5 DIY body products to make at home

When it comes to beauty, most of us can boast about our stringent and thorough facial regimens and how often we moisturize and cleanse. In a bid to pander to this extremely important asset, we sometimes neglect to show the same care for other body parts – especially our arms and legs. Why spend on expensive products for your body when you could spend that money on your faces, you might wonder? Well, why spend money at all? Here are some solutions for any money woes you might have about spending on pampering that body of yours – five free of cost, easy to make, all-natural and thoroughly moisturizing DIY body products!

Body butter

Easy to make and totally worth the effort – this body butter will feed your arms and legs all the moisture and nutrients they need, especially when you live in a country where your skin tends to vary between extremely oily or extremely dry.

Grab some shea butter or cocoa butter (Palmers/The Body Shop are great options) and some coconut oil. The proportion for your body butter needs to be 75% and 25% liquid. Melt the solid cocoa butter – how much ever you deem necessary – in a bain-marie. Remove the now melted butter and transfer it into a mixing bowl, add in the coconut oil, bearing the aforementioned proportions in mind and then freeze for about 20 minutes. Make sure the mixture is semi-solid. Not too hard, but soft enough for you to scoop up a generous amount of, and lather away!

Banana Body Scrub

The perfect natural exfoliant, ideal for pre-shaving or just for enjoying that baby smooth feel, this leg scrub will work wonders for those limbs of yours. To add some flavor to that scrub and get you smelling oh-so-good while you feel oh-so-soft, you can throw in a ripe banana to the mix. A little secret tip to ripening a banana quickly is by popping it into the oven, with the skin still on, and heating them at 180 degrees celcius for up to 40 minutes, until the skin is blackened. You will also need 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and have a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Mash and mix all the ingredients together until it looks creamy, while still maintaining the granulated texture and voila! Kiss that dead skin goodbye!

Homemade Wax

What about waxing at home? This might seem a little daunting to you but trust is it is worth it.  First, make sure your hair is at least 3mm to 6mm long before you consider doing this. You are going to need 1 cup of honey, 1 cup of granulated sugar, half a cup of lemon juice and some thin fabric (cloth or linen) strips. Heat the sugar until it caramelizes and stir in the honey and lemon juice. Let the wax cool slightly before you use it. Apply baby powder to your legs/arms to reduce the pain and proceed to apply the wax in the direction of hair growth. Place the fabric strips evenly on an average portion of hair and let the wax cool completely before stripping it off. Hello hairless skin!

Herb-infused Milk Bath

If you ever wondered why people crooned about Cleopatra’s flawless skin in ancient Egypt, we can safely attest that she owed it all to her frequent milk baths. Of course, we’re not suggesting you buy cartons of goat’s milk and pour it into your bath but we have the next best option. Run a bath of lukewarm water until the water is up to your knees. Pour half a carton full of goat’s milk into the bath and add some pre-dried flowers and herbs (any that you fancy, really). Pour in two capfuls of any essential oil – lemon or lavender recommended and soak in this glorious infused-milk bath. This bath will leave your skin shiny and incredibly smooth to the touch.

Body Shimmer

We are well into the summer season and many of us are vying for that perfect sun-kissed glow on our bodies, that tanning doesn’t always achieve. This body shimmer recipe is a surefire way to achieve just what you crave. Grab some of your favourite body lotion, crushed gold, golden brown or pearl eyeshadow and an empty jar. Combine four parts of lotion with half a teaspoon of crushed eyeshadow and stir until consistent, using a chopstick. Transfer the mixture to the jar and let it set and then it’s all ready for use!

Diya-Maya Tsering Bhalla