10 Genius Beauty Hacks, Using Common Household Items, That You Can Enjoy in Self Isolation

By Meghen Jones

There are a lot of things that you could be doing right now, since you’re being encouraged to follow social distancing orders—learning a new skill, cooking a recipe from your favorite online food blog, or binge-watching Netflix. Beauty enthusiasts, on one hand, have probably found themselves trying new eyeshadow palettes, crafting homemade skincare products, or testing out new hairstyles. But, if you consider yourself one of these people, you don’t have an endless supply of products on your hands, especially during a time that has become so difficult for many.

Not only is it a challenge to find your usual go-to products—food and otherwise—but with all the layoffs of non-essential and part-time workers, you might find yourself for the first time in years without a steady paycheck. Thank God for beauty hacks, which can save you money and an unnecessary trip to the store. Not familiar with the basic items around your house that can be used for your beauty routine? Well, get ready because uCribs is ready to hand our secrets over to you! Read along for 10 of our fave beauty hacks that will make self-isolation a bit more bearable.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar has taken the beauty world by the storm in recent years—and it has built up a lot of hype for a reason. If you’ve run out of toner and you’d rather not head to the store, diluted ACV is an amazing substitute. It contains acetic and alpha hydroxy acids, which minimizes pores and brightens skin. ACV also lowers your skin’s natural pH level and can heal just about any skin issue, including sunburns, bruises, and acne. Just remember to dilute ACV with water and only use it once a week!

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a common household item used for cleaning, baking, and even in deodorizing your apartment home. What you may not know is that baking soda also has many uses when it comes to your beauty routine. For example, you can easily remove coffee stains from your teeth by sprinkling baking soda on top of your toothpaste. Baking soda can also be used as a dry shampoo for oily hair to remove buildup. Even better, its natural antibacterial properties make an awesome exfoliator when mixed with water, as well as a natural deodorant if combined with coconut oil.

Coconut Oil

Speaking of coconut oil, it’s no stranger to the beauty scene, whether it’s used alone or combined with other products to create various treatments. Thanks to its richness in fatty acids, coconut oil is ultra-hydrating on its own and can easily substitute body moisturizers and leave-in hair masks. You can also swish coconut oil around in your mouth for a more natural teeth-whitening process, or combine it with baking soda, Stevia, and your favorite essential oil for a toothpaste without harsh ingredients that break down tooth enamel.

Course Brown Sugar

Are you in the mood for a good scrub? If you’ve already run out of your typical go-to, course brown sugar will do the trick. Brown sugar is considered to be a good exfoliator, natural moisturizer, and scar remover, making your complexion radiant and reducing your chances of acne. With brown sugar, sweet almond oil, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil, you can make an excellent homemade scrub. We suggest using essential oils that boast a relaxed mood, like peppermint, bergamot, or lavender. Plus, your homemade mixture can double as a wonderful face or lip scrub!

Eggs

Okay, before you react to this suggestion, hear us out! No matter how unappealing it may sound, hair masks made with egg whites have been proven to strengthen damaged hair strands. This can be very helpful in your time of self-isolation when all the beauty salons are closed, and you’re unable to get your regularly scheduled haircut. By combining egg whites with olive oil, you will have a protein-packed paste that acts as a moisturizer and strengthener. Eggs also aid in treating frizzy and oily hair, promoting hair growth, and adding additional shine. We wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes your go-to beauty hack, quarantine or not, once you see the impressive results.

Green Tea Bags

There’s no denying that green tea ranks high on everyone’s list of solid health products. It can improve brain function, increase fat burn, and may lower the risk of certain types of cancer. But, did you know that this stellar product also improves the dark circles under your eyes? Yup, that’s right! To use this hack, just take a few green tea bags from the box in your dry storage pantry and place them in the refrigerator. Once they’re cold, lay back and place them under your eyes. The caffeine works to tighten skin, while the cold decreases any puffiness under your eyes. Not only will you feel relieved that those dark circles caused by too much Netflix are gone once and for all, but you’ll save yourself a pretty penny by avoiding costly Sephora or Alta shipping fees for the real thing.

Plain Yogurt

When it comes to hair straighteners and curling irons, we’ve all experienced accidentally burning ourselves at least once. Curling iron or not though, all burns hurt the same, and if you happen to get one during quarantine, you may not have anything directly on-hand to deal with it. So, if you happen to burn yourself, head to the fridge and grab some plain yogurt. Believe it or not, yogurt can heal burns almost instantly, cooling down and hydrating the burnt area simultaneously. Simply place a dollop of yogurt on the affected area and leave it on for ten minutes, while the probiotics in the yogurt rebuild your skin’s protective barrier and soothes the pain. Magic!

Raw Honey

If there’s one thing we are certain about, it’s that honey is undeniably addicting. Like honestly, who doesn’t love a bit of sweetness in their oatmeal, tea, or smoothie bowl? Thank you, bees! Well, now that we’re on the subject, we’ve got to give you the 411 on how honey can be used as a go-to beauty hack. Thanks to the antioxidants in honey, it is super hydrating, killing acne-causing bacteria and making a perfect facemask. All you have to do is apply a thin layer of honey to your freshly washed and dried face, then allow it to set for ten minutes before washing it off completely. We can promise you that your skin will be flawless, like Beyoncé!

Rolled Oats

If your skin is beginning to feel a little dry and itchy, it’s time that you put the rolled oats in your pantry to good use for an oatmeal bath. Does anyone remember getting these as a kid when you had the chickenpox? There was a reason behind your mom and dad’s madness! According to Healthline, oatmeal contains compounds with anti-inflammatory and moisture-retaining properties. Because of this, oatmeal baths can treat other types of skin conditions, like contact dermatitis, eczema, and negative reactions to insect bites and plants. Once you’re done with your steamy oatmeal bath, you’ll feel like a million bucks! Though, we do advise that you avoid this beauty hack if you have any oatmeal allergies.

Sea Salt

Salt is one of the basic building blocks of cooking. Not only is it considered a staple flavoring agent to many professional chefs and at-home cooks around the world, but it’s also been used as a natural food preservative for centuries. While we don’t recommend using table salt in your beauty regimen, we can certainly get behind sea salt. Sea salt helps keep hair healthy, stimulates blood flow, and promotes a healthy scalp. When it’s applied to the scalp, it will do its job to absorb excess oil, provide moisture, and prevent fungal growth. Combined with simple ingredients, like honey and coconut oil, you can easily create a full-body scrub that removes dead skin—hey, we gotta get by without nail salons somehow!

No matter how much quaran-time you have on your hands, you can never go wrong with learning a new beauty hack, especially if it involves items you already have at home. Let our list of 10 faves allow you to feel some peace-of-mind and comfort. Sure, it’s not your normal regimen by any means, but it’s efficient, cost-effective, and safe. You don’t have to spend any money or travel anywhere to get these items – in fact, you should have most of them somewhere in your apartment home. Whether you choose to exfoliate your face with brown sugar or improve those dark circles with green tea bags, you won’t regret taking advantage of our best beauty hacks that will get you through self-isolation and help you to look and feel your best.

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