Beauty products to stop buying and start making

Honesty hour: Us girls on this side of the Internet can get a tad bit crazy when it comes to buying skincare and beauty products. Do you ever walk pass by your favorite store, glance at the window display, and come in just to swatch but find yourself at the till five minutes later? I know I have many, many times. So now I’m on a quest to cut my expenses when it comes to all things beauty (a moment of silence for your sister on the shopping ban zone). While I’m currently on this self-imposed hold out, I thought I’d take it one step further and try my hands on making beauty products at home.

When Kisty shared her green tea scrub recipe, it really amazed Team PV how many of you wanted to try it out. I agree with that DIY products are great because they can be as personalized as you want. Here are a few more beauty items you can stop buying and start making!

Image via beautylish

Oil Cleanser

If you’re not practicing the double cleansing method yet, now is a great time to start. Just play mixologist with oils that work for your skin type, store it in a bottle (this one is great!), and that’s it! Literally anyone can create their own oil cleanser. Just make it a point to work with good quality oils.

Dry skin types will love argan, shea, and avocado oil as they are rich in moisture but are not overly greasy. For oily skin, grapeseed oil, jojoba, and sesame are crowd favorites. Other oils that are commonly used for all types of skin are hemp seed oil, olive, and moringa. For essential oils like lavender, rosemary, and tea tree, make sure that you add very little amounts (about five drops per 30 ml) as they are far too concentrated for your skin when undiluted.

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Lip Balm

Did you know that you can make your own lip balm in under five minutes? Not only is it very easy, creating your own balm blend can be a cool activity for your next girls night in!

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix equal parts of grated beeswax and coconut oil and heat at a high setting for 30 seconds. Add a few drops of Vitamin E (those in capsules will do), which is a natural preservative with great antioxidant and moisturizing benefits, and pop the mixture back in your microwave for another 30 seconds or until it's completely melted. Stir and transfer your lukewarm mix into little tins or plastic containers. Freeze for the next 15 minutes, and that’s it! You can now enjoy your home-made lip balm.

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This recipe creates a hard balm, so if you want something softer, just increase the amount of coconut oil. You also add a hint of color by slicing off a piece of lipstick and adding it into the mix before heating. For a cooling lip balm that smells fresh and minty, simply add a few drops of peppermint.

Dry Shampoo

I’m addicted to the scent of my Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo but if I made the mistake of sprinkling way too much powder, I’d have to make up for it by blending thoroughly so I don’t get white roots. Kind of defeats the purpose of using dry shampoo to save time if I’m being honest. So I’m glad that there's a DIY dry shampoo recipe that’s well suited for darker hair with just two ingredients!

Image via cutediys.com

Jusk whisk together two parts of arrowroot powder to one part cocoa powder and that’s it! You can always adjust your dry mix to suit the color of your hair by using more arrowroot (lighter) or cocoa powder (darker). Both ingredients can be easily found from the baking section of a grocery or health food stores, and the all natural dry shampoo will leave your hair oil-free and smelling fabulous. To apply, use a powder or blush brush to lightly dust an inch away from your roots and brush out.

Face Masks

We LOVE masking here in PV but a sheet mask or two in a week does add up to quite a lot of cash in the long run. Fortunately for us, it’s easy enough to make our own mask concoction in the kitchen that can be easily customized for our specific skin needs.

If you want to exfoliate and moisturize in one go, try a mask with equal parts brown sugar and virgin coconut oil. The granules of the brown sugar gently slough off dead skin cells while the fat in the coconut oil deeply moisturizes the skin. To use, simply apply in circular motions, let dry for a few minutes, then wash off with warm water. Tip: You might want to do this lying down to avoid sugar from raining all over the place.

Image via thekitchenmccabe.com

If deep cleansing, toning, and pore-tightening are what you’re after, you can count on egg whites to do the job! Take the white from an egg that’s fresh from the refrigerator and whisk with a teaspoon of cornstarch until your mixture is clump-free. Use the resulting gel all over the face and wash off when dry. Don’t forget to pamper your thoroughly cleansed skin with moisturizer after your masking sesh!

Honey is a great base for face masks since it has antibacterial as well as moisturizing properties. You can mix it with a wide variety of fruits to load up on Vitamin E, C, and other antioxidants. Here's a good recipe guide from Marie Claire!

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Hair Mask

We recently shared a DIY Banana Hair Mask that can make your tresses soft and luscious while promoting hair growth, and there are more things in your kitchen to turn into an instant hair treat! For one, did you know that using mayonnaise straight up from the jar will moisturize your hair, add shine, and reverse damage? Apply mayonnaise on your hair as you usually would a regular hair mask. After 20 minutes, massage a handful of your regular shampoo on your scalp and rinse with cool water to lock in the benefits. If you want to avoid the strong mayonnaise smell, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mayo prior to application.

Another homemade hair mask that you could try if you want to add volume to limp locks is a beer-based one. The yeast in beer is a great ingredient that helps to plump up flat lifeless hair. To create this conditioning treatment, mix half a cup of beer, one egg, and a teaspoon of sunflower oil. Leave the blend on for around 15 to 20 minutes before washing off. Who knew the answer to your limp mane problems lies in alcohol?

So that’s it! While I'm not giving up shopping for products anytime soon, it’s fun to know that I can make alternatives in the comfort of my kitchen. We hope you try one of these beauty projects. If you do, let us know how it goes!

Sources: PopSugar, 5 Minute Lip Balm, XO Vain, Self, All Womens Talk