Top 5 DIY Round Up Musts with Sensational Party Idea Included

We did all the work so you don’t have to…

How many times do we hear ourselves say, "I want clearer skin?" "Smaller Pores?" "A youthful glow?" "Even skin tone?" You get the point.

We ask ourselves how we can achieve these things, which products to buy, and then we go searching. Usually this results in one of two things - we see the prices and cringe or we're overwhelmed with the selection choices and either choose on a whim or throw our hands up all together.

Truth is, although there are many great products out there that are well worth the cost (such as, A Girl's Gotta Spa! products *cough cough*), we can also easily concoct some of the very best skin care products right from our own kitchen with little effort.

DIY products allow for dollars saved, knowledge gained, ease of experimenting to see what works best for us, and best of all allows us the control of knowing exactly what ingredients are in our self-made products.

Of course it’s best to follow the guidance and wisdom of those who have went before us on these ventures, so below is a short round up of 5 of the best DIY skin care articles written by us here at AGGS over the years to start you on your way and condense your search!

DIY Facial Peels

Read this article if you are looking for DIY on:

• Restoring hydration
• Evening out dark spots
• Addressing fine lines and wrinkles
• Soothing skin irritation and reducing swelling

This article lays out three simple, but effective skin peels, as well as a concise and accurate description of what skin peels are and why they are a useful part of our skin care regime.

DIY Honey Apple Cider Vinegar Sugar Scrub

Read this article if your looking to combat:

• Redness
• Dullness
• Oily Skin

This article gives the how-to on creating a fabulously surreal sugar scrub that is especially great for the winter months or for those in dry air conditions.

There are so many great honeys out there and even different sugars that we would love to hear your input and experience on what you chose and how it worked!

DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Face Scrub

Read this article if your looking for DIY on:

• GLOW

This is where we learn that Pumpkin Spice Latte is for more than just sipping during the holiday season, and don’t be mistaken and start dumping a cup of it on your face. No, no, no we are talking about how to make a DIY SCRUB that will help you get your GLOW on!

And really who doesn’t want that all year round? Mmmm, take a read to find out what all the talk is about. No need for throwing shade when all we really wanna do is glllloooooow! Sparkle sparkle.

Winter Skin Care DIY

Read this article if you want hair to heel DIY recipes on saying buh-bye to the winter woes of dry this and that body foes like:

• Dry Skin
• Dry Hair
• Static Hair
• Chapped lips
• Rough Elbows
• Cracked and shotty heels

This article is fruitfully filled with SEVEN skin and hair product recipes for masks, scrubs, AND moisturizers that include such ingredients as chocolate and coconut to vanilla and figs. A MUST READ!

DIY Acne Treatments

Read this article if you want DIY treatments for:

• ACNE

Yup, I put it in caps because we all know what a PIA acne is, that it’s difficult to treat, and often not so light on the purse strings.

Take a visual gander to gain insightful tips and guidance with trialing some at-home remedies that may make all the difference in the world when trying to abolish the age ol’ blemish.

Please always remember to read directions carefully and follow instructions, but most of all HAVE FUN and tell us ALL about it!

PARTY IDEA NOTE: Invite the girls over and put these recipes out with a selection of ingredients laid out on the counter and have a literal party where each guest gets to make their own beauty product.

• Awesome social event ✔️
• Great for conversation starters and exchanging ideas ✔️
• Beauty and self-care/love inspired ✔️
• Party favor/gift included without you having to make them ✔️

Take pictures and let us know how it goes, we LOVE hearing from you!!!

Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Don't forget to check out our cruelty free beauty products!

Peels are essentially an exfoliation process that removes dead skin cells, mainly through the use of acids that loosen the bond between the cells, and dissolve debris away. Below are three DIY facial peels to make at home. They're known as chemical peels, which sounds scary, but it's the acids in the ingredients that are doing the work. As with all products, you may find one that feels the best to you or gives you the results you most want. Try them all to find out which one is your favorite.

