A few weeks ago, we spent a long weekend visiting some friends. We don’t get to see them very often, so it was a very special weekend.
I wanted to give them some treats as a gift. I decided to make a bunch of different skin care products and then let them divide them up among themselves.
Their gift box included:
1 jar of peppermint foot cream
2 bottles of lotion
3 jars of hand balm
6 tubes of lip lube
And a whole bunch of soap!
I had so much fun putting everything together. Here are some photos of the final product.
Gift Box!
Gift Box of Goodies
Skin Care Treats!
Lip Lube and Hand Balm
Hans Solo Soap
Fish Soap
As you can see, I made some specialty soaps for this gift box. The blue and purple fish and starfish soaps were specially made for our friends’ daughter. Her favorite colours are blue and purple, so I thought these would be perfect. And one of our friends is a Star Wars fan. I thought he might appreciate the Hans Solo soap!
A few weeks ago, we started to have double-digit temperatures! It was such a treat to be given a sneak peek into Spring. I celebrated by going for a long walk with my son in the baby carrier. Sadly, the high temps did not last and we’ve had more snow since then. In fact, as I write this, I’m looking out the window at a snow shower. Nevertheless, I know that Spring is close and it’s time to get ready for sunshine and outdoor fun!
Spring also means that my skin will have different needs. Here’s how I’m planning on taking care of my skin.
Spring Soap
I just whipped up two small batches of Goat’s Milk Melt and Pour Soap. I made a few bars of soap using green clay and scented them with Patchouli. In the past, I’ve sometimes overdone it with the Patchouli scent. Fortunately, I’ve learned from that and these bars are nicely scented.
I also made some bars of soap with pink clay. I use these on my face. They are gentle and are able to clean my skin without removing all of the natural oils. I scented these bars with Grapefruit essential oil. I like to call these bars Pink Grapefruits!
Light Moisturizers
I’ve been using the Emollient Wheatgerm cream this winter. It’s been great. Now that the weather is turning, I’ll be using face oils only. I love the Suti face oils. They have a delicious scent and are light on the skin. I also make my own face oils and have experimented with all kinds of oils. Once I finish the batch that I have in my cabinet, I’ll be making some more to try!
It’s also time to switch to a light lotion. I always need to help my skin with moisture. However, I can get away with a light lotion during the warmer months, rather than a thicker lotion or cream.
Hair Care
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll already know that I’m a big fan of reverse hair washing. I just love the results and I continue to wash my hair this way. With the added humidity that comes with Spring, my hair can get a bit frizzy. I find that a weekly hair mask is just what it needs to stay under control. My favorite mask right now is plain coconut oil.
How do you pamper your skin during the spring months?
This post is part of the GiG Spotlight #5: Spring Fever. Thanks to Caity of Moi Contre La Vie and Mari of I Love Green Inspiration for hosting this wonderful event. Are you wondering what GiG is? It’s the Girls Inspired Group. Click on the image below to check out their blog and join!
I’ve almost completely made the switch to makeup made from natural ingredients. My go-to brand is Jane Iredale. However, I still like to try new brands when I come across them.
The All Natural Face
A few months ago, I spotted a coupon for three vegan eye-liners by The All Natural Face. Though I can’t quite remember how much the deal cost, I do recall that I thought it was a decent deal. So, I bought myself a trio of vegan eye liners. They arrived a few weeks ago.
Colours
I received three different colours of eyeliner. There was a Caramel Fudge, Hot Fudge Brownie, and That Black. Normally, I don’t stray too far away from black eye liner, so this was extra exciting to have received other colours! Here’s what they looked like on my skin.
Use
They each go on really smoothly. The wand allows you to choose the thickness of line very easily. These are probably some of the simplest eye liners to apply that I’ve ever had. I found that they lasted about as long as other eye liners that I’ve used. They would work for me for a night out or a work day. Even better, they did not smudge!
