Jean Naté dusting powder on the bathroom counter, a big powderpuff haphazardly resting on the lid, and four purring cats crawling through your legs.
Until last year, that’s the image that body powder brought up for me. It meant turning into my Great-Aunt Millicent.
Well, dusting powder’s come a long way, baby.
Maybe not dusting powder, but the preconceptions behind using it.
Now it means softer skin, a light and alluring scent, beautiful hair, and even new life to old shoes.
I usually use dusting powder after a shower that involved a salt or sugar scrub. Or, I’ll use it after I apply body oil (which we’re going to do tomorrow, because it’s the most heavenly companion gift to give WITH the dusting powder). The oils and powders do double duty at softening your skin, working together like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder in the Ebony and Ivory video.
We’re going to talk about how to make homemade body dusting powder today, because not only will YOU want it for yourself, but it’s a super fantastic easy gift to make and give to the lovely ladies who grace your life.
There are really only two or three components to body powder: The base powder(s), the herbs you choose (if you choose to include herbs) and an essential oil or two.
First, let’s look at the different base powders you can use.
Homemade Dusting Powder Basics: Base Powders
Arrowroot
This is my favorite base ingredient for dusting powders, though it’s definitely not a must. It’s easily substituted with cornstarch. Arrowroot powder, though, is more silky and fine than cornstarch. It just feels like luxury.
Cornstarch
Probably the most economical and hardest working ingredient you could put in your dusting powder. Cornstarch, for me, hearkens back memories of my dad coating his stinky shoes. That’s my own personal issue, though. It doesn’t have to be yours.
Cosmetic Clay
This offers extra drying powder, and is an excellent addition in small doses to any dusting powder combination you choose. It’s going to help the powder adhere even more to the skin (though in a VERY light layer).
Baking Soda
Again, you’ll want to use this in smaller proportions in your body powder, but it gives extra efficient deodorizing power and it even helps soften the skin a bit.
Other Base Powders for Dusting Powder
- Rice flour
- Corn flour
- Oat flour
- Garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
Dusting Powder Basics: Ground Herbs and Flowers
You want to use fragrant and/or soothing herbs for your dusting powder – and you want to grind them into as fine of a powder as humanly possible. This will most likely involve a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or superbly efficient food processor.
Great herbs and flowers to consider:
- Rose petals/buds
- Jasmine buds
- Lavender buds
- Chamomile
- Calendula
- Yarrow
- Peppermint
- Spearmint
- Cinnamon (or nutmeg) in small amounts
- Cocoa powder (in small amounts)
- Neem powder (extra deodorizing)
- Vanilla beans (insides scraped out, or beans cut into larger pieces to “steep” in the powder)
After you’ve ground the herbs/flowers that need to be ground, you’ll want to sift out the bigger parts. First, I use a fine mesh sieve, and then I’ll do another pass with a cheesecloth.
Dusting Powder Basics: Essential Oils
Essentially, you can choose any oils your little heart desires. I LOVE giving dusting powder/body oil gifts to people who’ve made it very clear what kind of scent they’re drawn to. My friend Turu, she loves jasmine and vanilla. Easy. My mother? Last year, I made her a spicy cinnamon/nutmeg/vanilla dusting powder/oil combination.
So plan your scents ahead of time, and then choose your essential oils and herbs based on what you – or your gift recipient – likes.
Great essential oils to choose from:
- Vanilla
- Lavender
- Sweet orange
- Ylang-ylang
- Jasmine
- Rose otto or absolute
- Rose geranium
- Frankincense
- Sweet basil
- Cardamom
Quick Dusting Powder Tutorial
Now, I’ve given you all the tools you need already to make your own body powder, and you have three sample recipes below, but if you want to take matters into your own hands in terms of scent combinations, here’s a quick guide.
- For one recipe (which will last months and months) use 1 to 2 c. base powder like any of the flours, arrowroot, or cornstarch.
- Use 1/4 to 1/2 c. baking soda and/or clay.
- Use no more than 3-4 Tbsp very finely ground herb/flower.
- Use no more than 50-75 drops essential oil (single or in combination) – depending on how fragrant you want the powder to be.
- Add all dry ingredients together and stir with a whisk to combine.
- As you’re adding the essential oils, continue stirring with the whisk. You don’t want the oils to clump.
- If you do end up with clumps, just break them up with your fingers. (This part is fun, and might make you look forward to the clumps. Like popping bubble wrap.)
Put the powder in a decorative jar, martini shaker, or homemade crafty container with very small holes poked in the lid (I’m working on one right now using a metal cylindrical container that used to house cookies).
Apply after showering to slightly damp skin, or right after applying body oil.
Or, use it as a dry shampoo.
Or, pop a little into some shoes that have started to smell a little off – totally refreshed. It’s awesome.
Luxurious and Easy Dusting Powder Recipes
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Simply Lavender Dusting Powder
- 1 c. arrowroot powder
- 1/2 c. cornstarch
- 1/4 c. baking soda
- 3 Tbsp very finely ground lavender buds
- 70 drops lavender essential oil
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk. Add essential oil one drop at a time, whisking as you go. Break up any clumps that may form with your fingers. Transfer powder into a small container and use after bathing (or give to a friend)!
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Cinnamon Spice Dusting Powder
- 1-1/2 c. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1/4 c. cosmetic clay
- 1/8 c. baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 20 drops cinnamon essential oil
- 10 drops clove essential oil
- 30 drops vanilla essential oil (optional)
Combine all dry ingredients a large bowl with a whisk. Add essential oil one drop at a time, whisking as you go. Break up any clumps that may form with your fingers. Transfer powder into a small container and use after bathing (or give to a friend)!
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Refreshing Peppermint Dusting Powder
- 1-1/2 c. arrowroot powder or cornstarch (or a combination of the two)
- 1/2 c. baking soda
- 3 Tbsp very finely ground dried peppermint leaves
- 20 drops peppermint essential oil
- 20 drops lemon essential oil (optional)
Combine all dry ingredients a large bowl with a whisk. Add essential oil one drop at a time, whisking as you go. Break up any clumps that may form with your fingers. Transfer powder into a small container and use after bathing (or give to a friend)!
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Quick Buying Guide
One of the most common questions I get is where I buy my supplies. Well, I have several sources.
My favorite place to purchase supplies is at a local natural foods store. They almost always have everything I need, though they don’t always have the best prices. However, I LOVE supporting local businesses, so most of the time I suck it up.
But I just recently found this awesomely inexpensive store called iHerb.com (use code OZE706 at checkout for $5 off your first order!) where I’m going to start buying my essential oils, carrier oils, and clays (they had the best price I could find on European clay anywhere.) They also have arrowroot powder at a decent price, though you should be able to find it in just about any supermarket (where all the Bob’s Red Mill flours reside).
I’ve checked Amazon for most of the things I use, and it just seems like a jumbled mess – you have to buy from several suppliers if you’re ordering different products, and it just doesn’t feel consistent.
Anyway, that should get you started on your quest.
What do you think?
Dusting powder a good gift idea this year?
If nothing else, you could give it to your great aunt. She’d LOVE it.
