The Growing DIY Skincare Movement? Get On Board!

Control and knowledge through DIY? YES!   Know what you are putting on your skin and why.  Avoid ingredients you can’t pronounce, and make an impact on Ghanaian mothers and communities at the same time.  And, have fun doing it.

You may have noticed that the skincare movement is quickly shifting towards greater transparency. Men and women want to know exactly what is in their products, and while companies are required to be honest with their ingredients, customers still need to be wary, especially when they can’t find or pronounce some of the ingredients.

And, your budget pays a big price for those corporate products that you aren’t even sure of.  DIY lets you know what you are putting on your skin, do it for a lot less money, and (especially if you use Baraka ingredients) know you are impacting people and communities at the same time.

Let’s talk DIY skincare, and why you should take advantage of the ability to create your own products for your specific needs.  Make your own natural, superfood for your skin.

Remember, our skin is the largest organ, with quick absorption capabilities into our bloodstream. People are eating healthy and exercising, yet they lather on toxic chemicals (often unknowingly) that are quickly absorbed into our blood. Yuck!

We want what we put on our skin, to be good for our body as a whole. You may recall an episode of Jimmy Fallon where Gwenyth Paltrow dipped french fries into one of the products from her natural skincare line, Goop, and ate it. Now, don’t go so far as to ingest a whole bar of coconut oil, but you get my drift.

Brands everywhere are under the microscope for unscrupulous and dangerous practices.  Unfortunately, regulations regularly allow skincare, soap, cosmetics and haircare products to contain ingredients many consider very dangerous.  We see it too often.

“The pharmacy in any corner drug store brims with carefully formulated, tested, and regulated drugs. But aisles packed with personal care products—shampoos, makeup, lotions—are a different story. 

For the most part, these products aren’t regulated at all. The gels, creams, and concoctions we slather on our skin and massage into our heads on a daily basis clear no regulatory hurdles before strolling into neighborhood stores and medicine cabinets. The Food and Drug Administration only looks into these products when people voluntarily report problems.”  Read full article here.

Rightfully, consumers are now skeptical and demand change. In addition to tighter regulatory laws and greater transparency into ingredients, there was been a quick shift to the DIY market.

So how do you create your own DIY products and know what you are putting on your body?

There are a few standard and key ingredients that act as bases for most haircare and skincare recipes. These include shea butter, castor oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. You can add lavender oil, orange oil, lemon oil, peppermint oil, you name it! Each of these ingredients have their own benefits and capabilities, tailored for you!  There are lots of online resources.  Baraka maintains a Shea Butter Recipe and DIY site you are welcome to explore.

Another great thing about going DIY? The reduced cost! We love brands who are natural and organic, but they have to make a living too. Products are upsold and prices are much higher than the cost to make them.

You will be excited to know that making your own skincare products (that are just as good as those sold by the natural/organic brands) will cost you a fraction of what you pay already created products. The School of Natural Skincare says, “Natural or organic body creams can retail at anywhere between $20 and $50 (or even more) and face creams are often even more expensive.

But because they’re usually 60-70% water they can be very inexpensive to make, so you could easily make your own for much, much less. Certainly under $10, possibly around $5, depending on the carrier oils and packaging you choose.” Yay!

So get on board with the DIY bandwagon. You can be sure that what you put on your body is natural, organic, and all around safe. Need some inspiration? You can find an array of DIY products on sheabutterrecipes.com, and remember, you can count on Baraka Shea Butter to be transparent, natural, and organic!

You can order Baraka Shea Butter here.