Make Quality Gifts in Your Kitchen

There's really no need to go to a fancy salon or the natural section of your supermarket to get high quality bath products for your home or as a gift. In fact, making these products in your home is not only a great way to get some fun creative juices flowing out of your pores, but provides a great gift-giving experience. Know that your next present is made from the heart (and maybe the hearth too):

1) Personally Fragranced Bath Salts

Bath salts are one of the easiest gifts you can make in your kitchen. All you need are baking soda, Epsom salt, table salt and essential oils. In fact, this is what all bath salts are basically composed of, but many over the counter purchases add harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances that can irritate your skin. Remember: your skin is your largest organ, so mind what you put on your skin.

For a lovely lavender soak, mix together 3 cups of Epsom salt with 2 cups of baking soda. Add 1 cup of salt - you can either use run-of-the-mill table salt, or for superior products, use large seea salt crystals. Hawaiian red sea salt, for example, is renowned for its cleansing properties, and makes a great detoxifier.

Slowly heat these ingredients until they begin to melt over low heat. When this happens, add some drops of lavender essential oil. How much you use is up to you, but the more you add, the less bath salts will be required for that aromatic experience.

If you'd like to add a little moisturizing ingredient to the concoction, slip in a drop or two of jojoba or almond oil.

When you're done, pour the mix into a nifty jar from a craft or natural foods store.

That's it! Fragrant, natural, and homemade bath salts for your giving pleasure.

2) Sea Salt Scrub

This is a twist on the bath salt recipe that leaves your skin feeling soft, energized, and chemical-free!

For this recipe, use equal parts of Epsom and coarse sea salt - about 1 cup each ought to do it. Now add an equal amount of sweet almond, jojoba, or olive oil to the mix. For an added boost, grind up some mint leaves and blend it in the elixir. Now you'll add a few drops (about a teaspoon) of essential oil. If you used the mint, add some spearmint, or just stick with flavors you like - sweet orange is another great bet, as is soothing lavender and rejuvenating bergamot.

Once you've mixed them together, seal in an airtight jar.

Voila! You now have some natural beauty products to show your friends and family how much you care (and how amazingly creative you are).