Beauty on a Budget: 5 Products You Can Make at Home

As any woman (and some men) can tell you, the price of beauty is high. While people would get pretty miffed if vendors charged a premium for necessities like food, beauty products are luxury items, and are therefore subject to arbitrary pricing. So the many lotions and potions that you use to beautify can range in cost from minimal to truly exorbitant. Either way, you can save a lot by mixing up your own alternatives at home, and with so many elements readily available, you might be surprised by how easy it is to create targeted specialty items you want for less. Of course, they won't come with a fancy label, but you can still get some of the many products you use every day at a fraction of the cost of retail. Here are some to try.

Soap. Making soap can be a complex process, especially if you do it from scratch. But you can make your own specialty soaps for less by starting with a cheap, already-made option like Ivory soap, for example, and adding the items that will give it the scent and texture you prefer (a method called "rebatching"). Simply shred two cups of soap (and set aside), then bring ¼ cup of water to a boil. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil or even ground flowers and herbs, simmering for 15 minutes. Pour the boiled mixture over the soap, mix, and allow to set (about half an hour). Then divide the soap into portions (however many bars you want) and set out to dry on wax paper for about three days. You could even add a couple ounces of shea butter or your favorite oil to make a creamier soap. Just be sure to wear protective gear (goggles, gloves) and use dedicated pots and utensils.
Shampoo. You might be surprised how easy this is to make. All you really need is a base consisting of equal parts distilled water and liquid castile soap and you can add any scent or oil you like. For a recipe containing ½ cup soap and ½ cup water, add 1 tsp. of your favorite oil (like coconut, grapeseed, or even olive) along with a few drops of essential oil or some rosewater.
Face wash. In many cases you don't even have to do much mixing to make washes, masks, and astringents for your face. Crystalized honey, for example, can scrub away the dead skin that clogs pores, kill the bacteria that causes acne, and even reduce oil on the surface of your face, making it a great all-in-one daily cleanser. Oatmeal makes for a harsher abrasive, lemon juice can act as an astringent for oily skin, and mashed avocado and bananas are great for dryer skin. You need go no further than the produce section at the grocery store to find amazing skin products.
Moisturizer. This one is also easy. Pretty much any kind of household oil, from olive to coconut, can be used as a basic moisturizer (in small doses). If you want something thicker, simply heat the oil (let's say 1 cup) in a double boiler, add beeswax (¼ cup), and then remove from heat and add water (¼ cup) along with a few drops of essential oil for scent. Mix and pour into container.
Makeup. You might not be able to produce the same professional packages you'd spend beaucoup bucks on from Chanel and L'Oreal, but you can pretty easily make lipgloss and rouge (creamy cosmetics rather than pressed powders) with Vaseline or beeswax as the base and crushed berries to add color. Once you've settled on the many homemade beauty products you like best you'll be ready to go for driver's license and passport renewals or the photo checks and credit cards that will stick with you for years to come.

Image Credits: TotalBeauty.com
(Guest Post by Carol Montrose)

Comments

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way, Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox and other expensive chemical or surgica...

Aspirin for acne-prone skin

Aspirin has been around for a long time and its health benefits are wide and varied. Aspirin , or acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains , as an antipyretic to reduce fever , and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin's greatest benefit is reducing cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes. According to the American Heart Assoc. virtually all women are at risk of heart disease and doctors should more strongly consider prescribing a daily aspirin for their female patients. There is growing evidence to suggest regular aspirin use may reduce cancer and dementia as well. Investigators from the Women's Health Study have reported important new findings demonstrating that aspirin reduces the risk of a first stroke in women. When given to someone immediately after a heart attack, aspirin decreases death by 25%.

Highly Effective Indian Home remedies For Delayed Periods

Delayed periods or Irregular menstrual periods have become very common these days for a lot of women in their reproductive age and they suffer great agonies when their period does not come on time. A delay of 4-5 days may be fine but if it exceeds 8 days, then it's certainly a cause for concern. In this post, I'll be sharing highly effective Indian home remedies for your delayed periods . I'd been a long sufferer of irregular periods during my teenage to early twenties. I've tried most of the recipes here, along with Kapalabhati pranayama, yoga poses, mudras and other lifestyle habits. Now my periods are extremely regular like clockwork; not a day less or more than 28. When I look back, I'm surprised how I managed those years of anxiety and fear about my late periods.

Home remedies for sleeplessness

The day dawns beautifully for those who have had a night of good sleep. But the same day drags on for those who have spent a disturbing, sleepless night. Sleep is a biological necessity even as eating and drinking are. Sufficient sleep renders a person normally sociable, lively and high-spirited. It’s a nature’s way of rejuvenating the person for the next day. Realize all this, and make sleep a physiological habit. The consequences of long time sleep deprivation can be very grave. Lack of sleep takes its toll on the skin and hair. It causes acne-breakouts and makes one look aged and haggard beyond years. Experts opine that during sleep as our metabolic rate falls, blood goes to those areas which need the most repairing. This also steps up the production of collagen and keratin, which aid the regeneration of skin cells and help resist premature ageing. So for a younger looking and a problem free skin you need to have a good quality of sleep every night.

Simple ways of acquiring a clear & blemish free skin

It is not necessary to go to expensive beauty parlours or buy expensive creams and lotions to acquire a blemish free & clear complexion. A few homemade remedies are provided below which will serve the purpose equally well. Hope this will benefit the readers. 1. Always wash your face with mild soap so that the pores breathe fresh air. For a clear and attractive skin mix besan, turmeric (haldi), lemon and milk together. Make a paste. Apply it on the face. Let it dry. Wash with clean water. Wipe your face with a soft towel and pat it dry.