healthy bytes: recipes for bathtime
I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for all things homemade. Food, clothes, gifts – and skincare/haircare products too. I love clean hair and skin as much as the next person, but I refuse to pay for chemically enhanced scrubs and treatments when I can make my own at home, minus the price and minus the sodium laureth sulphate junk. While growing up, my mother was suspicious of various scrubs/lotions/potions on the market so my siblings and I often made our own concoctions. Here are some homemade recipes I still swear by, when it comes to bathtime – try them out yourself! You’ll find all the ingredients in your pantry or backyard.
Hair conditioning treatment:
Honey + olive oil
Mix small amounts of each (together they should make a mound the size of your usual conditioner squirt) in a small microwaveable dish, and buzz for 15 seconds. Warm on the stove if you are anti-microwaves / don’t have one. Fingercomb the mixture through the lengths and ends of your shampooed hair (not the roots!) and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.
Face mask:
Honey + oats + lemon juice
Pour the ingredients into a blender. Portions depend on your skin needs – honey is for nourishment, oats are for exfoliation and lemon is for deep cleansing. Blend the ingredients until the mixture becomes a paste. Spread across your face and neck, massaging very gently. After 10 minutes, rinse gently and pat dry with a towel.
Body scrub:
Raw sugar + olive oil + your favourite essential oil
Combine 1 part oil and 2 parts sugar in a bowl. Add a few drops of an essential oil if you’re fussy about the smell. (I used lavender once upon a time, but there are dozens to choose from.) This scrub will last forever in a container for use in the shower or bath to stimulate your skin cells and circulation.
And there you have it, your next bathtime sorted and you don’t even have to read the labels! As with all skin products, be sure to test a small area first, in case your skin happens to react to a certain ingredient.
Do you make your own ‘beauty’ products? Share your recipes and tips below!
I have made the face mask, natural yoguart with honey and oats. It feels pretty good but it tastes even better. Yes, I did end up eating most of it. Also egg makes your hair really shiny, but always use cold water and you don’t want to cook it. But it also makes your hair pretty knotty and frizzy. Bi Carb works good for really oily hair, but only use a little bit, mix it into your shampoo, it’s very strong and you don’t want to damage your hair.