Sustainable Living: DIY Natural Personal Care Products That Actually Work!

Thursday, 15 August 2024 08:00

By Courtney Holm

Courtney Holm believes the journey towards sustainable living begins with simple choices. Here she offers effective personal care recipes using natural ingredients

There are a lot of chemicals in skin care products today and the scientific community has started to acknowledge their impact on our short and long-term health.

There is a simple solution to avoid these potentially dangerous chemicals while protecting and nourishing your skin. You can make your own products from ingredients in your pantry or they are available from supermarkets or health food shops.

These simple, effective recipes are time tested, gorgeous to use and help reduce your family’s impact on the environment and exposure to chemicals found in store bought products.

I’ve been making these products for years. I find the process to be a relaxing form of self-care and cut the cost of staying beautiful while aging gracefully. Here are five of my go-to recipes.

LEMON AND ROSEMARY GARDENERS HAND SCRUB

For everyday gardening, I don’t like to wear gloves, so I use this nourishing scrub to moisturise, brighten, and remove the soil from my hands and nails. Rosemary and tea tree oil have disinfectant and antibiotic properties, so all those little scrapes heal without infection. It smells divine and feels beautiful.

Ingredients:

200g granulated sugar, raw sugar is too rough
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice • 3 sprigs rosemary
5 drops tea tree oil

To make:

Simply remove the leaves from the rosemary stems and add all the ingredients into a medium sized bowl and stir until well combined. I use an old jam jar and keep the lid on and use a teaspoon to apply to dry hands. Scrub and rinse with cold water. The Holm household goes through this amount in about a month.

DEODORANT

I haven’t used store bought deodorant for many years, this recipe works whatever the weather, whatever you are wearing, does not stain your clothes or cause irritation. You won’t be disappointed. A pea sized amount is all you need, and this batch lasts me about two months.

Ingredients:

30g arrowroot powder (available in most health food stores)
52g coconut oil
53g shea butter
2 tsp corn flour
4 drops tea tree oil
6 drops preferred essential oil (I like lemon for the husband and lavender for myself)

To make:

Put the coconut oil and shea butter in a bowl above a pan of simmering water on the hob and gently melt and combine or pop in the microwave for a few seconds. Incorporate the arrowroot powder and corn flour, stir until well incorporated. Add the oils and give a final stir.

Put in fridge overnight so that it sets. In the summer, it can warm up and lose its shape, it still works, but if you prefer it more solid, add 1 tablespoon
of candelilla wax to help it maintain consistency. I keep mine in a glass jar, but you can use any container with a lid.

AVOCADO AND CARROT COLLAGEN BUILDING FACE MASK

Normally, I try to limit my use of animal products, but the egg whites give an instant lift, effective, although fleeting, and the cream adds a boost
of protein; but if you are a vegan, you can skip the egg whites and use oat cream as a substitute and still get a nice firming and toning effect from the avocado, carrot and honey.

Ingredients:

1 avocado, scoop out the flesh • 1 large carrot, grated
1 egg white
3 tbsp double cream
3 tbsp honey

To make:

Use a blender or food processor to combine the avocado and carrot, put into a small bowl, add the egg white, cream and honey, stir to combine. Use immediately applying to face, neck and tops of hands and relax for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

ROSEMARY SHAMPOO AND APPLE CIDER VINEGAR HAIR CONDITIONING RINSE

These recipes are simple, effective and leave your hair wonderfully shiny and bouncy. If you’ve been using store bought products, your hair will need an adjustment period of about a week, in which you may experience a bit of greasiness and your hair might be limp, but stick with it, it’s worth the wait.

ROSEMARY SHAMPOO:

Ingredients:

Five sprigs rosemary • 240g boiling water • 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp castile soap
3 drops rosemary oil (optional)

To make:

Boil the rosemary in the water and let steep for an hour, remove the sprigs then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. I use a plastic squeeze bottle with a nozzle to apply as I generally don’t like glass containers in the shower. This batch lasts a week.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CONDITIONING RINSE:

Ingredients:

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (To make your own visit: www.theholmedit.com/homemade-cleaning- products/ or use store bought)
Warm water to fill a plastic squeeze bottle • 2 drops rosemary oil (for dark hair) or tsp lemon juice (for light hair)

To make:

Simply combine in the squeeze bottle and shake before each use. This batch lasts me a week.

Courtney Holm is the Founder of The Holm Edit. Discover more sustainable choices, made simple at: www.theholmedit.com

People with sensitivities or allergies to any listed ingredients should not use the products.

Sustainable Living: DIY Natural Personal Care Products That Actually Work!

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