You may have tried DIY beauty in the form of facial masks, scrubs, and hair products touted by Pinterest, but have you tried homemade cosmetics?

Of course, it seems that cosmetic engineering should only be carried out in a laboratory illuminated by fluorescent lights by professionals wearing white lab coats and gloves-but this is not the case. You, without a lab coat, can easily make anything from blush to eyebrow filler at home.

Because the US Food and Drug Administration lacks authority over commercial cosmetics, beauty products purchased in stores are often full of polluting chemicals and microplastics. Doing your own makeup means you can control the makeup on your skin, the sewers, and ultimately into our oceans. In addition, you avoid using excess packaging, which is usually composed of mixed materials and is almost impossible to recycle.

Try these 10 makeup recipes made from common kitchen ingredients such as arrowroot flour, coconut oil, cocoa powder and corn starch.

Before you embark on your cosmetic creation journey, please understand that DIY makeup as a hobby can be expensive and time-consuming. No, you don’t need lab coats, but some recipes may require special tools, including protective gloves, digital platform scales, and pipettes.

You can use tempered glass materials to avoid plastic waste, but they need to be properly disinfected between uses. For this reason, always carry a spray bottle containing isopropyl alcohol with you.

Keep in mind that it takes more effort to put on your own makeup than to buy a tube of mascara from a local drugstore. Some recipes may be more complicated than others and require unusual ingredients. Before attempting an alternative, be sure to conduct research first, especially when chemicals are involved.

Finally, before applying the DIY formula on your face, be sure to perform a patch test on your hands to detect irritation or allergic reactions.

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Elderberries are dark purple fruits that are wild in large areas of the Americas (east of the Rocky Mountains, all the way to Bolivia). Their rich hues will stain the fingers of foragers, therefore, make the lip color present the charm of nature. Combined with nourishing honey, you have a blend of gloss lip masks.

First, you must soak the elderberry powder in food-grade vegetable glycerin (two tablespoons of each) for at least a week to make the glycerin appear the purple of berries. When it reaches the color you want, filter the glycerin, discard the elderberry powder, and add a tablespoon of honey.

Use agave nectar instead of honey as a vegetarian alternative. They are similar in color and have the same moisturizing properties.

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Another plant known for its bright pigments is sugar beet. Its obvious magenta color is very suitable for cheeks.

Try to make a custom mixture by gradually adding beetroot flour to a tablespoon of arrowroot flour until you get the desired shade. Two portions of beetroot powder and one portion of arrowroot powder will give you a rich pink color, but you can fade it as you like.

Add a little turmeric powder to get a peach red color or cocoa powder to darken the mixture. Mix the powder with a sterilized fork and transfer to an airtight container when ready.

When applying, simply dip the makeup brush on the homemade blush and blush.

DIY mascara is not as tricky as it seems. The key ingredient is activated carbon, a black fine powder made from animal or plant sources. Combining it with oil, aloe vera gel and beeswax can provide you with a formula that darkens, thickens and lengthens your eyelashes.

Charcoal is usually made from coal or petroleum-neither is completely environmentally friendly-but you can find different activated carbon powders, which are made by burning wood pulp or coconut shells. 

First, put one tablespoon of organic coconut oil, two tablespoons of aloe vera gel, and 1.5 teaspoons of ground beeswax into a sterilized double steamer or similar device and heat until it melts.

Add a quarter teaspoon of activated charcoal for light black or half a teaspoon for black. For brown mascara, you can use half a teaspoon of cocoa powder instead of charcoal.

When finished, use a funnel to transfer the homemade mascara to a clean mascara tube. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before use.

Candelilla wax is an excellent vegetarian alternative to beeswax.

Cocoa powder can also be used to make eyebrow fillers. Depending on the depth of your eyebrows, you can add a little activated charcoal powder to this formula.

In a sterilized glass bowl, add 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 1.5 teaspoons of corn starch to 2 teaspoons of a mild carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, castor oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, or mixed oils. Stir a pinch or two of activated carbon for a deeper color.

