A guide to the most common ingredients used in DIY body care & cleaning recipes

So you’re inspired by my recipes but your head is spinning trying to work out what ingredients you need to get started, right?

Let me help you and give you a bit of a guide…

Bear in mind that if I was to include every single ingredient used in my recipes, your shopping list would have over 100 items on it. It’s also impossible for me to tell you exact quantities because it depends on whether your focus is on cleaning, body and skin care or both, and if you’re making full/half batches, one of every recipe or just a select few.

A great tip, if you’re new to DIY, is to pick two or three recipes you really want to try and tackling them first. I often hear of people getting all excited and buying everything to make everything and then, making nothing! That will not happen, do you hear me?

First, create a list of all ingredients.

Then write down quantities required and tally it up.

Over time, you’ll accumulate the ingredients that you use most often and it’ll become easier to add to that supply, and replenish when they run low. 

As a guide, I’ve noted down the most common ingredients you’ll need for each recipe category, and a few recipe examples. For detailed info on each ingredient, follow this link.

Common Ingredients in Body and Skin Care Recipes

〉Aloe vera gel – Hand Sanitising gel and Post Sun Cooling mist

〉Beeswax – Simple Beeswax Candles, Beeswax Wraps and Face Lotion

〉Bentonite clay – Sensitive Deodorant and Pit Detox

〉Carrier oil – Moisturising Lotion, Zinc Cream and Whipped Magnesium Cream. Read more about choosing carrier oils here

〉Castile soap – Foaming Soap and Creamy Body Wash

〉Citric acid – Fizzy Bath Drops and Bath Salts

〉Coconut oil (the kind that you can pick up at the supermarket that solidifies in the cool weather) – Make-Up Remover, Healing Balm and Coconut & Lime Body Scrub

〉Epsom salt – Bath Soak and Foot Scrub

〉Magnesium chloride flakes – Magnesium Oil, Gel and Spray Deodorant

〉Shea butter – Whipped Body Butter, Lip Balm, and Baby Booty Balm

〉Sodium bicarbonate (aka bicarb) – Deodorant, Skin Scrub and Bath Salts

〉Witch hazel – Spray Deodorant and Toner

〉Zinc oxide (make sure it’s non-nano) – Baby Booty Balm, Sunscreen and Zinc Cream

Common Ingredients in Cleaning Recipes

〉Borax – Washing Powder and Laundry Liquid. Sometimes controversial – read here for my thoughts and why I still use it

〉Castile soap – Cleaning Paste and Stain Paste

〉Citric acid – Cleaning Fizzies and Dishwasher Tablets

〉Coconut soap – Washing Powder

〉Hydrogen peroxide – Stain Solution

〉Salt – Washing Powder and Fabric Softener

〉Sodium bicarbonate – Toilet and Shower Cleaner and Stain Paste

〉Sodium carbonate – WashingPowder and Stain Solution

〉Sodium percarbonate – Dishcloth Deep Clean

Common Ingredients in Kids’ Recipes

These ingredients are handy if you’re making recipes from Make & Play.

〉 Arrowroot flour – Goop

〉Beeswax – Doughnut Moisturising Bars

〉Castile soap – Wobbly Jelly Soap

〉Citric acid – Colour Explosion Bath Bombs

〉Melt & pour soap base – Treasure Soap

〉Olive Oil – Watermelon Sugar Scrub Cubes

〉Self-raising flour – Puffy Paint

〉Shea butter – Mess-Around Make-Up

〉White clay – Water Colour Paint

As for essential oils…

I recommend sourcing top quality, pure and potent essential oils. Click here for Essential Oils Inspiration.