by Sage Mother Raven

Created on: January 06, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

Your skincare and cosmetics budget is stretch thinner everyday. As we get older our skincare needs change, and cosmetics need to do more than just cover our skin. We need to see results from our skincare and cosmetics products that also create a sense of well being.

Have you ever wondered about the exotic sounding ingredients found in your favorite skincare items? Do you wonder about the items used in pricey day spas? Would you like to have similar spa items but cannot afford the cost?

Creating your own spa and skincare items is easier than you think.
Your supermarket and health food store has most of the things you need to create personal products. With a few staples you can fill your cupboards with ingredients for luxurious creams and exotic scrubs.

Bath and Body

Most body scrubs are based on Sea Salt or Epsom's Salt. Herbs, oils, and scents can be added. Often the salt scrub is salt only. Aromatherapy can be incorporated into your spa experience, with Essential Oils being added to the salt mixture or being applied before or after the scrub. The oils will be selected based on their traditional qualities related to the effect of their scent along with their reputed mineral and vitamin content.

Body Creams

Buying unscented lotions and adding Essential oils or Fragrance Oils allows you to customize your non-facial skincare. You can also place fresh herbs in oils like Olive or Jojoba for 3 weeks, shaking the bottle each day, then straining the oil to remove the hunks of herbs. There are great little jars of unscented Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter that can be found at your green grocer as well. Oils and bruised herbs can be added using a hand electric mixer. If no preservatives have been added to the butter base, and there should be something suppressing the growth of bacteria in all of your creams and lotions, then you should probably store your cream in the refrigerator, especially if you have added fresh herbs.

Face

Grape seed oil or Sweet Almond oil are good for moisturizing and make up removal. Witch Hazel is a great astringent or toner. Add a bit of lemon or cucumber by whizzing them in the blender with your Witch Hazel, then strain the solid bits out. Again, since you have added perishables to your Witch Hazel, you probably need to refrigerate it.

Facial masks for different skin types can be made with oatmeal, avocado, tomato, lemon, egg white, and even powdered milk. Place your dry ingredients in a clean, empty jar the once held food. This way you know that the lid is pretty safe. Label the jar with the type of facial it is, and store. Add liquid only to an amount that you are going to use. You save money not paying for packaging and government requirements that you are dealing with when you buy the commercial items, and you can be certain of the ingredients since you did this with your own two hands!

Use the Internet to learn how to create more complex mixtures. As you develops a plans and gain experience you may find your own mixtures and compounds are superior to the commercially produced. Your price will be lower, your satisfaction greater, and your creations will be customized for you personal skincare needs.

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