3 Skincare Recipes for You

I am not a hippie.

That's what I tell myself every time I make these recipes.  I am the world's biggest skeptic of all home remedies, but I was desperate to find something that helped my family after years of dropping big bucks on products that weren't helping.

First up is a recipe for a body butter that has completely eliminated the dry, bumpy skin in our family, and subdued the eczema flair-ups that a few of our family members with sensitive skin are prone to having.  I love this stuff!!! A little goes a long way, and if you use too much, you might feel a bit greasy.

Whipped Peppermint Body Butter

1 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup almond oil
1/4 cup  pure 100% shea butter
2 tsp. Vitamin E oil
10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil *

Heat the coconut oil, almond oil and shea butter in a small pot until just melted.  Remove from heat and add the vitamin E oil and peppermint oil.  Cool in the refrigerator until it's starting to thicken to a pudding consistency and then whip it with a mixer. Place it in a jar, and keep it in the bathroom.  I have never had any problems with it melting, but if you live in a really hot place, you may have to refrigerate it.

* We use peppermint oil for its soothing qualities for eczema, but a few drops of lavender would be a nice substitute.



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Next up is a recipe for deodorant. I was a TOTAL skeptic on this one, but my husband begged me to try to make something for him.  He works so hard outside everyday, and sweats like crazy!  We have been buying him prescription strength deodorant for years, and it was really expensive...not to mention that it didn't work all that great.  After seeing a few recipes online, I decided that we really had nothing to lose by trying it, and....IT WORKS! It's really cheap to make, lasts a long time, and did I mention that IT WORKS?!? I can't believe it, but my husband has been using it for 5 months, and his sweating has decreased exponentially. Plus, he comes home from a long day of hard work, and does not smell bad.  This deodorant doesn't really smell like anything.  It has peppermint oil in it because of its anti-bacterial properties, but after an hour or so, you can't even smell that.  It just has a complete lack of smell. It doesn't take much, but should ideally be applied after showering, and once a day.  The beeswax in the recipe will stain the armpits of tight fitting shirts over time, so I'd use something else if you have a tight fitting shirt on.  My husband's old deodorant did the same thing, so he's used to wearing an undershirt under his nice shirts anyway.

I wear the deodorant, too, and after an hour long aerobics class, I had my best friends give me the sniff test. I passed with flying colors!!! It's a miracle.  I was really used to wearing deodorants that smelled girly, but after reading about the junk in them and how it could be bad for my body, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to switch over, myself. Plus, I always got a bumpy razor rash when applying them after my shower.  Not anymore. My underarms are smooth just in time for tank-top season.

Here's the recipe:

Deodorant
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup  pure 100% shea butter
2 Tablespoons beeswax pellets
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 Tablespoons baking soda
5 drops of peppermint essential oil

heat coconut oil, shea butter, and beeswax in a small pot. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cool until it starts to thicken and pour into empty deodorant containers. (It will harden quickly, so be sure that you are watching it carefully and don't walk away.)

1 recipe fills about 1.5 deodorant containers, if they are big, or 2 small containers.  I just kept our old containers when the deodorant was gone, and I wash and re-use them.  It makes application so much easier than making it into bars.

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Here's a lovely sugar scrub recipe that I adore. I use it once a week to exfoliate in the shower, and always come out feeling like I've been to the spa.  It makes my skin soooo smooth.  I use a Doterra essential oil mix in it called "Serenity" and it's like having an aroma therapy session in the shower with the hot water.  It's very relaxing.

Serenity Sugar Scrub
1/2 cup of sugar
1 TBS olive oil
8 drops of Serenity essential oil, or any other oil that you enjoy the smell of.

Just mix and put into a small plastic container. Apply it to skin and scrub away, then rinse.  Beware, your shower floor may get a little slippery with the olive oil.




Hope you enjoy these recipes!  My skin has never felt so amazing!


Nell