There are some really amazing beauty products on the market right now. These new products are innovative, made with quality ingredients, and come in beautiful packaging. They also tend to be pretty expensive and me, being the frugal person that I am, refuse to pay full price.
I love a good body glow but hate the thought of dropping $60 just to sparkle and shine. If I'm lucky, I’ll find those must-have products on sale, or maybe even a good quality drugstore dupe, but chances of that are slim to none. So what else can I do?
Make myself a DIY, perhaps food-grade version, of whatever it is you’re looking for! Chances are, the ingredients in needed are already in the house!
Body Lava
I was scrolling down my Instagram timeline when I saw that a young lady went viral for creating a DIY Body Oil inspired by Rihanna’s Fenty Body Lava. I loved that it was so innovative, but the way my skin is set up, I knew I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the body oil during the summer months because I have very sensitive skin and burn easily.
I personally don’t want to drop $60 to sparkle in the sun either, so I thought long and hard about how I could do something similar for my specific needs. I grabbed a bottle of Aloe Vera Gel which I purchased from a drugstore and a container of broken bronzer.
I broke up the bronzer even more and poured it into the gel. Shook it up and I had my very own body lava for sensitive skin. It’s hydrating, cooling, and unlike any other method, doesn’t transfer once it’s dry. The same method can be done with baby oil or shea butter as the base, just keep in mind the bronzer is likely to transfer after application.
Sugar Wax
One cup of sugar, a quarter cup of water and a quarter cup of lemon juice are the three ingredients that will get you to silky smooth legs, without paying someone else to torture you and without costing you the gas to get there. Here’s how.
1. Pour all ingredients into a point and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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2. Pour wax into a glass bowl or microwave safe container. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
3. Apply the wax (with a popsicle stick), remove the wax (no strips necessary), and voila!
You can save the remaining wax for later. Store in the refrigerator and reheat the next time you need to shed a layer.
Lip Balm
Making your own lip balm means that you can customize it, creating a product that works best for you. Any way you decide to do it, it will be affordable. There are plenty of ways that you can make your balm, below is a way that calls for 2 tablespoons of shea butter, 1 teaspoon of raw honey, 2 teaspoons of rosewater and honeysuckle extract (3-5 drops).
1. Blend all ingredients together, making sure thateverything is mixed well.
2. Pour mixture into small containers, tin containers work best and can be found online (Altoid tins work well too!).
3. The lip balm will set after 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Vitamin C Serum
Finding a good quality Vitamin C Serum usually means leaving out of Sephora with the smallest striped bag possible, having spent $50. Instead, gather natural food-grade ingredients and make it yourself! For this, you’ll need to make sure to get a dark glass bottle because the serum will oxidize quickly. One thing to keep in mind with a food grade version is that it does have an expiration date. You will have to remake the mixture every 3 weeks. Use at night and be sure to use SPF during the day.
1. Boil water. Using 1.5 teaspoons of boiling, mix ½ teaspoon of Vitamin C Powder until dissolved.
2. Mix in a ½ teaspoon of vegetable glycerin and ½ teaspoon of pure aloe vera. *You can also add some Vitamin E oil!
3. Transfer into a dark-colored bottle (with eye-dropper) and shake.
I’ve tried all of these DIY projects myself, so I can confidently say that they really work! I love my Vitamin C Serum and I swear by it. I’m excited about my Aloe Vera "Body Lava” and have gotten lots of compliments. Whenever I feel like treating myself, I get to sugaring in the comfort of my own home! Try these DIY beauty projects for yourself!
Jasmine Danielle is a Los Angeles based dancer and fitness trainer. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has studied with FiTour, the National Federation of Personal Trainers, and the Equinox Group Fitness Training Institute.
Jasmine is currently a Group Fitness Instructor for Equinox, Everybody Los Angeles, and Sandbox Fitness. Her fitness modalities include, ballet, dance cardio, barre fitness, TRX, treadmill interval training, cardio kickboxing, jump rope, indoor cycling, and metabolic conditioning.
