HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Would you buy makeup that someone whipped up at home in a spare bedroom, garage, or kitchen?
Mixing handmade cosmetics is a popular DIY trend. Now, vegan, mineral-based or custom blended cosmetics are available online or through word of mouth sales.
The colors are bright, bold, and custom blended for Marta Countess right in someone else's home. After a local makeup artist offered to create cosmetics that wouldn't irritate her sensitive skin, Marta decided to give handcrafted powder and eye shadow a try.
"When I heard that somebody was actually mixing and matching and using all natural ingredients in their home setting, I thought that was fabulous," Countess said.
We found that mixing up homemade cosmetics for consumers like Countess is taking off.
In her spare bedroom, Kim Snyder carefully concocts eye shadows and blush and sells them online. She says her mineral makeup contains no preservatives, talc, or chemicals and is not tested on animals.
"My typical customers are young. I'm finding that they're in their 30s," Snyder said.
Our online search found dozens of DIY Internet entrepreneurs with a range of products, pitches, and prices. We ordered some homemade makeup from several different sellers. They arrived in plastic or glass containers, packaged in baggies, or even wrapped in newspaper.
"Buying homemade makeup is a proceed with caution or buyer beware scenario," cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson said.
The same federal rules that apply to big companies also apply to people who produce makeup in their homes. But Robinson says consumers should exercise caution.
"In general, the FDA is not inspecting these places unless there is a big or a large number of consumer complaints," Robinson said.
Snyder says she takes extensive safety precautions in her home. She wears gloves, ties her hair back, cleans her mixing table with alcohol, and stays away from her kitchen to avoid food cross contamination.
"If you are as sanitary as you can be, it makes a difference. If you're just sitting on your kitchen table you slop it all together, that's a problem," Snyder said.
If you are interested in trying homemade makeup, experts say you should ask around for recommendations. Ask sellers how they prepare their makeup and what precautions they take. Request a sample and try a test patch on a small area of your arm. Robinson says that's a good way to detect problems.
"There are all sorts of issues that could happen with buying homemade products, including allergic reactions, possible irritations. They also may not be preserved adequately in order to prevent from bacteria growth and mold growth," Robinson said.
Countess says she has had no problems with her homemade makeup, and she also likes the reasonable prices.
"The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and it's all making us all beautiful so, you know, great combo," Countess said.
On their website, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns homemade cosmetic makers that they have a legal responsibility for the safety of their products and the packaging and labeling must not be deceptive.