Why I DIY
When my daughter (my oldest) was a baby, she had chronic diaper rash. At the time, we did not know that she had several food allergies that were causing it, and we could not get it to clear up. (We later did the GAPS diet to reverse most of her food allergies.)
Being good parents, we took her to the doctor and asked what was up with the rash, and what we should do about it. The doctor glanced at it and said it was most likely bacterial, and prescribed an antibiotic cream. I was dubious, but took the cream home and applied it to her rash.
By the next day, the rash was no better, but her eczema had flared up badly. She was an itchy, miserable mess!
There had to be a better plan. I stuck the cream in a drawer, and I set to researching natural ingredients that could help clear up the rash. I ended up making this cream. It was weird, because I was used to “diaper cream” that was thick and white, and this was basically clear. But I figured…it couldn’t make it worse….
It didn’t. In fact, it cleared up the stubborn rash in one diaper change!
Because we hadn’t figured out the root cause yet — food allergies — the rash popped up again from time to time, but the homemade cream typically cleared it up quickly.
I later shared this cream with family members, who found that it cleared up stubborn, dry skin, split skin, and other minor issues they’d been dealing with, sometimes for months. I was shocked at how well it worked. (We pretty much always have some of this, or something similar, around now.)
Benefits of DIY
Through this process, I learned that there are many benefits to making my own products. I could control the ingredients. I could design products that worked for our needs specifically. Best of all it was usually less expensive and pretty easy to make.
If you’re ready to dive into DIY, I’ve got several great recipes for you to try. Some have a few as two ingredients and come together in only a few minutes, with no special equipment! Don’t rule out the DIY method even if you are rather new to the “natural” side of things!
Best DIY Natural Beauty
What follows are some of my favorite DIY recipes for lotions, soaps, shampoos, and more! Some are mine, and some are from my favorite bloggers. Give them a try!
Soap
Lotion
- Secret Ingredient Lotion for the Working Man’s Hands (and Eczema)
- 5 Amazing Lotions Using Essential Oils
- Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (without coconut oil)
- Magnesium Lotion
- Chocolate-Rose Magnesium Body Lotion
- Nourishing Baby Lotion
- Skin-Soothing Post-Sun Lotion
- Super Simple Two-Ingredient Face and Body Lotion
- Pineapple-Infused Face Lotion
- Whipped Spring Lotion
Shampoo/Conditioner
Other
- Color Enhancing Hair Spray
- Skin-Brightening Sugar Scrub
- Herbal Body Oil
- Homemade Deodorant
- Homemade Hairspray
- Two-Ingredient Diaper Rash Cream
- Oil Cleansing Blend
- Acne Salve
- Skin-Nourishing Natural Shaving Cream
- Natural Clay Deodorant
Try one — or more! — of the above recipes to replace some of the products in your cabinets. You’ll save money, have great quality products, and plus, it’s fun!
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