Long before we could run to the store and buy our beauty products, we made them.

Today many are allergic to the 'mystery' ingredients found in many preparations. If we know we have a bad reaction to something we can avoid it by reading the labels. At least we can IF that ingredient is listed on the label! Many times the ingredients are not listed if they are a small % of the total. The laws are on their side and don't require many minor ingredients to be listed. These things don't seem minor to us if we have a reaction to them.

Some of us just prefer to save money.

Commercially available products save us time and effort, in exchange we pay a higher price so someone else will spend the time and make the effort. For every product there are expenses... materials, permits, buildings, equipment, employees, shipping, marketing etc. For each of these there is a cost. That cost is passed on to the consumer who pays it in the price of the item.

Some of us want to touch our roots

The hearth held a major place in the kitchens of 'Old. It was where we prepared our meals and yes our beauty and cleaning products along with many of our medicines. We spent real quality time, learning passed down traditions and meanings along with the how-tos of recipes etc. We heard the stories of things that were and made our plans of things to be, we saw the past and planned the future. The hearth was the center of life, it was where we spent leisure time on cold winter nights and where we felt 'safe'.

Making your own products has several benefits

The expense is often less if the ingredients can be found.
We know exactly what is in it.
We put our personal energy into what we make along with our effort, a major thing in Magick.
We touch our roots and spend time with those we share or start new traditions with. After all what is the true purpose of having a child help you make cookies? It's not the recipe, they can get that from a book or your notes. It's not really the skill since today most are all too happy to open a box and turn on the microwave. It Is the joy in their faces when they see that they made this! Its the time spent talking, its the connection and creation of memories.

I hope you enjoy this section, If you have a recipe to contribute feel free to e-mail it in and I will post it. Don't forget to include your name and url if you have a site and I will credit you as the author and give you a link back to your site with the posting.

Herbal Water

Boil 2 cups water and pour over 1/2 cup fresh herbs or 1/4 c dried herbs/flowers or flower petals (rose or lavender work well) placed in a glass mason jar, cover immediately and steep for 30 min to 2 days.
Strain out flowers with coffee filter. If you want a stronger herbal water, boil this herbal water and pour over another 1/2 cup of the same kind flower or herbs, and steep again, strain. Pour water into sterile bottles and add 5 drops benzion or Vitamin E liquid and 2 Tbsp glycerin or lanolin (optional). Cover tightly, store in cool dry dark place up to 1 year.

You Will Need:
2 cups cornstarch
1 tsp light oil-almond, apricot kernel
1/2 tsp liquid chlorophyll
4-6 drops lavender oil

Place the cornstarch in a blender, and blend on low. With the blender still running, slowly add the oil, chlorophyll, and lavender oil, one at a time. When well mixed, pour into a clean container and store in a dry place.

Body Powder

Base
8 oz arrowroot or cornstarch, or a blend of both
4 oz baking soda
add one of the following variations:

# I
1 Tbsp ground clove
1 Tbsp ground slippery elm
1 Tbsp ground mace
1 Tbsp ground sandalwood
1 Tbsp ground vetiver root

# 2
1 Tbsp ground clove
1 Tbsp ground slippery elm
1 Tbsp ground rose petals
1 Tbsp ground lavender

# 3
1 Tbsp ground clove
1 Tbsp ground slippery elm
1 Tbsp ground orange peel
1 Tbsp ground lemon peel

Blend all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl. Store in a large, glass jar, covered, for two weeks, allowing scents to blend. Shake jar well every other day.

¼ cup dried calendula flowers
¼ cup dried lavender buds
¼ cup dried peppermint
¼ cup aloe-vera juice
¼ cup honey
2 cups water

Place water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and add the calendula, lavender, and peppermint. Heat on low for 10 minutes (do not boil!). Strain and add the aloe-vera juice and honey mix well.

Pour the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray the affected area freely several times a day, helps relieve the heating and cooling effects of sunburn.

Natural Disinfectant

Wash area with a tea made from Thyme, Garlic or lavender. All are antiseptic by nature.

Insect Bites

1/2 tsp lavender
1/2 tsp tea tree
1 Tbsp of vodka or rubbing alcohol into glass container.
Combine and apply directly on bite.

Straight Ammonia will also stop itching
Jewelweed works very well.

