Welcome to post 2 of our Make it Yourself Series! Our first post was about making organic baby products. This post explains how to make organic bath (and after bath) products like shower steamers. We won’t get into all of the details here, but we would recommend doing some research on what is normal in these types of products and what they do to your body – it’s horrific!
We started off just using our own homemade, organic lotion and we loved how it made our skin feel. From then on, we could never go back to store bought lotion. So we branched out and tried making some other bath products. Here are our “recipes” for all of these.
The next post in this series will be homemade, organic (non-bath) hygiene products, such as deodorant and lip balm.
We hope you enjoy!
Detox Bath
Items You Need: 2 cups Epsom salt, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup bentonite clay (optional), 5-10 drops essential oils, 1 cup sea salt, 1 cup baking soda, 2 tablespoons glycerine (more for dry skin, less for oily skin) – this makes a lot, so we use this amount for 2 baths.
Method:
- Mix all ingredients well in a bowl and pour into a jar.
- Pour everything in your bath, and relax.
- Drink a glass of water afterwards.
- Go right to bed, and you will wake up refreshed!
It is essential to have detox baths to help remove the buildup of toxins in the body. These baths can also help restore and rejuvenate your body because they are easy to do and cost-effective. Also, detox baths can be a beneficial at-home habit. Most detox baths are recommended two to three times per week but not daily.
Coconut Oil Lotion
Items You Need: 1 cup coconut oil; 1 tablespoon vitamin E; 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel; essential oils; 2 tablespoons cocoa butter
Method:
- Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.
- Transfer to a jar, or an empty lotion tub.
Coconut oil can hydrate the skin and help it retain moisture. It may also have antimicrobial qualities, contribute to the healing of wounds, and reduce inflammation.
Furthermore, scientists believe that coconut oil also helps strengthen the skin barrier for newborns with low birth weights, which could help protect them from health complications.
Shaving Cream
Items You Need: 4 tbsp coconut oil; 2 tbsp cocoa butter; 1 tsp baking soda (purchase from a health store); 4 tbsp Castille soap; 1 tbsp aloe vera gel; 1.5 cups water; 4 drops essential oils
Method:
- Put coconut oil and cocoa butter into a mason jar.
- Put the mason jar into a saucepan that is filled with 2 inches of water. Heat the saucepan on medium until the oil and cocoa butter has melted. Remove from heat.
- Use gloves to remove the mason jar, and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mix with an electric mixer.
- Transfer to a jar, and it’s ready to use!
It is important to note that organic shaving supplies are proudly paraben and cruelty-free. It gives a clean, close, comfortable shave that nourishes the skin. It also provides luxurious lather which in turn avoids typical shaving burns.
Bubble Bath
Items you need: 1 cup Castille soap (use a little bit more if you have dry skin); ¾ cup water; 1 tsp liquid glycerin; 10 drops essential oils
Method:
- Simply pour all ingredients into a jar and mix well. It’s ready to use!
Nevertheless, baths are a wonderful way to relax, let go of everyday stressors, and let yourselves feel pampered. Aside from the fact that it feels good to have some alone time, being in the water helps to boost mood, calm the nervous system, and lower levels of stress and anxiety in the body.
Another is that cleansing in a warm bath with a bubble bath helps to remove dead skin and impurities. Heat also opens your pores and allows for more effective cleansing.
Furthermore, it is essential to use a homemade organic bubble bath for it does not contain any toxic or harsh chemicals, which can nullify the detoxification effect.
Bath Fizzies
Items you need: ½ cup cornstarch; ½ cup citric acid powder; 1 cup baking soda (from a health store); 1 tbsp sea salt; 2 tsp olive oil; ½ cup witch hazel; 10 drops essential oils
Method:
- Mix together than cornstarch, citric acid powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a small bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together olive oil and essential oils.
- Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients until they are combined well.
- Pour the witch hazel into a spray bottle.
- Begin making little balls from the ingredients. If they crumble, spray with the witch hazel until you get the desired consistency.
- Place the balls into greased muffin tins. Press into the tin firmly, and let sit until hardened (about 48 hours). Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use them. Please note: they should be used within about 3 weeks.
