The holidays are just around the corner, which means that fun, excitement, and joyous times are fast approaching. It also means that some inevitable stress is on the way. That stress can be attributed to family dynamics, holiday airport travel, or gift giving. A recent study actually found that a high percentage of Americans have anxiety about the holidays because of budget concerns.
Fortunately for you, we provide lots of DIY beauty recipes that you can make and give as gifts. A little handmade soap, body butter, lotion, or face mask never hurt a soul! Making hand soap is a great idea because it can encourage hand washing, which can help minimize the spread of germs, which spread like wildfire during the winter months. Your gift is not only heartfelt, but may also help avoid getting sick. It’s like you are the holiday health hero!
What’s Wrong With Other Holiday Hand Soaps?
There are many beauty stores that sell holiday-scented hand soaps around this time of year. We are not the biggest fans of those products because a lot of them contain ingredients that can disrupt endocrine function. They may also contain ingredients that can cause immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity. There are many foaming hand soaps with various scents, some of which contain methylisothiazolinone, a known chemical to trigger allergies or immunotoxicity.
Many of those products also contain synthetic fragrances, which can trigger allergies, endocrine disruption, and cause hormonal imbalances. Why risk all of that for a scented hand soap, when you can easily make your own, healthier version in no time? Knowing what goes in your beauty products is not only helpful to your health, but it also gives you confidence about using harmless products. Consider some of the benefits of certain ingredients in this hand soap.
Liquid Castile Soap
This olive oil-based soap is generally mild and a lot safer than other soaps, which are made with animal-based fats or oils, lye, and scents or fragrances. You want to avoid unwanted reactions on the skin, making castile soap a great option. Pure castile soap is all natural, non-toxic, biodegradable, and free of synthetic ingredients. Castile soap is also ethically better and more eco-friendly. In fact, more and more people have started to use it because it reduces a person’s environmental impact. It is also cruelty-free, so you can feel good about using it.
Sweet Almond Oil
Rich in antioxidants and nutrients that benefit the skin, sweet almond oil is a great ingredient to help soothe the skin and hair. Thanks to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, almond oil can be used in various applications. It is a natural emollient that helps to hydrate the skin, enhancing moisture and increasing smoothness. Research indicates that using a hand cream made with sweet almond oil provides relief from hand dermatitis, relieving symptoms like burning, stinging, redness, and itchiness. It is generally safe for most skin types, especially sensitive skin, because it is lightweight.
DIY Candy Cane Hand Soap
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unscented liquid castile soap
- 1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
- 15 drops peppermint essential oil
- 10 drops spearmint essential oil
- Distilled water
Instructions:
- Pour the soap, glycerin, almond oil, and essential oils into a soap container.
- Fill the rest of the container with distilled water. Screw on the lid and shake well to combine.
- You can make custom labels for your soap if making holiday gifts. It gives the soap a personalized and fancy touch.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
