Making your own beauty care products

[TheFriskyCat]

Does anyone have any great recipes on homemade beauty products? Or maybe a good website or book to check out? I'm looking to make shampoo, face wash, conditioner, things of that nature. :cool:

[hippymama]

I have simple recipes for pretty much everything.

Shampoo-baking soda and enough water to make a thin paste.

Hair rinse- half vinegar half water. add a few drops of fuity eo and spritz on after washing. leave in for 1 minute then rinse. it seals the cuticle of the hair leaving it soft shny smooth and tangle free.

My face washes are not vegan.
honey, and ground oatmeal w/ or w/o milk powder. Rub into skin and rinse in cold water.

Anything else? I have zillions of them, plus herbal remedies and house cleaning supplies.

[Spidergrrl]

Oooo! I have been meaning to start a thread on this. I have to go to work but when I come home I can post recipes for several things.

[Gustagirl]

Yay for homemade beauty products :) I'll definetly have to try some of the things mentioned :)
Hippymama anything you wanna send my way would be greatly appreciated :)

[jaynesh]

I made some chapstick I really love. I dont have the recipe though sorry.

[animallover7249]

Good idea for a thread, I dont have any recipies but I will try some thats posted :D

[hippymama]

I like single ingredient items that can be used in many ways. I have 10 pounds of shea butter. It can be used to moisturize anything, skin, hair, lips. It also makes nails nice and shiny and makes a great eyemakeup remover.

BS with a few drops of eo makes a great deodorant. Use a puff or brush to dust it on as a powder, or mix with a little water to form a paste.

BS paste makes an effective toothpaste.

Witchazel with a few drops of peppermint oil makes a great bug repellant.

Titanium oxide (diaper cream) is a very safe, natural sunblock. I use Boudreaux's Butt Paste on my baby.

I can't think of anymore. Ask me for anything else you need.

[Gustagirl]

Thanks Hippymama those are all very cool ideas...gonna have to try some of these out :)

[TheFriskyCat]

Hippymama - where did you get all these great recipes?

[Spidergrrl]

Face Wash

3 TB aloe vera gel
3 TB flower water (I use a mixture of rose and lavender flower water but you could use water with a few drops lavender EO to make flower water. I also haver found cheap rose flower water in the baking aisle of the supermarket)
2 TB grapeseed oil
10-15 drops lavender EO

Whisk together and decant into a clean jar. Shake before you pour a little in your hand to wash your face as it can separate.

This is really soothing and good for sensitive skin. The grapeseed oil is perfect for oily skin as it is really light.

Chocolate body scrub

1 cup brown sugar
2 TB liquid soap
3 TB cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients and then pour in oil and stir until the dry ingredients are saturated and there is a thin layer of oil on top. Store in the shower and just scoop out what you need to scrub your body. You may need to stir with your finger to mix it up before you scoop out. You will need to rinse the tub afterwards but it smells so divine and your body will be so smooth and soft you won't care.


Deodorant

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/4 cup witch hazel
10 drops lavender EO
10 drops tea tree oil
10 drops lemon EO

MIx and decant into clean spray bottle.

Lip and cheek tint (like Benetint)

45g (1 1/2 oz) raw beetroot, grated
3 TB vegetable gycerine

Put the ingeredients in a double boiler and heat fro 15 minutes. Cool and then strain out the beetroot and pour into a small clean bottle. Shake before use then apply a dab to your cheeks blending well. Can be used as a lip gloss too to provide a bit of natural colour--but slick on a bit of clear after to help you rub your lips together. This will give you an all natural just got back from the seaside rosy glow.

Sage lash conditioner

25g (1 oz) fresh sage or 10g (1/2 oz) dried sage
2 TB each caster oil and olive oil

Infuse the sage in the oils in a double boiler. Let cool and then strain the sage out and you will have dark greenish brown oil. decant in a clean small necked bottle. Using a clean mascara brush apply very lightly to lashes every night before you sleep. This will help condition your lashes and help them grow as well as gradually darken them (sage is a natural hair darkener) Wash the brush well after use and let it air dry.

