7 Simple DIY Beauty Products to Make at Home

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DIY Natural Beauty Products
Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » 7 Simple DIY Beauty Products to Make at Home

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 less. Many of the ingredients you probably already have in your own kitchen, and you can make most of these products at a fraction of the cost of store-bought.

Plus, it’s just really fun! Pick a recipe, stock up on the ingredients, and make it as a rainy day project with the kids.

Best DIY Beauty Products + Recipes for Beginners

While I’m thankful there are more companies today making safer beauty products, the price tag that comes with them isn’t easy to swallow. I have a few natural store-bought beauty products I can’t do without now that I’ve found them (this one for example), but it helps to save money on other products by making them myself at home.

If the thought of making your own makeup or lotion is overwhelming, just start the way I did… one recipe at a time. The 7 recipes below are really quite simple and quick to make. In fact, if you have just 7 common DIY beauty ingredients in your cupboard, you can make over 20 DIY beauty products!

If you aren’t already, consider making these DIY beauty products instead of buying them:

1. Deodorant

homemade deodorant bar recipeI’ll admit… I didn’t think homemade deodorant could possibly work. I’d tried natural versions and they weren’t effective so I didn’t have high hopes. Still, if you want to avoid applying aluminum and other additives linked to cancer to your armpits (not to mention blocking the natural function of sweating), switching to a natural deodorant is an important health step to take.

To my surprise, this recipe works incredibly well and is very inexpensive and simple to make.

With just coconut oil, baking soda, and optional arrowroot and shea butter, you can make a deodorant that works for your body type.

Here are two recipes to try for smooth deodorants, and you can also make deodorant bars with the same ingredients.

Sensitive to baking soda or tried this before and got a rash? Try applying a simple magnesium oil spray as a deodorant… it works!

2. Makeup

homemade makeup recipes naturalThere are a lot of chemicals in makeup and a lot of women put that on their faces every. single. day. Changing your diet will help improve your skin so makeup isn’t as needed, but it is also possible to make natural makeup with ingredients you have in your kitchen that are non-toxic and even edible!

Here are the recipes for homemade makeup that I use. They include foundation, bronzer/blush, eye liner and eye shadow, and even mascara!

3. Lotion

how to make homemade lotion bars recipeThere are a lot of recipes for homemade lotion online and you can definitely find one that works for you. Personally, I prefer lotions or lotion bars that don’t have liquid since they last indefinitely and are incredibly moisturizing.

With simple ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and beeswax, you can make endless variations on homemade lotion products. Here are a few of my favorites:

As you can see, once you learn to make them there are so many uses for lotion bars! These make great thoughtful gifts as well.

4. Sea Salt Hair Spray

DIY Beach Waves Sea Salt Spray Recipe-Cheap and works greatI have fine, thin hair that is difficult to do much with. I loved the way my hair always felt at the beach with more texture and volume, and this simple spray was my solution to getting the beach look at home.

It isn’t a hair spray in that it holds a hairstyle in place (this natural recipe works for that) but when spritzed and scrunched into hair, it gives great volume and texture and makes hair feel much thicker.

This sea salt spray is also completely natural and incredibly inexpensive to make. Here is the recipe.

5. Dry Shampoo

how to make natural dry shampoo for light or dark hairBack to the fine hair problem! Fine hair also shows oil more quickly than coarse or thick hair. If I don’t want to shampoo my hair every day (which isn’t good for it), I had to find a solution to tone down any oiliness.

This simple dry shampoo works better than store-bought (in my opinion) and doesn’t have the aerosol or chemicals. It is a powder instead of a spray, and I find it is best applied with a make-up brush to the roots. Have dark hair? There is a solution for dark hair dry shampoo so it doesn’t look like you are wearing a grey wig! 🙂

If you have arrowroot or cornstarch around, you can make this recipe! Here are the steps to make it.

6. Body Scrubs

Soothing Magnesium Foot Scrub Recipe - so relaxing and leaves skin silkyBody scrubs like salt and sugar scrubs can cost $20 or more in stores, which is crazy when you can make them for less than a dollar! These make great gifts and leave skin incredibly soft.

There are endless variations for body scrubs but these are my two favorites:

Once you master those, experiment with some fun variations and scents like Vanilla Latte Sugar Scrub or these adorable Sugar Scrub Cubes.

7. Face Wash/Cleansing

Oil Cleansing- the most effective way to naturally cleanse and nourish skinFace cleansing and moisturizing products are some of the most expensive products on the market and this is one area where natural alternatives are not just comparable, they are better!

Switching to the natural oil cleansing method my skin has completely changed for the better. No more acne, no more dry skin, and the softest skin I’ve ever had. The basic concept is to use oil to remove impurities instead of harsh soaps. This avoids stripping the natural oils in the face and leaves skin much more nourished.

Here is the oil cleansing method and how to incorporate it in to a natural skin care routine.

Learn more about why you want to use sustainable ingredients in this podcast interview with Emily Blain on What’s Wrong With Your Personal Care Products and Creating Sustainable and Ethical Ones.

What are your favorite homemade beauty products? Share below!

