The 7 Ingredients you Need For Home Remedy Making
Have you ever thought about making your own bath, body, and cleaning products – you know, living a little healthier – only to be dissuaded by the sheer number of recipes that you’d have to master?
I mean, imagine it: you start with shampoo, then there’s conditioner, then of course body wash and bar soap, then you need at least two kinds of lotion, to say nothing of lip balms, sugar scrubs, deodorant, toothpaste, mouth wash.
Oh my gosh, I’m so tired right now.
But there’s something really cool that you need to know right now – they’re all made up of the same core group of ingredients!
The biggest difference between most recipes is the ingredient ratios. For baby lotion, we use mostly aloe vera gel and coconut oil. For big-people lotion, it’s coconut oil, shea butter, and only a little bit of aloe vera gel. Deodorant? Coconut oil, baking soda, and essential is a popular version.
See? Four products, four individual ingredients.
These are ingredients that I have in my house all the time – you know, in case the urge to make something strikes. Okay, fine, it’s actually because I bought them in fairly large quantities, and it’s gonna take quite a while before we use all that shea butter and beeswax. Let’s not even talk about my 50 deodorant bottles (to be fair, I was selling deodorant when I bought those).
So, I thought it would be fun to give you a list of the exact things that I used in all the recipes on this site. Some of the links are affiliates ( you can read more about that in my disclosure policy).
Coconut oil. If there was only one thing I could buy, coconut oil would be it. I prefer Tropical Traditions Gold label coconut oil for most things, though I do use expeller pressed oil for soap making (it’s cheaper), and lately, I’ve also been using Carrington Farms virgin coconut oil (it smells so yummy!)
Beeswax. Products like lip balm, lotion bars, and some deodorants use beeswax because it’s not only good for your skin but gives body to your recipe. I bought a big bag of white beeswax pellets, and haven’t even used half of it yet. 😛 Of course, they had to be white because I didn’t want to turn all my lotions yellow.
Shea butter. And then I went and bought yellow shea butter because I wanted the most natural product I could find. I tell ya, my brain doesn’t work well. I get this African Shea butter and love it. It’s just so smooth and buttery that it makes me want to eat it. In my opinion, it’s a must-have for any lotion or lip balm recipe.
Aloe Vera Gel. I may be a little bit of an aloe vera gel fanatic, but it’s so good for your skin – I love it! …But not that super thick shelf stable stuff you get at Walmart, I’m talking about the gel you get when you squeeze an aloe leaf. It’s thicker than juice (obviously), but pourable, and sort of clumpy. Definitely keep it in your fridge and put it on your face every day. Aloe vera gel is a primary ingredient in my baby lotion recipe, and I’m using it for the base in a sports gel recipe that I’ve been experimenting with (and hope to share very soon).
Bentonite Clay. I wouldn’t call this a must-have, but it’s pretty awesome for making homemade tooth powder and deodorant for sensitive skin. Plus, of course, we all know that it’s amazing for pulling toxins out of our bodies, so why not? I chose Aztec clay, and love it!
Apple cider Vinegar. You probably never thought you’d see ACV listed in a cosmetics supply list, but here it is. The most beneficial versions are either Bragg’s organic ACV or Eden Organic. We love both equally, and if you want to make your own facial toner, it’s must have!
Essential Oils. What makes homemade bath, beauty, and cleaning products so powerful and diverse is the addition of specific essential oils customized for what you want each product to do. For baby lotion, you might want to add lavender, for homemade mouth wash, maybe you want peppermint for that famous “minty fresh” mouth feel. For deodorant, I like the powerful protection of Tea Tree oil, and for lip balm, my favorite is soothing spearmint. I get all my oils from Young Living, as in my research, I found them to be the most trustworthy company in business – since they’re the only ones who grow their own plants, they’re the only ones who know for certain what is in their oil, ya know?
And that is it! Well, all the main ones, anyway. And you probably already have several on hand for cooking or other purposes anyway. If you buy everything on this list, it’s quite an upfront investment, but they last so stinking long that it really amortizes out well. A two-pound tub of shea butter lasts me well over a year. How can you not love that?
Your turn: What homemade home ingredients do you consider must haves?
Recipes everyone can make!
Nourish your body with ingredients you already have in your kitchen!
