Deep down you know it’s true — convenience is costing you and the planet. The never-ending array of got-to-have-them, everyday-use body care products is a prime example — from your refreshing morning body wash, to the pricey celebrity-endorsed fragrance you wear during the day to the latest age-defying nighttime moisturizer all contribute to the insidious, daily drain of your hard-earned cash as well as the depletion of Earth’s limited resources. The quest for products that give us a better life has produced a disheartening level of consumption that seems to know no bounds. This isn’t a trickle-down, (or even a trickle-up) economy; it’s a trickle-away-to-oblivion lifestyle. Consume at all costs is the way we’ve come to live, which sadly has nothing to do with experiencing an authentic and positive lifestyle. Regardless of how much we make, can any of us really afford how much we take?
What’s the answer? Collect what you spend every day on conveniences like body care products and invest instead in periodic purchases of supplies of renewable, natural and organic ingredients. Use these ingredients to make a month's worth (or more) of fabulous, healthy products that are unique, useful and less expensive than all the high-priced, over-packaged and over-hyped commercial stuff that you’ve been programmed to consume everyday. Better yet, pool resources with friends and have a DIY body care get together. Transform what might have been a soul-draining, consumerist shopping chore into a shared, life-improving social activity in the heart of your home — now that’s unbeatable style!
 DIY Refreshing Peppermint Body Wash
1 cup unscented liquid oil-based soap
¼ cup freshly brewed peppermint tea
48 drops (about ¼ teaspoon) peppermint essential oil
Mix soap, tea & oils in a squeeze tube or bottle with pump and use in shower. Tip: Replace peppermint with lavender essential oil for a calming benefit or with tangerine essential oil for an uplifting experience.
DIY Moisturizing Lavender Body Oil
1 cup jojoba or grapeseed oil
48 drops (about ¼ teaspoon) lavender essential oil
Combine oils in a squeeze bottle and massage onto clean skin. Tip: Apply oil just after cleansing, while skin is still wet. (This oil will seal in moisture more effectively than a lotion, because the water in a lotion is bound with an emulsifier and is not fully available to hydrate your skin.)
 DIY Natural Sweet Orange & Lavender Deodorant & Antiperspirant
½ cup water
12 drops sweet orange essential oil
12 drops lavender essential oil
Combine water and essential oils in a spray mister bottle. Shake the mixture vigorously and then lightly mist underarms with two to three sprays. Follow with application of deodorant stone.
DIY Natural Essential Oil Body Fragrance
 ½ cup water
6 drops base note essential oil (Choose from: sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood)
6 drops top note essential oil (Choose from citrus oils like lemon, grapefruit, tangerine)
12 drops of precious essential oil for the heart of the fragrance (Choose from jasmine, rose, neroli, ylang ylang)
Combine water and essential oils in a spray mister bottle. Shake the mixture vigorously and then lightly mist body.
Lead a more sustainable, more fulfilling life that is easier on your finances as well as the planet by crafting your own everyday natural body care products. Be creative with your formulating, and experiment with the wide array of natural and sustainable ingredients available today. Be sure to seek out additional recipes and tips on line from a reputable source such as AuraCacia.com. | 