Ingredients
The ingredients for each eye liner are listed right on the tube. I love that feature. There are no questions about what you’re putting on your skin. They are also listed right on their website. Click here to check them out. In a nutshell, these eyeliners are all made with pure ingredients that aren’t known or suspected to be harmful for your skin.
Vegan Eyeliners – The All Natural Face
Recommendation
If you’re looking for a clean eyeliner, I would definitely recommend this brand. The packaging is simple and informative. The wand has a great tip that allows you to easily control the thickness of the line. Most importantly, the ingredients are pure and are considered safe for your skin.
I have really enjoyed making my own skincare products for my son. I feel so much better knowing exactly what I’m putting on his skin. Now that he’s older than three months, I decided to make him some new baby balm, using an essential oil.
Safe Essential Oils for Babies
It’s best to use essential oils in moderation at all times. Ideally, they should be diluted and when used directly, they should be used sparingly. The same applies to babies, especially since they tend to have such sensitive skin.
The two essential oils that seem to be considered safe, in moderation, for babies are lavender and chamomile. My main source of information has been Colleen Dodt’s book, Natural Baby Care.
Even with these oils being considered safe, I chose to use a very limited amount in his new batch of baby balm, just to be on the safe side.
Lavender
I chose to go with the Lavender essential oil. It has such a soothing scent. That’s exactly what I need during those midnight diaper changes!
I ventured out to the spa a few weeks ago for a much needed facial. If you read my last post, you’ll know that, during the facial, I was dismayed to find out that my skin was on the dry side!
One of the products that was used and that I then purchased was the Emollient Wheat Germ Cream. I’ve been using it for a past several weeks and wanted to provide a short review on it for all of you!
Pure Creations Emollient Wheat Germ Cream
Ingredients
Pure Creations prides itself on incorporating natural ingredients in its products. You can see from the website’s description that the cream contains ingredients like organic wheat germ oil, almond oil, and aloe vera. While I wasn’t able to find a detailed ingredient list, after chatting with the folks at Pure Creations, I know that they do not use any potentially harmful or unnecessary ingredients.
Emollient Wheat Germ Cream
Usage
This is a thick, rich cream. A little bit goes a really long way. Personally, I would only use this on my skin during the dry winter months. I think it could be too much for my skin at other times of the year. I also like that this cream does not have a strong scent. (That’s the last thing I want before bed!)
Since my facial, I have used this on my skin before bed each night. It has helped me maintain that smooth polished feel in my skin.
Packaging and Price
Pure Creations’ packaging is simple and fresh. The jars are a good size. At $24.95 for a jar of this long-lasting cream, I think it’s a good investment.
Would I recommend this cream?
Yes, I would! It has worked wonders for me during this very dry winter. I continue to receive compliments on how smooth my skin looks. 🙂
The One Caveat
Just because this cream works for me, doesn’t mean it will work for everyone else. It’s always good to test a bit of any new product on your skin before diving in head first.
Every few weeks, I make a batch of body lotion. I have very dry skin, so I always need a healthy supply of moisturizer to keep my skin smooth.
Since I need so much lotion, I make a point of trying new oils each time. For example, a recent batch of lotion that I made featured Sea Buckthorn Oil. More importantly, my latest batch of lotion is one of my favorites. I used Kukui Nut Oil in the mix. This was the first time that I had used Kukui Nut Oil. I took some time to learn about it and here’s what I found out.
Kukui Nut Oil
Kukui Nut Oil comes from the Candlenut tree, the state tree of Hawaii. The Kukui seeds have many varied uses, one of which is to use the oil from the seeds in skin care. Not only is this oil known to soothe and soften the skin, it has also been used to treat wounds. Some people have even seen positive results when using this to treat skin conditions, such as eczema. This oil, when used in soap, makes the lather creamier.
Absolutely! I love this latest batch of lotion. It is nourishing, making a little bit go a long way. It glides on smoothly and does not leave a greasy film behind.
