Often in our quest to find vegan and cruelty-free beauty products, we forget that the simplest ingredients and products work wonderfully to keep us looking our best. We spend so much time looking for products with the most natural and minimal ingredients, it’s easy to forget that these products are often in our own pantries. Here are a few of our favorite beauty tips and tricks that are kind to animals, and your bank account.
1. Organic Cornstarch as Mineral Veil – Organic cornstarch makes an excellent makeup setting powder. Swirl a bit on a fluffy powder blush, tap off the excess, and swipe it over your finished makeup to set it, and give your skin a soft glow.
2. Cheap Washcloth as an Exfoliator – Next time you’re at a discount store, look for a big pack of cheap washcloths. The roughness of the washcloths make for an excellent facial exfoliant.
3. Lemon to Fix Those Nail Polish Bubbles – Does your nail polish dry with bubbles on the surface of your nails? Add a few drops of lemon juice into the bottle of nail polish to smooth it out before applying.
4. Apple Cider and Tea Tree to Disinfect Your Makeup Brushes – Some of the best antiseptics are found in your home. To disinfect your makeup brushes, pour 1 cup of boiling water, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 10 drops of tea tree oil into a heat-proof container. Stir it well, then add your makeup brushes. Let them soak until the water has cooled, then pull them out and rinse them. Lay them flat on a towel to dry.
5. Witch Hazel to Depuff Eyes – Organic witch hazel is not only inexpensive, but it can be used for a variety of needs, such as depuffing eyes. Simply squirt some witch hazel on a cotton ball and press it to your closed eyes for a few minutes. It can also be used as a makeup remover and a facial toner.
We also like pouring a little witch hazel into a small spray bottle to use as a hand sanitizer.
