else in my family would use it because of the smell. I don’t know of any scientific research, but he swore by it! – Nancy

DMSO is a bi-product of the pulp and paper industry. It was discovered and tested in Camas Washington more than 25 years ago. Many people claim to receive relief from arthritic joint pain. Since my mother-in-law worked in this paper mill she was able to get some of the product for herself and my husband, unfortunately it did not work on his arthritic knees AND it has a very strange side effect. No matter where you use it you will have the strong taste of garlic in your mouth. So it’s like any other ‘wonder’ drug. Maybe it will help and maybe not. – Toni

My dog has a disease called panniculitis, which is inflammation of the subcutaneous fat under the skin. It is the result of an allergic reaction to her rabies vaccination. She has been ill for almost 2 years with this with no cure in sight, just management. She get lumps under her skin. We had one removed which helped her but is getting more. Our Vet Dermatologist and the lab analysts have told me to use DMSO on these lumps and it should shrink them and to be sure to use MEDICAL grade. It also comes in an industrial grade that is NOT for use on humans or animals. All the research I did on the Internet showed me that this is a dangerous drug if you don’t really need it. The vet told me to use latex gloves when I apply it to the dog’s skin because it will be absorbed into my skin which is dangerous. It is used on horses as a liniment on their legs for soreness. Take care and do some research before you use it. I have decided not to use it on my pet unless she gets really bad. – Erline

I used to work with horses at K-State. We used DMSO some there and it does indeed help with almost all that ails the joints, etc. HOWEVER, please be advised that when you touch it, even the tiniest bit, you will have a horrible (sort-of rotten garlic) taste in your mouth ALL day. When I used it on the horses, I always used gloves and tried not to breathe it either because that did it too. It absorbs through your skin and causes the taste. But some people don’t have this problem. I took an unscientific survey with my co-workers and it doesn’t seem to bother men as much as women. The vet I worked with in KC used it on his knees and never had the taste problem but I sure do and so did the other women in both places. So, before you spend much money on it take heed. If your pain is bad enough, you may want to try it anyway. LeAnn

DMSO was used by horse owners and vets for years for swelling and achy joints. Because the orginal was so smelly it wasn’t used by people. Now that it has been perfected, you will get noticable relief from it. I use another form of it internally, MSM, because I have fibromyalgia and at times, hurt everywhere. Mine is combined with glucosomine but you have to take it a couple of weeks before you feel the difference.. – Crystal

Reforming Crystal Deodorant Pieces

Q. I use salt crystals in a rock or roll up form for my deodorant (works better than the other stuff for me!). I have a jar full of broken crystal pieces from when I dropped the rock on the floor or the roll up fell out of the container. Any suggestions for how to "melt" it down and reform those pieces into one or two solid pieces. I know they’ll melt in water, but what about the shaping & drying?

A. Try dissolving your broken pieces in the least possible amount of water.  Line a small box or can with aluminum foil and then with plastic wrap – leave a generous overhang of both. Pour the dissolved crystals with liquid into your container and leave to dry. This may take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on size, moisture content, humidity, warmth, etc. The bigger/thicker piece you are making the longer it will take to dry out completely. When you are sure it is completely dry, use the foil and plastic wrap to pull it out of the mold and then peel off the foil and plastic wrap. You might also use a small candle mold like a tiny pillar, but line with plastic wrap. Mary

Sensitive Facial Skin

Q.   I have very sensitive facial skin and I need to find a natural way to cleanse my face, and get rid of skin blemishes and pimples. Can anyone help me in finding something that really works?

The Natria Skin Care line is designed for sensitive skin

Honey Cleansing Scrub – Mix 1 tablespoon honey with 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water.

I use instant dry milk on my face.  I add a little water to dissolve and then let the mixture dry on my face like a mask.  After the mixture has dried enough I rinse it off with tepid water.  Feels great and my skin looks fresh. Lorraine

Use a mild facial soap to wash your face. Ivory works quite well. I use Black Ointment to get rid of occasional acne. It works great to get rid of redness overnight. It has a strange odor so I would not recommend using it during the day.

I found that using Dove beauty bar is the best thing for sensitive and acne prone skin, and its not outrageously priced. It was recommended to me by a dermatologist and I have been using it for years. I truly love this product!

I have found nothing works as well as cheap, glycerin soap…it cleans without drying and can usually be found at dollar stores…only thing with glycerin soap is it melts easily if it lies in water…so put it in a draining soap dish…when I was a teen with lots of oily skin and blemishes, I used witchhazel to remove oil and debris from my skin…it is still very cheap…hope this helps!