On “So You Want to Be a Homesteader” Day 22, let’s look at another way to DIY and save money! Get super clean, chemical free, fragrant, lovely, moisturizing beauty and body products by making your own for your homestead.
That was the first thing that actually got us hooked on this lifestyle. In my early thirties I started to get acne. As an ex-model, I am afraid that my looks became quite a bit of my identity. Beauty products and makeup filled our bathroom vanity. The caked on foundation just made my newfound pimples worse, which required more makeup! Add on chemical laden lotions, face wash, soap, and sunscreen and our family was a walking cancer hazard. Things were about to be turned upside down.
I read a book about natural beauty and was so inspired by the lovely herbal things I could make, I threw out a trash bag of body products, one of medicines, and one of cleaning products, and not long after became a Certified Herbalist. I haven’t worn foundation since and my skin looks great (save for a decade-plus older).
When we went fishing last weekend, I forgot to bring the coconut oil (SPF 16) so the lady next to me at the beach let me slather some sunscreen on my very light skinned girl. She burnt. She never burns with coconut oil. It is a proven scientific fact that sunscreen causes skin cancer, but the industry is just too big to stop. Retinal A, which is found in many anti-aging products, is the number one cause of skin cancer. It is time we take our health, our life, and our beauty back into our own hands. And it couldn’t be easier. I have attached links to many of my blog posts on how to make body products. Enjoy concocting your own! (Or my daughter’s website is http://WhiteWolfHerbs.com if you would rather have her make it!)
How to Make Your Own Witchhazel
How to Make a Nourishing, Infused Oil for Dry Skin
How to Make Your Own Sunscreen (stop poisoning the kids!)
How to Make Your Own Lotion (from my shop to your farm kitchen)
Farmgirl School 
This is such a good reminder of the many benefits of not only coconut oil but the importance of making your own body products. Have you ever shared any recipes for the body products you make? We’re always looking for inspiration since we try to live as self-reliant lifestyle.
I have a book on Amazon called “The Homesteader’s Pharmacy” that is filled with many, many herbal recipes for medicine, animal medicine, and body products. http://authorkatiesanders.com