by Living on a student budget can be tough when you’re also a beauty lover. If you’ve just got to have the latest beauty and make up releases (as well as books for your course and outfits for nights out), it can leave you with very little cash left for the necessities.
We’ve tried and tested so many DIY recipes for beauty products over the years, so today we’re bringing you 5 of our favourite recipes that really work: hair masks that leave your locks super glossy, face masks that will refresh the most tired of faces, body scrubs to reinvigorate the skin, and even an eye make up remover that wipes away even waterproof mascara.
All these DIY techniques use ingredients that you should easily be able to get in the weekly shop, meaning you don’t have to place any expensive orders on dodgy sites and wait weeks for delivery.
1. Refreshing Lemon Face Mask
We all know that feeling of looking in the mirror on a Sunday morning after a night on the town. This recipe will brighten dull skin and ready you for lectures in the coming week.
Lemon is renowned for its antioxidant properties, and it also helps to tighten pores, brighten your face to give it a glow like nothing else, and it can even reduce the amount of sebum your pores produce. It’s basically a miracle worker! Combined with green tea and turmeric in this recipe, it banishes fine lines and reduces any inflammation left over from last night’s alcohol. Here’s our recipe for a DIY lemon face mask.
Refreshing Lemon Face Mask
Materials
- 2 tbsp green tea
- 0.5 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch turmeric
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Use a cotton pad, cotton ball or small brush to apply mixture to your face, avoiding eyes and hairline.
- Leave to dry for 3-5 minutes.
- Rinse with cool water then pat dry with towel.
2. Honey & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
Coconut oil has a bit of a reputation already – it’s apparently good for your skin, your teeth, your hair, it’s better than butter, it’s even good for your brain. After much trying and testing, we’ve come to pretty much the same conclusion!
In this recipe, the coconut oil will help to seal moisture in your hair, and combined with honey, you end up with a shiny and a healthy scalp. Plus that splash of apple cider vinegar will remove build up from the typing products you’ve been splashing on to disguise unwashed hair (or is that just us?). Follow the recipe for below for a DIY honey and coconut oil hair mask:
Honey & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
Materials
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a microwaveable bowl or jug.
- Melt in the microwave in 10-15 seconds increments. Stir well to make sure everything is melted and mixed, but be careful not to let mixture get too hot.
- Apply from the roots to the tips of your hair.
- Leave for up to 30 minutes.
- Rinse well under cool running water then wash normally.
3. 3 Ingredient Coffee Face & Body Scrub
For a true at home spa experience (which we definitely all need right now!), this invigorating coffee scrub using leftovers from your kitchen will work wonders.
The rough grounds of coffee beans make light work of removing dead and dry skin as well as boosting circulation to leave your skin looking refreshed and rejuvenated. You can even use the leftover grounds from your morning cuppa if you don’t want to waste good coffee beans!
3 Ingredient Coffee Bean Face & Body Scrub
Materials
- 0.5 cup coffee grounds
- 0.5 cup brown sugar
- 0.5 cup coconut oil
Instructions
- Mix together the coffee grounds and brown sugar.
- Add in the coconut oil, melt slightly in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if need be.
- Stir until well combined.
- Gently rub the mixture over your skin, avoiding your eyes.
- Leave on for a few minutes then rinse well with cool water. Be careful as it can make the shower floor slippery!
4. 2 Ingredient Make Up Remover
This DIY make up remover recipe uses a very simple combination of baby products. These are designed to be used on sensitive baby skin and with tear free claims, they shouldn’t sting. If you don’t want to buy two baby products, swap baby oil for coconut oil which is used in other DIY recipes listed here too – less waste!
DIY 2 Ingredient Make Up Remover
Materials
- 0.5 tbsp baby shampoo
- 1 tsp baby oil or coconut oil
- water
Instructions
- Add the baby shampoo and baby oil to the container first.
- Top up with enough water to fill container.
- Shake to combine ingredients. The oil will pool at the top when it settles again if you're storing it.
- Shake well before use, then dip a cotton pad or cotton wool into the mixture and wipe gently over eyes and face.
- Rinse face with cool water and pat dry.
5. DIY “Supermarket” Green Tea Bath Soak
DIY bath soaks and bath salts often include ingredients that might be tricky to find at your local shop, so this recipe is brilliant if all you’ve got on hand is your normal supermarket. You can also add any essential oils or fragrant dried petals (rose and lavender are perfect) to give this that extra something-something.
Green tea is a fantastic antioxidant that can reduce redness too. The fresh aromas of rosemary and citrus in this bath soak are wonderful to get you ready to face the week ahead.
DIY Green Tea “Supermarket” Bath Soak
Materials
- 0.5 cup Epsom salt or sea salt
- 2 tbsp green tea leaves
- 0.25 cup dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp dried lemon/orange zest
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- (Optional: add any fragrant dried petals or essential oils you have at hand)
- Add 2 tbsp of the mixture to a 15cm square muslin cloth then tie with string.
- Drop into warm bath water and enjoy.
