The Best DIY Skincare Ingredients That Actually Improve Your Skin

For anyone that loves skincare, it is first nature to be on the lookout for the next amazing product. We can’t help but want it all—even-toned skin with small pores and a radiant glow. However, all of these products and treatments can add up over time, and many products don’t live up to the hype.

Estheticians like those at PJ’s College of Cosmetology specialize in skincare services and know the treatments that can best improve your specific skin type. They offer facials that can improve skin texture and cleanse the skin.

Yet, it is always a good idea to provide at-home skincare in between your favorite esthetician treatments. Learn more about the skincare treatments and mask bases you can make at home and how they improve your skin.

Honey Naturally Heals the Skin

Honey is celebrated around the world for its healing and antibacterial properties. As honey is produced by bees, it contains enzymes, plant matter, and natural (healthy) bacteria—it is heralded as a natural medical wonder. For the skin, honey has been shown to help clear infections, even the skin tone, reduce acne, and even treat inflammatory skin conditions. Of course, raw honey without pasteurization or additives works best for the skin. Manuka honey stands out as the most effective honey you can buy, as it has been proven to be antiviral as well as an antibacterial antioxidant. Manuka has even been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) as an effective wound treatment.

In this way, honey is one of the most highly recommended ingredients you can use for a face mask or skincare treatment. Honey is such a stellar ingredient that it can be a face mask all on its own. You can also add different fruits and vegetables, essential oils, or oats to maximize any desired effects.

Oats Exfoliate and Moisturize

Oats are perfect for exfoliation and reducing redness. Throughout time colloidal oats have been used medically to treat itchy skin, rashes, and other skin conditions that cause redness and irritation. The oats become an emollient when they are ground into a fine powder. This is often the ingredient we see in commercial oat moisturizer products. You can use either ground oats to focus on the exfoliating effects or finely powdered oats to use as an emollient and skin protectant.

Aloe Soothes Redness and Irritation

Aloe is often known for its soothing uses after a day of sun at the beach. However, people often overlook that aloe has everyday benefits beyond treating sunburns. Aloe has been used for thousands of years to treat skin conditions and even digestive issues. Aloe vera is made from the gel-like substance inside aloe leaves. Research shows that aloe can treat a variety of skin conditions like psoriasis, acne, and even burns and abrasions.

If you struggle with red skin, irritation bumps, or acne, using aloe alone or with other ingredients can help calm the skin and reduce this inflammation. Not to mention, the cooling effect of the aloe feels amazing on irritated skin. As with honey, fresh aloe is better as many store-bought aloe gels can contain preservatives and additives.

Egg Whites Retain Moisture and Help Reduce Acne

Egg whites are commonly cited as a wonder treatment for the skin but often for the wrong reasons. Like all of these ingredients, none provide every single skin benefit possible, but in combination or with other products, you can really see improvements in your skin. Sometimes egg whites are exaggerated as a vitamin boost to the skin, but this is not the case.

On the other hand, they do work well as a source of skin hydration and bacteria reduction. The proteins in the egg whites actually work as a humectant, which helps retain moisture by drawing water molecules from the air. Additionally, egg whites contain the protein lysozyme , which has been scientifically proven to kill the bacteria that typically cause acne.

However, when using egg products for skincare, it is important to do so safely and acknowledge the risks of raw eggs. Accidentally ingesting raw eggs can cause food-borne illness.

Turmeric as a Skin Brightening Agent

Turmeric is also a part of the antibacterial antioxidant pack of home ingredients. Turmeric is a bright orange spice that you probably are used to seeing in the kitchen. Besides being used in our favorite curry dishes, Turmeric is also known for its skin brightening and antimicrobial properties. Many of the studies on the benefits of turmeric suggest it improves the skin both topically and through ingestion.

If you suffer from dark circles under the eye or hyperpigmentation from acne or skin damage, the spice can be a useful ingredient for you. Turmeric has been shown to brighten and improve the look of these skin areas, but it is not the ultimate skin lightening treatment that claims sometimes make. Like honey and aloe, it has also been proven to improve the symptoms of chronic skin conditions, like psoriasis.

Turmeric is an ingredient that should especially be used with caution. Turmeric is also known to cause irritation for some people, so it is not recommended for every person. It is also important to patch test because turmeric sometimes temporarily stains certain skin tones or types.

Advance Your Skincare Knowledge

Overall, these ingredients have all been studied in scientific and clinical applications that suggest they provide a myriad of benefits for the skin. There are many ways to use and mix and match these at-home ingredients. Ultimately, all the variations are up to you, but they are often used in combinations (e.g., turmeric and honey) and applied to the skin for a period of time. As always, it is important to patch test and check with a dermatologist if you have any skin allergies—even scientifically proven natural skincare treatments can cause contact dermatitis for some people.

If you are interested in learning more about facial and esthetic treatments, PJ’s College of Cosmetology are currently enrolling for esthetician and cosmetology courses. Contact us online or give us a call at 800-62-SALON (72566) for more information.