DIY Holistic & Beauty Products

Article by Revive Holistic Beauty and Therapy

One of the advantages of creating your own products is that it enables you to choose your ingredients, many of which can be natural - the gifts of Mother Earth - and which some may argue, have much greater therapeutic and skin care properties than synthetic ingredients. 

In contrast, many manufactured products have a high content of man made chemicals, which are not always necessary nor appealing for those who have more natural lifestyle preferences. 

In addition to the greater ingredient choice that creating your own products allows,  it is a fun, creative, relaxing and rewarding pastime. One which brings a sense of pride and nurturing both to yourself and loved ones when making products as gifts.

Please note that if you wish to sell your finished products to the general public, they legally require an external safety assessment for each product under the European Union Cosmetics Regulations.  For further information, contact your local Trading Standards or Department for Trade and Industry.

Before starting your creation, please ensure that you follow the health and safety guidelines for production and also check that the intended ingredients & finished product will be safe for your intended user. 

To give you an idea of what types of products can be made, here is a list of ones which I have made myself and a couple of recipes to whet your creative appetite!

Bath melts, mini guest soaps, soap loaves, body exfoliator (with sugar or salt), mini foot exfoliators with shea butter, lip balms, moisturisers and face balms, serums, eye gels, cleansers, toners, body spritzes, foot refreshers, facial oils, body massage oils, body lotions, creams and butters, bubble baths, shower gels, room refreshers, body and face masks, leave in conditioner, hair treatment masks....

 

Facial or Body Massage Oil

  1. Select your preferred carrier oil(s) e,g grapeseed, sweet almond, macadamia, castor
  2. Add up to 5% wheatgerm oil - this helps to extend the shelf life of your other carrier oils and stops them from turning rancid too quickly
  3. Add a blend of up to 3 essential oils (use correct dilution) suitable for skintype, skin condition e,g eczema or fragrance preference
  4. Stir well with a spoon, decant to your bottle

 

Mini Guest Soaps

  1. Cut up a small block of clear melt and pour soap and melt in a double boiler.  This is where you place a heatproof bowl over the top of a pan of water on the stove, like when melting cooking chocolate.
  2. Once melted, allow to cool a little (but before setting), add 1-2 drops of liquid dye, essential oils or fragrance oils to suit
  3. Pour into your mould.  Once set, release from the mould and cut into slices 2-3cm thickness

NB  Ice cube moulds in various shapes and sizes can be purchased from supermarkets and places like Ikea.  These, along with other small tupperware containers are great moulds for small soaps. 

If you wish to make a soap loaf, use a loaf tin (used in cooking but use for soapmaking only) lined with greaseproof paper or a larger and deeper tupperware box.  Once set, release from the mould and slice into bars.

 

Face or Body Cream


Phase A

  • 6g butter of your choice (NB Butters = shea butter, cocoa butter etc not dairy butter!)  
  • 10g carrier oil  
  • 5g emulsifying powder  
  • 5g cetyl alcohol

Phase B 

  • 37.5ml Floral Waters       
  • 37.5ml distilled water

Phase C

  • Essential or fragrance oils  
  • 0.5% preservative
  1. Heat phase A ingredients for 15-20 mins
  2. Heat phase B ingredients for 5-10 mins in another double burner
  3. Place bowl of oils and butters into another bowl/pan of iced cold water to prevent bittiness once set
  4. Slowly add the Phase B ingredients a little at a time and whisk (hand or electric) until you reach your desired texture and consistency.
  5. Add phase C ingredients.  Decant into your jar or tub.  Leave overnight before use.

Lip Balm (can also be used as body or facial balm, just increase the quantities)

  • 1 teaspoon bees wax      
  • 1 tsp shea butter
  • 1 tsp cocoa butter          
  • 2 tsp sweet almond oil

Melt all the ingredients together in a double burner and place in another bowl of iced water.  Add fragrance oil e.g. chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peppermint in 1.25% dilution once cooled but before setting.  You can also use real chocolate!  Give it a good stir with a spoon.  Pour into jars and apply!


If along the way, you make a few mistakes which end up in the bin, please don't worry!  Its a bit like cooking or starting any new activity, it takes some time to build up your skills....remember the old adage  Practice makes Perfect!  Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER – This information is provided as a guide (by Revive Holistic & Beauty Therapies) only.  Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the above information is accurate and up to date, Revive Holistic & Beauty Therapies does not accept liability in respect of any omission or error in the information provided.  The purchaser should always satisfy her/himself as to the ultimate suitability and safety for an intended application. Revive Holistic and Beauty Therapies accept no liability in the unlikely event of an adverse reaction occurring when using one of its products.  Some products or ingredients, even natural ones, can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals. Always try a test patch or discontinue use of any product or ingredient suspected to cause a problem. You should consult your physician or appropriate medical reference for any advice regarding specific health concerns or treatments. The information provided is for informational purposes, does not include all available sources, and is not intended to be a prescriptive or medical guide. No liability is accepted in respect of any reputed therapeutic characteristic. Revive Holistic & Beauty Therapies shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Revive Holistic & Beauty Therapies shall not be responsible for any damages resulting from use of or reliance upon this information. The user of the product is solely responsible for compliance with all laws and regulations applying to the use of the products, including intellectual property rights of third parties. Keep all products and ingredients out of eyes and away from children's reach.