Recently, the beautiful and spunky LulaLola caught me off-guard on Twitter.
After a very lively chat about pimples and ordering clay from Mountain Rose Herbs she said:
“Thanks for the help! Okay, if you were placing your first order, what would your top 5 purchases be?”
What? Are you kidding me? I haven’t already answered that question? I haven’t written an insightful and informative post about the handiest natural skincare purchases you can make? Am I really that forgetful?
I am. I was. Thank you, LulaLola. Now, I am not.
If you’re even remotely interested in creating your own skincare and haircare products, you might want to add a few things to your cupboards. These are the most useful items I know of – the ones that are versatile and work well with various natural ingredients (or alone).
You don’t have to buy them all. Heck, you don’t have to buy any of them. But there are many things in here that will, in addition to enhancing your natural skincare/haircare forays, come in handy in other parts of your life. They’re just good things for a green (or sorta green) household to have around.
7 Important Natural Skincare Ingredients (That You Probably Don’t Have, But Might Want)
Before we get down to the nitty gritty, just let me say again that you don’t need any of these products to start dabbling in your own skincare and haircare recipes. At some point, you will want them. And at the next point, you’ll be looking for nooks and crannies to store it all. I warn you now, this can be very addictive.
Dried Herbs (and Flowers): I tried to narrow it down to just one, but it’s impossible. However, buying just one (at a time) from this list will open up all sorts of new possibilities:
- Chamomile
A sampling of my dried herb collection. - Lavender Buds
- Rosebuds
- Peppermint
- Calendula
- Rosemary
- Lemon Balm
- Jasmine
Where can you buy them? Pretty much any natural foods store, an herb shop (not to be confused with a head shop), or at MountainRoseHerbs.com. Likely, it will be cheapest at a natural foods store (without the shipping), but MRH offers the best prices for herbs online that I’ve found.
.Apple Cider Vinegar: In addition to balancing skin and hair pH, being antimicrobial and antibacterial, and a deodorant, ACV is great in several homemade household products. It’s also an effective go-to for heartburn relief. And it can help with weight loss. The list goes on. In fact, I own a book that has 180 pages solely dedicated to apple cider vinegar and honey.
Where can you buy it? Any grocery store. My recommendation is Bragg’s or any other organic ACV that is “with the mother.” (Look for that on the label. It just means it’s raw and unpasteurized, which is a good thing.)
Clays. Kaolin or Bentonite clays are probably the most common, and the most versatile. They are white/grayish, fine, and odorless. Any skin type will benefit from them, but they’re super effective on oily skin. They also work well as an addition to powders and even homemade deodorant. French green clay, which is what you see on most “spa models” (ooh la la), is great for toning and pulling out impurities in the skin. Red clay (or Moroccan red clay) is a little more expensive, and easier on sensitive skin. Rhassoul clay (which also happens to be Moroccan) is another popular common cosmetic clay, and can be used for just about any skin type.
Some people actually take clay as a supplement (like, swallow it) because of it’s purifying properties and extremely high mineral content.
Where can you buy them? The natural food store or herb shop down the street (or across town), MountainRoseHerbs.com, FromNatureWithLove.com (note: I’ve never ordered from them, but they do have good prices).
Witch Hazel: You’ve seen me mention this a hundred times, so maybe you have it already (fingers crossed). It’s an astringent, but it can also be used in place of rubbing alcohol for cleaning wounds, reducing swelling from bug bites or other various calamities, bringing down eye puffiness, and creating your own deodorant (uh-oh, I think I’m leading up to a homemade deodorant post now).
Where can you find it? Walgreens. Wal-Mart. Though surprisingly not Target. Also, your local grocery stores and natural foods stores. Try to find the purest witch hazel you can (oddly, many companies seem to love putting extraneous stuff in witch hazel).