Willow Blemish Buster

10g (1/2 oz) fresh willow leaves
2 oz apple cyder vinegar

Chop the leaves and pour the vinegar over them. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate, shaking every day. After a week strain out the willow and pour into a sterilized bottle. Apply the liquid with a cotton bud (Q-Tip) to zits. Willow contains salycilic acid--the same thing used in many over the counter acne meds like Clearasil.

Carmelite water (a perfume)

50g (2 oz) angelica leaves
50g (2 oz) lemon balm leaves
10g (1/2 oz) coriander seeds
1 heaped tsp grated nutmeg
10g (1/2 oz) cloves
1 cinamon stick
300ml (1/2 pint) vodka

Put everything in the jar and cover with vodka. Leave it in a warm place like a windowsil and shake every day for 3-4 weeks. Strain and decant into a sterilised bottle and use within 6 months.

These are all fairly easy but produce great results and no harsh chemicals and no strong preservatives. Enjoy!

[Misty]

Great recipes Spidergrrl! Gonna have to try them out, I really like the sound of the lash conditioner one.

[Eden]

It depends on your skin and hair type: dry or oily.
But here's my contribution:

Deodorant: Freshly squeezed lemon, let dry a bit, then add powder to dry the rest. NO SMELL ALL DAY! It's a modern day miracle.

Lotion: Olive oil or Cocnut oil (mild smelling ones). A little goes a long way.

Conditioners: Various combos of honey, (olive, coconut, almond, jojoba etc) oils, avocado. Clearly these are moisturizing. They are amazing for deep conditioning.

Face washes: Washing with olive oil (properly) actually cleans and clears the face, contrary to general belief. For exfoliation, adding sugar to the mix is great. Mix with honey if you desire. These are also excellent whole body scrubs. I do a honey, sugar, olive oil scrub once per week before a shower. I suppose it can be done after the shower too.

Adding a few essential oils to these would work nicely too.

hth

[hippymama]

Hippymama - where did you get all these great recipes?

I've been collecting them for nearly 10 years. You can do a search for natural remedies, natural home products, home remedies, etc. There's tons of stuff out there.

I have more.

Aloe gel makes a lovely facial moisturizer and heals skin irritations.

Sugar body scrub-add enough olive oil to moisten sugar. Add vanilla for scent.

Lemon salt foot scrub-Add the juice of one lemon and olive oil to coarse salt.

[hippymama]

Hippymama - where did you get all these great recipes?

I've been collecting them for nearly 10 years. You can do a search for natural remedies, natural home products, home remedies, etc. There's tons of stuff out there.

I have more.

Aloe gel makes a lovely facial moisturizer and heals skin irritations.

Sugar body scrub-add enough olive oil to moisten sugar. Add vanilla for scent.

Lemon salt foot scrub-Add the juice of one lemon and olive oil to coarse salt.

[granolacruncher]

Scented bath salts-1 cup Epsom salts and 1 tsp of essential oil. Mix together and add food coloring if you feel the need. I like lavender and peppermint.
Lip Gloss-Vaseline and peppermint make a nice combo. You can take the last nub of your favorite lipstick and melt it in. I've also done small amounts of vegan chocolate and peppermint for holiday lip gloss. That was yummy.

We regularly make our own soap from vegetable glycerin, essential oil, and herbs. It's super cheap and usually turns out really well.

[Starblossom]

Eden, how do you wash your face properly with olive oil? I have some extra-virgin olive oil in the cupboard but i'd like to avoid any breakouts :eek:

any recipes for acne-prone skin? I'm afraid I have no recipes to contribute but I can test them! The only part of my face that tends to break out are my cheeks, for some reason. I think they are more dry than the rest of my face, but moisturizer doesn't seem to help.

[Eden]

Eden, how do you wash your face properly with olive oil? I have some extra-virgin olive oil in the cupboard but i'd like to avoid any breakouts :eek:

any recipes for acne-prone skin? I'm afraid I have no recipes to contribute but I can test them! The only part of my face that tends to break out are my cheeks, for some reason. I think they are more dry than the rest of my face, but moisturizer doesn't seem to help.

This is what is generally done:

Rinse face with warm water.
Apply EVOO richly to the the face. Use swift, circular motion.
Using a warm, wet cloth/ rag, remove the oil from the face. The oil and dirt are removed together.
No need to moisturize, either.

