Because I had so much extra time this past December (yes, I’m kidding) I thought it would be fun to start making some natural, homemade personal care products. I did end up giving some away as gifts, which was great, but really, I just wanted to see if even I, a not so handy or crafty kind of person could make these items at home. The answer is a definite yes. I was actually quite surprised that it was so easy. I also love knowing exactly what is in my products. I used simple ingredients like organic beeswax, organic coconut oil, pure shea butter, and of course, therapeutic grade Young Living essential oils.
Out of curiosity I had a look at the ingredient list of a hand lotion that I had bought a while ago. Of course it says all natural on the label, even some ingredients are organic but I noticed the first ingredient is water and the last ingredient is phenoxyethanol (not a clue on how to pronounce that one). Since I had no idea what that was I checked it out on the EWG site Skin Deep, which reviews and rates ingredients that you will find in personal care products. It has a rating of a 4, a moderate hazard, which is not that bad but it makes me wonder why do I even need this in my hand lotion? The answer is that I don’t. My new-found favorite pastime (kidding again) is making lotion bars. They are easy to make and great to use. And best of all you will know exactly what you put in them. Nothing with a long name that you can’t pronounce, just ingredients that are good for you and your body. It doesn’t get better than that.
The lip balm was also easy to make and has now become my favorite lip balm to use. When I first tried it I was a bit concerned as it was quite hard and was not like most soft lip balms. What I found after a few uses is that it did soften and what I really love about this balm is that it seals. With the softer balms I find that once they are absorbed they disappear. What I like most about this balm is that it stays on for a while and protects my lips from drying out. We also use this balm on any rough spots on our hands. I also made some salt scrubs. After using the scrub my skin felt great and I didn’t need to use any lotion afterwards. I used epsom salts, a massage oil, like V-6 and any essential oil that I liked. One of my favorites is Young Living’s grapefruit essential oil. Below are the recipes that I used but keep in mind that you can find many more recipes on the web with a quick google search. You can find most of the ingredients at your local health food store. Make sure to get food grade coconut oil, of course organic is best, and pure fragrance free shea butter. I asked a beekeeper at my local farmers market where to get beeswax and he insisted that I use organic beeswax and that this site, www.glorybeefoods.com, is the best place to find it . You can also find the lip balm tubes there as well. If you are ready to get started with Young Living Essential Oils see here.
Lip Balm – This recipe made 12 small tubes of lip balm.
Ingredients:
- 1 Ounce Organic Beeswax
- 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil – Refined
- 4 drops (or more) of Young Living Essential Oils
Melt the Beeswax in the microwave or in a double boiler. Add the Coconut Oil and combine. Take off the heat and add your Essential Oils. I used lots of grapefruit, one of my favorites, but you could use lavender, citrus fresh, orange, peppermint, tangerine or any combo that you fancy! Pour into your tubes or pots and let cool. That’s it!
Lotion Bars – I made these twice so far and my preference is for the bar using the coconut oil. I liked the consistency better than the almond oil. Just make sure to use refined coconut oil so that the coconut smell will not overpower the oils. They were very similar though so if you have one ingredient and not the other I would use what I had on hand.
Ingredients:
- 2 Ounces Organic Beeswax
- 2 Ounces Shea Butter
- 2 Ounces Organic Coconut Oil or 2 Ounces Almond Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Young Living Essential Oil
Melt the beeswax either in the microwave or over a double boiler. Once melted add the shea butter & coconut oil. If using the almond oil add once the beeswax and the shea butter have completely melted. Remove from heat and add essential oil. Pour into mold (you can use muffin tins, soap molds, yogurt cups). Allow to cool. To use: rub between hands to warm up the bar and release the lotion.
Salt Scrubs – This can be used in the shower or you can have a small container next to the sink for use after hand washing. Your skin will thank you!
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Epsom Salt
- 1 Cup Massage Oil, like Young Living’s V-6
- Young Living Essential Oil to liking
If you like a less oily scrub use 2 Cups Salt to 1 Cup oil instead. Use whatever oils you love – lavender, any of the citrus oils would be yummy, citrus fresh, or possibly lemongrass if you have some muscle pain. I really enjoyed the combo of lavender and peppermint. I did not use that much peppermint, maybe a drop or two, because peppermint and hot water is not a good combination. Although it is an unlikely blend, since lavender is calming and peppermint is energizing, it’s really great for your morning shower. If you try any of these recipes I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Of course, I would love to hear any feedback. Francine Smith blogs about Young Living Essential oils. You can find more posts at www.younglivinglife.com
