The 5 Pillars of My No to Low Cost Beauty Routine

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Today, I am going to share my own no to low cost beauty routine with you. These days, it seems like there are more beauty products than ever before! Many of them are expensive, too.

The two pillars of my beauty routine are not extra expenses. They are simply part of my lifestyle. 

Pillar One: A Healthy Diet

When I was younger, I did not eat the most nutritious diet and it showed in my skin. I always wanted beautiful skin, but I was only focusing on the surface. I got medications to put on my skin. Sometimes they helped, but only for a while. My skin problems would always return.

Now, I am 52 and am often told I look a decade or more younger. I eat a very clean diet, and I feel this shows in my skin. I’m often told my face glows with health. I am virtually blemish-free. If I do get any blemishes, they heal quickly. This is the key to my low cost beauty routine. If you are interested in learning more about eating healthy on a budget, check out this great Frugalite article! 

Pillar Two: Lots of Sleep

I have always needed eight to nine hours of sleep a night. Sometimes more. I have often wished I was one of those people who only needed six hours of sleep a night. But no, I am one of those people that cannot do without my good night’s sleep. What happens when I do without sleep? Productivity goes DOWN, irritability goes UP, and if this goes on too long, I usually end up catching something. 

There have certainly been times in my life when I got a lot less sleep, like when I was younger. Now, I find a loss of sleep affects me more. By prioritizing my Zzzzzs, I know I will have a better day tomorrow. Good consistent sleep impacts my overall health so much that I am sure it helps keep my skin healthy.  And it doesn’t cost a penny!

Pillar Three: Stop Using Soap!

Many years ago, I met a woman through my landlord. I will call her Elizabeth. She was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. She was in her late fifties and looked stunning in a natural way. Her skin glowed, and her hair was a lovely mix of darker grey and silver, undyed.

After visiting her and her partner’s home a few times for meals, I could see that she ate a very healthy diet. I am sure this played a role in her natural beauty. Her example motivated me to improve my diet. 

Curious about her skincare routine, I got up the courage to ask her how she washed her face to keep her skin looking so great. Her response shocked me. She told me that she wiped her face at night with a damp face cloth.

That was it! And yet, look at her skin.

So, from that time onwards, I stopped using soaps and cleansers on my face. These days, the only exception is when I come home from milking the cows because my face is quite dirty from the barn. I use a small amount of gentle natural castile soap on my face cloth to clean my face.

Pillar Four: Why the Microbiome of our Skin Matters

That was many years ago that I stopped using cleaners and soaps on my face morning and night. My skin looks better now than it did when I was in my thirties. Today, science is catching up to Elizabeth’s minimalist skincare routine. We are now learning that our skin is not “just” our skin. 

According to Dr. Ann Meyers: 

“Your skin microbiome is the scientific term for the trillions of microorganisms that live on your skin. When your skin microbiome is healthy, there are 1,000 different species of bacteria and up to 80 different fungi species in your skin microbiome.”  

Wow! Isn’t that something?

We are just beginning to learn about the roles that all of these tiny creatures play in our skin health and immunity.

Dr. Meyers is clear that showering daily or more than once a day can negatively affect our skin’s microbiome. As well, she warns against using soap on our face: “Most people don’t realize that you don’t even have to wash your face with soap unless you wear makeup or sunscreen. We often strip oils off our face and body unnecessarily, drying out our skin microbiome. When your skin microbiome is in ideal balance, you won’t need moisturizer – although that’s a difficult balance to maintain with the modern conveniences of central heating and air conditioning.” [source]

 Amazing to see that science is now supporting Elizabeth’s simple face cloth wash so many years later! What a great reason to save money on skincare!

Probiotics for the Microbiome

One final insight regarding my low to no cost beauty routine and microbiome: I eat a LOT of probiotics. In fact, I have been making my own kefir (cultured milk similar to yogurt) for a few months now. However, kefir is much richer than yogurt when it comes to probiotic power. With over 60 strains of bacteria, yeast, and fungi, it contains “more strains of bacteria than any food on earth!” 

