That sounds delightful Myscha. I can't wait to try it out.
A quick question about the rubbing alcohol. Does it dry your skin? Can you substitute it with something else?
10 Budget Beauty Products You Can Make at Home
Photo: LdF
Tired of hearing health and beauty product recipes you'd need a chemistry text book to decipher? Here are ten simple ideas you can try today with things most people have sitting in the cupboards and pantries at home.
For the most part, these ideas are pretty unisex. So guys, feel free to indulge too. The only thing you'll need in addition to the ingredients is a few different types of empty containers such as spray bottles, squeezable squirt bottles, and empty jars with screw on caps.
Spray Conditioning Treatment
My husband and I used this idea on our backpacking trip. It worked really well and helped me stretch my preferred conditioner through several countries where I know I wouldn't have been able to purchase it. All you need is a fine mist spray bottle. (I got a miniature sized one because I was spending several months with only one bag to live out of and space was a concern. Doing this in your home, you could get a larger bottle and not have to re-mix as often.) Put a small squirt of your favorite hair conditioner in the bottom. Fill the rest with water. Close the bottle. Shake like crazy. Spray on wet hair and comb through. It's also a great detangler for kids. That is literally all there is to it. Word to the wise? All spray bottles are NOT created equal. I bumped up to a larger one so I could not have to remix as often here at the lake. Let's just say I should have checked to see if it was a spray or a stream before I purchased it. Definitely would not recommend the stream. Also, play around with the amount of conditioner that works for you. What works great for one person may leave another's hair oily. This is easily solved with either extra water or extra product.
Scented Hand Sanitizer or Aftershave Gel
Equal parts of rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel with a few drops of your favorite scented oil. Seriously, that's it. We like the pump action containers left over from liquid hand soap. You might like the smaller squirt bottles — whatever works for you. My husband also likes to add sandalwood oil to this mixture and use it as an aftershave gel. To be honest, we play it by ear to see if this will save us money or not. Sometimes, it's easily found for a decent price. This summer, that was the case. But in Arizona, it never was. So I got by with my dollar store aloe vera and my Costco rubbing alcohol. It came out to around 25 cents for a regular sized pump bottle, and I put one by every sink in the house, and next to the keyboard. After using the handle on the grocery cart, handling money at the bank, etc., we've gotten in the habit of having a small bottle in each vehicle as well.
Body Ointment for Extra Dry Spots
This is dirt cheap and in my opinion, works really well. Buy the cheapest generic brand of vegetable shortening you can find (In Tucson, this was always located at Save-A-Lot). Melt it slowly in a mini crock pot or double boiler. Pour into a small airtight container and add a few drops of essential oil. (Peppermint works for me!) Close the container and allow to re-solidify. Use as a night balm on lips, elbows, heels and knees. This works really well and has no unidentified ingredients. Like I said, I'm a fan of using peppermint oil in this ointment because it has a soothing yet zingy feel when you use the balm. Choose the scent that works best for you. Warning: I tried going the extra mile and tint this stuff once because I thought it would look nicer and I wanted to give a batch as a gift to a friend of mine. Huge debacle! Really, don't even go there. It works just fine without the custom tinting efforts.
After Shower Body Oil
You can skip the regular stuff with all the petroleum additives and just use olive or soy oil with your favorite scented oil. Olive oil blends work great. Women in the Mediterranean have been using this for a very long time. A friend of mine has a mother-in-law who is Greek. She let her in on this little secret years ago. All the women in that family have FABULOUS looking skin.
Salt and Sugar Scrubs
I usually make salt scrubs, because they feel the same to me and bulk salt costs a fair amount less, which enables me to enjoy even more of this stuff! Pick a great essential oil scent or a fun combo like orange and cinnamon or grapefruit and sage. (A great place for inspiration regarding scent combos is your handy dandy spa products store.) Put a few drops of the scented stuff into a larger amount of either olive or soy oil (the soy oil is available in bulk at Costco for pretty cheap). Mix in either salt or sugar until you have the desired consistency. Scoop into airtight containers and set aside for use. What I think is great about these scrubs is that you get an exfoliation and a moisture seal at the same time.
