5 Reasons To Choose DIY Self Care
There’s no one right way to practice self care. For some people, self care means making more time for creative projects such as drawing or knitting. For others, self care might mean getting enough exercise each day. The reason the concept of self care seems so “on trend” right now is that people are finally realizing that health is wealth, and that we can’t fully give 100% of our energy to the people and things we love if we aren’t feeling healthy and balanced. Some may call wellness a trend, but many experts are calling it an awakening of our needs as human beings.
When it comes to the self care health and wellness movement, do-it-yourself products and practices are becoming more and more popular. DIY self care can include creating your own cleansers, face masks, shampoos, aromatherapy solutions, spa-like salt salt baths, and more.
The benefits of DIY products are numerous, but a primary reason so many people are turning to DIY is to gain control over the ingredients they put on their skin.
1. Control the ingredients
Skincare, makeup, and haircare products from the biggest, more recognizable companies are often full of parabens and other ingredients that have been proven to be harmful. When topicals like creams are applied to the skin, the ingredients eventually make their way into the bloodstream, and some could have negative effects. Natural wellness products are much safer compared to many of these synthetic ones. By creating your own moisturizers or Epsom salt baths using safe ingredients, you have full knowledge and control over what you are putting on your body.
2. Customize according to your needs
Because DIY allows you to mix your own ingredients, you can customize each product for your exact needs. For instance, you may love the therapeutic fragrance of eucalyptus, but find many store bought products use too much -- making it overpowering. By adding your own eucalyptus oil to your salt water bath or shower (for instance) you can create a product customized to your liking. The ability to create personalized wellness products is also important as each of us has different skin or health concerns.
3. Reduce waste and pollution
When you buy a product, you have no real way of knowing how environmentally conscious a manufacturer really is. Large-scale manufacturing can be enormously polluting. The process of creating wellness commodities containing toxic chemicals can be harmful to the environment, including water systems and other ecosystems. By making skin and hair care products yourself, you can be assured that there’s less of a negative impact on our environment, and you have the ability to use the same containers over and over.
4. Cut costs
With DIY, you pay for ingredients, not marketing. So many of the ingredients (in addition to toxic chemicals) in skin care products are inexpensive such as shea butter, essential oil, or beeswax. What you are paying for when buying those skin creams or luxury bath bombs is packaging and marketing—things that aren’t likely to help you feel your best. Sometimes, creating DIY wellness products can come with more up-front costs compared to buying items in the store, but over time, it is almost always more economical to do-it-yourself.
5. Get family educated and involved
What sounds better: giving a child a bottle of store bought soap with toxic ingredients, or taking a few minutes to mix a solution together while teaching them the value of each component? DIY wellness products might take time to research and put together, but it’s a fantastic exercise in learning about natural health, and can be fun to do!
Self care and natural wellness shouldn’t just be seen as a craze, rather, a revolution in physical and mental health awareness. Certainly, a relaxing DIY salt shower with calming lavender essential oils won’t fix severe health problems, but taking time to do something positive for your health each day contributes to an overall healthy lifestyle. DIY self care is a safe, cost-effective, and environmentally sound way to reduce stress and look your best!
