We all want to look, feel, and smell good.

But at what cost to our health?

Did you know 60% of what you put on your skin get’s absorbed into your body?  And it only take s 26 seconds for that to happen.

So what are you putting on your skin?  Is it loaded with harmful ingredients?  How do you know if it is harmful?  Well, can you eat it without any ill effects?

I am not suggesting you to try eating your store-bought commercial products, because many times they are loaded with harmful chemicals such as,

• parabens,
• synthetic colors,
• fragrances,
• phthalates,
• triclosan,
• sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
• sodium laureth sulfate (SLES),
• formaldehyde,
• toluene,
• prolylene glycols
• sunscreen chemicals

The list goes on.  However, I am trying to make a point.  Like I said, I’m not suggesting you eat the store-bought personal care products.  However, I am trying to make a point…

If you can’t eat it, then you probably don’t want to put it on your skin either!  It’s not good for you.

So what can you do?  A great alternative is to make your own homemade personal care products.  Don’t worry though; you don’t have to figure out how to put the right ingredients together to make effective products.  I’ve compiled several simple recipes that you will be able to download and use.

You CAN safely and easily make your own personal care products!

They can be made from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, or that you can easily pick up at your grocery store.  Oh, and you’ll even save dollars because the items in the recipes can be made for so much less than store-bought!

Best of all, by making them yourself, you will have peace of mind knowing you are protected and safe.  You aren’t compromising your health with store-bought skin care products.  That’s priceless!

Before we get to the homemade personal care recipes, I want to introduce you to what I like to call the “Star Players.”  These guys are some of the non-toxic ingredients you probably already have in your pantry

So, who are these star players?

Don’t forget that you have to be able to eat each one, because everything that comes in contact with your body is absorbed into it.  It only makes sense to be sure that all the ingredients are edible.  After all, the reason we are making our own is to be assured they are free of toxins and safe too!

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a very useful ingredient in homemade personal care products.  It has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.  As a conditioner, it moisturizes and leaves the hair shiny and fuller too!  It is great as a facial mask by itself as tightens and tones and rejuvenates skin tissues.

Baking Soda

Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a staple ingredient and so versatile.  As a mild abrasive, it works as an exfoliant removing dead skin cells.  It even removes grease and grime from the hair.  It’s also wonderful used in toothpaste because it dissolves and leaves no grit behind.  It can absorb odors and works well as a deodorant too!

Castile Soap

Castile Soap is a naturally derived soap, made from 100% plant oils, with many different uses from head to toe body care.  Use it in hair shampoos and hand sanitizers for a soapy lather.  Because of its soapy lather, it’s great to use as a shaving cream too!  A little goes a long way!

Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil is a multi-use ingredient in homemade personal care products.  It has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-oxidant properties.  That’s why it’s so widely used for homemade skin care.  It’s a powerful moisturizer and restores dry and flaky skin.  It helps delay wrinkles because of the antioxidant Vitamin E and helps protect the skin from damage over time.

Essential Oils

Essential Oils are great to use in homemade personal care products.  You can add them to your homemade products to smell good or mask flavors while adding nicer ones.  Plus some offer additional benefits like antibacterial, antiviral and even antifungal properties.

One thing to note, if you are going to add essential oils, use a brand, such as Young Living, that is considered edible.  Here are a few ideas, but try different combinations to find out what works best for you.

• Clove oil is an antibacterial, good for toothpaste and deodorant
• Peppermint is a great flavor for toothpaste
• Lime is good as a deodorizer
• Lavender is wonderful for bath salts
• Lemon is great for scrubs and shampoo

Lemon Juice

Lemon Juice, due to its acidic properties, acts as a natural bleach or whitener.  And as a result is great for whitening blemishes on the skin, and used as a whitener in toothpaste too.  In hair rinses, it removes the oils and suds from shampoos and leaves the hair shiny.  It makes for a great hand sanitizer.  And of course, let’s not forget that it has anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties too!  And who can resist the clean fresh smell of lemons?

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a popular ingredient used in face masks because of their cleansing, exfoliant, and moisturizing properties.  They make the skin feel soft, smooth, healthy and radiant.  It can be added to a detox bath to help soften and moisturize the skin too!

 Salt

Salt (Himalayan/Epson) is great to use in facial and body scrubs as it works well as an exfoliant.  It also acts as an abrasive in toothpaste.  It can be used in hair rinses to help remove grease and grime build up too.  Epsom salt is wonderful to use in a detox bath.

Shea Butter

Shea butter has healing properties as well as being easily absorbed into the skin.  It works well as a moisturizer and it doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy.

Strawberries

Strawberries contain malic acid, a tooth-whitening agent.  They can do wonders for your smile without the harmful chemicals and the high cost of dental work.

Turmeric

Turmeric, is a very mild abrasive, has surprising whitening abilities, fights gingivitis, and has been used for oral health in India for literally thousands of years.

Water

Water is added here, but not just any water.  You need to make sure you are using clean water, water free of contaminants and not using tap water.  Distilled water is steamed and free of contaminants so you don’t have any worries here, and remember, if you can eat it or drink it, then you are good to go.