Week 2: Replace Leave-in Conditioners

As part of my Small & Simple Make-over Challenge, for Mother's Day I decided to make some homemade beauty products for my mothers. I thought they turned out pretty great. I made deep conditioner creme, hair protector, face moisturizer, bath salts and mascara. I basically spent two solid days in the kitchen making all the different recipes. It was really fun and I think that the finished products turned out awesome, with the exception of the mascara which still needs some tweaking.

I started off collecting all the trial sized bottles in my house that I could find, removing labels and cleaning them out.

Then I scoured the internet for recipes. Many of the recipes required tweaking to get the perfect consistency. One of my favorite sources for recipes is Wellness Mama. One of the recipes I included came from Week 1 of the challenge, Face Moisturizer. Overall, I was very pleased with the end results.

Because this is a weekly challenge, I will share only one of my favorite recipes and share the rest as weeks follow.

This week's is a lovely Leave-in Conditioner/Heat Protectant. I use this and I love it. It leaves your hair feeling like silk. The jojoba in it conditions your hair and the grape seed oil protects it from high heat and sun damage. This stuff is amazing. You can throw all your other similar products away, this stuff works better! And it has no harmful chemicals or damaging alcohol. Read your heat protectant's label, it's amazing the chemicals we put on our hair! One note of caution, this stuff goes a long way. Only a few sprays is needed at the ends of your hair. Too much, and you'll look like a grease-head. I made the mistake of using too much the first time, as I am used to dousing my hair with product when I was using the chemical-laden varieties. So good news, even a small bottle will last you forever!

So you can get an idea of what it can do for your hair, I did a before and after shot. The before is my hair drying with no product so you can see my natural texture is frizzy and wavy. The after shot is after curling my hair with ONLY the hair conditioner I made on it. It makes your hair so soft and shiny. If you want extra volume and texture, you can add Epsom salt to the mix (it will give your hair the beachy look, so don't use it if you don't want that result.)

Leave-in Conditioner/Heat Protectant 

For Dry/Thick Hair

Fill bottle 3/4 full of distilled water
1/8 part Grapeseed oil
1/8 part Jojoba oil
Essential oils for fragrance (optional)
Directions: Spray on ends of wet hair. Start sparingly, add more as needed. Style as you wish.

For Fine/Thin Hair:
Fill bottle 7/8 full of distilled water
1/8 part Grapeseed oil
Essential oils for fragrance (optional)

For Salon Grade Styling Tools (425 to 510 degrees):
Substitute Avocado oil in place of grape seed oil.

Have you seen my other super simple recipes? Click here for more.

Week One: Replace Moisturizers

As part of my goals to a more natural, homemade life, I have decided to take on one small project a week and share it on this blog. This week's project involves replacing my store bought lotions. I live in a dry climate, so lotion is a must.

Ever read the ingredients label on your lotion bottle? Lotions are filled with so many fillers and chemicals. Food is a no brainer when it comes to removing toxic chemicals from your home, but what about the lotions you're putting on your skin, the largest organ of your body?

In search for a natural lotion, I have experimented with several different concoctions and recipes. I wanted to find a lotion alternative that wasn't too greasy or sticky and really worked. Coconut oil is one that is highly recommended on the internet. I found it was too greasy. After a little experimentation, I found a good combination that works with my skin and it's so simple and natural! I chose this recipe for the first thing to try because it is so simple and easy you don't have to spend a lot of time or money.

Simple Oil Moisturizer

You'll need:
1 empty bottle
2/3 part Almond oil
1/3 part Jojoba oil
Essential oil

I buy my oils from Butterfly Express, but any organic oils will work. Add the oils, then add a few drops of your favorite essential oils for fragrance. You can do less jojoba, since it is so expensive. But I have found any less than a 1/3 part jojoba and it's not as moisturizing, but it still works.

Depending on the type of essential oil you add, this is gentle and effective enough to use as face moisturizer.

If you are feeling ambitious, and you want a thicker, more lotion-y type of moisturizer here's the easiest recipe out there. It doesn't have any water in it, so it is a thicker, body butter type of moisturizer. Without water you don't need to worry about preservatives, so that's a good thing.

Natural Healing Butter

1/2 cup Grapeseed oil (you can also use olive oil or almond oil)

1/4 cup Coconut oil (to omit, just use a 1/4 c. more grapeseed oil)

1/4 cup Beeswax (use less if you want a thinner consistency)
Optional: 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
Optional: 2 tablespoons Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter
Optional: Essential Oils

Melt all ingredients except vitamin E and essential oils in a double broiler. Heat until completely melted, stirring to incorporate all ingredients. Once all blended, remove from heat and add vitamin E and essential oils. Pour into glass jars (baby food jars are perfect) while still liquid. Makes enough to fill 3 baby food jars.

If you want a moisturizer specifically for your face, here is the formula I currently use:

Face Serum

1 part Jojoba oil
1 part Apricot oil (Sesame oil, Almond oil or Grapeseed oil also work)
Optional: Essential oils 1-5 drops (For my sensitive, acne prone, combination skin I use Lavender, Thyme, Tea Tree, Geranium and Carrot Seed)
Glass 1 oz. dropper bottle

• Essential oils for Normal skin: German Chamomile, Lemon, Geranium, Fennel, Lavender, Jasmine, Rose, Neroli, Frankincense, Carrot Seed
• Essential oils for Dry skin: German Chamomile, Lavender, Calendula, Sandalwood, Geranium, Patchouli, Rose, Rosemary, Neroli
• Essential oils for Oily skin: Cedarwood, Geranium, Clary, Lavender, Ylang-ylang, Lemon, Peppermint, Calendula, Frankincense, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Juniper, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Neroli
• Essential oils for Mature skin: Rose, Geranium, Myrrh, Patchouli, Lavender, Citrus, Frankincense, Neroli, Fennel, Clary, Rosewood, Sage, Cypress, Sandalwood, Carrot Seed, Sea Buckthorn Extract
• Essential oils for Acne: Thyme, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Grapefruit, Rosewood, Rose, Lavender, Clove (use sparingly), Jasmine, Sandalwood, Lemon, Patchouli, Chamomile

Don't go out and buy all these oils, just pick one or two oils that match your skin type. Add the oils to the bottle and shake. It's that easy!

Want more info? Here are some amazing resources about making your own serums:
How to Make Your Own Face Serum
What is a Facial Serum?
7 Natural Secrets That Cure Acne

Try it! And if you like it, leave a comment about your experience.