DIY Sugar Peel

Ingredients 1/4 cup of sugar 1/4 cup yogurt Combine the sugar and the yogurt to make a paste. Using your fingers apply to the entire face while avoiding the eyes. Let the peel rest for about 15-minutes and remove with cool water and a towel if necessary. This peel will help restore hydration and even out dark spots.

DIY Peel for Wrinkles

Ingredients 1 egg white ½ cup of de-seeded cucumber pulp 1 tsp lemon juice Beat one egg white and mix it with cucumber pulp. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and mix well, creating a paste. Apply the finished product to your face and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing it off with water. This combination of egg whites, which naturally smooths wrinkles, with cucumbers will help de-wrinkle and moisturize the skin and is the perfect peel for springtime skin.

DIY Sensitive Skin Peel

Ingredients 1 cup green tea 1 cup of chamomile tea 1 small cucumber 1 tsp unflavored gelatin 4 ounces of water Green tea calms irritated skin, while the cucumber provides ascorbic acid (vitamin C), which can soothe skin irritations and help reduce swelling. Steep the chamomile and green teas together in approximately 4 oz of water and add the unflavored gelatin. Blend a cucumber until it resembles the consistency of a paste and add the cucumber juice to the tea and gelatin mixture. Before applying to your face, allow the mix to cool in the refrigerator for about a half an hour to thicken it up. Apply to your face for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it completely dries, and then peel off the mask using warm water. Many thanks to The Lantana Spa at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa for providing us with these DIY mask recipes. If you want to skip the DIY, in their boutique they also offer Kerstin Florian Correcting At-Home Professional Peel. This product has ingredients worth highlighting: • Glycolic & Lactic Acids – natural exfoliants slough skin surface and promote cell turnover • Salicylic Acid – lifts away impurities, relieves congested pores and inhibits bacterial growth • Phytic Acid – boosts brightness and cell turnover as it reinforces skin’s natural defenses • Oleanic Acid, Olive Leaf Extract & Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract – soothing anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial botanicals help clear skin and reduce sensitivity • Matrixyl 3000 – powerful peptide complex promotes reduction in wrinkle depth as it improves smoothness, tone and tissue strength Which DIY peel will you be trying? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

When temperatures are lower and the air is drier, skin cell growth tends to slow, but our skin still continues to shed skin cells and those dead skin cells can build up on our skin’s surface. If your skin feels dry and scaly and looks dull all over, try adding exfoliation into your skin care routine. Cleansing, moisturizing and exfoliating will make your skin a lot happier and look a lot fresher. Removing that top layer of dead skin cells is essential for your moisturizer to work at its best. Natural ingredient exfoliators for the skin can be mixed together to create a simple treatment that will address dryness, redness, dullness and oiliness. Here’s a recipe for a great combination of natural ingredients you might find in your own pantry.

DIY Raw Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar Sugar Scrub

Raw honey and granulated sugar exfoliate the skin without causing dryness. The apple cider vinegar helps cleanse the skin. This application is gentle but should still only be applied one to three times per week.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp raw honey 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 2 Tbsp sugar

Directions

Combine and apply to your face. Leave on for one to two minutes before gently washing off with a warm cloth. Thank you to the Lantana Spa at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa for providing us with this DIY! The spa offers varied treatments for relaxation and refreshment of the face, the body and the soul. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Or check out our natural bath and body line!