I scented it with a mixture of vanilla and citrus essential oils. I love the deep and slightly sweet scent of the vanilla essential oil. This is a treat to put onto my skin each morning.
Before my son was born, I made some baby balm and some special soap to use on his skin. I did this with full knowledge that I had a 50% chance, at best, that they would be good for his skin. After all, I had no idea what he would need!
Baby’s Bottom
While I was in the hospital, the nurses insisted that I use Vaseline on my son’s bottom. I’m not a big fan of Vaseline whatsoever, but I had no other option
Unscented Baby Balm
while I was in the hospital. The Vaseline was great at creating a barrier between his dirty diapers and his sensitive skin.
As soon as I got home, I started using my homemade baby balm. It worked exactly the same as the Vaseline. The benefit of the baby balm is that it is made from a few oils and some beeswax, but no petroleum products!
I have continued using the Baby Balm at every diaper change since we got home!
Baby Skincare
We live in a fairly dry climate, so I wasn’t surprised when my son’s skin was a bit dry. To moisturize his skin, I give him a massage with coconut oil each day. The oil works great on his skin. It is moisturized without being oily.
Soap in the Bath
I received many differing opinions about how often to bath my baby and what kind of soap to use. In the end, I decided to give him a bath each morning, using the mild soap that I made before he was born. It’s a goat’s milk soap with no scent or additives. It is gentle enough on his skin that I don’t mind using it each morning in the bath.
What’s Next?
I’m looking forward to concocting some more baby products, using some essential oils, once my son gets a bit older. I’ll be sure to post about those when that time comes!
Earlier this month, I was nominated by three different bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award! Thank you to Hair and Flair, Bronze Goddess and Mademoiselle Snow for the nominations!
Versatile Blogger Award
The Versatile Blogger Award
I love blog awards. They are a great way to spread the word about great blogs that you’ve discovered. Of course, it’s such a lovely feeling to be nominated! Thank you!
The rules:
Insert the logos of the awards on your blog.
Link back the person who nominated you.
Post 7 things about yourself.
Nominate 15 other bloggers and link them in your post.
Notify these bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirement.
The 7 things about me:
I just welcomed a baby boy into this world. He’s the light of my life these days.
This is one of my favorite times of year — full of good food, family get-togethers, and time spent with close friends.
This year, the holidays are extra special because we have a new family member, Emir.
For the past few years, I have made it my new custom to give handmade gifts to friends and family. This year’s goodie bag was made back in November, as I waited for Emir’s arrival.
Here’s what it has in it!
Soap
There are at least two bars of soap. Each bag has some combination of striped soap, floral soap or a solid bar of goat’s milk or coconut soap. Each bar is mild enough for the skin and full of great ingredients.
Striped Soap
Fancy Feet
Our feet all take such a beating. They deserve a treat. Each gift bag has a jar of minty foot cream. It’s thick and moisturizing and the scent is quite refreshing. It’s a great treat for your feet!
Minty Foot Cream
Bath Bombs
I tried my hand at something new this year. I made bath bombs! As I suspected, it was actually quite easy and I have no idea why I never pursued this before. These provide fizzy fun for the bath and they smell great!
Lip Lube
What would a gift bag be without some homemade lip balm? My lip balms are moisturizing and good for any season. I added a variety of flavour oils to them this year.
The contents of each gift bag were meant to be used. None of these products are good for a hoarder!
I’ve been experimenting with soap lately. My favorite so far is a bar of minty black and white striped soap. It’s a great way to incorporate charcoal into my soap and also making it look a little more interesting than just a plain bar of black soap. The minty scent is refreshing in the morning and this soap is gentle on the skin.
Minty Striped Soap
In fact, I recently spoke to a friend who was complaining of dry, itchy skin. I gave her a bar of this soap to try and she said that she immediately noticed an improvement. Her skin was less itchy and she needed less moisturizer after her shower. I was so happy that I was able to help!
Au Naturel Essence 