During the Depression Era and into the post war 40's, frugality was something most people had mastered the art of. There wasn't a whole lot of money to go around in order the buy things like medicines or makeup, so people had to compromise or find other ways of making themselves feel attractive or helping their kids with upset tummies. What I love about this time of frugality is there was so much creativity and many of the ways people found relief from what ailed them was natural. Just because it was so long ago and we have so many advances now doesn't mean these tips aren't useful. Here's some Depression Era Health and Beauty Tips You Can Still Use Today.
Depression Era Health and Beauty Tips You Can Still Use Today
Wash and condition your hair the old fashioned way. Mix about 1 TBSP of baking soda (depending on the length) into wet hair then rinse well. Condition with a bit of raw egg yolk and rinse your hair again in cool water. You don't want to cook the eggs!
Use olive oil to hold brows in place. This was something that complimented the look of the era, but can still be done today. You can also use a tiny bit of Vaseline as well.
To help with under eye puffiness, use witch hazel. Just dab a bit under each eye with a cotton ball, being careful not to get it into your eyes. The day of or the night before, you can use a bit of petroleum jelly as well.
Make salt or sugar scrubs to help exfoliate your skin and body. This is trendy now, but it was something that women were making at home for many years during the post war and depression era times. They are inexpensive and work well.
Make your own toothpaste. Toothpaste can be bought fairly cheap today, but you can make DIY toothpaste for even less. Just a bit of baking soda and coconut oil, plus a few other ingredients is all it takes.
Soothe a cough with homemade cough syrup. This Onion Cough Syrup from Vintage Amanda may not sound too good, but it was something lots of families used to help settle coughs during the time period. It is easy to make, too.
Soothe upset stomachs with ginger the way they did in the day. The Pistachio Project has a modern twist on this remedy with these Ginger Mint Lollipops.
When people would get sick with upper respiratory colds or have body aches, one thing they did was make Mustard Plasters. Check out how to make one on Tip Nut.
Make a tincture for common health issues. If you have lavender, it can make a great Lavender Infused Oil from Saved By Grace that can be used for bee stings and soothing all kinds of skin issues.
Another way to soothe muscle pains were to make salves. This Dandelion Salve from Simply Healthy Home was made from what most people consider weeds, but is actually great for pain. You had to be resourceful!
More Health and Beauty Home Remedies:
DIY Hot Oil Treatment for Hair
Homemade Citrus and Herb Sugar Scrub Bars
DIY Rosemary Mint Hair Condtioner
I grew up with onion cough syrup. I raised my own kids on it by adding some garlic and honey to the mix.
WARNING about Dandelions….MAKE sure they have not been sprayed with weed killer before digging them up. They can be poisonous id they were. Watch out not to pick them from road sides and parks where pesticides are used.