homemade

My hair tends to be pretty oily if I don't wash it (even after one day!). But here's the thing: When I do wash it every day, it dries out! That's why I've found the perfect solution: Dry shampoo. Every other day I'll use dry shampoo instead of washing my hair. This keeps my hair in balance and allows it to not look too dry or too oily. Dry shampoo is great for people like me who have very sensitive, fine hair, but you can still use it on thick hair, too.

Although conventional electrolyte drinks, otherwise known as sports drinks, seem innocent enough, their ingredients are not. Most of them contain a lot of unnecessary chemicals like food coloring, artificial flavors, and processed sugars. The main purpose of electrolyte dinks is hydration, replenishing electrolytes, and energizing the body.  These drinks are great to have with you during sweaty workouts.

Everyone deserves a little pampering every once in a while. In fact, I make a promise to myself to try and take a relaxing bath at least once a month. Sometimes life gets in the way of that, but when I do get a chance to take a bath, it's beautiful. I personally love adding in some bath salts to my bath. They add a beautiful aroma and are great for relaxing or reviving your energy (depending on the scent). Bath soaks are kind of similar, but they're made in a different way. Recently, I became curious about how to DIY my own bath salts and soaks, and it's actually not too hard.

This Christmas, I made my mom and my best friend a gift from my heart: A DIY body scrub and matching body lotion! They absolutely loved the gift and could not stop talking about how soft and smooth their skin was after using the scrub and lotion. So guess what? Today, I'm going to share the recipe for both with you. Trust me when I say, if you create these, you might be tempted not to share them. I have a whole stash of the body lotion in my room just for me! I couldn't bear to part with it.

I grew up absolutely loving the super sugary, tomato-based condiment that is ketchup. Now, I’m still infatuated with it. However, I don’t buy overly sweetened ketchup anymore; I only eat ketchup that I’ve made myself. Making ketchup from scratch is cheap, ridiculously easy, healthier, and oh so delicious. I’m even comfortable with claiming that homemade ketchup is just as good as the bottled stuff, if not better (assuming that’s a possibility).

Want to give your hair some natural volume and lighten the color? Try one of these herbal hair volumizers or lighteners. They're completely all-natural and will get the job done. You can choose to do both, or just one. Either way, you can always come back to this article and try out the other recipe when you're ready. These products also can be gifted to people, assuming you know they'd appreciate a DIY hair care gift. Want to keep them for yourself? I don't blame you: These are perfect hair care essentials for the warmer months, but you can start making and experimenting with them now!

Chapped, dry lips? I get it. Winter has a knack for drying skin out, especially lips. Lips are ultra sensitive to everything, so it makes sense that they get hit the hardest by cold, dry weather. That said, your lips can still get dry or chapped in the warmer months too! To keep them in the best condition, I recommend making a lip scrub and lip balm for them. Making your own won’t only be rewarding and fun, but cheaper, too. (Not to mention you’ll know what’s in them.)  Most of the things you’ll need to make each one can be bought in any grocery or health food store.

Now that you are making more breakfasts at home using healthy ingredients, let’s take a look at dinner. Instead of grabbing that package of organic macaroni and cheese or other “helper” products that allow you to make a meal in a skillet, try creating your own sauces or pastas. Once you get comfortable with the process, you’ll find you can whip up dinner in record time.

Sometimes we get in a hurry in the morning and settle for boxed cereal, granola bars, or instant breakfast drinks. But there are other options besides grabbing a piece of fruit and dashing to the car.
Here are three morning meals that will break you out of the breakfast box:

A lot of the shampoos and conditioners out there are filled with toxins (and are costly!). To save a buck and ditch the chemicals, try making your own shampoo and conditioner with these recipes. Just remember that everyone's hair is different: What works for me may not necessarily work for you. In order to find out what your hair truly needs, I suggest experimenting with the herbs you use in these recipes. Try different herb combinations and see which ones your hair responds to best. Personally, my hair loves coconut oil, rose, and peppermint.