A few years ago, when I discovered how unregulated the cosmetics industry is, I started making my own natural beauty products. I wanted to avoid nasty additives and ingredients that aren’t properly tested. I didn’t want to mess around with my skin, so I did lots of research. I’ve since fallen in love with certain ingredients that I find myself going back to over and over.

Since then I’ve gone from following tutorials and making other people’s recipes, to making small changes to those, to creating my own recipes from scratch. I’ve got a ridiculously large stockpile of different oils, butters, clays, and waxes. You don’t need to get as large a stockpile as I do to make your own stuff though! You can use a few simple ingredients to replace pretty much any of your personal care products.

So, these are my 10 favorite ingredients that I LOVE to put in my homemade natural beauty products:

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe will get my top spot pretty much forever. It’s a nice lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer. It is naturally anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, and it reduces redness and irritation. I like to use an all natural aloe vera gel, but lots of people just pop a leaf off their own aloe plant and use it straight from there.

Some of my most popular recipes feature aloe: my aloe vera moisturizer, aloe vera face wash, and aloe vera sunburn soother.

2. Avocado oil

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about why avocado oil is so popular lately. It might be my favorite carrier oil. It feels less greasy than some other oils and it is rich in vitamin E. I often add vitamin E to my recipes, so using avocado oil means you’re getting that already.

I’ve used avocado oil to make a green tea face scrub and my aloe vera sunburn soother.

3. Beeswax

Beeswax is great for so many reasons- I don’t know how those bees do it! Between beeswax, honey, and being amazing pollinators, they really are some of the most useful creatures out there.

Anyways, beeswax is an awesome ingredient in homemade recipes. It basically forms a protective barrier over the skin which keeps the moisture in. It can also help make some lotions semi-waterproof. And it’s an emulsifier, which means it allows oils and waters to mix when making homemade natural beauty products.

I’ve used beeswax in pretty much everything… but some of my favorites are my homemade sunscreen that’s good for your skin, my green tea eye cream, and homemade all natural lip balm.

4. Coconut oil

Coconut oil has to make the top ten of most natural beauty mavens. Although, I think it’s being overshadowed lately by avocado oil. Regardless, coconut oil is much beloved, and for good reasons.

It is naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and it is a GREAT natural moisturizer. It’s supposed to be one of the best oils for your hair because your hair absorbs it easily. Plus it smells amazing. Because it is solid but soft at room temperature it can balance out the texture of a lot of lotions.

Some of my favorite recipes with coconut oil are my peppermint body butter, homemade hot oil hair treatment, and my all natural lip balm.

5. Cocoa butter

If you’re a chocolate lover, you’re bound to love cocoa butter. The amazing chocolate scent gets me every time. Plus it melts at skin temperature, so it makes a great ingredient for thicker lotions and body butters. Cocoa butter is a great emollient (prevents moisture loss) and is high in antioxidants. When its cold enough, it whips up to a wonderful texture.

Some of my favorite recipes with cocoa butter are my silky cocoa butter body lotion, my pumpkin spice lotion, and peppermint body butter.

6. Essential oils

I’m not one to talk about the health benefits of essential oils, but they do make great ingredients in homemade natural beauty products! Whether its just for scent, or to add some extra benefits to your products, they are a great addition. I am a huge fan of Rocky Mountain Oils, because I believe they have the best oils for the best price (if you want to know more reasons why I love RMO, you can click here).

Essential oils have different beneficial properties depending on which oil you use. Lavender is one of my favorites because it not only smells amazing, but is a great anti-inflammatory oil. You can add essential oils to most homemade natural beauty products, but some of my favorites are my homemade soothing scalp mask for dandruff and irritation, my aloe vera face wash, and pumpkin spice lotion.

7. Green tea

Green tea is amazing for your skin, whether you drink it or put it directly on it. I love using recipes with green tea in them because it does so many great things for your skin. It is naturally anti-inflammatory and full of antioxidants. It also has a small amount of caffeine which can tighten pores.

My favorite products with green tea are my green tea face scrub and my green tea eye cream.

8. Mango butter

I’ve only recently started experimenting with mango butter and now I’m wondering what took me so long! It’s a wonderful emollient oil that is solid at room temperature. It has a faint scent of mango (yum), and it does a great job at moisturizing. It’s also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog pores and cause acne.

I’ve only featured one recipe so far with mango butter, but it is a great one! It’s my miracle mango moisturizer.

9. Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil is very cool, because it has properties of both an oil and a wax. It’s a great lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer. It is also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog pores and cause acne. If it were less expensive I would use it all the time. Because it is a wax it also helps emulsify and improve the texture of lots of homemade personal care products.

Some of my favorite recipes with jojoba oil are my all natural facial sunscreen and my aloe vera face moisturizer.

10. Argan oil

Argan oil is definitely one of my favorites, but it ranks a little lower because it is pricey. If it were more affordable, it would be one of the main ingredients that I use in the bulk of my recipes. I often use a small drop of it on my face for a simple moisturizer.

Argan oil is great because it moisturizes your skin without leaving you feeling greasy. It is absorbed quickly. It is also non-comedogenic, which means it is highly unlikely to clog your pores and cause acne. The silky soft feel of argan oil is one of the reasons I love it so much.

I’ve used argan oil in my anti-frizz aloe vera hairspray and my homemade beach texturizing hairspray.

So there you have it- my top ten ingredients for making your own natural beauty products! What do you think? Are you ready to stock up? Good luck!

The post Top 10 Ingredients for Making Your Own Natural Beauty Products appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Summer is here- which unfortunately means sunburns. If you have very pale skin like me, even if you are responsible with the sunscreen you can still get burnt. So you gotta find sunburn remedies when you do! Luckily I’ve come up with this amazing sunburn soother recipe to help lessen the pain and discomfort and help the sunburn heal. It’s all natural and easy to make too! Plus it makes a great healthy moisturizer, so you can use it even if you aren’t burnt.

I absolutely love aloe vera. It’s one of my favorite ingredients- and with good reason. Not only is it soothing and anti-inflammatory, it’s also a healthy and lightweight all natural moisturizer. It feels refreshing and wonderful- especially on sunburn! The problem is a lot of those aloe vera gels you buy in stores are less than 10% aloe, so you’re not really getting the benefits! Well this moisturizer is full of REAL aloe vera and other great ingredients that help soothe sunburns.

If you love aloe nearly as much as I do, you should also check out my other posts on aloe vera. I have a whole skincare system made with it: aloe vera face wash, aloe vera toner, AND aloe vera moisturizer. Aloe is so great for your skin!

All the ingredients in this recipe are designed to help with sunburn:

• Aloe vera gel: anti-inflammatory, soothing and cooling, lightweight moisture
• Coconut oil: serious moisture for damaged skin, anti-inflammatory
• Avocado oil: healthy hydration filled with fats, minerals, and antioxidants your skin loves
• Witch hazel extract: astringent to tighten and heal skin, anti-inflammatory (I’m very particular about where I get my witch hazel, because it’s hard to find one of good quality and purity. I absolutely love Mountain Rose Herbs Witch Hazel)
• Beeswax: used to emulsify the lotion but also provides a protective layer on the skin
• Peppermint essential oil (optional): cooling and soothing

You’ll notice the word anti-inflammatory in there a lot. That’s why this sunburn remedy is so effective- each of its ingredients helps reduce pain and inflammation from your sunburn to provide relief and promote healing. Together they are a great combination!

Ultimately the goal is not to get sunburnt, so you should check out my homemade sunscreen recipe to help you with that!

I mean, just look how creamy and amazing this stuff is! And it is so healthy.

I know I designed this as a sunburn remedy… but I just can’t help using it for more than just sunburn relief! The soothing cooling feeling is addictive. And the light coconut peppermint smell is so refreshing.

Your skin will really love this stuff. All the ingredients are amazingly healthy for your skin.

Let me know how this sunburn soother works for you!

supplies used in this post

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I know that most of us have dealt with some scalp issues from time to time… and they certainly aren’t pleasant. But neither are the harsh ingredients in most dandruff shampoos and products. The second ingredient in Head and Shoulders shampoo is a well known skin irritant (sodium lauryl sulfate)! Why should a product that is meant to help deal with dandruff and irritation be including ingredients that can INCREASE irritation? I say, stick with a simpler solution. This scalp soothing mask has only 3 ingredients that are all healthy, green, inexpensive, and soothing.

I decided to make a soothing scalp product because my fiancé gets scalp irritation all the time. His scalp always gets itchy and scabby and dry. In general he has very dry skin and needs to use tons of moisturizer. But you don’t exactly put moisturizer on your scalp!

