Ever looked at the price of a tiny jar of fancy face cream and thought, I could make that? You can! These 30 DIY beauty ideas are homemade recipes for scrubs, masks, balms and bath treats, most made with things already in your kitchen. Whip up a cinnamon coffee scrub, a lavender clay face mask, a honey face wash or a zesty lemon lip scrub. Then run a bath with milk and honey bath melts, fizzy matcha bath bombs or lavender bath salts, and finish with a cloud of whipped body butter (it smells a little like chocolate). Before anything new goes on your face, patch-test a small dab on your inner arm and wait a day, because even natural ingredients can disagree with your skin. Short on time? These quick beauty hacks fix a morning in seconds, and the beauty and health hacks hub has plenty more. Perfect for spa nights at home, gift baskets and girls’ weekends.
1. DIY Blueberry Scrub
This DIY blueberry scrub turns a plain sugar scrub into a pretty lavender treat. Start with half a cup of fine sugar in a jar, then stir in about a quarter teaspoon of violet or blue mica powder for color. Add a quarter cup of coconut oil, ten drops of blueberry oil and a tablespoon of castile soap, and mix until it looks evenly tinted. Want a grainier texture? Swap the sugar for Epsom salt. Use it about once a week, since scrubbing every day can leave skin dry.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
2. Cinnamon Coffee Scrub
A cinnamon coffee scrub is about as easy as homemade beauty gets, and everything comes straight from the kitchen. Mix half a cup of ground coffee with half a cup of white sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon, then stir in a quarter cup of olive oil until the whole batch is evenly damp. Scoop it into a mason jar or any pretty container with a tight lid. It takes about five minutes start to finish. The warm spice and coffee scent makes it a nice wake up in a morning shower.
Get the full tutorial at Sunny Sweet Days.
3. DIY Facial Serum
This DIY facial serum is a simple night time oil blend that fits in one glass dropper bottle. Pour four tablespoons of almond or jojoba oil into a 50 ml bottle, then add seven drops each of lavender, frankincense, geranium and myrrh essential oils. Two emptied vitamin E capsules are optional. Shake it well and smooth a few drops over clean skin before bed. Rosehip oil can stand in for almond if that’s what you have, and a saved dropper bottle from another product is perfect for reuse.
Get the full tutorial at The Paleo Mama.
4. Acne Fighting Thyme Toner
An acne fighting thyme toner needs just two ingredients: witch hazel and organic, pesticide free thyme, fresh or dried. Sterilize a glass jar, fill it with witch hazel and drop in the thyme, then let it steep in a cool, dry spot for a day or two until the liquid turns amber. Strain it through a coffee filter into a clean bottle. Small batches kept in the fridge stay freshest, and a pump bottle keeps fingers out. Swipe it on with a cotton ball over trouble spots or the whole face.
Get the full tutorial at Sweet Anne Designs.
5. Organic Aloe Face Cream
This organic aloe face cream makes a generous 4 ounce jar that lasts about a month of daily use, and it comes together in under an hour. Aloe vera gel is the star, either store bought or scraped fresh from a leaf if you grow the plant, and it’s joined by rosehip seed oil, shea butter and a little honey. The ingredients go in three phases, heated and blended so the cream turns light and silky. It suits normal to oily skin and works as an everyday moisturizer.
Get the full tutorial at Lovely Greens.
6. Lemon Coconut Shampoo
Lemon coconut shampoo takes minutes and only three ingredients. Measure one cup of an organic, sulfate free shampoo base into a bowl, which is enough to fill a small 8 ounce mason jar. Slowly stir in about a tablespoon of coconut oil to nourish hair and scalp; don’t worry if the base turns opaque. Finish with around 20 drops of lemon essential oil for a fresh citrus scent, or swap in a favorite oil. Pour it into the jar and tie on a twine bow.
Get the full tutorial at Mom Makes Joy.
