Everyone knows when fall comes around that it’s time for all things pumpkin! Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, or even pumpkin spice lotion. I’ve been wanting to make a pumpkin scrub for a while now because pumpkin is amazing for your skin, and I finally got around to it. And seriously, it is my new favorite pumpkin anything.

This scrub is all natural and full of ingredients that reduce inflammation for your skin. It feels and smells amazing. It is a nice gentle exfoliant that gets rid of that extra dead skin and reduces inflammation to boot. Pumpkin lovers rejoice!

I love using skin products that are healthy and natural. Making your own products ensures that you are getting something healthy that is good for your skin. And you can save money on them too!

So if you’re ready for a little fall themed spa day, keep reading to see the full tutorial.

I like to explain why I chose the ingredients in my products, so you can understand what this awesome scrub does for your skin!

If you click any of the ingredients you will find either the exact product I used in this recipe or one that I recommend.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin: Full of vitamin A which soothes inflammation, and vitamin C which is an antioxidant that remedies damage from free radicals. Enzymes in pumpkin help break down dead skin cells for extra exfoliating power. Vitamins E and T help reduce inflammation.
• Sugar: A natural gentle topical exfoliant that gently removes dead skin to make way for newer healthier cells. A natural source of glycolic acid that also helps exfoliate.
• Turmeric: A power house for reducing inflammation. Full of cucurminoids which are powerful antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Essential oils (optional): For scent, and can have added benefits depending on which oils you use. If you want the pumpkin spice feel for this mask, use 1 drop cinnamon essential oil, 1 drop ginger, and 1 drop nutmeg.

And you’ll need a few supplies:

• A mixing bowl
• A spatula
• Small air tight jar

I promise that it is super easy to make. You can watch how it’s done in the video below.

Keep on scrolling for the full recipe!

This stuff is a real powerhouse. Each ingredient has powerful benefits for your skin, with the pumpkin and turmeric combining to make it a great anti-inflammatory. Soothing inflammation is one of the best things you can do for your skin.

Since this mask is so effective at exfoliating, you’ll want to follow up with a good sunscreen to protect those new cells from damage!

This scrub seriously feels amazing. The texture and feel are super luxurious.

It feels like a $50 spa treatment, and for less than $2 for you to reproduce. Chances are you have all these ingredients in your kitchen already!

Looking at these pictures kind of makes my mouth water. You’ve gotta love a skincare product that is healthy and natural enough to eat!

Seriously though, this scrub is so easy to make that you have no reason not to! Your skin will thank you.

Let me know how making your own pumpkin face scrub goes for you!

supplies used in this post

The post Homemade Anti-Inflammatory Pumpkin Face Scrub appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Exfoliating is an important part of any skincare routine- it removes dead skin cells to help refresh your skin and make it look brighter and healthier. You know what else is amazing for your skin? Green tea! It is full of antioxidants and vitamins that help give your skin a healthy glow. That’s why a green tea exfoliating scrub is so healthy for your skin.

Not only that, it feels fresh and invigorating. This green tea scrub smells amazing and can help you relax. I absolutely love using it, and my skin always looks fresh right after. It’s gentle enough to be used on both your face and body. The avocado oil is a great ingredient that makes the scrub moisturize while it exfoliates.

Even better than that, it costs less than $1 to make, and takes about 5 minutes. This fabulous green tea scrub is so easy, there’s no reason for you not to try it!

I like to explain why I choose the ingredients in my recipes, so here’s why I used each one:

• Green tea: Full of antioxidants and vitamins your skin needs, anti-inflammatory to reduce redness and irritation
• Sugar: Gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells
• Avocado oil: Full of vitamin E and antioxidants that are healthy for your skin, natural moisturizer
• Essential oils (optional): I used pine essential oil because it is highly anti-inflammatory, and can help relax muscles. I also found the scent complimented the scent of the tea nicely

And it’s super easy to make! It only takes about 5 minutes. You can see the process in these pictures, and keep scrolling for the full recipe:

This scrub is so great! I can’t get enough of the smell. It does a great job of making me feel refreshed and relaxed. I always feel so luxurious when I use it. It truly gives you the spa feeling for a price that is unbeatable!

My skin loves it even more than I do. I like to exfoliate about once a week and it keeps my skin looking fresh and healthy. I seriously can’t get enough of this amazing scrub.

The scrub should stay good for about 3-4 months.

Let me know how making your own green tea scrub goes for you!

