The Old School Beauty Tips Reddit Swears By

Old school beauty tips are the best. These pearls of wisdom come from grandmothers and mothers out there who proudly carry their diva badges and are happy to pass along what works to younger generations. What makes old-school beauty hacks so compelling is that they tend to be very simple. These women got creative with the economical products that they already had at home. There was less of an imperative to buy several products to bolster a highly-complex, expensive skin care regimen. These gals primped and glammed up with simple things on hand. 

Since there are so many untapped things to know about, Reddit is a delightful spot for sourcing these marvelous tips. With no one trying to shill any kind of product, the suggestions come from a place of honest discovery and passed-down wisdom. Of course, it's worth noting that Reddit isn't a dermatologist's office, so what works for one person doesn't always work for another person. Proceed with mindful awareness of what feels right for your skin. In this nostalgic light, there are old school trends from the '70s we'd love to see return, as well as old school beauty tips that will cost you practically nothing to try. With so much to rediscover from the divas of decades past, we've sourced the best old school beauty tips that are dominating Reddit. 

Mayonnaise in your hair might sound disgusting, but it's been a popular and budget-friendly hair mask for decades. Years ago, the mayo hair mask became common as a simple way to bring moisture to dry ends. There's a reasonable logic to this idea. The oil, egg yolk, and vinegar in mayonnaise have a fatty-acid profile that can provide deep moisture and shine to hair. 

While some prefer a store-bought hair mask, the users of Reddit shared it as a hack on an r/AskOldPeople thread. "Slather on [mayonnaise] and wrap with plastic wrap," one user began, suggesting the condiment as a deep conditioner. "Leave [it] on for a while and then rinse out. You won't believe how soft your hair is." 

There are a few things to consider, though. Since mayonnaise can get quite oily, it might be wise to apply it only to the ends and keep it away from the scalp. Secondly, mayo has a strong scent, so it's very important to deeply wash hair after a mask to avoid smelling like a sandwich. While mayo might seem questionable, old school divas loved it, as do their modern contemporaries. Salma Hayek admitted to using both mayo and avocado in her hair as a mask. Blake Lively is also a fan of the mayo mask.

Vaseline seems to have endless uses in the world of beauty and skincare hacks, but one old-school secret is to use Vaseline under the eyes at night. On Reddit, under the group r/30PlusSkinCare, one individual shared the best hack for keeping the skin under the eyes hydrated. "I have been using Vaseline on my eyes for 50 years," they wrote. "I have smile lines but not crepey skin. I'm 65. I use different eye creams now, but I always finish with Vaseline." 

This is one of the many reasons why Vaseline should take up space in your beauty routine. And with all of this nostalgic hype around Vaseline, a dermatologist explained to Today how it can work under the eyes. "Vaseline is something that's called an occlusive," Dr. Papri Sarkar explained. "Which means that it's almost like Saran Wrap. You put it down over your skin, and it adds another layer, like a barrier. And what it does is it keeps water from being able to evaporate out [of the skin] as quickly." So the Reddit user was right. Applying a hydrating eye cream first adds much-needed moisture. Then, follow with a gentle sweep of Vaseline to seal in that moisturizing goodness. Dr. Sarkar noted that Vaseline isn't able to target deep lines or dark circles under the eyes, but it certainly will work on boosting hydration and reducing the appearance of fine lines.  

One of the most charming things about old school beauty tips is that they tend to be very simple and inexpensive. Those grandmas out there were getting creative with the items they had on hand, and in a turn towards simplicity and more mindful consumption, using things already around the house is a bonus. This is why the Reddit tip of using hair conditioner as shaving cream was such a revelation. 

On the thread r/beauty, someone shared the info, which had, humorously enough, previously come from Reddit. "Shout out to someone here on Reddit who said to use hair conditioner as shaving cream," they began. "IT WORKS!!! My legs are super smooth. Also, I can use up the conditioners that don't work on my hair." It certainly simplifies a shower routine. On another Reddit thread under r/lifehacks, another user explained how to do it. "Almost all conditioners made for your hair work just as well as for shaving any part of your body," they wrote. "The moisturizing agent in the conditioner makes your hair follicles extremely pliable, minimizing resistance to the razor blade." They explained that a person should wet the area first, apply the conditioner, shave as usual, and then rinse it off. 

Lanolin Nipple Cream is a staple product for breastfeeding mothers. The gentle ointment works wonders on dry, cracked nipples as it protects sore skin. But this wondrous product actually has other uses, too, as one Reddit user pointed out. On the thread r/beauty, one insightful user shared this old school wisdom with the rest of us. "I struggled with chronic chapped lips," they began. "I mean like cracked, bleeding, & peeling lips. I tried so many different lip masks, hyaluronic acid, nothing helped me. LANOLIN NIPPLE CREAM. My lips have never looked so plumped and hydrated in my life."

It makes sense that Lanolin Nipple Cream would work well as a lip balm since the entire point of the product is to soothe and protect sensitive skin. Best of all, it's a single-ingredient product, made from sheep's wool. Since medical-grade lanolin is safe for a baby to ingest, it's safe to use on lips. It's important to note, since it comes from sheep's wool, that it's not suitable for someone with wool allergies. Also, since it's an animal byproduct, it would not be suitable for vegans. But besides that, this old school remedy is a wonder-worker for any sensitive, dry skin. 

Yet again, simple, household items reign supreme in the wold of old school beauty tips and tricks. On the Reddit thread r/AskWomen, one person shared their best old school beauty secrets about makeup primer. "Aloe Vera gel makes for a good moisturizer as well as sticky primer," they wrote. This tip has all of the features that people love about old school tips. It's budget-friendly, it's simple, and it's a single, natural ingredient on the skin. Of course, many choose to use aloe vera gel from a store-bought tube, and this works as well. 

While the tip might be an oldie, it's still a goodie, as the aloe vera primer concept has traction on TikTok. Beauty influencer @maliayosuf used aloe vera gel as an eyeshadow primer, while @jnniferorozco used the Target brand aloe vera gel as her face primer. People love it because aloe vera gel leaves skin feeling tacky and slightly sticky, an ideal texture for makeup primer. A small amount goes a long way, and it's helpful to let the gel settle into the skin for two to three minutes before going in with foundation and concealer.