Multi Purpose Shampoo
I've heard horror stories of people out there using bar or liquid hand and body soap on their hair when money was tight. As a woman who loves her hair and prefers not to have to wear a crew cut, this is FAR too harsh a solution for me. I am however, willing to go in the other direction. Here are some things I use shampoo for: shower gel, facial cleanser, light stain remover, substitute sudsing item in homemade spray cleaners, and as a laundering agent for hand washable delicates.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ADVERTISEMENT
Everlasting Hair Spray
OK, it doesn't last forever this way, but it lasts much longer. The only trick is you need the pump bottle kind not the aerosol. You can transfer this to another empty pump hair spray bottle, or wait until yours is half empty. Ready? Mix it half and half with water. Yup. That's it. It works just fine when diluted by up to 50 percent. If you are a hard core penny pincher and buy the bargain brands with the dollar coupons, you could conceivably not have to pay anything for your hair spray ever again. However, if you enjoy the salon brands of hair spray (and what woman could blame you?) this will really help you maximize your product investment.
Astringent
Maybe all of you women out there have had better luck than I have finding a brand of this stuff that is effective enough to do the job, and yet gentle enough to not completely dry out your skin. Since that's never happened for me (although I'm certainly open to brand suggestions), I use this version. It's pretty simple. All you need is two parts witch hazel to one part distilled water and a few drops of tea tree oil. I suppose you could skip the tea tree oil, but it works well for this, is refreshing, and allows you to adjust the recipe for those times when your skin is more oily than others. I put this in a small travel sized squirt bottle from the pharmacy section at the local Walmart/Target/whatever, and use it with a cotton ball. So far, it's worked the best for me. I'd be really open to hearing what other ideas all of you have.
Hair Clarifying Treatment
If you like to keep a container of baking soda in the shower to keep your tiles ship-shape, you're set to go with this idea. Otherwise, you may want to put an air and water tight container of the stuff in there to make this go smoother. To give yourself a hair clarifying treatment, mix a tiny bit of baking soda with your shampoo in the palm of your hand. It really doesn't take much. Do this at least once a week to keep the build-up off your hair and promote volume. More than one of my hair dresser friends over the years has let me in on this little secret. If you've never tried this, or it's been a while since you have, use lots of baking soda all through your hair before your shampoo. You'll need to deep condition afterward for sure, but it's a good way to get the gook off. If you really want to not have to bother with the mixing part, I was told you can put a tad in a separate bottle of shampoo and mark it as clarifying shampoo to use once a week or so. Word to the wise? Too much of the baking soda can cause a bit of drying. Start light and work your way up.
Scented Body Spray
Two parts rubbing alcohol to one part water, and your favorite scented oil combo in a spray bottle. If you'd like a little more luxury, add a bit of olive or soy oil for moisture to rub in.
What I like about this list is that these are simple things that everyone can try at home. No twenty-eight step, fifteen ingredient face masks here. Simple. Quick. Workable. If money is really tight for you, or you have sensitive skin, feel free to skip the scented oil portions. We used bits of our weekly and monthly savings to slowly accumulate a good sized collection of various essential oils. My favorite kind is the N.O.W. brand that many health food stores carry. They are the most affordable brand I've found, and they have a killer selection of scents. My husband and I really enjoy having these on hand at home. Having several scents to choose from really makes us feel like we're living large and getting a custom product every time we make stuff for baths and massages.
Even some of the more expensive scents like sandalwood last a really long time, so in the end, you are getting more spa, beauty and bath products than you ever would otherwise. Which leaves you more money for other important bubble bath necessities . . . like wine!
Best of Wise Bread
Hi Will. Thanks for the question. It's never dried mine out, but since I believe it's more for the sanitation / preservative factor so the mixture doesn't go bad, as well as the cool evaporative effect (there may be other reasons, but those are the ones I was told about), if you have sensitive skin that dries out easily you could try a couple of different modifications.
One, try witch hazel instead of rubbing alcohol. Two, mix in a little olive or soy oil so you get a moisture factor. Let me know how you make out.
Good point about the bottles.
I've long used Dr. Bronner's soap, which is so concentrated that you can dilute it about 12X. The problem was that it was so runny that a squirt of the dilute solution would all run off my hand. A squirt of the concentrated solution ran off too, but the one-twelveth of it that stayed on my hand was enough to wash with.
I while back, though, I found some squirt bottles that foamed up the soap when you squirt them. (I'm not sure how they work. Maybe the force the solution through a screen of some sort.) Now a squirt of dilute solution all stays on my hand letting me use it all for washing.
I'd like to find some better foaming squirt bottles, though. The ones I've bought seem to wear out in just a couple of years. If they were a bit better made they should last much longer.
You know, I just discovered Dr. Bronners before our trip. It's a great product. The peppermint will really wake you up in the shower as a shampoo. At least that's the scent I got.
Regarding the foaming bottles . . . I'd love to know where you found yours. The only ones I've been able to get are if I dish out and buy the foaming dish soap or hand soap, and then save the empty bottle for refilling with my own stuff. Not sure how long they last that way, though, because I just discovered the trick before the movers came to Arizona and packed up everything we own. They still have it and we are getting by here at the cottage with whatever until we can get the shell put up for the bigger place and therefor have our belongs delivered.