So I combined these three ingredients that I knew would soothe and moisturize his scalp and the difference was instantaneous! Overnight, he had so much relief. Of course one night of using the product wont solve the problem, but he couldn’t believe how much better it felt after only one use. And he keeps using it and getting more relief! This one is a winner, guys. Did I mention it only costs one dollar to make?

I’ve mentioned that this scalp soother has three ingredients a few times now. I bet you’re wondering what they are. Well, these are the ingredients and the reasons I chose them:

• Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe is naturally full of the anti-inflammatory chemical B-sitosterol and vitamin E. It is a great lightweight natural moisturizer.
• Vegetable Glycerin: Glycerin is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture to the skin. It is hypo-allergenic and increases the skin’s absorption of oxygen.
• Lavender Essential Oil: Lavender is known as one of the best essential oils for skin. It is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal. It soothes irritation and helps stimulate blood flow to the skin.

And it couldn’t be easier to make.

Homemade Soothing Scalp Mask

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons high quality Aloe Vera Gel
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable Glycerin
• 5-10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

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Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Store in an air tight jar. For extra relief and longer shelf life, you can store it in the fridge, but it isn’t necessary.
3. To use: apply to irritated spots or over entire scalp, massaging and rubbing in with your fingertips. Leave on overnight and wash off in the morning. (You can choose not to wash it off, but it will make your hair look greasy)

You really don’t need much of this stuff for it to work. In this picture, I applied it over my entire scalp and some of my hair, because glycerin and aloe also make a great moisturizing hair mask. Let me tell you, this stuff feels GOOD. It is immediately soothing. To apply, just massage into irritated spots with your fingertips, and let it do its magic overnight. Then, just wash it off in the morning.

I love the stuff. Great for the scalp, great for the hair.

So if you have scalp dryness, itchiness, or dandruff, make sure to try this soothing scalp mask out. It is effective, inexpensive, and easy to make. You really can’t go wrong. Try making it yourself and let me know how it goes!

Supplies used in this post

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Honestly, aloe might be my favorite beauty ingredient. I use it in my face wash. I use it in my toner. I use it in my moisturizer. In my homemade shampoo. In my hairstyling products. Eye cream. You name it, I find a way to get aloe in it.

There’s a reason I love aloe so much. Aloe is anti-inflammatory and is a standard from soothing everything from sunburns to rashes. It is full of vitamins and minerals that your skin needs. It helps moisturize the skin without leaving a greasy or heavy feeling. It is truly an incredible skincare ingredient.

One of the most popular posts on my site has been my aloe vera moisturizer. I think it’s popular with good reason, because it’s really great stuff. I also posted an aloe vera face wash that I just can’t get enough of.

I didn’t think I needed toner, but I kept seeing great toner recipes on pinterest. I figured I should just make some and give it a try- because it looked so easy! And now toner is an essential part of my skin care routine. How did I go so long without it??

One thing that some people complain about toner is that it dries your skin out. Toner is supposed to help tighten pores and help clean off anything that your face wash missed. Toner can help reduce excess oil production in people with oily skin and prevent acne. Well, the beauty of this toner is that it works for all skin types- so people with drier skin don’t have to worry! It helps tighten pores and cleanse without drying you out.

Wanna know how? Enter my favorite, aloe vera!

When I came up with this ridiculously simple recipe, I was so surprised I hadn’t seen it before.  It just makes so much sense.

Witch hazel extract is a natural astringent, which means it helps rid skin of excess oil and shrink pores. Witch hazel can help clear your pores of lots of nasty stuff that causes acne and irritation.

Aloe Vera gel adds the of moisturizing and soothing properties to this toner.

Now, you could go to the drug store and buy some witch hazel extract and aloe vera gel there, but I don’t recommend it. Most of the witch hazel you can buy in stores is primarily alcohol and most of the aloe vera gel is primarily gel and additives. The goal here is to get the benefits of these ingredients, so you really need the good stuff. Otherwise, you might as well make your toner with rubbing alcohol and hair gel (yuck!)

The aloe vera gel and witch hazel extract I use come from Mountain Rose Herbs. You can also find high quality aloe vera gel and witch hazel extract online from places like amazon.

Are you ready to find out how easy this is to make?

My skin is happy as a clam (are clams really happy??). The toner has really brightened up my skin while keeping it dewey and wonderful. It certainly hasn’t dried it out.

And if you do make it yourself, I would love to hear how it goes for you!

