Making your own beauty products in your kitchen is now becoming more than just a hobby. People all over the country are making beauty products to sell on their online stores or to give to their friends and families. For some, the choice to switch to homemade products can be caused by personal reasons. No matter why you might want to try making your own beauty products, you need to know some basic guidelines to ensure they’re safe to use.
Why You Might Prefer Homemade Products
There are many reasons why people attempt to make beauty products. It could be because you want to try something new, like a hobby. Or you could be thinking about the reduced costs of such endeavors. But mostly, makers of homemade beauty products do so for two main reasons: safety concerns and because of animal testing.
Do you know that the United States’ guidelines that regulate the safe production of cosmetics haven’t changed since the late 1930s? Although the Food and Drug Administration prohibits beauty companies form selling products that can be harmful or putting misleading or wrong labels on their cosmetics, there are significant loopholes. Aside from color additives, cosmetic companies don’t have to pass any requirements for premarket approval or even take their products through safety reviews. Naturally, you want to be more in control over the products you smear on your face and body.
You could also be interested in making your own beauty products because of animal testing. Although there are a lot of cruelty-free and even vegan beauty products on the market, a lot of major cosmetics companies don’t meet these requirements. In such cases, you might find it more attractive to whip up your own beauty products than enable a system built on such cruelty and exploitation.
Important Safety Guidelines
When making your own cosmetics, you won’t have the use of powerful preservatives or state-of-the-art equipment. This only makes it more critical that you pay attention to safety protocols when you’re making your own beauty products. The following are some basic guidelines you should always keep in mind when whipping up a batch.
Time is of the essence
Because you won’t be using powerful preservatives, you need to keep track of every second to make sure your products don’t spoil. For example, you should always keep track of the expiration date of the ingredients of your beauty products just as much as the shelf life of the product itself. When you send them out for deliveries, either for commercial or personal reasons, choose a speedy and reliable courier service to ensure it doesn’t spoil in transit.
Be wary of contamination
Many of the ingredients people use for making their cosmetics are natural, so they are more prone to contamination than their chemical-laden commercial counterparts. When you’re making your beauty products, clean and disinfect every utensil you’re going to use, from the pots to the stirring spoons.
As for containers, thoroughly wash each container you plan on using soap and water. Then scald everything with boiling water. Ensure that every piece is completely dry before packing your cosmetics in them. Even your container can affect the level of contamination. You should always pick jars and bottles that decrease the amount of exposure. For example, you should use spray or dispensing bottles instead of open-mouth jars to lessen the odds of contamination.
Store properly
The chemical composition of beauty of products can be easily compromised by their storage environment. You should pay particular attention to three environmental factors: temperature, moisture, and light exposure.
Too much heat or cold can cause drastic changes to your cosmetics. Hot environments can degrade the effectiveness of your products while cold can make them too solid to use. Moist environments are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungus, which can contaminate your stock and make them harmful to use. Light can have the same effect as heat, especially sunlight, and leech specific chemical properties. Make sure your store your products in places without these factors to ensure their longevity.
Label correctly
Whether you’re making beauty products just for your own use or for small-scale commercial ventures, always be careful with the labels. The label of your homemade cosmetics should include the following items to increase safety:
Ingredients, in case someone who plans on using your products is allergic to one of them.
Manufacturing date, so you know if the product you’re using or shipping hasn’t spoiled.
Estimated expiration date, although you’ll have a harder time calculating, print out your best estimate anyway to prevent incidents.
Beauty products are an essential part of some people’s lives. And whether you buy them from stores or make them in your own kitchen, you should always make sure they’re safe to use. These guidelines will help you make your cosmetics as safe as they are effective.
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