As a mother, you know how hard lugging around a heavy diaper bag all day can be. Forget about carrying beauty supplies for yourself, right? Wrong! In a beauty pinch, just open up the diaper bag and make those baby products work double duty. These daily baby essentials have some surprising beauty uses and are actually economical choices compared to their beauty counterparts that are made specifically for adults.
Baby oil
This standby baby product is great as a last-minute lip gloss and skin moisturizer. Caught with mascara-smeared raccoon eyes? Baby oil on a napkin or tissue can take care of the black mess in a hurry. Try smearing some baby oil on exposed skin while exercising in cold weather; the oil will help protect your skin from the elements as you walk, run or ski. As an added bonus, baby oil can help remove gum from your kid’s hair (or your carpet) and can help un-stick stubborn zippers.
Baby powder
If your hair is feeling limp or greasy, shake some baby powder into your hands and rub it into your scalp. The powder helps absorb excess oil and gives your hair some lift. Running a brush through your hair before you wash it will help remove the powder. This is a great in-a-hurry alternative to dry shampoo.
Baby wipes
Call these the diaper bag workhorse. Baby wipes are hypoallergenic, handy and efficient. Grab the fragrance-free variety to extend their usefulness. You probably already know these multi-tasking wipes can clean surfaces, phones and sticky hands, but they are also great for makeup removal or as a skin refresher on hot days. Reach for a wipe to remove lint or white deodorant marks from your clothes or to shine your shoes in a hurry.
Nipple salve
Nursing moms often keep a tin of nipple salve handy to help soothe dry or cracking nipples. But the natural oils, beeswax and shea butter often found in these salves makes for a rich eye or cuticle cream. Salves are also useful for chapped lips and hands.
Baby aspirin
These tiny little pills contain acetylsalicylic acid, a form of salicylic acid, which is a common ingredient in skin care products used to treat acne. This beta-hydroxy acid exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores, and its antiinflammatory properties help reduce the appearance of pimples. Just make a paste from crushed baby aspirin and water and apply it to pimples. Allow the mixture to dry and then rinse it off. Do a small patch test if your skin is sensitive, and consult your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing before using this treatment.
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Outside of diaper bag beauty, there are some simple beauty essentials that every mom should own. In her book, “Got Milf?” Sarah Maizes lists these items as essential to any mother who might need a quick spruce up: a straightening iron, a good hair dryer, good shampoo and conditioner, a great bursh, pretty nail polish, floss, great face cleanser, toner and moisturizer. “If you do only one thing,” she says, “get a great haircut.”
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