'I'm a beauty writer in my 50s and this is the $4 cleansing hack I swear by.'

Recently I needed to stock up on a few beauty items I love to purchase from Woolies. As it would happen, not one of them was actually purchased from the beauty aisle. Yet they are all such staples in my day-to-day routine. Have I confused you yet?

Watch: Is it time to clean out your makeup haul? Here's a quick fix. Post continues after video.

Well, here's the thing: these items are not technically considered beauty products. However, they are handy and affordable hacks I think you should know about — because the cozzie livs struggle is real.

Now, you might already know about some of these clever beauty hacks — but chances are, there'll be a few golden nuggets you haven't come across before.

So, let’s go shopping (and save some money!).

1. Essentials Microfibre Cloths, $3.80.

Image: Supplied.

Let’s enter the cleaning aisle and grab a four-pack of the Essentials Microfibre Cloths for $3.80. Yes! A microfibre cleaning cloth for your face!

Take a look at other brands of microfibre facial cleansing cloths and you'll find that most of them will set you back around $20 for a pack of three. For the same material. Why would I want to do that?! I've been shopping the cleaning aisle for years and adding these to my basket for the savings alone — but the fact is, they work just as well (if not better!). 

If you haven’t used microfibre cloths for cleansing your face, I highly recommend these. I usually grab two of the four packs so I can use a clean one each day and then chuck them all in the wash once a week. Microfibre cloths are great in that they naturally kill bacteria and gently exfoliate the skin. I use mine in conjunction with my double cleansing routine and it leaves my face smooth and glowing. 

A couple of things to note: Don’t be too rough when using them on your face, as they do gently exfoliate the skin. Also, I'd suggest skipping the fabric softener or putting them in the dryer as they won’t be as effective (the fibres can harden up). If you have acne-prone skin or conditions like eczema, these are fantastic and from my experience, do not cause irritation.

2. SARD Wonder Soap, $4, and cooking oil.

Image: Supplied.

While I'm in the cleaning aisle, I'll also usually pick up some SARD Wonder Soap, $4, then head over to the oils and spices aisle and grab some cooking oil, which has antimicrobial properties. 

Okay but why? I can hear you ask. Well, this is all I need to clean my makeup brushes. I do not and will not spend a fortune on fancy makeup cleaning products to do this. Plus, SARD is the best brush cleaner I've ever used — I'm never going back.

I recommend dipping your makeup brushes in warm water then swirling in the soap, working it through the brush head before rinsing and squeezing out. It completely rids my brushes of product and pigment and it's all I need for most of my brushes. 

However, with brushes that I've used to apply cream and liquid products (like my foundation and concealer brushes), sometimesthe SARD doesn’t fully remove all the gunk so this is where we need to double cleanse our brushes. 

I like to dip these brushes into olive oil, working it through the bristles with my fingers to break down the liquid product build-up. I then rinse under water and cleanse again in the soap to remove the oil. And voila!

You may need to do this twice to really ensure you remove any remaining oil from your brush. Simply squeeze the bristles and place the brushes on a rolled towel to dry. You want to angle your brushes so the bristles are lower to ensure the water drains and does not sit in the barrel (as this will break the glue that holds the bristles in place).

Image: Supplied

Bonus tip: Head over to Amazon or eBay and grab yourself some mesh brush sleeves to pop on while they're drying because they keep your brushes looking new. Thanks to this nifty hack, I've had many of my brushes for well over 10 years.

3. Essentials Washing Bag, $3.

Image: Supplied.

Back in the cleaning aisle, you can pick up a small washing bag for $3. I throw all my beauty blenders and face puffs into this and then into the washing machine on a regular basis. This just gives them a really good clean, and the bag keeps everything together. Plus, you can hang this in the sun to dry everything out. 

Image: Supplied.

Because look, there's no need to get fancy with cleaning your makeup sponges. 

4. Sellotape Sticky Tape Roll, $1.90.

Image: Supplied.

Yes, sticky tape! This is something I keep in my makeup bag at all times. Why? Well, a lot of products can end up with what beauty lovers refer to as 'hard pan' — that annoying shiny film that can appear on the surface of powder products which impacts the ability to pick up any product. It's totally normal and can happen due to the transfer of oils or moisture from our brushes or fingers that comes from our skin. 

So my favourite hack is to put some sticky tape across the product and rub over the top of the formula with light pressure. When you lift the tape up, a layer of the product will come with it, removing the hardened surface and making it easy to use again. You're welcome!

5. Eye drops.

Do you have a thick, clumpy mascara? Or has it dried out too soon? Now, I am not advocating you hold on to your mascara for too long (we're supposed to replace them every three months) — but let’s be honest, we can all be a bit slack when it comes to replacing our mascara. 

My tips? Head into the medicine aisle and grab some eye drops. Place three drops of saline solution into your mascara and huzzah! You are back in business with a hydrated, thinner formula that you can keep using.

So, there you have it!

Thanks for coming with me on my trip around the supermarket for nifty products you'll find outside of the beauty aisle. 

We love to save money where we can but also, these are all super practical and will become a staple in your beauty routine. 

If you'd like to hear more from Teresa, follow her on Instagram or read more of her work here.

If you have a savey beauty hack I haven’t mentioned here, we'd love to know about it! Please let us know about it in the comment section below.

Feature image: Supplied/Teresa McNamara.