7. Orange Blossom And Vanilla Bean Milk Baths
Orange blossom and vanilla bean milk baths are layered jars of powdered milk and tinted bath salts, and they look far more impressive than the effort involved. Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean and pulse them with goat’s milk, buttermilk or coconut milk powder in a food processor. Stir neroli essential oil into Epsom salt and tint it pale orange one drop at a time. Layer half a cup of each in four jars and tuck a piece of vanilla bean on top. They keep for about three months.
Get the full tutorial at Mary Makes Good.
8. DIY Healthy Face Moisturizer
This DIY healthy face moisturizer is light, non greasy and free of dyes and preservatives. Melt three quarters of an ounce of cosmetic grade beeswax with a quarter cup each of almond oil and coconut oil, then blend it with one cup of aloe vera gel and ten drops of a favorite essential oil. The aloe has to be a true gel, not juice, or the cream won’t hold together. Check oils for sun sensitivity, since citrus can be an issue. It also doubles as a makeup primer.
Get the full tutorial at Sweet Anne Designs.
9. DIY Coffee Body Scrub
A DIY coffee body scrub is a cozy way to pamper skin if you love the smell of a fresh pot. It starts with fine sugar in a clean jar, followed by coffee grounds, coconut oil scooped in with an ice cream scoop, a splash of castile soap and vanilla extract. Mix until everything is evenly combined from top to bottom, wipe the rim and cap it. No vanilla on hand? Coffee extract works. For rough elbows and heels, add extra sugar for a coarser scrub.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
10. DIY Cuticle Cream
DIY cuticle cream is a tiny project that makes two small jars from just four ingredients. Set a mason jar in a small pot of water on the stove and melt three tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of beeswax pellets over low to medium heat. Take it off the heat, stir in six drops each of tea tree and lavender essential oils, then pour it into little glass jars or metal tins to cool. Rub a little into your cuticles at night, and push them back gently instead of cutting.
Get the full tutorial at Feathers in Our Nest.
11. DIY Lavender Clay Face Mask
This DIY lavender clay face mask is made for dry and sensitive skin, so it has a creamy, lotion like texture instead of the usual chalky one. Argan and avocado oils are emulsified with distilled water, then gentle kaolin clay and purple Brazilian clay are stirred in for color and body, with lavender essential oil for a light scent. Because it holds water, it needs a preservative. A thin layer dries in about ten minutes. One batch fills four 8 ounce jars, so there’s plenty to share.
Get the full tutorial at Soap Queen.
12. Homemade Tooth Whitener
This homemade tooth whitener comes together in about two minutes, with no stove or microwave needed. Combine half a cup of baking soda, two teaspoons of coconut oil and a few drops of peppermint essential oil in a 4 ounce mason jar. When it’s time to brush, mix one teaspoon of the paste with one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide in a small dish, then brush for at least two minutes and rinse. Use it no more than three times a week, and ask a dentist if your teeth are sensitive.
Get the full tutorial at Freebie Finding Mom.
13. Homemade Lip Balm
Homemade lip balm takes about five minutes and lets you pick the color and flavor. Grate the beeswax so it’s easy to measure, then melt four tablespoons of beeswax with four tablespoons of coconut oil. Stir in a teaspoon of vitamin E oil if you like and six to eight drops of peppermint or another flavor oil. A sliver of lipstick or crayon adds a tint. Pour it into small plastic pots or cleaned out lip balm containers, let it set and decorate the lids with stickers.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
14. DIY All-Natural Hair Serum For Frizzy Hair
This DIY all natural hair serum for frizzy hair smooths flyaways with three oils you may already own. Add a tablespoon each of jojoba and argan oil to a 2 ounce glass dropper bottle with two tablespoons of olive oil from the pantry. Finish with 16 drops of lavender and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil, then shake gently to blend. Work a dime to quarter sized amount into damp hair, mostly through the ends. A natural boar bristle brush helps spread it evenly.
Get the full tutorial at Body Unburdened.
15. DIY Miracle Night Cream
This DIY miracle night cream blends rich moisturizers with brightening extras. Gently melt half a teaspoon of beeswax, a teaspoon of coconut oil, two tablespoons of almond oil and half a teaspoon of shea butter, then pour it into a blender to cool. Separately mix a quarter cup of aloe vera gel with vitamin E oil, honey and five to ten drops of lemon essential oil, plus half a teaspoon of bentonite clay. Blend everything until creamy. The lemon makes skin sun sensitive, so save this one for bedtime.
