I am always a little curious about those who think outside the box when it comes to cosmetics. Having just spent several days with my 2 sisters, we were able to share some of the things we do that don't cost anything, but get the job done: whether it is olive oil for our hair, tea-bags for eyes, or putty for our wrinkles - (I just made that up). I particularly like ideas and articles that help me to replace expensive remedies with those that can be found in my kitchen cupboard or pantry.

So, here is a combination of several conversations with my sisters, along with an article I found on the Real Beauty website. Enjoy!

Wrinkles: Eating lots of Romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, bell pepper and tomatoes not only fight wrinkles, but will also help keep your hair and nails healthy as well. Not included is the realization that eating fresh salads will just make you feel better!

Bloating: One of my sisters learned from a friend of hers that celery seed is a natural diuretic. She mixes it with her salads, and makes a hot tea in the evening by pouring boiling water over a teaspoon of crushed celery seeds, steeps it for 10 minutes, and drinks the brew before bed.

Bad Breath: This is not anything that one would want to deal with. The solution is chewing on fresh parsley, or shaving thin slices of ginger and eating it. Your mouth will feel fresh, and both parsley and ginger are good for you.

Dry Lips: This is quite a problem during the dry, mid-west winters. An esthetician at Utah's Golden Door Spa, Jodi Ranson suggests using honey. "It helps to heal and hydrate, plus the anti-viral properties make it good for healing cold sores, too."

Puffy Circles under Your Eyes: I think we all know that green tea bags are the remedy for this problem. Again, Ranson recommends steeping two and letting them sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. She says, "The coolness will feel amazing, and the brew's caffeine will help increase micro-circulation".

Oily Hair: Lemon juice combined with tea is an easy fix for oily hair. Cut half a lemon, squeeze into a cup of black tea, and pour on your hair. Rinse off.

Unmanageable curls, dry skin, and eye makeup remover: Olive oil is the remedy for all three. Jason Garner suggests mixing a dime-sized amount of olive oil in with your regular hair styling cream for a smooth texture and shine. Olive oil is also wonderful as a skin moisturizer. One of my sister's keeps a little bottle of olive oil for removing eye-makeup. This is much more "body friendly" than some lotions and creams that contain questionable ingredients.

Stinky Feet: Be honest. We've all had this problem at one time or another. It seems that soaking our tootsies in a black tea bath will cure the problem because the tea's tannins are good at neutralizing foot odor.