I originally made these lotion bars for my husband. His primary job is as a rock mason and the mortar and rough stone often leaves his hands dry, cracked, and bleeding. At night, I put salve on them, and while that helped a lot, it just wasn’t enough. Lotion bars have a long history of helping the toughest cases of cracked, dry skin, while dandelion oil is particularly useful for alleviating the chapped skin and soreness … Continue reading
This lavender rose balm recipe was requested by newsletter subscriber Patti, especially for her mom who gets sore from sitting in a wheelchair. Patti’s mom loves lavender and roses so I combined the two scents together along with calendula in a balm designed to help soothe and heal chapped irritated skin. To get the creamy texture shown, be sure to stir the balm frequently as it cools. If you’d rather have a smooth salve-like texture … Continue reading
Spring has finally started to arrive around these parts! Yesterday, I took a walk with my daughter and we collected all of the pretty flowers and herbs shown in the basket above. After she asked me about how I planned to use some of the flowers, I realized that I’ve never written up a “things to make” post about one of my spring favorites – forsythia flowers! Forsythia bushes (Forsythia suspensa) not only offer a … Continue reading
These pretty spring flower foot scrub bars are simple to make and require just three ingredients. 1/4 cup sea salt 1/4 cup fresh flower petals or herbs (loosely packed) 2 Tbsp coconut oil Use them to polish and prepare your feet for sandal weather! (You can also find this recipe on page 119 inside my print book, 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your … Continue reading
In my last blog post, I mentioned that I’d received several requests for gentle homemade lotion and soap recipes that would be suitable for extra sensitive skin, especially when it’s caused by cancer treatments. I shared some soap recipes in that article, and today will cover lotions. There are two different recipes options provided below, yielding two different types of lotions. (Remember, these are just my recipe suggestions, not to replace the advice of a … Continue reading
This after bath sleepy time lotion recipe was requested by newsletter subscriber Bonnie who was seeking a simple non-greasy lotion or cream, not based on coconut oil, that could be used on a 2 1/2 year old after her bath. She also wanted it to be lightly scented with lavender or a blend of essential oils that would help calm, soothe and relax before bedtime. While I designed this lotion to be kid-safe, there’s no … Continue reading
This recipe was inspired by newsletter subscriber Bonnie, who was seeking a lotion bar in a deodorant stick container for achy muscles and arthritic pain. It features a trio of herbs: cayenne – contains capsaicin which has been shown to offer relief from arthritic and other types of pain ginger – traditionally used to warm, increases circulation and relieve pain when applied topically arnica flowers – traditionally used to treat swelling, bruising and arthritic joints … Continue reading
If you suffer from dry chapped lips, try these seven DIY recipes to help soothe, heal and protect. There are many oil, butter, herb and essential oil choices when it comes to making lip care products. If you’d like to further customize these recipes or swap out oils that you don’t have, be sure to check out my post on Creating Custom Lip Balms for lots of information and options. If you’d like to a make … Continue reading
