cosmetics used for other than their intended purpose
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free skin care · Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:25 pm

I just purchased a jar of L'Occitane eye balm and didn't like it at all, but found that it makes an excellent lip conditioner. I was thinking about other products that may be great...when used for something else (think hemorroid cream under the eyes, or whatever that trend was / is).

I hated Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray on my face, but love it as a hair spray.

Bobbi Brown face oil is a bit too fragrant for me, but makes my heels really smooth and soft.

Anyone else have any good cosmetic multitasking tricks or tips they'd like to share?

free skin care · Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:35 pm

I mix St Ives apricot scrub with a thick body cream and use it as a moisturizing body scrub in the shower. I came up with this when my then-teenaged daughter bought some of the St Ives scrub but decided (correctly, I think) that it was too harsh an abrasive for her face. She bought me a couple of large tubes of body cream (that I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't care for.) Combine the two and add a little kosher salt and voila, a reasonable non-drying body treatment!

free skin care · Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:41 am

I use Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Golden Shimmer Dry Oil on my upper eyelids instead of eyeshadow -- adds a subtle golden glimmer.

free skin care · Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:05 am

I love my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I use it under the eye to keep my eyeliner from running and I use it on my lips to keep the lipstick on. It works like magic! Very Happy

I don't think I Have ever used it on my eye lids as their intended purpose! Confused

free skin care · Sat Nov 24, 2007 10:13 pm

yes me too, using St.Ives apricot scrub as body scrub.

Good to know L'Occitane eye balm can be an excellent lip conditioner. Wink

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 10:47 am

ponds and ROC home microdermabrasion scrubs intended for face scrubs were relagated to hands, elbows, knees and feet.

Most facial sunblocks I tried and hated have been used instead on hands or the rest of me.

Ice Elements 2 minute miracle was used on my elbows and hands after I tried it on my face with little effect.

In fact, most failed skincare products meant for my face wind up being used on the rest of me! Laughing

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:07 pm

vaseline/petroliem jelly as moisturizing lip balm as well as moisturize heels of the feet.

facecream as an eyecream as well.

silkia camellia oil for face, body moisturizer as well as for hair!

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:25 pm

Sisley Sisleya Eye and Lip Cream - I really like it as an eye cream during colder months. Otherwise, it can be a bit too heavy. Now I only use it on my lips in the morning and before going to bed and I LOVE it so much more as a lip treatment.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly - I use it as a lip balm during the day. On a night out, I also use it to tame my unruly hair on my eyebrows and apply a really thin layer of it on top of my eye shadows. It give the eye shadows a really nice glossy finish.

Olive oil - I use this as a shaving oil...works amazingly well and it's so cheap too! At night, I sometimes use it as a massage oil on my feet, let it sink in, put on a layer of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, then I put some socks on. The next morning, I always wake up with soft feet. Smile

Oh! I also use it as a hair treatment once or twice a week.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - I use it for everything! I put a thin layer of it on my face during a long-haul flight, rub it on my cuticles, elbows and knees, use it as a lip balm, put it on sunburned areas, etc.

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 3:32 pm

Mom2Busy2Boys wrote:

I love my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. I use it under the eye to keep my eyeliner from running and I use it on my lips to keep the lipstick on. It works like magic! Very Happy

Wow, fantastic tip, thanks M2B2B! I tried this yesterday and it does indeed work like magic!

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 5:52 pm

Oh man, I'm a serial misuser, haha. I shave my legs with the JMO Detangler that was awful on my hair, and sometimes with Burt's Bees Avocado Hair Treatment or Orange Facial Cleanser. I also use the avocado stuff in lieu of their coconut foot treatment and vice versa, because aside from the color and smell, they seem almost identical and have really similar ingredient lists.

Then, let's see -- I often use lip balm around my eyes -- Dr. Hauschka's comes to mind. Lip balm as cuticle butter too, and on any flaky bits of skin on face or body (though I don't apply lip balm in my breakout-prone T-zone). And the reverse holds true too -- I only carry my Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Butter for both nails and lips most of the time. And I have this Surfer Balm that's essentially a giant tub of wax and oil blended (like a softer lip balm) but I use it as a full-on body lotion in the winter. And I have a similarly-textured but menthol-infused sore muscle rub from Tom's Of Maine that I also use on my temples as a headache treatment, or under my nose to clear my stuffy head if I have a cold.

