DIY beauty tutorials are the new craze

It’s 2020. Holiday plans are on a halt and work life is largely remote. The ‘new normal’ comes with some underlying rules — a lot more screen time, the ‘shop and store responsibly’ mandate, and most importantly, a conscious choice to make a shift toward self-reliance. The change in the way of being has given rise to a rather interesting trend on social media — DIY beauty vlogs!

Granny’s secrets on your face

Ever since Ashwini Dixit, fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger, started exploring the beauty aspect of blogging, she has been getting requests to share her favourite homemade remedies.

So, we requested her to share with us the ingredients to her go-to DIY green tea face pack, which has been a super hit among her followers. For those who are avid followers of the cleanse-tone-moisturise routine, here’s Ashwini’s quicker way for caring for your skin.

Take one tea bag after you’ve enjoyed your evening tea (you may even refrigerate it and use the bag the next day). Now, mix one bag of green tea well into two to three teaspoons of curd until the mixture’s texture becomes a fine paste. Apply it over your face and leave it on until it dries completely. Then, rinse with lukewarm water.

“This helps in achieving a fresh and glowing skin in less than twenty minutes,” says Ashwini.

Easy-peasy skincare routine

Lifestyle influencer Aswathi Balakrishnan reveals how, especially because the lockdown-induced work-from-home culture, people are exploring ways to make the best out of their time indoors.

Realistic skincare goals are trending of late, she points out.

“A sizeable number of requests for my vlogs point to one thing: everyone’s focused on trying out easy self-care hacks as we wade through times like these, in which staying home and taking care has become pivotal for existence,” states Aswathi.

Then, she shares with us her preferred DIY routine. “One of my most favourite recommendations among the DIYs would be green tea ice cubes,” she begins. “It’s as simple as pouring the green tea into your ice tray and rubbing it all over the face. This not only prevents acne, but also freshens up your skin in a fraction of seconds.”

Supplying what customers need

Speaking of people’s preferences, Megha Sabhlok, Co-Founder and Brand Head, Just Herbs, gives us a glimpse on how brands have been tweaking their strategies to milk the current requirements of consumers.

“We have been doing a lot of live sessions with different influencers catering to DIYs for skin and hair, and we have been getting an amazing response,” she says. “And for times when customers can’t find specific ingredients, we provide them with products that solve those needs.”

For instance, Megha attributes a part of the rise in demand for her products such as ‘Neempure Arjun — Nutmeg Skin Purifying Neem Pack’; ‘Extra Virgin Coconut Oil: Unprocessed & Certified Organic’; and ‘Steam Distilled Rose Water Facial Mist’ to these DIY routines.

Crafting your own skincare

Enthusing upon how the #golocal #grannywins trends are here to stay even if the lockdown lifts, Swati Daga, a certified makeup and hair expert, suggests a volley of hacks for the wide-eyed DIY beauty pack enthusiast.

“Ghee hair masks are trending, and so are home scrubs that are made using tomato, sugar, yogurt and honey,” she reveals, adding how settling for homemade serums are the way forward.

“Scores of women are choosing to give their cleansing–toning–moisturising ritual a natural twist,” she adds. “Thanks to DIYs, women now know that their pricey serums can be replaced with homemade serums made of aloe Vera gel, almond oil, glycerine, rose water and Vitamin E capsules.”

Caution for beauty’s sake

The Internet and social media have surely democratised information about skincare. However, Chaitanya Kenchamannahoskote, founder at Maya Medi Spa, adds a word of caution about how it is crucial to find the right solutions in your quest of skincare while adapting to the new normal, especially during the lockdown phase.

“One should be cognizant of the fact that DIY skincare routines have their share of risks as well,” Chaintanya points out. “Hence, it is important to understand the products and ingredients when making your DIY recipe rather than using them without knowing their side effects. One should also remember that overdoing these regimes could lead to excessive stimulation of your skin a result of applying these ingredients on your face constantly. Excessive stimulation can lead to severe skin problems, something we cannot afford to face given the present situation.”

Below are some of the ingredients Chaitanya lists out with their side effects.
Coconut oil: On a comedogenic scale of 0–5, coconut oil has a value of 4, which is highly comedogenic. Comedogenic ingredients tend to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin. Therefore, careless or unsupervised use of coconut oil could be risky for people with congestion or breakout problems, and it would be ideal for such people to stay away from cocon oil.

Lemon juice on the skin: Lemon juice is acidic and should be cleaned off properly. Exposing your skin to sunlight when it has traces of lemon juice on it might cause burns on your skin as well as severe hyperpigmentation.
Sugar scrub: Use sugar scrubs all over your body, but try to avoid using it on your face.

Toothpaste on pimples: Some people tend to use toothpaste to get rid of pimples. Note that toothpaste can make skin very dry and cause more irritation as it contains baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, which dry up your skin, leading to excessive production of oils on your face.