Did you know that these organic bath bombs using weak baking soda and different essential oils are perfect for all skin types? Putting it in your bathwater causes it to fizz, and the fizzing effect leaves your tired skin with a soothing and cleansing feel.
Not only do bath bombs leave you feeling smooth and glowing after a bath, but it also has great benefits that’ll enhance your health. Due to its healing properties and the joyful experience it gives, it is now popular with many people as to the latest trend, and opt for bath bombs to pamper and cleanse their skin than spend time in a spa.
Bath Sugar Scrub & Exfoliant
Items you need: ½ cup sugar; ½ cup brown sugar; 1/3 cup sea salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp coconut oil, 10 drops essential oils
Method:
- Simply mix all ingredients together. If you’d like a coarse texture, add more sugar and sea salt. If you’d like a smooth texture, add more oil
It is in fact that sugar is one of the best natural beauty ingredients to exfoliate your skin. Sugar scrubs are mild and help remove dead skin. They also help rejuvenate the skin by cleaning all the dirt from the skin’s pores. With all the dead skin and dirt removed, the new skin is more radiant and you have a healthier glow. Sugar has a natural anti-aging effect on the skin. It does not allow toxins to attack your skin cells, so it helps to slow down the aging process.
Bath Milk
Items you need: 1 1/2 cups powdered milk (preferably soy milk powder but you can use any other dairy milk powder), 1/2 cup Epsom salts, 5-8 drops of Essential oil of your choice, 1/2 cup flower petals (optional and rose preferred), Food coloring to set the essential oil and flower petals (optional)
Method:
- Take powdered milk and Epsom salt, mix together and add a few drops of food color.
- Add essential oil to it. If you are adding flower petals, fold them in this mixture at this point.
- Once all are mixed, store it in a glass jar.
Did you know that milk is an excellent natural exfoliant? Proteins and fats in milk can replace the natural moisture in your skin. Therefore a milk bath is a great way to remove dead skin cells. It is a well-known at-home treatment for psoriasis and eczema in both adults and children.
However, milk baths are not safe for everyone. Avoid them if you have sensitive skin. The lactic acid in milk may irritate it. Also, avoid milk baths if you have a high fever. And, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before trying a milk bath. Leave the bath immediately if you feel faint, dizzy, or ill. Also, never drink the water from a milk bath.
Foot Scrub
Items you need: 2/3 cup granulated white sugar, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tbs vanilla extract
Method:
- Mix both white and brown sugar in a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add olive oil and vanilla extract and mix with a fork till the oil blends well with the sugar granules.
- Store the mixture in a jar and use every time you go for a bath.
Nevertheless, the main benefit of having your feet scrubbed does not just help make them soft and beautiful, it can help relieve a lot of pain you may be experiencing in that area.
Additionally, we all know far too well how painful and uncomfortable dry feet can be. Cracks in the skin on our feet can make walking difficult and unpleasant, and the longer we allow it to continue, the more painful it eventually becomes. Having your feet scrubbed, however, softens the skin and makes it far less likely that it will crack and become painful.
Coconut Milk Shampoo
Items you need: 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/3 cup liquid castile soap (like Dr Bronner’s), 1 tsp vitamin E, olive or almond oil, 10 to 20 drops your choice of essential oils
Method:
- Mix all the above items in a shampoo bottle and shake well so that they all are mixed. This shampoo can last for a month easily.
When it comes to hair health, coconut milk may restore moisture and strength, among other possible benefits. Coconut oil has been widely touted as a nutritional fat source that can help keep your hair, skin, and nails in good shape. Oil is just one of the ingredients of coconut milk.
Conclusion
These homemade bath products are pretty easy to make and use similar ingredients mostly so you wouldn’t have to do some extra shopping. One of the key ingredients you would find in every homemade product is an essential oil. With the right ingredients you can easily make bath products and skin lotions. If you feel you are too busy to make these at home, you can get handmade body soap and other products in the market too. I blindly use Zen Rituals Himalayan Pink Bath Salt With Organic Essential Oil Ylang Ylang and its totally worth it.