DIY: Natural Beauty Products

There’s no doubt that each and every one of us have our go-to beauty product. It might be an expensive and extravagant perfume, or a favorite face-scrub from the local drugstore. Regardless, when you start to add up the amount of money you spend on stuff to make your skin feel soft and for you to smell good…well, that number is probably higher than it should be.

So what do we do then—stop washing our face? No, instead, we get creative.

There are plenty of household products that you can use to create all sorts of fun concoctions. Not only are you able to be inventive and save money by using ingredients you already have—you also get to avoid all of the extra, unnecessary chemicals that are placed in the products you already use.

It’s time to put that foamy store bought product away and make your own. Here are some of my favorite, do-it-yourself, natural beauty products that you can make on a budget, and in your own home!

Face and Body Scrub

For your face and body, you want something gentle that will lock in moisture, get rid of those dead skin cells and leave you smelling lovely. I recommend using an empty jelly jar to bottle up this scrub and use it as often as you need. This recipe requires:

¼ cup of baking soda

1 cup of sugar (brown or white granulated)

¼ grapeseed oil

A few drops of essential oil or

Some peel and juice of your favorite citrus fruits (lemon is great!) or

A few rose petals or

A bit of your fave herbs

Baking soda might sound like a weird ingredient to use, but believe me, it works wonders! The baking soda and sugar combination create a great exfoliation. You can easily substitute grapeseed oil with olive oil, but the great thing about grapeseed oil is that it is odorless, hence allowing you to use other natural ingredients to create the scent you want. Mix all of these together (alter as you need to based on your personal preference) and store it in a jelly jar and you’ve got yourself one hell of a refreshing new scrub, created by yours truly.

Body Spray 

I’ve never been one for perfume—just like my father, I find many of them to be suffocating and overwhelming. Body sprays, however, I am a big fan of. Many of their scents are more natural smelling to me, which makes sense because they’re often fruity and flowery. Then it occurred to me, why spend so much money at Bath and Body Works when I can make my own with two to three ingredients. Literally! Take a look:

1 plastic spray bottle

A few ounces of water (depending on the size of the bottle)

A few drops of your favorite oil or

Your favorite fruit and herbs or

Both

And voila—there you have it, your very own spritz! For fun, add your own label to it. You can use this for your hair, your body and even the room you’re in. Just make sure to shake it up before using as the oil and water will separate!

Hair Treatment

This good ol’ recipe goes back to my mom who has literally been making this for me since I was in elementary school. It’s sure to add some moisture to your hair, make it silky smooth and make your hair smell partly like a sandwich. Depending on your hair-length you will probably have to adjust some of the ingredients, which go as follows:

Half to a full avocado

¼ to ½ a cup of olive oil

A few scoops of mayo

1-2 eggs

Throw all of these ingredients into a mixing bowl (or a blender) to get them to combine together. Once the mixture seems to be blended pretty well (it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth) head to the bathroom—you should lather this on over a sink or in the bathtub as it can get pretty messy. Once you’ve coated your entire head, throw a shower-cap over it and let it soak for about an hour. After an hour has gone by, wash everything out. If you want, you can go about your regular shampoo and conditioner routine. Regardless, you’re going to notice a little extra shine in your strands making you want to do this treatment on a monthly basis.

Do you make any natural beauty products? If so, feel free to share the recipe!