Supplies used in this post:

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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

The post Aloe Vera Soother for Sunburn Relief appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

This homemade mango moisturizer is my new favorite thing ever. It is healthy, lightweight, all natural, and my skin just can’t get enough.

I’ve just run out of my aloe vera moisturizer, so I figured it was time I whipped up a new one. I only recently have started using mango butter in my recipes, and it is a powerhouse ingredient. It is a natural emollient filled with lots of fatty acids that your skin loves- and even better, it is safe for acne prone skin!

I am so impressed with this powerhouse moisturizer! It is as luxurious as any expensive moisturizer I’ve ever tried- and it costs as little as $2.50 to make. It is so effective at moisturizing I need less than a pea sized amount to moisturize my whole face. Now that’s an amazing deal!

I like to explain the purpose of each ingredient in my recipes:

• Mango Butter: non-comedogenic moisturizer, natural emollient (attracts moisture to the skin), full of essential fatty acids (I used this one but I also like this one)
• Vegetable Glycerin: great natural moisturizer, makes the moisturizer feel more lightweight, acts as a natural preservative in high enough amounts (I used this one but this one is great if you don’t want such a large quantity)
• Beeswax: helps thicken and stabilize, while also being a great protective layer for the skin to keep moisture in (I used this one)
• Soy Lecithin: a natural emulsifier, which allows the mango butter and vegetable glycerin to mix and creates a nice texture (I used this one but I also like this liquid version)
• Acacia Powder (optional): makes the lotion feel a little thicker, natural emulsifier (I used this one but I also like this one)
• Essential oils (optional): for scent, and can also have different beneficial properties (I love lavender or orange for this recipe)

And the tools you’ll need are:

• a hand mixer, I like to use one with a whisk attachment
• an immersion blender, or lots of patience*
• a double boiler or makeshift double boiler (pot placed on top of pot of water)
• an airtight container to store your lotion

*If you can give this recipe a week, you don’t need the immersion blender. I’ll explain why in a minute.

This recipe can be made a few different ways. If you want to use liquid soy lecithin, you don’t need to use an immersion blender at all. But if you use soy lecithin granules (like I like to!), you either need an immersion blender or some patience.

Soy lecithin granules need to dissolve in water to work as a good emulsifier. Since glycerin is the “water” ingredient in this recipe, you’ll want to dissolve them in the glycerin. Except they dissolve much more slowly in glycerin than in water. I did a test to see how long, and it took me a full week for my granules to dissolve.

So anyways, if you’re less patient, you can also use an immersion blender on the granules to make sure they get mixed properly. That’s what I did, and it worked wonderfully. But it does require extra tools.

All right- let’s get to the recipe!

I really love this mango moisturizer. It makes my skin feel super dewey and wonderful. Like I said before, you only need a tiny tiny bit to moisturize with. If you slather it on it will feel sticky and take a long time to absorb. It’s so effective at moisturizing you really only need a little.

I like to use this for my face but you can use it as a body lotion as well if you prefer. It feels great on my hands.

Well, I hope you love this mango moisturizer as much as I do! Let me know how making your own mango moisturizer goes for you!

Supplies used in this post:

The post Miracle Mango Moisturizer appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I don’t know about you, but as it gets colder out, my feet tend to get dry and crackly. Even when I moisturize regularly, the dry weather wins out. The only thing that really helps is a good exfoliation.

Well now that it’s winter time and I’m committed to making my own cosmetics, I figured I could make my own foot scrub. With only 3 ingredients, this foot scrub exfoliates, deodorizes, and can even help draw toxins from the body. Like the toxins from harmful ingredients in other beauty products you might use…

And now after using it, my feet are happy. No more dry, peely skin. I followed up the scrub with my cocoa butter body lotion, and my feet are so silky smooth right now.

With only three ingredients, this scrub couldn’t be easier. The ingredients work together to form a soothing scrub:

• Baking Soda: Gentle exfoliant, cleans and deodorizes
• Epsom Salt: Draws toxins from the body, exfoliates, helps relax muscles
• Chamomile Tea: Soothing scent, full of antioxidants

Besides brewing the tea, this scrub takes less than a minute to make.

If you wanted to make the scrub even more relaxing, you could add a few drops of essential oils. Peppermint or citrus oils would go nicely with the camomile. Lavender is a great relaxing scent. Eucalyptus would smell great. Adding oils is totally optional because the chamomile smells great on its own. But it doesn’t hurt to add the benefits of essential oils to most beauty products.

