Beauty in the Kitchen: DIY Christmas Gifts

Making your own Christmas gifts to give away can be lots of fun, as well as a relatively inexpensive way of checking off your Christmas list! DIY and craft have seen a massive resurgence in recent years, so why not have a go yourself at creating some easy and fun beauty products to give away this festive season. Your friends may even find your handmade natural products the best thing they’ve ever used, so be prepared to have repeat orders!

You can use just about any essential oils you like, but to make the products have a truly festive feel why not use traditional fragrances associated with Christmas such as Frankincense, Myrrh, Cinnamon, Orange and Chocolate.

Body Beautiful Scrub

Using a half and half mix of sea salt and brown sugar means you get the best of both worlds. Sea salt is naturally detoxifying and offers a more abrasive scrub. Sugar is gentler, and its glycolic acid content helps to protect skin against harmful toxins. You can mix the granules as you so wish, but sensitive skin will prefer a 100% sugar scrub.

Ingredients

150g Sea Salt
100g Brown Sugar
100g JASON Coconut Oil

Essential Oils of choice - around 10 drops (we used 5 drops each of Frankincense and Myrrh)

You will also need a jar to put the product in. We like using glass jars as these feel more luxurious and gift-like.

Method

To make this product couldn’t be easier: Place coconut oil in a bowl and add sea salt and sugar. Stir well to ensure an even spread of the ingredients. When you have an even consistency, add the essential oils and stir well.

Test your product to make sure there is enough fragrance in the product, before decanting into the jar(s).

The product should keep for two weeks, so be sure to encourage the recipient of your gift to utilise over the festive season!

Deliciously Decadent Body Whip

This recipe is so easy and has such a luxurious feel. Your friends won’t believe you made it with your own fair hands!

Ingredients

200g JASON Coconut Oil (this must be solid not melted - the oil will only whip up if solid!)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil
A few drops of essential oils of your choice (we used 5 each of sweet orange and chocolate for a festive feel!)

Method

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix no high speed for 6-7 minutes until whipped into a light, airy consistency. Spoon into your glass jar and seal. Store at room temperature, or if your house is so warm the oil melts keep in the fridge.

De-Stress Body Melts

Find the right ice cube/chocolate moulds for this project and your friends will be so impressed with your DIY beauty skills. A good rule of thumb for this recipe if you want to experiment is 2 parts butters and waxes to one part oil in order to achieve the best consistency ever.

Ingredients

200g JASON Coconut Oil
200g Shea, Cocoa or Mango Butter
220g Beeswax
1 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil

Essential Oils of Choice (to de-stress, we recommend lavender and clary sage!) You can use up to 5% essential oil by weight, no more as excessive amounts could cause irritation to the skin or create an oily end product.

Method

Using the bain marie method, melt the beeswax then add the Shea butter and melt. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil. Add the Vitamin E Oil and essential oils of choice, and then stir. Pour the mixture into suitable soap or ice cube moulds. Allow to set thoroughly before removing. We present these in a silk organza bag when gifting.