Creating All Natural Body Powders

When I was a child, I had a bad habit of getting into my Mother’s stash of skin care and bath products.  She had a special box in the bathroom that was off limits to all kids, but my curiosity got the best of me time and time again.  She had a great variety of fragrant bath goodies and mysterious creams, but my favorite thing to manhandle was her collection of  delicately scented dusting powders.  Each powder was stored in an elaborate case, and included a fancy, ribboned powder puff.  Something about dusting powders just screams femininity to me.  Even as an adult I find myself drawn to the intricately decorated powder boxes that I see in department stores and boutiques.

Aside from being sentimentally endearing, Body Powders can be of great benefit to a natural skin care routine.  Dusting a pleasantly scented powder on your body after a shower or bath can help to keep your skin feeling smooth and silky during humid weather.  Soothing powders such as Oat Starch can help to keep sensitive skin calm and happy all year long.  Body Powders can also help to regulate skin’s moisture by absorbing excess oil, and can help reduce friction that can cause heat rashes and irritation which commonly occurs on the legs and arms.

Body Powders are simple to make, and can be composed of a variety of ingredients.  Rice Powder and Oat Starch make great bases since they have a similar texture to talc.  Arrowroot Powder, White Kaolin Clay, and Silk Powders can be added to enhance the texture or properties of a Natural Body Powder.  A small portion of Baking Soda may also be added to contribute a deodorizing quality to your powder.  This is especially helpful for making Foot Powders.  You can also choose to add powdered Herbs to your formulas, but bear in mind that most herbal powders are not ground finely enough to fully blend in with the rest of the powders in the recipe.  This may leave your powder feeling grainy or coarse.  Test small amount of herbal powder recipes before creating large batches to make sure you find the texture to your liking.

To scent your Natural Body Powder, simply add a few drops of Essential Oil or Absolute to a small amount of Rice Powder or Oatstarch.  Jasmine, Rose, or Lavender Essential Oil are some excellent choices.  A blend of Vanilla, Bergamot, and Ylang Ylang would also be wonderful.  Make sure that the Oil is totally dispersed before adding the scented starch to the rest of your batch. Stir the powder well after adding the Essential Oil or Absolute.  Take care not to stir your powder too quickly.  Doing so can cause the powder get into the air and can be dangerous if inhaled.  If you suffer from Asthma, or another respiratory condition, you may want to wear a mask while creating any powder type recipes.

While a box and a powder puff is a luxurious, classic way to package a Body Powder, it is not your only option.  Cardboard Powder Sifters are less messy, and far more convenient than a powder puff.  They are also much easier to find.  However, if you are like me, and have a soft spot for the powder puff, you may enjoy making one at home.  The simple sewing instructions below will help you create a powder puff from scratch.  These make great accessories for Natural Body Powders.

To make your own powder puff you’ll need the following supplies:

• 1 8″ x 8″ swatch of plain Cotton, Terrycloth, or Bamboo Fabric
• 1 8″ x 8″ swatch of Fleece or another fuzzy textured Fabric
• 1 6″ – 8″ long piece of Ribbon
• Cotton or Synthetic Batting

Creating a powder puff is easy.  Simply follow the simple sewing instructions below:

• Trace a 6 inch circle onto both pieces of Fabric, then cut them out.
• Sandwich the Ribbon between the two circles and stitch most of the way around the outer edges, leaving about an inch of the circle open.
• Turn the circle inside out and stuff it with batting.
• Using a slip stitch, close the opening on the puff.