Recipes for Homemade Spa Products

Every woman would like to have healthy, soft, glowing skin, but not every woman can afford to pay top dollar for high quality skin care products. The good news is, you don't have too. With a little education, some time investment and the right products, you can create your own bath and body products for a fraction of what you would pay in the store.

So the first thing that comes to mind is saving money! Do it yourselfers have been saving money for many years, and this is just another area you can become a Do-It-Yourselfer in. It's not as hard as you might think once you learn how to do it. And the truth of the matter is, it seems a lot harder until you actually sit down and do it. Reading about how to make homemade bath and body products is one thing, but once you use your hands and complete the process, I beleive you will be hooked.

Another thing that comes to mind is that this can easily be turned into a home-based business. Spa-quality products are in high demand these days. You too could get in on the market appeal and make a little extra income. To do so, you would simply need a good understanding of the process, a great foundation of products to build your product line from and a marketing plan. The Handcrafters Companion Guide is an EXCELLENT resource for all of this.

1. Handcrafted Soaps - from classic recipes to deliciously different versions that you, your family and friends will adore!
2. Bubble Baths & Bath Bombs - if bubbles are your thing, you'll adore these new variations.
3. Body Scrubs, Polishes, Salts & Masques - still more variations to add variety and build your line (and make your skin glow!)
4. Butters, Balms, Lotions & Creams - to add deep moisture to your skin and luxury to your life!
5. Bath Teas, Additives & Soaks - sink into a hot, fragrant bath and soak away all your cares with these original 'secret' recipes.
6. Spa Treatments - professional-quality treatments that you create yourself for pennies on the dollar.
7. Home Fragrance Products - beautiful fragrance ideas you can adapt to suit your tastes and mood.
8. Potpourri and Sachets - including a comprehensive ingredient list that you can simply "mix and match" to create a virtually unlimited number of flavors.
9. Aromatherapy Blends - soothing... relaxing... invigorating... revitalizing... you decide - with your own range of professional aromatherapy blends.

Let's talk about body scrubs as these are very popular and an important part of a healthy, glowing skin care regimen. Body scrubs are used to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of your body. This allows softer, healthier skin to show through, and aids in your moisturizer being able to penetrate your skin more deeply. It also helps to alleviate breakouts and ingrown hairs. It is a very good thing to do about once a week.

There are a few types of natural exfoliates you can use. The most common are salt (sea, epsom, kosher or table salt), sugar (brown, white granulated or raw sugar) and coffee grounds. All are great to use, commonly available, and fairly inexpensive. How great is that! So here are 3 recipes that would be fun for you to experiment with:

Ginger Cinnamon-Salt Body Scrub by "AJ"
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup almond oil or olive oil

Mix all ingredients together, then gently rub over your damp skin (except your face) to slough off dry skin. Rinse with warm water. Save remaining product in a wide mouth jar for easy use later.

Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Scrub
Exfoliates and is very moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy feeling. Before you turn off your shower scoop a small handful of scrub into your hand. Rub gently onto your skin. Rinse.

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup ground oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup pure honey
3/4 to 1 cup (or to total saturation)
Oil of choice - I use Jojoba, Grape seed or Sweet Almond
1/4 tsp Essential or Fragrance oil of choice (optional) Vanilla works nicely. Though this smells great on it's own.

Mix the brown sugar & oatmeal together in a large bowl. Now add the honey. Drizzle the oil over the mix. Mix well. When all your mix is saturated and sinks to the bottom of the bowl and you have oil on top you're done. Add your essential oil or fragrance oil. A six or eight ounce wide-mouthed jar works nicely. Spoon mixture in.

Almond and Bran Scrub:
1/2 cup very finely ground almonds
1/2 cup coarse wheat bran
*1 cup hot green tea
10 drops lavender essential oil

Mix the almonds and bran. Add the tea; stir until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Cool just to body temperature. Add the lavender essential oil, thoroughly blending the mixture. Use this scrub as often as once a week.

* Green Tea is for toning and a oily buildup.

Facial masks are another important part of a health skin care routine. Washing your face removed surface dirt and oils while masking pulls out the impurities underneath the top layers of the skin. Masking also helps to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores so your toning, hydrating and protecting products work more effectively.

1. Tips & Tools for Getting Started - a "quick start" guide for the complete beginner
2. Keeping Your Work Area Clean and Sanitized - detailed instructions for keeping impurities out of your workspace and products.
3. Cautionary measures when working with spa product ingredients - this vital information will help keep you and your loved ones safe from certain common ingredients that can be dangerous if consumed or handled improperly.
4. How to Label Your Products Properly to comply with both FDA regulations and the expectations of your customers.
5. Creating Your Total Brand Image - branding is one of your biggest opportunities to create a unique identity for your products -- you get vital tips on what to do... plus common "Branding Blunders" you must avoid at all costs!
6. Picking a Color Scheme - every color has a very specific effect on the emotions - this easy explanation makes it simple for you to choose the right color scheme to reflect your brand image.
7. How to Make Packaging Work for You - how to source spa product packaging that looks professional and doesn't cost the earth!
8. Calculating your costs for maximum profitability - if you're creating products for sale, the wrong pricing can sink you before you know it. I show you how to calculate your costs and set prices that allow you to turn a profit and grow your income.
9. 22 Low Cost & No Cost Promotional Ideas for promoting your products on a shoestring budget while you get established.
10. Source and Supply Lists -- our "Rolodex" of industry suppliers, including exactly where to source raw materials, packaging, labeling and other essential materials...