Beauty products these days are expensive and full of complicated, unpronouncable ingredients. In all things, I tend toward what is simple and cost effective.

I’ve been slack the last few years with my own personal toilet (think French) or skin care regime. Kids and life caught up with me and hitting the sack at night before someone else wakes up is often a higher priority than washing my face.

Lately, I’ve been devoting some brain power (usually while I nurse the baby) to what I can simply and easily work in to my morning and evening routines.

Here’s what I’ve developed that works for me.

3-in-1 Deodorant Spray, Hair Tonic and Facial Toner:

First here’s the recipe:

1 two ounce spray bottle (pharmacy travel section or Walmart if you’re outside the city)
1 oz. apple cider vinegar
water
favorite essential oil (orange, lemon, clove, lavender, geranium, cedarwood, etc.)

Can’t get much simpler on the ingredient list. Fill the bottle half way with vinegar, the rest of the way with water and add a few drops of the essential oil of your choice. Shake before use.

Everybody’s body chemistry is different so different scents will prove to be more or less appealing depending on the person, but essential oil combinations that I’ve found go well together are lemon and lavender (clean and citrus scent), orange and clove (spicy), geranium and cedarwood (woodsy and perfumy scent). I experiment and mix other scents together on a whim sometimes with more or less sucess. Be adventurous and try your own combination.

Now for WHY this works as a deodorant, hair tonic and toner.

I’m learning that a more acid ph (1-6 on ph scale) is generally better for our skin. Soaps, cleaners and shampoo often wash away the skin’s natural oils and create an alkaline (8-14 on ph scale with 7 being neutral) environment. This makes dilluted vinegar useful for your face and scalp as it restores the natural ph levels of your skin. This also functions well as a deodorant most bacteria cannot grow in an acidic environment (7 or below on the ph scale). And the essential oils that you add also have antibacterial properties. So, this formula functions well at keeping all those little bacterias at bay resulting in less body odor. Note: This is a fairly light formula so you might need to reapply mid-way through the day during the summer months if you need to freshen up. And watch out if you apply it right after you’ve shaved. Beware the sting.

So, here’s what I like about this formula – it’s easy, cheap, multi-purpose and it’s already in a small spray bottle which fits in my medicine cabinet or my travel bag. So take it with you and spritz your face, hair and underarms. You’ll be doing your skin good and smell nice too. 🙂

Note: I tried the homemade deodorant stick recipes made with coconut oil and baking soda. I liked those too, but found that my children are sensitive to coconut oil so that was out for us. It was also more cumbersome to make, perishable and difficult to store. I like the convenience of this and that fact that it’s quickly applied, not messy and doesn’t go bad. I’ve also used the crystal deodorant stones as well. Those work in mild weather but I find aren’t strong enough for the hot summer months.

No-Frizz Spray:

Make your own Anti-Frizz Spray. It’s quick, easy and cheap. Simply combine 1 tbl. of aloe vera gel in a spray bottle with 4 oz. of distilled water and you’re done. You could add essential oils for scent if you want to. But this will be a light spray that will last indefinitely and keep those fly-aways down where they belong. The cute baby is optional. 🙂

Homemade Perfume, Cologne or Body Scents:

Make your own custom perfume, cologne or body scents. Simply mix your favorite essential oils together in 1-2 ounces of a carrier oil such as olive oil or almond oil. Add more drops of essential oils for a stronger scent or less for a lighter one. Try some of the scent combinations pictured below or just use the scents you are drawn to the most.

Coming Soon: homemade hairspray and gel.