Five Faves >Unconventional Beauty Products<

>>Before I delve into my five favorite unconventional beauty things, let me make excuses for the couple of blurry pictures…I didn’t enlist the husband – mistake #1, my priorities for the day were to 1) get this post up, 2) keep my kids from whining (fail) and ransacking the house, and 3) eat, therefore I forwent getting the best of the best pictures.   Also, somebody apparently hasn’t been spending enough time pinning “how to take in focus pictures” and that somebody is me.<<

On the plus side, we’re a linkin’ up with Hallie at Moxie Wife where there are a lot more favorites to be read!

SO.  With that said, here are five wonderful things I use on a regular basis that aren’t quite considered “normal” parts of a beauty routine. 

 
>>> Coconut Oil as Face Lotion <<<
[or “Medusa called and Wants Her Top Knot Back”]
I think it was my sister maybe who introduced me to coconut oil and it’s many uses, one being face lotion.  My skin is normal/dry so I stay away from all oil-free daily lotions which dry my skin out and instead swirl this on after washing my face each and every night.  I won’t tell you it’s given me the skin of a five year old or given me that airbrushed complexion we all desire but it does keep me nice and hydrated and dare I say “dewy” even?

>>> Olive Oil as Belly Butter <<<
All I have to say about this is that while I was pregnant with the twins I gave my burgeoning belly a rub-down with this stuff daily during the last four or so months of the pregnancy and I have not one stretch mark…nothing short of a miracle considering this:

Yep, that’s me at 37 weeks hauling 13 pounds of baby (eh-hem…babies).
I know that whether or not your skin stretches with or without the appearance of those marks has a lot to do with the skin your parents handed down to ya but I’m still giving this liquid of zee olive lots of credit.  It also helped ease all that itching due to the stretching even though chances are if you saw me during those months, I was usually scratching somewhere on that big ‘ole belly.
(Oh and p.s., I am in no way trying to brag about not having stretch marks or saying they’re bad or unwanted!  They are the beautiful marks of a mother and in not having them I, in some ways, missed out.)

>>> Baking Soda + Hydrogen Peroxide + H2O = Teeth Whitener <<<
My other sis introduced me to this concoction and then I stumbled upon it on Pinterest.  The recipe calls for a mixing of 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. hydrogen peroxide, and 1/2 tsp. of water.  Brush that on your mouth bones once a week (I just dip my toothbrush in the little cup I’ve mixed it in, brush, dip, brush, dip, and brush until it’s all gone) and I promise you you’ll have whiter teeth in just a couple of uses.  I’m so bad at remembering to do it every week but my sister, well, you should see her pearly whites…blinding.  Did I mention this is like 1000 times cheaper than white strips or professional whitening?  Right up my cheap alley.
(UPDATE:  I forgot to mention that when you brush with this mixture, make sure you ONLY brush your teeth, not your gums.  I learned the hard way and my gums were sore for at least 24 hours…ouch!)

 

>>> Conditioner as Shaving Cream <<<
I saw this little tip on Pinterest and gave it a shot one time after I’d run out of regular shaving cream and now I won’t turn back.  After shaving with regular shaving cream my legs used to always itch like mad around the 3rd or 4th day after shaving and I never knew why…still don’t but after switching to conditioner, they don’t itch one bit, ever.  Weird, huh?  I guess it’s just the increase in hydration conditioner gives vs. the stuff in a can?  Either way, I like it and you only have to use a little bit which equals $$$ saved.

>>> Straightener as a Curling Iron <<<
I don’t use a straightener much anymore unless I’m giving myself a cut but I used to and when I did, preferring slightly curled ends over stick straight ones, I’d use my straightener to get that curl instead of straightening and then heating up the curling iron.  You won’t get ringlets like you could if you used a curling iron but the subtle curl/wave is great for everyday and is so natural looking.  All you have to do is pinch a section of hair in between the plates, twist the iron like the middle picture shows, and pull all the way down the piece until the end.  Wa-la.

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Any other wise ones out there with some unconventional beauty tips?  I’m always in the neighborhood for more!!!  :)