I just attended a ‘make-your-own’ skin care workshop and took my girlfriend along to share the fun with. Talk about a blast!

I had no idea how easy it is to make your own cosmetics, lotions, essential oils, body wraps, soaps and so on, and I didn’t appreciate either that there is a whole community of people conjuring up their own beauty potions and saving a small fortune while they’re at it.

My pal and I started in the ‘Beginners’ class and were gobsmacked by the seemingly limitless list of beauty products you can make yourself at home with uncomplicated to follow formulas and all the ingredients listed and simply obtained.

As a starter, I decided to try my hand at a conjuring up little lip balm while my friend decided she would cook up some bathroom products.

My friendly and very knowledgeable coach took me aside to potions cabinet and explained that we only required a few simple ingredients needed to create a moisturizing, all-natural, lip balm base equivalent to any you would purchase from a beauty salon.
I’m not about to give any trade secrets away here so let’s have a look at the ingredients.

· 1 ounce Jojoba
· 1 ounce Fractionated Coconut Oil
· 2 ounces Mango Butter
· 1 ounce Beeswax
· 1 - 1 1/2 tsp. Flavour Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil or Organic Spearmint Essential Oil

If you have any worries concerning where to get the ingredients, do not be troubled she said, they’re all easily obtainable on the net along with all the recipes and other hints and information that go with it.

Okay, that appears simple enough I commented. As easy as pie she said smiling as if to say “Yup, so soooo easy that anybody can do it”.
Wasn’t long before we had a batch ready for bottling but get this! For roughly $20 worth of ingredients, I made enough moisturizing, all-natural, lip balm base to fill:

80 Mini Lip Balm Pots
Or,
10 1/2 oz. Silver Tins
Or,
20 1/4 oz. Clear Dome Jars

My companion made some beautiful soaps shaped from a variety of moulds and scented with a rich variety of superb fragrances.

We had such a fantastic time that we’ll absolutely be going back for another session.

But you don’t even have to physically go to a workshop to get started, you can learn on-line and I have found a few internet sites that offer an astounding array of recipes, help from the experts and community forums where you can exchange ideas and hints with other wizards of the beauty kitchen.

My introduction into making my own beauty products has been a real eye opener for me. When I think of the $100’s and hundreds of dollars I have dished out to retail brand names when I could have been making them for myself using the same ingredients, the same portions and essentially the same methods... wow! My mind boggles.

The great news is that now I know how straightforward it is for everyone to do, and how much money I can save, I won’t have to purchase over the counter again, ever.
Anyway, guess what we’re doing next weekend. We’re going to take a batch of our organic soaps and balms along to the local market to make a bit of extra pocket money.