DIY Spa Day on the Cheap

I've abandoned my cynical, spa-skeptical ways and fully embraced the joy of making masks, scrubs and balms at home!
Tara Rittler,

I‘ve never been a spa enthusiast. You can count the number of manicures I’ve had on one (cuticle-heavy, fingernail-bitten) hand. And I’ve never paid to have a pedicure. Do you know what that money could be spent on instead?!? BOOKS! ICE CREAM! And MORE BOOKS!

But somehow, a couple weekends ago I found myself in a DIY spa-day frenzy. Because so many of the ingredients cross over from one recipe to the next, I managed to whip up two face masks, two sugar scrubs and two batches of lip balm in just two days. Because guess what? It’s pretty rewarding to be able to grab a jar of homemade lemon-scented lip balm and say, “I MADE this!” Plus, these are all super simple recipes that would be fun to make with kids.

1. Oh-my-goodness Oatmeal Face Mask

Joss wouldn’t let me go near his face with this goop…smart boy.

I used the recipe found here, with some minor alterations that simply reflect my lack of a food processor or blender–and yes, having smaller chunks of oatmeal would have been nice. But for all that this looks like someone threw up their breakfast on my face, it actually felt pretty good. 

Ingredients: 

  • 1/4 c. rolled oats, processed or blended into smaller particles
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 egg yolk

Mix ingredients together in small bowl. Apply to face and let sit for 15 min. before rinsing off with warm water.

2. Orange You Bananas? Face Mask

 

Glue is not one of the ingredients. One of these days I’ll get a proper backdrop…

This had a much more liquid texture than the oatmeal mask. For both of these, let me recommend not trying to make dinner while wearing them. This one had me holding a mixing bowl under my chin while dashing around the kitchen trying to cook macaroni. Disgusting. But again, it felt nice. Recipe found here.

Ingredients: 

  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 1 Tbsp. orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp honey

Mix ingredients together. Apply to face and wait 15 minutes before rinsing off.

3. The-Acid-Will-Eat-Your-Lips-Off Kool-Aid Lip Balm

This is an especially fun one to make with kids because you could let them pick out their own Kool-Aid flavor! Unfortunately, I noticed my lips feeling extra dry about five minutes after application, and my husband warned that the citric acid in the Kool-Aid probably isn’t actually that good for your skin, especially if you have problems with eczema or general dry skin. So sad! Because I was getting pretty addicted to the Cherry-Limeade flavor but ended up dumping it out. I based my lip balm off of the recipe found here. 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 pkg Kool-Aid Powder
  • 2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
  • Water
  • 1-2 tsp. sugar

Melt coconut oil. In a separate bowl, add package of Kool-Aid powder and enough water to form a paste. Add sugar. Then, whisk Kool-Aid/sugar mixture into coconut oil. Let set.

4. Gentle Lemon Lip Balm

I know it’s not organic, but that jar of coconut oil was just $2.99! Perfect for my mad-scientist method of spa experimentation. And you can get these bottles of essential oils for around $5, depending on what scent you choose (some are over $10). The recipe I based this off of can be found here and recommends melting a small bit of lipstick along with the coconut oil for a tinted variety. 

Ingredients: 

  • A scoop of coconut oil
  • Olive oil
  • A few drops of essential oil, your choice of flavor

Melt the coconut oil. Add a few drops of olive oil and a few drops of essential oil. Mix well. Pour into container* and let harden.

*I just washed out some old cosmetic containers and poured it in those. But you can also find plenty of better options on Amazon if you prefer, such as these.

5. Take-Me-to-Italy Lemon-Rosemary Sugar Scrub

The purple color does not complement the lemon-rosemary scent at all, but when the toddler says it should be purple, you use purple. 

Based off the recipe found here. 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
  • 5-7 drops essential oils (Rosemary and Lemon, but can use others)
  • 3 drops food coloring

Melt coconut oil. In a small bowl, mix sugar and coconut oil. Add essential oils and food coloring. Mix well. Pour into jar with covered lid.

6. I Know I’m Sweet Chocolate Sugar Scrub

I could eat this all day long. But I won’t, that would be weird. Based off the recipe found here. 

Ingredients: 

  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • drizzle of honey

Mix all ingredients together. Place in a sealed container, such as a mason jar, in the refrigerator. Should keep up to 3 weeks.

The finished (beauty) products!

Please share your favorite DIY Spa Treatments with us! Now that I’m on a roll, I’m eager to try out some more!

Categories: Spaghetti on the Wall

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