For a lot of people, cosmetics, fragrances, and toiletries are a large expense. This industry has produced many items that people have come to feel dependent on. The varieties of hair products, creams, tooth products, cosmetics and soaps is almost endless. It's no wonder people spend far more than they need to in this area. In order to free up our resources for others, we need to take a moment to evaluate what we really need and separate that from what we like or want.

I argue that all that we really need is soap, shampoo (or shampoo substitute), toothpaste (or toothpaste substitute), and maybe moisturizer. Some sort of deodorant is a nice bonus. These few items can be found at very little cost.

Basic Ivory soap is all that you need for soap. You could even consider making your own soap from online recipes as people did for most of history.

Shampoo is cheap but some people may be able to get by using bar soap or dish soap. Some people are even able to just wash their hair with water. You may need to experiment with this to find out the cheapest and best solution for your hair.

There are a lot of fancy toothpaste options available but all we really need is simple toothpaste. You can also brush your teeth with baking soda or if you scrub well you can use just water. All these options will provide adequate oral hygiene.

There are cheap moisturizers available and petroleum jelly is a very inexpensive option. Olive oil can also be used as a moisturizer. Pat it on after a shower.

Deodorant is cheap. The most frugal commercial product is a deodorant crystal that will work for some people. You can also try using baking soda or corn starch instead. Cleaning with rubbing alcohol once or twice a day can also work.

You do not need cosmetics or anything else that’s only purpose is to make you look better than you do naturally. Try to remember that buying these products means that you will not have as much money to help others. People will not like you less. You can overcome your psychological dependency on these products. For the sake of helping more needy people, it is worth while to challenge your desire for beauty products. If you must, try weaning yourself slowly. Some products to try avoiding include: makeup, perfume, hair styling products and nail polish.

Products that are designed to pamper us are also unnecessary. Examples of this include bubble bath, other bath products, expensive soaps and lotions. Consider sacrificing products such as these in order to free your money and yourself.

Cosmetic fragrances are not necessary. As mentioned above, deodorant is reasonable but additional fragrances like perfume, cologne, and other scented products are not going to help you serve other people. In fact, you may even irritate people who are sensitive to fragrances.

Another benefit of avoiding these products is that a lot of them have chemicals with unknown effects on both the environment and our bodies. The Woman's Environmental Network has a newsletter on this subject that you can find a link to below.

Simplifying your routine also means that you will have more time available. Every morning there will be more time and energy available, so you can physically and mentally meet the needs of others. Just changing the way we think is good, because it allows us to realize that our appearances are really not as important as we make them out to be. It removes the focus from ourselves and our own vanity and allows us to recognize the needs of others.