Let your face eat rice and your hair drink coffee: skincare DIYs that experts swear by
Nani said it best — ‘ghar ke nuske sabse badiya kaam karte hain’
Do I want to spend ₹1,500 on face cream or do I want to pay for Wi-fi? There are tough choices to be made. Even if you scraped through lockdown layoffs, you’re likely budgeting expenses thanks to inflation making prices skyrocket. Skincare is not topping people’s list of priorities, so we turn to at-home solutions and skincare DIYs.
Nani may not be right when it comes to your life choices, but she was when it came to applying castor oil on your eyelashes. A lot of her kooky quirks have ended up being our modern-day skincare DIYs. It’s not always about money either, but a fear that people still have about venturing out to pick up dupes from the chemist or receiving packages from online shopping.
We’ve rounded up some reliable skincare DIYs that have been vouched for by the experts. If not for the long-run, these are good stand-ins until you’re comfortable shopping for skincare products again.
When it comes to skincare DIYs there’s always a cautionary warning to use some common sense. If you’re allergic to particular ingredients, steer clear. Do a small patch test before slathering a mixture all over your face and if you have highly sensitised skin, consult a doctor before experimenting.
Beauty hacks and skincare DIYs you can whip up at home
A cream to crack the curly hair code
The onset of monsoon always makes Dr Medha Gatkare’s hair frizz up. People express jealousy over her natural curls, but little do they know the maintenance that goes into it. When her hair mousse runs out, she throws together a concoction at home. “Apply it to slightly damp hair, towel-dried hair, like you would any other styling product,” says Gatkare.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon shea butter
- 1/2 tablespoon aloe vera gel. If you’re using store-bought gel, make sure this is fragrance and dye-free
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil or sweet almond oil
Directions
1. In a bowl, stir the shea butter and oil together and get rid of any clumps.
2. Add the aloe gel and mix until you get a smooth consistency.
3. Apply to towel-dried, slightly damp hair. A little goes a long way with this cream.
4. Store leftovers in a jar. Make this cream in small batches as it is preservative-free and should be used up before it goes bad.
A splash of fancy fermented goodness using one kitchen staple
All through lockdown, Dr Kiran Sethi has been enlightening us with at-home hacks, educational Q&A sessions and skincare DIYs on her Instagram page. We loved her DIY for a Vitamin F and Vitamin C serum, that is until she posted her recipe for making Pitera at home.
Pitera is a natural by-product of yeast fermentation, and the star ingredients of the world-famous SK-II facial treatment essence. While the SK-II product will burn a hole in your pocket so deep it’ll leave a scar, Sethi’s version needs only one thing — rice.
Watch the video below for the full recipe.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Dr. Kiran MD (@drkiransays) on
A zero-waste practitioner’s homemade shampoo
Lalita T has been living a life of minimal waste and conscious practices. One of them includes giving up using bottled soaps, detergents and shampoos. Instead, Lalita makes her own using raw ingredients at home — that she says are equally effective.
She shares her homemade shampoo recipe that contains soap nut (reetha) and hibiscus leaves.
Ingredients
- a handful of reetha seeds or reetha powder which you can buy at a store
- a handful of hibiscus leaves
Directions
1. Soak the reetha seeds or powder overnight in a vessel.
2. Boil the reetha the next day.
3. When the liquid cools down, squeeze the reetha to extract the pulp.
4. Crush some hibiscus leaves with a pestle and add the pulp to the reetha liquid.
5. Run a hot bath and apply the liquid to your scalp like you would a regular shampoo.
6. It will take two or more rounds to lather so be patient.
SOS for irritated skin
Sometimes no matter what you do and what combination of products you try, something goes wrong and your skin starts acting up. Or it’s one of those days where you skipped sunscreen, thinking it’s only 10 minutes outside, what could do wrong? Inevitably, you skin shows you.
You may not be able to get your hands on your go-to calming cream, so try this quick fix instead suggested by Dr Rinky Kapoor, a cosmetic dermatologist and surgeon at The Esthetic Clinics.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (quantity depending on size of the affected area)
- Water
Directions
1. Make a smooth paste of the baking soda and water.
2. Apply it on the inflamed parts of the body for immediate relief.
3. Leave it for no more than 7-10 minutes and wash it off.
4. Follow it up with a moisturiser (preferably free of essential oils and fragrance that could further irritate your skin.)
A soothing mask for when your skin is angry at you
Is your skin revolting after too much exfoliation? Dermatologist Anuradha Sitlani suggests an oats and honey face mask to soothe your angry skin. Namely, colloidal oatmeal, a favourite among experts.
You’ll find colloidal oatmeal in a lot of skincare products aimed at dry and irritated skin. “You can take a colloidal oatmeal bath to calm eczema too. It has got anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.,” she adds. You can make your own colloidal oatmeal at home or buy it as is.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons whole oats (Sitlani says you can use steel-cut oats as well but this is preferred)
- 1 tablespoon honey (or enough to make a paste)
- few drops of water (if needed)
Directions
- Grind the oats into a fine powder in a food processor or blender.
- Mix the powder with honey, add a few drops of water if needed to make it into a smoother consistency.
- Apply on the affected area and leave on for about 10 minutes and wash off. Be gentle and mindful not to scrub your face with the mixture.
A shot of caffeine to stimulate hair growth
Dr Niketa Sonavane of Ambrosia Aesthetics prescribes a shot of coffee to shake up your scalp. It turns out that a lot of the patented anti-hair loss and hair growth potions and serums place caffeine high on their ingredient list.
“This is because caffeine increases blood circulation to your scalp and hair follicles,” says the good doctor. “This makes hair grow faster and become stronger, giving you fuller and thicker hair.”
Dull hair can be given a lift with a blast of flavonoid antioxidants that promote regeneration of hair roots.
“The safest way to use coffee to stimulate hair growth and improve hair health is to apply it topically and massage into your hair and scalp.”
Ingredients
- 60gm coffee grounds
- 240 ml of water
Directions
1. Mix the coffee grounds and water in a glass container and leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Strain the mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth or muslin.
3. Fill this coffee mixture in a spray bottle. You can store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
4. Apply this cold brew coffee daily to the entire scalp and massage for a few minutes.
5. Put on a shower cap and allow it to sit in your hair and scalp for about 20 minutes.
6. Wash and condition your hair as usual.
7. You can also leave your DIY caffeine tonic overnight on your scalp for best results.