FOR SOME, there may be a lot of guilt involved in spending on beauty products, but this doesn?t have to be the case.

Sometimes, goods found in your kitchen, like fruits and vegetables, used as beauty remedies, are so much safer than the products you buy over the counter. Many products have ingredients that may cause allergic reactions that would have you running to your dermatologist for expensive treatments and medication.

A lot of inexpensive products available in your home can be used for beauty purposes. Take the following examples:

Teeth-whitening. Most of us wish to have whiter teeth ? the kind we see in commercials. Expensive laser treatments (around P15,000) can help us attain that kind of whiteness. A cheaper solution is to order whitening strips from our relatives abroad.

By why not just use floss and baking soda? Brush your teeth the usual way, then, after rinsing, rub some baking soda on your teeth, then floss. Brush and rinse again. Do this process only once a month, since baking soda can be very hard on the enamel of your teeth. But it is also a natural whitener.

Hair care. If you have very dry hair, two tablespoons of mayonnaise will do the trick. Spread some from your scalp to the tips of your hair, and leave for about 10 to 15 minutes. Shampoo after. This should leave you with soft, shiny hair. I?ve tried this and it works!

Face masks. Suffering from dry skin? Mash papaya and leave on your face for five minutes. It works as a mild exfoliator, and will also brighten up your face. Wash out and apply moisturizer.

Pore control. When you look in the mirror, are your pores looking back at you? Grab some ice and slide onto your face. You will feel your skin tighten instantly. This is a great ritual you can do morning and night, for smoother-looking skin.

Shaving or waxing. After getting waxed ? or if you?re shaving your bikini line ? try applying deodorant on that area. This will help prevent bumps from appearing.

Nail care. Instead of getting your nails polished, switch to a nail buff instead, which keeps your nails shiny and looking clean for a fraction of the price.

Foot spray. If you suffer from stinky feet, get an empty spray bottle and mix water with calamansi extract. Spray on your feet after a shower and dry. This will help get rid of the smell. Also, leave the container inside your refrigerator for refreshing bursts every time.