Instead of chucking products that don’t work quite like you had hoped, find out what else they can do for you. These tips, culled from blog confessions, expert advice, and our own experiments, will have you reusing your common toiletries in no time, not to mention save you money and get you out of emergencies.
Petroleum Jelly = Furniture Fixer
You may have used Vaseline Pure Petroleum Jelly as lip balm, moisturizer, lash definer, or makeup remover, but did you know it also camouflages light scratches in wood furniture? The Beauty Brains bloggers love this tip: Just dab it on and buff. You can also make light bulbs easier to unscrew by spreading a little around the thread of a new bulb before screwing it in.
Baby Powder = Floor Fixer
Baby powder, or most any body powder, can be used for a number of things like temporarily deodorizing shoes and armpits, but it can also silence little squeaks in wood floors. Just sprinkle it over the offending cracks and use a small paintbrush or broom to sweep it in. Wait a day or two for the powder to work its way in and voila! Silence. (Note: Larger squeaks may call for more drastic measures.)
Conditioner = Shaving Cream
When traveling or just in a pinch, use the same trick employed by stars like Natalie Portman: Shave your legs with hair conditioner. It provides the same slickness as your shaving cream does, allowing your razor to slide over your legs and condition your skin without nicks and razor burn.
Rubbing Alcohol and Hairspray = Stain Remover
To remove home hair color stains on your skin, sink or even carpet, sponge it with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball or rag. Just be sure to apply with a cotton ball soon after you see the stain. If you wait too long, the stain gets harder to remove. If you don’t have alcohol handy and the stain is on fabric, try this tip backed by Good Housekeeping: Saturate it with hairspray, which contains alcohol and can help loosen the stain. Then soak and launder as soon as possible.
Clear Nail Polish = Screw Fixer and Rust Fighter
Author and fix-it whiz Joey Green claims painting a bit of nail polish on screw threads and nuts before inserting them will help keep them in tight. You can also apply clear polish to new toilet seat screws to keep them from rusting too quickly. And for yet another household use, paint the bottom of your shaving cream cans to keep them from rusting in the shower.
Cleanser or Moisturizer = Skin Soothing Treatment
Refrigerate cleansers or moisturizers in lotion or gel form and use them as a post-extraction soothing treatment or refreshing makeup remover for dry skin types. You can also do this with eye cream to give tired eyes a cooling, soothing effect.
Lip Balm = Cuticle Conditioner or Makeup Remover
When you’re done applying your lip balm, don’t just wipe off that leftover product on your finger. Rub it into your cuticles for a nice conditioning treatment. (Note: You can also do this with any room-temperature oil or butter you get on your hands while cooking.) Another tip for lip balm: Like petroleum jelly, it makes a great on-the-go makeup remover for that little eye makeup stain you get after washing your face. Just make sure you’re not using peppermint or menthol lip balm as it could sting your eyes.
Oil-Free Moisturizer = Frizz Tamer
Skin Rhythm blogger Jen confesses using a less-than-pea-sized amount of Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer as a smoothing cream for her very fine hair: “It smoothed and sealed my dry ends and added a bit of shine. It even added a bit of definition to my layers without weighing down my hair or causing it to look [flat and] oily, even hours later.” You can use most any face moisturizer, lip balm, or body lotion to smooth frizzy flyaways. Start by rubbing just a drop of the product together between hands, then smoothing over hair or along hair ends to tame frizz. (Curly hair tip: To help define curls, wrap one-inch pieces of hair around your finger.) Add more product if necessary, but use sparingly to avoid a greasy look.
