Happy New Year to you all!

Over the Christmas holidays, I was busy making homemade gifts for my friends and family as a way to incorporate more of the zero waste methods I’ve been learning (and also I was a little low on funds this year 😜).

So, I went about researching all the essentials I thought would be needed to make the ultimate pamper pack! Once I had made all the individual gifts, I labelled them, wrote up instructions on what each one was for and how to use them, placed them in a box (as a zero waste packaging idea), then it was ready to send.

So if you’re someone who wants to make a personalised gift for someone you love, or you just might want to pamper yourself, this gift idea is perfect for you. It’s all natural and contains no nasty additives.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Pamper Gift Pack

Bath Bomb

Ingredients:

• 4 oz baking soda
• 2 oz corn starch
• 2 oz citric acid
• 2 oz Epsom salts
• 1.5 tsp water
• 1.5 tsp oil (coconut or olive oil)
• 1 tsp essential oil (I used lavender)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and whisk to remove clumps.
2. In another bowl stir the wet ingredients then slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. If the mixture is fizzing, you may be adding the wet mixture in a little too fast, so just slow it down and only add in tiny amounts at a time. Once done, check to see if it’s a good consistency, it should stick together fairly easily.
3. Now add to your molds. I used a regular cupcake tin that I had in my kitchen, but if you want to use a bath bomb mould, Amazon has some great selections. It’s best to over-fill the mixtures a bit to make sure the mold is filled out. Press down on the mixture gently once it’s filled to make sure it’s packed down.
4. I left my bath bombs in the tin overnight (well past 8 hours) and in the morning they fell right out. Be sure to keep your bath bombs in a dry, safe place! (You don’t want them to get wet).

Herbal Bath Salts

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• ½ cup natural sea salt
• 20-30 drops essential oils (I used lavender)
• 2-3 tablespoons dried herbs or botanicals. I used dried rosemary leaves (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar, put the lid on and shake well.
2. To use: Add approximately ½ cup of bath salts to warm running bath water.

Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Facial Scrub

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup organic cane sugar or white sugar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil not an oil “blend”
• 1/2 tsp of activated charcoal powder
• 3 drops lavender oil

Instructions:

1. Add the cane sugar and activated charcoal to a bowl or storage jar.
2. Shake the jar or whisk the ingredients together to combine the sugar and charcoal powder.
3. Add the olive oil to the mixture, and stir to combine. The sugar and charcoal should look like wet, black sand. Seal the jar until use.
4. To Use: Apply a small amount of the scrub to the palm of your hand, then massage it over a clean face for about 30 seconds.
5. Rinse the scrub off with a warm washcloth (preferably one that isn’t white, as the charcoal may stain it). I personally use this scrub on my face twice a week. I’ve found that over-exfoliating my skin leads to dry skin and break-outs.
6. After exfoliating, I use a face oil as a moisturiser (usually jojoba oil).
7. One thing to keep in mind, when you introduce water into a product without a preservative you can run the risk of introducing bacteria, so I recommend using a spoon to scoop this scrub from the jar (water on hands = water in the jar). Do not use metal utensils when working with charcoal. Plastic and glass is good.

Acne-Fighting Tea Tree Clay Mask

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp bentonite clay
• 1-2 tbsp water (clean tap water is fine for short-term use. Use distilled or boiled and cooled water for long-term use.)
• 1 tbsp ground oats
• 4 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the bentonite clay and oats in a small bowl. (Please do not use metal utensils or bowl when working with bentonite clay.) To grind oats, place desired amount of oats in a blender or food processor. Pulse oats until they reach the consistency of that similar to flour.
2. Add in enough water to make a spreadable paste. Add 4 drops of tea tree oil and stir.
3. Apply to the face for 10-15 minutes. To remove the mask, wash your face with warm water and a washcloth. Be gentle when removing the clay mask as the skin on your face is quite delicate.

Coffee Body Scrub

Instructions:

• 1 cup ground organic coffee
• 1 cup organic sugar or salt
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tbsp vanilla (optional)

Instructions:

1. Melt coconut oil and allow it to cool but not solidify.
2. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container or mason jar.
3. Use 1-2 times a week (or every day if you like).

Coffee scrubs can be helpful in reducing cellulite as the massage and exfoliation process can benefit the skin by stimulating lymph/blood flow, and the caffeine found in the coffee may have a tightening effect on the skin.

Our skin is the largest organ in our body, absorbing 60% – 80% of what it comes into contact with. That’s why it’s so important to ensure you take care of your skin using natural ingredients that are non-toxic and beneficial.

As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products.

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Have you ever made homemade gifts before? What were some of the things you made?

Vanessa xx

 

Sources:

Dang, Aja. (July 1, 2016). DIY | Easy Bath Bomb Recipe | 100% Natural Ingredients. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/a-p2d2hcH2g

Jabs, Betsy. Learn How to Make Herbal Bath Salts at Home. DIY Natural. Retrieved from https://www.diynatural.com/how-to-make-bath-salts/

Marr, Kristin. Activated Charcoal Exfoliating Facial Scrub. Live Simply. Retrieved from https://livesimply.me/2016/06/23/activated-charcoal-exfoliating-facial-scrub/

Marr, Kristin. 3 Simple & Quick Homemade Clay Mask Recipes. Live Simply. Retrieved from https://livesimply.me/2014/07/10/3-simple-quick-homemade-clay-mask-recipes/

Coffee Body Scrub with Coconut Oil. Coconut Mama. Retrieved from https://thecoconutmama.com/coffee-body-scrub/

Wells, Katie. (December 8, 2018). Vanilla Latte Sugar Scrub Recipe. Wellness Mama. Retrieved from https://wellnessmama.com/13144/vanilla-latte-sugar-scrub/