Budget Beauty Multi-Taskers

I may not have children of my own but I am no stranger to the baby product aisle in my local supermarket. It is here that I have found the majority of my favourite beauty multi-tasking products, items that the vast majority of us grew up around and are more than familiar with. The best part is that each product costs less than £2. Simply put you can't afford not to give them a go or route around within your stash and try putting them to use in a less traditional role.

Baby Oil
I will be the first to state that I am not the biggest fan of oily textures, they are messy and of course slightly greasy (okay a lot greasy) but there is no denying that when it comes to locking in moisture nothing quite compares. Like a lot of Johnston's baby products the scent of Johnston's Baby Oil takes me back to my childhood - I bought a huge value pack with just about every Johnston's baby product going and it pains me to say that the baby bath scent has changed! Personally I use baby oil as a pre-shower treatment. I apply all over my skin, leave for five minutes and then rise off for touchably soft skin. You can also add a few drops to a bath, the heat of the warm water seems to encourage the skin to lock in the extra moisture. If in a hurry you can mix a little baby oil into your shower gel to benefit from its skin hydrating properties. If you struggle with in-grown hairs when shaving your legs (or elsewhere) swap your shaving gel for baby oil and it will quickly become a problem of the past, not to mention the oil will prevent your limbs from drying out. I personally don't recommend trying this out for fear of it stinging my eyes but I do know a few girls who use baby oil to remove waterproof mascara. Not a tried and tested tip on my part but still good to know!

Baby Shampoo
There will never be a day in which I don't have a bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo in my shower caddy. As someone who regularly subjects their hair and scalp to bleach I am no stranger to a dried out, itchy scalp. Yes there are lots of shampoo's out there targeted at such problem but sometimes I need something utterly gentle and this is the answer. It cleanses effectively yet is in no way stripping not to mention it does soothe a stressed out scalp. I also swear by Baby Shampoo for cleansing my make-up brushes as it removes all traces of make-up (even stubborn foundation and concealer) without damaging the brushes in any way, not to mention should any residue be left behind you know it won't be in anyway problematic on the skin.

Baby Wipes
I always carry a pack of baby wipes on my person at all times, I travel fairly frequently and one thing public transport has taught me is that people are messy! I not only use wipes to clean tables, seats and handles on trains and buses (yes I am that guy) but also on my hands and sometimes my face. Okay wipes of any sort may not be the best thing for your skin but better that, than going to bed with a full face of make-up still intact. I do use baby wipes on long train journeys to allow my skin to breathe as it is easier to carry a pack of wipes than a cleanser. Basically you never know when they will come in handy and I can almost guarantee there has been more than one occasion in which we all wish we had a pack in our bags?

Baby Wash
If ever there was a product that does it all baby wash is the one. Although I'm not all that fussed when it comes to Baby Wipes, Cotton Buds or to some extent Baby Shampoo in terms of the brand, the only Baby Wash I recommend is Johnston's Baby Top to Toe Baby Wash. You can use it as a bubble bath, as a body wash/shower gel, as shampoo and of course to wash make-up brushes. A friend has also used this is a jam to wash her food dishes, I'm not sure I advocate that but hey I guess it beats getting dressed at 10pm to go to Asda! The next time you are grocery shopping I all but insist you purchase a bottle.

Cotton Buds
Traditionally used to clean the ears and other crevices but when it comes to make-up application you simply can not be without them. Not only can cotton buds be dipped into eye make-up remover to tidy up any stray blobs of mascara or messy eyeshadow but they are great for applying eyeshadow to the lower lash line for a soft, smoky look. I also like to use cotton buds to dab glue on to false eyelashes, to remove nail polish and to apply blemish lotion in a completely sterile way.

Would you add anything to this list or perhaps use one of the above products in a completely different manner?