5 Beauty Products You Can Make at Home

A lovely selection of beauty products can help us to feel pampered and rejuvenated, but when you practically need a different product for every body part, the cost can really add up. But did you know that you can make a variety of products cheaply and simply at home? With a little imagination, you can turn the contents of your fridge and cupboards into a bit of spa-fresh luxury! And the bonus is that you can tailor the products exactly to your preference, with all your favourite ingredients.

Face mask

Face masks make a great addition to your self-care routine: they’re good for relaxation and de-stressing after a long day, and they have a wealth of benefits for your skin – from helping to minimise pores and draw out impurities, to increasing hydration and evening out skin tone, they’re a great all-rounder for your beauty regime.

And they’re also super easy to make at home. You can create the perfect face mask from a range of natural ingredients, meaning that you can tailor the mask to your own skin’s requirement, and adjust it to the texture you prefer. Oats have healing and moisturising properties; honey helps skin retain moisture and can help with the appearance of scars; the natural oils in avocado will help to leave your skin silky smooth; the lactic acid in milk will help to gently and naturally exfoliate and brighten. You can also use yoghurt, banana, cocoa powder, papaya, turmeric, cucumber…. The world is your beauty oyster. Just make sure you avoid anything that could trigger allergies – and don’t be tempted to eat the mix before you get it on your face!

Hair mask

We do a lot to our hair: we dye it, straighten it, curl it, blow dry it – and lord help all those who grew up in the 80’s, because you can add perms and crimping to that list too! Suffice to say, our hair can take a beating, so it’s wise to invest in a bit of upkeep if you want to keep it in tip top condition. A hair mask is a great way to nourish and enrich the hair, helping to keep it shiny, hydrated and healthy.

Just like face masks, you can use a variety of ingredients and design a mask to suit your hair, whether it’s thick, fine, dry, frizzy or colour damaged.  

If you have any bananas that are going brown and you don’t feel inspired to whip up any culinary delights, they’ll make a great base for a mask for dry hair. Bananas are rich in potassium and can help make your hair softer and shinier. Blended with olive oil, which is rich in fatty acids and helps to penetrate the hair for deep hydration, and honey, great for reducing breakage and frizz, you’ve got a perfect mix for winter.

Lip scrub

I’m prone to dry lips and work my way through a LOT of Vaseline, but when it comes to this time of year, it’s not enough to keep on top if it. So a DIY lip scrub is a great way to rid your lips of flaky skin and keep them soft and kissable for when it’s time to get underneath the Christmas mistletoe!!   

From mint to cinnamon, vanilla to rose petals, almond to chocolate: you can really let your imagination run wild when it comes to lip scrubs (if you can resist eating them!) My personal favourite is brown sugar (2 tbs), coconut oil (1 tbs) and honey (1 tbs) – mix with a splash of water and massage onto your lips in circular motions for a few minutes to really exfoliate and nourish. Then rinse off and you’ll have the perfect pout!  

Moisturiser

I must admit, moisturiser is something I’d never even thought about making at home! But it’s easier than you think and allows you to avoid a lot of the nasty chemicals and preservatives that are lurking in high street products.

Mixing coconut oil with a dash of vitamin E oil and a few drops of lavender oil will give you a lovely and light floral moisturiser, whilst combining shea butter and coconut oil with vitamin E and vanilla oils will give you a beautifully indulgent and hydrating body butter.

If you don’t want to start completely from scratch, you can always look for a natural, organic, unscented moisturiser base and add your own mix of essential oils.  

Makeup remover

I’m fairly suspicious of standard makeup removers since getting a splash in my eye a few years ago and having a severe allergic reaction – it was pretty scary! Now I tend to stay away from high street cleansers and often stick to wipes, but sometimes they’re not enough to provide a thorough removal. That’s where trusted homemade recipes can really help!

The makeup products we use contain fatty substances such as oil and pigments, so we need similar ingredients to help dissolve them. Oil cleansing is really simple and can help dissolve excess oil in your pores and balance skin, as well as removing your makeup. You can use most types of oil (castor, olive, hazelnut, sunflower, coconut, almond) to create different blends, depending on whether you have dry, oily or combination skin – it’s really a case of experimenting to find what works best for you.  

You can also use raw honey or smashed avocado, massaged onto your face and left for a few minutes, before being wiped off with a soft warm cloth; a paste made from water and milk powder; or baby products like oil, shampoo and lotion.

Do you make any of your own homemade beauty products? Let me know below and #TellYourStory with MyNeedToLive!