Oct. 20, 2009 - Homemade Lotion and Un-petroleum Jelly
While I have not tried these recipes as of yet, I do plan to do so in the near future. I wanted to share these recipes with those of you who may be anxious to try them out. 
Homemade Lotion
- 2 15-oz. bottles baby lotion (can use shea & cocoa butter one or the regular pink one or the lavender one too)
- 2 8-oz. jars of Vitamin E Cream
- 1 7.5 oz. jar Vaseline (can use homemade un-petroleum jelly*)
Place all ingredients in your mixer and mix well. Put the Vaseline in the microwave for a bit to soften it up and help it mix up better. When it is all mixed up really well, put the lotion back into the bottles you just emptied, using a funnel. You can also purchase some small containers or jars to store your lotion in. This makes a wonderful gift too!
*Homemade Un-Petroleum Jelly
1 ounce beeswax
1/2 cup sweet almond oil or oil of your choice
Melt the beeswax in the microwave in a microwave safe container. Stir in the almond oil and continue to stir until cool. Put this in a clean container and cover with a lid.
Homemade Hand Lotion
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1-1/4 c. hot water
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¼ c. emulsifying wax
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¼ c. olive oil
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24-36 drops essential oil
You can purchase the the emulsifying wax & essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs. For $6 you get enough emulsifying wax to make about 15 or more batches of homemade hand lotion. In a pyrex measuring glass, combine the olive oil and emusifying wax and microwave for 1 minute until it is all melted.
A coffee mug holds almost 1-1/4 c. of water. Fill it up and microwave for one minute. While that is heating up, add the essential oil into the melted wax/olive oil.
Next, pour the hot water into the wax/olive oil mixture and watch it turn milky white. Pour the hot lotion into wide-mouth, pint-sized jars and cool overnight.
Here are some decorative labels to put on your jars: download here. Remember, when you print these out in Adobe Reader, it often automatically reduces the size of the original document, make sure that you click on the setting to print these at full size. These labels fit on the wide mouth pint jars. Enjoy your new soft skin!
http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/how-to-make-handmade-handlotion-w-label-download/
Here is another recipe for lotion: http://www.happynews.com/living/skin/homemade-lotion.htm
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Jun. 9, 2009 - Shea Butter
I have tried to make my own lotion all to no avail. There are some that have turned out OK, but not really as nice as what as hoping for. I switched to using Vaseline (the generic version) on my face for that dry, itchy, winter skin. However, now that I have entered the workforce, I wanted something that wasn't quite so greasy. I found a 32 oz. bottle of Shea Butter lotion for $4.97. It works great as either moisturizer for my face or for the rest of my body. Very economical!
If you happen to know of a great homemade recipe for lotion, please post the link for me! It would be greatly appreciated.
On Saturday, I went to garage sales with dd and my mom. I found a few things to list on ebay. I also found a game I've wanted for several years, but just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it. It is called "Fact or Crap." I got it for $2. 
I also found a devotional book for .25. It has writings by Oswald Chambers and will fit in my lunch bag so I can easily transport it to work. I found a really neat necklace for .25. It changes colors, depending on how the light hits it. I like it because it is versatile. I will be able to wear it to work and it will match any pair of scrubs I wear.
DD did excellent in her shopping at the sales. She got 2 sets of Magnetics for $5. They normally run $20 a set. She also bought some crafting items for a couple of dollars, some jewelry and handheld games. We had fun, but we were sure ready to come home once we were finished.
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Aug. 19, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Cheap bubble bath and shampoo
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May. 12, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Homemade hand soaps
Liquid / Gel Soap
* 1 bar of grated soap (I used Dove because that is what I had)
* 4 c. water
* 4 T. glycerin
Mix ingredients together in a large pot or dutch oven. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap has dissolved. Transfer to a bottle.* For a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.
*I filled each bottle about 1/2 full, then added one drop of food coloring. I continued with filling the bottle. Once it was filled, I added a few drops of essential oil to each bottle.
The soap will thicken as it cools.
Liquid Hand Soap (I have not tried this recipe.)
1. Grate one bar of soap.
2. Place the grated soap and 1 c. boiling water in a blender and set it on "whip."
3. Add 1 T. honey and 1 t. glycerin and stir.
4. Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes and whip again.
5. Add cold water to the mixture until you have 6 c.
6. Whip the mixture again.
7. Pour it into a storage container and let it cool. Do not place a lid on the container.
8. Fill a pump dispenser with the soap. Shake before using.
~~ Stacy ~~
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May. 5, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Recipes for Anti-perspirant & Deoderant
Anti-perspirant spray
1 c. water
1-1/2 t. alum powder (very inexpensive and can be found at the health food store)
¼ c. rubbing alcohol
Mix all ingredients and stir well until the alum is dissolved. Pour into a pump spray bottle.