Essential Oils: Again, too hard to narrow down to just one. As you can see by the picture, I have many. And what you see is probably half. You don’t need this many. You will never use them all. At least, that’s what Fiance says to me. This is a list of my essential essential oils:
- Lavender
- Tea Tree
- Peppermint
- Lemon
- Rosemary
- Rose Geranium (or Rose Absolute if you can afford it)
Where can you buy them? The venerable Mountain Rose Herbs or From Nature With Love (the latter has very competitive prices on EO). They’re also easily found at Whole Foods or any natural foods stores, and tea tree oil is in most grocery stores now.
Carrier Oil: When you’re working with essential oils, most of the time you need a carrier oil to help spread the EO love and dilute it. Handily, carrier oils are stellar for skin even without adding essentials. Here are a few to choose from (the first four are the most versatile and inexpensive):
- Sweet Almond
- Grapeseed
- Olive Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Jojoba Oil
- Avocado Oil
- Apricot Kernel Oil
Find them here: Scroll on up to the answer for essential oils. You’ll find them in the same exact places. Easy peasy!
Rosewater: I heart rosewater to death, and it may really not belong in this list, but it should be mentioned. It’s the most amazing thing to add to clay for a simple mask, and I use it daily as a quick spritzer on my face. I’m also known to spray it on my pillow at night (how romantic, dahling). It’s just … peachy. Or rosey. You know what I’m saying.
Find it where? Where I’ve been saying all along. Mountain Rose Herbs, From Nature With Love, natural grocery stores (including Whole Foods), and Amazon (threw you for a loop there, didn’t I?).
BONUS: More things you could consider while purchasing: Beeswax, shea butter, evening primrose oil, mango butter, any other essential oil that “calls” you, emu oil, aloe vera gel, sesame oil … and I’m probably missing a million things.
In fact, can any of you think of anything I missed?
In love and overwhelming list crunch!
Food On Your Face : Mango (Yummy Recipe Linkies at the Bottom!)
I realize I am commenting on a 3 year old post! But, I wanted to say some things. Way too many things in way too many words. (Sorry!!!)
1) For about a year now the only thing I use to “condition” my hair is Apple Cider Vinegar, ever since I’ve been getting more compliments on my gorgeous long shiny soft hair; I add various hair-good essential oils depending on my mood and/or state of hair, almost always Rosemary, often Basil, Mint, Lime… the vinegar scent fades quickly but the herbaceous deliciousness remains 2) when I’m less lazy I will soak fresh and/or dried herbs in the ACV for 2-4 weeks then strain such as Rosemary, Sage, NETTLES etc. 3) (You’re probably familiar with the EXCELLENT toner this makes when other herbs are added & diluted with Rose Water and/or Witch Hazel often called “The Queen of Hungary’s Water”). 4) In my experience Rose Water is CRAZY EXPENSIVE-how do *you* deal with this dilemma? 5) I am addicted to lists and MRH, but I couldn’t help but kinda wish you had noted that IF you have the space, even a little for pots, you can easily with very little effort, grow a lot of these medicinal herbs yourself so you can have them FRESH AND dried, esp. some of the top ones like chamomile, lavender, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, calendula, NETTLES… 6) I’m also addicted to clay (& currently out! subsisting on Oats & Almonds mixed with various spices &/or herbs). BUT according to my research & experience WHITE clays are the best for DRY, not oily, skin because they are the LEAST DRYING & most “gentle” of the clays, enough to use on a daily basis. Whereas French Green Clay is super drawing & drying & more suited for oily skin. The Red Clays, too tend to be harsher & not suitable for sensitive or extra dry skin. Rhassoul is currently, and thus far, my favorite, I cannot believe how SMOOTH & SILKY the texture is & how soft it leaves my face compared to other clays (although I love them all). 7) I just found your site-if you have not yet-would you mind raving about two of my most favorite food cosmetic crunchy buddies: Turmeric and Nettles? Also, I’ve recently become addicted to all things Cardamom (ground spice and/or EO added to half the “cosmetics” i make, ice cream etc.) but am not finding a lot about SPECIFIC face/body/cosmetic benefits. Can you help here?
oh and duh, one of the primary, of many many many reasons to grow your own herbs for personal use if you can is to save a LOT of monies, especially calendula, that stuff is crazy expensive & it’s essentially a weed that blooms year round! and dried lemon balm is NOTHING compared to fresh-i started out with a single 4″ pot and in no time at all i had a bush nearly as tall as me with no maintenance, and she comes back each year and propagates herself like a hermaphroditic rabbit! (going on 10? years now).
