I try to make my own beauty products whenever I can. I love that making them yourself gives you the freedom to customize them based on your needs and preferences, and it’s also a big plus knowing exactly what I’m putting on my skin. Some of my favorite beauty products to make (and gift) are face scrubs, face masks, facial steams and toners. The ingredients for these are fairly inexpensive and they are so easy to make! Recently, Julia of Simply Living Well sent me a copy of her new book to check out. The book is a “guide to creating a natural, low-waste home” and it absolutely did not disappoint. It is filled with tons of beautiful recipes and projects which are all presented in an easy and accessible manner. We’ll be working on homemade Mother’s Day gifts for friends and family this week, and I thought that Julia’s rose-lavender facial toner and oatmeal face scrub would be fantastic gift options. I asked Julia if I could share a couple projects from her book and she happily obliged. Elliot and I will be adding these to gift baskets for family and friends, along with other handmade goodies like wildflower seed bombs , botanical facial steam and beeswax candles.
Oatmeal Face Scrub
“Homemade facial scrubs are a great place to start if you’re new to DIY skin care. Facial scrubs can slough off dead skin cells, soften skin, and reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. Ideally, they should be used 1 to 3 times a week, after cleaning the face and before applying a toner or moisturizer. Oatmeal has been used for thousands of years to gently cleanse, exfoliate, heal, and moisturize the skin. It’s safe for all skin types and is excellent at soothing sensitive skin. Makes 1/2 cup powder for the scrub.” – Simply Living Well, p.182)
Materials:
– 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
– 1/4 cup raw almonds
– 2 tablespoons dried chamomile
– jojoba oil (or sweet almond oil, per the original recipe)
– lavender essential oil
– glass jars
How to Make:
Grind the oats, almonds, and dried chamomile in a food processor until finely ground. Sift out remaining large pieces if necessary and store in a sealed glass jar. Since we are gifting these, I also added a pinch of dried calendula petals, rose petals and lavender buds on top.
Using the Face Scrub:
Combine 1 tablespoon of jojoba oil + 1 drop of lavender essential oil in a small bowl and mix well. Add 2 tablespoons scrub powder and mix to form a thick paste. Massage into face using gentle circular motions then rinse with warm water.
Rose-Lavender Facial Toner
“Applied after cleansing and exfoliating, facial toners remove excess oils, hydrate the skin, and tighten and tone pores. The following simple recipe is very gentle and can be reworked in countless, creative ways by substituting different floral waters or essential oils according to your skin type, needs, and preferences. It can be applied to your serum and moisturizer, but also throughout the day to hydrate the skin.” – Simply Living Well, p.188)
Materials:
– 1/4 cup rose water
– 2 tablespoons witch hazel extract
– 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
– 10 drops lavender essential oil
– small glass spray bottles
How to Make:
Combine rose water, witch hazel extract, aloe vera gel and lavender essential oil in a bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into glass spray bottles using a funnel. These measures are enough to fill a 4oz bottle.
Using the Toner:
Shake well and spray toner on a clean reusable pad. Massage into skin using gentle circular motions, avoiding the eyes.
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