Beauty ROAD TEST

~If CHEN CONFIDENTIAL

Old-fashioned, h01nemade beauty treatments are niaking a comeback (thanks, social media!). Katie Dickens does a D!Yvs. buy experiment

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epurposing groceries for use in your bathroom isn't exactly a new idea, but it is enjoying a major resurgence. For proof, just look at the uptick of beauty "recipes" online:

try. He reports his normally oily skin feels "very clean" (a ringing endorsement coming from him), and we both notice he's more matte than usual.

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL This porous powder is "used to absorb toxins, like when someone has a drug overdose;' explains Tanzi. "In beauty products, it could draw debris and oil out of your skin or scalp;' she says, but there's no research to confirm this. So I become a one-woman study.

COCONUT OIL According to the interwebs, I should replace every skin, hair, and body product I own with jars of coconut oil. Dr. Robert Anolik, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine, says the ingredient is a natural moisturizer and contains phenolic acids that fight free radicals. / - Coffee scrub to fade

stretch marks! Onion water to spur hair growth! Yogurt face masks! And this time around, it's more than a DlY phenomenon. Several brands have latched on to our desire to get back to the basics and do our part for the planet by developing new products with simple, classic ingredients. So is it worth home-brewing, or does the ready-made route make more sense? Only one way to find out!

BAKING SODA Good old sodium bicarbonate is best known for making cakes rise, but according to beauty bloggers, it also works wonders as a deep-cleansing facial mask. DO IT YOURSELF: I make a mask with one part baking soda, two parts oatmeal, and just enough water to turn it into a paste. Getting the slurry on (and off) my face is a bitch, and bits of oatmeal rain down on my bathroom floor. Worse, my skin is visibly pissed at me for subjecting it to this torture. A call to dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi confirms that using baking soda on sensitive skin can cause dryness and irritation. Oops. New York facialist Joanna Vargas says it's better as a blackhead remover for those with oily skin: "Mix with warm water and apply like an exfoliator after you shower;' she says. LEAVE IT TO EXPERTS: Unlike my homespun treatment, Biore's baking soda scrub (right) blends alkaline baking soda with citric acid to make a gentler, pH-balanced exfoliator. Since I'm still nursing my parched, irritated skin, I enlist my husband to give it a

164 MARIECLAIRE.COM April 2016

DO IT YOURSELF: My experience with charcoal is a lot like that scene in (the first) Zoolander where Derek smears his face with black dust and returns home to labor in the coal mine. Besides the mess, the mask I make by mixing the jet-black powder with aloe vera doesn't do my dry skin any favors. For a more moisturizing version of the treatment, Vargas suggests adding soothing yogurt and honey. Sounds promising, but I'm too busy cleaning my sink to go for round two-or to try the charcoal hair treatment I spot online. LEAVE ITTO EXPERTS: PeterThomas Roth's new cleansing gel (below) clarifies with mud and charcoal, and doesn't leave my skin tight. And my thick curls bounce and shine after I wash with charcoal-infused, residue-removing SheaMoisture detox shampoo (below).

NEW CLASSICS

DO IT YOURSELF: To repair the damage from my baking soda misadventure, I apply a mask of coconut oil and raw honey. (Wear old clothes; the oil is solid at room temperature but liquefies from the warmth of your skin.) After 10 minutes, I rinse (and rinse) and eventually find my skin is dewy as hell-all evidence of the baking soda incident erased. I also use some of the extra oil to moisturize the dry ends of my hair. Works like a charm. LEAVE IT TO EXPERTS: Garnier's new hair serum with coconut oil (below) tames my strands beautifully and leaves them smelling like a vacation. And the Yes to Coconut eye balm (below) deflates my under-eye bags while I sleep. I'm also a fan of Dove's Purely Pampering coconut body wash (below). Technically, it features coconut extract-not oil-but it's so hydrating I can skip body lotion. And for someone like me, who doesn't have a spare hour in the day, the time savings alone is reason enough to leave product formulating to the pros. me

I

_ l BIORE

Baking Soda Cleansing

Scrub. $10.

PETER THOMAS ROTH

Irish Moor Mud Cleansing Gel, $38.

SHEAMOISTURE Mint & Ginger

Detox & Refresh Shampoo, $11.

GARNIER Whole Blends Coconut Oil

& Cocoa Butter Smoothing Oil, $7.

YFS TO COCONUT Ultra Hydrating

Overnight Eye Balm, $16.

DOVE Purely Pampering Coconut

Milk & Jasmine Petals Body Wash, $7.

For information on where to buy, see Shopping Directory.

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