Grooming Products That Are A Steal
Strapped for cash? Run out of moisturiser? In search of a remedy for bad breath but don’t have time to pop to the chemist? No worries – sometimes, the best grooming solutions are found in the most unlikely of places.
So here are a raft of lifesavers worth stealing from your kids, kitchen cupboard or – if you’re brave – the woman in your life!
Worth Stealing From The Kids
Yes, what’s good for rugrats can be good for you too. Here’s what’s worth ‘appropriating’…
Baby Oil
Unless you’ve been employed as a stripper for the last few years, chances are you won’t know much about the uses of baby oil.
As well as making an excellent muscle rub and foot cream (just slather on and wear a pair of socks to bed), a little dabbed on a cotton bud is great for cleaning out ears too.
Petroleum Jelly
Not only does Vaseline make a good lip balm, it’s great for softening calluses, smoothing down errant eyebrows and, if used sparingly, can be used treat dry skin patches too.
Completely off topic – it also makes a brilliant paint mask for windows. Just add a thin coat of Vaseline on the glass nearest to the frame and if you over-paint you can just wipe it off.
Sudocrem
Although new dads may know it as an inexpensive nappy rash cream, Sudocrem is actually a fantastic grooming product.
Perfect for treating eczema, sunburn and acne (as well as exercise-induced sweat rashes) it can also be used to help heal cuts and sooth razor burn, making it a great aftershave balm.
It’s so good you’ll probably never give it back.
Baby Powder
Try sprinkling between your toes to keep feet fresh and dry, and apply to the groin, buttocks or any other any parts of the body that rub together during exercise to prevent sweat rashes and chafing.
Liquid talc is also great for drying out sweaty palms – the perfect quick fix before that all-important meeting (no-one likes a clammy handshake).
Worth Stealing From The Woman In Your Life
While it’s not always a good idea to steal women’s products (what looks like face cream could be a depilatory cream, after all), there are a few things worth investigating…
Tom Ford Sahara Noir
Although clearly aimed at women, this perfume is a fragrance any man can wear. Rich, deep and exotic, it’s all about ancient ingredients like frankincense, along with touches of rose and vanilla, which makes it sexy as hell – on men or women.
Since it’s impossible to see the bottle’s contents she won’t know how much you’ve been spraying either.
For more fragrance suggestions why not read Ten Women’s Fragrances That Smell Great On Men.
YSL Touche Éclat
A cult beauty product, Touche Éclat is many women’s BBF (best beauty friend) – but it’s a useful product for men too.
Containing light reflecting particles this legendary fatigue fighter disguises under-eye circles and reduces unflattering shadows in an instant. Easy does it though: a tiny amount is all you need.
Nivea Gentle Facial Cleaning Wipes
Though ostensibly created for the removal of make-up, cleansing wipes are extremely useful for busy men who want to freshen up before business meetings or heading out on a date straight after work.
Look for wipes like these that are free of skin-drying alcohol. Great for cleaning the back of your neck, hands or, er, anywhere else that may need a refresh.
From Your Store Cupboard
You may not realise it but your kitchen store cupboard is a veritable goldmine for grooming products. Here are a few worth pilfering…
Fennel Seeds
Aside from cooking, fennel seeds are often used in the flavouring of natural toothpastes.
With this in mind, Dr Uchenna Okoye, Clinical Director of the London Smiling Dental Group, recommends sucking on a few seeds to instantly freshen your breath. Likewise, cardamon pods are another inexpensive way to keep breath fragrant.
Since chewing both will stimulate saliva production (nature’s own defence against odour-causing bacteria) you’ll be tackling the problem as well as the symptom.
Bicarbonate Of Soda
It might be great for baking but this inexpensive powder has numerous grooming uses.
It can be utilised as a natural tooth brightener (simply brush your teeth with toothpaste and afterwards brush again with a brush dipped in bicarbonate of soda); a treatment for spots (add a little to water to make a paste, apply to the spot and leave for ten minutes before removing); and a softener before tackling hard skin on your feet (just add four tablespoons to a bowl of hot water before soaking feet).
White Wine Vinegar
Forget salad dressings, this simple condiment has a much better use.
“Vinegar, mixed with water to form a footbath is great for preventing athlete’s foot,” says Margaret Briggs, author of Natural Cosmetics. “It works by changing the skin’s pH so the fungus cannot grow.” Clever.
Final Word
Have you come across an ordinary household product that doubles up as a grooming solution? Or do you have a favourite women’s product you like to use?
Let us know in the comments box below…
