By: Erin
If you are scratching your head for ideas on what to get for people this holiday season a great idea is to make some homemade lotions and potions. They are fun to make and people really seem to enjoy them and knowing that you took the time to whip them up yourself adds that little extra warm and tingly feeling.
The ingredients in most of these are pretty cheap and most you probably already have in your home. You just need some little jars which you can either save up yourself from jams or the like or if you want to you can go to your local craft store and grab a bunch of jars. Depending on the size (you just need small ones) they range anywhere from $1 – $4 usually.
I’ll post some of the scrubs and lotions I’ve gotten the best feedback on below.
1. Sugar Body Scrub
This one is super easy and takes very little time. Simply mix coconut oil and sugar in a bowl until it becomes a paste and then add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil. I used grapefruit essential oil but feel free to use any you like. Note that depending on how big of a batch you make will determine how much oils and sugar you will use. This recipe is really easy and one of my favorites because it is really easy to eyeball and doesn’t require measuring.
When you are finished with your mixture spoon into your jars and finish off with a nice ribbon. I also like to get labels and write what it is on the jar with a nice colorful marker and add the essential oil that I used. People love it. I’ve been asked to make this repeatedly for people.
2. Cocoa Body Scrub and Body Butter
This one I actually experimented making with a friend one day for the heck of it and it ended up turning out amazing so that following holiday season we ended up making a bunch of it for all of our friends and family. It was an absolute hit. I have even made this and sold it at farmers markets. It’s a bit of a process but it’s so worth the end result!
To make the body scrub:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/8 cup melted cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
- raspberry extract (optional) -recommended because the cocoa is very overwhelming.
Melt the cocoa butter over low heat and then mix all ingredients in a bowl. After you have your ingredients mixed spoon them into your little mason jar and finish off with a ribbon or decoration of your choice.
To make the body butter:
- 1/4 cup shea butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa butter
- 1/8 cup sweet almond oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 8 drops raspberry extract (optional) -recommended because the cocoa is very overwhelming.
Melt shea butter and cocoa butter together over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the oils then pour mixture into jars and allow to cool before putting on the lids. After mixture is cool you can put on the lids on tightly and finish off with decoration of you choice.
Make sure you give these gifts together and the receiver knows with any scrub to use lotion directly after.
3. Cinnamon and Lemon Body Scrub
Probably the best mixture/scrub for the cooler months. It’s super refreshing and you use it while in a nice steamy hot shower or relaxing in a nice warm bath. Best yet is that all of the ingredients are most likely in your kitchen already.
In a bowl mix olive oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cane sugar until its a watery paste consistency. Pour your Mixture into your jar and add label and ribbons or decorate however you wish to give to that special someone. Makes a great exfoliant.
4. Whipped Body Butter With Essential Oils
There are a bunch of different ways you can make this because there are literally dozens and dozens of essential oil mixtures out there that create the perfect body butter mixture. I am going to use one called “New Morning” because it is cooling and energizing and it also uses some of my favorite essential oils, grapefruit, peppermint and wintergreen.
Now, this is a whipped body butter so it’s going to take some time and patience. There are quite a few steps to this and I actually watched a lot of youtube videos on this before trying it for the first time because reading how to do it I was still clueless so don’t feel bad if you read this blog and are like “what is she talking about?!” I was right there with you about 2 years ago. In fact, sometimes I still have to refer back to some of those youtube videos if its been a while and I messed something up or missed a step. (Just a friendly cheat for you.)
Ok, your ingredients:
1-3/4 cups shea butter (unrefined is best)
1/2 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is best)
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
essential oils (grapefruit, peppermint and wintergreen)
Measure out shea butter and coconut oil (which will be solid at a room temperatures below 76 degrees) and melt over medium-low heat in a double broiler, stirring constantly until there are no lumps left. Let cool about 30 minutes, then stir in the grapeseed oil and essential oils. Cover the oil mixture and freeze for about 20-30 minutes, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You want the mixture to start to solidify but not completely harden, a consistency similar to soft wax or softened butter. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whip until soft and fluffy. Spoon into your jars and decorate as you want to give.
