Create Your Own Skin Care Products

Keeping your skin and hair clean and fresh takes daily work and commitment. With so many expensive products on the market, it can be costly, too.

Luckily, you can make your own DIY-style beauty solutions using pure and simple ingredients found at home. Natural beauty includes feeling good on the inside, and knowing your cleaning ingredients are healthy and inexpensive can contribute to that positive vibe. Not only will you save money, you will also know where your face, hair, skin, and body products were prepared and what they are made from. You can even give the bottles and jars of homemade products to friends and family.

You don’t need fancy equipment or special products—you can find many ingredients in your own kitchen cupboard, pantry and/or refrigerator. Others, like almond oil, glycerin and rosewater, can be purchased at a health food or drugstore.

Containers and Jars

Before starting any of these recipes below, clean and sterilize some jars and containers. Place them in a pot, cover with water and bring to a gentle boil, then lift them out with a set of tongs, drain, and dry with a clean cloth.

Recipes for DIY Skin Care:

Buttermilk Honey Facial Cleanser

Buttermilk soothes, honey revitalizes, and elderflower and linden flower are good herbs for normal to dry complexions. Use this cleanser to freshen up your face morning, noon or night.

Mix 2/3 cup of buttermilk with one tablespoon dried (or two tablespoons fresh) elder flowers, one tablespoon dried (or two fresh) linden flowers and one teaspoon of honey.

Place buttermilk and herbs in a saucepan. Cover and leave for two hours. Set the pan on low heat and bring mixture to a boil.

Remove from the heat, stir in honey and let cool.

Lastly, strain off the liquid, pour into a sterilized bottle and store in refrigerator. Use within five days.

Oatmeal and Yogurt Facial Scrub

Slough off old skin with this easy to make oatmeal yogurt facial scrub!

Put two tablespoons of oatmeal in a bowl and slowly mix in two tablespoons of yogurt and one tablespoon of almond oil. Leave oatmeal to soften for five minutes.

Gently massage the mixture into face and neck for five minutes, avoiding eye areas.

Rinse with cool water, pat dry and moisturize. This is an especially good mix for dry skin types.

Cucumber Moisturizers

These are soothing and refreshing for all kinds of skin.

Finely chop or blend a four inch piece of cucumber, then press in a sieve to extract the juice. Combine with 1/3 cup of rosewater and three tablespoons of glycerin in a sterilized bottle, cover and shake lightly. Place in a refrigerator and use within one week. Shake before each application.

Banana Facial Mask

Bananas have a rich creamy texture said to help fortify skin, especially when applied as a facial mask.

½ medium banana

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp plain yogurt (oily skin)

1 tbsp heavy crème (normal to dry skin)

Peel and mash half a banana in a bowl. Beat in one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of either plain yogurt (for oily skin) or heavy cream (for normal to dry skin). Combine ingredients thoroughly and use immediately.

Egg Solutions

Eggs are cheap, widely available, and great for skin. The yoke is rich in vitamins and lecithin, a rich moisturizer perfect for dry skin.

Egg whites are slightly drying and can be whipped or beaten and used as an excellent skin tightener. Beat one egg until slightly frothy and apply on face as a mask for dry skin. This also works on wrinkles and puffy skin.

Sooth Sunburned skin

Mild sunburns can be soothed by gently spreading one of the following over the effected area (leave for 15 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water): mashed or blended cucumber, crushed strawberries, plain yogurt, or grated raw potato. Cold tea bags (or cotton balls soaked in strong tea) can also work wonders.

DIY Hair Care Ideas

If your locks are looking dry, try smoothing a little oil on your hands and running it through your hair to give it some gloss and body. Avocado and almond oil can be used straight from the bottles. Coconut oil is a good choice, too, just be aware that it hardens when it cools. Keep a little in a container and rub onto your hands to soften when needed. Apply a small amount to your hair for shine and body.

Once you've made your own DIY skin and hair care products, you may never go back to the store for lotions and potions again!