Sometimes it seems to me that marketing was invented for only one purpose — to make us overpay for pretty jars. Once upon a time, I also thought that everything best was necessarily expensive, preferably with gold lids. But then I looked in my wallet and realized: I don’t need a cream for half a salary if it can be replaced with something simple and honest.

The first thing I found was pharmacy jojoba oil. It costs as much as a cup of coffee, but it saves my hair ends better than any salon mask. The main thing is not to pour half a bottle. A couple of drops — and my hair shines so much that I forget when I was at the hairdresser.

The second is tar soap. Yes, the smell is strange. Yes, it looks nondescript. But when my skin suddenly decided to "please" me with surprises, no trendy foaming gel helped as much as this "grandma's" piece.

Third - a simple clay mask. Dry clay, a couple of drops of water - and you're done. No dyes, no fragrances. The skin quietly whispers "thank you" after it. The main thing is not to overdry it.

Fourth - regular pharmacy chamomile. I brew it and wipe my face, sometimes I add it to the bath. It saves if the skin is irritated. And smells like childhood, or something.

Fifth - simple mineral water. I'm not kidding. Sometimes I just pour it into a small spray and carry it with me. In the summer - a spritz on your face, and the world is immediately not so hot and angry.

I'm not a cosmetologist, not a beauty blogger and not an expert. I just tried it all on myself and I know: sometimes less is more. Maybe my finds will suit you, and maybe yours will be different. But I know for sure: you don’t need to go broke to take care of yourself.

Sometimes it seems to me that the real secret of beauty is not a cream or a mask. It’s a small promise to yourself: “I deserve care. Even if it’s just 5 minutes in the evening.” And if a tiny jar from a drugstore is enough for this, so be it.