Internet Votes for Favorite Beauty Hacks—Experts Share Their Takes

With so many beauty products and treatments available, it can be easy to overconsume and spend hundreds of dollars on formulas promising to effects such as ridding you of wrinkles and keeping acne at bay. While many of the items do deliver on their promises, there are alternatives that are just as kind to your skin—and a lot kinder to your pocket.

The latter is something Americans across the country will appreciate as there has been a shift toward frugality during what for many is a tough time financially, with one person asking the Reddit beauty community for the "best budget beauty secrets" to look good while spending less.

User u/ImmediateEmh asked beauty lovers for their best tips and tricks for staying on top of their beauty routines without overspending, writing: "I'm currently going through some financial tougher times (nothing concerning, just need to be a bit more frugal now). But it made me wonder, do you have any free or very low-price beauty secrets? The obvious ones are drink water and sleep, but any others? It's mostly curiosity, but who knows."

The thread revealed some interesting tips and tricks picked up over the years, which we took to master esthetician Rachel Lozina, founder of Blue Water Spa in Oyster Bay, New York, and Brie Cure, founder of Brie Cure Aesthetics, New Orleans, for their verdicts on the budget-friendly beauty advice.

Heat Up Your Eyelash Curler

"Heat up your eyelash curler before using—it's free! You can blast it for a few seconds with your blow dryer, put it in your bra for a few minutes to capture your body warmth, or even put it on the heat register while you're doing the rest of your makeup. I honestly never saw any results when using a lash curler until I started warming mine up. Now, the results are amazing!"

This trick is one Cure regularly tries for herself, and is a great way to get the curl to hold for longer, especially if you have stubborn lashes. She said, "I honestly love this trick and use it often.

"This trick is a great way to prolong the curl that your eyelash curler gives."

The hack is particular good for those with lashes like Lozina, who shared, "I personally do this because my lashes are very straight and this is great for thick, straight lashes."

Curl your lashes before applying mascara, and be very careful when heating up the tool, as the metal can rise in temperature surprisingly quickly. Lozina recommended you "definitely test the temperature before you put it to delicate eye area, like on your chin area—the skin around the chin is thin and delicate, similar to the eye area."

DIY Two-Ingredient Body Scrub

"Brown sugar and olive oil makes a great body scrub. I add a few drops of essential oil too."

If your skin is in need of exfoliation, everything you need could be sat in your kitchen cupboard, as olive oil and brown sugar quickly turns into a cheap and cheerful beauty product.

While this tip rings true, don't be afraid to switch out ingredients to find what's right for you, as Cure explained, "As an esthetician, I thoroughly enjoy crafting DIY body scrubs.

"I suggest substituting olive oil with a less comedogenic option, such as grapeseed oil or jojoba oil for optimal skin health."

Be Frugal With Your Products

"Use half the normal amount you would have every product. We usually overuse. If you find it isn't working, then you can up it until it does."

If you look up the recommended usage amount of your favorite products, it's a fairly safe bet you'll be surprised by how little you actually need for the formula to still work effectively. Many people are flooding their skin with active ingredients without realizing that they're majorly overusing their products.

Cure said, "Using half the usual amount of skincare products can be a helpful strategy to prevent overuse, as many people tend to apply more product than necessary.

"Starting with a smaller amount allows you to gauge the effectiveness without overwhelming your skin."

If you're struggling to know how much to use, Lozina shared that, "Most products are measured by pumps of skin ingredients. I would use one pump per application."

Using Vaseline to Repair the Skin Barrier

"I started using a tiny bit of Vaseline on wet skin instead of a moisturizer to help repair my skin barrier and it has done wonders to help minimize my pore size and now my skin is soft and more resilient, and doesn't get red as much. The trick is to put the smallest amount otherwise it can cause breakouts."

Using a product like Vaseline can be a great way to seal in any moisture and skincare, so try layering it on top of other products instead of using it as a stand-alone. Lozina shared, "This is a good trick, but I would put other products underneath the Vaseline. Damp skin can become dehydrated when exposed to water.

"Vaseline is like Saran Wrap for the skin and if there's nothing underneath it, you're just occluding dry skin with a thick ointment that provides no water hydration."

While the tip can positively impact your skin, be careful not to overuse the petroleum product, as Cure explained, "While Vaseline can effectively serve as an occlusive to seal in moisture and aid in skin barrier repair, it's important to note that this approach may not be suitable for all skin types.

"For individuals prone to acne, Vaseline has the potential to clog pores and exacerbate breakouts, making it less ideal for such concerns."

Don't Overlook the Impact of Sleep

"On the rare occasion my sleep disorder cooperates with me and I actually sleep at night, I look five years younger the next day. So barring no medical conditions, regular sleep is the best thing you can do for your skin.

We all know how much better it feels to wake up fresh after a good night's sleep—with the effects of being well rested not only showing mentally, but also physically.

"Sleep is undoubtedly crucial, not just for skin health but for overall bodily function," said Cure. "Lack of sleep can manifest in the skin as dryness and dullness. I highly recommend aiming for a minimum of 8 hours of sleep each night to support your skin and overall well-being."

To take your sleep to the next level, try to regulate your sleeping patterns, as Lozina suggests, "Keeping your sleep cycle regular improves your stress levels, which in turn helps your overall health. Getting your circadian rhythm on track will help benefit everything from your skin, stress levels and the way your body functions."

Newsweek has reached out to u/ImmediateEmh for comment.