EspañolLooking to Make More of Your Own products?
(Without going crazy)
- Maybe you're trying to reduce your toxic load by making your own natural products?
- Maybe you want to save money while being able to use quality ingredients (of YOUR choice)?
- Maybe you just like to make things yourself to impress your friends or because you love the challenge?
- Maybe you're looking to make personalized, handmade gifts for somebody you love, and you want to make something that they will actually want and use?
Whatever your reasons for wanting to DIY, I totally understand!
I love controlling the ingredients of the products I use by making them myself, but I know that it isn't always practical or convenient for everybody to make everything.
I'm here to help!
I spend hours and hours researching and trying things out before putting them on the blog!
Once I've figured it out, I'll show you why you would want to make it yourself, and if it's worth the challenge!
- Will you save money?
- Will you save time?
- Are you giving yourself a more natural alternative to more toxic products in the stores?
I then show you the easiest, most practical way to make it and customize it.
Having problems along the way?
Just shoot me a comment under my post. I'm always happy to try to help you troubleshoot and fix any problems you are having!
What will you find on the blog?
Natural DIY Projects
Even if you've never done it before, I'll show you how to make your own natural DIY projects like:
- How to make an Easy Beginner Soap
- How to make a liquid castile soap
- How to make a simple, basic lotion and customize it to suit you
- How to make your own deodorant
- How to make all sorts of other natural DIY products!
DIY Pantry Basics
You can make a lot of your own pantry basics at home!
- Make your own coconut milk, coconut butter, and coconut flour
- Make your own yogurt, even without a yogurt maker!
- Make your own tomato powder and dehydrated tomatoes.
- Make your own natural food colorings!
- More DIY pantry basics!
Green & Healthy Living Projects
I occasionally share other sorts of DIY projects or healthy living ideas that I think will be helpful to many of you.
- Make your own Treadmill Desk
- Make your own wool dryer balls
- DIY, Origami Newspaper pots
- Homemade solar water heater
- More green living projects!
Who am I?
My name is Tracy, and I'm a U.S. expat who lives in Spain. I'm also a dentist turned blogger!
I like to make fun, healthy food, and love celebrating holidays. That's why you'll find the occasional holiday and fun recipe post on my blog, especially from the first years. That is no longer my focus, though.
What I really love is being able to make my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings. Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, most of the time because I like things to be just the way I like them!
I've experimented a lot with my diet over the years, so there are a lot of gluten free and paleo recipes on my blog. For awhile that was going to be the main focus of my blog, but I decided to focus on natural DIY and DIY pantry foods after a lot of feedback from my readers.
You see, I like to listen to what you have to say, so let me know what you want to see on the blog!
Intrigued about why I came to Spain and decided to start a blog?
What now?
Browse the blog
Find your projects.
Using the menu at the top of the page or the search box in the side bar, you can search for the DIY projects that you want to make for yourself. They're divided into Natural DIY, Pantry Basics, and other DIY.
Join our closed DIY Facebook group!
Ask questions with no pressure.
Join other like minded DIY-ers and show off your projects or ask questions. It's a closed group to help protect your privacy. I'm always around to help you through things too!
Subscribe to the newsletter!
Don't miss any new ideas!
Each week I'll write you, telling you about any new projects I shared that week, and why I think you should try to make them too!
When you subscribe to the newsletter or join the Facebook group, you'll gain access to my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY!
This post is also available in Español.
Hi Tracy, I wouldn’t mind sending a few dollars occasionally for the recipes I try and like. Do you have a PayPal email address that I can send money to?
I wonder if some of your recipes (like hair conditioner) could use colloidal silver as the preservative?
Hi Laurie,
That’s a very kind offer. I have a PayPal account with my blog address tracy@thethingswellmake.com.
The problem with colloidal silver is that it’s a bit controversial in whether it is effective as a broad spectrum preservative (meaning that it is truly effective against both the wide range of bacteria and molds that can grow in the cosmetics you make.)
I’m in a private Facebook group with a bunch of natural cosmetic formulators that make and sell cosmetics and regularly test them, and they have all said that colloidal silver isn’t a good broad spectrum preservative and that they would only use it as a secondary (expensive) preservative.
Because I’m not testing my homemade cosmetics, and I don’t really know for sure with all of the conflicting information, I have chosen to err on the side of caution and not use it. But, as I said, it’s really because I’m not 100% sure about it, and rely on what I learn through classes, interacting with experts in the field and what I read.
There is always so much conflicting information that it’s really hard to know for sure what’s best in every given situation.
Thank you, Tracy, for your quick response.
🙂 <3
You’re so welcome, Laurie!
I’m always happy to help as best as I can. I obviously don’t always know the answer, but I do a lot of research and try to weigh out the pros and cons and find a healthy balance between looking for something healthy/safe, and, well, all of the other factors involved. I also realize that there are a lot of reasons that people are looking to make the various recipes on my blog, which is why I like to provide options and help people customize the recipes to really fit their needs.
