Magic ingredients, promising to fulfill all your cosmetic dreams. In reality, cosmetics often contain them in teeny tiny quantities, and they are so mixed up with fillers and other unnecessary stuff that their effect doesn't amount to much. Often, applying them on your skin in their raw form, or eating them, gives better results.
Here are some shortcuts:
Caffeine: this is one of the best cellulite fighters. Instead of looking for cosmetics that contain it, treat yourself to a coffee scrub. Simply mix used coffee grains with whatever: oil,cream, shower gel... and scrub your body with it. You can add cinnamon.
What ? You were expecting me to tell you to go drink coffee ?
Cinnamon: It's not a very common cosmetic ingredient since can cause allergies, but if you're not allergic against it then it's fantastically astringent and antiseptic. Apply it on the face with honey, or mix it into the coffee scrub. It's not recommended for skin with capillary problems.
Green tea: Go drink it instead of searching for it in cosmetics.
Vit E: you can puncture the capsule and apply it under your eyes. Just don't let it get into the eyes, it pinches ! The best kind is Vit E in it's natural form: tokoferol, it's better than the synthetic one (octan tokoferolu - tocopherol acetate).
Argan Oil: most cosmetics with this are ridiculously expensive. Buy pure Argan oil and mix it with Jojoba oil or Wheatgerm oil. You'll get more of it on your skin for way cheaper.
That's all I can think of now. Do you have any more tips for using stuff directly on your skin ?
photo: Atardecer by fabalv