The old saying goes that the best gift is a gift from the heart, so why not choose to give a handmade holiday gift this year? It seems that the holidays come sooner and sooner year after year. Before you know it, it’s time to write letters to Santa, stuff the stockings, and prepare the Christmas roast. We’ve all been there before, scrambling to find something special for friends and family at the last minute. 

On your natural beauty journey, you have no doubt learnt many things, well now is the time to put them to good use. This holiday season, we say choose handmade gifts over store-bought ones. Not only will you save yourself money and plenty of frustration, but you’ll also be giving unique gifts to those you care about most. Read on to find out what unique handmade holiday gifts you can give to your loved ones this year. 

Natural Scrubs

There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a nice scrub-a-dub-dub with warm water on a chilly day. Here are a few scrubs you can craft yourself, thereby making lovely presents for friends and family.

• Face scrub – Dry face skin plagues everyone in colder months, especially if they’ve fallen victim to the flu. Thankfully, a gentle exfoliating face scrub can help defeat dry skin and give their face a healthy glow. 
• Shower scrub – Just because our bodies are bundled up and tucked away from the elements, doesn’t mean they don’t need extra care in winter. A moisturising and nourishing shower scrub can help remove dead skin cells, leaving skin feeling softer and healthier than before.
• Lip scrub – Harsh wind and low temperatures are the perfect storm for dry and even broken or bleeding lips. A little gentle lip scrub is an excellent way to prevent chapped lips by keeping them moisturised and exfoliated.

One of the greatest things about natural scrubs is how easy they are to make. Most people even have the majority of the ingredients at home already. Customise the scents (or flavours) with holiday herbs and spices like peppermint, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Solid Beauty Bars

Perfect for your favourite travellers and even zero wasters, too! Solid beauty bars make versatile gifts that will please almost anyone. 

• Soap Bars – Soap is always a useful gift, and its customisable nature means you can personalise it for friends and family. Fortunately, making soap at home is also quite easy with the right recipes!
• Shampoo Bars – Shampoo bars not only help us reduce our plastic waste, but they are also super convenient. The holiday season often means travelling to see those we love most, so shampoo bars are ideal for tossing in your suitcase and heading out for a bit of merriment.
• Lotion Bars – Hydration is crucial for your body and your skin, but sometimes lotions and creams come with too much packaging. Lotion bars are a fantastic alternative to that as they are zero packaging, but still help keep skin well moisturised. To make lotion bars, find out more about WapoBeauty’s Christmas workshop detailed at the end of this post.

Beautifying your solid beauty bars at home is a breeze and can be done with anything from dried flowers to herbs and spices. Be as creative as you like!

Masks

Everyone can use a good, deep clean now and again. Natural beauty masks are great for doing just that!

• Face masks – Detox the skin and remove any impurities with a great natural face mask. Depending on the ingredients you choose, you can also help soften, tighten, and moisturise the skin.
• Body masks – As above, so below. Cleansing the skin all over your body with a purifying body mask can also help hydrate and remineralise skin, keeping it healthier all winter long.
• Hair masks – Autumn and winter can leave hair feeling dry and damaged. A nourishing hair mask then is the answer to our hair’s prayers.

Using essential oils, honey, milk, and other amazing natural ingredients, you can create lovely masks to give as gifts over the holidays. Just be sure to find out, as stealthily as you can manage, what scents your friends and family prefer.

Bath Bombs and Cookies

A relaxing, warm bath in the colder months of the year is an incredible luxury and a self-care staple. Give the gift of relaxation with a bath bomb or cookie. For those of you who don’t know, a bath cookie is simply a bath bomb that looks like a biscuit. Decorate this treat with yuletide glee and wrap it in festive paper to make a lovely present!

The Takeaway

With the holiday season revving up, you are probably already wondering what to gift your loved ones. By following our handmade holiday gift guide, we hope that you’ll be able to craft something special for everyone on your ‘Nice’ list. Should you want to learn more about how to create handmade holiday gifts in person, be sure to sign up for WapoBeauty’s Making Natural Skincare Christmas Gifts workshop on November 30th in Dublin. There will even be hot cocoa available for attendees to enjoy as they wait for their creations to set! 

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER:

Ashuni Pérez is an American writer based in Valencia, Spain. She has a passion for natural beauty and the environment. Ashuni loves to cycle and drink smoothies in the sun. Follow her on Instagram at @ashuuuuni