Give the Gift of Gorgeous! These Beauty DIYs Make Elegant Holiday Gifts

When my sister revealed to me that she got my 13-year-old niece a giant tub of coconut oil for Christmas—because my niece had been begging to add it to her budding beauty regimen—it nearly brought a tear to my eye.

This feels like the kicker to the narrative surrounding coconut oil and its unexpected role as a cosmetic staple. The next generation of beauty enthusiasts—including the aforementioned teen who happens to live in a less-than-trendsetting locale—are eschewing conventional moisturizers, scrubs, and conditioners in favor of natural ingredients. Now that post-millennials have christened it worthy of their attention, DIY natural beauty has officially hit the mainstream.

So what more perfect way to celebrate its arrival—and the holidays—than to give the gift of homemade beauty products? They’re not only free of chemicals and additives, but they actually work. And who wouldn’t be thrilled that someone else took the time to whip up something special, just for them?

Here are some beauty DIYs to stuff stockings with this December.

Five-step skincare

All you need is 11 natural ingredients to make every single product needed for healthy skin. Face wash, scrub, toner, moisturizer, and eye cream—half of these items may not even be in your giftee’s everyday arsenal, but they will be now. Check out the ingredients and recipes here.

Kissable lip balm

A peppermint-almond shea butter balm is just the thing to keep lips soft and supple in the dry winter air. If you’ve got a lot of people on your list, this easy, four-ingredient recipe makes about 20 to 30 tubes or pots.

Dry shampoo

Dry shampoo is supposed to help save time and water, but it definitely doesn’t save cash. The alternative? DIY it—it’s so easy, and you can even make customized colors. Just mix 1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot flour with 1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder (for brunettes) or ground cinnamon (for redheads). Then package it in a cute salt shaker and finish with a bow.

DIY beauty kit

For the would-be formulators, put together a generous goodie box packed with all the essentials they’ll need to whip up as many beauty elixirs as their hearts desire. Start with these:

• Grapeseed oil
• Coconut oils
• Brown sugar
• Cacao powder
• Apple cider vinegar
• Raw honey
• Shea butter
• Turmeric
• Green tea
• Lavender oil
• Vitamin E oil
• Rosehip seed oil

Antioxidant scrub

You seriously can’t go wrong with an all-natural facial and body scrub. This simple recipe is exfoliating, and the cacao gives it a decadent antioxidant kick. And, of course, coconut oil is a dream moisturizer. Just combine 2 cups almond meal, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, and mix in 1 cup whipped coconut oil. Store it in an airtight glass jar and tie a bow around the rim. Done and done.

For the fellas

Some guys wouldn’t be caught dead shopping for body scrub, but we know they kind of want to try it. Hence, this invigorating peppermint scrub, dreamt up especially for men. Put 2 cups granulated sugar in a small bowl, stir in 1 cup whipped coconut oil, and add 20 to 30 drops peppermint oil. Store in an airtight glass jar. (Of course, women will love it, too.)

Photo credit: Alicia Cho