We all love hair and beauty products that make our lives easier, but they can be so expensive. To save some money and be a little more environmentally conscious, try making these DIY hair and beauty products.
1. Rose water
All you have to do is go to the grocery store and buy some roses. Any color will work but personally, I believe the red ones are the best. Boil some water, peel 1-2 roses and place the petals into the boiling water. Wait roughly 3-5 minutes until the water begins to turn the rose’s color. You will also see the roses beginning to lose their color. After water is to your color liking, let the water cool. Pour the water into a spray container and throw away remaining petals. BAM! You now have your very own facial spray rose water. Repeat the process with more roses so you have a stockpile of rose water.
2. Face exfoliant
If you don’t already have these three basic ingredients, go buy strawberries, granulated sugar and honey. You are going to want to cut the strawberries small, and possibly even puree them. Then add a tablespoon of granulated sugar for every half cup or so of strawberries (these are not exact measurements but rather measured based on the consistency you want your exfoliant to be). Then add honey. I find that heating up the honey slightly makes it easier to pour into the mixture. Then mix all three ingredients together and store in a twist off container for a natural and effective exfoliant.
Dry Shampoo
This is a very easy two step, two ingredient process. First buy arrowroot powder (available at most natural grocers) and cocoa powder. Pour about a half cup of arrowroot powder into a bowl or container with a twist off lid. The cocoa powder measurement is up to you, depending on the color of your hair. If you have darker hair, I recommend matching the measurements of the arrowroot powder so the darkness will match your hair color. If your hair is lighter, the cocoa powder is not necessary but adding a little with have a better smell. But that’s it– two ingredients and you’re good to go!
Facial toner
Facial toners save me from minor to major breakouts. Green tea and apple cider vinegar, mixed evenly (usually a half cup of each, depending on the quantity you want) make an amazing toner. You can also add more green tea than apple cider vinegar to dilute the smell. Since all the chemicals are left out, your face is less likely breakout and dry up. Use pure green tea when making this. Do not buy green tea and lemonade or whatever combinations are out there. When done mixing, place into a container that is easily accessible with a cotton ball.
Lip scrub
Lip scrubs become necessary as winter rolls around, but we love them year-round. You will need ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of honey and 2 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil. Mix all of these ingredients into a bowl and use a spoon to place into separate container for storage. This mixture will capture all the dead skin left on your lips and leave them feeling smooth as ever.
I hope these products help your skin, hair and wallet. Feeling good on the outside helps you feel good on the inside. Don’t forget to share with your friends because we can all help each other save a little more.