The Best (and Worst) Beauty Tricks Grandmas Have Sworn By

Grandmas love to dole out words of wisdom—whether you want to hear them or not. Their wealth of knowledge extends to the beauty world, but whether their tips are worth their salt (or Vaseline) is another story. Here, Women’s Health readers share the beauty regimens their grandmothers recommended—the good, the bad, and the just plain weird.

Vaseline Works for Everything
“Grandma always relied on Vaseline for pretty much every beauty trick in the book. Makeup remover? Vaseline. Dry skin? Vaseline. Chapped lips? Vaseline. I tried to fight it and use fancy products instead, but in the end I always end up coming to Vaseline. It’s a lifesaver.” —Kathy H.

Get Your Beauty Sleep
“At least six hours, but the more the better. Grandma loved to sleep. Her favorite part of this ‘tip’ is probably the most important—if you can’t sleep, a glass of wine will always help.” —Rachel M.

Editor’s note: The sleep pointer is great—but drinking alcohol disrupts shuteye, rather than aiding it.

Melt Eyeliner with Matches
“It makes it go on like butter. This also goes for other, more modern heating methods like using your hairdryer. Grandma would want me to use my technology.” —Jordan S.

Never Use a Hairbrush
“I have the absolute thickest hair on the planet, and otherwise it would have frizzed like crazy.” —Raina B.

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Get a Second Opinion
“I remember distinctly my grandma telling me my bangs were ugly right after I cut them when I was little, if that counts. Now, before I make any drastic decisions, especially hair-wise, I make sure to ask someone else what they think.” —Kyra S.

Use Drugstore Products
“My grandma was all about things that served more than one purpose, like using Spic and Span [a house cleaner] as shampoo. It ended up turning her hair green, so not so much on that one. But I did learn from her thriftiness that drugstore products are just as good as high-end stuff, at least most of the time.” —Laurel B.

Never Pull on Your Eye to Apply Eyeliner
“‘One day you’ll pull, and it won’t go back,’ my grandmother used to tell me.” —Kaeleigh W.

Always Wear Lipstick
“She never went out of the house without it if she could help it. I think it was not a vanity thing, but it was her way of getting ready to take on the world. I definitely feel a sense of being ‘put-together’ and empowered when I wear it.” —Elisabeth G.

Keep Dryer Sheets In Your Purse
“She taught me and my best friend that dryer sheets can smooth static out of your hair—like on a dry winter day, just sweep a sheet over your hair and it goes away like magic. Oh, and you can rub them on deodorant spots on clothes to get the white off!” —Hannah R.

Sleep On A Satin Pillowcase
“She called them ‘pillow slips’—I guess they kind of are like lingerie for your pillow. But she swore that sleeping on silk would keep the wrinkles away. I was never old enough to really think much about it as a tip, but now it keeps popping up in my memory. Maybe it’s her telling me I need to invest.” —Danielle P.

Don’t Over-Curl Your Lashes
“Only curl your eyelashes once a week to prevent them from getting damaged, falling out, and never coming back! They probably wouldn’t fall out, but it sure scared me into taking care of my lashes!” —Olivia W.

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