I do find the idea of colloidal silver quite interesting. I know that when I ended up needing an emergency c-section (after it turned out that my son’s umbilical cord was too short for him to come out by vaginal birth- only discovered after over 12 hours of active pushing!!!), it ended up getting infected and they used silver impregnated bandages and liquids with silver in them to help overcome the infection. So, yes, I do believe that silver must have some great antibacterial properties. It’s just too hard to know how much/how to use it without any sort of testing on each particular product.
Hi Tracy! Do you have any insight on a beginners “shopping list”? I.e., what ingredients should I have to be able to start with some basic lotions, soaps, balms, etc.? And the best ones to buy/order?
Thank you! I’m so excited I found this blog! I really want to make more homemade gifts and household gems!
Hi Ellie,
That’s a great idea for a post- or maybe something that I could add to each category page! So, for the soap making category, I could add a list of common supplies and things I think would be good to have.
Right now I don’t have anything written up like that yet, but I can see how it would be helpful. I’ve spent way too much money buying pretty much every oil and surfactant available sot hat I could do a lot of experimentation. That’s great for someone who is wanting to develop recipes, but maybe not so much for someone who just wants to make a few great personal care items. You end up with a lot of oils that will go bad before you can use them.
I will say that I have been working in trying to stick with some of the same emulsifiers (I’ve tried many out by now) so that people don’t have to buy 200 different ones for each recipe. (BTMS, for example, is, in my opinion, the best one for conditioner for your hair, but it can also make a light lotion so I used it for my roll-on deodorant recipe.)
I have started working on a carrier oil post to help people decide which oils to buy and use based on their needs. The problem is that I want to add a lot of information to it as it pertains to both soap making as well as other cosmetic uses, so it’s taking me a long time. I’ll definitely try to get it out as soon as I can, though. 😉
How do you measure pure powder additives to add to my lotion to make the mixture 2%?
Hi Shawn,
Everything in lotions should be done by weight. I normally make small batches as I’m only making for myself and am using natural preservatives. To make things very simple, I usually make 100g batches. I’d then use 2g to make it be 2% of the recipe, making sure the other ingredients add up to 98g.
I want to make soap and lotions
So how i can make
Hello Ayan,
I have a couple of basic recipes that should help you get started.
This is a post with an easy beginner soap recipe.
You can learn how to make a basic lotion here.
Hope that helps!
Hi!!
Just whipped up conditioner from your site. Thank u for your knowledge
Hi Kesha,
I need to whip up a new batch this weekend myself. It’s one of my favorite recipes from the blog. 😉
So happy to have been able to help!
Hi Tracy,
I’m trying your “Easy Pumpkin Spice Soap” and have a few questions.
What oil do you prepare your molds with?
Why do you add salt and sugar to this soap?
Thanks you
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn,
Sorry for the delay. I had a crazy weekend celebrating my son’s birthday yesterday with a big party, and was dealing with a cake making catastrophe the day before. Hahaha Luckily I resolved the problem.
When preparing the molds, I used to use any oil I had around. I’ve since found, though, that it really isn’t necessary. Even when making something tricky like a soap in a pvc pipe (like my peppermint candy soap), it isn’t really necessary. Instead, I like to place the soap in the freezer before unmolding from tricky molds like that one. The freezer not only helps harden the soap slightly to help keep it from breaking, but it also slightly shrinks the soap, making it easier to unmold.
As for the sugar and salt, I forgot I had added those to that soap.
Salt, in general, helps harden a soap. I probably was afraid that the soap might not be as hard after adding the pumpkin puree or something. Or maybe I just wanted to make as hard of a bar of soap as I could without changing up the oils too much in that recipe. The recipe is based on the easy beginner soap recipe. I purposely left it almost the same to give people just one more change for adding things like goat milk and something like pumpkin puree. Using goat milk is intimidating, so I wanted to keep the recipe simple for people’s first attempt at using it. This recipe gives a long working time, which makes it ideal for beginners to play with the spices, swirling, etc.
The sugar adds lather.
Neither is necessary in the recipe. I just added them to try to make the best bar I could with the combination of oils used.
I hope that helps!
Hi Tracy,
I make my first lotion using your recipe and it was amazing. My only problem was the lotion started to separate after a few weeks. How do I prevent this? Do you have a recipe for using Aloe Vera as a base instead of water? Anxiously awaiting your reply, a faithful follower. Hazel
Hi Hazel,
Thanks so much for your kind comment!
To answer your first question. It can be a problem with the particular emulsifier you are using. (Some people don’t have issues of separation with some and do with others.) Some emulsifiers work better if you actually whip all of the ingredients together, while some work better with gentle mixing. Especially with “emulsifying wax,” there can be a huge difference in the way the emulsifier is made.
