DIY Treatments To Warn Clients Against

When it comes to these treatments, it’s best to advise your clients to stay well away…

In the world of at-home DIY beauty treatments, almost anything goes. Inspired by celebs and beauty bloggers, clients are taking to strange ingredients to give themselves an at-home treat. And while we typically applaud clients taking ownership of a maintenance routine in between salon visits, these DIY treatments are best avoided altogether…

The craze: Kitty litter exfoliant

Jersey Shore reality star Snooki sparked an international DIY trend when she admitted to using kitty litter to buff her skin. Despite the inherent grossness and stupidity of this treatment, there are now many online videos and blog posts dedicated to teaching clients how to recreate the star’s exfoliation routine. But besides the gag factor, the DIY kitty litter exfoliant also poses serious risks to the skin, putting it at risk of micro-tearing and damage. So tell clients to stay away.

Try this instead: Sugar scrubs

DIY sugar scrubs are an easy and effective way for clients to continue an exfoliation routine at home if they want to make their own exfoliant. Because sugar crystals dissolve in warm water they’re safe to use all over the body without risk of damage, though they’re best avoided on the face of clients with sensitive skin.

The craze: Cinnamon lip plumper

Wannabe beauty pros are taking to rubbing irritating pantry items like chilli and cinnamon into their lips to provoke an inflammatory response resulting in a seriously swollen pout worthy of Angelina Jolie herself. Though this seemingly harmless treatment may produce temporary results using natural ingredients, it’s a recipe for disaster for clients with sensitive skin and anyone who goes a little OTT is likely to end up with sore, cracked lips and even potential burns, so it’s best to advise clients to leave the spice rack for seasoning their dinner.

Try this instead: In-salon lip treatments

Clients hell-bent on having a full pout are best seeking the advice of their beauty therapist or cosmetic nurse and staying away from any DIY treatments that produce temporary results with the risk of irritation, including the Kylie Jenner lip craze that resulted in women bruising themselves by sucking on bottles to produce swollen smiles. (Strange, but sadly very true.)

The craze: Coffee grounds body scrubs

Every therapist worth her weight in exfoliant is aware of the circulation boosting effects of coffee infused body treatments, but when it comes to replicating this at home, clients are best to stay away. Stars like Halle Berry have made DIY coffee scrubs a popular at-home treatment, and while they can certainly produce results out of the salon, more often than not all they do is leave your clients with stained bathrooms that look like a barista threw up in them. Unless you happen to be a cashed up celeb with a team of cleaners to deal with the aftermath, this one’s best left for the salon only.

Try this instead: Body brushing

If clients want to keep cellulite at bay and circulation boosted while at home, the best thing you can recommend (besides the right at-home skincare products) is a dry body brush. Educate your clients on the importance of dry body brushing in repetitive circular motions as often as possible for an equally, if not more effective result than any DIY coffee scrub. No massive clean-up required.

Have your say: What’s the weirdest at-home treatment a client’s ever fessed up to using?