Tag: diy beauty

Summer Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

Summer Grapefruit Sugar Scrub—Spa Days at Home

The right sugar scrub can mend fences, y’all. No joke. My loving father stepped on my foot the other day. He was losing his balance and to keep himself from falling, he came down hard on my big toe. I will neither confirm nor deny whether I cried a little bit (my dad felt awful). I will admit, however, that my first reaction wasn’t to worry about broken bones or any of that. Nope. I was way more concerned about my fresh pedicure… because, priorities. I was also pretty upset with my dad because pain tends to make me totally irrational.

Fortunately, I didn’t have a broken toe and my pedicure was completely spared. Still, I felt like I earned a little pampering for handling that pain like a decorated soldier and for recognizing that even the best dads can make pretty bad mistakes. Since I’d just paid for the whole mani/pedi thing a few days before my Olympic injury, I decided to treat myself to a relaxing foot soak at home.I whipped up a nice sugar scrub inspired by Salt & Ritual’s amazing summer body scrub. With a fresh citrus scent and a smooth coconut oil finish, this is my absolute favorite scrub for the summer months! This scrub also features beet root powder. It’s totally optional, but beet root powder is a natural food coloring, and I just love the color that it gives this scrub. Added bonus: if you have any left over, you can totally add beet root powder to your morning smoothie or your lunchtime salad. It’s really quite the little superfood. You can read more about it here.

So without further ado, here’s the awesome sugar scrub I used. Seriously, folks, this scrub repaired my temporarily strained relationship with my father. It’s just that good.

Summer Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

Summer Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

Ingredients

  • beet root powder (optional) — find it here
  • sugar
  • coconut oil
  • grapefruit essential oil

Directions

  • Using a 4oz  mason jar, pour in the sugar a little more than halfway up
  • Mix in a tsp of beet root powder
  • Add in a tbsp of coconut oil and stir
  • Soak your feet for about 5 minutes prior to using the scrub
  • when you’re ready, massage the scrub into your skin before returning your feet to your foot bath
  • relax and enjoy!

***your feet may be a bit oily after using this scrub, so be careful not to slip on tile or un-carpeted floors! Bailey cares!

Image Credit: Salt & Ritual

The Only 2 DIY Yoga Mat Cleaners You’ll Ever Need

My love affair with essential oils continues! From skin care to household cleaners, I put drops of essential oil in everything. I was a bit scared at first because the last thing I wanted my house and my body to smell like was a hippie. No offense, I know some hippies that I absolutely love, but I sure do gag at the smell of patchouli (shout out to Ithaca, NY! i love you guys!).

Anyway, the other day, I was about to start my home yoga routine because I’m like #yogaeverydamnday. I rolled out my mat and was greeted by the ghost of workouts past. My yoga mat smelled like the rankest of gym bags. Horrified, I ran and grabbed my pillow mist from my bedside table and sprayed the yoga mat down. I did my routine, but I knew that I had only masked the odor of sweat and that my poor little, hard-working yoga mat still wasn’t clean.

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner With Essential Oils

So, armed with essential oils, white vinegar, and distilled water, I was able to disinfect and freshen up my mat in no time at all! Here are two quick recipes that I alternate between about every two weeks.

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner with Essential Oils

What You Need

  • small spray bottle (I’ve been using these glass bottles for all of my green beauty products)
  • distilled water
  • witch hazel (fun fact: if you don’t have witch hazel, you can use Vodka instead!)
  • essential oils (peppermint + lavender +tea tree= what I imagine heaven smells like)

Directions

  • fill your bottle about 3/4 of the way with distilled water
  • add about 1/8 tsp of witch hazel or vodka
  • add anywhere from 5-15 drops of essential oils (I used about 5 drops each of peppermint, lavender, and tea tree oil)
  • Shake the bottle and spray your mat
  • Wipe the mat down with a clean damp dish towel
  • Allow your mat to dry before you try to do King Dancer Pose!

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner without Essential Oils

What You Need

  • Small spray bottle (I’ve been using these glass bottles for all of my green beauty products)
  • distilled water
  • white vinegar
  • fresh lemon

Directions

  • Fill your bottle about 3/4 of the way with distilled water
  • Add about 1/8 tsp of white vinegar
  • Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice.
  • Shake the bottle and spray your mat
  • Wipe the mat down with a clean damp dish towel

Store your yoga mat cleaner the right way!

  • The mat cleaner containing essential oils can be stored in your gym bag, or any cool dry place.
  • The mat cleaner containing fresh lemon should be refrigerated.

Image Credit: Sophie Uliano

DIY Homemade Remineralizing and Whitening Toothpaste

DIY Homemade Remineralizing & Whitening Toothpaste Recipe

DIY Homemade Remineralizing and Whitening Toothpaste RecipeI’ve been experimenting with toothpaste. Exciting, I know, but hear me out. I brush. I floss. I eat pretty wholesome food. I drink lots of water. Yet I’ve still had my fair share of cavities… and a couple of extremely crappy dental emergencies. So yeah, I stopped using traditional toothpaste (you know, the kind you can buy at a gas station) a long time ago and have been using different toothpaste brands I find at my local health food store. Recently, I decided to take it a step further and try my hand at DIY toothpaste. So far this toothpaste is giving me some pretty noticeable results. My teeth aren’t nearly as sensitive as they were before I started and they really look whiter! Here’s the recipe I’ve been using.

DIY Homemade Remineralizing & Whitening Toothpaste

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. filtered water
  • 1/4 c. bentonite clay (here)
  • 2 TBS. calcium/magnesium powder (here)
  • 3 TBS. coconut oil (here)
  • 1/4 tsp. unprocessed salt (here)
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 10 drops trace minerals (here)
  • 20 drops of the Protective blend (here)
  • 10 drops peppermint essential oil
  • Stevia (to taste – go slow, a tiny bit can go a long way!)

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  • Store in a glass mason jar or a silicone squeeze tube for up to 3 months.

Have any of you tried homemade toothpaste? What do you think?

Source: Weed ‘Em and Reap

Homemade Whipped Body Butter

DIY Homemade Whipped Body Butter—Spa Days at Home

Here’s a recipe that serves as a base for all natural, homemade body butters. Once you master this recipe, you’ll be able to make your favorite body butters at home for a fraction of the price!
Homemade Whipped Body Butter

Homemade Whipped Body Butter

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup each of organic
  • cocoa butter
  • shea butter
  • coconut oil
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of essential oils

Directions

  1. Add cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and olive oil into a double boiler. If you do not have one, use a glass or metal bowl over a pan of boiling water.
  2. Heat until melted, mixing with whisk. Remove whisk and put mixture into fridge for one hour or until firm.
  3. With hand mixer, whip oils until creamy and light. Add essential oils and mix again.
  4. Spoon your body butter into glass jars. Mixture may seem a bit moist after whipping but will firm up after a few minutes.

***Essential oils are what give this body butter its ‘flavor’ and there are so many combinations to choose from!

Try these combos:

  • grapefruit+lavender
  • orange+bergamot
  • rose+ylang ylang
  • lemon+lime

Source: Homemade Whipped Body Butter – Lia Griffith