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DIY is the acronym for Do It Yourself. It involves making goods for personal use, not for sale or consumption by others. The DIY trend has become increasingly popular over the years with the rise of online communities and digital platforms that allow people to share their experiences, tips and tricks and it also comes from consumer distrust of brands but also the desire to create your own cosmetics, have a creative hobby and customize your product.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of DIY?
The advantages of DIY:
- The consumer knows exactly what he puts in his product, the formulation is totally transparent and personalized.
- The consumer is free to select the active ingredients of his choice according to his needs.
- You will save money: you will spend less money because you only need a few basic ingredients and few utensils.
- DIY is environmentally friendly because it doesn't contribute to waste since the consumer chooses how much of the product they want and uses it until it's finished.
There are also many disadvantages of DIY cosmetics that should not be overlooked :
Drawbacks of DIY cosmetics:
- No control over the quality of the ingredients and the purity of the product. You may not be able to tell if your products are truly safe or effective.
- Most of the time, the consumer does not know if their product mixtures are harmful or not. You need some basic knowledge to be able to make quality products.
- It takes time, effort and knowledge of cosmetics. If you don't know what you're doing, you may waste time and money trying to make a product that doesn't meet your expectations!
While DIY cosmetics are a lot of fun, there are some things you need to know before you get started.
Some important tips for making your own products safely and effectively:
- Choose your ingredients well according to your needs and skin type: knowing your skin type is crucial in order to choose the right ingredients for your needs. Preferably, choose active ingredients that are organic or of natural origin.
- Prepare small quantities to avoid waste: the shelf life of homemade cosmetics is shorter than that of conventional products, the products used are of natural origin and without preservatives. Therefore, prepare small quantities and keep them in the refrigerator for a better preservation. However, if you notice a change in color, texture or smell after a while, throw the product away.
- Have an impeccable hygiene: Wash your hands well as well as the work surface where you are going to make your home-made cosmetics. Also make sure that your utensils are disinfected.
- The precaution above all: label your products with the name of the product and its date of manufacture.
- Use wooden utensils for mixing: metal utensils can alter the effectiveness of the products.
A few mistakes not to make when you start "Do it yourself":
Some people think that when we make our own cosmetics, we can mix all the products and use them as we please. This is totally false! Here are some mistakes not to make:
- Testing a recipe found on the internet: It's not because someone posted a DIY on YouTube for example that it is safe. We can see catastrophic recipes that create more damage than anything else. For example, recipes for face masks with toothpaste and lemon: this should be banned!
- Use products sparingly: for example, essential oils are concentrated and therefore very powerful, so do not use more than 1% in facial products. If you use too much, it can cause itching, stinging and even pimples.
- Make large quantities: as previously mentioned, homemade cosmetics have a shorter manufacturing time than conventional products, so making too many quantities = waste.
- Don't do a skin test: it's better to test the product on the forearm (or another part of the body) to avoid undesirable effects such as itching, burning, redness, blisters...etc
Bonus : a recipe for a purifying face mask " for beginners (Aromazone recipe) :
This purifying and cleansing mask, eliminates toxins and dead cells accumulated on the skin, regulates excess sebum from the skin and refines the skin texture.
Ingredients (Aromazone ingredients):
- 1 tsp of Ayurvedic Orange powder
- 1 tsp of ayurvedic Neem powder
- 1 drop of Lemon essential oil without furocoumarins from Sicily Bio
- 3 tsp of water
Preparation:
- In a bowl, put the orange and neem powders, as well as the lemon essential oil.
- Gradually add the water, mixing with a teaspoon until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous paste.
- Use the paste without delay.
If the paste is too compact add water to it
Use :
Apply to the face, avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse with clear water. Use immediately (it does not keep).
Result :
Fresher, brighter skin with a fresh, luminous complexion.
What do you think of the DIY trend?