Homemade Lotion.

Have you ever wondered what lotions are made of? Well, the ones you purchase in the store are made of many different things you probably can't even pronounce ;) We don't strictly avoid them alltogether, but I prefer to make my own or use coconut oil.

I didn't think much about lotion until someone had asked if I had a recipe for one, so began my search! I'm thankful she asked because it is so simple to make your own. I found this recipe on a blog I came across one day.

This recipe is very basic and if you want more moisture, I recommend looking for a lotion that has cocoa butter in it. I will be looking for one as it gets cooler in Michigan and my skin gets dry, so stay tuned for that.

What you need:

• Aloe (unscented pure aloe)- I found ours at Harvest Health, I bought one of their mid-cheaper ones after reading all of the ingredients in each. 
• Coconut Oil- I get mine at Aldi ($4.99 for 16oz)
• Essential Oil- I used a small amount of lavendar. 
• Container to put it in- I used an old coconut oil container. 

How to make it:

1. Mix the aloe and coconut oil in equal parts in a bowl with a whisk. I recommend melting the coconut oil, I did not and it didn't mix very well. 
2. Add essential oil; I did about 15 drops for my 16oz of lotion and it was good.
3. That's right, it's that easy! 

I use this lotion daily after showers and it's been great! You don't need near as much and it is easy on sensitive skin.
 
Let me know how this works for you! If you tend to get extra dry skin you may need something with a little more moisture in it, such as something with cocoa butter.

Feel free to comment with any questions:)

Have a great fall week!

Amy 

Cold and Flu Season is Here! Recipe- Hand Sanitizer.

We all know that in Michigan we have 4 seasons, we should add one more "Cold & Flu Season" (perhaps also "Construction Season" to make it 6). Many of us are constantly using hand sanitizer that we pick up at the store. With so many major brands/off-brands to offer, how do we choose? Our family chooses to make their own, it saves money and it's much safer for our bodies.

Often times the sanitizers we purchase at the store are alcohol and chemical laden, which is actually not good for our skin or our bodies. Sure, it gets rid of the germs 99% of the time, but it's still not good for us. Consequently, I went on a search for some recipes for hand sanitizers! I love making my own and I am confident that it is safe and effective.

This is the best I found with a 2% essential oil dilution from a facebook group I am a member of:

What you need:

• 1 2oz glass spray bottle (found at Harvest Health)
• 1 1/2 oz Witch Hazel (found at Harvest Health; that's 3/4 of the bottle, save yourself the measurement!)
• 2 tsp Olive Oil (carrier oil)
• 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (found at Harvest Health)
• 8 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil (found at Harvest Health) 

What you do: 

• Fill the 2 oz spray bottle 3/4 full or 3 tbsp Witch Hazel.
• Measure 2 tsp olive or almond oil and pour into the spray bottle (we only had olive so I used it).
• Put 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil into the bottle. 
• Put 8 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil into the bottle. 
• Shake it before each use to make sure it is mixed. 

I carry this with me in our diaper bag at all times. I use it after every diaper change if there isn't a sink close by, and so far I am pleased!

If you try this, please let me know how it works for you:) 

Have a great week everyone!

Natural Face Wash

 Do you have acne prone skin? Oily skin? Are you sick of paying drug store prices to clean up your face with products that never seem to work? Have you thought of making your own face products?

For about 2 years (maybe more, I can't recall) I have been making my own face wash. It started with a Pinterest recipe... some oil mixed together (probably caster and olive) and then it developed into a wonderfully exfoliating face wash that I can not live without!

I will NEVER buy a face product from the store again. I tried everything before this trusty recipe, I used topical creams, 'natural' face wash from the store, wash that promised to clear my skin in _____ days; you know the drill with big companies promising things they can not hold to. I'm here to tell you I CAN promise you better skin with this face wash! I can't promise a timeline, but I can say if you make it and you stay dedicated to using it you will see results:) 

Before I started this face wash I had constant acne, not a ton, but big deep painful acne that could pop up at any moment, fairly oily skin and scaring. You ask, "How did that clean up with OIL?" Well, I'm here to tell you it did! The coffee in the wash helps to exfoliate scars and acne. The oil in the face wash rinses away the bad oils (ones that cause acne) that your face naturally produces and you are left with a clean moisturized face. Many of the products you purchase in the store dry out your skin which causes the skin to over produce oil and cause acne. I also have hardly used lotion on my face since I've used this product, occasionally if my face is extra dry I will use a little bit of coconut oil on it.

This facewash will also only cost you pennies and last you for at least half a year. I buy everything at Aldi and you can make multiple batches with just one trip; you may also have the products on hand already. Sugar = $1.89; EVOO = 2.99; Coffee = 2.00 (these are rough estimates).

Whats even better with this face was is you DON'T have to wash your face EVERY day. I literally wash my face with water every day and use this face wash 1-2 times per WEEK. In the beginning I did use it every other day, but now I don't need to.

Here is the recipe (equal parts each ingredient): 

Olive oil (sometimes a little more than equal parts oil)
White sugar
Caffeinated coffee
**you can play around with it and add some essential oils or lemon juice**

That's right! That is all you need!

I put mine into a mason jar. I will be transferring to a flip top jar soon because the top of the mason jar does show some rust over time.

I hope you try this. Please comment with any questions!

Have a great week everyone!

Amy