Rachel Robin's Nest

If you are like me (and probably lots of other people, too), one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to save more money.  Unfortunately, experts say that an ambiguous goal like that is one of the hardest to keep.  A goal like “I will save $1000 this year” is firmer, and will therefore make it easier to keep up with, because you can measure your progress.  So I decided to tweak mine a little by saying that I will save more money by making stuff myself whenever possible.

One area where I can definitely commit to this is making my own personal care supplies.  Often there is an initial monetary outlay for the ingredients, but the savings can be tremendous.  You’ve all (hopefully) read my homemade deodorant post.  Well, I never did the math before, but suffice to say that if you are buying brand name deodorant for $5-6, you’re paying way too much.

So in the interest of making stuff for myself, I present to you DIY Eye Makeup Remover.  It’s quick, easy, and effective.  Best of all, it’s SUPER CHEAP!  The recipe uses mostly things you already have around the house.  The one thing most of you will probably have to purchase is Baby Shampoo, which, at $2 for an 8 oz bottle, is not exactly a splurge.

Here’s my feeble attempt at the math on how much we’re saving (I’m a theatre kid. We don’t do math):

Drug Store Brand Eye Makeup Remover:  $5 for 4 oz

Baby Shampoo:  $2 for 8 oz.  Olive Oil:  $15 for 68 oz.  Water: Free

One batch of this stuff uses 1 1/2 tbs Baby Shampoo, 1/8 tsp olive oil, and water.  You get 8 oz from one batch.  One batch costs mere pennies!  Which is a huge saving compared to $5 for 4 oz.  Hooray!  We’re saving money and being crafty together!

DIY Eye Makeup Remover

Materials:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Baby Shampoo (I used Johnson & Johnson)
• 1/8 teaspoon olive oil*
• Funnel
• One 8oz container or several smaller ones

*The original recipe at AdelynStone I found for this called for Baby Oil.  I didn’t have Baby Oil and didn’t feel like buying it.  Also, after reading through some of the comments, people are highly divided on whether or not it’s safe to use Baby Oil on your face, and recommended olive oil or coconut oil as substitutes.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, mixing gently
2. Using a funnel, pour into containers
3. When ready to use, shake gently to re-combine ingredients, and apply using a cotton ball or pad

This took about 5 minutes to whip up, which I think we can all agree is not a huge time commitment, and I use such a small amount of it everyday I’m fairly confident it will last me a good long time.  The baby shampoo gives it a nice, clean scent, and it doesn’t leave my face feeling oily or greasy like many other eye makeup removers I’ve used.

It should be noted that I use waterproof mascara, and that it took some slightly more aggressive rubbing in order to remove the mascara, but it did work.  I haven’t had a chance yet to try it on non-waterproof mascara, but I can only assume if it works on waterproof, it will be even more effective with regular mascara.  I plan on playing around with the recipe to see if I can make it more effective on the waterproof stuff.  More oil perhaps?  If you try it out and make any adjustments to the recipe, let me know!

See how nicely the black came off?