Lived Experience Forum

[ClockFace]

I made my own body scrub today, one that should be good for people with body acne, well it will be. It has tea tree oil and Manuka Honey in it but Im going to change the oil I use to Jojoba oil as its better than Coconut Oil for keeping pores unblocked. Im also going to get Rosemary, Oregano and Lavender oils and mix them all together, hopefully the smell will be ok. 

Im hoping that this person who does similar stuff will get back to me and tell me if she can see any issues with my receipe. Works out heaps cheaper than buying body scrub from the shops and if feels awesome. 

Over time Im going to look at other stuff I can make. There is a face oil that I want to do next. Again, good for acne. 

Im hoping the stuff works to help me get some control but making it myself makes me feel a lot more connected to my self care routine. 

[tyme]

Nice @ClockFace . Sounds lovely. Where do you get the ingredient from? Is it online or something?

I've never even considered making my own body scrub. Sounds lovely and you can tailor it to suit you.

It's really good to see you focussing on some self care 🙂 Good on you.

[ClockFace]

@tyme 

I get most things online but the brown sugar I just get from the local woolies. Most of it is easy to get from Amazon, I tend to use Amazon if I can because I know I can trust it. There are some standard websites around that Ill use but more often than not Ill use Amazon, even if its a few bucks more. 

Yeah Ive been getting into my self care pretty heavily. Slowly building up my products and routines. Seeing some good results too. Ive had really dark rings under my eyes most my life and I got a sample of a eye cream when I bought some other stuff and it just about gets rid of the darkness altogether. Im no longer self concious about them. 

Its weird, Ive never been big on this stuff but a while ago I realised I didnt respect myself and that I needed too, what I eat was the first step and my weight but doing cleansing routines, moisturisers etc that shows respect for myself but it is a physical act that reinforces that I am respecting myself. I is a regular reminder that I am worth more than just the basic care routine and basic products. Im worth investing in

[tyme]

Wow! A big turnaround @ClockFace  Well done!

I'm hopping off, but I'll talk to you next time I see you around. All the best.

[Jasper_123]

oh @ClockFace I love this idea! Using something you've made that is used for self-care is a wonderful approach to being mindful in your daily practices! 

[ClockFace]

Hey @Jasper_123 
I did my second batch of scrub, a little fine tuning on the  first lot, a bit more to go. Each time I do it I learn a bit more. 

It really changes the way you view self-care, Im not going to be just buying what ever off the shelf but Ill be selecting the ingredients that go into what I use and can make products tailored just for me. 

The next thing Im going to make is a pomade. It cost me $32 to buy 100g which will last around 4-6 weeks. If I spend $40 and buy the ingredients I can make over 400g of it. It will be a bit shinier than what I use now but hopefully not too bad. Over time I will find/develop a formula I really like but for a 75% saving a little extra shine and knowing I made it myself seems worth it. 

After that I want to try making a shower gel or liquid soap, one aimed at tackling acne.

At the moment Im focused on learning about the ingredients. I researched where to buy from, I found a wholesaler who sells to the public. They are reputable, good range and pricing, fair bit of info on each ingredient and they have a heap of organic options as well, all with certifications etc. I have another couple places I can use as well but they will (at this stage) be the primary supplier. 

Im using the info on the supplier site to make a list of ingredients Im likely to use or want to use, at least in the near future. Once I have a list Im going to research them more indepth. Ive started with a spreadsheet that lists the key features Im interested in and then I mark which features it holds. 

Once I have the list all done I can cross reference it with the recipes I want to do and then I can work out the ingredients with the most uses. That way when I buy a group of ingredients I know I will be able to make the most number of receipes from them. 

I want to research the ingredients, formulating, methods, how to mix different ingredients, etc. as much as I can before I start doing too much. Eventually I want to make my own formulations not just follow others recipes or modify them a little but there is so much to be aware of, just working without essential oils there is a lot to know but add essential oils and you have to know so much or you risk hurting yourself and others. It might all be natural, but it doesnt mean that its 100% safe with the purity of ingredients you're working with.

You might have guessed I have gone down a bit of a rabbit hole, its the most interest I have had in something for a really really long time, its almost a passion. At the end of all my main part of researching Im hoping to know if its something Im actually going to be passionate about. Ive kinda looked into things and Im considering doing a course to become a cosmetic chemist, become qualified in aromatherapy and qualifications in herbal medicine. Those three things would give me a great basis to make natural products. Im playing with the idea of creating my own line up but I want to include a line up of specific essential oil mixes for diffusing and cleaning supplies, along with body, face and hair care products. Im looking at different delivery methods, making things as reuseable as I can. Like with those disposable wipe things, face wipes and cleaning wipes. Ive found a dispenser that can be reused, so you would buy a glass bottle of the liquid cleaner and a roll of wipes. As much as I can will be recyclable. Most things will be in glass because of the essential oils but its recyclable. 

I feel like there is a bit of passion brewing, which is really nice. Im playing with the idea of a complete career change debt collector to cosmetic chemist. Im seeing the huge benefit of natural products, like I looked at our laundry detergent and we use the sensitive kind because we have issues with the chemicals. I could make a natural laundry detergent, just as good as the store bought but without the chemicals but it would have an expiry date. They put so much into products like that, that they dont expire, any trace of natural ingredients are polluted. I could make something that doesnt have that and it would likely be better for me, for my skin. Im starting to sound like a weirdo but Im not going to get carried away, its just there are options other than store bought that puts us closer to nature and closer to ourselves. 

The more I do this, read and learn the closer I feel connected with my own self-care and the more I want to expand it to different areas of my life. I mean what I wash my clothes in, wipe my face with, clean the benches with are all an extention of my self-care.