Homemade Beauty

Homemade beauty preparations are hardly a new concept. Cleopatra reportedly bathed in milk, but today we use lactic acid moisturizers on our body to keep skin soft and clear.

More civilized options are available than smearing mayonnaise on your hair, but in this economically-recessed time, you can still feel like you are getting salon treatment on a next-to-nothing budget.

Log on to Amazon and order the 1995 hardcover Blended Beauty, by internationally-acclaimed hair guru Philip B.

So why are we talking about a book that is 15 years old? Because, quite simply, it’s a classic.

Philip B., in case you don’t remember, is the brilliant mind behind the White Truffle Moisturizing shampoo coveted by beauty editors and insiders for the past 15 years.

Here he reveals, with striking originality, countless skin and hair recipes for you to indulge in for pennies on the dollar, in one easily-assessed and gorgeous oversized book.

Compared to big beauty brands, these homemade recipes often use better ingredients—higher-quality oils, pure extracts, less irritants and zero preservatives, unlike their store-bought counterparts.

A beer-and-egg shampoo enhancer takes on new refinement with the added essences of lemon, orange, and banana extracts. Philip B. makes homemade beauty preparations luxurious with his added touches of aromatherapy. This book is for you. Most recipes have a short shelf life due to their ultra-fresh ingredients, and do not make an acceptable gift. But buy the book for yourself, and learn from it.

While you’re on Amazon, order Natural Beauty at Home, by Janice Cox. This is another fantastic book that offers more than 200 recipes for body, bath and hair.

Flip it open to Body Treatments and make the Salt Rub, for yourself and all the girlfriends on your list. They will love you for it. It is so easy, takes two minutes and two ingredients. If you want to fancy it up, add a little essential oils from your local health store. Lavender, rose or almond essences dress the mixture up and all your friends will wonder how you did it!

Pour the mixture into an ordinary mason jar from any cooking supply or container store. Wrap it with a ribbon, and voila! You’re done. Holiday gift-giving, solved.

There are so many simple recipes in these beautiful books, you’ll wish you had them years ago.