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.

My hands always get so dry in winter. It’s awful- they get cut from the smallest things just because of the dryness. I know I’m not alone in that. Having a good moisturizing body butter makes all the difference. This peppermint body butter is perfect for winter, and it feels so luxurious and amazing. I can’t get enough of it. Best of all, it only costs $6 to make.

Usually a lotion this luxurious feeling costs so much more than that- often upwards of $25. And you can’t always trust their ingredients. Most lotions you can get in the store are mostly water- so they don’t do much for moisturizing and you have to use them multiple times a day. And that’s not even considering all the preservatives and unhealthy ingredients they usually have.

This amazing moisturizing peppermint body butter works so well all you have to do is put some on at night and you’re golden. And every ingredient is healthy, natural, and good for your skin.

Ingredients:

• Cocoa butter: high in antioxidants, great emollient (prevents loss of moisture), high concentrations of nutrients our skin needs
• Coconut oil: moisturizes skin more efficiently than water or petroleum based lotions, naturally antibacterial
• Almond oil: deep moisturizer, soothes irritation
• Beeswax: locks in moisture, protects skin against damaging elements, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory
• Peppermint essential oil: for scent
• Beetroot powder (optional): naturally gives the lotion its pink color in the stripe

Tools:

• A double boiler, real or makeshift (I just use a small pot placed over a saucepan)
• Two small mixing bowls (I love my mix and measure bowls)
• A hand mixer, or a whisk and a persistent arm

DIY Peppermint Body Butter Recipe

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Ingredients

• Heaping 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 2 tablespoons almond oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon beeswax
• 10-20 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1/4 teaspoon beetroot powder

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Instructions

1. Melt your cocoa butter, almond oil, coconut oil, and beeswax over medium heat in a double boiler, or a pot placed on top of a saucepan with a few inches of water
2. Once melted, pour half the mixture into a mixing bowl, and place in the fridge. If you don’t want to add color to your lotion, skip steps 3-4.
3. Add the beetroot powder to the remaining oil mixture on the double boiler. Let simmer, mixing occasionally, for about 5 minutes. You can leave it on longer for a stronger color.
4. Once the mixture starts to turn pink, turn off the heat. The beetroot powder will settle on the bottom of your pot. Carefully pour into a mixing bowl, stopping before you pour in the beetroot powder leftovers. Dispose of the extra mixture from the pot.
5. Place both mixing bowls in the fridge for 15-30 minutes
6. Once the mixtures have hardened but are not completely solid, remove from the fridge and whip with a hand mixer, adding 5-10 drops of peppermint oil per mixing bowl as you mix.
7. Add the lotions to two separate ziplock bags, one for white and one for pink. Snip the corners.
8. Use the ziplock bags to place the lotion in an airtight jar. Alternate white and pink for a striped effect.
9. Store in a cool, dry, place, and use on your dry skin!

I love this homemade lotion! My favorite part about body butters that are mostly cocoa butter is how they just melt on your skin. They are so easy to rub in and absorb. And this lotion is really a great moisturizer.

Do you love the smell of peppermint as much as I do? Because I really just can’t get enough of this awesome peppermint body butter! I love it so much I made some for 14 family members this year for Christmas! The house smelled so great that day.

And really, there’s nothing cuter than that pink stripe!

Let me know how making your own peppermint body butter goes for you!

Supplies Used In This Post

The post DIY Peppermint Body Butter Recipe appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

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.

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!

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