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What used to be considered an everyday necessity, such as skin care products, are now somewhat of a luxury item. The dollars you spent freely trying various skin care and beauty products seems a little extravagant now. Times are tough for a lot of people, the stock market is down and people are losing their savings, and losing their jobs. Prices keep going up but increases in pay are minimal. However, there is hope, and there are inexpensive alternatives than expensive store bought skin care and beauty products.

Easy exfoliation: Add a little sugar to your existing cleansing cream. A sugar scrub is ideal for sensitive skin. Another exfoliate is Epsom salts, mix some Epsom salts with your cleansing cream for a microdermabrasion treatment.

Under eye bags and circles - Skip the expensive cream and try a tea bag. The main ingredient in a tea bag is tannin and it works naturally to reduce puffiness and dark circles. All tannins act as astringents, shrinking tissues and contracting structural proteins in the skin and mucus. So while sipping your tea, save that tea bag. Cool it in the refrigerator and apply the cooled tea bags to your eyes for about 10 minutes.

Customize your own lip tint -How fun! This lip tint will last longer than many lipsticks and so much fun to experiment with the colors. Select your favorite gelatin color then dampen a foam tipped applicator with water and dip into the gelatin powder. Apply the color directly to the lips. Add more than one coat to deepen the tone, if desired. For shine, add a touch of glycerin or lip balm on top.

Easy Skin Toner - A toner is used after cleansing to remove leftover residue and restore pH balance.

Anti-Aging Toner
1/2 cup pure spring water or distilled water
2 teaspoons green tea leaves (or 1 green tea bag)

Bring water to a boil. Place the tea leaves or tea bag in a glass or bowl. Pour the boiling water over the leaves or bag and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the green tea into a bottle, and let it cool. Apply to skin with cotton balls. Do not rinse. Apply moisturizer.

Green tea provides antioxidants and protects against free radicals here is a simple skin care recipe:

Moisturizing Mask for Hydration
2 Tbls plain yogurt
1 Tbls oatmeal, cooked and cooled
1 Tbl Honey

Mix all ingredients together, then let cool. Apply to face for 15 minutes. Yogurt gently exfoliates and cleanses while oatmeal and honey have moisturizer and hydrating properties.

Stretch your foundation:
Mix your foundation with your moisturizing cream. You will find the foundation is easier to apply and blend, and your foundation will last a lot longer. Usually it is 2 parts moisturizer to one part foundation but you can adjust as needed. The best part is you are sure not to neglect your moisturizer treatment, a very important step in a good skin care program.

Finally, simple steps to finish off a beautiful you, are:

Shape those eyebrows: Well shaped eyebrows accent the eyes and frame the face. If you can afford any beauty treatment, the eyebrows should be at the top of the list.

Hair shine - There are so many hair shine products on the market these days I get tired of reading all the labels. An easy hair shine recipe is to apply olive oil or glycerin onto freshly washed or dry hair. Also a milk or vinegar rinse will add vibrancy and shine.

Above are just a few skin care recipes and beauty tips to keep you looking beautiful even when budgets are tight. For more skin care recipes and articles visit Complete Skin Care Therapy

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About the Author:

Carol Belanger author of 300+ Skin Care Recipes