Build Bath & Shower

When making choices to support a healthier lifestyle, many individuals overlook the safety of their beauty and/or personal care products . But they shouldn’t: Not only is skin your largest organ, but what is applied to the skin is absorbed by the body (if you’re suspect, just think about the efficacy of transdermal birth control or nicotine patches). As a professional with 15 years of experience as a makeup artist and 10 years of experience in naturals specifically, I have developed an expertise in which products, ingredients, and methods are best. So if you’re taking the time—and spending the money—to buy healthier, organic food, it’s about time you understand what you’re putting on your skin. An introduction to clean and natural beauty. In order to understand the context, here’s some clean beauty 101 : The personal care industry (meaning things like lipstick, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste) is completely unregulated in the United States. In layman’s terms, this means ther...

Homemade bath bombs are all the rage these days. They are so easy to DIY and there are a ton of different bath bomb recipes out there. I love how easy it is to personalize your bath fizzies’ scent with essential oils . Some of my favorites to use include Lavender (Relaxation) and Peppermint (Pick-Me-Up). Mom Always Finds Out may have received one or more of the products mentioned in this blog post for free or discounted price. Regardless, all opinions expressed are my own. This blog post may contain affiliate links. I have been on a Pink Himalayan salt kick ever since I learned about how good it is for you. This pretty pink salt is one of the purest salts on Earth and is high in mineral content. The fine- grained Pink Himalayan salt is good to use for bath bombs because it dissolves quicker than the larger sized salt crystals . If you don’t have any Pink Himalayan salt at home, you can substitute another type of salt. Epsom Salts work great in this recipe, too. The main thing to ...

Today I’m excited to share three natural shower products that you can make at home! We are teaming up with SheaMoisture, and their new Beauty Hack line that’s available at Ulta to make these three simple recipes. We’re going to learn to make a sugar scrub, a body wash and a body oil—all from awesome, natural ingredients ! I have a huge stash of various oils and ingredients in my office that I use for DIYs, but it took a LOT of time, research and a decent amount of money to collect all these supplies. When I heard about the Beauty Hack line , I loved it instantly because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of creating your own natural beauty products . There are recipes available on their site, and SheaMoisture uses certified organic and fair trade ingredients . You can use this collection, along with ingredients from your kitchen to create your own DIY natural skincare and hair care products ! Matcha Sugar Scrub , makes enough for one use (my photos show a double recipe) 6 tablespoo...

You might have seen bottles of shampoo and conditioner labelled as sulphate- and paraben-free, but what does this actually mean when it comes to what we put on our hair?  What are sulphates?  Most of us will have shower gels, soaps, shampoos and cleaning products in our bathroom and kitchen cupboards that contain synthetic detergents. The likes of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), ammonium lareth sulphate and myreth sulphate. These are synthetic, inexpensive detergents that are very effective at removing dirt and also help provide that soapy lather we’ve come to expect when we wash our hair.  In some cases, they can dry out hair, irritate sensitive skin and make eczema worse , so some brands choose to use gentler alternatives .  Typically, sulphate-free products might not lather as much as others containing synthetic foaming agents , so those with finer locks may find they need to give hair two washes.  What are parabens?  Parabens are preservatives used...

The Party There's no sweeter celebration of friendship than a baby shower. Whether the guest of honor is expecting her first, second, or even third child, a shower is a wonderful way for friends to express their joy before the baby is born. Recently, the women of Big Production, a New York City- based publicity firm , gathered for a luncheon in honor of their company's expectant co-founder, Cindy Krupp. The goal of Cindy's colleagues and friends: to create an atmosphere both casual and festive. Cindy's sister Debra, the mother of 4-year-old twins, offered a simple bit of advice over lunch: "Get plenty of sleep while you still can!" As a keepsake for the baby, each guest brought a copy of her favorite children's book, and the group jointly presented a crib quilt with messages written on top. "I can't decide whether to use it or frame it," said a delighted Cindy, who later noted, "This is such a special afternoon. I feel blessed to hav...

Have I mentioned how much I love to pamper myself? Not that I get to do it often, but still, I can dream.   I don’t get to do “spa days” often (think maybe once a year, sigh.) Instead, I’ ve found ways to make my own spa products for much less money. This Rosemary Lavender Bath salts recipe is so easy, with only four ingredients, but it smells great and feels so relaxing when mixed in with a bath. You’ll need Epsom salts, rosemary AND lavender essential oil , cornstarch and if you want them to be colored, food coloring. Step 1: To make the bath salts, pour one cup of Epsom salts into a medium bowl. Add 5 drops of each of the essential oils to the salts. If you like a stronger scent, feel free to add a few more drops. You can easily add up to ten drops. Step 2: If you would like the bath salts to be colored, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the food coloring of your choice. We used yellow.  Stir the salts until the color is blended.  If you use the food coloring, allow 30 minutes to an h...

In April, British lifestyle brand Jo Malone London had set up a two- day makeshift fragrance bar in the gardens of the Amanbagh boutique hotel near Jaipur, as an experiential precursor to its launch in India. It was called a fragrance mixing session . “I love the smell of peonies, but it’s a bit too floral, too nice for me. Can we make it a little bad, dark, add a tinge of a rainy, grimy city?” I asked them. To my absurd brief, Thomas Patterson—communications assistant at Jo Malone London , who was playing bartender at the fragrance bar —first dabbed some of the Jo Malone signature Peony & Blush Suede on my wrist. He tried mixing two other scents, with ambiguous results, until he brought out the Black Cedarwood & Juniper. “ Fragrances react differently on different skins, and you have to give them a moment to settle in with you,” he said as he dabbed the second scent on my other wrist. A warm base woodiness toned down the sweetness of peony. The scent, like a subconscious ...

Share on Pinterest Share with your friends Don’t you love the store Lush?  I sure do.  If you haven’t ever been, be forewarned, you’ll spend a lot of time there.  I love going in and smelling everything and imagining that I’m taking a nice relaxing bath and using all of their bath products.  But when a bath bomb, melt, bubble bar , and scrub cost $6 each, it can get really expensive.  Plus, it’s hard to decide which bar to get because they have so many great products: bubble melts, bath bombs, bubble bars, or bath scrub?  Life gets hard, huh?!  Well I’m here to tell you I figured out the most amazing recipe that combines all of these four products into ONE bar and costs less than $1 each!  Hallelujah!  Now that’s what I’m talking about.  I introduce you to the DIY Lush 4-in-1 Bath Bar! I found this recipe and but didn’t love everything about it.  I want to add some color, more complex flavors, and after trying the recipe, they turned out really dry and crumbly.  LAME.  SO I  did some...