I write a lot about strategic spending and splurging on anything from self-care items to fashion to like, kitchen tools? Which probably makes a lot of you think that I’m absolutely rolling in cash.

Not so – though my partner and I have good jobs and we’re not exactly living paycheck to paycheck, I’m not out here dropping hundreds of dollars on my skincare every month. In fact, I love a good bargain (hello, ten-dollar HG moisturizer) and I love a great DIY, especially when it comes to beauty and self-care. 

With the holidays coming up, we can find ourselves a little pressed for cash as we’re traveling, getting gifts for others, and getting swept up in sales or bargains (I’m definitely guilty of this.) Not only will these DIYs sate your self-care needs, but package these suckers up in cute mason jars and you’ve got inexpensive holiday gifts.

A note on costs – everything costs money, obviously, so a lot of these DIYs assume you have a couple of things in your kitchen or DIY stash, like olive or coconut oil, salt, essential oils, etc. Buying these things, if you don’t have them, will generally last you longer than buying a product with them in it, and it will have multiple uses — but they can be a bit pricey to buy at the outset. (Looking at you, olive oil and essential oils.) You can often swap out a lot of these ingredients if you don’t have them, too, so don’t feel like you have to run out and buy these things – use what you’ve got!

Let’s get to the DIY beauty treats!

Table of Contents

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

Body scrubs are one of the easiest DIYs you can make – so easy that I’m at a point in my life where spending cash on a body exfoliant seems… wasteful. This DIY recipe features brown sugar and vanilla, so it’ll make you smell like a dang cookie, but brown sugar and oil will make your skin feel suuuper soft. Plus, the brown sugar is a little less gritty and will dissolve more easily than salt (see below), making this a good choice if you have sensitive skin.