The post All Natural Aloe Vera Toner (Only 2 Ingredients!) appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I’m always looking for healthy all-natural solutions to help with acne. My skin is prone to breaking out, and so I have to be careful what I use. This mask works by pulling dirt and other impurities from the pores, so it is great for acne and blackheads. It will also kill acne-causing bacteria. I adapted this recipe from My Newest Addiction to include only non-comedogenic ingredients.

Well you know how you can get mud baths and facials for a ton of money at the spa? Well this has the same feel and effect, for a fraction of the price.

I simply love this stuff. It’s my new favorite facial product. After using it my skin was glowing, clean, and not irritated. Usually when I use an exfoliator my skin is irritated at first and then looks great when it calms down. With this, I got mild exfoliation and dirt removal without the irritation. It was actually quite soothing. When followed up with my aloe vera moisturizer, it was truly amazing. 

It’s full of ingredients that are great for your skin:

• Bentonite Clay: When mixed with water it is great at absorbing toxins, impurities, bacteria, and chemicals, while adding healthy minerals to the skin
• Activated Charcoal: Absorbs over 100 times its weight in impurities and chemicals
• Aloe Vera: Light non-greasy moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, stimulates growth of new cells, full of antioxidants, fights allergic reactions, reduces redness
• Shea Butter: Natural moisturizer, non-comedogenic, good source of vitamins for skin, anti-inflammatory
• Camomile Tea: Full of antioxidants, soothes irritation, natural disinfectant, reduces redness
• Eucalyptus Oil: Helps reduce skin inflammation, anti-bacterial, for scent
• Peppermint Oil: Antiseptic and antibacterial, cooling and refreshing, for scent

And here is how you make it:

If you want to freak out your roommate or significant other, just put on this face mask and jump out at them. Ok, I don’t really support that. But it did surprise Lars when he saw my face.

I used this face mask at the same time as doing my at-home hot oil treatment, hence the towel. The  combination was perfectly luxurious and after my shower I had super soft hair and skin.

My favorite thing about this mask is how it felt when it was on. At first it had that smooth muddy feeling that you probably remember from playing in the mud as a kid. As it dried it tightened, leaving my skin feeling all tingly. In a great way. It was like I could feel it cleaning out my pores.

Two days after using this mask, all the pimples that were threatening to poke out had calmed down. I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but I think the redness in my face has been reduced too. And I haven’t needed to moisturize. It’s like the balance in my skin has been restored.

I think this is going to be a weekly mask for me. It’s too good not to use on a regular basis.

Let me know how making this impurity removing face mask works for you!

If you like this post, you should also check out my green tea eye cream.

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As you may already know, I love aloe vera. Two of my favorite products that I’ve made were my Aloe Vera Face Wash and Aloe Vera Moisturizer. Aloe is just an all-around great product for beauty and health. It has so many wonderful benefits for your skin and hair. And it’s one of the few (okay- two) plants that I’ve managed to keep alive for a significant period of time.

Well I’ve been hoping to integrate aloe into my regular hair routine, so I made this hairspray. I love love love it. It is a natural detangler, is not oily, and makes my hair shiny and sleek. And it’s the simplest recipe ever!

Oh, and did I mention it only costs 39 cents to make?

So why is Aloe Vera so great? Here’s a short list of just some of the benefits it has for your hair:

• Promotes hair growth
• Naturally reduces dandruff
• Anti-inflammatory
• Natural conditioning (similar to keratin chemically)
• Maintains hair and scalp natural pH level
• Treats itchy scalp
• Repairs damaged hair

So how do you make this awesome hairspray? It’s super simple!

Sorry that there aren’t as many pictures as usual! I didn’t think to take pictures as I was making this hairspray because it was so simple. But honestly, the best products are simple. I don’t know what I was thinking.

I’ve integrated this aloe spray into my regular hair routine. I usually do my no-poo wash, put in a little argan oil, use homemade detangler if necessary, and once my hair is dry I sometimes put a little coconut oil on it. Well now, I use this after the argan oil and it makes my hair smell, look, and feel so good.

The first time I tried it Lars commented on how good my hair looked. For him to notice, it really had to be good! So, take it from Lars, this hairspray is awesome.

Let me know how making your own homemade aloe hairspray works for you!

The post Smoothing Anti-Frizz Aloe Vera Hairspray appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

There’s something about your hair when you spend time on the beach. It just gets an awesome effortless wave to it. Well, naturally, it makes sense to want to replicate that effect at home. You can’t make a trip to the beach every time you want cute hair.

