I’ve been experimenting with using dried flowers to decorate melt & pour soaps, and I thought of sharing my findings with you! I tested different dried flowers to see how well they retain their natural colours once incorporated into the soap. Dried rose petals → turned brown Dried lavender → turned brown Cornflower petals → unfortunately, also turned brown Calendula/Marigold petals → so far, the winner! They are able to retain their beautiful orange-yellow colour much better. The photo here is from one of my experiments using dried cornflowers in melt & pour soap. You can see how some of the petals have changed colour over time. This is a good reminder that not every pretty dried flower will stay pretty inside soap! If you're thinking of adding dried botanicals to your melt & pour soaps, I would definitely recommend doing a small test batch first before making a whole collection. I'm still experimenting, so if I discover other flowers that retain their colour well, I'll share the results with you.

Sometimes, when I look in the mirror in the morning, I can immediately see the difference. On nights when I skip my moisturizer and oil-based serum, my skin looks drier and less refreshed the next morning. Fine lines also appear more noticeable. When I apply both, my skin feels softer, smoother and more comfortable. This reminds me that once we enter our 30s and beyond, moisturizing is no longer something we should do only when our skin feels dry. As we age, our skin gradually produces less of the natural substances that keep it soft, smooth and resilient. Skin renewal also slows down, while the effects of years of sun exposure may become more visible. When our skin is dehydrated, fine lines can look more noticeable, and the skin may feel dry, tight or rough. Moisturizer and oil-based serum do different jobs: 💧 A moisturizing cream supplies water and water-binding ingredients while helping to support the skin barrier. 🌿 An oil-based serum softens the skin and helps reduce moisture loss. However, oil does not supply water, so it should not completely replace your moisturizer. Here is a simple routine you can follow: Daytime Cleanser → Toner → Hydrating moisturizer → Sun-protection product or makeup with SPF Night-time Cleanser → Toner → Hydrating moisturizer → Oil-based serum If your skin is very dry, you may also apply a small amount of oil-based serum during the day. Allow it to absorb before applying your final sun-protection or makeup layer. Your skin does not need a complicated 10-step routine. Consistently applying a good moisturizer and adding an oil-based serum when needed can already make a noticeable difference in how your skin feels and looks. The goal is not to stop ageing. It is to keep our skin healthy, comfortable and well cared for as we age beautifully. What is the one skincare step that makes the biggest difference to how your skin looks and feels the next morning?

Hi everyone, I'm Rhoda, a digital marketer with a passion for helping brands grow online through strategic marketing, content, and websites. I joined to learn more about DIY beauty products and connect with creative entrepreneurs in the space. I'm excited to learn from your journeys, share ideas, and support others whenever I can. Happy to be here.

I picked up this lotion at a five-star hotel and flipped it over. Lovely packaging. Beautiful scent. Premium price point for sure. But three ingredients made me pause. Mineral Oil. It coats your skin like a film and locks in moisture, yes. But it also blocks your skin from breathing. No vitamins. No fatty acids. Nothing that actually feeds your skin. Just petroleum sitting on top of it. Methylparaben. This is a preservative, and I want to be fair here. Preservation in skincare is not the enemy. You need it. An unpreserved lotion can grow mould and bacteria that cause real harm. Anyway, this is a preservative that mimics oestrogen in the body. Regulatory bodies still call it safe at low levels. But when kinder, equally effective options exist, why settle? Fragrance. That one word on a label can legally hide hundreds of undisclosed chemicals. One of the biggest culprits behind skin sensitivity and allergic reactions. And most people never connect it. Here is what I want you to sit with. This is not about shaming the hotel or scaring you away from every product on the shelf. It is about reminding you why what we do matters. When you learn to formulate your own skincare, you stop wondering. You know exactly what is in your jar. You made it. You chose every single ingredient intentionally. That is the gift of this skill. Now I am curious. For each of these three, what would you swap them with? Mineral oil. Methylparaben. Fragrance. Drop your answers in the comments.

I screenshot this from a book. It’s for a DIY argan eye serum. Well, is this a DIY recipe or a formula? State your reason.