Homemade Bath Salts and Face cleaners, Febreeze

source: http://www.marthastewart.com/270270/homemade-bath-salts

After a full day spent working or tending to the garden, there's nothing better than a hot bath -- except, of course, a hot bath enriched with fragrant bath salts. While there are many commercially prepared bath salts available, it's surprisingly easy to prepare your own blend at home.

In a large bowl, mix to combine: 6 parts coarse sea salt; 3 parts epsom salts, to soothe tired muscles and reduce inflammation; and 1 part baking soda, to soften waters and alleviate skin irritation. Add a few drops of essential oils, and combine. Add a few drops of food coloring, until you achieve the desired shade. If you intend to present the bath salts as gifts, be sure to store them in a stoppered and labeled container to keep out moisture.

Face cleanser
source: http://simplemom.net/oil-cleansing-method/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+simplemom+%28Simple+Mom%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

How to Get Started

1. Make your cleaner

Simply mix the oils together in a small bottle, give it a little shake, and you’ve got yourself a homemade, frugal facial cleanser. The most popular blend of oils for this cleansing method is castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). The castor oil draws out dirt and other gunk from your pores. The EVOO is a brilliant moisturizer, helping heal and nourish the skin.

• For those with normal skin, you could start off with a one-to-one ratio of castor oil and EVOO.

• For those with acne-prone or oily skin, reduce the proportion of EVOO, and try three parts castor oil to one part EVOO.

• For those with drier skin, start off with one part castor oil to three parts EVOO. This is what I use.

Experiment, and find what ratio works for you. Just start off with a little bit, and then try it for a few days. I began with one teaspoon of castor oil and three teaspoons of EVOO in a little squeeze bottle.

2. Gently rub it in

Pour a quarter-sized amount into your palm, rub your hands together, and slowly massage your skin with your fingertips. Don’t splash your face with water first — apply it dry. Work the oil into your skin for about a minute, and enjoy the peaceful massage at work. Don’t scrub — just rub.

3. Steam your face

Next, wet a washcloth with hot water (but not scalding!), and put it over your face until it’s about room temperature. This is steaming out your pores, removing the impurities and the dead skin cells. It’ll take about a minute — enjoy the nearly-free facial.

4. Wipe off the oil

Take the washcloth, rinse and wring it, then gently wipe off the oil. Your skin will probably feel softer immediately.

Home made Fabreeze
source: http://www.homemademamas.net/2011/07/febrezefor-less.html
With houses full of dogs, cats, husbands and kids we are always looking for new ways to keep things smelling fresh. We like Febreze and have used it for a while now. But, as is the norm with us, we wondered if we could make our own version for less*. Turns out we can!

What You Need:

• 2 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup liquid fabric softener
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Simply mix these three ingredients together in a spray bottle, shake well, and get spraying! The great part about this recipe (aside from how well it works and how much money you can save) is that the scent isn't terribly strong or overpowering. Our home smells like clean laundry for a short time, then the scent quickly dissipates taking any bad smells with it!