Homemade Gifts for the Holidays | 4 DIY Tutorials with Video

Homemade skincare gifts are fun and easy to make. They also give a personal touch and can be customized with the scent, color and packaging you prefer.  I have put together 4 simple recipes that make great gifts for the holidays.

I have also made a tutorial video of these recipes which is included at the beginning of this article for reference:

 

GLITTER LOTION BARS & GLITTER BODY BUTTER

Who doesn’t loooove glitter!? That’s what we thought.

So, our first recipe is made using Kokum Butter, an exotic butter similar to Mango Butter but a bit more firm, which makes it great for lotion bars. A lotion bar, if you haven’t heard of it before, looks like a soap bar in consistency and size, you glide it on your skin and it leaves a thin layer of butter or lotion. Lotion bars are an eco friendly product because they do not require a jar or bottle for their packaging.

A little about Kokum Butter, it contains nutrients and antioxidants which help nourish and repair damaged, cracked skin. It is naturally flaky and brittle when at room temperature making it popular for its stability. Once it comes into contact with your skin it melts and absorbs easily leaving it feeling soft and moist without a greasy residue.

Kokum Butter Benefits:

• Ultra-moisturizing, helps rejuvenate and soften the skin
• Helps soothe irritated skin
• Non-comedogenic, will not clog pores making it great for all skin types including acne prone skin
• Contains antioxidants that nourish the skin and help slow aging
• Helps repair damaged or cracked skin
• Softens the skin and restores skin flexibility
• Helps regenerate skin cells

 

GLITTER LOTION BARS & GLITTER BODY BUTTER RECIPES

We start this recipe by making Lotion Bars and then add additional ingredients to make a whipped body butter.

RECIPE #1 – GLITTER LOTION BARS

Lotion Bars Ingredients:

• 16 oz Kokum Butter
• 3 oz Apricot Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
• 1 Tsp of fragrance or essential oils of choice
• 1 Tbsp of glitter or mica

Lotion Bars Directions:

1. Cut your Kokum Butter into small pieces and place into a double boiler on low heat until fully melted
2. Remove it from the heat and let cool for a few minutes, then mix in Apricot Oil
3. Allow to cool until there is a slight trace
4. Add in glitter and fragrance/essential oils of choice and mix
5. Pour about half of the mixture into molds for your lotion bars and place in the fridge
6. Once they are solidified remove them from the molds and store on a dish or in a container
7. To apply, glide on the skin where desired

 

RECIPE #2: GLITTER WHIPPED BODY BUTTER

With the left over you have from making the Lotion Bars, you will add just ONE ingredient and perform a few more steps, and ta dah, your Glitter Body Butter is done!!

Additional Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz Apricot Oil (or carrier oil of choice)

Additional Steps:

1. Add the additional Apricot Oil to  the remainder of the mixture from your lotion bars
2. Mix and place in the fridge until slightly firm around the sides and liquid in the center
3. Using an electric mixer whip the mixture until it is to the desired consistency, be careful not to overwhip as it will quickly change to a thick, hard consistency
4. Scoop into jars with lids or similar sealed containers
5. Now it is ready for use. Use on your body after a shower or bath or throughout the day as needed.
6. When not in use, store in a cool dry place, away from sunlight in its sealed container

SUGAR BODY SCRUB & LIP SCRUB RECIPES

The next two recipes are easy and ESSENTIAL to keep your skin super soft, and they make personalized gifts for your friends and family.

With this next recipe we start with making a sugar body scrub and then add additional ingredients to make a lip scrub.

The main carrier oil we will use for this is Almond Oil. Mixing in a good quality carrier oil like this is great for body and lip scrubs as it adds the benefit of moisturizing your skin, so after using it your skin is soft and smooth.

A little about Almond Oil, it is a nutrient rich carrier oil that deeply moisturizes and protects the skin, keeping it hydrated and supple. The vitamins and fatty acids in this oil promote collagen production and help restore natural skin radiance.  This oil is non-comedogenic so does not clog pores and is particularly effective in diminishing scars, blemishes and soothing irritation.

Almond Oil Benefits:

• Soothes and nourishes dry, cracked skin
• Helps to protect and maintain soft, supple skin
• Loaded with vitamins and fatty acids that promote good skin health
• Helps diminish fine lines, wrinkles and signs of aging
• Strengthens and regenerates skin by enhancing collagen production

RECIPE #3: SUGAR BODY SCRUB

As above, this recipe has two parts to make two skincare products that vary slightly in ingredients. In this case, a sugar body scrub and then additional ingredients to make some of it into a lip scrub.

Sugar Body Scrub Ingredients

• 20 oz Sugar (white or brown)
• 8 oz Almond Oil (or carrier oil of choice)
• 1.5 Tbsp of essential oil of choice (I used Frankincense and Bergamot)
• Optional: 2 Tbsp of mica (color or choice)

Sugar Body Scrub Directions

1. Put the sugar into a large mixing bowl
2. Add in the Almond Oil and mix together
3. Add in the essential oils and mica and mix together
4. Place mixture into a jar with a lid or similar sealed container, leaving about 1 cup of the mixture for your lip scrub (part two of the recipe)
5. Use in the shower or bath, rub onto the skin and rinse
6. When not in use, store in its sealed container

RECIPE #4: LIP SCRUB RECIPE

Sugar Lip Scrub Additional Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Castor Oil

Sugar Lip Scrub Directions

1. Pour Castor Oil into the mixing bowl containing the remaining mixture from your body scrub (as above)
2. Mix together until combined
3. Place mixture into a jar with a lid or similar sealed container
4. Apply to lips and rinse off. Use before applying lip balm or lipstick
5. When not in use, store in its sealed container

SUMMARY

OMG, did you guys like these? Easy and wholesome, you can personalize them with Essential Oils of choice and with mica or glitter for colors. Homemade skincare products make some of the nicest gifts and many times cost much less than buying something pre-made off the shelf.

I hope this helps you with your holiday preparations. I can’t wait to hear your comments below!

PRODUCTS FROM OUR SHOP NEEDED FOR THESE RECIPES: