DIY Beauty

I'm not usually the do-it-yourself type. I dread putting together IKEA furniture, have never refinished anything in my life, and greatly offended my husband once when I suggested that we hire a handyman to install a pot rack in our kitchen.

But when it comes to DIY beauty, I'm all for getting my hands dirty in an effort to get my skin clean. Making your own beauty products can be easy, inexpensive, and—more importantly—an effective way to care for your skin. Why pay for a pricey, preservative-filled face mask when you can whip up your own using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen?

Two books have become DIY beauty favorites of mine, thanks to their great recipes, pretty pictures and can-do enthusiasm: EcoBeauty by Lauren Cox with Janice Cox, and Naturally Beautiful by Dawn Gallagher. EcoBeauty emphasizes the fun of DIY beauty—in fact, the book's subtitle is "Scrubs, Rubs, Masks, and Bath Bombs for You and Your Friends"—while Naturally Beautiful, with its subtitle of "earth's secrets and recipes for skin, body, and spirit" takes a more New Age approach to DIY beauty. Both are available online.

I'll be posting about my own experiences trying the various recipes from these books. In the meantime, let me know if you have a favorite DIY beauty recipe to share.