Pros And Cons Of A Homemade Face Scrub
Whether you’re a DIY person, or just aspiring to be one, making a homemade face scrub is insanely easy.
In fact, we wrote an entire article on different ingredients you can find in your kitchen to make an exfoliator that is perfect for your skin type.
You can find that, along with easy recipes, right here.
But here’s the thing—just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should.
At least not until you’ve done some serious research and given it some thought before diving in.
When it comes to making a homemade face scrub, we’ve done the work for you.
Check out our list of pros and cons below on using a homemade face scrub versus a store bought option.
Pro #1 of a Homemade Face Scrub: You Know Exactly What’s In It
Image via MySkin Blog
Have you ever stood in the aisle of your local drugstore pouring over the ingredient list of a product you’re considering buying?
If that’s you, and if you’re anything like me, then you probably only recognized a few words in that list.
Water being one of them.
It can be overwhelming and confusing to apply a product onto your body, let alone your face, that you don’t really know what’s in it.
That’s one of the major pros of using a homemade face scrub. You control exactly what goes in.
And for the most part, they are completely natural ingredients.
So you don’t have to worry about having a strange reaction to one of the ingredients they’ve manufactured in a lab.
We’re sure you’ve heard of the plastic bead drama, too.
Basically, skincare companies were using plastic microbeads in their products to give them an exfoliating element, but they ended up being terrible for the environment.
When you opt for natural ingredients found in the comfort of your own home, you guarantee that you aren’t causing harm to the planet.
And how green is that? You go, girl.
Con #1 of a Homemade Face Scrub: It Won’t Last As Long
Some of those ingredients in store bought face scrubs that you can’t even pronounce are preservatives, which are in there so you can enjoy the product for longer.
If you’re choosing to go the homemade face scrub route, you’ll likely only be able to enjoy the scrub for three days.
And that’s only if you’ve kept it in the fridge, too.
If you’re keeping it in your shower, we recommend only whipping up a single serving of scrub.
There are some who will claim that another big difference in homemade face scrub versus store bought is that homemade will take longer to see results because it doesn’t have some of the powerful lab-created ingredients in it.
They also claim that you have to have the exact ratios of certain ingredients to actually achieve certain outcomes you’re hoping to have.
While we aren’t totally sold on that, we do think that you could cause your skin harm by using a homemade face scrub that starts to smell funny, or even has small spots of mold.
If either of those begin to happen, make sure you toss it out and whip up a new batch.
But to play it super safe, we say that after three days, it’s time to move on.
Pro #2: You Likely Own Most of the Ingredients
Image via Jenni Raincloud
Salt. Sugar. Baking Soda. Olive Oil. Coconut Oil. Oatmeal. Almonds. Yogurt. Aloe Vera.
I could go on and on and on.
Most of the ingredients that a homemade face scrub calls for are all items you currently have in your kitchen pantry or refrigerator.
You may even have items that you can use in a scrub that are just sitting in your cupboard without any other use.
Like Aloe Vera. You probably don’t use that all that often, especially in the colder months.
So finding a recipe online that includes ingredients you already have is super simple.
Con #2: You’re Limited on the Type of Scrub You Can Make
When it comes to creating a homemade face scrub, you are slightly limited on the type of scrub you’re able to make.
Granted, there are a million options of different ingredients you can use from your kitchen.
But when it comes to face scrubs available at the store, you have a wider variety.
Scrubs containing pumice, ground nut shell, and other obscure ingredients that may do a better job than something you have at home.
You also have access to cream-based scrubs, salt, sugary, dry, and gel-based, which all have their own effect and texture depending on what you’re trying to achieve and what type of skin you have.
Are achieving these same consistencies and recipes totally impossible at home? Definitely not.
But are you likely to have ground nut shell and Eucalyptus oil on hand? Probably not.
Pro #3: You’ll Save Money
This may seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out.
Face scrubs at the store are available on a huge scale of price ranges.
You can easily pick one up for $10 or $100, all depending on how much you are willing to spend.
A homemade face scrub, on the other hand, can cost you less than a $1 per serving.
With how inexpensive ingredients such as salt, sugar, and olive oil are, you’re able to mix up a super effective scrub while spending almost no money at all.
For anyone on a budget (so, all of this), this is definitely appealing.
Con #3: You’ll Lose Time
We live in an instant world. We can simply say “Alexa, order more body wash” and within 48 hours, your product has arrived.
There’s simply no denying it—buying a face scrub at the store is much easier than making one yourself.
Once you have it home, too, all you have to do it dip your hand in a jar or squeeze the scrub out of a tube, and you’re in business.
Opting for a homemade face scrub will take you time. Depending on how complex the recipe is, it could take you just a few minutes or quite a bit longer.
So, what’s your time worth? How realistic is it for you to create a homemade face scrub with your weekly schedule and routine?
Now you have the major pros and cons when it comes to making a homemade face scrub.
In our opinion, there’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s more a matter of what is most important to you, and what works best for your lifestyle.
As long as you’re exfoliating, the rest is simply personal preference!
