The DIY Gift Guide
The holiday season is around the corner, and with it comes a scramble for gifts for loved ones. This year, we are going 100% natural and as waste- and plastic free as we can, with thoughtful DIY handmade gifts. This is the first in a series of natural and waste-less gifting ideas - look out for the others coming soon!
Lip Scrubs
Lip scrubs are easy to make and a natural way to exfoliate delicate lip skin, improve circulation and plump up. It's also a fun activity to do with kids during holidays, and only a few ingredients are required!
Customisable Lip Scrub
Organic coconut sugar (you could also use brown sugar or white sugar or if you prefer)
A hard oil/butter of choice (hard meaning it is solid at room temperature) - coconut oil, avocado butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, etc
A soft oil of choice such as olive, jojoba, hazelnut, pomegranate, castor, sesame, sunflower, argan, sweet almond, you choose your favorite!
Essential oil of choice - some nice ones are sweet orange, peppermint, cinnamon, geranium, lime or coffee, but there are many others so get creative.
Small glass jar
Firstly, choose which butters, oils and essential oils you want to use. Go for combinations that complement each other. Here are some ideas:
Avocado butter - sweet almond - lime
Cocoa butter - hazelnut - coffee
Coconut oil - jojoba - sweet orange
Shea butter - olive oil - cinnamon
Once you know which oils and butters you are working with, gently melt the hard oil and soft oil together (leave the essential oil for last). Add the melted oils to the sugar and mix until combined. Lastly, add a few drops of essential oil and mix. Store in a pretty glass jar and use once a week to exfoliate your lips.
Lip Scrub Stick
5g beeswax
6g coconut oil
3g cocoa butter
10g avocado oil
1 g vitamin E oil
2 tsp white sugar or organic coconut sugar
6 drops peppermint essential oil
Reused lip balm tubes
Melt all the oils and beeswax together (not the essential oil). Then stir in the sugar and lastly add the peppermint essential oil. Stir together then decant into a reused lip balm tube or a glass container. To use, massage the stick over your lips and use your finger to gently rub in, then rinse or wipe off.
Lip Balms
Lip balms are another easy and fun holiday activity, and they make great little gifts. They are easily customisable with different 'flavours' of essential oils and can be tinted with iron oxides and micas.
Vanilla Cocoa Lip Conditioner
7g beeswax or a vegan alternative such as kahlwax, carnauba wax or soy wax.
15g cocoa butter
30g sweet almond oil
10 drops vanilla blend (optional)
8 drops of vitamin E oil
Melt the beeswax, cocoa butter and almond oil. You may want to melt the beeswax first as it will take the longest to liquify. Once the oils have melted, add the vanilla oil and vitamin E oil. Then pour into little tins and leave to set.
Creamy-licious Lip Balm
20g castor oil
10g cetyl alcohol
2.5g xanthan gum
2.5g stearic acid
5g coconut oil (can substitute with sweet almond)
8g beeswax (can substitute with soy wax. for a vegan alternative)
1.5g kahlwax
0.25g vitamin E oil
Weigh out all the ingredients except the vitamin E oil, and melt together. Remove from the heat then stir in the vitamin E. Pour into reused lip balm tubes or glass jars/aluminium tins.