Another great thing about this scrub is that it feels so gentle. It does the job without being a rough exfoliant. You know how some scrubs feel like they’re scratching your skin? This scrub is much gentler while still being effective.

Now all winter I will get to enjoy my soft feet without any of the guilt of using harmful ingredients. Baking soda, epsom salts, and camomile tea make a great combination that really couldn’t be any easier.

Try this scrub out at home and let me know how it goes for you!

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You probably have been in the pumpkin spice spirit for a good two months already… fall inspires it in us all. While I’m not personally a fan of the pumpkin spice latte (although I know many of you will think I’m insane) I still love the smell and taste of pumpkin spice. It’s a brilliant blend of spices. And now that smell has become synonymous with autumn.

Well I was inspired to make an all natural pumpkin spice lotion last week. The idea popped in my head when I was trying to think of a new body lotion to put on the site, because I’ve only made one other lotion: my cocoa butter body lotion. And I just knew it was going to be amazing.

I also had fun experimenting with natural colorants for this recipe. This lotion has a nice orange tint to it- courtesy of paprika. Simple and effective- I love it!

So not only is the lotion all natural, has a nice orange hue, and smells like pumpkin spice. What’s not to love?

All the ingredients are great, healthy, and natural. Here is the benefit of each:

• Cocoa butter: high in antioxidants, great emollient (prevents loss of moisture), high concentrations of nutrients our skin needs
• Almond Oil: deep moisturizer, soothes irritation
• Coconut Oil: moisturizes skin more efficiently than water or petroleum based lotions, naturally antibacterial, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs
• Beeswax: locks in moisture, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory
• Paprika: gives lotion orange color
• Essential oils (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove): For scent, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory

And here is how you make it:

I am so happy with this lotion. When I showed it to Lars he got super excited and pretty much tried to steal it from me. I wish I had taped his reaction. This stuff is really that good.

I mean just look at it.

So creamy and luxurious. I’m really getting the hang of these homemade beauty products. I don’t feel like a beginner anymore. And it’s pretty exciting. That being said- this one is so easy to make that it’s fine if you are a beginner.

Can’t you smell it already?

The best part about this lotion- you can use it year round! When you’re missing fall, just put a little on and you’ll be dreaming of crunchy leaves and sweaters. It’s truly lovely.

Let me know how making pumpkin spice lotion goes for you!

The post Homemade All Natural Pumpkin Spice Lotion appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

On my quest to use all natural cosmetic products, I knew that sunscreen was going to be a necessary product to make. My skin often gets itchy just from using the store-bought kinds, and it leaves me feeling icky. Not to mention, it is usually polluting a water body. You also want to be on the lookout for the endocrine disruptor, oxybenzone, used in many store bought sunscreens.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I spent all afternoon in the park with my boyfriend and his family. It wasn’t a very hot or super sunny day but I didn’t have any sunscreen on because I hadn’t made any yet. Someone brought out a bottle when we noticed we were getting a little toasty. I read the ingredients label and it had so many bad ingredients that I opted not to use it. Well, sunscreen is tricky isn’t it? Because I ended up with a mild sunburn. So- the choice is- run the risk of skin cancer from the sun, or the list or risks that come from ingredients in harmful cosmetics? It’s definitely a trade off.

Well- there’s no need to decide! Just make your own- it is natural, good for your skin, and it won’t harm your body or the environment! Plus- it is mostly waterproof! What’s not to like?

It costs $7.46 to make 6 oz of this sunscreen. For sunscreen- that’s not a bad price at all!

If you are acne prone, this sunscreen is not non-comedogenic and it could cause you to break out. I also have an acne friendly facial sunscreen recipe that is non-comedogenic.

Before I started making my own cosmetics I had no idea that oils could have natural SPF in them. It makes sense when you think about it. This recipe uses both oils and zinc oxide to achieve a higher SPF level. If you want to learn more about natural sun protection- this is a great article.

So if you leave the zinc oxide out- this recipe will naturally have an SPF of about 20 or so. That is my unprofessional estimate based on the oil SPF ratings.

