3 All-Natural DIY Bath & Body Holiday Gifts

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So, it's December (can you believe it??), and technically this weekend was supposed to be our "Freebie/Giveaway" weekend, and I've got a good one for you this month, but it's not quite ready... So keep an eye out for that next weekend, but in the meantime, it's time to start thinking about your holiday gifts!

There is something so special about homemade gifts, and if you're looking for some fun ideas this year, we've got you covered! These all-natural DIY gift ideas are easy to make, require only a few simple ingredients, and won't cost you much. You'll have the satisfaction of handing out gifts that you made, yourself, and the recipients will have the comfort of knowing that the gifts are natural and safe to use, without any of the potentially harmful chemicals found in most store-bought bath and body products.

See below for 3 fun and easy DIY all-natural holiday gift ideas to give this year.

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Ahhh...the scents of the holidays! The smell of cinnamon, orange, peppermint, chocolate, and cloves always takes me back to childhood - drinking hot cocoa or cinnamon cider and stringing popcorn and cranberries for the Christmas tree, peeling the tangerine that was always in the toe of our stockings, making a clove-studded orange to hang in the window to scent the room...

These days, it's easy to smell these familiar holiday scents in stores this time of year, but though the scents may be familiar, the ingredients aren't, and unfortunately, these chemical fragrances may contain harmful ingredients like phthalates - which are known endocrine-disruptors. Scented body lotions and soaps may contain parabens and other toxins, which are easily absorbed through the skin.

Why not treat your family and friends to some natural and safe body care products as holiday gifts - even better, ones that won't cost you an arm and a leg?

These three recipes make great gifts, and they're easy, safe, and affordable, too!

Feel free to switch up the essential oils to pick scents that you know your loved ones will enjoy - or go with classic holiday scents such as peppermint, cinnamon, clove, orange, and vanilla.

1.) Chocolate Truffle Lip Balm

Time to Make: 20 minutes
Makes: About 20 tubes or 10 pots, depending on size

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Beeswax
• 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Shea Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
• 15-20 Drops Vanilla Oil

Instructions:

1. Create a double boiler by placing a bowl or glass measuring jar in boiling water.
2. Add the beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, and sweet almond oil to the double boiler and stir on and off until everything is melted.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla oil.
4. Pour into lip balm pots or tubes to cool.

Tip: When filling lip balm tubes, fill until they almost overflow. The lip balm will shrink as it cools and can leave a hole down the middle. But it's just cosmetic, so don't stress if that happens.

Recipe Source: SimpleLifeMom.com

Another great homemade natural gift is lotion bars. These use jut a few simple, natural ingredients and are great at helping to moisturize dry winter skin - and you can also use them as lip balm! Choose your favorite essential oil or combination of oils to create unique scents that your friends and family will love.

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2.) 3-Ingredient Natural Lotion Bars

Time to Make: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

• Coconut Oil
• Shea Butter
• Beeswax Pellets (easier for measuring - but you can use solid beeswax bars as well if that's what you have)
• Essential Oil of lavender, lemongrass, or spearmint - or your choice (optional) (We love Plant Therapy essential oils for their purity and quality at a decent price.)

Instructions:

1. Using a food scale, weigh out equal amounts of beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter. You’ll have an easier time using beeswax pellets for measuring. If purchasing your beeswax from a local beekeeper, you’ll most likely get a bar or chunk of beeswax, which makes it a tad bit harder for measuring, but still very doable. (This recipe is adjustable to whatever size you like, but one and a quarter ounces each of beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter makes a decent-sized batch.)
2. Using a double boiler, or a small saucepan and a large glass measuring bowl, melt beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter until it turns into a liquid. Remove from heat and add ten drops of essential oil. Note: make sure if you use essential oils in the recipe that the essential oils you use are of high quality and are safe for external use on the skin.
3. Pour into molds. You can use soap molds, silicone cupcake liners, or even fill a small parchment paper lined box. Whatever mold you use, make sure it’s something you can easily pop the hardened bars out of. Allow bars to harden overnight.
4. Wipe out your measuring bowl while it’s still warm for easier cleaning and then wash with hot soapy water. I use the small amount of the lotion bars still clinging to the inside of the bowl to rub on my feet and elbows. Be sure to put socks on as the soles of your feet will be slippery until the lotion is completely absorbed!

Recipe Source: MelissaKNorris.com

Bath bombs are another fun gift for those who love to be pampered - or for yourself! :-)  They are easy to find in stores these days, but they often contain questionable ingredients, and they can also be fairly pricey. Making your own is super cheap and easy, and you can make sure that they only contain the ingredients you want them to. In fact, you may already have most of the ingredients on hand! 

As with the other gifts above, feel free to customize the scent to whatever you like. Peppermint is a nice, refreshing choice for the bath, but you may also like to try spearmint, vanilla, cinnamon, or another option.

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3.) Peppermint Bath Bombs

Time to Make: About 15 minutes, plus 24-hours to set

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1/2 cup citric acid
• 1/2 cup epsom salts
• 2 teaspoons peppermint essential oil (or other scent of your choice)
• 3 teaspoons apricot oil
• spray bottle with water
• silicone molds

Directions:

1. Mix all of your dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix the peppermint essential oil and apricot oil in a pourable container.
3. Slowly add the oils to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Slowly spray a little water in the dry ingredients, mixing well after each spray. Water activates the citric acid and makes it fizz, adding the water too quickly will make it fizz.
5. Once the mixture feels a bit like damp sand and can hold it’s shape, press firmly into your mold and let dry overnight to 24 hours depending on the size.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe & Image Source: RetroHousewifeGoesGreen.com

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