Yeah, yeah, yeah i know.. it's been a long time since my last post. Things have just been super busy with graduating, keeping up with the kids over summer, starting a new job, and adjusting to life with all the kids in school and having both parents working. WHEW!!!! Anyway, as we all know, or at least most of you, I am a PENNY PINCHER!!! I hate shopping! Yep, i know... weird for a girl ;0) If i do go shopping I refuse to pay full price if I can at all help it. So, I want to help you by giving some of my ideas on how to make HOME MADE beauty products that not only save you a ton on retail products, help you not put additives all over your body, and also gives you a cheap, thought out, personalized edge on gift giving! Which is a super thing during the gift giving time of the year which we are thrust into with empty wallets, drained bank accounts and maxed out credit cards. So, here we go!
Lets start off with a SUGAR SCRUB that makes your skin feel delicious!!
Brown Sugar Body Scrub ( buffer) : for this you will need-
1 Cup of COARSE Brown Sugar ( not the softened stuff!)
1 Cup of plain white granulated Sugar ( for a coarser scrub use SUGAR IN THE RAW)
Oil ~ Light Olive Oil, Grape Seed Oil, or Apricot Oil work best
Essential Oils
Container with a tight lid (ie; small preserving jar, tupper ware or glad ware)
To make: Combine the sugars together and mix well. Add just enough oil to make the sugars moist ( as you would see with other store bought scrubs). Once that is mixed well place 8-10 drops of organic/essential oil* into the mix. ( These can be any scent or mixture of scents, however essential oils can be spendy) Continue to mix well. Store in your container with the tight lid. This will be good for 2-3 months., longer if kept in a dark area.
* If you cannot find essential/ organic oils try this instead: In an airtight container mix your sugars together. Take a few vanilla beans and slice them open. Place the cut beans on top of the sugars and place the lid on. Let this sit for 1-2 weeks. If it sits longer the better it will absorb the vanilla and the better it will smell. This also works with Lavender flours, sage leave, mint leave, rose petals, 100% cocoa, organic vanilla extract, orange zest, lemon zest ( pretty much anything with a rind or petal), even coffee beans or coffee grounds tied in a coffee filter.
Next is a LIP EXFOLIATE
LOL - Not much to it.. just use the above recipe and use only the white granulated sugar and not the rougher sugars. Leaves your lips super soft!!!
Now for Honey Lip Balm!
What you will need:
1 Tbs Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly
1/3 Tsp of Honey
small container with a lid ( check your local beauty supply store!)
Place Vaseline and honey into a microwave safe container and melt them together in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until melted fully. Carefully remove and stir the mixture together. Allow to cool on the counter until it turns solid and put a lid on it. If you want to add color you can use a small scraping of your favorite lipstick, colored bees wax also works well. You can also add a drop or 2 of peppermint oil for mint lip balm. For a healing lip balm a few drops of Tea tree oil, Eucalyptus oil, or Rosemary will do the trick.
Now lets tackle Cuticle Oil
What you will need:
An oil of your choice ( again Olive oil, Grape Seed Oil, Apricot Oil, Jojoba Oil, Pure Vitamin E Oil)
small glass container with a dropper or a plastic container with a well sealing lid ( darker glass and plastic make your oils last longer, if not using the dark container you should store your product in a dark, cool place)
Essential/ Organic Oils or any of the before mentioned (in other recipes) ingredients that can be used for scent
Mix 1/4 cup of the oil of your choice with 1-2 drops of essential/organic oil. Use a clean medicine dropper to place into the bottle, or pour into your container. If you would rather use petals,leaves, rinds, or coffee beans to scent your oils, pour the oil into a container that has a tight lid and add the additive of your choice and let it soak for at least a week.
Now for something that just smells good!
Body Mist
Body Mist ( can also be used as a sheet/pillow case spray, or room mister)
What you will need:
4 oz. Distilled Water
10-12 Drops of your favorite scent or Combination of scents (for this you will need essential oils or organic oils.)
Keep in mind that Peppermint, Lemon, and Eucaplytus are all invigorating, uplifting, energizing scents. Tea Tree, Rosemary, Cedar Wood, Sandal Wood, and Myhr are all neutral woody scents. Lavender when used in the pure state is very calming, making it a perfect choice for a room/ bed time mist on your sheets and pillows. You can find lists online about what scents will have certain effects. I will post more penny pincher ideas soon!!
Friday, November 27, 2009
Home Made and Cheap
Labels: beauty, cheap, gift ideas, homemade, spa
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