4 All-Natural DIY Beauty Products

Beauty/Skincare, Featured Article, Healthy Living
on August 11, 2014
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Think you need to shell out hundreds of cold, hard cash on pricey beauty creams and designer shampoos? Wrong! Turns out, the best all-natural skincare products on the market are hiding in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator—all you need to do it put them together. By making your own natural beauty products and skincare, you’ll save money and time, and you’ll reduce your body’s exposure to the potentially harmful chemicals and ingredients often found in store-bought beauty products. Below, Nutrition Stripped blogger McKel Hill shares her favorite DIY recipes for your hair, skin, lips, and face. After trying these, we can almost guarantee that you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff again!

FOR THE FACE:

Coconut Sugar Lip Scrub, a delicious and effective natural exfoliate gentle enough to use on lips.

Citrus Coffee Scrub (3)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Simply combine in a small mixing bowl all the ingredients until mixed. The scrub will be thick and grainy- just what you’re after.
  2. Store in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks.

How to use: Simply use about a dime size (1/4 teaspoon) of the Coconut Sugar Scrub and apply to your lips dry, using a circular motion massage the scrub into your lips and all around the mouth. You don’t need to put a lot of harsh pressure on this motion; just gentle circles to delicately exfoliate the skin. Rinse with warm water, pat dry, and seal with your favorite moisturizer or lip balm. I adore Rosebud Salve or Tata Harper Be True balm.

Avocado Face Mask

avocado face scrub

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ avocado
  • ¼ cup uncooked oatmeal
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Simply mash and combine and the ingredients in a small bowl and apply to your face. Be careful around your eyes (as with all products).
  2. Let sit on your face for about 20 minutes.
  3. Rinse with warm water.
  4. Follow with your favorite moisturizer.

FOR THE LOCKS:

Rosemary Coconut Hair Mask, a moisturizing hair mask that may help stimulate hair growth and keep your locks healthy and long.

 rosemary

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil
  • 10-15 drops of rosemary essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Simply stir all the ingredients together into a liquid.
  2. Store in a small jar.
  3. Use when coconut oil is melted.
  4. Simply rub in your hands, starting at the scalp of you head start massaging the mask into your head and scalp working your way down to the ends.
  5. Leave it soak and sit on your hair overnight, ideally.
  6. Shampoo and rinse well the following morning.
  7. Repeat several times/week or as you enjoy.

How to use: You can use this hair mask daily if you wish, but I prefer to use it 1-2 evenings/week. I recommend putting this hair mask in at night as a part of your nightly beauty routine and tossing it up into a top knot bun (if you have really long hair like I do); that way, when you sleep on it, you’re giving it a full 7-9 hours to do it’s magic on your scalp and hydrate your hair strands. Get super fancy and help increase the absorption of the oil by wrapping your head in a warm towel for 30 minutes before laying down for the evening. Also, if you were to use this during the day while you’re out and about, let’s be honest—your head is going to look like a grease ball from the coconut oil.

FOR THE BODY:

Coffee Citrus Body Scrub, a fragrant and effective natural exfoliate to use on your entire body for smooth and soft skin. Great to use daily or a couple of times a week.

Citrus Coffee Scrub (1)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup coffee grounds
  • 1 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1-3 drops of lemon essential oil
  • 1-3 drops of orange essential oil
  • ½ cup coconut sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Mix in a bowl until everything is combined and keep at room temperature.

How to use: Using a palm full of the scrub, start towards the end of your body (towards your feet) and work your way up exfoliating in a circular motion until you’ve reached your neck. You can use this on your face if you’d like, it just depends on your skin’s sensitivity to exfoliants. Let set for 15 minutes or longer and then rinse. Repeat on a weekly basis and gradually see your skin improve in softness and may even help get rid of scarring if you have any. Store in an airtight bag or mason jar if you have any leftover.

DIY Lavender Deodorant, a soothing, calming, and luscious deodorant to use year round.

Lavender Deoderant (1)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (can add more for a thicker deodorant)
  • 2-4 drops of lavender essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Simply mix to combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

How to use: I like storing mine in a small glass jar with a lid. If you enjoy a creamier deodorant similar to a moisturizer, use more coconut oil. If you enjoy a harder deodorant similar to a stick, use more arrowroot powder. Apply to underarms as needed, rubbing in. Fresh and clean!

m kell hill

McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN is the creator of Nutrition Stripped, a plant-based whole foods blog focusing on nourishing recipes. McKel offers one-on-one nutrition coaching in the US and internationally. Connect with McKel on Nutrition Stripped, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.