Most people will have looked at the label of a face cream or cleanser and come across some unfamiliar, unpronounceable ingredient. But with nearly 60% of American women reading product labels before deciding to purchase, and nearly half of beauty shoppers buying ‘natural’, Make It Make It (MIMI) is tackling concerns people may have around chemical nasties, helping discerning consumers get the best for their skin through organic DIY cosmetics.
The mounting interest in natural skin care, and the subsequent abundance of products being developed, is expected to fuel this global market to a valuation of $66.1 billion by 2020. So why would people want to make their own skin care masks when they can buy a luxury product that promises results right off the shelf?
But making your own cosmetics can be laborious and time-consuming – between looking up materials, visiting stores that stock specialist or organic ingredients, physically mixing it all together, and then cleaning up afterwards, the process requires a huge effort. With an Ipsos survey finding that the average woman spends only 22 and a half minutes getting ready in the morning, there’s a niche for DIY products that come partially put together. “New DIY products and boxes on the market are aimed at making it easier for everyone, particularly for first-timers,” writes Taylor Brant for Refinery29, adding that they also bring more fun and experimentation into the bathroom.
MIMI isn’t the only brand to take on the DIY customer on the beauty aisle; Grigore’s S.W Basicsproduces a range of high quality, single-ingredient bottles and packets like lavender oil and aloe vera powder, which people can mix-and-match to produce a product catered to their specific needs. Similarly, Herbmetics, Handmade Beauty Box and My Lemon Crate are subscription-only beauty boxes filled with natural and organic ingredients for crafty consumers to make their own bathroom concoctions. The DIY beauty trend is on the upswing; a Google report found ‘DIY face mask’ to be the second most popular skin care search phrase in the USA from 2014-2016, while ‘DIY’ as a search term in general had grown 38%.
What MIMI and all of these other product ranges emphasise is the notion of the individual taking control over what they put on their skin and into their bodies. They give the consumer complete power over what they use, as well as the ability to personalise each product to address specific needs. Allergic to honey? Leave it out. Need some extra moisture? Add more aloe vera. By buying into the brand and mixing up your own products, its users move from being passive consumers to taking an active interest in their wellbeing. “I want people to be to choose and control what goes into their products,” says Baker. “I also want them to have fun and get that sense of achievement when making their own products.”
People are now expecting more from the brands they invest in; 79% of American and 72% of British 18- to 65-year-olds will only consider buying from brands that actively show that ‘they understand and care’ about them. So it’s in a brand’s best interests to actively demonstrate this to its customers.
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