I like to explain why I use each ingredient in my cosmetics:

• Coconut Oil: Natural SPF of about 2-8, antibacterial, natural moisturizer, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs (you can get it here)
• Almond Oil: Natural SPF of about 5, deep moisturizer, soothes irritation (You can get it here)
• Beeswax: Makes sunscreen waterproof, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory (You can get it here)
• Shea Butter: Natural SPF of 3-8, natural moisturizer, good source of vitamins for skin, anti-inflammatory (You can get it here)
• Vitamin E Oil: Antioxidant, natural moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, helps preserve shelf life of sunscreen (You can get it here)
• Red Raspberry Seed Oil/ Carrot Seed Oil: Natural SPF of about 30-40, anti-inflammatory (My favorite essential oils are from Rocky Mountain Oils, and I love their Carrot Seed Oil. You can also get these on amazon here and here.)
• Zinc Oxide: Sun protection (You can get it here)

It’s so easy to make- all you need to do is melt the oils together in a double boiler or a pan placed on top of a pot of boiling water.

They should only take a few minutes and a little bit of stirring to combine.

Ta da! Melted and combined! You are half way there!

Then mix in the zinc oxide and essential oils, and pour into your desired container. It really is that easy. Why doesn’t everyone do this??

This recipe is adapted from Real Food RN:

*Note: The beeswax and shea butter make the sunscreen thicker- if you want a sunscreen that is easy to squeeze through a bottle you should use the lower amounts, but it may make the sunscreen less waterproof. If waterproof sunscreen is your priority, stick with the larger amounts.

I used this sunscreen on a day at the beach and it passed the test- no sun burn! I wasn’t laying out in the sun- but I was playing in the water and out on a sailboat for several hours. The water didn’t rub it off and I didn’t get burnt. I am a fan. And my skin was moisturized after.

I wouldn’t recommend using this on your face if you are prone to break outs. Don’t worry- I’m not going to leave you high and dry. You can find my recipe for acne-friendly facial sunscreen here.

Try making your own sunscreen and let me know how it goes for you!

supplies used in this post

The post How to Make Homemade Sunscreen (SPF 30-40 and good for your skin!) appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Every time I make a new beauty recipe I can’t believe how awesome it turns out. And this one is no exception. Man, it is incredible. It is so silky and luxurious. Also, did I mention, it smells like chocolate? I can’t stop smelling my skin after putting it on. It’s pretty hard to keep myself from eating it out of the jar.

Store bought lotions can smell good too, but they can also be expensive and often have harmful chemicals and preservatives in them. Just take a look at the 13 worst toxic ingredients to avoid in cosmetics list I compiled. Sure makes you want to stick to natural products. Everything in this lotion is beneficial for your skin. And it only cost $4.02 to make.

Like I said, this lotion is super luxurious. It is an incredible moisturizer and a little goes a long way. And it was super easy to make. Seriously, why even bother with store bought lotions?

Don’t the ingredients look fabulous before they are melted together?

All the ingredients in this lotion are good for your skin:

• Cocoa butter: high in antioxidants, great emollient (prevents loss of moisture), some natural UV protection, high concentrations of nutrients our skin needs (get an organic unrefined cocoa butter for the full benefits- this is the one I use)
• Almond oil: deep moisturizer, soothes irritation, reduces dark circles
• Coconut oil: moisturizes skin more efficiently than water or petroleum based lotions, naturally antibacterial, full of antioxidants and nutrients your skin needs (make sure to get an organic, non-refined, cold pressed oil to get the full benefits)
• Beeswax: locks in moisture, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory
• Vitamin E oil: antioxidant, natural moisturizer, anti-inflammatory, helps preserve shelf life of lotion

Some makeshift double boiler action

So, here is how you make this awesome chocolatey lotion:

Isn’t it a beautiful color when all the oils are melted together?

I’m telling you, your kitchen is going to smell like a bakery when you make this. It is heavenly. And when it’s done, just remind yourself that it is not food! Resist the temptation to eat it. Because you definitely will be tempted.

When I finished this lotion I asked Lars to smell it and he said it smells like cookies or cake. Who can complain about that? Certainly not me!

Cocoa butter is also supposed to be able to treat eczema and other skin rashes. So not only does it smell like chocolate and moisturize your skin, it can help reduce inflammation and irritation.

My skin is so silky smooth. And smells like chocolate. And has no harmful chemicals on it. And all for the price of $4.02. I don’t think you can beat that.

Try this recipe out yourself, and let me know what you think!

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Not ready to invest in ingredients yet but want to try this lotion out? You can get it in my etsy shop!

The post Silky Cocoa Butter Body Lotion appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.