Want to try making your own beauty products, but don’t know what you need?
Just like stocking your kitchen pantry with staples, there are some basic beauty ingredients you can keep on hand to make most recipes. And much like stocking your kitchen, there is a bigger up-front cost but then you can make lots of products throughout the year. Most of these ingredients are really inexpensive though – the big investment is the essential oils, but those last for ages.
- Rich body oil – A deeply moisturizing oil for body products, like olive or avocado oil. Or if you want a slightly lighter oil, try sunflower.
- Lighter face oil – A lighter oil for facial products, like grapeseed (the lightest, good for oily skin), apricot or almond.
- Coconut Oil – semi-solid oil with amazing scent, often used in creams and lotions
- Beeswax – used to thicken creams, balms and ointments
- Cocoa Butter – also used as a solid oil to thicken products
- Emulsifying Wax – important if you’ll make a lot of creams, this helps them blend more smoothly.
- Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) – Useful for so many things, you probably have this on hand already
- Essential Oils – your favorites. I suggest starting with lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus if you only buy a few.
- Vitamin E Capsules – the kind with liquid inside, used as a preservative in products.
- Rosewater or Orange Flower Water – floral waters used in toners, astringents, creams, lotions and perfumes
- Cider Vinegar – can be used to make toner, astringent, hair rinses etc.
- Strong, cheap vodka – used to make perfumes or tinctures which can be added to your products
You can buy everything in your local grocery store or pharmacy, except maybe the beeswax, cocoa butter and emulsifying wax (and maybe essential oils, depending on your local store.) These products you can order online, I recommend G Baldwin & Co in the UK and Mountain Rose Herbs in the US.
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