Three frugal and smart solutions to common skin conundrums:
Oily Skin? Toilet Break!
In high school (and still today to a much-lesser extent), puberty and hormones made
my skin’s consistency greasier than the inside of a Lay’s potato chip bag. I used to go
through a 50-pack of little blue “oil absorbing sheets” every other day. Embarrassed,
I would excuse myself in the middle of class to de-shine myself in the privacy of my
own bathroom stall. But everyone knew what I was doing. The proof was in the tiny
greased-up sheets that would cling to the static of the garbage bags I tossed them
into on the way out.
I know I shouldn’t have been too humiliated by my lubricious complexion, plenty of
celebrities have showed up on red carpets with grease dripping from their pores,
and they survived. (Remember Renee Zellwegger at the 2008 premier of her movie
Leatherheads?) Unfortunately this kind of thinking did little to boost my self-esteem.
It wasn’t until I started hanging out with a more frugal crowd that I learned a trick
that, had I known it, would have saved my high school reputation and my parents’
bank account. Instead of wasting money on oil absorbing sheets, all this time I could
have been using toilet seat covers to de-grease my face. Don’t cringe; hear me out!
Toilet seat covers and those expensive little oil packs (okay, they’re not that pricey,
but when you’re going through four packs a week, they add up) are made out of
the same material. They also have the added benefit of being much larger than the
sheets you buy in a store, so you can blot more oil off your face.
Also, when you’re done fixing up your skin, you can just flush the seat cover down
the toilet, getting rid of all evidence.
Sockless Summers
The conventional man would never consider wearing shoes without socks, but a
more fashion-forward generation has emerged.
The trend, which began inching it’s way into the mainstream a few years ago, has
now reached a critical mass, with front men like Nate Reuss and actors like Ryan
Gosling sporting the look everywhere from red carpets to airport luggage claims.
Before I began my sockless endeavor, I consulted my mother for advice. Women,
after all, have been skipping the foot slip for ages. She’s known for going sockless in
heels for entire nights, without experiencing pain or foul odor.
She passed on to me a secret her mother told her when she picked up her first pair
of heels: The key to going sockless (or pantyhose-less) is to sprinkle a little bit of
baby powder on the soles of your shoes before you slip them on. This, I learned,
prevents your feet from stinking, and (although I’ve never tried it), will stop your
feet from sliding in a pair of heels. Not only will it prolong the life of your heels, by
reducing wear and tear on the sole, it’ll leave your feet feeling baby-soft.
Gentle Exfoliation
For people with hypersensitive, acne-prone skin, exfoliating can be a dangerous part
of their weekly skincare routine. You need to get rid of that dead layer of skin, but
you don’t want to cause the new layer to be red and bumpy.
If you have delicate skin, but still want a complexion as flawless as Blake Lively
or Ryan Reynolds, add a dash of baking soda to your face wash when you need to
exfoliate.
Baking soda doesn’t contain the same harsh chemicals that bottled washes typically
contain, which should mean fewer breakouts. If your skin is red afterwards, try
using less baking soda next time. (One teaspoon of the powder is usually a good
amount to start with two to three times per week.)
Always remember to moisturize afterwards!
by Wolfie Trausch
For more field notes and musings about life and living in Los Angeles, follow actor/writer/photographer Wolfie Trausch on his Facebook page at: www.Facebook.com/Wolfietrausch