Skin feeling incredibly dry? This Coconut Body Whip, made with Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil, is a silky, light-weight moisturizer that's perfect for everyday use or as massage oil. Hydrate your skin and have some fun concocting this DIY body whip! Coconut Body Whip Ingredients 3/4 cup Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil 2 Tbsp Shea Butter 35 drops Orange Essential Oil 30 drops Pine Essential Oil 15 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil 15 drops Lemon Essential Oil Directions 1. In a double boiler over low heat, gently warm the coconut oil and shea butter. Be careful not to melt the oil and butter - heat just enough to blend easily. Once incorporated, transfer the oil and butter mixture to a bowl. 2. Use an electric mixer on low speed to blend the coconut oil and shea butter until well mixed, 1-2 minutes. 3. Increase the speed to medium for several minutes, then high for several more minutes until  the mixture has a lovely, whipped consistency. Remember to keep scraping the ingredients down the sides of the bowl, so they get fully incorporated. 4. Add the essential oils and blend to incorporate. The whole mixing process should take 8 to 10 minutes. Yields 8oz. Transfer to a container like a wide-mouth canning jar for easy scooping. Unlike coconut oil that has not been whipped, this product is easy to scoop even at cooler temperatures. Let us know if you try it! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

Give yourself a sensory experience while softening up your feet in preparation for an at-home pedi. Erika Katz, beauty expert and author of Bonding over Beauty, has created a DIY Strawberry Peppermint Foot Scrub that is the perfect mix of delicious fragrance and skin-softening ingredients! Just follow these simple simple steps and you’ll have a soothing foot scrub in no time – now sit back and relax! Strawberry Peppermint Foot Scrub Ingredients:

• 2 cups pureed strawberries
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of granulated white sugar
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil

To Make:

Mix all the ingredients well and put into a pretty jar. It’s great to use strawberries in this recipe because they are rich in salicylic acid which helps dead skin shed more easily. The sugar granules also help to exfoliate skin, but are super gentle on delicate skin. You can also keep this recipe in the fridge for up to one week. To use your scrub, simply rub your feet gently in a circular motion, rinse with warm water, and enjoy the results! Just try not to eat it! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! *Disclosure: affiliate link

The Spa Director at The James Royal Palm’s renew the spa in Miami Beach has shared with us an at-home beauty treatment that we think you will love! At renew the spa they have a wonderful Oat and Coconut treatment, perfect for restoring your skin’s PH levels, and Spa Director Vivian Villamizar has shared how to make this at-home: 1.)    To begin, mix Epsom salt with pure virgin coconut oil to exfoliate any dry itchy areas on the body. The combination of the Epsom salt with the coconut oil replenishes the skin with trace minerals while hydrating it at the same time. This exfoliation can be done gently or vigorously. 2.)    Following the exfoliation, mix 2-3 tablespoons of oats and 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil butter cream together and place them in a poultice bag. Heat the poultice in the microwave for 30 seconds or until you create a nice thick paste inside the bag. 3.)    Once it is heated, this poultice may be massaged, rolled and compressed all around the body. Not only do you get a nice heat coming from the poultice, but the paste will start spreading around your body which will heal and nourish your skin. The active ingredients from the oats and the coconut oil will help restore your skin's PH levels leaving your skin exfoliated and silky smooth. Let us know if you try it! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!

One of the worst offenders of dry or dehydrated skin is when it comes to cracked skin on your hands. So painful and it feels like a neverending cycle of trying to keep germs at bay with repeated handwashing, which totally dries you out, and then moisturizing to try to combat the dry skin.

A few years ago I learned this simple trick you can do at home that really helps to get rid of the dry skin and hydrate it leaving those cracked, painful hands behind.

What You'll Need:
A bowl Hot water (but not scalding)
4 paper towels
1 cotton towel
Plastic wrap
Scrub
Lotion

How- To:

• Pre-cut plastic wrap in a large enough section that it would cover a 13x9 dish (do this twice) and place to the side.
• Fill a bowl with hot water and putting it aside.
• Break off 4 paper towels all as one, but then split in two (so that you have two sections that are two paper towels connected.) Place them in the bowl of water.
• Over the sink apply an exfoliating scrub, like A Girl's Gotta Spa! Salt Scrub, to dry hands. Be sure to massage the scrub thoroughly getting in between fingers and paying attention to the cuticle area, too.
• Rinse.
• Before drying hands, remove the two sections of paper towel from the bowl and ring out the water and lay them flat on the counter.
• Use the cotton towel to pat hands dry, leaving them slightly damp.
• Applying an uber hydrating lotion, like A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Body Lotion, to your hands generously (as in, more than you would typically apply to hands.)
• Wrap one hand in one section of warm paper towel and then wrap with the section of plastic wrap. For your remaining hand, you'll need to enlist some help to do the same for this hand.
• Relax and wait 3-5 minutes, then unwrap and if hands are still damp, gently pat dry.