I use Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel on my chest and sometimes even my butt or back for acne and exfoliation, and I often leave it on overnight to spot-treat, or I'll mix in a bit with my body lotion. I sometimes leave it on my face overnight too, either super-thin and diluted as an all-over thing, or spot treatments on acne. I too use the St. Ives Apricot Scrub as a body rather than face scrub, though I'm trying not to. I shave with massage oil, and I spot treat body acne with facial mask, which I generally also use as an overnight spot treatment for facial acne.

With hair, I often use body lotion to calm down my frizzies (just a dab while it's still wet), and I mix treatments like the aforementioned Burt's Bees Avocado one in with my conditioner, instead of applying before shampooing and washing out like it says to do. I sometimes will wash my hair with liquid body soap like Dr. Bronners to help chill out my scalp, since many shampoos irritate my scalp. (I do this infrequently though, as it's rough on my actual hair.)

With makeup, I use lipstick for blush sometimes, occasionally apply lip gloss under my brow bone, use hairspray sometimes on my eyebrows, and use some eye shadow shades as highlighters. I have a couple eyeliners that can double as lip or brow pencils in a heartbeat, though I imagine those would actually be better on someone with different coloring than mine. I often used to use powder combined with a wet brush as concealer, but now that MMU exists, I prefer that as it gives better coverage for blemishes.

Oh, and I hand-wash my makeup brushes and all my delicate lingerie with Avalon Organics shampoo while I'm in the shower. Laughing

Rules are for tools! Okay, not really, but I've found that most products are much more versatile than their label would indicate. I'm something of a DIY gal and always have been an avid ingredient reader, so I think I'm comfortable with the substitutions I make because I know what I'm getting into. I definitely understand hesitation from people who aren't as familiar with what a product's contents really are, though.

You guys have some great tips on here to steal, though -- yay! Hope I was able to provide the same. Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 6:57 pm

Great ideas, ginnielizz. You've reminded me of another one. When I'm traveling and staying at a hotel, I'll use the conditioner provided to shave my legs. (One less thing to get into the liquids and gels bag!) This is one time when the more silicones in it, the better.

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:49 pm

For any unwanted face products, I would use for my hands and feet! Razz

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 7:58 pm

Oooh the hotel conditioner's a good tip! Although I'm such a sucker for cute travel-size versions of natural products, more and more of which keep showing up at my drugstore, that I always have one of those mini Alba shave creams on hand. Too adorable to resist, haha.

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:33 pm

I couldn't use a sample of Decleor Aroma White Night Cream on my face due to breakouts so I used it as an eyecream and LOVED it! My eye area always looked to bright and refreshed in the mornings.

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:42 pm

I have used origins reinventing the heel cream on my neck...it has acids etc and really did wonders on my neck skin (yikes I can hear you say) Laughing

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:02 pm

Oh yea! And I forgot to add that the face creams that I don't like, I end up using it as a body lotion or hand lotion or foot lotion.... albeit expensive lotion... but better than not using it at all Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Nov 25, 2007 9:06 pm

I forgot one too! I've been successfully using a 1% cortisone cream as spot treatment for zits and old red marks.

free skin care · Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:02 pm

Oops! I forgot to add the Eucerin Aquaphor! I use it for foot cream, for stretch marks for the itchiness Very Happy

And I use baking soda for exfoliate!

free skin care · Mon Nov 26, 2007 1:04 pm

hey Margot,

You are welcome! I love my Urban Decay!!

Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:34 pm

Zia Cellulite Gel dabbed around the eyes is AMAZING for puffiness.

free skin care · Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:09 pm

sometimes i use the hair conditioner on the legs then shave lol it .........its nice and smooth and not drying Laughing

free skin care · Fri Nov 30, 2007 7:31 pm

In a pinch I also use the hotel shampoo to hand wash any little items like underwear, saves carrying Nordstrom's silken wash which I really like to use at home.

Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:14 pm

I use Johnson&Johnson body oil to remove the makeup, and it is really fantastic Very Happy

Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:15 pm

existential lady wrote:

In a pinch I also use the hotel shampoo to hand wash any little items like underwear, saves carrying Nordstrom's silken wash which I really like to use at home.

shampoo can be used as detegent for wools, and it's wonderful Smile

free skin care · Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:40 pm

I love Bepanthen Ointment (which is a nappy rash cream) as a nighttime lip treatment. I apply it on top of SkinCeuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair and always wake up with nice soft lips. Very Happy

I also use it on any dry blotches on my face and it's worked amazingly. AND it works the best on new tattoos. It makes them heal so fast and the colors of your tattoo come up evenly.

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