When life gets busy, taking time for self care often falls to the bottom of the list. But tending to your body doesn’t have to be complicated, or expensive.
Crafting your own body and hair care products is a way to slow down and enjoy the process. It lends a creative outlet and an opportunity to connect with the plants you’re working with.
Using simple, non-toxic ingredients makes these creations not only more nourishing for your body but also more affordable and healthier than store-bought alternatives.
Here’s a collection of 20 herbal self care recipes you can make yourself, with herb-infused creations for hair, face, skin, lips, and more.
Recipes for Skin Care
Your skin is your biggest organ and has many important functions. It definitely deserves a little extra love! These herbal DIY recipes are all about giving it just that. Each product on this list is simple to make and perfect for indulging in some much-deserved skin care.
1. Red Clover Lotion Bars
Rich in vitamins and minerals, red clover supports healthy, radiant skin and helps soothe dryness, irritation, and inflammation. Blended with cacao butter, sunflower oil, and beeswax, these bars deeply moisturize and create a protective barrier to lock in hydration. A touch of lavender adds a calming scent and enhances their gentle, skin-loving benefits.
2. Hawthorn Berry Lip Balm
Hawthorn berries aren’t just a heart tonic, they’re also a wonderful ally for the skin. Rich in antioxidants and nutrients, these deep red berries help ease irritation and protect lips from dryness and environmental stress. Crafted with deeply nourishing tallow, this balm supports the skin’s natural barrier, moisturizing and soothing lips.
3. Damiana Sugar Scrub
Made with just a few simple ingredients, this herbal sugar scrub leaves skin soft and rejuvenated. Damiana supports healthy skin with its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, while sugar gently exfoliates, giving healthy glow.
4. Goldenrod Salve
This simple salve is wonderful for minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, and can help ease sore muscles or achy joints, too. Goldenrod’s anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties make it a staple for any herbal first aid kit.
Recipes for Facial Care
Skip the expensive, store-bought facial products and make your own nontoxic, herbal skincare at home. These simple recipes use natural ingredients to cleanse, tone, and nourish your delicate facial skin, giving it a healthy, radiant glow.
5. Nourishing Butterfly Pea Facial Mask
Brighten and rejuvenate your skin with this simple, all-natural facial mask. Butterfly pea flowers are rich in antioxidants that help protect and soothe the skin, while avocado provides nourishing fats and vitamins for a healthy, hydrated glow. A touch of honey gently detoxifies and softens, leaving your complexion smooth and radiant.
6. Balancing Basil Facial Toner
This toner helps to naturally support a clear complexion without the harsh chemicals often found in conventional options. Antioxidant-rich basil helps hydrate, smooth, and protect your skin, while tea tree and witch hazel gently combat breakouts and excess oil.
7. Rosehip Skin Serum
Nourish and protect your skin with this antioxidant-rich rosehip serum. Packed with vitamins A, C, and E, rosehips help boost collagen, promote elasticity, and combat environmental damage. Combined with hydrating sunflower, almond, and jojoba oils, this serum deeply moisturizes, soothes, and balances your skin.
8. Reishi Facial Scrub
Gently exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin with this antioxidant-rich facial scrub. Reishi mushroom soothes, heals, and protects skin from premature aging, while rice flour is a gentle exfoliant packed with vitamins and minerals. Perfect for all skin types, this scrub leaves your skin smooth and rejuvenated.
Recipes for Hair Care
Give your locks an herbal boost! These DIY hair care recipes are crafted to cleanse, nourish, and invigorate, making hair care a simple yet luxurious.
9. Hibiscus & Peppermint Herbal Hair Rinse
This refreshing herbal hair rinse combines hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and peppermint. Hibiscus is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, helping to condition hair, reduce dryness and frizz, and add natural shine and volume. Its mucilaginous quality soothes the scalp, which may help prevent dandruff and breakage. Peppermint invigorates the scalp, promoting healthy hair. Together, they combine to make a gentle, soothing rinse that leaves your hair feeling soft, nourished, and revitalized.
10. Oregano Tea Tree Vinegar Hair Rinse
This vinegar-based hair rinse is a more cleansing option than the water-based Hibiscus & Peppermint rinse, making it ideal for oily or product-heavy hair. Apple cider vinegar balances scalp pH, removes buildup, and helps reduce frizz, while oregano adds antimicrobial and soothing properties to calm irritation and dandruff. Tea tree further cleanses and refreshes and balances the scalp, promoting healthy hair. This vinegar-based rinse leaves hair feeling clean and naturally vibrant.
11. Rosemary Dry Shampoo
This herbal dry shampoo refreshes hair naturally between washes, absorbing excess oil and buildup. The addition of rosemary supports the health of hair and scalp. Easy to use and non-toxic, it’s perfect for travel, or for anytime you want to freshen hair without giving it a full wash.
12. Coffee Scalp Scrub
Give your scalp some love with this invigorating coffee scrub. Coffee gently exfoliates, removing dead skin cells and product buildup while improving circulation. Rosemary adds cleansing and antioxidant benefits, supporting healthy hair and scalp. This scrub is easy to whip up (making good use of those leftover grounds from your morning cup of coffee!) and perfect for a weekly scalp refresh, leaving hair feeling clean, nourished, and revitalized.
Relaxing Self Care Recipes
Slow down and unwind with these relaxing self-care ideas. These recipes are crafted to help ease tension, anxiety, and stress.
13. Uplifting Bath Salt Blend
These herbal bath salts combine oatstraw and lemon balm for calming, mood-boosting effects, while Epsom salt, sea salt, and baking soda soothe muscles and soften skin. Perfect for a relaxing bath after a long day.
14. Mullein & Ginger Massage Oil
Soothe sore muscles, ease tension, and nourish your skin with this herbal Mullein & Ginger Massage Oil. Infused with mullein, known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and warming ginger, which stimulates circulation, this herbal oil makes a lovely addition to your self-care routine.
15. TMJ Relief Roller
Ease jaw pain and tension headaches with this herbal roller. Infused with comfrey, chamomile, and lavender, it helps calm inflamed muscles, reduce soreness, and promote relaxation when excess TMJ tension makes your jaw and head ache.
Embracing Self Care
Taking time for self-care isn’t just about pampering your body, it’s about putting in the effort to reconnect with yourself. These herbal recipes turn daily routines into a simple ritual, nourishing both your body, and spirit. Whether you craft one recipe or try them all, each creation offers an opportunity to slow down and care for yourself a little more intentionally.