Yield: 10 ounces
Natural Deodorant Cream
¼ c. vegetable shortening
1 T. cornstarch
1/8 t. tincture of benzoin (found this at one local pharmacy - Walgreens and it costs about $7.50 for a small bottle, but it will last you many years.)
1 t. fragrance, optional
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Place in a clean jar with a lid. To use: Rub a small amount of the cream under your arms.
Yield: 3 ounces
I have used both of these and they work very well, but I prefer to use the first recipe.
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Apr. 28, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday -- Homemade Facial Cleansers
Basic Cold Cream
½ t. borax
¼ c. water
½ c. mineral oil
2 T. beeswax, grated
Dissolve the borax in the ¼ c. water, then set aside. Place oil and grated beeswax in a glass cup. Place the cup in a pan of water that has 1-2 inches of water in it. Heat it until the beeswax is melted. Stir occasionally. It will take around 8-10 minutes for it to melt.
Once the wax is melted, bring the borax/water mixture to almost-boiling. You can put it in the microwave for about 45 seconds, or use the pan of water and heat it like oil/honey mixture. Once it is done, slowly add it to the oil/beeswax mixture, stirring briskly. (This is a neat chemical reaction, so make a science lesson out of it!)
Once it mixes up well, pour into a container that has a lid. To use, wet your face, then massage a very small amount into your skin. Rinse with warm water.
A few drops of essential oil can be added for scent, if desired. Yield: 8 ounces.
I like to apply this to my face and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing. It feels WONDERFUL! You can literally feel your skin drinking up the moisture of it. I also have omitted adding any scent to mine and it does just fine. This is best for normal or dry ski.
For grating the beeswax, I found it easier to use a knife, rather than a potato peeler.
For those of you who are local, I bought the beeswax at the health food store. You will have to ask a clerk to get it for you because it is behind a counter. The beeswax was only .99, and I will get MANY containers of cleanser from that one bar of beeswax! VERY EASY ON THE BUDGET! 
Honey Cleanser
2 t. liquid soap
¼ c. honey
¼ c. water
Stir the ingredients. Be sure you don't beat them because doing so will cause it to foam. Pour into a clean container. I used an old Bath & Body Works anti-bacterial soap bottle with a pump on it.
I have also used this cleanser. It is also a very nice, but I prefer the first recipe. If you try these, I would love to hear what you think of them! This recipe is probably good for all skin types, but would likely work best on normal to dry skin.
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Mar. 25, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - homemade shampoos
1 c. water
1/2 c. liquid soap or inexpensive shampoo
1/2 c. glycerine
1/4 c. borax
Mix and let it thicken overnight.
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. liquid soap (or castile)
1/2 t. light vegetable oil. (If you have oily hair, omit.)
Mix well.
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Feb. 26, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - hand sanitizing gel
Also, when at church, I make sure I have some anti-bacterial hand sanitizing gel. Once greeting time is over, I make sure to use it so that I don't end up touching my face while it is infested with germs from other people. I actually learned that tip from our pastor, who is not ashamed to admit -- he is a bit of a germ-o-phobe!Hand Sanitizing Gel Recipe
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
1/4 cup grain alcohol
10 drops fragrance oil
1 drop food coloring
Combine ingredients and shake well. Store in a spray pump bottle to use.
Free sample of Head & Shoulders shampoo.
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Feb. 19, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - homemade cleansers
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Feb. 12, 2008 - Tightwad Tuesday - Body Sugar Scrub
Homemade Sugar Scrub -- Better than Bath & Body Works! 
Here's another tip regarding Bath & Body Works items: If you like their lotions, add a little cocoa butter to the bottle (or any other kind of cheap lotion that doesn't have much scent). It won't affect the smell, but will stretch your lotion a lot farther.
I also add water to the shower gels I purchase from Bath & Body so that I can stretch them 30-40% more. I do the same with their hand soaps. Works great! 
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Jan. 24, 2008 - Homemade recipe for SUGAR SCRUB
I started making my own body sugar scrubs just before the holidays. I ended up giving several as gifts. They are WONDERFUL! They are EVERY BIT as good as those you get from BATH AND BODY WORKS! The recipients of this gift have been asking for the recipe, so that only reinforces how good this product really is. To buy it at the store, it runs about $12.00. This recipe costs you only PENNIES!
Homemade Sugar Scrub
Get a small plastic container. Add a little canola oil (or baby oil) then add sugar and mix until sugar is wet. Continue alternating until the container is nearly full. (I did not measure my ingredients so I cannot tell you how much sugar and oil to use.) I add about 7 drops of essential oil (from Bath and Body Works). The sweet cinnamon pumpkin smells wonderful. Close the container and let it set overnight. Check in the morning to see if there is a pool of oil on the top. If there is, add a little more sugar and let it set for a few hours. Use in the tub or shower. It will take care of that itchy, dry skin and leave your skin feeling silky smooth!
Enjoy!
