DIY beauty hacks: When they’re good, they’re good, and when they’re bad, they’re really, really bad — and potentially hazardous to your health.
The internet went wild recently when makeup artist Zohra (a.k.a. zobeautyy) shared a video tutorial showing how to make your own custom liquid lipstick using products you already own, and understandably so — combine two of Instagram’s favorite beauty trends (DIY and liquid lipstick), and you’ve got a social media hit on your hands.
The how-to, which has racked up almost 2 million views so far, shows Zohra cutting a bullet of lipstick out of its tube, smashing it, and then blending it with a generous amount of liquid face primer. She then puts the mixture in a syringe and squeezes it into an empty tube with a doe-foot applicator — you know, just like a liquid lipstick. The perfect way to repurpose your neglected lipstick collection, right?
Eh, maybe not so much. As cosmetic chemist Ginger King told Allure, “You need to be very careful for [DIY] lip products, as the product applied can be ingested."
Dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, adds that while lip products are specifically formulated to be safe even if a little bit happens to get in your mouth (still not recommended), the same doesn’t always apply to other face makeup. Still, Dr. Zeichner says, “If a facial primer is applied to the outer part of the lip, it is likely safe to apply around the mouth. Just try not to put it on the inner, wet side of the lip.”
So if you absolutely must try it, Zohra’s trick probably won’t hurt you — but investing in a liquid lipstick you can find at Sephora is still your best bet.