INTROD UCTION

I’ve been making my own beauty and body-care products most of my life. It started out as a fun activity with friends and a way to save money. Today, it has become much more than that. It’s now a lifestyle choice and an essential part of living a healthy life. My goal in sharing this new collection of recipes, treatments, and ideas is to inspire you to learn something new and to create your own basic body-care products. You don’t need anything extra just a willingness to try something new, some common kitchen equipment, and a few ingredients things you probably already have in your home. Creating your own products is fun, costeffective, and convenient, and I know it will make a difference in how you look and feel.

Natural beauty and body-care products are not a new concept. Throughout history, cosmetics have played a role in shaping people’s lives. Soap alone is said to have added years to the average lifespan by killing bacteria and reducing sickness and disease in the world. Many of these recipes have ancient roots. The original “Green Queen” Cleopatra was well-known for her milk baths and use of honey and herbs. I’m sure many of you have a recipe or two that has been passed down in your own family. My grandmother loved “bath tablets” what we call a “bath bomb” today and my mother used to set her hair at night with beer and bobby pins. She also liked to use mayonnaise straight from the jar as a hair conditioner. Many of these old-fashioned treatments and ingredients are new again with the popularity of handmade and homemade products on the rise. All natural ingredients such as oils, butters, and dried herbs are now easy to shop for. When I started out, finding all-natural ingredients was one of my biggest challenges. Many local grocery stores today have natural-food aisles where you’ll find most everything you need.

I wanted this book to have blank pages at the end of each section to allow you a spot to make notes, add recipes or quotes, or whatever you like. I want you to really use this book. Nothing fills me up more than when readers come up to me at talks and workshops with one of my books written in and marked up. It shows they’re using my recipes and even coming up with new ones. Once you feel comfortable with a basic recipe, feel free to make it your own. I have tried to list variations where appropriate. The smaller size of this book makes it perfect for tucking it inside a tote or backpack to take your recipes and ideas out into the world with you.

We are all born with a natural beauty. It’s how we choose to use it that makes us truly beautiful have fun, be creative, and feel your best. You are beautiful!

Janice

Basic Equipment

You really don’t need any special equipment to create your own products. Common household kitchen tools work just fine. Here are a few I find helpful to have on hand.

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Cheese grater

• Strainer

• Heatproof glass containers

• Small bowls

• Muffin tins or ice cube trays

• Coffee grinder

• Hand blender or blender

• Small jars and bottles