Wellness Mama®
Simple Answers for Healthier Families
At our house, we love lotion bars. In fact, we rarely use regular lotion anymore since these lotion bars are so much easier to make and work so much better. They are also mess-free, even when the kids use them! Even though I could buy lotion bars at the store, making beauty products and toiletries …
If you are still using store-bought lotion on yourself or your family, there are super easy natural alternatives that are fun to make! This homemade lotion recipe has three basic ingredients and takes only ten minutes to whip together. The basic recipe is an ultra-moisturizing water-free version that last for years without preservatives. NOTE: This …
This year, we’ve decided to keep things simple, natural and sustainable with homemade, natural and DIY Christmas Gift Ideas (and a few select wooden toys for the kids that will (hopefully) last for generations). We are also trying to focus more on experiences than material gifts for the most part. There are so many great options …
What Are Lotion Bars? Lotion bars are a very moisturizing body lotion in solid form. They look like a bar of soap but are used on dry skin. My original lotion bars recipe is one of my more popular recipes and I’ve shared several variations of the basic recipe: Bug-Off Lotion Bars Pure Silk (Sensitive …
Many conventional beauty products contain hidden (or not so hidden) harmful ingredients and many are also super expensive. I started making DIY beauty products at home years ago for these reasons, and now… I’m addicted! But the extra work/time/money you say? It doesn’t take as much time as you’d think, and it certainly costs much …
I’m a big fan of lotion bars since they’re portable and mess-free, but sometimes it’s nice to have regular lotion on hand too. I wanted to create something especially for men, so I came up with this men’s lotion recipe. This DIY men’s moisturizer isn’t overly greasy or complicated to make… and it features essential oils …
I love coconut oil. Here are 101 ways that I use it. Seriously. Though I use it in coffee, toothpaste, deodorant and sunscreen, my favorite use for coconut oil is in skin recipes. Here are three of my favorite coconut oil lotion or lotion bar recipes: 1. Lotion Bars Since coconut oil naturally is solid …
Ever since I made my first basic lotion bars, I’ve been experimenting with fun variations and natural scents. Lotion bars are wonderful because they are used on dry skin and are a concentrated lotion that leaves skin feeling like silk. Along the way, there have been Pain Relief Lotion Bars and End the Eczema Lotion …
If you’ve been reading WellnessMama.com for very long, you know that I’m not a fan of using chemicals that I can’t pronounce to clean my house or rubbing them on my face where they can be absorbed in a lovely 26 seconds. I am a fan of things like using coconut oil for face wash, or …
In the book Zero to One, Peter Thiel asks readers to consider what views/truths they believe that very few people agree with them on. For me, one such personal belief is that most sunscreen is not helpful in avoiding skin cancer and may actually increase the chances of it! This is one of the reasons …
I’m a huge fan of coconut oil and its many uses. At our house, we use it in everything from cooking to toothpaste. These coconut oil lotion bar sticks are my most recent DIY project with coconut oil and I’ll be making a few more batches to have on hand for Christmas gifts. What are …
I’ve shared my homemade powdered makeup recipes before but I’ve been playing with a liquid foundation or creme recipe for months (ok, years). Until now, it has just frustrated me and all of the trial recipes turned into tinted body butters or cremes because they didn’t offer enough coverage or offered too much. Some looked …
Ever since I discovered how to make my original lotion bars, I’ve been experimenting with different variations including sunscreen bars, Vapo-Rub bars, and others. Today’s favorite: bug repellent lotion bars! They are as easy to make as the original bars, and they seem even more effective at keeping bugs away than regular homemade bug spray, …
I’ve said before that I am with coconut oil like the dad in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is with Windex! Coconut oil has a wide array of health benefits, hair and skin uses, and purposes around the home. I started using it a decade ago before it became popular and widely available in grocery stores. …
Gelatin is an age-old food that, like collagen, has gained modern popularity for its potential to improve skin and slow aging. It is commonly known as just the main ingredient in foods like Jello but this simple food has so much more potential! What is Gelatin? Gelatin is a substance composted of amino acids that …
Lip chap is a very simple item to make at home and it saves a lot of money over buying organic brands at the store. These also make a great gift item, stocking stuffer or a safe play make up for kids. I keep a lot on hand when doula-ing to give to laboring moms …
In our family, we have a tradition of holding one gift to open on January 6th, which marks the feast of the Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season for us. I wanted to find a fun way to teach our kids about this traditional feast which celebrates the arrival of the three kings …
I’m still learning to love winter. As a southern girl originally from Texas, I’ve had to adjust to cold weather, but I’m finally starting to make the best of it by filling the house with cozy and natural touches that celebrate the season. This Winter Bliss Lotion Bar recipe is a recipe I first made …
Cosmetics and beauty products are a major source of chemical exposure for most people. An average beauty product contains dozens of harmful chemicals, many of which have not even been tested for safety in humans! Fortunately, there are natural alternatives for every beauty product, and most work better than the chemical-laden alternatives. I have made …
I’ve been experimenting with homemade makeup for years and have a powdered blush that I love and that works really well, but I’ve gotten several requests for a creme/liquid option. I was working on a liquid foundation recipe anyway so I decided to work on a creme blush as well. Check out the original liquid foundation …
Ever checked the ingredients on your baby wipes? Yeah, I hadn’t either. The Cosmetics Database gives you a complete list and a hazard rating of the different brands of wipes. For instance: Pampers Clean and Go Wipes Contain Water, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic Triglyceride, PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Sodium …
You all know I’m a fan of using olive oil on skin and hair, but another all-star natural moisturizer for these uses and more around the home is shea butter. (Something about the name just even sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?) This luxurious butter is very thick and solid at room temperature but has a buttery …
Skin care products can be a major source of toxins for many people. Most are packed with chemicals and artificial ingredients that might have a temporary positive effect on the skin, but will have negative long term effects. These artificial ingredients can also be absorbed into the skin and build up in the body. The good news …
I get more questions about essential oils than almost any other topic, probably because they’ve gained such immense popularity. Our family uses essential oils daily in our personal care products, homemade cleaners, and as natural remedies. The five essential oils I use most often for my family are: 1. Lemon Essential Oil We use lemon …