Rubbing alcohol can dry your skin, but the oil will pretty much counteract that. Rubbing alcohol is in everything, including most moisturizing creams.
Yes, it is in nearly everything. But if someone has sensitive skin, as I mentioned to Will, you could always try the witch hazel substitution idea.
Two questions...
1. You just rub olive oil on your skin? Where? How much?
Aren't you left feeling sticky and greasy?
I'd love to try it.
2. Where do you get "essential oils"?? Walmart? Dollar store? Bath and Body stores?
Thanks for the great ideas! I can't wait to try...I hope I have fabulous skin for once, too! LOL!
Well, as Andrea said, it can be a little thick. However, I guess since I usually use it the way I always used baby oil, which was to apply it all over with my hands, give it a minute to soak in while I towel dry my hair, then wipe it off with another towel, I was fine with the extra oilyness. Now, that being said, any time you use any bath oil this is an issue. So it's really a matter of knowing that if you are going to do it, you don't want to sit on your newly recovered tapestry couch.
The pajama suggestion Andrea pointed out would be a way to go. A squirt bottle is not mandatory, but really, it's much easier if you have one.
The essential oils. Usually, health food stores have them. They've got to be online somewhere though. There are many great brands, but the most affordable I found (which enables you to have funds to buy a larger selection if you want to) was the N.O.W. one that I mentioned. They have a lavander / purple label.
I didn't write this, so I can't speak for Myscha, but olive oil can make you greasy. I often use it during the summer, but I put it on at night before bed and wear pajamas. Don't overdo it. You can also cover yourself with it and then shower - you'll still be really soft and smooth. Just be careful not to slip in the shower.
Good article.
A warning - Witch Hazel often contains rubbing alcohol. Try health stores for the non-alcohol version.
Rubbing alcohol can be purchased in different concentrations (60% or 100%).
My face eventually reacted to (biodegradable) dishsoap (should have diluted lots more), aloe vera (should have diluted more), witch hazel (contained alcohol). Didn't cause dryness until my skin changed in my 40s. Ageing of skin creates different levels of skin oils and collagen.
I wash my face with oat bran. I put a bunch of oat flakes into a cup add water and wait from 30 sec. to 3 min. untill the flakes get soft and rub my face with them & rinse with water. It cleans pores and removes those black spots/dots. I do it twice a day and I don't need face cream anymore. My face doesn't dry. I also don't use soap or shower gel, I just scrub my body with natural loofah sponge, but I clean this sponge with ordinary soap. And I don't have to use moisturizer anymore!
Wow. That's really interesting. I remember hearing / reading over the years about the power of oatmeal in a bar of soap for moisturizing. I guess I never thought of using it on its own. And you get exfoliating benefits too?
And the loofah . ..now that sounds really unique.
Thanks for taking the time to post.
I've been using the same foam soap dispenser in my classroom for over a year. I had to pony up for the foam hand soap initially (Dial) but I bought it on sale and it wasn't that much. Now, I make hand soap by filling the container one third full with shampoo from the dollar store, and two thirds water. Shake gently to mix and then let it settle. A container of this stuff will foam really well and last a long time - even with 30 kids using it every day.
Thanks for that one, Jen.
I'd like to use that in my education newsletter or blog, if you don't mind. Thanks for taking the time to post.
If you Use Alcohol in the body Spray does it harm clothing and will it affect the oil scent? Thank you
Well, I'm no chemist, but alcohol is a major ingredient in many body sprays and scents.
Also, I can personally say that I have never had it affect clothing anymore than regular perfume, and the scent has been more than stable from my experience.
Hope this helps . ..
Hi Guest.
I've never bothered with a formal ratio, but can tell you that you only need a very few drops of the essential oil. As for the olive, you can just pour a capful or two into the alcohol and water mix, depending on the size of the bottle you are making. This is more than enough to dispurse the extra moisture if you shake before spraying.
hello, i was wondering would it be okay to add some essential oil to the astringent? or would that affecct in some bad way? because alone it smells REALLY bad. kinda resembles the smell of tequila! lol :D
You know, if the tea trea oil scent doesn't work for you, peppermint would probably be a nice substitute.
Ooo, I'm going to try the body oil this winter. But how often do you have to wash your towels, Myscha, given you rub off the excess oil?
I have another couple of tips for anyone interested: pure rosehip oil is genius as a face moisturiser and anti-wrinkle serum, as it's packed full of vitamins and antioxidants. And a slice of lemon wiped over your face and rinsed off after ten minutes or so is the best exfoliant in the world. (Scrubbing with baking soda is just as good, but my skin is sensitive so the lemon works better for me.)
