homemade lotions

[redheartonpink]

I really fancy making some natural products for me and my family similar to lush type stuff. Id be really interested to hear about your experiences before i buy the raw products.

If you intend to use essential oils be very careful who you buy them from. They should never be "cheap". Even citrus oils - which are more or less the cheapest of oils - should be around a fiver for 10ml. Suppliers I would recommend are:

Absolute Aromas
Tisserand
Neals Yard

Also, don't mistake "natural" for safe. There are many oils which are contraindicated for use with babies, children and specific medical conditions (eg rosemary and epilepsy).

You also need to watch the level of dilution of essential oils: 4 drops per 30ml of base product for children over the age of 2 years. 12 drops per 30ml of base product for adults.

I've not ventured into soap making yet but a friend of mine does and makes some fabulous ones as gifts with all kind of lovely flavours.

I use a homemade toner which is really easy to make, grate a cucumber and strain the juice through a cheesecloth/muslin and add a cup of cooled green tea to the juice and store in the fridge. It usually lasts for a week-10 days. Nice and refreshing especially around the eyes.

Face mask - about 1/4 cup of oats bashed up with a pestle and mortar and add a tablespoon of honey and some water to make it easy to apply.

Sugar scrubs are well easy to make and some of my favourites are on this website

Anything I do make, I make as and when needed because there is no preservatives they don't store well, but seeing as the ingredients are usually in the kitchen cupboard its easy to make up when needed.