Home improvements: Make your own mascara

Mascara is one of our absolute beauty essentials and can easily be made at home. Here's how.

You can substitute the charcoal with black mineral powder, or with cocoa powder for a brown mascara. Courtesy iStock

The beauty industry is notorious for packing its products with unpleasant chemicals, so why not create your own, organic alternatives?

Mascara is one of our absolute beauty essentials and can easily be made at home.

Start by placing two teaspoons of coconut oil, four teaspoons of aloe vera gel and a teaspoon of grated beeswax into a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until all ingredients are melted. Add half a teaspoon of activated charcoal, stir thoroughly and then remove from the heat.

You can substitute the charcoal with black mineral powder, or with cocoa powder for a brown mascara. Also add a couple of drops of lavender oil into the mix as this is said to promote eyelash growth.

Once cool, pour your mixture into a small bag, cut a small hole into the corner of the bag and use it like a cake decorator to gently pipe your mascara into your chosen container. This can be an old mascara bottle or a small jar. Clean up an old mascara wand to apply your non-toxic, eye-friendly mascara. If it becomes chalky over time, just add some more aloe vera.