Get the full tutorial at A Blossoming Life.
16. DIY Gingerbread Body Butter
DIY gingerbread body butter whips up into a fluffy, spiced cream that smells like the holidays. Melt half a cup of shea butter with half a cup of coconut oil over low heat, let it cool to room temperature, then chill it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes. Add ten drops of ginger essential oil, five each of clove and cinnamon and two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Beat it with a hand mixer for two or three minutes until whipped. It keeps about six months; stir if it separates.
Get the full tutorial at Frugal Mom Eh!.
17. Non Comedogenic DIY Blush Stick
A non comedogenic DIY blush stick is built on shea butter, which sits at zero on the comedogenic scale, so it’s less likely to clog pores. Grind annatto seeds or alkanet root into the finest powder possible with a coffee grinder; annatto gives a warm orange tone and alkanet a deeper red. Melt one tablespoon of shea butter in a double boiler, stir in a quarter teaspoon of the powder and eight drops of tea tree oil if you like. Pour it into a small 15 ml twist up container.
Get the full tutorial at Oh, The Things We'll Make!.
18. Anti-Aging Night Cream
This anti aging night cream pairs sweet almond oil with rosehip seed or evening primrose oil, both favorites for dry or mature skin. Melt cocoa butter wafers, beeswax pellets and the oils in a glass bowl over a saucepan of water, then stir in vitamin E and drops of lemon, geranium and carrot seed essential oils. Pour it into a blender and stream in a quarter cup of water or floral hydrosol, like homemade rose water, until it turns creamy. Use it at night only, since lemon oil causes sun sensitivity.
Get the full tutorial at Pronounce Skincare.
19. Milk And Honey Moisturizing Bath Melts
Milk and honey moisturizing bath melts are like little bath bombs of moisturizer that dissolve in warm water. Melt a third of a cup each of mango or shea butter and almond oil with a quarter cup of honey in a glass bowl over boiling water, keeping water out of the mix. Stir in one cup of powdered milk until crumbly, then roll two tablespoon portions into tight balls. Cool them on parchment paper and roll each in more powdered milk for a snowy finish. Drop one or two into the tub.
Get the full tutorial at Bren Did.
20. Honey Face Wash
Does soap leave your face feeling tight and squeaky? This DIY honey face wash skips soap completely. Raw honey gets thinned with a little water or hydrosol, mixed with a nourishing oil like jojoba, sweet almond or rosehip seed and a few drops of essential oils, then poured into a pump bottle. The recipe comes in three versions, for irritated, normal and mature or dry skin, so you can pick yours. Shake it before each use since the honey sinks. Massage a nickel-size amount in upward circles, or leave it on 5 to 10 minutes as a quick mask.
Get the full tutorial at The Herbal Spoon.
21. 2-Ingredient Natural Facial Peel
Only two ingredients and one of them is milk? This natural facial peel is just powdered gelatin and milk (agar agar works if you’d rather skip gelatin). Stir them together, microwave 15 to 20 seconds and spread it with a spatula while warm, testing the heat on your hand first. Stick to your nose, forehead and chin, since it grabs fine hairs on your cheeks. Let it harden 30 to 45 minutes, keep a straight face (no laughing!) and slowly peel it off. Once a month is plenty.
Get the full tutorial at My Mommy Style.
22. Matcha Vanilla Bath Bombs
Why pay boutique prices for bath bombs when you can make a whole batch? These homemade bath bombs mix baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, Epsom salt, cream of tartar and vanilla, then half the batch gets green tea matcha for a pretty two-tone swirl. Add water just half a teaspoon at a time until it holds in your hand, because too much and they won’t set. Pack the molds, press the halves together and let them harden overnight. Twist gently to unmold (a crack or two is normal at first).
Get the full tutorial at Just the Woods.
