I confess, I barely flinch when I unleash pots of £150 moisturiser from their tissue paper or lose half a fistful of £60 body scrub in the shower. So when I recently received a press release extolling the beautification benefits of the humble (64p) avocado, I couldn't help smiling.

Still, I read on. A radical new anti-ageing cream or super-brightening peel it's not - and my job to test and tell you about those it is - but there's a lot more to avocados than meets the eye, according to this press release, anyway. Did you know, for example, that it's not just the flesh that's good for your skin but the skin and the stone, too?

Therefore, in the spirit of the recession, today's beauty wisdom involves nothing more than a quick rummage in your fridge. Here are the DIY tricks I'll be attempting over the weekend:

Mash up an avocado with a little milk and a handful of oats, then apply as a mask to your face. Let it do its thing for 10 minutes before removing with warm water.

Instead of cleanser, gently massage your face with the inside of the peel of an avocado - it's rich in natural oils that can dissolve grease and restore moisturise. Leave the oil on for 15 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

Cut the stone in half, then into quarter-inch crescents. Lie down and secure a slice under each eye, leaving them in place for 20 minutes. The result is 'restorative magic' - apparently.

Or, you could simply eat the avacado. They're full of vitamin E which is great for the skin, too.