Beauty products can add up when you’re on a budget, but it often feels like a necessary evil to stay comfortable in your own skin. While I’m not the foremost expert on style and beauty, I do know a few things about saving money. Here are four beauty hacks I’ve found that can save you money regularly.

Get More Out of Less

1. Put Your Extra Conditioner to Use

Have you experienced the all too common problem of finishing a bottle of shampoo only to be left with a substantial amount of conditioner? You want to move on to your next type of shampoo, but what do you do with those pesky leftovers? You get inventive… start using that leftover conditioner as shaving cream. I promise, after using conditioner in lieu of shaving cream for a while, you will never want to switch back. It’s a beauty upgrade with real financial benefits.

2. Wash Your Hair Less Often

When I turned 25 my hair started going crazy. The ends were frying and my hair was looking significantly thinner, despite the fact that I almost never used heat to style my hair. I asked the amazing hair stylists at Lather Hair Studio what was going on and how I could get my locks back to normal. It turns out that as my skin was aging and getting dryer, so was my scalp, and the daily hair washing I had been doing since my teen years was now damaging my hair by over-drying it. I took their advice and am happy to report my hair is back to its normal self and I spend half as much on shampoo as I used to.

Shop In Your Kitchen Cabinets

3. Repurpose That Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of those ingredients that you can never have too much of. It’s fantastic for cooking and baking, but it can also serve as a phenomenal face wash and moisturizer. And no, you don’t have to buy a seperate jar of coconut oil for the bathroom and the kitchen. As long as you’re using an organic coconut oil like this one, it should work for both purposes.

You can apply the oil like a cream cleanser and wash it off immediately as you would with your normal soap and water. I made the switch over to coconut oil as a facial cleanser a few years ago and it did wonders for my combination skin. Though I had some small blemishes initially and missed that tightness after a traditional soap cleanser, my skin was ultimately healthier and held moisture better than before.

4. Make a Homemade Mask

I remember doing this as a kid at slumber parties, but it’s even more fun as an adult since now you can see an economical benefit as well. Making masks out of what you can find in your kitchen cabinets can be rewarding for your skin and hair as well as your wallet. Home recipes like this oatmeal facial mask can moisturize as well as most drugstore brands at a fraction of the cost. Some recipes can even make good gifts if you’re looking for a cheap way to show someone they’re special.

Happy savings!

Written By: Lindsay Dell Cook

Lindsay Dell Cook is an accountant, turned writer and founder of Budget Babble. She lives in Philadelphia with her uber supportive husband, and enjoys taking their adorable mutt for walks or reading a good book while buried under a pile of cats.