Insect Stings

1/8 cup (1oz) bentonite clay
Place bentonite clay in a glass or plastic container.
Add 12 drops lavender
1 tsp echinacea root tincture
1 Tbsp distilled water to the clay.
Stir until the clay absorbs the liquid and forms a thick paste.
Apply directly on bite or sting as needed.

A paste of Baking Soda and water will also help most stings

Acne Treatment

3 Tbsp Witch hazel bark
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp ground cloves
Bring to a simmer in a non-metallic pan 2 quarts water, let simmer for 5 minutes.
Then add
1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme
1 cup fresh chopped peppermint leaves
1/2 cup fresh chopped marjoram.
Simmer 5 more minutes, set aside until cold.

Mix 1/2 cup of the simmered mixture with
2 tsps cider vinegar
2 ounces grain alcohol (vodka is best)
4 drops lemon oil
and enough water to make one pint

Apply with cotton to acne prone areas after washing. A good aloe moisturizer afterwards is recommended.

You may also add Evening Primrose Oil, Raspberry Leaf, Nettle, Dandelion and Lemon Grass

Aloe vera gel
Glitter

Buy the best quality glitter that can be found. Mix and store in Jar, use on shoulders, chest, arms. Anywhere you would like a special glow.

1 cup distilled water
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 tsp. Essential Oil of Peppermint
1/4 tsp. Tee Tree Oil

Combine all ingredients and pour into a spray bottle.
Keeps your feet revived and invigorated. Peppermint Essential Oil not only smells great and is tingly, it is naturally antibacterial and this will help to prevent foot odor.

Foot Deodorant

2 oz cornstarch
4 oz unscented talcum powder
1 oz baking soda
1 tsp powdered orrisroot
3 drops of your favorite scent (optional)

Combine all ingredients, and mix well.

1/4 cup beeswax
1/4 cup castor oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Beet juice

Melt beeswax in top of double boiler.
Remove from heat and add oils.
Add as much beet juice as desired for color.
Store in jar. Transfer a small portion to a purse sized container for use when away from home. Any favorite essential oil may be added for fragrance use only a drop or two.

Comfrey Lip Gloss

Put exra virgin (first-pressed) olive oil in a pot (a little more than the amount desired when you are done), put it on very, very low heat and gradually add fresh comfrey. As it wilts down add more till you have all you can get in it.
Allow to steep overnight or all day over very, very low heat. Strain it into a cup or jar. Take the greasy comfrey filled with oil you have left and put it in a new knee high hose that has been washed well to get rid of the dye, and squeeze over your cup or jar. This removes a lot more of the oil, you should now have almost as much as you started with.

Allow to sit a few days so the sediment settles to the bottomt. Then pour off. Wear gloves or your oil will go rancid very fast. Decant into dark amber bottles.
Store in dark cool place.

The best overall eye tonic is eyebright. Make a tea of it ,cool and either use the teabags or soak cotton balls or soft gauze in the tea and apply to eyes as a compress while lying down.(ed of course)

For puffy and swollen eyes, make a wet compress of 4 Tbsp. freshly grated raw potato. Place on the eyes for about 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water.

Raw potato slices laid on sore eyes reduces heat and redness.

To reduce swelling and for bags under the eyes, brew a cup of strong rosehip tea. Soak two cotton balls in the tea or use two tea bags, lie down and place over the eyes.

For eye puffiness, any tea bag (herbal is better, especially eyebright), slightly cooled, placed on the eyes while you rest.

To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

For dark circles, cut a fresh fig in half, place a half over each eye.

To soothe tired, irritated eyes, cut a cucumber into 1/4 in thick slices. Apply a cool slice to each eye.

For tired or bloodshot eyes, soak sterile cotton balls or soft cloth in cold skim milk. Place over eyes for 10 minutes. Rinse entire face in warm, then cool water.

Wrinkle Remover

Green Thompson seedless grapes has one of the ingredients in those big name expensive wrinkle creams.

Cut a grape in half and gently crush it on your face and neck making sure to get the "crows-feet" and the lines around your mouth. Leave on for twenty minutes and rinse with tepid water, pat dry.

Repeat daily.

Always drink at least 8 glasses of water daily , eat vegetables rich in Vitamin A (carrots, celery and spinach), and try to get 8 hours of sleep every night.