MAKE YOUR OWN SKINCARE AND BODYCARE PRODUCTS
Making homemade skincare and bodycare products is not only easy to do – you can make quality organic products, that really work, at a fraction of the cost. You can also tailor products to your own needs.
We’ve put together some of our favourite recipes for skincare and bodycare products plus bath time recipes and recipes for hair, hands and teeth. These are also great gift ideas and also a lovely activity to do with friends or children.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE EASY BODYCARE PRODUCTS
BATH TIME
Thyme Bath Bags
A refreshing herbal bath to soothe the skin and relax aching muscles. Place dried thyme in an 8-inch square of cheesecloth. Add a little raw oats to soften the water. Tie with string and either hang from the tap as bath runs or let it float in the water.
Oatmeal Bath Softener
Put a handful of oatmeal into a square of muslin or cheesecloth. Tie with string and hang from tap when you run your bath to soften the water.
Vinegar Bath
For itchy dry skin add a cup of vinegar to the bath water.
Basil Bath
Put some dried basil in a muslin/cheesecloth bag and tie to bath tap or put in bathwater for a stimulating and invigorating bath.
SKIN CARE
Mint Cleanser
Put 10 fluid ounces of fresh milk (or oat milk) in a bowl. Wash and dry 4 tablespoons of fresh apple mint or peppermint. Chop the mint finely and add to the milk. Leave in fridge for 12 hours. Strain and bottle. Store in fridge. To use, apply with cotton wool and rub over your skin. Rinse face after applying.
Oatmeal scrub
Take 1 teaspoon of finely ground oatmeal in the palm of your hand, mix with a little water and wash your face with the paste. Slightly abrasive and very cleansing.
Sugar Cleanser
Soap your face well and add a small handful of sugar to the lather. Massage in for a couple of minutes and rinse with warm water.
TOP TIPS FOR USING ESSENTIAL OILS
Did you know that using just a few drops of essential oils in your bath is a cheap non-chemical alternative to bubble baths that is chemical free and won’t dry out your skin? As an added bonus, different oils have different properties to match your mood – lavender is calming and relaxing, lemon stimulating and invigorating.
Steaming is the most thorough, deep-cleansing method of cleansing your skin and is beneficial to all skin types. Once a week normally, less often if skin very dry, daily if very greasy. Lean over a bowl of boiling water, cover your head with a towel and make a tent around the bowl. Stay one to two feet away from the water surface and add herbs or essential oil to the water for even more benefit. Use lavender, thyme and rosemary for a stimulating cleanse.
But always treat essential oils with respect, using only the listed amount of essential oils. They are concentrated and can burn the skin – even lavender which is the only oil you can put directly onto your skin. Be careful not to rub in your eyes too.
SCRUBS & MOISTURISERS
VANILLA CHAI SUGAR BODY SCRUB
5 chai tea bags 80g each brown & white sugar
Half tsp ground cinnamon 6 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp wild/local honey 2 tsp vanilla extract
Tear open the tea bags and mix the contents with the sugar and cinnamon. Then add the coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract and mix well.
Use with warm water in the shower or bath on any part of the body to leave skin glowing and soft. Store in a sealed jar and keep for up to 12 months. Enjoy!
GRAPEFRUIT AND COCONUT OIL BODY MOISTURISER
2 tbsp shea butter
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp olive oil
10 drops essential oils (we love refreshing grapefruit!)
Mix all the ingredients together in the order they are listed, then store in a sealed container – simple!
Coconut oil and shea butter are solid at room temperature but still maleable. To make them even easier to mix, put the amount you need in a glass jar then pop that into a few inches of boiling water to melt the oils a little.
Shea butter and coconut oil have high comedogenic ratings ( so avoid using this on your face, but it’s perfect for the rest of your body!
We chose grapefruit for its summery smell and energising properties, but use whichever oil you like! To make a gorgeous foot cream, use a mixture of peppermint and tea tree oil.
HANDS
Lemon Tonic
Never throw a squeezed lemon away without first using it to rub over yours hands and elbows. It softens, cleans and bleaches them. Rinse fingernails and hands daily in a lemon rinse.
EYES
Camomile Eye Freshener
After a cup of camomile tea, don’t throw the bag away – squeeze out excess water and put over your eyes for ten minutes. Reduces puffiness and refreshes tired eyes.
Thin slices of cucumber placed over closed eyes is refreshing and soothing and can relieve eyestrain and pink eyes.
HAIR CARE
LIP CARE
Lip Balm
2-4 tablespoons of rose or marigold petals and 1 Cup almond oil
Fill a sterilised jar with petals and slowly pour the oil over them. Fill to within 2.5cm of the top of the jar. Close and label and leave in the sun for five days in summer, 15 days in winter.
Strain oil off during warm part of the day. Press the petals to extract all the oil.
Warm this oil in a double boiler, stirring continuously. Add 1 tablespoon of beeswax. Add 1 tsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract, tsp vitamin E oil, and 1 tsp aloe vera gel.
Close tightly. The balm will harden quickly. Apply it as needed.
MOUTH AND TEETH
Mint Mouthwash
1/2 tsp peppermint, dried
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, dried
1/2 tsp cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated
275ml pint sherry
10 drops of oil of peppermint
Steep herbs in sherry for 7-10 days.
Strain off herbs and add peppermint oil.
Sage Tooth Powder
A couple of handfuls of sage leaves
1 handful of sea salt
With a pestle and mortar grind the sage leaves into the sea salt. Bake in the oven until hard. Grind again into a fine powder. Put in a sealed jar and use instead of toothpaste. Alternatively, rubbing sage leaves across the teeth cleanses them and sweetens the breath.
Taken from Wen’s Granny’s Recipes and Fruity Beauty publications – With thanks to The Natural Beauty Book by Clare Maxwell-Hudson, published by MacDonald, Herbal Medicine by Dian Dincin Buchman, published by Rider and Wen staff.
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