3 Great Ways to Save Money on Beauty Treatments, Skincare Products and More!

Facials.  Haircuts.  Massages. Manicures.  These are some of the things that can cut into your budget.  So how can you cut down on the cost of beauty treatments and products?  Here are 3 easy ways to save some money on haircuts, beauty treatments, complementary medicine consultations and more:

1. Product Samples

 

Have you ever purchased an expensive hair treatment product, only to realise that it isn’t right for your hair?  Or an expensive face cream that has made your skin too oily?  Samples are a great way to try products first, to see if you like them, before forking out the cash.  They’re also handy to keep in your handbag, as they’re the perfect size.  

So how do you find samples?  

First of all, I'd suggest signing up to sites such as Ozbargain & PinchMe for regular links to samples and sampling offers.  Another idea is to visit websites that list freebies and samples, such as The Freebies Blog & ShopFree.  There are also facebook groups that post links to samples when companies make them available.

Another idea is to contact companies directly and ask for product samples.  Some are happy to provide free samples, as it is a good way for companies to introduce their product to new customers (who will hopefully be converted to long-term customers!) 

This is a money saver because...
* You can try the product before spending money on the full-sized product 
* Samples are a great (and free) addition to a baby hamper that you might be putting together for a friend.

2. DIY - Make Your Own Beauty Products

Image courtesy of akeeris at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With the increasingly long list of ingredients being added to beauty products these days, many people are opting to make their own natural beauty products.  Everything from soap to sunscreen to bronzer can be made using simple ingredients.  The other bonus is that these products are often cheaper to make, and some can be made from products that you already have sitting in your pantry.

There are also a number of websites that have step-by-step instructions on how to create your own products:

• For home-made foundation, try this website
• For hair treatments, face masks and more, try this website: 
• 8 DIY facemask recipes are listed here
• 75 DIY Beauty recipes
• Rhonda at Down to Earth has a great blog post on making your own soap.

Another way to find new recipes is to have a look at your local library, as there are a lot of useful books out there.

This is a money saver because...
* Many of the ingredients in DIY recipes are cheap items such as sugar, oats, lemon juice etc
* You may not have to buy anything, if you already have the items in your pantry!

3. Tafe/Beauty School Clinics

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Visiting your local TAFE or beauty school is a great way to save some cash and help out students.

All students are supervised and treatments offered can include hairdressing services, massage, manicures/pedicures, facials, waxing, ear piercing and more!  The prices are considerably cheaper than what you would normally pay to have the service provided by a fully qualified staff member.  

Some of the training institutes that offer services to the public include:

The Studio (Geelong)
The studio offers hair and beauty treatments at great prices.  
Some of the treatments offered includes:

Ladies haircuts $20
Facials (30 minutes)  $15
Eyelash tint $6
1 hour massage $25

For further information, check out their website.

Australian Institute of Applied Sciences (Melbourne & Brisbane)

AIAS offer a range of treatments at both their Brisbane and Melbourne campuses.

The Brisbane campus offers treatments including acrylic and gel nails, facial treatments, spa treatments, including clay body wraps, massage and complementary medicine consultations.

The Melbourne campus offers massages ($15 for a 1 hour massage) and natural medicine consultations ($15)

For more information and for a complete price list, visit their website here.


Other student clinics include:
The Australasian College Broadway (Glebe, Sydney)
Australian College of Beauty Therapy (Perth, WA) - You can book online via their website
Australian National College of Beauty (Sydney & Brisbane)
Victoria University Beauty Day Spa and Salon (Melbourne)
Contour College (Tuggerah, NSW Central Coast)
Challenger Institute of Technology - Visage Health & Lifestyle clinics (Various locations in WA)



This is a money saver because...
*  $15 for a 1 hour massage?  Bargain!  Even the student clinics that charge a higher rate still offer great savings.

***