Don’t forget to read Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101 before you get started.

My fave links:

Channel your inner princess with homemade body glitter: I don’t do makeup, but I admit it; I am sort of into my sparkles from time to time. This would also make a wonderful gift for a child.

Homemade beeswax lip balm: Too many ads at this site, but a good recipe.

End of summer body scrub

A cool collection of lotion bars – I’ve altered many of them, but they give a great jumping off point, and some I like just how they are. These are nice because they’re non-messy.

Nice starter cleansing cream recipe: Alter with fruits, milks, or oils if you like.

Plus one random recipe I’ve never tried: Homemade Deodorant Recipe

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

[homemade body glitter image via: Beauty Den]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Here are a few plain old honey skin applications. If you’re using it on your skin, I’d use organic.

Plain honey for the honey pat or tap: Pour a little honey into a cup, use your fingers to scoop honey onto your face. Tap your fingers all over your face until the honey stops dripping and becomes tacky (it will become tacky). Leave for ten minutes and rinse. Easy and it works so well for cleaning that you’ll be amazed.

Apple honey cleansing toner: I don’t remember where I got this recipe – it’s not one of mine though. I’ve had it forever and I love it. Just toss one peeled and cored apple (any kind) into a blender with a tablespoon or two of honey, and a teaspoon of aloe. Blend to death. Apply mixture to face, drink a cup of tea, rinse. Hello fresh face!

Creamy honey milk scrub: I don’t like this one as well, but have a friend who swears by it. Mix 2-3 tablespoons of cream with two tablespoons ground oatmeal and 2-3 tablespoons of honey. Scrub and rinse. I like this better for body than face.

Don’t forget to read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Both of these work on all skin types except ultra sensitive. If you have very sensitive skin you can omit part of the scrubby ingredients (i.e. almonds or bran) but try a little on your arm before using.

Almond, Apricot, & Honey Face Scrub

You need:

• 1/2 organic apricot at room temperature
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 tablespoon Honey
• Optional – a teaspoon of dried lavender

To make:

Put everything in a blender and blend together. Scrub onto face and rinse with warm water. Usually there’s a little left-over, so scrub your elbows while your at it. This scrub leaves a fantastic smell lingering.

Green Tea, Almond, & Bran Scrub

You need:

• 1/2 cup hot strongly brewed organic green tea
• 1/4 cup coarse wheat bran (you can find this in the bulk grocery section)
• 1/4 cup ground almonds

Optional:

• 2 drops tea tree essential oil
• 1 drop lavender essential oil

To make:

Mix the bran and almonds into the hot green tea until a nice paste forms. Cool. Add essential oils. If you want to make this into a whole body scrub use 3/4 cup green tea, and double the almonds and bran. Also add about 1/4 cup rich olive oil. The oil will separate the scrub some, but not too much. For a full body scrub you can add more essential oils too.

Before making read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

[images via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Any herb face and body cream:

Pick a herb. You can use most any herb, but I suggest choosing one that’s good for your particular skin type. You can use elderflower, calendula, linden blossom, and more. If you’d like to make a cream for children I suggest comfrey or chamomile, which are gentle.

Gather supplies:

• 4oz fresh organic herb of your choice (or 2oz dried) – fresh is best
• 150 ml almond oil, or if olive oil is too rich for your tastes, try almond or apricot oil – just be sure it’s a nice quality oil
• Two tablespoons beeswax
• Two tablespoons organic cocoa butter
• Two teaspoons honey – if you can aim for a high quality raw honey you can use processed honey, but your cream will be a little less thick
• One teaspoon borax

To make:

1. Place herbs in glass or pottery bowl and pour 1/3 pint boiling water over them. Steep for 4 hours. If the water looks too low, you can add a bit more.
2. Into a small double boiler (that’s already boiling) add: oil and beeswax – slowly melt beeswax.
3. Add cocoa butter and melt.

In another pot that’s being warmed but not boiled:

1. Add 1/3 pint of your herbal infusion – liquid only
2. Add borax, and stir until dissolved.
3. Add honey, and stir until dissolved.

Remove both bots from heat. Mix contents of both pots together – it works best if you add the infusion mixture to the oil mixture slowly. Beat mixture until creamy – as soon as it starts to cool it’ll thicken and be harder to beat so start right away.

