The type of recipes I'm going to showcase in this post will be your basics soaps, lotion bars, etc. meant for use on humans in the shower or bath. I'm all about being frugal and the ability to make your own products of this type can really save you a lot of money in the long run!
Eye Makeup Remover
1 c. water
1 1/2 TBS tear free baby shampoo
1/8 tsp baby oil
mix and shake before each use.
Pore Cleaning Strips
1 Tablespoon Unflavored Gelatin
1 1/2- 2 Tablespoons Milk {any kind}
Measure 1 Tablespoon of unflavored gelatin into a disposable container Add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk into the gelatin
Mix it up, and be quick about it, until you get a chunky consistency. Add more milk if you’re uncomfortable with the amount of chunk.
Microwave the gelatin for about 10-15 seconds. It will get creamier in the microwave. Stir that around and start applying it
immediately to your face. This stuff hardens fast so you’ve got to act fast.
Shaving Lotion
1 c. conditioner
1 c. shampoo
5 TBS lotion
5 TBS baby oil
mix and let sit an hour before using
Lip Gloss
1 teaspoon paraffin wax
4 teaspoons coconut oil
4 teaspoons petroleum jelly
4 white or pink (or whatever color you like) candy melts
1/2 teaspoon oil-based candy flavoring
Grate the wax into a ziploc freezer bag. Add the coconut oil, petroleum jelly, candy melts and the flavoring. Place the bag in a bowl of very hot water and allow the ingredients to melt together. Massage the bag a bit to mix the ingredients together. Snip a corner from the bag and squeeze the ingredients into small containers. Pop your lip gloss containers into the fridge to cool completely.
Bath Fizzies
Baking soda
Cornstarch
Citric acid
Spritzer bottles
Food coloring
Glass bowl
Essential oil
Baking molds
1. Sift 1 3/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup citric acid, and 2 cups cornstarch through a sieve to remove chunks. To make different tints, fill small spritzer bottles with water and add about 6 drops of food coloring to each.
2. Pour 1 cup of powdered mixture into a glass bowl. Lightly spritz, stirring after each spritz, until powder is desired color. Add water slowly, so mixture does not fizz. If mixing two tints, alternate colors as you spritz. Check the consistency of powder with your fingers; when it can be tightly packed or shaped, stop spritzing (this may take a little while).
3. Select an essential oil. Add 5 drops if it's one of the stronger scents (peppermint, lavender), 6 if it's a weaker one (lemon, grapefruit). Mix well. Firmly pack mixture into small baking molds. We used 1/4 cup for each fizzy, which is good for one bath. Allow mixture to set for 2 hours, then pop out carefully. Repeat with different tints for remaining powder.
Sun Block
- A double boiler or saucepan with a metal bowl slightly larger that will sit on top
- A wire whisk
- A receptacle to hold your sunblock like this one
- A Kitchen Scale
if you want to be precise
- Gloves and a mask
- 3 oz. Coconut Oil
- 1 oz. Beeswax
(for waterproofing properties)
- 1 oz. Cocoa Butter (100% cocoa butter can be found in the ethnic beauty section of the grocery store)
- 2 oz. Almond Oil
- 1.5 oz. Aloe Vera Gel
or about 4 large aloe leaves
- 1.5 oz zinc oxide powder
1. If you have an aloe vera plant, you can make your own aloe vera gel by scraping the innards of a few leaves. Just run the very tip of your knife along the length of the aloe leaf being careful to only cut one side, don’t cut all the way through. Separate the leaf with your fingers so it will lie flat. Holding the dull side of the knife against the leaf, starting in the middle, pull the leaf under the knife blade, scraping off the gel. Turn it around to get the other side. If you purchase aloe vera gel, you can skip this step.
2. Fill your saucepan or double boiler pot with about an inch of water and start it heating on the stovetop. Meanwhile, measure the oils into the metal bowl or top part of the boiler, along with the beeswax and cocoa butter.
3. When the water starts to boil, turn the temperature to med-low and put the bowl on top. This way the steam from the pot underneath will slowly raise the temperature of the bowl and melt the oils and wax.
4. When the oils and wax are completely melted, remove the bowl from the heat and quickly whisk in the aloe gel and the zinc oxide powder (are you wearing your mask?). Continue to whisk until the mixture cools and thickens.
5. Let the sunscreen cool completely before transferring it to your chosen receptacle. A piping bag or zip top bag with the corner cut off helps with this process. Using the chart below, this will result in a sunscreen with an SPF of about 12-19. As the summer progresses, I will make it with less zinc oxide and apply it more sparingly, so I can absorb some more of that oh, so important, Vitamin D.
