Dermatologists Are Begging You Not to D.I.Y. These 3 Beauty Products

DIYing your own beauty products is tempting right now. You don't want to run to the store and you definitely don't feel like paying for shipping, so you're left looking through your cupboards for ingredients you can use to concoct something of your own. But you might want to hold up. Experts say you could be doing more harm than good if you don't avoid a few DIY beauty products.

While playing cosmetic chemist is tempting (and, let's be honest, really fun), dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD, says now is the time to DDIY—don't do it yourself. And while there are many different beauty products she sees people trying to recreate at home all the time, there are three in particular she's begging you to stop making yourself.

DIY beauty products to avoid, according to a derm

1. Salt scrubs

Exfoliation is great. But doing it with the salt in your shaker? Not so much. "Many people are trying to exfoliate their skin in quarantine by making their own salt scrubs. Sounds easy enough right? But coarse salt is so harsh that its edges can create linear scratches on the skin and pits on the delicate face of the skin," says Dr. Mariwalla. She notes salt can also over exfoliate your skin, which can seriously disrupt your skin barrier.

2. Hair highlighter

If you're thinking about using lemon juice to get pretty summer highlights instead of going to your hairstylist, get that fruit away from your hair and make some lemonade instead. "People have been doing this DIY for years, and while it does lighten the hair, it does so as an oxidation reaction," she says. "The result is drying of the hair, which can lead to increased breakage."

3. Lip scrubs

Your lips are sensitive, so the last thing you want to do is scrub them with harmful ingredients. "If you're going to use ground-up ingredients for anything—like walnut shells, for instance—make sure it’s not your lips," says Dr. Mariwalla. "If you must DIY a lip scrub, then create a paste with baking soda and water and use that to gently exfoliate the dead skin." That way, you won't be left with red, irritated lips on all your Zoom calls.

One thing you *can* DIY is this tea tree oil scalp spray:

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