When I think about men’s grooming products I think, toxic chemicals. Why? Because, unfortunately, a lot of these products contain questionable ingredients. But luckily now you can find safer options.
There is no need to expose yourself or the men in your life to these toxic ingredients when they are safer alternatives and when you can make your own for a fraction of the cost.
The problem with a lot of these products is that they contain fragrances, but they don’t disclose what’s in the fragrance. Fragrances are usually proprietary to the fragrance maker (also known as trade secret) so some of the brands don’t even know what ingredients are in the fragrance they use in their own products. This is a problem because fragrances are not regulated and that’s where a lot of endocrine disruptors hide. And if you live with a men or if you’re men, you know how strong some of these scents are.
Plus, a lot of the other ingredients used in men’s products contain endocrine disruptors, which have been linked to all sorts of health issues, from allergies to cancer.
In our home, we do our best to avoid exposure to toxic chemicals because they are everywhere and by minimizing them at home, we give our bodies a chance to naturally detox from whatever we’ve picked up when we were out.
I have found that women, in general, are more into making their own DIY products and have made a lot of the recipes on this blog. But when it comes to men, they like the idea of making their own products but not so much to actually make them.
So, why not surprise your husband or dad with a DIY gift basket filled with products especially made for them, with manly scents and most importantly, non-toxic ingredients.
My husband loves all these products and has been using them for many years now. He has never made one (haha!) but he prefers them over the store-bought stuff. The best part is that all of these recipes are so easy to make that even my kids, 2.5 and 5 years old, help me make them.
See for yourself how easy it is to make them! Check out this TV segment on Good Morning Washington where I demonstrated how to make these products or hit play below to watch it on Facebook:
If you’re not sure if the products you’re using are non-toxic, you can look them on the Environmental Working Group’s database, Skin Deep. All you have to do is type the name of the product and it will tell you if the ingredients are safe or not. It will also give you an overall rating, the lower the number, the safer the product.
Now, onto the fun part! Make a DIY gift basket for the men in your life, add these products, maybe some other grooming products, like this shaving kit and a few crafts made by your kids for a unique, fun and useful gift for Father’s Day, birthday and even Christmas!
7 DIY Grooming Gifts for Men
To get the recipe, click on the image or in the link below each image.
DIY Men’s Essential Oil Shave Gel
Shaving gel is one of those things that I have banned from my home, not only because of the ingredients but because the strong smell gives me a headache. Making your own shaving gel is so simple – it literally takes you 2 minutes. All you need is a bowl and a few ingredients.
Plus, this recipe is not only for men, women can also use this shaving gel. I would only change the essential oils for some that are more “womanly” since this recipe has a “manly” scent.
Click here to get the shave gel recipe and print it.
DIY After Shave Spray for Men
I love how this after shave spray makes my husband smell! Not only does it smells good, but it uses ingredients that are great at moisturizing, repairing and nourishing for the skin.
It’s very convenient to use because all they have to do is spray it on their face. This recipe also just takes a couple of minutes to make and it’s one my kids love making for their dad.
Click here to get the after shave spray recipe and print it.
DIY Mustache and Beard Conditioning Balm Recipe
If the men in your life have any facial hair, this recipe is a must. It nourishes, hydrates and softens facial hair. It is really necessary for those with long beards because the hair tends to dry and break. Applying this nourishing balm over night brings that hair back to life.
Since you have to melt the ingredients for this recipe, it takes about 10 minutes to make. The good thing is that you can make a big batch that will last you for many months.
Click here to get the mustache and beard conditioning balm recipe and print it.
DIY Sugar Scrub Cubes for Men
I love sugar scrubs, they are a great way to exfoliate your skin and they make your skin feel so soft. My husband loved the idea of scrubs but when I made sugar scrubs for himself he kept complaining they smelled too girly.
I came up with this recipe with a manly scent and I also added coconut oil and shea butter to also moisturize their skin. So, if you or your man doesn’t like to use body lotion, this will help nourish his skin and clean it.
This recipe takes about 5-10 minutes to make. You can either dump it in a glass jar or make it in to cubes. We prefer the cubes because they’re easier to use.
Click here to get the sugar scrub cubes recipe and print it.
DIY Natural Deodorant Spray for Men
My husband owns a few gyms here in D.C. so a deodorant is just a must. I had a hard time getting him to switch to a natural deodorant because he didn’t want to be stinky, and well who does?
I finally came up with this deodorant spray which he loves. Since this is a natural deodorant, it doesn’t contain an antiperspirant, which is the toxic ingredient in deodorants. This also means that depending on how hot it is, you might have to reapply this deodorant.
The spray bottle makes this really portable to carry anywhere with you and reapply as needed.
If this is your first time using a natural deodorant, it is best if you detox your armpits first. You need to let out all those accumulated ingredients to come out and the detox speeds up this process. Click here to learn more about the armpit detox and keep in mind that if you have been using a conventional antiperspirant deodorant your body will take anywhere from 1 week to a month to detox.
Click here to get the full deodorant spray recipe and print it.
Exfoliating Loofah Soap Bars
If you’re not just into sugar scrubs, making exfoliating loofah soap bars is another way to exfoliate and clean your skin. This is one of my favorite soap recipes and since we use a pour and melt soap base, it is really easy to make!
You just melt the ingredients, put them in a mold with the loofah bars and wait for it to harden.
This recipe takes about 10-15 minutes to make and is a great recipe for everyone in the family!
Click here to get the loofah soap bars recipe and print it.
DIY Hand Lotion Sticks
If you do a lot of work with your hands, then you probably notice them getting cracked and dry quite frequently. This is a perfect recipe to keep your hands or your men’s hand moisturized and feeling so soft.
Since it’s not a regular lotion, but small lotion sticks, you can keep them in your bag and use them as needed.
This recipe takes about 10-15 minutes to make since you have to wait a few minutes for all the ingredients to melt.
Click here to get the lotion bars recipe and print it.
There you have it! Seven DIY grooming recipes every man will love and that are simple to make! Now dad will have a very unique gift and one that the children will feel proud about.
If you love these products, don’t forget to check out our e-book with 40 DIY bath and body recipes that you can make in under 10 minutes and that are all made with safe, non-toxic ingredients.
Once you make your first DIY product and realize how easy it is to make, you will be hooked! The best part, you know exactly what’s in each product!
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