Anyone making homemade cosmetics/toiletries?

[naturelover]

What types of products are you making and how do you make them? I am especially interested in learning about homemade lotions and hair products.

[nereo]

As a present I made some lush-style bath bombs for my financée (similar to what you find here: http://www.lushusa.com/Bath-Bombs/bath-bombs,en_US,sc.html).  They were a hit and wound up costing perhaps $0.50 each instead of the normal $5-7.

Basically they're nothing more than baking soda and citric acid, plus stuff to make it smell good and soften the skin (salts and essential oils).  For my first batch I did sage-citrus.  I bought bulk citric acid online (it's used for canning among other things) and baking soda at CostCo. Lemon zest from my fridge and sage from my garden, but you can use just about anything that won't react badly with someone's skin. Lots of blogs online detailing the various additives you can use, but basically it's just baking soda, citric acid and pressure (when putting it into a mold).

[GreenAcres]

I make a whipped body butter.  It is pure Shea butter, coconut oil, magnesium oil and cedar-wood essential oil.  I mix it in the food processor.  It smells and feels amazing.

I also make my own liquid blush.  I use beeswax, Shea butter and beet root powder.  I do the same thing without the beet root powder to make a solid perfume with rose and cedar-wood essential oils.

I use vinegar to condition my hair and sometimes put a little coconut oil on the ends.

[swick]

I make a whipped body butter.  It is pure Shea butter, coconut oil, magnesium oil and cedar-wood essential oil.  I mix it in the food processor.  It smells and feels amazing.

I also make my own liquid blush.  I use beeswax, Shea butter and beet root powder.  I do the same thing without the beet root powder to make a solid perfume with rose and cedar-wood essential oils.

I use vinegar to condition my hair and sometimes put a little coconut oil on the ends.

Where do you find your magnesium oil? I haven't had any luck (I'm in Canada) I have seen direction for making your own, but then you have to find the salts...again no luck. I could put in an order and get it shipped to my parents US mail box though...

There are lots of great sites for making your own products, Crunchy Betty is a classic and I really like http://www.humblebeeandme.com/

[Rural]

I make lip balm/moisturizer with shortening and honey. This is also a good base for herbal salves (honey optional).

I don't dye my hair anymore, but when I did, it was with dye I made from black walnut hulls.

Dry hands: oats. Just steep a tablespoon or so of rolled oats in hot water for ten minutes and rub in the juice. Instant cure, lasts for days.

Hairstyling: frizzies can be tamed with the above oat juice, or actual styling/hold can be achieved if you use flaxseed, not oats. Use a much smaller amount for one time use, or store the mixture in the fridge for a couple of weeks if you style daily. I mostly style at Halloween and/or if I have to go to a funeral, so I use the one-time method.

Moisturizing salt scrub: two parts table salt, one part Epson salt, dash of olive oil. Can be scented with essential oils or dried chamomile flowers or rose petals.

Facial cleanser: homemade rosewater. Best stored in the refrigerator, which makes it all the more refreshing in summer. In winter, be sure to store it in a dark-colored or opaque bottle if you're not going to refrigerate.

[oldtoyota]

There's a thread here about "no poo," which is choosing not to use shampoo. Instead, one can use a TBS of baking soda in water. It works well.

This is not much of a money saver, but you end up with fewer chemicals on your body. =-)

[Mr One Wheel Drive]

I make my own hand lotion with beeswax, coconut and olive oils, and water. You can find recipes online. Super cheap and works amazing.

[Stacey]

I've been no poo for about a year and a half now - just using baking soda and ACV once a week or so.  Once you start doing it (the first month can be rough), I find that I don't need to "wash" my hair as often.  I used to wash and condition my hair once a day, so it's actually been a huge money saver for me.  I also make my own face wash/moisturizer with oils (see crunchy betty for more info) and recently made my own deoderant.  Some people say there's a breaking-in period for the deoderant (coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and essential oils), but I had no problem right from the get go.  Crunchy Betty has provided me with tons of great information.  I can't wait to use up more of my conventional products so I can try my hand at making more of what I use. 

[GreenAcres]

I make a whipped body butter.  It is pure Shea butter, coconut oil, magnesium oil and cedar-wood essential oil.  I mix it in the food processor.  It smells and feels amazing.

I also make my own liquid blush.  I use beeswax, Shea butter and beet root powder.  I do the same thing without the beet root powder to make a solid perfume with rose and cedar-wood essential oils.

I use vinegar to condition my hair and sometimes put a little coconut oil on the ends.

Where do you find your magnesium oil? I haven't had any luck (I'm in Canada) I have seen direction for making your own, but then you have to find the salts...again no luck. I could put in an order and get it shipped to my parents US mail box though...

