I Made My Own Beauty Products For a Week—But Did They Work?

If beauty boxes and food boxes were to have a baby, we’re thinking it would probably look something like LOLI Beauty, a new and unique beauty service, which literally allows you to create your own natural beauty products, made from ethically sourced food-grade ingredients.

Now we’ve tried our fair share of subscription boxes, but we’ll admit that this monthly kit takes DIY beauty to a new level. Delivering new skin, hair, body and bath blends to your home each month, the ingenious beauty concept was developed by Tina Hedges, a cosmetic pro, who’s worked with the likes of L’Oréal and Estée Lauder.

Getting my hands on a box to try for myself, I received five items that I would work into my daily regimen. So, whipping up homemade beauty concoctions (we’re talking peels and shaving creams) for seven days straight, here’s how one LOLI box completely transformed my beauty routine.

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Day 1: Facial Mask
I was overjoyed to discover natural soap, essential oils and natural clay powders inside my kit. Of course the DIY recipe possibilities were endless, but being that I was pretty new to making my own beauty products, I decided to take things slow and whip up my own facial mask on the first day.

I’ve definitely botched some DIY facial masks in the past, as I always find a way to screw up even the most basic of online recipes. So taking extra precautions to carefully following the kit instructions, I carefully blended together my ingredients and successfully formed a creamy and uplifting mask. 

Applying a unique mixture of Fruit Smoothie Peel + Mask Powder, a drop of More Mojo boosting essential oil, and some Soufflé Soup onto my face felt more than refreshing, as the buttery-smooth mask felt gentle on my complexion. In addition, the stimulating essential oil (filled with geranium, bergamot and pink grapefruit) gave my senses a cheery boost I found way better than caffeine.

But while I can’t say the mask transformed my skin altogether, my homemade mixture definitely proved to be a better alternative to all those chemical-laden formulas I’ve used way too often.

Day 2: Shaving Cream
Itching to find another ingenious use for my soufflé soap, I took a page from my kit instructions and fashioned my unscented soap into a nontoxic shaving cream. I’ve had success with using coconut oil as a shaving cream alternative in the past, so naturally the same concept applied to using this soap.

Lathering up underarms with a generous and thick layer of product, I was astonished to find that any traces of hair were removed effectively without any cuts and burns. Of course I was tempted to proceed to shave my legs with all this good stuff, but being that I had five more days of my experiment, I resisted the urge and was sure to ration my soap for the remaining days.

Day 3: Facial Peel
I usually tend to have a love-hate relationship with peels, as some products work wonders on my complexion, while others seem to sit on my skin and not do much else. So naturally, you can imagine my skepticism upon trying to make my own skin-rejuvenating peel at home. Eager to rise to the challenge though, I was sure to mix the Matcha Latte/Peel + Mask Powder Actives product with two tablespoons of honey and apply it evenly onto my face.

I’ll admit that this facial concoction worked more like a thick and hydrating mask. However, I do feel that my pores felt a bit more refined when leaving it on for a good 20–30 minutes.

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Day 4: Body Scrub
Like facial peels, I’m extremely fickle about body scrubs, as some fragrance-filled formulas leave my skin more dry than it should be. But being that my soufflé soap was made from organic olive, neem and hemp seed oils, I was more than confident to try my own exfoliating remedy in the shower.

Pairing my soap (I’m fairly addicted to this stuff) with some ground Himalayan pink salt, I was surprised to see how smooth and soft my skin was afterward. The salt was a little rough on my skin, but thankfully the non-scented soap didn’t irritate or dry out my skin in the process.

Day 5: Makeup Remover
At this point, I won’t deny that I’m practically head-over-heels in love with the soufflé soap, as its nourishing blend of oils seemed to resonate well with my usually temperamental skin. So, once day five came rolling around, I was all about using this good stuff as a makeup remover.

Normally, I prefer to use coconut oil, as the right amount removes even the most stubborn of mascara and liner. However, the same theory held true for the soufflé soap, as it removed thick foundation, highly pigmented shadows and colored liners in a flash.

Day 6: Essential Oil Boost
I realize I haven’t given my essential oils too much love, so wanting to fully appreciate my More Mojo and Peace Out products, I decided to skip out on the perfume and use my two very different oils for the day.

Being that More Mojo contains uplifting notes of pink grapefruit, bergamot and geranium, I was sure to rub some oil on my pulse points, temples and chest for the full effect. Of course it didn’t last as long as perfume, but as I mentioned before, one whiff of this stuff makes me alert (no joke!) and awake.

At night, I turned to the Peace Out oil, hoping that the blend of lavender, eucalyptus and rosemary would calm that neverending restlessness I always seem to be plagued with. This seemed to work well, as applying my oil after a hot shower made me feel a little calmer. Does it work better than the Valerian supplements I take before bedtime? Probably not, but the soothing smell was a nice way to unwind after a stressful day.

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Day 7: Cuticle Cream
Managing to still have some soufflé soap left, I wanted to bring the softening and moisturizing properties of this magic blend to my raggedy cuticles. It’s true that I am a cuticle picker, but thanks to the thick consistency of the soap, I was able to successfully hydrate my dry and peeling cuticles throughout the day.

With my experiment done, I am proud to say that I really enjoyed using this kit of organics treasures, as it definitely made me rethink the skin care products I'm using.

Sure I love my serums and anti-aging creams, but using more natural products for the week definitely made me more aware of the unpronounceable chemicals ingredients lurking around in my go-to staples.

What The Founder Says
With a growing demand for nontoxic alternatives to beauty, it’s no real surprise why kits like these are taking the skin care sphere by force. And with more women becoming aware of toxicity inside their skin care essentials, Hedges says that making your own products proves to be a much safer option.

“Most women are exposed to 168 chemicals every day, so the desire for clean beauty is more prevalent,” she explains. “Whipping up or personalizing your own products with blends that are food-grade, organic and wild-harvested is the optimal way to have transparency on what you are applying to your skin, body or hair. Women want the same transparency, freshness and potency in their beauty products that they are demanding in their food. And we want to help women shop beauty the way they shop food and BIY (Blend-It-Yourself).”