I love making my own beauty products at home. There are many benefits: it’s cost-effective and all-natural. You can play around with scents that you personally like. And some of these are so easy to make, I can’t believe I’ve been spending money on similar products!
Whipping up my own beauty products feels a little bit witchy, as I create my personal potions. Or maybe like I’m a character in a Nora Roberts novel, where at least one-third of the women make their own beauty products and there’s a chance I’ve always wanted that be one of them. And it’s so easy! I use my everyday kitchen gadgets and follow a recipe like I’m making a dessert. Just … don’t eat any of these.
Arrowroot Loose Powder
Mind blown.
This product was a huge surprise to me! I had never thought to look in my kitchen pantry for beauty products. But, when I read about the skin benefits of arrowroot powder I knew I had to try it.
Arrowroot powder acts as an effective translucent face powder that can control shine. All you have to do is dust a little bit over your naturally oily regions. It’s so fine that it disappears immediately while providing excellent prevention of oiliness throughout the day. Apparently, it has anti-inflammatory properties so it helps deal with redness as well as soaking up any moisture. I have started using this in my T zone, which is especially great around my chin where I suffer from hormonal acne. I want to use something effective that soaks up oil without causing me to breakout, and this has provided the solution.
I have seen great results with this product and it cost pennies in comparison to what you might pay for loose powder in a beauty store. I would definitely use one brush dedicated only to the powder and do keep in mind that this can get messy because it is so so fine. However, it’s economical and environmentally friendly and it’s actually good for your skin.
Scented Cuticle Cream
The most ambitious homemade beauty product I made this week was a cuticle cream. My cuticles dry out like crazy in the winter and I need to slather them with a fairly strong salve at night. This recipe was the only one that used ingredients I could not find in my local drug store; however, I was able to easily find them at Michael’s, the local big-box craft store.
This recipe calls for soothing oils like shea butter, coconut oil, sweet almond oil and beeswax to hold everything together. I found the recipe at Happy Mothering. Once you have all the ingredients it’s actually very simple to put together. Melt the ingredients over a double boiler, put the liquid into pots and allow to cool. (I picked up all the jars and pots I used at the Dollar Store).
The original recipe I used for the salve called for eight drops of orange oil and eight drops of lavender oil. I wanted to change things up a bit so I switched out the orange oil for ylang ylang oil which is a scent I love. As a result, I have a salve designed exactly to my preferences, and I love it. Bonus use: I also read these into the cracks in my heels at the end of the day. My feet are deliciously smooth now!
French Cold Cream
This next product is actually a secret family recipe my great aunt Molly used her entire life. She was apparently well known for her beautiful skin, and now I’m sharing her secret. It was a recipe given to her by a French woman and as she states in her recipe “French ladies are noted for their skin.” Whether this is true or not, I knew I had to try this out.
Cold Cream
1 473 mL Eucerin cream
1 8 oz mineral water
1 16 oz boiling water
- Put all ingredients in large bowl. Use boiling water last to rinse out the eucerin jar.
- Mix well and put in the fridge for at least thirty to forty minutes.
- Take and and beat to whippped cream consistency.
- Put in jars and keep in fridge except for the one you use in the bathroom. Eucerin is a basic cream used by dermatologists. I use this cream on my face, arms and legs. Don’t wipe off as it absorbs quickly.
When I first made the cream, I was not sure what consistency it was going to be and worried it was much too liquidy. However, I put it back in the fridge for an extra 20 minutes more than required from the recipe (a full hour). I found this changed the consistency into something a bit more creamy. I whipped it for a good five minutes with a hand mixer. At no point did it reach the consistency of whipped cream but remained a very liquid cream.
I am not a huge fan of the smell of Eucerin so I added three drops of lavender essential oil to one bottle. I found this gave a light scent that was absolutely delicious without any of the astringent Eucerin smell.
I’ve used this on my skin since making it, and I have to tell you it works wonders. My skin is soft and luminous, and I love how it feels. I would recommend putting it in a jar with a pump as it is still quite liquid. I would even recommend using in the shower or bath. The mixture absorbs into the skin super quickly, and I am left feeling light and moisturized without a greasy aftertone.
As with most of these homemade recipes, I find one of the biggest differences is the consistency and texture from store-bought products, likely from not having as many preservatives and stabilizers. All of these products are organic and natural. All of them are easy on the wallet, and don’t take long to make.
Making your own homemade beauty products doesn’t have to be difficult and it certainly won’t break the bank. Grabbing these ingredients is as easy as going out for your groceries or to the drugstore (or to the craft store if you need to). I would recommend any of these recipes, especially if you want to feel a little bit magic in the kitchen.
For others ways to find a little bit of everyday magic at home, check out this post on daily practical magic – no spellwork necessary 😉 !
Cordelia Kelly 