Guest post from Alina of Vegan Runner Eats
Looking good can boost our confidence even when everything is going downhill, so while our shopping trips and meals out may become less frequent when we’re struggling financially, we'll often still be pinching pennies to continue buying our favorite shampoo.
Add to this a possible concern with going ‘green’, and the picture can get even more complicated — have you seen the price tags on some of those 'all-natural', 'organic' beauty products?
About a year ago, I went on a quest to find ways to simplify my beauty routine while making it 'greener' and more affordable. I had just switched to a plant-based (vegan) diet at the time, after reading about its benefits to our health and the environment, so looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly seemed logical.
After some searching, I discovered a few hair and skin care tricks that proved to work great, saved me money along the way, and helped me clear my bathroom of countless bottles of beauty products that had turned out to be useless.
Today I'd like to share three of those tricks – they won't cost you anything, and you probably have everything you'll need at home right now!
3 'Green' Beauty Tricks That Save Money
1. Using coconut oil instead of face creams or lotions.
Coconut oil has moisturizing, antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties that can prevent the formation of new pimples. Most anti-acne lotions on the market are oil-free, so our skin kicks its oil production into overdrive when we use them, cue in even more acne. My skin has been acne-prone since high school, so I was surprised to see that coconut oil made things better.
Why it saves you money:
You only need a tiny dab of coconut oil to cover your face once or twice a day. A tablespoon of even the finest organic coconut oil will last you more than a month while costing you much less than a bottle of any face cream. Apply a dab of coconut oil onto wet skin in the morning and/or at night.
2. Using leftover coffee grounds as a weekly body scrub.
After you've brewed your morning pot of coffee, save 2 tablespoons of used coffee grounds and mix them with one tablespoon of body wash. Apply the mixture on your skin from the neck down in the shower, massage for 3-5 minutes, rinse, and be amazed how unbelievably soft your skin has become! Use 1-2 times a week.
Why it saves you money:
Because it's free! You've used those coffee grounds anyway to make coffee, and the body wash is already in your shower.
3. Using baking soda and apple cider vinegar instead of shampoo and conditioner.
Here's the most surprising discovery I've made: my hair looks clean, shiny, and has better texture after I rinse it with a mixture of 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and then follow with a mix of 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it. This method works better than most shampoos because it cleanses the hair more gently while not stripping all of its natural moisture, so my hair is never as frizzy anymore.
Why it saves you money:
A tablespoon of baking soda and apple cider vinegar will cost you pennies, plus since your hair is going to have better texture, you won't need to spend money on additional hair styling products.
Seeing Results
A few months into my new beauty routine, I noticed a big difference in my appearance: the acne on my face cleared up; my skin was always soft and glowing; and even my hairdresser complimented me on how well my hair looked. I'm sure my plant-based diet contributed to these changes too… but you get the picture.
I was also glad to get rid of numerous bottles of beauty products that I tried in the past and had to stop using because they were making matters even worse for me.
And the best part?
My 'going green' attempts ended up SAVING me lots of money, plus I won't be likely to splurge on new miracle beauty products in the future since these tricks are already working great!
What are your favorite homemade beauty products?
Alina Zavatsky is passionate about whole food, plant-based (vegan) diet, exercise, running marathons, and designing one-of-a-kind handmade sock monkeys. She blogs about the benefits of plant foods and fitness at Vegan Runner Eats.
We're excited to have Plant Therapy as one of our sponsors. We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:
Tell us about the history of Plant Therapy.
Plant Therapy was started about 5 years ago. Chris and Amanda Jones had recently been given the opportunity to buy a all natural body care company. Part of this company was a small line of essential oils. They decided that they wanted to do more research in the essential oil industry.
Quickly, they found that most essential oils were overpriced and not the quality that is needed for aromatherapy. That is when they decided to break the essential oils away from the all natural body care line and start Plant Therapy. They wanted to provide 100% pure, undiluted essential oils of the highest quality at a more affordable price.
What products does Plant Therapy offer?
Plant Therapy offers 100% pure, undiluted essential oils of the highest quality. They also offer synergies, carrier oils, and all essential oil accessories.
How does Plant Therapy help us save money?
Plant Therapy was founded with two goals in mind: to provide the highest quality essential oils at a price that everyone can afford and to provide the highest quality customer service. We know the benefits that can come from using essential oils. That is why we try to keep our essential oils and accessories at an affordable price so that more people can benefit from their uses.
Is Plant Therapy involved in any charity work?
Plant Therapy has donated up to 20% since the beginning to charities both locally and world wide. You can check out some of the charities going on right now here.
What would you most like your customers to know?
Plant Therapy cares about our customers. We sim to educate them on essential oils so that they can make the best educated decision for themselves and their family members.
We strive to have the best customer service possible. We also offer 100% customer satisfaction. If for any reason a customer is unsatisfied, we will simply refund their money or exchange the product.
Also, when our customers have any questions about our products or their uses, their email are answered within 24 hours 95% of the time. We work with one of the most well known essential oil experts in the industry. We are doing everything possible to provide the most information to our customers so they can get the most out of the essential oils they are using.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Plant Therapy offers free shipping in the United States. We also offer our first time customers a coupon code to get $5 off their first purchase of $10 or more. We know if you try Plant Therapy’s essential oils that you will know the quality we provide and that you will be a customer for life.
Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.
