How To Make Your Own Bath and Beauty Products

November 4, 2005

<http://singleparents.about.com/mbiopage.htm> From Dianne Hadaway<http://singleparents.about.com/mbiopage.htm>,

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Make Your Own Soothing Bath Products. You don't have to pay high retail prices in order to pamper yourself with soothing, gentle, organic and healthy bath and beauty products - you can make your own! Give your homemade products as gifts too!

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: Varies (not long!)

Here's How:

1. Bath Salts - Make your own soothing bath salts with Epsom Salts, Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt, baking soda, and a few drops of essential oils or perfume to fragrance. For color, use a drop or two of liquid food coloring. Liquid glycerin is a softening agent that you can get at most any drugstore. Mix 3 cups salts, 1 cup baking soda, 2 teaspoons liquid glycerin, then tint and scent as you prefer. Store in an airtight container. To use, scoop 1/2 cup into running water, swish to dissovle and ENJOY!

2. Oatmeal Bath - Don't buy those expensive packages of oatmeal bath powder - you can make your own! Blend one cup of oatmeal (instant unflavored oatmeal, quick oats or slow cooking oats, doesn't matter which kind) in a food processor, blender or a well cleaned coffee grinder. Process the oats until to a fine powdery consistency. Add about 1/2 cup of the processed oats to the warm running water of your bath and swirl to spread the oats and create a silky, milky bath. Your skin will thank you!

3. Bath Gel - It's surprisingly easy to make your own bath gel. You will need: 1/2 cup water, 1 package unflavored gelatin, and 1/2 cup of baby shampoo. Heat water to a soft boil and stir in geletin until dissolved. Add baby shampoo a little at a time, stirring gently to combine. Pour into a clean container and refrigerate. Once cooled, use whatever amount you normally use in the bath, and store the remainder to the refrigerator.

4. Facial Masks - Refresh, rejuvenate and firm your skin with masks made from seasonal fruits, eggs, honey, vegetables, and essential oils. This article from Indiaparenting.com<http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/XJ & sdn=singleparents & zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiaparenting.com%2Fbeauty%2Farticle.cgi%3Fart_id%3D115%26amp%3Bsec_id%3D2> explains which ingredients to use for oily skin, dry skin, and to prevent or treat wrinkles! Massage your skin and slather these mask over face AND body! Now this is good pampering! (Dads... you can do this too, no one's gonna tell!)

5. Face Masks for Treating Acne - When I finally decided to take good care of my skin, I realized how much stress my acne use to cause for me, which created a vicious cycle of making my skin break out! ACK! Try these home-made recipes for treating acne<http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/XJ & sdn=singleparents & zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.acnease.co.uk%2FHArticle6.html%26quot%3B>, and religiously cleanse your skin of all makeup each night! I've heard that wearing makeup to bed can age you 7 days overnight! Water and rest are also key.

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6. Milk Bath - Reduce stress and soften your skin immediately with a relaxing milk bath. Combine 3 cups powdered milk, 1/4 cup oatmeal powder, 1/3 cup almond meal (blend/process almonds to a fine powdery meal), 1 capsule vitamin E (break open into dry ingredients) and 1/3 cup cornstarch. Put ingredients into a washcloth, and tie the corners up with a long string or ribbon. Hang the cloth under the tub faucet, allowing the water to run over and dissolve the ingredients into the bath.

7. Bubble Bath - You can use unscented shampoo or a 4 oz. bar of Castille soap (grate or flake the bar), which will soften and moisturize the skin and is made from 100% Olive Oil. Add 5-6 drops of essential oils (mix oils for blended scents), 1 ounce liquid glycerin, and if desired, 1 ounce coconut oil to 4 cups of distilled water. Mix ingredients well, pour into a bottle and seal. Pour approx. 1/2 cup into warm running water for a bubbly good bath.

Tips:

1.. You can use Epsom Salts, Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt for Bath Salts. Blend the salts well with the baking soda and/or glycerin. When adding scent or color, mix throughly so there are no clumps and allow to dry overnight before sealing in container.

2.. Be sure to keep Essential Oils stored tightly sealed, in a dark colored container in a cool place. Favorite Essential Oils scents: Lilac, Lavender, Vanilla, Rose, Sandlewood, Jasmine, Musk, Cinnamon, Cassis, Orange, Ginger, Clove, Lemon, Mint, and Chamomile. Some oils should not be used by pregnant women, or those with skin sensitivities. Check online retailers like Mountain Rose Herbs Essential Oils<http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/XJ & sdn=singleparents & zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mountainroseherbs.com%2Faroma%2Fess.php>, for warnings and instructions on choosing an essential oil.

3.. When using food coloring to add color to your bath products, use blue and green and tint to make natural water colors in the blue/green family. Lavender and light pink colors are good too, just bear in mind that it may not be as relaxing to the senses to bathe in water that is colored in the red/orange family of colors!

4.. Moisterizing and binding products like Castille soap, liquid glycerin, green clay powder, wheatgerm oil, coconut oil, almond or vanilla extracts, powdered milk, almond meal, cornstarch, encapsulated vitamin E, and honey can be found at most grocery stores, health food stores, or drugstores, or can be bought online.

5.. Why not give you own homemade bath and beauty products as great and inexpensive gifts for the holidays? Make batches of your favorite recipes and put them in attractive containers for wonderful gifts for friends, family members, teachers, bus drivers, and co-workers. Be sure the scents you use are safe for sensitive skin. All other products should be organic and naturally safe to use. Collect pretty jars, baskets, bowls, spoons, and scoops from yard sales or thrift stores for your gifts. What You Need:

a.. Epsom Salts, Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt

b.. Essential Oils - Choose your favorite scents

c.. Baking Soda

d.. Liquid Glycerin

e.. Oatmeal (instant, quick oats or slow cooking)

f.. Unflavored gelatin

g.. Baby Shampoo

h.. Fruits, eggs, honey, vegetables

i.. Food Coloring

j.. Glass jars, covered bowls, tins, baskets, spoons, and scoops

"A clean house is a sign of a misspent life"

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