What you need to know about inexpensive skincare

An effective daily skincare regime can be yours for literally pennies. Check out these simple DIY alternatives to expensive creams and treatments or find a supplier who offers real value.

Rather than paying for special store-bought treatments, which range in price from $10 to $25 or more, use a variety of tried-and-true remedies for blemishes that cost just a few pennies. These often use products that you will already have at home.

• Witch hazel or calamine lotion: Dab on the cleansed, affected area before bedtime. Both treatments work just as well as more costly products.
• Honey treatment: Dab a little honey onto a blemish and cover it with a bandage. Honey kills the bacteria and aids the healing process.
• Lemon juice healer: Blemishes heal quickly if you dab them with a little lemon juice.
• Potato cleanser: To clear blackheads, rub your face with a slice of raw potato after cleansing.

By using inexpensive but effective products and household ingredients, you can avoid paying inflated prices for more slickly packaged beauty treatments.

• Soft as silk: Baby oil — at $5 for 600ml — can be just as effective as expensive cosmetics at removing makeup and softening skin. Olive oil is another great moisturizer at $7 for one litre (four cups). You can also use it to bathe chapped hands, brittle nails and torn cuticles.
• All-purpose moisturizer: Petroleum jelly is great for slicking eyebrows and dabbing on dry skin under the eyes. For a plumper pout, mix it with sugar and massage it into your lips. Coat rough hands in petroleum jelly then put on gloves; doing this for a few nights makes a big difference. The handbag-size 100 gram (3.5 ounce) pot for about $3 is still one of the best beauty products on the market.
• Pennywise toner: Remove every last trace of cleanser with witch hazel. Keep a bottle in the fridge for a cheap, quick pick-me-up.
• Anti-aging therapy: Instead of laser treatment and expensive creams, dab vinegar on age spots daily until they fade, or rub them with the inside of banana skins.

Some women are willing to spend big bucks for good-looking skin, but dermatologists confirm that brand name skin care products (cleansers, exfoliants and moisturizers) purchased at the pharmacy work just as well as designer-brand products that break the bank.

Great skin doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Try these simple alternatives get healthier skin today!