Homemade Treats: Pamper Yourself!

By Levena Lindahl

    Who doesn’t like having a day to just relax and unwind?  However, the cost of those pampering trips can add up pretty quickly.  Here are a few ideas and ways to help you unwind that you can make for yourself, or for friends and family.

DIY Sugar Scrub

What You Need:

• 2 C Organic Cane Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Raw Honey
• 5-10 drops each of an essential oil you prefer, like Peppermint or Wild Orange Essential Oil

What To Do:

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. It will be a clumpy, grainy consistency. If it is runny, add a little more sugar by the tablespoon until you have the right consistency.

Place in a jar, like small jam sized mason jars. Feel free to decorate these!

 Homemade Bubble Bath

What You Need:

• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup Castile Soap
• 1 ounce Vegetable Glycerin
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil (This is optional, if you want more bubbles you don’t have to add this, it just adds a soothing aspect to your bath)

       Essential Oils (If you want to add a fun aromatherapy quality to your bubble bath)
What To Do:

Mix all ingredients together. You may need to warm up the coconut oil for it to get to its melting point in order for it to blend in properly with the mixture. Run the amount desired under your tub faucet into your bath tub to produce bubbles! This mixture makes a little over half a pint, or about 12 ounces. It can be stored in a pint Mason jar with a reusable plastic storage lid in the bathroom by the tub or under your sink.  Make sure to shake the jar just a bit before using as the coconut oil likes to settle on the top.

 Homemade Hand Sanitizer with Essential Oils

What You Need:

• 4 oz glass spray bottle (not plastic!)
• Water
• 2 teaspoons aloe vera gel
• 30 drops total of one of the following essential oil combinations:
• Lemon, lime, melaleuca, and lavender OR doTERRA’s On Guard blend

      Optional: 8-10 drops of vitamin E oil

What To Do:

1. Fill your glass bottle half-full with water

2. Add aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil, and essential oils

3. Fill any remaining space in bottle with water and shake well

4. To use: just spray liberally on hands and rub together

5. Repeat as needed

Fizzy Bath Bombs Recipe

What You Need:

• 1 cup baking soda
• ½ cup arrowroot powder
• ½ cup organic citric acid
• 20 drops essential oils (You can use lavender or grapefruit, or whatever scent you find appealing.  Avoid ‘hot’ oils like cinnamon!)

•Witch Hazel in a spray bottle

What To Do:

1. Mix together baking soda, arrowroot powder and citric acid.

2. When well incorporated, add essential oils, mixing thoroughly.

3. Alternate spraying mixture with Witch Hazel and mixing.

4. Continue spraying and mixing until mixture begins to stick together.

5. Spray ice cube trays, muffin cups or candy molds with Witch Hazel. (silicon molds like THIS work best)

6. Pack mixture tightly into molds, pressing down firmly.

7. At this point you can either turn packed bombs out onto a flat surface such as a cookie sheet to dry and cure, or leave them in the molds to dry. (24-72 hours)

8. Your bombs are ready to pack up and use when they are dry and hard.

    You should keep your fizzy bath bombs in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. Your bath bombs will keep indefinitely in very dry conditions, but moisture in the air will cause them to crumble over time, so storing them in airtight containers will prolong their life.

   There are tons of other recipes and ideas on sites like Pinterest if these are things that you are interested in, from custom nail polish to homemade chapstick.  There really are some amazing things out there that are budget friendly, fun and easy to make and use!