Store in little containers. Sometimes I’ve added tea tree or other essential oils to this mix as well. If you add oils do it during the last stage – the mixing part. Remember to check and see which mixtures of herbs and oils will work for your skin. This cream DOES NOT need to be kept in the fridge. Most lotions do, so this is a huge plus.

If you want to give this as a gift, you can pick up a thrift store, antique looking lotion pot – just be sure to include ingredients on a little card for the recipient, you don’t want to risk them being allergic to a herb or oil.

Before getting started don’t forget to read: Homemade Beauty Products – Safety 101

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

I’ve written this basic safety sheet that you can follow regarding the safety of homemade beauty products; products either with or without therapeutic benefits. If you’re going to make your own homemade beauty products, please make sure to read this all the way through. From now on, this important post, will be posted in the sidebar pages to the right, if you need to refer to it again.

The following tips apply for products like homemade skin care, cosmetics, soaps, health treatments (like massage oil or steams), and even items such as homemade art supplies, which are remarkably similar to homemade beauty products.

Always talk with an expert – otherwise known as the, “You are responsible for your own health” speech.

I know a lot about oils, homemade products, flowers, and herbs. I’ve worked as a doula, went through nursing school, and just generally picked up stuff from experts I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve also done a lot of self experimenting over the last ten plus years.

However, the best advice is that I’m not a licensed holistic doctor or a professional in the field of aromatherapies, herbs for health, or anything like that. While my goal is to help, not harm anyone, a small blog post cannot explain all that could go wrong with a product or every situation on a personalized basis.

Essential oils, herbs, and all other related items that go into homemade products are complex topics. Methods of use are also complex. If you’re not an expert in oils and herbs, or someone with plenty of self experience, you should always talk with a professional health care provider before experimenting. Be it a traditional or holistic care provider this step is important because you may be on a medication or vitamin that can interact with a herb or oil, you may be allergic, or you may have a health concern that dictates you not use a specific item.

You can and should also invest in a good guidebook. One of my favorites about essential oils is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. She also has a pocket guide out now. As for books about herbs, I like The Complete Book of Herbs and A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs.

Basic homemade beauty product safety tips:

• Homemade beauty and health products are made to be tweaked and recipes often personalized. Not every product works for every individual.

• Just because it’s natural does not make it 100% safe. You could be allergic, or a certain herb may make you ill. So be aware of side effects just as you would be with a store bought facial peel, hair color, or medication.

• Tweaking of homemade beauty products is perfectly safe, so long as all other basic safety recommendations are followed.

• Everyone really should do test dabs of new homemade products. If you have especially sensitive skin (scalp included) then you really need to do tests dabs. To do a test dab, take a little bit of a homemade product and dab it on your inner arm. You can actually do test dabs with individual ingredients instead, like cedar oil, before using it in a product. Cover the dab with a bandage. If you develop red, burning, itching, pain, or any other issue it’s likely you should toss that product you just made. You can also tweak the recipe to make it work for you.

• Unless you’re a chemist, and really into experimenting, your homemade products should be preservative free. That’s good news for your health, bad news for the life of said product. If there’s anything questionable in your product, that may go bad, keep it in the fridge. Make smaller batches so you can use it up before you end up having to toss a product. Lotions and some hair colors are important to keep in the fridge, while things like soaps and sugar scrubs are not.

Basic essential oil buying tips:

If you want oils for therapeutic, not just fragrance reasons, than follow these tips…

1. Buy pure and organic essential oils. You can easily tell if you’re getting a pure oil by price. You should never see a shelf of oils priced identically. Orange, lavender, and geranium oils for example differ widely in cost to produce and thus buy. If all the oils are $10 it’s a fact you’re getting fake oils.
2. Reputable sellers will bottle in dark colored bottles to protect the oil from sunlight.
3. Take blotter paper with you when you shop for oils. Oils, ironically, are not that oily. Most pure oils when dropped onto a bit of blotting paper will quickly evaporate. A fragrance (fake oil) will leave an oily mark usually.

Basic essential oil safety tips:

• Never use straight essential oil drops. You have to dilute in a carrier oil (sometimes called a base oil). I like sweet almond oil as a carrier but if you’re allergic to nuts try another, like apricot. Both of the above a light, and won’t clog your pores up. There are lots more to try and in a pinch I’ve used olive oil as a carrier.

