What led me to creating my own beauty products was the constant frustration of shopping online and in-store, picking up products on the shelves, and turning them around to see those dreadful, hard-to-pronounce, inferior, sneaky, and unnecessary ingre...
Sections
4
Butters
Carrier Oils
Essential Oils
Emulsifiers & Preservatives
Butters
These are the butters I used to create my body butters. In my opinion, the hardest butter to melt is mango butter. I do NOT recommend placing the butters in the microwave to melt them. Doing so will destroy the beneficial properties each butter has. ...
Cocoa butter can be used for both hair and skin. It can moisturize your hair, eliminate dandruff, and reduce frizz. In regard to skin, cocoa butter can improve the appearance of scars, alleviate the pain of sunburns, moisturize your skin of course, a...
Cocoa
Mango butter can be used for both hair and skin. Mango butter can protect you from UV rays, prevent the development of wrinkles, erase dark spots, and improve elasticity. In regard to hair, mango butter can moisturize your hair, reduce frizz, seal sp...
Mango
In my opinion, shea butter was the easiest to melt. It has similar health benefits to cocoa and mango butter. Shea butter can improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks, reduce wrinkles, provides UV protection (However, you still have to wear ...
Shea
Carrier Oils
The lovely carrier oils! Each of these smelled so good, earthy, and natural! I read about the health benefits for each carrier oil, and could not wait to start using them!
Note: I do NOT recommend placing carrier oils into body butters because that ...
Avocado oil is a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is added to lots of makeup and skincare products (A synthetic version...). Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your cells against oxidative damage, and supports immune and metabolic function...
Avocado
Like honey and vegetable glycerin, castor oil is a humectant, which means it draws in moisture and seals it. Castor oil has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it helps fight acne and chronic inflammation. It reduces wrinkles and...
Castor
Like shea butter, coconut oil can be placed on the lips, and even added to lip balm recipes. Just make sure not to add too much because the oil is light, and can run easily.
Coconut oil is antimicrobial due to it containing lauric and capric acid, w...
Coconut
Grapeseed oil is light and can be used for both skin and hair. It can reduce hyperpigmentation, even your skin tone, and fight acne breakouts due to it containing linoleic acid. Grapeseed oil also contains Vitamin E, which can be used to reduce scari...
Grapeseed
Jojoba oil is the closest carrier oil that mimics our skin's sebum, making it very safe to use. It can be used for skin, hair, and nail soaks. Due to jojoba oil being light, it can moisturize your skin and hair without making it greasy. Jojoba oil ca...
Jojoba
Most carrier oils can be used for cooking. Sunflower oil is one of them! It's light, has a pleasant smell, can lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Sunflower oil can be used for both skin and hair, like the rest of the carrier oi...
Sunflower
Please note that there is a difference between sweet almond oil and bitter almond oil. Bitter almond oil is sometimes added into soap, and is also used for massage therapy. It has toxic properties when ingested, so make sure to purchase sweet almond ...
Sweet Almond
This particular oil can be used for both skin and hair. Walnut oil tends to be more expensive than the other nut oils. It protects you against issues such as chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In addition to this, walnut...
Walnut
Essential Oils
Essential oils are derived from plant parts, which is why they have scents. These scents are added to DIY projects such as lotions, lip balms, deodorants, body washes, perfumes and more. Essential oils are very strong and should only be used in small...
You can use either carrot seed oil or carrot seed essential oil for your DIY projects. I have used both, and prefer to use carrot seed oil due to it being less potent. Carrot seed oil helps the skin in many ways. It repairs the skin barrier, reduces ...
Carrot
When I created my DIY projects, I usually added drops of Frankincense and Lavender together to create a calming aroma. They pair nicely together. Frankincense contains antioxidants that fight premature aging, minimizes the visibility of scars, and so...
Frankincense
It is important to know that there is a difference between lavandin and lavender essential oil. Lavandin contains camphor, meaning its scent is more potent and is best used for aromatic benefits. Lavender does not contain camphor, has a sweeter smell...
Lavender
I love pretty much anything that is lemon flavored or lemon scented, so I had to get lemon essential oil. I used lemon essential oil in a body butter I created, and ONLY used it at night. When you incorporate citrus essential oils into your DIY proje...
Lemon
This is another essential oil that is a citrus, so I recommend using products that contain this essential oil at night. Using orange essential oil will change the color of your DIY project to a tint or shade of orange depending on how much or how lit...
Orange
I loved using peppermint essential oil in my DIY projects. I even placed a few drops in my diffuser. Like any peppermint candy or skincare-scented product, peppermint essential oil leaves a tingling and cooling effect on your skin and hair. Add more ...
Peppermint
I highly recommend placing rosemary essential oil into DIY projects such as hair oils, shampoos, and conditioners. Rosemary is known to accelerate hair growth, improve scalp health, and increase blood circulation. Rosemary essentail oil has anti-infl...
Rosemary
Tea tree essential oil is extremely potent, so be careful when adding drops to your DIY projects. I recommend pairing this particular essential oil with rosemary essential oil for accelerated hair growth. Like rosemary essential oil, tea tree essenti...
Tea Tree
Emulsifiers & Preservatives
Emulsifiers are needed to create lotions. Why is that? Lotions require a large percentage of water, and water itself cannot moisturize your skin! Butters, carrier oils, and essential oils moisturize your skin! To mix the water and oils together, you ...
There is no significant difference between emulsifying flakes and emulsifying pastilles other than the shape. Emulsifying flakes are mainly used for candle making. Emulsifying Pastilles are used to make lotions, soaps, and other DIY projects. Both ar...
Flakes
Some individuals experience allergic reactions to Optiphen Plus, so make sure you do an allergy test before using this preservative. Optiphen Plus is NOT recommended to be used in products such as face creams, face washes, lip balms, and more. Any pr...
Optiphen Plus
I recommend looking for emulsifying pastilles that are plant derived and non-GMO. Make sure to purchase a brand of emulsifying pastilles that are high quality to ensure your project remains mixed. If not, you risk the chance of your project separatin...
Pastilles
I used Phenonip for my DIY projects more than Optiphen Plus because it is more gentle for individuals with sensitive skin. Phenonip can be placed in face products, so I added it to my lip balms. Phenonip pairs well with projects that have oil ingredi...