“Information is like compost; it does no good unless you spread it around.” ~ Eliot Coleman

Just over two years ago, my younger sister, Sierra, and I opened a small business called Inspired by Sisters. We started the business as a way to use our creativity to encourage others and we did this by creating inspirational quote paintings. Eventually, we expanded our business to include an all-natural body product line called Indulge.

I had been creating body products for years as holiday gifts when I was not in a financial place to purchase big presents. Family and friends had began asking me for my body scrubs and my bath fizzies regularly. At the same time, I was becoming frustrated with the number of “natural” products I would invest my money into, only to find out that they were not so natural. I wanted change for myself and I wanted to offer products to others that were made with simple, few ingredients.

Our Indulge line consisted of scrubs, body butter, hand cream, bath salts, bath fizzies, lip balms, and more. By far, our most popular products were the body butter and scrubs. When we announced that the business (Inspired by Sisters) would be closing and that I would be leaving to travel, I promised several customers that I would share my recipes so you can continue to make these products at home.

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Body Scrub

This is the easiest thing I make! All you need is sugar, coconut oil (or any oil you prefer), and essential oils. You can also add other fragrance items, such as dried flowers, tea, citrus zest, etc. You can also add food coloring (I suggest a natural version) if you want a touch of color. We chose to discontinue the use of coloring to simplify the product, but there is no harm if that’s your thing.

Warning: I encourage people to avoid using this on your face. Coconut oil is usually too heavy for use on the face and may lead to clogged pores and acne. Instead, I suggest the face scrub below.

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Face Scrub

What’s the key to great skin? Exfoliate and moisturize! (Of course, a healthy diet helps too) I love to use this scrub before bed each night and use a great moisturizer afterwards. I am currently in love with a moisturizer from Avalon Organics and it smells amazing.

As stated above, coconut oil is a bit too heavy for the face; therefore, we chose to use grapeseed oil as the base for our face scrub, as it is a lighter oil and less likely to clog your pores. We also added a bit of Vitamin E oil to soften skin, erase dark spots, and assist with wrinkles. The ground coffee beans gently exfoliate, brighten the skin, minimize dark circles, and reduces puffiness and inflammation.

I wait to add the essential oils for each individual customer, as every face and its needs are unique. I found a great chart that I use when working with someone on the perfect blend for their skin. Of course, personal preference also comes into play here, but we want to focus on the essential oils that are going to give the results we are looking for.

Body Butter

I am so obsessed with this product. It is whipped to perfection and looks good enough to eat (I wouldn’t though, btw…). This moisturizer is made with simple and raw ingredients, which can make it feel a lot oilier than a traditional lotion. That being said, a little bit goes a LONG way and if I don’t have time to let the oils fully sink in, I softly run a washcloth over the skin to grab any extra oil. As this product is rather heavy, I only use it a couple times per week and use regular lotion on a more regular basis.

My favorite way to use these products is when I shave. I actually use the body scrub as I shave and use the body butter afterwards. I love that the pores are a bit more open after shaving and I feel like my skin just slurps up the moisturizer. I’m obsessed.

I encourage you to play around with the recipes and see what works best for you. I have some of my favorite essential oil blends from our company and others I have found on my Pinterest board for aromatherapy. Explore!

Namaste <3

Taryn