Posted by Becca Larsen on Feb.04, 2010

ⓒ iStockPhoto - Studioxll

Nourishing your skin from the inside keeps it healthy, but to truly shine, your skin also needs topical care. Exfoliating and moisturizing keeps your skin surface as healthy as the layers underneath and prevents the dry skin that is not just unsightly, but opens you up to infection.

These recipes for homemade skin care products are so insanely easy, you’ll never shell out for the high prices of commercial lotions, scrubs and body butters again!

For the bain marie method used in some of these recipes, place the ingredients to be cooked in a small, clean pot or heat-resistant jar. Nest that container in a larger pot of water, making sure the smaller container is stable and the water level is slightly above the level of the ingredients. Heat the water to melt the ingredients.

Brown Sugar Scrub

Excellent for those with extra dry skin or eczema

1 c. sugar in the raw
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. purified spring water or hydrosol of your choice
2 Tbsp. almond oil
1/4 c. epsom salts
Mix all ingredients together.  Stir before each use.  Rub over body in shower to exfoliate and moisturize and leave you skin glowing.  Rinse and towel dry.  Use caution in shower as oil will cause slipping.  Keeps well.
Yield: 12 oz scrub

Peppermint Foot Soak

1 c. epsom salts
1 c. coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp. Peppermint Essential Oil*
1/8 tsp Rosemary Essential Oil
1/8 tsp Tea Tree Essential Oil
*Substitute Spearmint Essential Oil if pregnant.
Mix all ingredients together. Use 1/2 cup in warm water to revive tired tootsies after a long day.  
Yield: Four 1/2 cup soaks

Goat Milk Skin Cream

A little tricky, but this thick, heavy cream is worth the effort.  Purified water or aloe juice can be substituted for the goat milk to make basic lotion.

Oils:
4 oz. almond oil
1 Tbsp. beeswax
1/2 oz. cocoa butter
1 tsp vitamin E

Waters:
1/8 tsp. borax
1/2 c. fresh goat milk

Mix waters.  Melt oils using marie bain method.  Slowly add waters while whisking steadily.  Whisk until cool.  Whisk in up to 15 drops of essential oil of choice after cool and 1 teaspoon of vitamin E.  Pour into bottle(s).  Keeps about 2 weeks. Refrigerate to keep longer, about 1 month.

Basic Body Butter

Richly moisturizing for elbows, hands and heels

1 part butter (cocoa butter, shea)
1 part beeswax
1 part nut oil (almond, hazelnut, olive)

Melt using marie bain method.  Pour into open mouth jar(s) or tins.  Cool.

Share

Posted under Beauty, Beauty Products.