Because DIY is how I roll
Jan. 22nd, 2013 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
untonugganI've been experimenting with makeup and things lately, on a limited budget, so eventually I fell into the Pinterest whirlwind of crunchy DIY bath stuff.
So far, my favorite is DIY Lavender Bath Salt Scrub, which is great unless you have an open wound. There are detailed instructions with proportions and things here, but basically it consists of salt, some sort of oil(s), a preservative, an essential oil or two, and an herb if you so choose. The herb can get messy in the bathtub, but it does look pretty in the jar. I might not put it in next time.
The recipe I found calls for vegetable glycerin and sunflower oil, neither of which I have. I *do* have copious amounts of olive oil. The vegetable glycerin, from what I can find, acts as a preservative...since my partner's family preserves cheese in olive oil I figured it would work as a substitute for both of the above. YMMV with another type of oil. (Also, since the Ancient Romans used to rub themselves down with oil and strigil, I figured it must be pretty good for the skin...right? It is, as far as I can tell since I started using it.)
Anyway, my final mix consisted of:
18 ounces of Fine Sea Salt
4 ounces olive oil
Lavender essential oil until it smelled right (as olive oil has a strong smell)
1 Tablespoon of Dried Lavender Buds (which I consider optional)
A big jar
It is lovely! It exfoliates, moisturizes, and leaves me smelling like lavender (which I enjoy). If you prefer another smell, just use a different essential oil I suppose. Also, since I had all the ingredients around my house, it cost me $0 when the ones at the store are selling for $15-$20 for a jar or some ridiculous nonsense. Plus, I know exactly what went into it - and it wasn't tested on animals.
Have you ever tried any DIY bath stuff? How did it go?
So far, my favorite is DIY Lavender Bath Salt Scrub, which is great unless you have an open wound. There are detailed instructions with proportions and things here, but basically it consists of salt, some sort of oil(s), a preservative, an essential oil or two, and an herb if you so choose. The herb can get messy in the bathtub, but it does look pretty in the jar. I might not put it in next time.
The recipe I found calls for vegetable glycerin and sunflower oil, neither of which I have. I *do* have copious amounts of olive oil. The vegetable glycerin, from what I can find, acts as a preservative...since my partner's family preserves cheese in olive oil I figured it would work as a substitute for both of the above. YMMV with another type of oil. (Also, since the Ancient Romans used to rub themselves down with oil and strigil, I figured it must be pretty good for the skin...right? It is, as far as I can tell since I started using it.)
Anyway, my final mix consisted of:
18 ounces of Fine Sea Salt
4 ounces olive oil
Lavender essential oil until it smelled right (as olive oil has a strong smell)
1 Tablespoon of Dried Lavender Buds (which I consider optional)
A big jar
It is lovely! It exfoliates, moisturizes, and leaves me smelling like lavender (which I enjoy). If you prefer another smell, just use a different essential oil I suppose. Also, since I had all the ingredients around my house, it cost me $0 when the ones at the store are selling for $15-$20 for a jar or some ridiculous nonsense. Plus, I know exactly what went into it - and it wasn't tested on animals.
Have you ever tried any DIY bath stuff? How did it go?
no subject
Date: 2013-01-23 06:01 pm (UTC)Sugar scrub for face: Granulated sugar (superfine if possible), oil. Not picky about the oil; I tend to use olive oil because it's what I have, but grapeseed (thin) or almond (better absorption) would probably be better. You could get fancy and add (tiny amounts!) of essential oil and stuff, but I don't bother. Scrub gently; regular sugar is a tad sharp for the face.
Sugar scrub for body: Big raw sugar crystals. Otherwise same as above.
Coffee scrub: Messy. Same as above but with finely-ground coffee (nice if I have some that's gone hopelessly stale). I like the soft-yet-robustness of the grit to this one.
Bath soak: Oil. Essential oil. Epsom salt. Baking soda. Use liberally in bath. Makes the water rather basic though, making my hair unhappy.
My skin really likes oil, can you tell? :P
no subject
Date: 2013-01-23 06:31 pm (UTC)The other thing I was slightly surprised about is that it's salt rather than sugar. I'm very used to seeing DIY sugar scrubs; I'm wondering what the difference is.
I make my own deodorant, because the natural stone stuff my parents used while I was growing up didn't work for me and I really don't want to have to deal with aluminum in the normal antiperspirants. this recipe.
Oh! A friend gave me a book of DIY beauty recipes actually, and I started using a toner from it. (Hadn't used a toner in years.) I think it's helping keep my skin pretty even, too. Also, this exfoliating cream. Gentle enough for daily use, totally works. Honey is great, honestly.
Basically I love DIY bath stuff and I need to get less lazy about using it all, ha.
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Date: 2013-01-23 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-25 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-25 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-25 05:20 pm (UTC)