Ta bom!

[ghelfling]

How about hair dye? Does anyone have a "recipe"?

[lunawinds]

I like single ingredient items that can be used in many ways. I have 10 pounds of shea butter. It can be used to moisturize anything, skin, hair, lips. It also makes nails nice and shiny and makes a great eyemakeup remover.

BS with a few drops of eo makes a great deodorant. Use a puff or brush to dust it on as a powder, or mix with a little water to form a paste.

BS paste makes an effective toothpaste.

Witchazel with a few drops of peppermint oil makes a great bug repellant.

Titanium oxide (diaper cream) is a very safe, natural sunblock. I use Boudreaux's Butt Paste on my baby.

I can't think of anymore. Ask me for anything else you need.


Great thread I'm going to use some of these ideas.
My son's skin is very sensitive.
I only use 7th Generation wipes because he breaks out with all the others. I found the best diaper rash cream to use on my baby is cornstarch.
It's cheap and it works faster than any cream and it does not burn him when I apply it on his skin.

Peace,
Jen

[hippymama]

Try a wet baby washie instead of a wipe. My first had very sensitive skin and after a few months of making wipes (Viva paper towels, water with a drop baby wash and a drop of baby oil) I finally switched to easy cloth wipes. Just toss them in a pail and wash like regular laundry. If you use cloth dipes, throw them in the pail with the dipes.

[Arilark]

Hippymama, will your shampoo or conditioner weigh hair down at all?

[surya]

'Recipes for Natural Beauty', from Neal's yard remedies, is a great, great book for recipes for very professional home made beauty products. Some of the recipes are quite involved, and involve essential oils which can be expensive to buy, but they are lots of suggestions about 'half-way' products if you want to use more natural, home-made stuff but don't have a lot of time (or money!). They also have really simple recipes which work brilliantly, especially the hair and face masks. Here is my favorite hair mask from the book (not vegan, I'm afraid):

Massage coconut oil into your hair: a good massage in itself is really good for your head, so take your time over it, and better still, have someone else do it! I tie my hair back and leave the oil overnight if I can (protecting my pillow with an old towel), otherwise leave it for a couple of hours. Then rub on some yoghurt, and leave for another two hours. Wash off, applying shampoo before you wet your hair the first time (it takes two good lathers to get everything off). My hair (thick, dark) is amazingly shiny and soft after this. It might be a bit full-on if you have very fine hair, but its the best hair treatment I've ever found.

Also, another poster asked about hair dye: the book also has several hair dye recipes made from tea and/or henna. Will look it up tonight and post!

[hippymama]

Not even at all. It isn't actually shapmoo or conditioner. The BS paste removes any residue that your other products leave behind. The vinegar rinse seals the cuticle of the hair, so it smooths the hair without adding anything to it. It also cures dandruff.

[bwgan]

What great recipes! I'm sure I can get my mom and sis to use them, I know I will.

Here's a few I have (I got them out of a magazine):
Nail Cleanser & Whiteneer
Clean gardening dirt from under nails by inserting your fingertips in a lemon half. Twist them back and forth to remover grime. Afterward, soak nails in lemon juice for 5 to 10 minutes; then brush them with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and warm water.

Flyaway Tamer
Calm hair static and flyaways. Mix 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon lime juice, and 1/2 cup water. Lightly spray on hair.

Wrinkle Remedy
This ancient anti-wrinkle formula is popular in France. Boil 1 cup milk, 2 tsps lemon juice, and 1 tbl brandy. While warm, use a pastry brush to apply to the face and neck; let it dry. Wash off and soooth with moisterizer.

[Spidergrrl]

Flyaway Tamer
Calm hair static and flyaways. Mix 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon lime juice, and 1/2 cup water. Lightly spray on hair.

.


Be careful of this--it can lighten your hair.

I second the vinegar rinse for hair. I put a capful of white wine vinegar in a jug and fill with water and pour over my hair after a shampoo and my hair is silky soft. The acid in the vinegar cuts any shampoo residue left in. The smell disapears quickly but if you like you drop in a few drops of essential oil. I like lavender.