Homemade Christmas gifts: part two

Following on from our most recent blog post on making your own candles and soaps at home, we’d like to round off 2017 by giving you a few tips and tricks on making deliciously scented, invigorating skin and haircare products to give your friends and family this Christmas. One sniff of your homemade concoctions and they’ll be thrilled to bits!

Body scrubs

Try combining salt, sugar or coffee grounds with a carrier oil such as sweet almond, then blending in carefully selected essential oils to make a skin-smoothing remedy that they can enjoy for months to come. You can have a little fun selecting your own essential oils but popular body scrub essential oils include peppermint, lavender, grapefruit and rose geranium. Read our guide on making your own body scrubs.

Beard oils

Got a man in your life who’s proud of his bushy beard? Gift him a bottle of homemade beard oil and he’ll love you forever! Simply mix a carrier oil with a few drops of manly essential oils (try cedarwood or bergamot for masculine edge ) and add it to a beautiful presentation jar with your own homemade label and you’re good to go! Find out more about making your own beard oil.

Hot oil conditioner

If you know a girl who loves to take care of her tresses, try concocting her an extra-special herby hot oil treatment. Simply combine some olive oil with rosemary essential oil and add it to a little pump bottle. She can pump out a little into a bowl, warm it gently and massage it into her scalp before wrapping her hair up in a warm towel. Washing off with shampoo 10 minutes later will leave her hair looking luscious and smelling divine! Have fun adding your own home-designed instructions to the bottle by hand or with the help of your computer.

Enriching shea body butter

Offering the ultimate indulgence, shea butter is a critical ingredient in so many body creams – and with very good reason. Shea has its own delightful nutty aroma, but try adding the warm, musky, woody aroma of frankincense to make a personalised body butter that she will love slathering on after a hot shower. Cleopatra herself was believed to be a huge fan of shea butter, so why not name your own concoction after the Queen of Egypt?

Homemade herbal shampoo

A herbal shampoo is a real treat for the senses as well as the tresses, so spoil someone special with their very own herbal creation. Try blending some castile soap with the delicious scent of ylang ylang essential oil as well as a dash of carrier oil such as sweet almond. Castile soap may make up a fairly watery looking shampoo but believe us, a little bit goes a very long way!

Presentation is everything

When you’ve laboured over a delicious homemade skin or haircare creation, you’ll want to make sure it looks its best. Invest in a collection of pretty kilner jars, pots, tubs and bottles and get to work filling them up. You can put the finishing touches on through your own homemade labels, gauzy ribbons and rustic string additions. Happy gifting!