Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products [Paperback]

Dorie Byers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2001

Taking care of yourself means making healthy choices. We are inundated with ads that tell us we cannot have naturally beautiful skin and hair without buying and using expensive brand name products. The fact is, we can attain a radiant, healthy appearance by making our own skin and hair care products out of all-natural ingredients.

Dorie Byers, a registered nurse, master gardener and herb enthusiast, describes the properties and characteristics of dozens of herbs, essential oils, and other natural ingredients, and provides a wealth of recipes for every skin type. These alternatives to commercial preparations will save you money and put you in control of the healthy ingredients you apply to your body.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Chock-full of recipes, hints, tips, and a glossary of terms. -- The Indianapolis Star

Dorie's approach gently prompts the reader to learn, experiment, and take care of oneself. -- Earthsisters Inc

Easily read with intelligible instructions _ an all-in-the-family, do-it-yourself marvel! -- The Book Reader, Spring/Summer 2001

About the Author

Dorie Byers is a graduate of Indiana State University and a member of Sigma Theta Tau nursing honorary. She received her certificates in Master Gardening and Advanced Master Gardening through the Purdue University Extension Service and has spent many years growing herbs and researching their uses. She has certificates in Herbal Medicine through the Herbal Healer Academy and The School of Herbal Medicine. She has also published Herbal Remedy Gardens (Storey Communications, Inc.), and she is a contributor to and co-editor of Taste Life! The Organic Choice (Vital Health Publishing, Inc.). In addition to contribuitng to the book Storey's Basic Skills (Storey Communications, Inc.), she has been an Advisory Board Member and Expert Reader for The Complete Guide to Natural Healing. Dorie lectures, writes, and gives classes on many aspects of herbs throughout the Midwest and beyond.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Vital Health Publishing; 2 Revised edition (May 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890612197
• ISBN-13: 978-1890612191
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #424,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

83 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad book for beginners, November 25, 2007

By 

T. Campbell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products (Paperback)

I like the explanations for different oils, additives etc and what type of skin is best for them. I also like that the book included cautions for different EO's (i.e. for pregnant women and sun exposure) as beginners would not know about needing to be careful of these things.

One thing that I WAS NOT impressed with was that she has you buy an organic base for different things (soaps, shampoos, etc) and just add the EO's rather than tell you how to make it completely from scratch yourself.

One word of caution - DO NOT USE THE SHAMPOO RECIPES for everyday use. The author is an RN and herbalist not a cosmetologist. She has you buy a baby shampoo for your base and just add the rest. I am a licensed cosmetologist and can tell you that baby shampoo is the worst shampoo you can use on your hair for everyday use. It is a clarifying shampoo used to strip your hair completely of everything and you will end up with dry, brittle, split end prone hair. It is ok for babies as babies have different kind of hair that is coated and needs the harsh shampoo in order to get it cleaned. It doesnt bother babies hair for one because you should only wash their hair at the most 3 times a week and for two their hair produces more oils to protect it. Bottom line - if you are going to use this shampoo, limit your usage to no more than once every two weeks to remove product buildup (use less than that if you dont use a lot of product). Consult another book for better hair care recipes - I highly recommend the book "Organic Body Care Recipes" by Stephanie Tourles (a licensed esthetician.

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Natural Beauty Cheap!, July 19, 2005

By 

Heather Flournoy "'Healthy Mother'" (Ridgefield, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products (Paperback)

This book is great- I've tried a bunch of the recipes and they were actually pretty easy to make and worked well, unlike another book I have on making your own lotions and shampoos. I've tried the Lavender-Rosemary Deoderant and the Silky Smooth Liquid Soap that we use in our office. I've also recommend making these things with children- they make great presents. One of the unique things in this book is the Picnic Cleanser which works really well when travelling. The mouthwashes work great too!

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not pleased, October 28, 2007

By 

VICKI TEFFETELLER "Tiamat" (Walland, Tn USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Natural Beauty Basics : Create Your Own Cosmetics and Body Care Products (Paperback)

This book is great if you want to buy unscented soaps and add oils to scent them but no information on truly createing your own formulas.