DIY beauty is no longer just a niche pursuit
The COVID pandemic may not have been the start of DIY beauty recognition, but it has definitely pushed it over into the mainstream; homemade remedies are now beginning to expand beyond the growing yet small subculture of DIY users. The lockdown has also encouraged consumers to reevaluate and improve on certain areas that they may have overlooked. An article on Tokion.jp talks about an organic brand called Aroma Zone gaining a 70% increase in sales on their DIY cosmetic kits. Throughout this time, consumers have shown much more interest in the organic world overall, including food and household cleaning products.
ADVANTAGES OF HOME BAKED BEAUTY
There’s something magical that happens when the customer sees the blending in person and gets to take part
DIY does require some time and effort to achieve successful results. However, the process is often described as fun and therapeutic, and you can say goodbye to the stress of decision fatigue. Endlessly searching through the ceaseless selection of products available is a headache that we could all live without. Affordability is something else to consider; some ingredients cost more than others, but DIY frees you from the added cost that most brands expect. Tina Hedges, the founder of DIY beauty brand Loli Beauty, draws attention to how our “skin and hair type changes daily” depending on our “lifestyle, geolocation, health and even emotional state.” Making your own products gives you the advantage of adjusting your ingredients to how and when you need them. Additionally, if a certain product works really well for you, it will be much easier to detect the ingredients responsible.
WHAT ROLE DOES A BRAND PLAY IN DIY
While building a supply chain of individual ingredients can be expensive, it allows brands to better monitor quality
DIY beauty usually requires individual ingredients, so why not just purchase them from an organic food shop? What’s the point of a DIY brand? Well, some of the DIY-specific beauty brands on the market are developed not only on the foundation of expert knowledge in this sector, but are very friendly to consumers of different experience levels. Skin Inc is known for selling cream bases, oils, and serums that you can then combine with ingredients of your choice. With most of these brands, all the ingredients, packaging, and solutions are tailored to skincare, and you as the consumer don’t need to be an expert by any measure. Loli Beauty is much appreciated for the kits they sell based on the product or concern including a recipe that teaches you how to blend them. With the trend being so popular amongst the conscious living culture, DIY brands tend to be in favour of sustainability and non-toxic alternatives; an example being 23 skin, a young brand that uses potent powders supporting waterless beauty and making the use of preservatives unnecessary in the process.
WILL DIY SUSTAIN PAST COVID
People are starting to realise that they don’t need countless products, they only need what they truly need
It is doubtful that the outbreak alone caused this trend, but was instead a catalyst alongside the conscious beauty movement and transparency demand. Non-toxic and natural ingredients were at their height of popularity before the lockdown. A great deal of consumers want to feel in control of what they’re putting on their skin. What better way is there to know exactly what’s in your products than by making them yourself? A spokesperson from Aroma Zone predicts that “consumers will retain the new lifestyle they’ve gained during lockdown for a long time”. Now, most consumers are going back to work and slowly adapting to life before the crisis. Nonetheless, taking all into consideration, this trend holds far more weight than a passing lockdown hobby and is therefore likely to stick around.
Have you ever been a DIY person? If not, does the new wave intrigue you at all?
