DIY Beauty Hacks with Household Items

DIY Beauty Hacks

As many of you know I used to be a makeup artist and esthetician. Although I’m not professionally involved in either of those occupations anymore I still love to play with products and experiment with my hair and makeup looks.

I love browsing Sephora for all the latest beauty products but obviously I can’t afford to buy everything I want. It’s fun to experiment in the kitchen and play with different ingredients. I almost think it’s more fun to make my own stuff than buy the expensive designer products (unless someone else is paying).

Lets start with your skin. Nice clear glowing skin means you can wear less make up and feel more confident leaving the house au naturale.

DIY Beauty Hacks with Skin Care Products

Oil Cleansing Method

One of my favorite ways to cleanse my skin is with the oil cleansing method. It seems counter intuitive to “wash” your face with oil, like it would make your skin break out like crazy- but hear me out. Our skin naturally secrets oil (sebum) which covers our face like a very fine film. When you wash with soap or cleansers it strips the skin, drying it out and makes it produce more oil.

If you remember from science class, like-attracts-like, so using oil to cleanse the skin instead of soap is actually very effective. With the oil cleansing method you can use just about any kind of plant based oil like olive, sweet almond or jojoba, however some people swear by castor oil.

Add a few drops of essential oil to a quarter sized amount of oil and massage it into your face. Then take a warm washcloth and press it into your skin and wipe off the oil. Rinse the cloth is hot water and repeat 2-3 times. You face will feel great and all traces of make up will be removed.

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DIY Eye Makeup Remover

While we are on the topic of make up remover- you can make your own eye make up remover that will even take off water proof mascara.

Fill a small jar with water and add two teaspoons of oil and one squirt of baby shampoo. Shake it up and apply it to a cotton pad. Smooth it over your eyes and all the make up will come off (careful not to get any in your actual eye or it may burn).

Alternatively you can use coconut oil right over your eyelids. Massage it gently and rub off with a cotton pad.

Check out the full DIY Eye Makeup Remover post here

DIY Beauty Hacks with Face Masks

After your skin is clean it’s nice to do a face mask. You don’t need to go out and buy an expensive face mask (although the warming face mask from The Body Shop will always be my all time favorite)

Homemade Pore Cleansing Mask

If you suffer from black heads and clogged pores then you will want to try my homemade Biore Strip face mask. It uses one cheap ingredient: Knox Gelatin.

Mix the gelatin with warm water and apply it to your nose, chin or anywhere that you have blackheads. Let it dry and peel it off. All the gunk that’s hiding out in your pores will come right up with it.

Activated Charcoal mask

Activated charcoal is a versatile ingredient that can be used for many homemade beauty products. Buy the capsules and break them open. Mix with bentonite clay and a little water for a face mask that will draw out impurities and excess oil.

Spirulina Face mask

Spirulina is a type of sea algae. It is considered a super food and is becoming more and more mainstream. I made my own version of a high-end Spirulina Face Mask from Kerstin Florian. Mix spirulina powder with a little castor oil and rub it into the skin. Rinse off after 15 minutes for glowing skin.

Get the full Spirulina Face Mask recipe here

Beauty Hacks for Hair

Aspirin for dandruff

If you have dandruff, you know how uncomfortable your scalp can feel and how embarrassing flakes can be. Crush up a few tablets of aspirin and mix it with your favorite shampoo. The active ingredient in dandruff shampoo is salicylic acid which is found in aspirin. Use every other time you wash until your flakes are gone.

Get the full DIY Dandruff Shampoo recipe here

Another bonus use for aspirin? If you wake up with a big zit on your face you can make an acne treatment by crushing an aspirin with a small amount of water and making a paste. Apply it to the pimple and it will help reduce the redness and swelling.

Another way to treat an inflamed red zit- Apply a dab of toothpaste overnight to help dry the blemish out.

Nettle hair tonic

If you have annoying stinging nettle growing in your yard, there is a good alternative use for it. Make a hair tonic that will make your hair healthy and strong. Pull the nettle out (with gloves) and add it to boiling water. Let it simmer and after it's cooled use it as an after shampoo rinse.

Get more details on how to make your own Nettle Hair Tonic here

Apply Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse

Another way to make your hair shiny and soft is to rinse it with apple cider vinegar (ACV).

Mix 2 tablespoons of ACV with 1 cup of water and pour it onto your hair after you wash your hair. Don’t rinse it out and style your hair like normal. The ACV.

Beer Hair Rinse

No ACV in your pantry? Try a can of beer. Rinsing your hair with beer can make it shiny and soft. Plus you have a nice beverage to drink while you are in the shower.

DIY overtone

If you like to dye your hair fun colors you probably know about Overtone. It’s a color depositing conditioner that won’t damage your hair. If you want to make your own Overtone you can easily do it by adding bright colored hair dye to white conditioner. Keep your hair color vibrant between dye jobs with this inexpensive hack.

Learn how to make your own color depositing shampoo and conditioner here

DIY dry shampoo with cornstarch

Shampooing your hair every day is not good for your hair. It can dry it out and cause your scalp to produce extra oil. If your hair is looking greasy you can use cornstarch as a dry shampoo. Sprinkle a little onto the roots of your hair and then brush it out. This will help you go an extra day between shampoos.

Check out more dry shampoo recipes for different hair colors here

DIY clarifying shampoo

If your hair has a lot of build up then you might want to try a clarifying shampoo. Don’t go to the salon and spend a ton of money on an expensive shampoo. Just wash your hair with a little Dawn dish soap. It can help get rid of waxy build up. Use it once a month to deep clean your hair and scalp.

DIY Beauty Hacks with Essential Oils

Make Mouthwash

Store bought mouthwash can be very minty and strong. Some times it feels like it’s burning my mouth. Now you can make your own with the following ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 5 drops of peppermint essential oil. I recommend using food grade oils because you are putting it in your mouth.

Neroli Rose Facial Oil

After your face is squeaky clean after using the oil cleansing method and a face mask you will want to give it a little moisture. Try making your own Neroli Rose facial oil. It smells divine and will make your skin glow. Use neroli and rose oils along with almond oil for this facial oil for dry skin.

Check out the full Neroli Rose Facial Oil Here

Essential oil perfume

If you like to smell good but are sensitive to synthetic fragrances then you may want to give essential oils a try. Regular perfumes usual bother me but I can always use essential oils with no problem. Add 20 drops of your favorite oil with a half ounce of carrier oil into a roller ball and stash it in your purse. Roll it onto your wrists and behind your ears throughout the day to smell great and reap the aromatherapy benefits.

Check out all the details of making your own essential oil perfume here

Tooth whitening toothpaste

If your teeth aren’t looking their whitest you may be tempted to go buy some Crest White strips. If you have activated charcoal you can make your own whitening toothpaste. Mix a capsule of charcoal with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and mix with just enough water to make a paste. Brush your teeth as usual.

Brown sugar coffee scrub

If your skin is feeling a little dry and itchy you might want to try a body scrub. Don’t buy expensive scrubs from the store. Everything you need is in your pantry right now. Use these ingredients to make your own body scrub:

• coffee grounds
• cinnamon
• brown sugar
• honey

What's your favorite DIY beauty hack? Let me know in the comments!