DIY Self Care: How to Use Everyday Items as Health and Beauty Products

By Josie Gudgeon

During this lockdown, it is important to take time out of our day for ourselves. As we focus on shopping for key items over more conventionally frivolous purchases it may be necessary to skip the trip to the Health and Beauty aisle of your local supermarket.

However, you might be surprised to know that there’s plenty of common items in our kitchen cupboards that can be used as ingredients in many of the beauty products you normally buy.

In this article, I’d like to tell you about a few homemade beauty products that work just as well as the expensive stuff in shops.

Before applying any of the products

Although DIY face masks are perfectly safe, as a disclaimer there are definitely a few at-home products which you should avoid putting directly on to the skin.

For example, lemon and cider vinegar could cause skin bleaching. If in doubt, with any of the products used, it’s always best to do a patch test on an area that is out of site.

For example, the side of your neck before applying all over the face, as an allergic reaction is not cool.

I can’t really stress this enough, ALWAYS make sure to double-check before applying anything homemade.

Now, with that out of the way, here are a few different recipes that can help in a variety of ways.

Face Masks

DIY Face Mask – Hydrating and Nourishing

• Half an avocado.
• One tablespoon of honey.
• A handful of oats or oat bran.

This face mask is ideal as honey is excellent in helping the skin to retain moisture without feeling oily.

It’s perfect for helping with the appearance of scars and increases both healing and tissue regeneration when massaged into the affected areas.

If you want to take this face mask to the next level you can also mix in some oats; known for their healing and moisturising properties which are brilliant at nourishing, calming and soothing skin.

DIY Face Mask – Combating Oily Skin

• Half an avocado.
• A quarter of a cucumber, blended.

A skincare staple, Cucumber is mostly made up of water, which hydrates your skin. It also contains vitamin C which will reduce any break out activity.

The avocado cleverly regulates your oil production and helps reduce inflammation.

DIY Face Mask – Improving Uneven Skin Texture and Tone

• One tablespoon of natural, plain yoghurt.
• One tablespoon of turmeric powder.
• One tablespoon of honey.

As many of us may know yoghurt is filled with lactic acid which makes a visible difference to the skin; lifting away rough surface cells and uncovering brighter, fresher ones.

The honey is added for moisture keeping the skin feeling soft and elastic, and the turmeric is useful for combating pigmentation – perfect if you’ve been sun-worshipping a little too much during this crazy time.

DIY Face Mask – Minimising Enlarged Pores

• One egg white.
• One tablespoon of honey.
• A small squeeze of lemon juice.

This is the perfect face to do as a pre-foundation ritual, as both the egg white and lemon juice have clever astringent properties which will tighten the skin and make enlarged pores much less obvious.

However, please try to be careful not to get any in your mouth!

DIY Face Mask – Fighting Acne and Blemishes

• One teaspoon of turmeric powder.
• Half a teaspoon of sea salt.
• One tablespoon of manuka (or regular) honey.

As this face mask contains turmeric it is a great option for acne-prone and angry skin.

It is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. Incorporating Dead Sea salt will also help to clean, reduce inflammation and infection.

This mask will combine together and combat infection, irritation, swelling. So, if you are looking to clear up skin this is the face mask for you.

Hair Masks

DIY Hair Mask – Adding Protein

• One cup of strawberries
• One egg
• Three tablespoons of olive oil

This hair mask is ideal for your hair as strawberries contain antioxidants that add moisture and shine to your hair.

While the egg yolk adds protein, which strengthens the strands. However, I would suggest holding off with this hair mask unless you have a long period of free time as this may take a few washes to fully rinse out.

DIY Hair Mask – Moisturising

• One ripe banana
• One ripe avocado
• Two tablespoons of coconut oil

Bananas are ideal for our hair as they are packed with potassium and natural oils which soften our hair and protect the elasticity which will prevent split ends and breakage.

This is a saviour if you have brittle or damaged hair. Avocados are packed with vitamin B, which promotes hair growth and improves the strength of the hair.

DIY Hair Mask – Dry and Damaged Hair

• One ripe avocado
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Two tablespoons of honey
• Two to Three Drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

This hair mask is a great option if you use a lot of heat on your hair.

The fat oils in the ingredients repair dry, brittle hair and protect it from further damage. Finally, the enzymes in raw honey will give your hair that desirable shine.

DIY Hair Mask – Deep Cleaning

• Half a cup of plain yoghurt
• One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• One tablespoon of lemon juice, diluted with two tablespoons of Water

This hair mask recipe is ideal for deep cleaning product build-up, as the lemon and apple cider vinegar act as an astringent to wash away excess oil, while the zinc and lactic acids in yoghurt have moisturizing properties.

To avoid lightening your hair colour dilute the lemon with water!

DIY Hair Mask – Detangling

• One and a half avocados
• Two tablespoons of honey
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• Half a lemon, squeezed and diluted with two tablespoons of water
• A few drops of lavender or orange essential oil (optional)

This hair mask has a bit of everything for the perfect spa experience!

The avocado acts as a natural detangler and moisturizer; lemon is an antibacterial and a dandruff remedy; olive oil serves as a natural conditioner and heat protectant, and honey strengthens the hair follicles.

Nail Care

If you are anything like me then quarantine is adding all kinds of new issues, beyond the most pressing, like when we will next be able to get a new set of acrylics.

My acrylics are off and my nails are looking bare-faced and stumpy. However, I decided it was time I was going to try and do something about the brittle weak nails and try to grow my own. So, what better way than some DIY home nail treatments.

DIY Nail Care – Nail Soak

• A quarter cup of lemon juice
• Two cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
• One tablespoon of honey
• Two teaspoons of olive oil

This nail soak is an amazing way to make your nails stronger, whiter and more resistant to splitting and breaking.

The Lemon juice is what thoroughly cleanses and whitens the nails, while the Garlic contains selenium that promotes faster nail growth.

DIY Nail Care – Nail Serum

• One tablespoon of orange juice
• Two teaspoons of grated orange zest
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One tablespoon of coconut oil

Orange juice improves the production of collagen, which helps your nails to be healthy and strong and to grow faster. The oils moisturize and nourish the nails and reduce the breakage.

Apply this fresh serum daily and you won’t believe how fast your nails grow. I have only been doing it for 2 weeks and I cannot believe the difference.

DIY Nail Care – Nail Oil

• Two tablespoons of almond oil or castor oil
• A few drops of lavender essential oil
• A pinch of sea salt

This mixture should be heated in the microwave for 15 seconds. This nail oil is ideal as the sea salt will add moisture to your nails, with the castor oil strengthening and reducing breakage.

Castor oil will also reverse any discolouration in your nails.

I hope this may have inspired you all to go and raid your kitchen cupboards not just for your next snack to run back to the sofa, but to take some time for yourself and really treat your body.

Look at all the benefits these natural ingredients can have. Let’s use this time and start really taking care of ourselves. Let’s see if you notice any improvements because I know that I have.