7 Beauty Hacks Using Everyday Items In Your House

It doesn't take an unlimited amount of funds to look and feel your best. Thanks to these unexpected beauty hacks using items in your house, you won't even have to drop a dime. Time to hit up your kitchen, bathroom, and a few other surprising places to hack your beauty routine on the cheap!

As a girl on a serious budget, I've tested all of these tips personally and am down to vouch for their effectiveness. After moving to New York last year, I had to overhaul my financial strategy to make sure I could pay rent, eat *something* (the majority of my diet is peanut butter and I have no complaints), and take care of my skin and hair without spending a fortune on expensive creams and hair products. As a result, I've learned oatmeal is useful for far more than breakfast, coconut oil is, in fact, superman, and you'd be surprised to find what a humble half-finished can of beer is capable of.

Before I get into these hacks, I want to point out the one product I always budget for is high quality sunscreen. There is no DIY substitute for SPF protection, and skipping it is not an option in my book!

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about what you can get away with as far as homemade beauty hacks go.

1. Oatmeal Acne Treatment

I learned from Good Housekeeping that oatmeal can help treat acne. Cook it with water and then cool to room temperature before applying as a spot treatment for several minutes before rinsing. I tend to steal a spoonful from my breakfast oatmeal for my skin!

2. Coffee Ground Lip Exfoliator

To help treat chapped lips, look no further than mixing coconut oil and coffee grounds together!

3. Honey & Olive Oil Nail Mask

If the cooler temps are drying out your nails, reach for olive oil and honey to create a DIY moisturizing nail mask, according to XO Vain. Mix together about a teaspoon of each, massage it onto your nails, and leave the mixture there for at least ten minutes before rinsing.

4. Beer For Ombre Hair

Here's a good reason to host a party at your house: Use leftover beer to make your hair shiny and lighter. Huffington Post shared how a mixture of beer and lemon will naturally lighten hair and boost shine. I think it has something to do with the acidity and the yeast in the beer, but for certain, I can happily report that it works! The ombre effect is subtle, but the shine factor is obvious. Just don't forget to wash your hair well after the beer, so you don't reek like the day after a dorm room rager.

5. Nourishing Banana Hair Mask

The DIY secret to fighting dry frizzy hair? Beauty expert Michelle Phan recommends reaching for a ripe banana! Mash it well with a food processor or blender, coat your hair with it like conditioner, pop on a shower cap, and leave it for twenty minutes before rinsing. The potassium works to nourish brittle hair. Sweet and delicious!

6. Yogurt Face Mask

Yogurt is rich in zinc and lactic acid, which both help fight acne and prevent premature aging, according to LiveStrong. Simply slather your face in plain whole milk yogurt, and rinse twenty minutes later. Remember to only reach for plain yogurt so you're not accidentally covering your face in sugar and chemicals!

7. Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide Nail Brightener

To whiten yellowed nails, Marie Claire recommends "bleaching" nails in a mix of two and a half tablespoons baking soda to one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide solution. Use a cotton swab to apply the mixture to each nail, leave for three minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Image Credit: Suus Wasnik, Christian Schnettelker, Rachel, Quinn Dombrowski, 24oranges.nl, Larry Jacobsen, Kate Ter Harr/Flickr; Author's Own