Beauty has been associated with being hygienic and clean. Things that make people attractive and appealing to other people. The beauty industry knows that and there are many beauty products on the market seeking to address the need to be beautiful. While many people have their favorite beauty products that they will never do without some of us who are pinching pennies have found that we can have aesthetic beauty at a fraction of the cost.

So you really don't have to break the bank to be beautiful. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I know a lot of girls use beauty products as a way to entice men, but some girls have beauty routines because they like it.

Like when you see girls with long flowing well-groomed hair. That's not an accident. They like to keep their hair clean and groomed.

Things like this don't cost a fortune. I've long been an advocate for things like Vaseline Petroleum Jelly for ashiness for black girls (not sure if other races get ashy, so didn't want to go there.) bathing in baby oil for soft skin, or using baby oil to soften feet.

And shampooing hair with a gentle shampoo often to keep it soft and germ free.

I was once observing my mom doing her daily beauty ritual. She was an astute advocate for Artra skin tone cream so you don't get dark spots and discoloration on your face and neck. Her choice of moisturizer was Oil of Olay. She had a heart condition so she couldn't go to the dentist. I had heard of people having heart attacks in the dentist's chair. I'm not really sure what causes it, but she once told me she couldn't go and why. So she simply washed her teeth with soap and water on a wash cloth. I do that too, except I go whole hog and wash my tongue, teeth, the roof of my mouth, etc. It's probably a good idea to brush also.

I have found that you can get cleaning utensils on line now to scrape plaque. It won't be hygienist standard but there are probably books on how you can do it and be almost as effective.

Of course there are toothpicks if you really want to tackle plaque without being abrasive. They use metal tools, so there must be a reason, though.

Toothpicks, I have found, are also good for cleaning cuticles and nails.

And don't fear the odor. For stubborn areas you can probably wash with alcohol to clear it up.

All these things are sold at affordable prices and are very effective.

I know we all have our brand favorites and they always work, there are just those items a little below cost of others that many of us can buy and continue to keep up our grooming habits and routines when money may be a little tighter.

You just don't have to sacrifice your looks when there is not much money.

And being that we are not all born rich, many of us live with different circumstances, we don't all have it going on, we're not all in with the in-crowd and not up to date with the happenings, it doesn't mean we don't want to relax, have a bath or a warm soak, do our hair, face and nails, etc.

So we have the right to be beautiful although there are those who would want to stop us from even doing that because it messes up their thing of not looking culpable when they are taking advantage of and taking from people.

Beauty rituals are a simple technique and many girls like to do them, not just those who are in hot pursuit of men.