My daily half cup or more of kefir contributes to my healthy glowing skin. While we are just beginning to learn more about this, it appears that taking a probiotic supplement for our gut can support the microbiome on our skin. 

Pillar Five: Jojoba Oil for Moisture

I don’t wear any makeup, but I do moisturize occasionally, but not with some outrageously expensive, chemical-laden product that promises miracles. In my low cost beauty routine, I use a small bottle of Jojoba Oil. This oil is supposed to be the closest oil to our own skin’s oil, called sebum. If I feel the skin around my eyes is a bit dry, I put a small amount on before bed. A while ago, I bought a large jar of raw organic shea butter to add to my homemade lip balm recipe. It was so good that it replaced my lip balm entirely. I only need to apply it once or twice a day. 

Do you have your own low cost beauty routine tips??

I hope you enjoyed learning about my no to low cost beauty routine. Have you learned about anything you would like to try yourself? Do you have a low cost beauty routine tip you can share with our readers? Please post in the comment section below!

The 5 Pillars of My No to Low Cost Beauty Routine
Colette

Colette

Colette is passionate about sharing her knowledge of thrifty living and self-sufficiency. She has developed her skills in self-reliance living in the suburbs, the city, and more recently, on her own Half-Acre Homestead. Colette lived five years completely off-grid and without running water in an eight by 24 foot tiny home while designing and building her own 18 by 24-foot eco-cabin. Her website, Half Acre Homestead is attracting followers from around the world who want to become more self-sufficient.  Colette invites you to stop by the Homestead and check out all of the great resources including the practical How To Guides, A Tiny Home Resource Center and her organic gardening stories on her blog. She shares her wholistic model (body/mind/spirit) for achieving self-sufficiency in her Free Course, "Growing Self-Sufficiency: The Whole Picture." Stop by the Homestead today to register free of charge!

16 thoughts on “The 5 Pillars of My No to Low Cost Beauty Routine”

  1. Mommytofreshchicken

    I like to use coconut oil and a little bit of sugar to make a homemade scrub for my lips and face if they get flaky or chapped (especially in the winter). I also noticed that when I started to to be mindful of my water intake and drank 6-8 glasses of water that my skin cleared up too after a few weeks.

    1. Mommytofreshchicken, I am so glad you mentioned hydration! Yes!!! I totally agree. When I wake up in the morning now, I always start with a glass of water right away, and then drink lots through my day. I like your homemade scrub idea. I will try that next time my lips are chapped. Thanks for sharing your tips with us!

  2. I concur with your good diet, hydration, and sleep. When the day peri-menopause/menopause hit, one may want to supplement with DHEA and/or melatonin. Those of us who cursed oily skin during out teens will find out not such a bad deal long term. Yeah, the occasional blemish when one is 55+ kinda stinks. Not being a sun lover during my teens has also been of long term benefit. Peers who slathered on baby oil and baked in the sun from the day school got out until school started (and after school hours weather permitting) have not aged well.

    So (too) many skin products and make-up have unhealthy “ingredients”, including estrogen based substances.
    I splurge on one skin care item but a bottle lasts almost a year as so little is required per day.

    Being happy in one’s skin goes a long way too IMHO.

    1. Hi Selena, I appreciate your wisdom around “being happy in one’s skin.” I had the oily skin in my youth and am likely benefitting from that now, too. Good for your for staying out of the sun when young. I have a feeling YOU have aged well! I did not think about the estrogen based substances in many skin products….another plus for using less! Thanks!

  3. I’m 72 and look early 50’s. I do use a gentle cleanser (generic) and I do moisturize morning and night. I stopped wearing make up except for a bit of blush, lipstick (it keeps my lips from chapping), and sometimes a bit of eyeliner. I have never used any topical sunscreen except for a hat and gloves. I try to drink a gallon of water daily and mostly succeed.
    That’s it.
    One more thing: a smile is the best thing to put on your face.