Love your site and really appreciate your must-haves ingredients list. I like you heart, heart, heart (did I say “Heart”?) rose water and make my own for my 5 daughters. We use it in almost all of my DIY projects.
Baking Soda and Arrow Root
when I look up things online i keep getting pointed to your site…i love it! sooo much great info! the site has such a catchy name! I have it saved under my favoriteds and will continue to follow 🙂
You are so smart girl!!! Brags is my ultimate favorite. I pretty much drink their amino acids ok. I’m kidding but I do use act as a staple in my cold tea!! Works so well!! I was just on m.r.h site before this post, and they offer a witch hazel extract that’s pretty pure!!! FYI 🙂
I covet your box of oils! I bet it smells magnificent.
just discovered your site and im like hooked 🙂
only problem however is getting most of the essential oils, herbs and clays here in ghana..
fab work tho…more food for my face
Thank you for the list – this is great! All natural skincare is the way to go and I’m always interested in new products!
I also have found Witch Hazel at Target, it was a bit hidden and they don’t have any sort of generic bottle of it, just one brand, but it was there!
What size do you usually get essential oils in/how long do they last? If you had to choose the top most useful 3, which ones would you recommend? One of the things I love about these homemade recipes is that I can get natural goodies without breaking my college student budget, so I don’t want to end up spending $30 on oils
Well, I usually get the smallest size I can when it’s an oil that I’m not going to use very often. If I were to recommend three very useful essential oils, it might depend on what you’re going to use them for. My top three for cleaning products: Tea tree, lemon, and peppermint. My top three for oily skin: Lavender, tea tree, and probably rosemary. Top three for dry skin: Rose absolute (which is VERY pricey), rose geranium, and chamomile. Top three for normal skin: Lavender, chamomile, and rose geranium.
I hear what you’re saying on the price thing. The NOW brand is the most cost-effective brand I’ve found.
Hope this helps!
So last night I was slathering my face with products that my friend is trying to sell me from the trump network. As I was layering product after product onto my face, I was thinking of you. You and your crunchiness. I was thinking I should probably be rubbing mangoes and strawberries with oatmeal and honey on my face.
Now I pay another visit and find out there are 7 more things I need to add to my list.
I don’t know whether to love you or hate you! 🙂 I am decidely leaning towards love.
Thanks for the information.
Kim
http://www.confabulicious.com
I have a good friend in Montana who makes some excellent natural products. In fact, her callendula cream (sp?) was great for my skin this winter, and I just got some of her natural mosquito repellent, too. You should check out her site: http://www.struckbyinsight.com.
Ooh. Thanks for the link! I read some of her stuff, and liked her immediately.
Some time I’d like to pick your brain.
I think you could probably direct me in a lot of local ways that I haven’t been able to find on my own.
And I remain completely enamored with your blog. Don’t stop. Ever.
AMAZING post!!! I’ve been venturing more and more in to the world of natural body care and household items. This list is just going to turn a simple, pure curiosity in to a mad obsession. Yay!! 🙂
Oh, and this:
“an herb shop (not to be confused with a head shop),”
cracked me up!!!
xo,
Linds
This is the best. comment. ever.
Could you clone a few million times?
(Although, after watching your coffee video … can you imagine a few million of you running around? Haha!)
You’re adorable, I adore you, and I’m totally here to support your obsessions. All the way.