• The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) recommends that you not ingest essential oils when another application such as massage may be just as appropriate. Some recipes with oils, say for a sore throat or mouth rinse for oral health do involve swishing, and some health remedies involve oils in teas or other drinks. The potential risks of ever putting an oil in your mouth should be carefully weighed before doing so.

• Keep oils out of the reach of little ones. If your child ingests any essential oil, treat it like any other medication or household product, and call poison control.

Basic flower and herbal safety tips:

• Use organic herbs and flowers.

• Know your herb and flower. If you grow it yourself, clearly label the plant (unless you’re a plant genius). Using the wrong herb in a soap could be bad news if you’re allergic.

• Herbs and flowers in beauty products can harm your skin, just like any old store bought product. Natural and safe are not always simultaneous as some might have you think.

• Herbs and flowers work slower than oils and medications. If you create homemade products with a slant toward healing properties it may take longer to work than other products.

MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS:

If you are pregnant: NEVER use essential oils, herbs, or other natural items in care products for health or beauty until your midwife or doctor gives you the go-ahead. Some of the above can cause birth complications, harm your baby, or induce a far too early labor. Even by just putting an oil on your skin, you could cause a problem. There are plenty of safe natural items for pregnancy, but, if off the top of your head, you can’t name them all, then check with your prenatal care provider first.

Babies and elderly individuals: Actually there’s research that notes that natural homemade products can be just as good for little ones and the elderly as anyone. However, it’s commonly recommended that you cut recipes down to a smaller size. For example, if a recipe for a bath soak calls for 12 drops of lavender oil, you’d want to cut that by 1/3 or more for a baby or elder adult. Of course, also follow all the normal precautions listed above as well.

More information:

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy

The Herb Research Foundation

[all photos via stock.xchng]

Post from: Tree Hugging Family

Supplies:

1. 2 cups sugar – I like a mix of coarse natural brown, and basic white; it makes a good scrub worthy feel. You can use just coarse brown or just plain white though. Do not use soft brown baking sugar.
2. Oil: I like apricot or light olive best. Any oil that’s natural and from a nut or fruit will work. Baby oil (non-scented) will also work. Do not use cooking oil like corn – that will make a funky smell and a too-slick feel.
3. Vanilla beans: Use whole organic, or in a pinch I’ve used organic vanilla extract (seriously, I was hard up). However, extract will darken your mix – no biggie though.
4. Organic lavender essential oil.
5. Any old container with a lid.

Instructions:

1. Place vanilla beans in dry sugar. Cover and let sit for a week or two – the longer it sits the better the smell. If using vanilla extract, skip this step.
2. Remove vanilla beans. Cover sugar until saturated (but not over saturated) with oil. Short on oil? You can also use a mix of oil and water – I know the two don’t mix, but in sugar it will work.
3. Add a few drops of lavender oil. If you’re using vanilla extract add a few drops now.
4. Use to scrub down your body either before you start the shower or during. Rinse well. Do not use on face or hair.
5. This last a long time – i.e. it won’t mold or anything before you use it up. You can keep it in your bathroom. Also, contrary to what you may think, you won’t be sticky. You don’t need to wash this off with soap; plain water is fine.

One, you will feel smooth and smell delicious. Two, your bathroom will also smell great all day long. I’ve been reusing the same container for years. If you want to give this as a gift, look for short, squat, wide glass containers at thrift stores. You can also mix this up with various herbs and essential oils.

Other nice mixes I’ve tried include:

• Grapefruit and peppermint
• Orange, clove, and lemon
• Tea tree
• Basil and lemon
• Cedar and lavender
• Coffee (I ground a bit of espresso) and grapefruit
• Almond and orange

Really the sky is the limit. The best thing about homemade body scrubs is how versatile and cheap they are. If you mess up, no big loss. It’s natural and degrades so no worries. If you don’t have essential oils around they can be a be more costly to get started with. I use oils for everything though so I have many. Also, one small bottle of organic lavender oil will make tons of this stuff. TONS. I saw some sugar scrub at the store and it was $22 – holy. I can make batches for that much money. Plus mine has no artificial anything in it.

Give it a try, you’ll love it.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family