Forget splurging on beauty products. A little common sense goes a long way in preserving that youthful glow. Be beauty-savvy, buy products that work for you, eat right, move more.

Read on for 20 beauty tips that will keep you looking your beautiful best by making your products go the extra mile and keeping your wallet happy.

1. Keep your hands off your face: Simple logic really. Our hands have to be the busiest, and therefore dirtiest parts of our bodies. Why slather on the nasties on your face?
2. Keep your hands clean: following on from the previous point, keep hand sanitizer in easy reach. Encourage clean hands in the family. Mummies of young children know how tricky it is to keep kid’s paws clean! I recently bought the ‘hulk of hand-washes, the Lifebouy color-changing hand-wash that goes from clear to green in 10 seconds to indicate all the germs have been eliminated. My 4 year-old is enchanted by the color-changing magic, and it makes her want to wash her hands all the more often! This product can be found in all supermarkets around the UAE and retails for as low as AED 10 for a 200ml bottle.
3. Keep your hair off your face: again, its all about keeping the face away from anything that is not washed as often as it is. Tie up long hair at bedtime, reconsider that fringe.
4. Keep your tools clean: makeup sponges and brushes can be breeding grounds for germs. Once a week, rinse in soapy warm water, and let them air-dry. Try adding a few drops of Tea Tree Oil for added antibacterial benefit. Have a seperate towel for your face. Every member of the family should have their own set of towels for face and body, and it should be exchanged for a clean set often.
5. Never go to bed with makeup: Its a beauty no-no skincare gurus have been shouting off the roofs, and for good reason. Sleeping with an unwashed face is equivalent to letting your skin marinate in all the dirt and grime it has accumulated throughout the day. Cleanse and moisturize before bed, and let your skin rejuvenate while you sleep.
6. Change your pillowcases every week: Logical really; your face spends 7 to 10 hours a night against it, make sure its cleeeean!
7. Sleep! The power of a goodnight’s sleep can never be over-emphasized. Its a luxury for most young mummies, but you can compensate with power-naps. Recent research is starting to show that it isn’t the quantity, but the quality of sleep that is most important.
8. Be happy: Keep stress at bay, don’t hold grudges. Happy people also have deeper, more beneficial sleep patterns. Corny but true: angry people have the deepest frowns.
9. Work up a sweat: you don’t have to be a gymnast or even have a gym membership. Aim to do some cardio daily and work up a sweat. Sweating opens up the pores; think of it as your body’s very own sauna mechanism. People who work out also tend to be healthier, happier people (going back to the previous point).
10. Steam Clean: you don’t have to own a facial steamer to do this. Boil water, and pour into a wide-mouthed bowl. Hold face over the steam, and cover the head with a towel to curtain in the steam. Inhale, and move face from side to side to open up the pores before exfoliating. This will prep the skin for a very thorough cleanse. I also like to add a few drops of essential oils like frankincense or tea tree oil into the boiling water for aromatherapy.
11. Try facial exercises: Facial exercises have long been associated with yoga. Skip botox, and add a few moves from Marie Claire to keep your face youthfully toned.
12. Go bare: every now and then, thoroughly wash the face, and leave it as is sans moisturizer and makeup. Analyze your skin. You might have had oily skin in university, but surprise, surprise, our skin tone changes over the years, and a regular self-analysis will make you a better judge of what you will be buying next at the beauty aisle.
13. Educate yourself on beauty jargon: Google is our best friend. Read up on all the fuss behind organic beauty, antioxidants, glycolic acid and AHA peels. Check out what my dermatologist friend Dr. Hanan Taha has to say here.
14. Tap it in: you’ve spent big bucks on that miracle face cream, now make it go the extra mile for you. Tap product into the skin. I know of far too many women who rub product between their palms, and then rub it into the face; think of all that product you are wasting!
15. Invest in multi-tasking products: Save money and your beauty shelf-space by buying products that can multi-task. Vaseline is a cheap multi-purpose beauty aid used the world over for chapped lips, cracked heels, eyebrow shaping, the list goes on. A good eye-cream like the one from Neal’s Yard Remedies can be used for the lips as well, and those in favor for organic beauty should definitely stock extra virgin coconut oil for skin and hair.
16. Apply to damp skin: this is a great way to keep the entire body well-moisturized. After a shower, pat skin dry (just enough so that you are not dripping, but still wet). Then massage in a body oil of your choice (I am a huge fan of extra virgin coconut oil). The oil will trap the water to the skin, and give you a gorgeous hydrated glow.
17. DIY facial massage: I recently discovered Tanaka Face Self Massage. It is a Japanese technique that aids in face contouring and delays the aging process of the face. All you need is your fingertips and a favorite massage oil. Check out the video on Youtube.
18. You are what you eat: what goes in, must come out so junkfood really does junk up your face. Quit smoking, ditch recreational drugs. Add beauty-enhancing food to your diet. Get tips from nutritionist Rashi Chowdhury here.
19. DIY beauty: the best beauty ingredients need not cost the earth, and whipping up your very own concoctions is great fun! Check out my edible face masks: Avocado-Honey, Chocolate, Milk.
20. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly: Wear Sunscreen! My high-school friends who still look exactly like they did back then have this one thing in common; they are all addicted to sunscreen. Dermatologist Dr. Hanan Taha also stresses on the importance of sunscreen. You might also like to read my recent post on sunscreens here.