Why DIY(S) Can Ruin Your Skin? October 15, 2020 Sreeja Shrestha Today, I want to talk about one of the most controversial topic in skincare- DIY Skincare . The general population is not aware of the science behind skincare ( how different ingredients work?, the role of pH in skincare, different molecules size and all the other stuff that matters, BIG TIME). This lack of information deludes them into thinking that natural skincare is better for their skin. Moreover the natural skincare trend has shifted our focus from properly formulated skincare to kitchen formulated skincare. Now as opposed to confiding in cosmetic formulators to formulate our skincare, we have decided to trust random DIY blogs. Now before the DIY enthusiast start attacking me, let me clarify one thing. For almost four years, I was on the other side of the table and I loved DIY(s). Until one fine day, I damaged my skincare barrier by using loving natural ingredients from my kitchen cabinet (on my face). So, it took me one year of sensitized skin + skincare formulation diploma + Cosmetology Degree to finally differentiate between the ingredients formulated for our face v/s homemade concoctions. And today I want to share my experience and talk about why DIY(s) are downright damaging for your skin. But before that let me put out a question for you guys that I always find very amusing – SITUATION – Doctor – Take two tablets of Tyranol and you fever will come down and you be fine. Patient – Doctor, instead of prescribing a medicine can you tell me a DIY recipe instead. Well, would you ever do that ? I am guessing , No then why would you want to put some random DIY skincare on your skin which btw is the largest organ of your body. It serves an important function of protecting your internal organs from the external pollutants and bacteria. Moreover there is a reason why we have dermatologists, aestheticians, cosmetologist, microbiologist and chemist formulators. Skincare is all about chemistry and biology and I know making our own DIY skincare sounds really cool can make us feel like chemist formulators but guys in the long run it can really damage your skin. Let me share my personal story so that you know where I am coming from. I was 22 and I started experience hormonal breakouts and for some god damn reason I decided to go all natural by using DIY skincare. So that’s how my routine looked like – I cleansed my face with manuka honey, used rose water as toner and aloe mixed with glycerine gel straight from the plant as a moisturiser. I also did a stupid coconut milk + lemon mask twice a week. I wanted a clear skin but instead I was creating a recipe for clogged pores and dehydrated skin. I used this skin wrecking routine for about a month and my skin went crazy. My skin barrier was leaking, my skin microbiome was destroyed, and my skin’s acid mantle was f****. That day I took a pledge to not put any random so called natural/kitchen ingredient on my face. It took me a long time to heal my skin and I am sharing this story because for the longest time I used to Keep doing DIY masks without any problem. But , understand this thing our skin is very smart at hiding irritation and you keep going thinking that everything is fine and suddenly boom , it starts acting out. DIY(s) are really not worth it (except few powder cleansers and masks made for one time use). Moreover it can severely comprise the healthy balance of your skin. Why I don’t recommend DIY(s) in skincare ? REASON NUMBER ONE You see this really cool DIY online and you decide to make a large batch of it and store it because that website told you to do so. You feel proud of your creation and think to yourself, wow what an amazing preservative free mask. I want you to stop right here and think because preservative free is not good.It simply means that mould and bacteria which are not visible from your eyes can grow into your sensational DIY mask . So my point is that skincare is formulated with preservative under sterile conditions with a lot of rules and regulations. I know it’s not obvious but a lot goes into creating a simple tube of moisturiser that keeps your skin hydrated and healthy. REASON NUMBER TWO Another point I want to emphasise is the quality of ingredients in your DIY skincare. You think that you are using this pure natural kale for your skincare but you know nothing about the conditions in which the kale grew. Whereas cosmetic companies make sure that the ingredients are chosen carefully along with keeping in mind the safety testing. So let them do their job, you do yours by choosing a well formulated skincare product over some random DIY which will wreck your skin barrier. REASON NUMBER THREE Which brings me to my last point, our skin is a barrier . It’s a wall which actually stops everything from entering inside. While designing a skincare formulation a cosmetic formulator keeps in mind the pH and the molecules size of different ingredients so that they are able to work on a cellular level on your skin. And unfortunately our DIYs are not formulated in this way so it is very unlikely that you will get any long term benefits from it. With that being said, I rest my case. FINAL WARNING – Your real life is not a powerpuff girl episode and sugar and spice won’t make your skin nice. So think before putting food on your skin. Love Sreeja S.