Toothpaste
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
1 Tbsp castile liquid soap
A few drops peppermint, anise, wintergreen essential oil, optional
dash of stevia or xylitol
combine and store does not need to be refigerated and just a dab will do.
Crockpot Soap
I'll let you click the link on this one. It's easy, don't panic, but a lengthy discription.
Shampoo
- 1 cup distilled or spring water
- 2 tbsp. dried herbs or ¼ cup fresh herbs
- ⅓ cup liquid castile soap
- ¼ tsp. vegetable oil
- 25 drops essential oil
- 1 tbsp. additive of choice, optional
Directions:
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a glass saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the herbs, cover and allow the mixture to steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain the herbs from the liquid and discard the plant material in the compost pile or garbage bin. Allow the liquid to cool completely.
Stir the liquid castile soap into the cooled liquid, then add the vegetable oil, essential oil and additives, if using. Transfer the shampoo to a plastic bottle with a flip-top lid.
Store the shampoo in the shower and shake well before each use. Keep in mind that this shampoo works gently and will not produce much lather. However, it will leave your hair clean, shiny and healthy.
***the link has more info on what types of herbs to use if you're unsure as to what you like.
1 part vegetable shortening
1 part vegetable oil
1 part beeswax
Melt the shortening and beeswax a double boiler or a little pan in a bigger pan of simmering water. Stir in the vegetable oil. Pour into cups/molds and let cool. Pop out of “mold” and it’s ready to use. The beeswax will fragrance the bars with a nice, light honey smell, or you can stir in a little essential oil before you pour it into the molds.
Anti-Frizz Hair Serum
4 ounces Camellia Oil
1/2 ounce Castor Oil
1/2 ounce Unrefined Avocado Oil
25 drops
Essential oils for scent
Choose a natural, organic essential oil according to the healing properties desired. Use myrrh or peppermint for dry hair, lavender or rose oil for fine hair to normal hair, or add lemon or chamomile for golden highlights. Avoid using synthetic oils.
Combine all ingredients in a
DARK GLASS bottle (sunlight is damaging to all oil types). Shake well before each use.
Apply a small amount to damp hair before blowdrying or apply a very small amount to dry hair for smoothing and shine.
Hair Clarifier
- 2 tablespoons shampoo (either homemade or store bought)
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
While you're in the shower, bring along the box of baking soda with you.
Measure out approximately 1 tablespoon of baking soda and add it to twice as much shampoo in your palm.
Use the shampoo as you would normallypads of your fingertips to give your scalp a thorough massage.
Rinse very well with cool water, and then condition as normal.
The baking soda should help remove build-up, naturally!
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tsp beeswax
- optional: Vitamin E oil to preserve. I added 1 tsp vitamin E oil for this recipe)
- 3 tablespoons baking soda (Omit this if you have sensitive skin and just use extra arrowroot)
- 1/2 cup organic arrowroot powder
- 2-3 capsules of high quality probiotics that don’t need to be refrigerated
- optional: Essential oils of choice – I used about 20 drops of lavender essential oil
Combine coconut oil, shea (or other) butter, and beeswax in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out…
bring water to a boil
Stir ingredients constantly until they are melted and smooth
Remove from heat and add the vitamin E oil, baking soda, arrowroot powder, probiotics, and essential oils. Make sure the mixture is not hot to the touch (warm is ok) so that the heat doesn’t kill the probiotics.
Gently stir by hand until all ingredients are incorporated.
If you will be making these into bars, pour into muffin tins or other molds while still liquid. If you will be putting into an old deodorant container to use like stick deodorant, let the mixture harden for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature to harden and when it is about the consistency of peanut butter, use a spoon to scoop into the deodorant tube and pack down to fill. Then, leave the cap off overnight to completely harden before using.
Dry Shampoo
cornstarch, cornmeal, baking soda or ground oats.
essential oil of choice (optional- for smell only)
Feel free to mix if you'd like but the list is intended to pick one of these. Put in a shaker and sprinkle onto hair. Use your fingers to scrub in and run down the length of your hair. Then with a fine-bristled brush, briskly brush the powder out of your hair. ******this link shows before and after pics of the use, by the author. Rave reviews are in the comments!
If you want to purchase bottles online instead of reusing old ones
here and
here are websites that sell all kinds.
WARNING: always clearly label these and keep them out of reach of children!
Again, all my recipe titles double as links to the original poster's sites and blogs. Get over there and show some love!