Hi Queen Vee. Thanks for stopping by. The towels thing: First of all, I try not to have too much excess. Secondly, when I'm doing that quite a bit I tend to have separate towels for my hair and body. The other way to go is to do the scented mist and put a bit of oil in with it. That way, you are spritzing it on after drying and rubbing it in for light moisture. There is only enough oil to moisturize so it wouldn't get on your towel that much. So really I don't have to wash them that much more than I normally would.
Thanks Myscha, that's really helpful. I've been trying to switch to the simplest, most environmentally friendly beauty products possible – body lotion: check!
Next, I'm going to work up the courage to try Debra Lynn Dadd's tea-lanolin-and-sesame-oil fake tan. If it's a success, bye bye Dove Summer Glow!
These are really easy and very useful tips! and I LOVE your picture too!! ;-) Do you think it's OK to use a cheap scented oil from dollar tree stores??
You know, I haven't seen any there that weren't for the aromatherapy crocks. If it's a natural essential oil, it should be fine. But I haven't seen any there, so I lean towards telling you to hit the health food store and look for the NOW brand, which is one of the more affordable ones, in my opinion.
i make beauty products for my friends and they tell me that they work better than department store products. want to know what they are made of?????????????????????????????????????????????????
they r made of CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the friends tell me their skin and body is really soft and it gets rid of acne!
Great tips! I'm going to try making a body spray with one of my Black Phoenix Alchemy oils as soon as I can dig up an atomizer.
About two months ago I stumbled upon a story about someone who does not use shampoo. My first thought was "ew, gross", but as I researched into it, it didn't seem so crazy....
So after intense research I have came to these conclusions:
1) Shampoo is bad for your hair. It strips your hair of dirt, but also the natural oils that your scalp produces that keep your hair healthy. Conditioner serves as a temporary substitution for these oils.
2) Because shampoo is creating a very acidic environment for your scalp, your scalp goes into over drive and creates more oils to try and keep your hair healthy. This is why most of us cannot go a day or two without using shampoo without really greasy hair.
3) The chemicals in shampoo and even organic shampoos contain chemicals that are linked to both skin irritation and cancer.
4) Your hair does not need shampoo. Shampoo was not even invented until the early 19th century, and surely before then people were not walking around with disgusting greasy hair.
4) If you stop shampooing your hair, your hair will never need to be shampood again. After you go through a detox period (4-6 weeks without shampoo when you hair oil glands are still in overdrive mode), your hair will regulate itself and only distribute enough oil to keep it healthy and shiny.
5)My reasons for going no 'poo:
a)the amount of money and time spent on fixing my hair is ridiculous, and if there is away to spend less money and less time, I'm willing to try it.
b) I'm not a hippie, but I definetly see a benefit to refraining from using harmful chemicals.
c) results from this experiment often bring people softer and smoother hair, a decrease in acne (your scalp is no longer producing excess amounts of oil that do affect your forehead and face), and even a disappearence of dandruff (not a problem for me).
d)not to mention i'll be cutting down on the number of plastic bottles used (but I do recycle!)
SO! I am now 3 months into no poo, and this is my hair routine:
I comb it through at night (it is fairly tangle free now) and then brush it with a soft bristle brush. I wake up in the morning and If it feels a little greasy I rub baby powder though my hair (it absorbs the oils and the rest just shakes out leaving only a pleasent small). Then after about a week I wash my hair using a mixture of water and baking soda. I have an entire blog on facebook for anyone who is interested:
http://www.facebook.com/jessicaanneschwartz?ref=profile#/album.php?aid=2...
The detox period was tough, but I have saved so much time and money that it was completely worth it. Also, I get slight acne on my forehead, and since I have stopped using shampoo and conditioner, my skin has cleared up so much! I have also been using burts bees body wash, and organic make-up. It's been a complete lifestyle change, but I feel a million times better.
I have started diluting my shampoo at a ration of 6 parts water to 1 part shampoo. Its really just as effective! and, i think its even better for my hair not to have so much soap and sulfates rubbed into it on a bi-daily basis. Also, its nice because when its mixed with water, it tends to later up really well, so you only have to rub on the scalp, and sort of smooth the suds down to the tips. I use about an oz or so for my shoulder-length hair. So at that rate, a bottle of shampoo could last you a very long time. So, splurge a little and get one you really like, since you'll be using it for a while.
It's true, olive oil does wonders for my skin and hair. I use olive oil soap to wash and to shampoo my hair, moisturize my skin, cleanse my face and lots more.