Sometimes I apply a little more lotion once I've unwrapped my hands. It really depends on how bad your hands are.

Repeat this twice weekly until you see a marked improvement in your hands. In between this DIY hand pampering, always apply your lotion as you normally would.

I can say I always notice a difference after the first time I do it, but I've had friends who are mechanics or work in construction that the cracking is really bad and while they notice some definite softening and hydration right away, it takes repeat treatments before the cracking completely resolves.

Candy canes may be great for stuffing stockings, adorning trees, or a sweet snack, but the minty holiday staple can also be incorporated into your beauty routine.

Peppermint oil contains minerals and nutrients including iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and C, and is soothing to the skin.

Indie Lee has created a holiday-themed bath bomb recipe, which makes for a great hostess gift or stocking stuffer. The secret ingredients to the all-natural recipe are baking soda and citric acid, which will make the bombs fizz up like a glass of champagne once you drop them in the bathtub.

Ingredients:

1 c. baking soda
½ c. citric acid
2 tbsp. jojoba oil
5 drops of peppermint essential oil
5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
5 drops of lemon essential oil
1 tbsp. witch hazel

Directions: Before you start the DIY, make sure you have a fun holiday mold or tin to shape your bombs in. You could also use cookie cutters and parchment paper. Combine baking soda and citric acid in a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle in jojoba oil, followed by essential oils. Mix well until you have a smooth mixture. Slowly drizzle witch hazel into the mixture, constantly stirring to stop the ingredients from fizzing.

Once all of the ingredients are moist enough to clump together, firmly press the mixture into your molds. Allow the bombs to dry for 3-4 hours before removing them from the molds.

Recipe will make 6-10 bath bombs, depending on size of mold. Add 1-2 bath bombs to a warm bath and enjoy. Use within three months. Store in an airtight container. 

With the busiest season of the year upon us, sometimes caring for ourselves (and our skin) sadly ends up at the bottom of the to-do list. (Please don't let it.)

Fortunately, facialist Cecilia Wong has designed a seasonal at-home, DIY facial scrub that requires little time and effort, which can guarantee that your skin glows before the turkey hits the table. Pumpkin is an amazing exfoliant as well as nourishing to the skin.

This sounds like a decadent dessert for your skin! Let us know if you try it.

To take advantage of the tropical weather in South Florida, co-founder of the Caribbean Spa Association, Florida’s Spa Superhero and Viceroy Miami’s Spa Director, Alena Stavnjak, likes to use ingredients that are indigenous to the area in her homemade sugar scrubs. One of Alena's favorite DIY spa treatments is a citrus-infused coconut oil sugar scrub that leaves the skin feeling hydrated and soft. We adore citrus at A Girl's Gotta Spa! for its energizing fragrance that is sure to boost your mood year round. Coconut oil is high in vitamin E, penetrates the skin better than any other oil and is also good for nails and hair. Best of all, this citrus-infused coconut oil sugar body scrub is simple to make at home! Here is the recipe: Ingredients: ¼ c. granulated brown sugar ½ c. coconut oil 1 T. citrus fruit zest (grapefruit, lemon or orange) Preparation: Mix ingredients together and use about a handful to exfoliate the skin based on preference. Remove in the shower, pat dry and then moisturize skin. (Alena recommends the Mimosa Champagne oil by Eminence Organics.) This scrub will create a slippery surface in your bathtub, so use caution. Let us know if you try it! You might also like A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Salt Scrub. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!