Mix with a sterilized fork, make sure there are no lumps, and transfer to a clean, covered container when ready. Use a makeup brush or a clean mascara stick to apply to the eyebrows.

The jet black pigment in this eyeliner formula comes from burnt almonds. not completely. You first string an almond with a long metal skewer (to protect your fingers), and then scorch it in the flame of a candle. Of course, this should be done on a refractory surface. It takes about 10 minutes to burn one, and you need three to four burnt almonds.

Let the burnt almonds go out and cool completely (preferably on a copper plate or some other non-flammable surface), then use a sterilized mortar and pestle to grind them into a powder. The powder should be as black as charcoal.

Mix a few drops of vegetable glycerin until it becomes a thick paste, then use an angled eyeliner brush to apply.

This recipe contains almonds and people who are allergic to tree nuts should not try or wear them.

Store-bought foundations usually contain a list of mysterious chemicals. The color of this DIY iteration comes from a blend of herbs and spices.

Add as much cocoa powder, nutmeg, and clove powder as needed to the gentle kudzu powder foundation to get a hue that suits your skin tone. You can also use green clay to counteract redness. This is a very basic and customizable recipe.

Start with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and 1 tablespoon of green clay (optional). Add the fragrance bit by bit, testing the hue on the back of your hand in the process. Record the amount of each flavor added so that you can copy the recipe in the future.

Store your powder in a sterilized powder sieve jar or other container and apply it with a cosmetic brush.

Many DIY liquid foundation formulas start with a foundation. Therefore, use the Kuzu powder foundation formula to create the shade you want, and omit the green clay to avoid over-thickness. Then you will add it to the moisturizing mixture of shea butter and cocoa butter, argan oil and vitamin E oil, and beeswax following the steps below.

Luminizer is composed of subtle light refraction and shimmer, creating a healthy and shiny appearance. Mica powder-derived from a naturally shining stone mineral-is most commonly used as the main component of luminaires.

You can make your own by putting one tablespoon of beeswax or candelilla wax, 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and one teaspoon of jojoba oil in a sterilized double steamer. After melting, add 1-2 teaspoons of mica powder-the more you use, the higher the gloss.

Pour your illuminator into a clean container while it is still in a liquid state, and then leave it for at least 10 minutes before use.

According to reports, 25% of the world's mica comes from illegal mines in the Indian states of Jharkhand and Bihar, which are poverty-stricken areas where child labor is common. By studying the source of mica powder to ensure that it is mined responsibly without child labor, so as to avoid supporting these oppressive systems.

Given all the rich colors provided by plants, making eyeshadow at home is very simple. However, creating a common foundation for color is the trickiest part-just because it requires some unusual ingredients.

One way to make the base is to mix one teaspoon of rice flour with 3 teaspoons of kaolin (a mild, skin-friendly and sustainable soft clay commonly used in skin care products), one-quarter teaspoon of titanium dioxide and one-eighth of one teaspoon of zinc oxide one. Just make sure you are not using nano titanium dioxide and zinc, which may be harmful to marine life. Finally, create your color by adding colored herbs and spices on top of your base.

The DIY powder bronzer contains the same ingredients as the homemade foundation-the main difference here is that the higher concentration of herbs makes the bronzer deeper.

Start with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot flour or cornstarch, and then add coloring: cinnamon is bright red, cocoa and nutmeg are sun-like makeup, and beetroot is light pink. You have to try it to find the perfect tone.

Feel free to add a few drops of sweet almond oil or essential oil of choice to get a creamy texture. Make sure that the essential oils you use are safe to use on the skin without being diluted, such as tea tree, lavender, rose, and sandalwood.

"Beauty and the Beast: Child labor producing shiny cars and cosmetics in India". Terres des Hommes International Federation. 2016.

"Nanoparticles in sunscreen." Environmental Working Group.

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