Nail Soak

Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 capful Hydrogen Peroxide

Soak your nails to clean and whiten them! Enjoy!

Shampoo

Ingredients:

• 5 bags of chamomile tea
• 4 tablespoons of pure soap flakes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of glycerin

Directions:

Steep the tea bags in about 1 1/2 cups of boiling water for about 12 minutes. Then remove the tea bags and add the soap and glycerin. Stir it up till it is blended good and your shampoo is ready.

You can even try other fragrances if you wish.

Semi-Homemade Spray-On Conditioner

• 1 tablespoon of your favorite conditioner
• 8-ounce spray bottle
• Water

Put the above ingredients in a spray bottle and shake up. Spray on hair to control frizzy, tangled hair. Do not rinse.

Leave-In Hair Conditioning Spray

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 8-ounce spray bottle (I used an old store-bought leave-in conditioner spray bottle)
• Water

Put the above ingredients in a spray bottle and shake up. Spray on hair to control frizzy, tangled hair. Do not rinse.

Brown Sugar Facial Scrub

Here is the recipe for a brown sugar facial scrub that I mixed up yesterday. I have been using it along with my Dollar Store Lotion on my face and it has done wonders! My skin is so soft and smooth! My 15 year old daughter has also been using it and it has worked great for her too! Here's the recipe:

Brown Sugar Facial Scrub

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil (**see note below)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix everything together and put in a jar with a lid. Enjoy!

To Use: Wet face with a warm washcloth. Put a little bit of the scrub on the tips of your fingers and rub over whole face (moisten fingers if needed). Gently massage over face for about 1 minute. Rinse face with warm water. Pat dry. Apply lotion.

** I tried using coconut oil instead of the sweet almond oil and I really like it. The almond oil tended to separate all the time and I would have to mix it up before I used it each time. The coconut oil hardens up a bit and makes the scrub more of a paste. Simply melt 1/2 cup coconut oil, mix up with the rest of the ingredients, and then let sit on counter to cool down and harden a bit. Stir every so often to keep the coconut oil mixed in good as it cools. Enjoy!

Homemade Stick Deodorant

I have been wanting to try to make my own deodorant for some time now, but never seemed to find a good recipe. Well, I think I found one that works great! I made some yesterday and it really does work and it is easy to make. Here is the recipe:

Homemade Stick Deodorant

1/4 cup Baking soda
1/4 cup Cornstarch
4-5 Tablespoons Coconut oil, melted
Fragrance oil (optional - I added a few drops of sweet vanilla scent and it smells so good!)

Mix baking soda and cornstarch. If you use about 1/4 cup of each, it will make enough to fill an old deodorant container. Melt the coconut oil and add slowly, a little at a time, to the baking soda and cornstarch mix. Mix with a spoon and keep adding coconut oil until the mixture is pretty firm but holds together. You don't want it runny or too soft.

Scoop the mixture into an old deodorant container to harden. Once it hardens it is ready to use.

Note: When I made this, it was not hard at all when I put it in the container. I didn't realize it would harden up so much. After it hardened I realized that I probably could have added a bit more coconut oil and it would have been ok. So, experiment and see what works best. You don't want it too hard, or it won't go on very good. But too soft won't work either. Have fun!

Dollar Store Lotion

Here is the awesome lotion recipe I promised! Enjoy!

DOLLAR STORE LOTION

This recipe is not a true homemade lotion, but one made with pre-made ingredients. I found this recipe on the internet (there are many versions of this floating around) and tried it. Everyone who makes it has nothing but good to say about it. It can be used for your whole body, including your face! I have been using it and it does a great job of keeping my skin soft during the cold winter months. Put some on your heels and put socks on before going to bed to keep your heels soft and not cracked. I also love it on my face. All the ingredients can be purchased at our Dollar General, Family Dollar, or Dollar Tree stores for $1 each.

• 2 15-oz. bottles baby lotion (I used the shea & cocoa butter one, but you can use the regular pink one or the lavender one too)
• 2 8-oz. jars of Vitamin E Cream
• 1 7.5 oz. jar Vaseline (can use homemade un-petroleum jelly - see my recipe in another post!)

Place all ingredients in your mixer and mix well. I put the vaseline in the microwave for a bit to soften it up and help it mix up better. When it is all mixed up really well, put the lotion back into the bottles you just emptied, using a funnel. You can also purchase some small containers or jars to store your lotion in. This makes a wonderful gift too!

Homemade Un-Petroleum Jelly

I make a wonderful lotion that has petroleum jelly in it and I was wanting to find an alternative to using jelly with petroleum in it....well I found it! Enjoy the recipe! I'll post the lotion recipe too in another post. It is called Dollar Store Lotion...you'll find out why!

Homemade Un-Petroleum Jelly

1 ounce beeswax
1/2 cup sweet almond oil

Melt the beeswax in the microwave in a microwave safe container. Stir in the almond oil and continue to stir until cool. Put this in a clean container and cover with a lid. You're done!