DIY beauty treatments are extremely popular right now for obvious reasons. After a long day of working from home (or just a long day in general), treating yourself to an at-home spa day with a glass of wine or cocktail in hand, dedicating that 10-45 minutes to yourself sounds like the perfect way to end the night by treating yourself and skin with the right nutrients.
Photo by Adrian Motroc
Nowadays, we’re spending a lot of time at home, and that means that we have more time than ever to slather masks on our faces and do all the treatments we generally don’t have time to. But instead of filling our (now online) baskets with expensive masks, we’re sharing DIY beauty treatments you can do at home, with ingredients that are already in your kitchen cupboards or shopping lists.
DIY Beauty Treatments You Can Do at Home
1. LIP SCRUB
DIY Ingredients: Sugar + Olive Oil
To properly rock the bold, bright lipstick of your dreams, you first have to make sure you’ve got a clean, smooth canvas. Nothing deters lipstick like dry, flaky lips. Lucky for you, there’s a nice home remedy that takes all of two minutes to mix together and contains ingredients you definitely have in your kitchen cupboard: brown sugar and olive oil.
All you need to do is combine a tablespoon of each in a small bowl and mix. Once you've created a nice granulated paste, apply it to clean lips. Gently massage the scrub into your lips for a minute or so. Don’t rub the paste too hard or too long, you don’t want to chafe the skin! Rinse the scrub off of your lips with warm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Then apply your favourite lipstick!
2. TONER
DIY Ingredients: Apple Cider Vinegar + Water
Okay, you’re probably wrinkling your nose at the thought of this, but bear with us for a minute. This slightly smelly concoction is like pure magic for your skin, as apple cider vinegar contains anti-bacterial properties that help slough off dead skin cells, making your skin look brighter and smoother. Water works to dilute the acidity in the vinegar.
Mix one part apple cider vinegar with two parts water, then dip a cotton ball or pad into the solution and wipe across your freshly cleansed face. Then revel in the lovely, radiant skin you see in the mirror in front of you!
3. FACE MASK
DIY Ingredients: Honey + Avocado
If your face is in need of a little moisture, try whipping up a creamy avocado and honey infused face mask. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes and rinse it off with lukewarm water (not hot!). Check out this video to see how to put it together.
4. HAIR MASK
DIY Ingredients: Coconut Oil + Avocado
While you’ve got that avocado handy from your face mask mixture above, why not use the rest of it on an equally nourishing hair mask?
Mix two tablespoons of avocado with two tablespoons of coconut oil and mix well (in a blender, if needed). Comb the mixture through your hair and leave in for up to an hour. Rinse out with shampoo washing twice if needed to get it all out — and follow with your favourite conditioner. Mark our words: Your hair will look and feel shinier and healthier instantly.
5. TEETH-WHITENER
DIY Ingredients: Strawberries + Baking Soda
Between the chocolaty sweets and copious amounts of coffee, our teeth are put through the ringer daily. And, sometimes toothpaste just doesn’t do the trick. And, since we’re not about to give up our long-standing love affair with caffeine, we are totally willing to go the extra mile to keep our pearly whites, err, pearly white.
Crush the strawberry to a pulp, then mix with the baking soda until blended. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth. Leave on for 5 minutes, then brush thoroughly with toothpaste to remove the berry and baking soda mix. Rinse. (A little floss will help get rid of any strawberry seeds.) The agent will help remove stains and whiten the teeth so you can smile freely all day long.
Photo by Ryan Crotty
6. MAKEUP REMOVER
DIY Ingredients: Olive or Coconut Oil
It’s safe to say we all have a love-hate relationship with waterproof makeup products. While we love that they will survive the apocalypse and not even budge from our faces, we hate that we need to walk through a car wash to remove it all … and even then there are remnants.
The thing about waterproof formulas is that they are, in fact, waterproof (shocker!), so regular water will not wash the stuff from your face. The best way to get rid of that mascara or long-last lip colour is by employing an oil-based agent to dissolve the makeup and melt it off your face.
Try dabbing some coconut or olive oil onto a cotton ball or pad and gently rubbing your eye and lip area until the makeup is totally off. Then, wash your face with your normal facial cleanser.
7. BRONZER
DIY Ingredients: Cocoa Powder + Arrowroot Powder + Cinnamon
Those yummy spices you use to create your favourite puddings can double as your fake tan, a DIY beauty treatment we can all do with during lockdown! The natural, powdery cocktail can be used to give your face some warmth or as a contouring product. Oh, and the best part is the arrowroot powder works as a 'mattifier' and will help cover up any excess oil or moisture on the face.
All you have to do is mix one tablespoon of cocoa powder, one tablespoon of cinnamon and one tablespoon of arrowroot powder into a shallow bowl or small container. Mix the three ingredients well until completely combined. Then, apply the powder as you would a normal bronzing product (just make sure to tap the brush a bit to get any excess residue off, before applying to the face).
Photo by Nika Akin
8. EXFOLIANT
Ingredients: Baking Soda + Water
We already talked about baking soda’s benefits on the teeth, now let’s talk the rest of the face. Similar to its impact on your pearly whites, baking soda also works as an exfoliant to slough away any dead skin, oil or dirt on the face and helps make it look brighter and more refined.
Simply mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a few drops of water and mix the two together well until a paste forms. Work the paste all over the face, using light circular motions. After about two minutes or so of this, rinse your face with warm water and pat dry with a towel.
While you're sitting there face mask on, wine glass in hand and fully reclined - why not browse our huge selection of beautiful bridals and make your shortlist before your appointment!