So, I came up with this recipe for beach hair spray. Not only does it create the salty, textured, wavy effect that the beach gives you, it also moisturizes your hair in the process. It has no bad chemicals and will only make your hair healthier.

And it’s fun to use! You want to make sure you have a good spray bottle that will mist your hair rather than dampen it- otherwise this won’t be so effective. The mist is a key part of what causes the beachy effect in real life so you have to replicate that too.

Here is why I chose each of the ingredients in this beach spray:

• Epsom Salts: Replicates beachy effect, volumizes hair, adds texture
• Himalayan Sea Salt: Replicates beachy effect, adds texture
• Aloe Vera Gel: Moisturizes hair and scalp, helps hair hold shape
• Argan Oil: Non-oily moisturizer for hair
• Essential Oils: Natural scent

And here is how you make it:

When you look at it up close, it looks like beach salt water. You can already hear the waves crashing. Almost. And seriously, could it be easier to make? It’s so easy. It took me less than 5 minutes. Most of that time was spent waiting for the water to warm up.

The spray not only helps encourage beachy waves, it will hold your hair in place, make it shinier, add texture, and moisturize it in the long run. You really can’t go wrong here.

It makes me want to go to the beach even more. Around here we have Lake Michigan, which is even better than an ocean, but it doesn’t give you beach hair because it has not salt. So this hair spray will fill that gap for me! One step away from summer fun and beach hair.

Try making your own beach hair spray and let me know how it goes!

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The post How to Make Homemade Beach Texturizing Hair Spray (That Also Moisturizes Your Hair) appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

The inspiration of this post was two-fold. First of all, I really enjoyed the Aloe Vera face moisturizer I made last week. Secondly, my cousin posted a link to an awesome sounding face wash on my Facebook page and asked if I could make an imitation recipe. So I based this face wash off of the ingredients in the organic aloe face wash that she sent me.

When I started searching the properties of the ingredients in the face wash she sent me that I wasn’t familiar with, I came up with a great idea. I would make a soothing anti-inflammatory aloe face wash. All the ingredients in this face wash are meant to reduce irritation and redness and soothe the skin. And let me tell you, it worked out really well.

It cost me $7.67 to make the four ounce jar of this face wash, which should last at least 2 months. Most of the cost came from one expensive ingredient, the soapwort extract. If you want to do this face wash on the cheap you can replace the soapwort extract with liquid castile soap, which brings the cost down to $2.93. This could reduce the soothing and anti-inflammatory properties of the face wash, but that’s the tradeoff for the cost reduction.

Like I said, all the ingredients were chosen for their anti-inflammatory and soothing properties:

• Aloe Vera Gel: light non-greasy moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, stimulates growth of new cells, full of antioxidants, fights allergic reactions, reduces redness (you can find it online here or here)
• Sweet Almond Oil: full of vitamins, soothes irritation, reduces dark circles, anti-inflammatory, restores normal pH of the skin (you can find it online here)
• Rosewater: anti-inflammatory, rich in antioxidants, beneficial to people with sensitive skin, reduces redness, natural antiseptic and astringent, great at removing oil and dirt from pores (you can find it online here)
• Soapwort Extract: full of saponins that make it a gentle natural cleanser, anti-inflammatory (you can find it online here)
• Lavender Essential Oil: anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, soothing benefits (you can find it online here or here)
• Vitamin E Oil (optional): antioxidant, natural moisturizer, anti-inflammatory (you can find it online here)

All of these ingredients on their own can be used as natural remedies for skin conditions ranging from psoriasis to acne to eczema. And they are all great for sensitive skin.

 Here is how you make the face wash:

If you’re used to always using oil-free products, it may feel a little weird at first, but you will get used to it. It is wonderfully light and cooling. I know it will feel great in the summer.

Definitely don’t skip shaking the jar before you wash, because you won’t get all of the ingredients and they all work well together.

The wash doesn’t lather a lot, but the soapwort extract does lather a small bit. Don’t expect it to be the same as store bought cleansers with lathering products in them, it will feel different. It goes so well with the homemade aloe moisturizer I posted last week. The two of them are a match made in heaven.

This face wash should be good for any number of skin conditions- let me know how it goes for you!

supplies used in this post

Don’t forget to check out my aloe vera moisturizer and toner! Together, they make an awesome skin care system.

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