I have to admit I’m a big loser in the natural department. The only thing I have on this list is the apple cider vinegar. I did try using it for weight loss a while back … but realized the acidity was doing a number on my teeth.
I may not be the most natural and organic of gals, but I do enjoy your site! You give me something to aspire to!
So, this is the deal: You’re the kinda peeps I really want to talk to. There are a thousand websites out there for people who are already addicted to making their own stuff. (And in comparison, I feel crazy inadequate.)
I want to make it cool, fun, and enjoyable for those who’ve never tried it, or think they don’t have the time, etc.
I want to change the world.
Sometimes I go overboard.
I’m linking you up to my peeps — most of whom likely don’t make their own beauty products — in my Monday post. We’ll see if we can naturalize these women … and myself!
You can check it out here:
http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/home/2010/8/2/waste-not-want-not.html (live at 5 a.m. MST Monday)
:o)
I bought two bottles of witch hazel at my local Target two weeks ago. They must not carry it at all of the locations. I also found a gallon-sized ACV at another local market! Yea! I have ordered from Mountain Rose before (for tea supplies) and they are great to do biz with. Monterey Bay Spice Company (www.herbco.com) is another good resource I like for all these crunchy goodies. Awesome list by the way! (I just love good lists – they make life so much easier).
See, I’m really glad you said this. I have been to three Targets looking for witch hazel, but maybe it’s just in my area that they don’t carry it. OR – the last time I looked for it, which was three or four months ago – I filled out a feedback form on their space-age computery things, where I said I was going to cry if they didn’t start stocking witch hazel.
Maybe … maybe they listened.
Maybe they did it for me.
Checking out the herbco.com digs right now. Thanks!
I now want some french green clay.
Like, pronto.
If I had any left, I would send you some. Or email you some (that joke never gets old). I do not, though, because I love it so much I went right through it. When I restock, I will buy some in your honor.
Thank you for the very entertaining conversations about zits and the like. And for the nice shout out! You are one of the good ones! Now, I’ve got several other things to add to my next order! Thank you much!
Mwah! Hope your weekend’s full of super fun splashes and (ahem) food on your face!
Awesome list, Betty! My number one skin care ingredient is lavender oil! I use it just everywhere i can in my homemade creams, mask, aromatherapy etc. etc. etc. What is more I’m walking all day around my house with the bottle of lavender essential oil right under my nose because I love the smell so much that I can’t tear myself away!
I know what you mean about lavender. Occasionally I go through lavender overload, but eventually it comes back and we fall in love all over again!
Very interesting and informartive. You are able to overcome my inattitude to take care of my beauty. I like more cooking, travelling, reading…I have a lot of excuses to not dedicate time to make up (natural and not)
That’s one thing I love about this, you can do a little here, a little there … and it’s fun, and relaxing, and makes you feel like a kid again. Totally customizable to your time!
This is an excellent post! I love Mountain Rose Herbs, Braggs, Witch Hazel, and Apple Cider Vinegar. So helpful you are, missy!
I feel like you’re a ylang-ylang type of girl. You should try some. In the winter, I like to put a few drops on a cotton ball and put the cotton ball in the heater vent. The whole house smells mysteriously sexy.
This is an awesome list. I haven’t tried half of this stuff because I’m still a newbie to natural skin care. I’m going to have to do some shopping. 🙂
Seriously, be careful! Once you start, you’ll never stop. You’ll be jonesing for the next herb or oil all the time. Sigh. It’s a life.
Not living in crunchi-town myself, I am an anomaly and unique! 😀
I do adore the ylang-ylang….
I have a major heart for my patchouli oil – I mix it with water, put it in a spray bottle, and VOILA, I have my very own body spray!
I love your dried herb collection!
Der! Of course! I forgot patchouli (because I rarely use it, I guess … too many people around these parts smell like patchouli) and my ultimate smelly fave: Ylang-Ylang.