23. Lemon Lip Scrub
Are your lips flaky by the end of every winter day? This exfoliating lemon lip scrub takes about two minutes and four ingredients. Stir a teaspoon each of jojoba oil and raw honey with a few drops of lemon essential oil, then mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar. Rub it gently on your lips, leave it a minute or two so the jojoba can soak in and wipe it off with a warm washcloth. Twice a week does it, and it fills four little jars, so there’s some to gift!
Get the full tutorial at A Pumpkin and a Princess.
24. Two-Ingredient European Clay Face Mask
Want a clay mask with no extras at all? Unlike the lavender clay mask above, this one is just European clay powder and cold water, a tablespoon of each. Dry skin? Swap the water for a few drops of jojoba oil, and add two drops of lavender oil only if you like the scent. Brush it on, let it dry 15 minutes (5 if your skin is sensitive), then rinse with warm water and moisturize right away. It’ll feel tight as it dries, which is totally normal.
Get the full tutorial at A Pumpkin and a Princess.
25. Cocoa Rosemary Dry Shampoo
Second-day hair looking a little greasy? This natural dry shampoo is arrowroot, bentonite clay and cornstarch scented with rosemary and lavender essential oils. The fun twist is a pinch of raw cacao powder, which tones the powder down for dark hair (skip it if you’re blond or gray, unless you want chocolate roots). Mix, sift and store it in a mason jar. Dust it onto your roots with a fat makeup brush or a shaker-top spice jar, massage it in and brush. And it smells amazing.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.
26. Aromatherapy Shower Steamers
No time for a bath? Shower steamers bring the spa to your shower instead. Citric acid, baking soda, cornstarch and a little clay get sifted, scented with essential oils and spritzed with witch hazel until the mix packs like snowball snow (or sandcastle sand). Press it into hard molds and let them dry. There are three blends: eucalyptus mint for stuffy noses, citrus pine for waking up and lavender bergamot for unwinding. Wear gloves for the oils, and set one on the shower floor away from the stream.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Therapy.
27. Sea Salt Spray for Beachy Waves
Want beach hair without the beach? This DIY sea salt spray costs a fraction of the salon bottle and takes three ingredients (four if you want it to smell pretty). Mix 4 ounces of purified water with 3 teaspoons each of sea salt and melted coconut oil, add a few drops of lavender, lemon or peppermint oil and pour it into a spray bottle. Spritz damp or dry hair, scrunch as you go and let it dry. If it firms up, run the bottle under hot water.
Get the full tutorial at Smashed Peas and Carrots.
28. Lavender Bath Salts
Need five minutes of calm? That’s exactly how long these DIY lavender bath salts take to make. Whisk 2 cups of Epsom salt with 3/4 cup of pink Himalayan or Dead Sea salt and, if you like, 1/2 cup of baking soda (leave it out for sensitive skin). Mix in lavender essential oil, then gently fold in dried lavender buds so they stay whole. Seal it in a mason jar. Tie on a ribbon and you’ve got a gift, if you can bear to part with it.
Get the full tutorial at Wholistic Mandy.
29. Whipped Body Butter
Ever wanted lotion that feels like frosting? This whipped body butter is all butters and oils: cocoa, shea and avocado butter, coconut oil and jojoba. Gently melt the cocoa butter on very low heat and chill it until thick, while you whip the soft butters. Stir jojoba into the cocoa butter, then pour it slowly into the whipped butters while beating. A spoonful of tapioca or arrowroot starch takes away the greasy feel. With unrefined butters it smells faintly like chocolate (still not a snack!).
Get the full tutorial at Artsy Chicks Rule.
30. Pina Colada Lotion Bars
Is a lotion bar on your homemade list yet? These pina colada lotion bars are equal parts coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax pellets, 1/2 cup each, melted gently in a double boiler (never straight on the burner). Tint it yellow, stir in pineapple and coconut essential oils plus a few drops of vitamin E, then spoon it into a pineapple silicone mold with a little lime green for the leaves. One batch makes 12. They smell like vacation and look adorable in a gift basket!
Get the full tutorial at Just the Woods.
