Skin Care Pantry

Despite working for one of the purest skin care lines in the US, I still find myself making my own stuff out of simple ingredients just for fun and to curtail them to my own skin's needs. Making DIY bodycare can be easy and very economical, even when using really high quality organic ingredients. Below are items that I always keep in my skin care "pantry":

Aloe Juice (you can get 99% organic aloe vera juice from health food stores and Trader Joe's)- I drink a cup of this every morning and mist it on as a toner twice a day so I buy it in gallon jugs. It's super detoxifying and refreshing

Organic Brown Rice Flour- In the palm of your hand, mix some into your face cleanser to make a very gentle yet effective exfoliator

Organic Oat Flour- Mix with water to create a paste. This makes a great, slightly exfoliating, wash for oily skin. It's very absorbent and anti-inflammatory

Epsom Salts and Sea Salts- I always have this on hand for bath salts and to mix with oils and essential oils for body scrubs

Bentonite Clay- cheap and very therapeutic. It is purifying and toxin-flushing so it's great as a mask.

Oils- I keep a variety of good organic unrefined plant oils on hand to make hydrating elixirs for face and body. Some of my faves are jojoba, pumpkin seed, safflower, and apricot seed oils. Pure plant oils feed and heal the skin unlike any lotion on the market.

Essential Oils- I keep a variety of organic steam-distilled essential oils to make scented products and to create treatments for just about anything. Good basics to have are Tea Tree, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Mandarin, etc. Some of my favorites are vetiver, basil, cedar, and sandalwood.

Tea- Teabags make convenient steam facials and tea internally and topically is amazing for the skin.

Bodycare is like cooking- you always save money and make good quality stuff when you "cook" at home rather than buying pre-made things. And you have complete control over what you put on your body!

Next will be some easy DIY recipes...