The American Resident
Go DIY for your bathroom experience! This is an article provided for The American Resident by Maria Wright.
Making homemade bathing products may seem like a daunting task. However, with some store bought alternatives containing chemical ingredients that could potentially irritate the skin, it’s hard not to understand why you would be better off creating your own beauty balms and bubble bath at home. Furthermore, if you’ve gone to all the trouble of constructing your dream relaxation environment, it seems a shame to disrupt all that good natural energy with a lot of heavily perfumed cleansing products.
The good news is, this quest is a lot simpler than many of us realise and also a handy way to save cash. By snapping up ingredients from your local supermarket or pharmacy, you know exactly what is in your face scrub and you could potentially save a small fortune when compared to buying high-end brands. Read on for do-it-yourself tips on how to make bath oils, body scrubs and exfoliants from scratch, all in the comfort of your own home!
Homemade honey and vanilla bath oil
Perhaps one of the nicest things about creating bespoke products for a relaxing bathroom experience, is sharing your creations with friends and family. For loved ones that are losing their mobility, it is still important to inspire them to take time to pamper themselves and enjoy their independence.
If you’ve invested in one of these adapted baths for the elderly, encourage your loved one to appreciate the restorative benefits of bathing once more with the gift of some easy to make honey and vanilla bath oil. To make, simply mix one tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, half a cup of honey, half a cup of unscented shampoo, one cup of baby oil into a glass jar and shake. Pour directly in to a bath or massage into the skin.
Homemade brown sugar body scrub
For those looking to keep skin fresh and soft, an all-natural exfoliating body scrub is ideal for removing dead cells and keeping skin smooth. To make, simply add one and a half cups of brown sugar, half a cup of olive oil and a quarter of a teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix in a bowl until you have a paste. Use on skin, avoiding the face, hair and broken skin.
Homemade bath salts
Salts aren’t just good for exfoliating your skin, they actually help to draw toxins and impurities out of the body – ideal for city workers hoping to clear the grit and grime out of their pores. For this easy recipe, simply take one cup of Epsom salts, seven drops of your preferred essential oil and some food colouring (if you’re so inclined). Mix the salts, the oils and the food colouring, spread out on baking paper and leave to dry. A few hours later, pop in a pretty jar and voila! Add a ribbon and this makes a beautiful gift for someone special.
Homemade milk bath
If it was good enough for Cleopatra, it’s surely worth a try? Thought to be full of enzymes that help to dissolve dead skin cells, it is claimed that milk has beauty-enhancing properties. To test the theory out for yourself, simply take one cup of powdered milk, three drops of lavender oil and mix in a small bowl. Add to bath with a handful of flower petals for an extremely indulgent and wholly natural bathing experience.
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