There are lots of great sites for making your own products, Crunchy Betty is a classic and I really like http://www.humblebeeandme.com/

I buy this Magnesium oil:  http://www.amazon.com/Life-flo-Pure-Magnesium-Oil-Ounce/dp/B004NHN9OA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394543850&sr=8-2&keywords=magnesium+oil

[Elaine]

I make super super simple beauty and skincare products (toners, masks, scrubs, etc.) I recently posted some of my favorites on my site, they are mostly made with ingredients you probably already have (oil, brown sugar, honey, etc.)

http://smallthingsgood.com/2014/01/23/diy-skincare-and-how-to-enjoy-frugal-luxury/

[vjb]

No hair products here apart from sea salt spray (seawater + spray bottle), but I make my own all purpose cleanser/moisturiser, sunscreen, foundation and assorted other things.

So much fun!

[TomTX]

I made my own soap with absolute minimum ingredients (organic coconut oil, lye, water) at a ~25% superfat to keep it mild and non-drying.

Works great. Not as cheap as commercial detergent soaps (Bleah! Artificial fragrances), but cheaper than buying fancy/hippie soaps.

I might put some peppermint oil in the next batch - but it seems to be lasting quite a long time.

[smalllife]

I make my own bath salts (epsom salt and whatever essential oil I want to throw in).  When I'm into it, I make my own clay face masks and scrubs (straight baking soda scrub is usually all I need besides soap).

Bulk shampoo and conditioner, local made soap, plastic free mascara (lash paint really, but works better than mascara), I've made my own moisturizer in the past but am finishing the last of my Badger Balm before doing it again.   I'm actually pretty close to plastic/unnatural chemical free in the bathroom: the holdouts are toothpaste and mouthwash as my teeth like them better than the natural alternatives I tried. 

I've done the make your own deodorant thing and it worked well, need to get back into it . . . . super easy, just takes some personalizing.

[ASquared]

There are a TON of ways to make homemade cleaners, personal body care, cosmetic products from natural ingredients.  They are safer for you, better for the environment, and cheaper on top of it! 

Liquid body soap is super easy and good for beginners.  wellnessmama.com and mommypotamus.com have great recipes

I personally use Young Living oils to make a variety of household products.  Thieves cleaner is amazing - cuts through any grime on the stove, bathroom, etc.  I use the lavender, lemon and frankincense in a facial moisturizer.  I use lavender and a calming blend to help my baby with sleep/naps.  We diffuse a few different oils when we're sick.  They are very, very different than the oils you get at the health food store.  Much higher quality, last a long time because you only need a tiny bit.  Totally in love:)

[homehandymum]

I use straight coconut oil as a skin moisturiser.  You only need a tiny tiny bit.

Hair I either wash with baking soda and vinegar rinse, or if my hair is feeling a bit dry and unhappy I'll use an egg.  It really really works.  Just beat an egg in a cup, and massage it through your wet hair.  I leave it in for a while to condition the hair. Rinse out with warm but not hot water (you don't want to turn your hair into scrambled eggs).  It seems to be the white that does the cleaning (like the fining of wine using egg white) and the yolk does the conditioning.

That's it.  I don't use any other beauty treatments, except for a pair of tweezers and a block ordinary soap.

Oh, I do use commercial deodorant.  I've not found the natural ones to be very good, although I know plenty of people who do.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I also moisturize with straight coconut oil sometimes--it's greasy, but it's fine for one's face at night. And I have been trying the baking soda wash, vinegar rinse for my hair. I also make my own sugar wax (my blog post about it: http://frugalparagon.com/2014/01/28/if-i-can-you-can-home-eyebrow-waxing/)

But I find that half the battle with reducing your expense and your chemical exposure is just to simply and use less in general. I used to use shave gel, for instance... bar soap is fine. (I get unscented Kirk's Castille Soap, very natural, for $3/3 bars at Walmart.) I use Babyganics lotion that I stole from my toddlers, but by not showering every day in the winter, I don't need as much. And so on.

[PMG]

I make a whipped body butter similar to some mentioned here.  I've made oil and sugar scrubs and bath salts. 

I tried lash color with coconut oil and charcoal... then I found some on clearance at the organic shop and that was a lot easier. 

I've changed tint in bought powders and foundations by adding cocoa or arrowroot to darken and lighten.

I recently bought some rose oil that I diluted in a spray bottle with distilled water to make a body spray.  I don't think the scent lasts very long, but it's a good pick-me-up between work and evening events. 

I dye my hair with henna.

I could make cheap soap, but there is a local lady who has a soap side hustle, and I love to support it.  She makes excellent soap as well, great scents and often with herbs from her garden.  I often buy soap as a souvenir when traveling, too.  It is a bit of a splurge, but smells nice and lasts a month or two, brings back great memories from the trip, then is used up about the time I'm excited about the next adventure!