These all look great. I wish I knew about the oily skin tip/tricks when I was a teens! I'm in my mid-30's now and I've developed Rosacea since I was 30.
The problem I have is that astringents, witch hazel and drying agents are counter productive to me now. I recently learned that I need to find a cream with 20% azelaic acid in it to reduce/lessen the bumps and pimples associated with this condition. Anyone have any ideas on homemade products that will help with this so I don't have to become dependent on these creams/lotions?
Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!
This testing is not going very well. truck is running worse and no improvement in mileage.
Still testing, but will give accurate info when I get it.
We are a family of 6 living in less than 900 sq. feet. With four children and two small bedrooms we are constantly recreating spaces. It's actually quite fun meeting the the space challenge. I frequently receive complements on how we manage to fit and keep on top of clutter. My 3 month old daughter has an adorable nursery.... 10 inches from our bed taking up 2x2.5 feet of our closet. I must admit though, I do wish the living room was bigger.
I use sugar as a scrub (just mix dry sugar with water in your palm). My dermatologist told me that sugar is a natural antibiotic.
Not antibiotic, antiseptic, and a weak one at that.
Sugar, salt, and all manner of other things that dissolve in water but not in oil will dehydrate susceptible bacteria. The process is called osmosis: if you have a barrier (such as a cell membrane) that will block salt but pass water, the water will pass back and forth but naturally accumulate on the side of the barrier with more salt.
The same process that kills bacteria is also partly responsible for the exfoliation. By dehydrating and killing the outermost layer of your living skin cells (and also by rubbing off some of the the water-resistant and already dead top layer), you expose a fresher, more recently-deceased layer of skin.
Nicely done, Myscha. If your kid has curly or easily tangled hair, the spray-on conditioner is a REALLY good thing to have around apres-shampoo. Ask me how I know this. (I can still hear the screams, even though it's been almost 30 years.)
I love the idea of making these things yourself. Remember that some, especially the salt or sugar scrubs, also make nice gifts. My daughter (who grew up to forgive me) made a lovely grapefruit-scented scrub for me for Christmas. It makes me feel like a rich woman.
Start checking yard sales and thrift stores for small canning jars in which to package your gifts; these may come with jar rings still attached, or you'll sometimes find bags of rings for sale, too. You'll need jar centers; ask friends who like to can jam or fruit to save you the centers of the lids as they get used up. No sense wasting a new jar center on a sugar scrub.
Hi Donna,
So nice to have you stop by. I agree, for easily tangled hair the DIY detangler rocks. the gift packaging idea is a good one, too.
Thanks! These are doable,and now I know what to do with the giant aloe plant the previous renters left on the patio!
You can also just not use shampoo (really, it's not even that good for your hair in the first place!). What you do is you slowly start to wash your hair with it less and less - go without washing until it's oily, shampoo, go for a day or two more than the last, shampoo, etc. Your hair starts to adjust to not being stripped of its oils, and all you use to clean your hair in the end is hot water. Trust me, I was hugely skeptical on this when I first heard about it, but I tried it and it works really well.
Really, why pay for a product when you don't actually need it in the first place?
Wow, thank you so much for all your great tips! I happen to stumble upon here bc I'm really interested in trying to use as many homemade products as I can. I like the idea of being natural & saving money!!.....Does anyone have any experience with washing their hair w/ baking soda mixed w/ water & apple cider rinse. I just tried it for the 1st time & like it so far, but my concern is does it take out or fade hair color?? I have naturally dark brown/black hair with a little gray that I color with a box dye from the store (also dark brown), & this is my main concern! Thanks for any input.
WRONG!!!
about the hand sanitizer. Your recipe does not kill many bacteria. Why? One needs at least 60% alcohol for these to work. Occasionally we will see hand santizer with less ETOH but that is just because No One Is Holding Them Accountable. There is no regulatory authority for such products.
So you have legions of people who've read your recipe and used it who have thought their hands were clean but were not. WHen replicationg the consistency of hand gel you forgot that there is an antimicrobial effect that you should have checked out to be sure it works. Of course, no one regulates websites with recipes either. I know you meant well but this mistake is different than others because no one in the moment using the recipe would be able to tell that it didn't kill germs well enough.
If people want to be on the safe side, they could use 2 parts ETOH one part Aloe gel. IT might be too liquidly though. You would have to experiment with another thickener then.
My understanding is that if the alcohol used in the recipe is of a high enough percentage, then consumers are all set. It's one of the main reasons the percentage of the solution is listed on the bottle when you purchase the product. Regardless, it would be easily adjusted by tweaking the recipe by 10 percent.
