Give homemade beauty products this holiday season

Nov 30, 2011 5:00 AM by Erica Tiffany

Posted in Beauty & Style / Beauty News & Deals

DIY beauty

Make, package, give!

Forget store bought. Here are three recipes from beauty author Erica Katz, complete with simple ideas for beautiful packaging that you can give as gifts to all of your friends and family this holiday season. Just make sure to make a big batch because everyone's going to want some.

Holiday body scrub

Packaging idea:

Mason jar and thrift store spoons

Put this holiday body scrub in an old mason jar and seal tight. Go to your local thrift store and pick out a few old spoons with unique handles. Don't worry about trying to find a matching set. Gather some rustic ribbons (like gingham, plaid or polka dots) and tie the spoon to the jar so your recipients can easily scoop out portions of the scrub.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon vitamin E oil
2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients well and then scoop into the mason jar.

To use: Massage the scrub all over your body to gently exfoliate the skin. Then rinse off with warm water.

Banana cream pie mask

Packaging idea:

Reindeer Starbucks bottles

Buy a pack of Starbucks frappuccinos from the grocery store. Drink the contents, remove all labeling and wash. Paint the bottle and lid a medium brown color. Then use brown felt to cut out antlers and use a small red pom pom for the nose. Glue them onto the bottle and paint a cute reindeer face. Then get a few cardboard drink carriers, cover them in wrapping paper and place bottles inside.

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
3 tablespoons organic heavy cream
1-1/2 tablespoons dark organic honey
1-1/2 tablespoons oatmeal flour or white flour
Water

Directions:

Warm up the honey so it's not so sticky.
Mash the banana with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients.
Blend them well until you have a smooth paste (adjust the oatmeal flour and water to get the right consistency).

To use: Spread the paste on clean face and neck and leave on for 20 minutes. Then wash it off with lukewarm water and end with a splash of cold; pat skin dry with a clean towel.

Fall facial toner

Packaging idea:

Squeeze bottles with holiday labels

Buy a pack of clear squeeze bottles (about $1 each) and print out some cute holiday labels from Marthastewart.com onto adhesive paper. Insert squeeze bottles into a roll-up makeup bag. Bring the bag to your holiday party, unroll it and pass out the homemade toner bottles to all of your favorite girlfriends.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup witch hazel
1/4 cup green tea
1/4 cup grapefruit juice

Directions:

Mix the three ingredients and put into a squeeze bottle (see right).
Keep in mind that if you're making this toner as a gift, you'll need to adjust ingredients accordingly.

To use: After cleansing, spray the toner onto a piece of cotton and clean excess dirt and oil off your face.