Five on Friday - Cheap, Underrated, and Forgotten Beauty Products

I love a good deal, don't you?  But just because it's cheap doesn't always mean it's better, because sometimes you get just what you paid for.  I have found though over the years there are some tried and true products that although they have been around forever and maybe have fallen off the radar they still work just as good and will really help you stretch your dollar further.  These are my five favorite underrated beauty products.

1.  Noxema  - Noxema has been around since 1911 when it was developed by physician Robert Townsend in Ocean City, MD as a remedy for sunburned vacationers and later it was found to help treat eczema which is where the name came from.  In the 1960s women at the company were swiping it and using it at home as a facial cleanser.  That's when it was re-branded from a medicated cream to a face wash.  I've been using Noxema since I was probably 13 or so.  I had tried every other over the counter face wash for my acne and nothing was working.  My mom remembered using Noxema when she was in high school so she bought me a tub and the rest was history.  I've been using it every day twice a day ever since.  I've never had terrible acne and using this along with a toner and spot treatment has kept me out of the dermatologist office.  It's available at most dollar stores and drug stores and sells for around $3.00 to $5.00.  I use the original though they do make a moisturizing option.

2.  Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder - Another product that has been around forever.  Coty was started in 1904 by Francois Spoturno as a fragrance company.  In 1908 he introduced a face powder which was sold in a round cardboard box with a powder puff.   It was sold like this until just a few years ago when they finally went to plastic packaging which irritates me to no end. The packaging on the product says since 1935, so I assume this is when this formulation of the powder was developed.  I started wearing it in college when I couldn't find Maybelline's Corn Silk loose face powder anymore.  I've been hooked ever since.  I've tried several different brands over the last few years but still come back to my Airspun powder.  It's getting harder and harder to find locally but they do sell it online thank goodness.  It's one of the few powderes I have ever worn that does not break me out, does not settle into my pores, and did I mention it doesn't break me out?   You can usually find it at Wal-Mart, CVS, Wallgreens, etc. and sells for around $7.00 to $8.00 dollars.  It's a substantial amount of product for the price and usually lasts me several months.  I wear it over a sheer foundation and always have some left on by the end of the day.

3.  Witch Hazel - Ok, so let's get really basic and inexpensive.  Witch Hazel is produced from the leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel shrub and was first used by Native Americans to treat swelling, inflammation, and tumors.  Puritan settlers adopted the use of the remedy and soon it was widely accepted in the United States.  It was first sold and produced in Essex, Connecticut by druggist and chemist Alvan Whittemore in 1846.  Witch Hazel can be used for anything from bruises, sores, and swelling to treating insect bites, poison ivy, and as an astringent after shaving and how I use it to prevent acne.

 4.  Corn Huskers Lotion - Now this is going to be the most un-glamorous product on this list.  Corn Huskers Lotion was developed in 1919 as a moisturizer for the rough, dry hands of Iowa farmers working in the corn fields.  It is oil-free (a big must for any body moisturizer for me if I want to be able to touch my face after) non-greasy and works awesome for cracked hands and feet, and winter dry legs.  You know what I'm talking about ladies.  I don't use it before I go out for the day, but I do use it at night before I go to bed.  I'll admit the texture and appearance is a little unappealing but  it works.  The main ingredient is glycerin which is highly hygroscopic which is a fancy way of saying it absorbs water from the air.  It's also great for sunburns and supposedly keeps you from blistering.  

5.  Yardley of London Lavender Soap - Something you can pick up for a dollar?  Yes please.  I love fancy bar soap.  I'm old fashioned as you can tell from this list.  I love to stalk T.J. Maxx at Christmas and pick up those fancy huge bars of soap that smell like lemons and roses and what not, but Yardley of London's soaps are just as good and you can buy them at the Dollar Tree.  The Dollar Tree people.  They come in several scents but the easiest for me to find are the Oatmeal and Almond and the English lavender.  Believe it or not they are made with essential oils and always leave my skin super soft, moisturized, and beautiful.  Yardley has been around since before 1666, the year of the Great Fire of London in which the first incarnation of Yardley was lost.  In 1770 the Cleaver family re-established Yardley London creating the soap we know today.  By the early 1800s though the business was back in the Yardley family hands.  In 1880 they started exporting soap to America.  Hard to deny it's good stuff if it's been around for over 200 years.

Maybe this will give you something to think about the next time you're in the store, maybe not but I wanted to share my picks with you.  Have you ever used anything on this list?  Have a great weekend my lovelies!