7 DIY Beauty Products

Many conventional beauty products contain harmful chemicals, but these DIY beauty products work just as well and are healthy for your skin!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

243 responses to “7 Simple DIY Beauty Products to Make at Home”

  1. Londa Avatar

    i havent ditched any beauty products yet because of lack of money to buy whats needed. we have though started using olive oil and tea tree oil in our hair. i have switch to home made cleaners about wo years ago or more 🙂 i am so excited to make my own stuff!!! i have all kind of of stuff pinned on pinterest  for when i can afford to do all this ill remember where i found the recipe  

  2. Katherine Burley Avatar
    Katherine Burley

    I’m going to replace bug repellent with a better  alternative…

  3. Krissa Avatar

    I make my own deodorant, sugar scrub, moisturizer and face cleanser.

  4. anne Avatar

    I’m ditching my MK scrub and eye makeup remover. And buying more coconut oil(I ran out!) and organic apple cider vinegar. I’ll make a sugar scrub and use the vinegar as a tonor. I already make my own toothpaste, face cream(organic aloe vera gel with lavender oil.) and deo. 

  5. Amber Fry Avatar
    Amber Fry

    Thanks to your blog I have switched to making sun screen, shampoo and diaper rash cream. I really want to make lotions!

  6. Wendy schlensker Avatar
    Wendy schlensker

    I have ditched sooo much in the last 2 months it’s really amazing. After following your blog, pins and facebook. I started with laundry detergent and fabric softeners.  Paper towels. Bleach was a Hard one to rid my home of. Then those nasty cleaning products. Body washes for myself 2 kids and my husband, who isn’t exactly on the band wagon but loves the money saving element. Baby wipes and diapers. I have made hand and body salve, non petroleum jelly, bathes with essential oils, glass cleaner, surface cleaner room freasheners… I started using the “oil cleansing method” and then makeup. Since I have stopped with the “no so beautiful” beauty products and skin looks much younger and healthier! I was a skeptic and Now I love my new Healthier life style. The changes are wonderful. This week I have potty trained my stubborn 2 year old son and started enjoying the energy benefits of Chia. I have adapted ACV into my and my husband’s diet, who suffers from countless sinus infects and has has 3 sinus surgeries. I’m learning how to add these things into my children’s diet as well. My mom is following me on this awesome journey as well. I have told many of my friends(some of which think I’m crazy).
    The only problem has been trying to expense alot of the “nautral” and “organic” items needed to fully change. I try to budget for one to two new items a week, but all in all our health and my sprit and so happy! Thanks Wellness Mama you are a Health Goddess and I’m truely blessed to have found you!!!!!!!

  7. Mich Stephens Avatar
    Mich Stephens

    I’d love to ditch my shampoos and facial cleansers. I fight with oily skin/hair and none of these super products have ever worked for me, so why not go natural? It can either help or I get the same results with less chemicals. Seems win-win to me. 🙂

  8. MIja Avatar

    I will be replacing my daily moisturizer face wash and facial SPF moisturizer. Body soap and deodorant would be great to replace as well, because there are so many chemicals and extra fragrances added to those. I would love to make my own candles and lotion that I use during my yoga classes. This is usually a light lotion with lavender and other aromatherapy smells added. Thanks
    ! I love mountain rose herbs:)

  9. Charles Avatar
    Charles

    I’ve ditches eye and face serum, facial and body moisturizer. I also make deodorant, and makeup remover. I guess I’ve ditched everything but the make-up:):)

  10. blondie Avatar
    blondie

    I’ve switched a lot of products already (deodorant, lotion bars, bug off bars to name a few).  Next on my list is shaving cream, sunscreen, and toothpaste!

  11. Sonny Avatar

    I have ditched store-bought deodorant, lotion and toothpaste and couldn’t be happier! Adding more things to our household list every week!

  12. Madeline Souder Avatar
    Madeline Souder

    I use natural lotion, shampoo and conditioner (I tried out your shampoo recipe but it didn’t work well with my thick hair). The one thing I have not been able to replace is deodorant. I would love to try out that recipe as well as your lotion bar recipe! This is a great giveaway!

  13. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    I’m ditching my shampoos and conditioners first! And then lotions….. working my way to everything!

  14. Ashley Myers Avatar
    Ashley Myers

    I’ve already replaced lotion w/coconut oil and anti-persperant with a deodorant crystal. I want to switch out my shampoo and conditioner for something better. I also want to find a better toothpaste and make up!

  15. gayle Avatar

    I have replaced my deoderant for natural and given up shampoo and conditioner. I also have been using coconut oil for, well, just about everything. Oh yeah, and toothpaste… switched to tooth powder and OraWellness.

  16. Bren Avatar

    Once you start the change, you never want to go back. I’d like to change bath and shower products. I had switched a lot of stuff over to Lush and then noticed one day that a lot of their products have parabens in them. What a bummer to spend that kind of money to be getting the same toxins that I can buy for alot less! Thanks for the giveaway!

  17. Eunice Avatar

    I’m ditching commercial sunscreen. All the posts about protecting your skin from the inside out are so helpful and enlightening. In fact, I’ve learned all kinds of amazing things from reading this blog. Thank you!

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