You can try a few things-
1) try the method of actually heating the water and the oil components separately for 20 minutes before mixing them together. (I hinted to that being an option in the post about making lotions, and while I don’t normally do that myself, I have read about people who do that to avoid separation later on. If you are having problems with separation with your particular emulsifier, that would be a great place to start.
2) Try mixing them together over a double boiler for longer. You can also experiment with your particular emulsifier to see if you think it works better when you whip the ingredients together with an immersion blender or not.
3) You could just try a different emulsifier to see if you like it better. Most are inexpensive, so if you feel like nothing is working, or just don’t want to waste too much time trying to get yours to work, that’s another easy fix.
As for the Aloe Vera, you can easily replace part of the water with aloe Vera juice. That’s what I did in my conditioner recipe. You can also normally replace some water with some gel, but keep in mind that aloe gels have other ingredients to keep them gel like that may affect things. I’ll be working on more ways to work aloe into creams and lotions soon. 😉
Hi I just found your blog via Mama Natural. I am an American mom also living in Spain. We are in Madrid, how about you all. I am always looking for a chance to meet fun new moms here. Look forward to reading.
Hello!
I’m actually in Dénia (Alicante), so we are a few hours apart, I’m afraid. It still is good to meet other expats relatively nearby. I’ll have to take a look at your blog, too! (It will have to wait until next week as I have a busy weekend ahead) 🙂
Maybe we can connect on Facebook or Twitter, too? I’ll try to find you there when I check out your blog next week.
Thanks Tracy for your reply, I am sorry to hear you are not just right around the corner. It is nice to have some like minded moms to visit with. My blog is pretty neglected, between another baby and a few health hiccups it has taken a backseat. Maybe now with the arrival of Spring I will breathe some new life into it. I will continue to read, I hope you are well and enjoying the lovely coast.
Ah yes, with a new baby, I completely understand taking a break from blogging! 🙂
I haven’t been as active as usual either because I have been trying out a candida cleanse diet for the last 3 weeks, and during the first couple I was very tired and not feeling great. I feel a lot better now, though, and am ready to give it another go!
If you ever make it to the coast, let me know.
I love your blog! I am able to identify on so many different levels with what you post here: American ex-pat, married to a Spaniard, degree in Spanish Lit, not able to con-validate degree, one son, love to cook, bake, create beautiful things! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog!
Marnie
Thank you, Marnie! Wow, we do have a lot in common! I hope you have been able to make the most of being here without being able to use your degree, too. Do you mind if I ask you what part of Spain you are in? (Wouldn’t it be cool if we were nearby each other too.) 🙂
I love when, by chance, I come across wonderful people like you that are doing beautiful things and loving life. Thank you for sharing your story and all the projects that you do with (and without) your little boy! I will be sharing your ideas and posts on my own FB page and website, in hopes of spreading even more inspiration, positivity and creativity to as many people as possible. I look forward to enjoying more of your blog and posts!
Thank you so much for your comment! I love when I hear from people who enjoy my blog. It’s what makes it all worthwhile!
You have definitely made my day (and perhaps, my month!!) 😉 So, thank you!
Thank-you so much for sharing a part of you with me I truly think that if more people were willing to do that we would be living in a much friendlier world. When I was pregnant with my son who I latter learned was autistic I too found it difficult to keep everyone informed as to mine and the baby’s health I spent hours trying to contact everyone to give them the latest updates and always felt that someone’s feelings would be hurt because I didn’t think to phone or email them. I feel that it would only be appropriate to ask for permission to share this blog with my own family and friends.
I have learned many things about the frustration of parenting an autistic child. It was very difficult for me to keep the playschool he was attending from putting a label on his and just accepting that my son was not able to learn so they didn’t encourage him to be appropriate while in the classroom and still struggles with behaving appropriately in social settings that some days I have to keep him home because the outside world is just to much for him to deal with and keeping a job has been very difficult at times. Please don’t mistake this as my whining or feeling sorry for myself I have found my life with my son Brandhan to be very rewarding and couldn’t ask for a better son. I am just discouraged by how little is known about autism and how most behavior can be managed with proper rest and nutrition. It has been my experience that the school systems are so under funded and uneducated when it comes to managing difficult and sometimes violent behavior that they insist on medication out of desperation.
Thank you so much for your comment!!
It’s been awhile since I have updated my other blog that I share with family. I really ned to do that too, but have loved working on this one so much lately, that I haven’t gotten around to it.
I’m so sorry to hear about your son. My cousin also has an autistic child, and I was just writing her about it yesterday. It’s true that little by little more people are starting to write about their experiences with how changes in diet can help in certain aspects, but it’s sad that not much more is known about the causes or what can truly help families with autistic children. I haven’t been able to meet him, well not since the diagnosis, because he lives in Venezuela, but hopefully will get to soon. It’s hard having family all over the world!
Of course I would love for you to share this blog with other people!
If there’s anything you’d like to see here, just let me know. I love getting ideas from others!
Happy holidays!