    1. Wow! Marie, good for you! Thanks for sharing your secrets to your youthful look. I am out in my garden all the time and wear my favourite wide brimmed straw hat at all times. It is great to hear you’re drinking so much water. I try to as well. Your comment about the smile…..made me SMILE! Thanks for that!

  4. I feel so much better about not having gotten into the habit of using a face cleanser – most of the time it’s plain water and occasionally a gentle soap. I have pretty good skin, always have. My lips get super dry though – sometimes I make a lip balm with some kind of good oil, vitamin E, beeswax and gentle essential oils. Works great.

    1. Hi Redbranch, once again we’re on the same page, this time about facial care! Your lip balm recipe sounds delicious and healthy. What kinds of oils would you consider “good oil” to make it with? Thanks!!!

  5. Aloe. 100% pure, clear aloe. That after washing with mild soap and water, and sometimes adding baking soda to exfoliate. I CANNOT use oil on my face. I spent a goodly amount of money on a dermatologist to learn this years ago. I will very quickly develop comedogenic acne……even at age 68. Any makeup has to be oil free or noncomedogenic. And…this runs in the family. Sorry kids.

    1. Hi Nancy Drew, You have solved one mystery here: the importance of knowing our own skin and how to nurture it. I totally agree about the oil. I only use my Jojoba oil around my eyes. If I spread it especially on my nose, I get those little acnes, too. Your tip of using the aloe is a great one: pure and clear would be so important, too. thanks for sharing this idea with everyone. I’m sure many can relate and will benefit.

      1. I use organic, cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil as a moisturizer and also as an eye makeup remover. It has done wonders for my complexion. I had wrinkles around my eyes and they are gone now! People are always asking me what I use. My sister has rosacea and it has completely cleared up.

        1. Hi Kathleen, so excited to try this! I always have lots of organic, cold pressed unrefined coconut oil around my place, as I do oil pulling with it every morning and then take it in my coffee. Thanks for the tip and also for sharing your success and that of your sister. Cheers!

  6. One thing I’d like to add about the sun is that your heritage has a lot to do with how quickly the sun ages you. I have a Mediterranean background and for me, the sun is life. I don’t lie out and bake in it, but if I am in a place where I can, I hit the water every day for a swim and get that natural Vitamin D. At 52, I often get told I look considerably younger. Last year I stopped coloring my hair and I have a few strands of gray now. I have yet to decide if I’ll resume coloring but for now, the gray doesn’t really bother me.

    I drink lots of water, I eat pretty well, and I live a life of exploration and learning. I know that last doesn’t sound like much of a beauty tip, but when you’re fully engaged in your life and not just going through the motions, I think it shows on your face.

    1. What a great insight, Daisy! Being of Irish extraction, I have seen how my sun-loving cousins have been aged prematurely by the sun. My maternal grandmother had skin cancer on her nose in her seventies. As a farmer, she was in the sun so much, and before there was much advice about avoiding it.

      You are fortunate that your Mediterranean background allows you more leeway to enjoy those rays! I actually think that a “life of exploration and learning” is, indeed, a powerful beauty tip. I love how you are tapping into the spiritual aspect of beauty with this insight. I think there IS something beautiful about engaging with life and living your purpose, and that this kind of fulfillment does show in someone’s face. Go, Frugalite Beauties, Go!!!!

  7. I’m a teen survivalist/frugalite haha. These tips are great, Colette. Thank you for sharing-I will defiantly stop using cleansers and try this. I’ve been trying to only use natural based cleansers, but I think I’ll completely ditch them and try this.

    1. Hi Daisy, Welcome and good for you! I am so happy to meet a teen survivalist/frugalite starting out on this path so young. Can you imagine, Daisy, that when I was your age….there was NO INTERNET?????? I know, hard to imagine! I’m glad you enjoyed my tips. I hope you will keep in touch about how ditching your cleansers works out!

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