Lark Crafts

Raise your hand if you’re of the “never really tan, mostly just pink in the summer” variety. (Yours truly is currently waiving both arms in the air.) Apart from my jealousy of those folks who have that glowy bronze thing going on in the summertime, I’m okay with having the complexion of a Scottish Swede. Especially now that I’ve been on the hunt for natural skin care recipes to see me through these sunny, sweaty months. I’m here to share some fun DIY natural body care finds with you, thanks to the head-to-toe sources listed below.

For hair: An Exotic & Nourishing Hair Mask from Organic Beauty Care Recipes

Avocado and coconut milk join forces to lend your tresses shine and strength.

For lips: Creamy Walnut Lip Butter from The Natural Beauty Workshop

No, you can’t eat it, but if it sounds this tasty, it’s bound to do wonders for your kisser.

For skin: Natural Body Moisturizer from ReadyMade

Thanks to Louisa Shafia of ReadyMade for this stellar how-to demo: scent it with your choice of fresh, sweet, or alluring natural oils.

Keep it cool: Natural Deodorant from The Natural Beauty Workshop

The good folks at NBW shared a recipe for Making Your Own Natural Deodorant Base and then a detailed post about essential oil blends for making your own deodorant.

I was also delighted to find a recipe posted by Amy Karol of angry chicken for natural deodorant.

Sixth scents: An in-depth Guide to Making Perfume from Snowdrift Farm

This post spells out ratios and details for making perfume, cologne, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, and aftershaves, as well as handy info about blending essential oils.

(Beautiful illustration of Vintage Perfume Bottles created by emmakisstina)

For feet: Citrus Foot Scrub from Kaari Meng’s The French-Inspired Home

Click here to download a PDF of Kaari’s recipe for Citrus Foot Scrub

At the end of the day: Lavender Grasse Bath Salts from Kaari Meng’s The French-Inspired Home

After a day in the sun (or, let’s face it, the crazy humidity), there’s not much better than sinking down into a relaxing, cooling, lavender-scented bath.

Click here to download a PDF of Kaari’s recipe for Lavender Grasse Bath Salts

What? What’s that you say? You want to make these recipes at home AND you want to give them as gifts? I knew it. You’re crafty and thoughtful. Just for you, I’ve made a downloadable PDF of pretty little gift labels from The French-Inspired Home by Kaari Meng, which you can print on cardstock and affix to your sweet gifties.

A quick jaunt around Etsy resulted in an abundance of delightful-looking body care shops and products. Here are a couple that caught my eye:

1. Lavender Geranium Lotion by FeatherHeartFlower

2. Summer Honey Lip Butter by DavisMain

3. JANE Herbal Aromatherapy Perfume by 5seed

4. Calm Green Tea Olive Oil Soap by Yriss

5. Chocolate Petals Lip Butter Stick by NaturalLogic

6. Effervescent Milk Bath by MarbleandMilkweed

(Still looking for some skin-loving inspiration? Take a gander at my parasol post from last summer—these Etsy artists truly know how to make shade pretty.)