Getting Busy With Pinterest : DIY Body Care

I don't know about you all, but I CAN'T. STOP. PINNING. And as much as I want to spend all of the day pinning all of the things, I'm finding that Pinterest is not-so-secretly one big procrastination tool {and exactly the kind of thing I'm trying to eliminate}. Granted, it's dressed up in a very pretty outfit, but it's still one of those sites that you go to aimlessly click around while you are on the phone with your BFF only to look up hours later and realize that you've looked at a hundred pretty recipes and stylish outfits but have failed to eat anything or put on clothes other than pajamas at any point during the day. Not that this has happened to me. Of course not.

To avoid the fate of becoming a person with perfectly curated Pinterest boards and a mess of an actual creative life, I have developed a plan. This is revolutionary, people. Are you ready for it?

I am going to take what I see on Pinterest, and I'm going to do something. Make those DIYs. Cook those recipes! BUY ALL OF THE CLOTHES. Well, maybe not that, as to avoid massive credit card debt. But I will use my clothing boards to work on my fashion sense within my own closet.

I'm going to aim for one project a week, although I'm not holding myself to any strict rules or guidelines. I'd like it to be a fun process, much like Pinterest itself, with the additional satisfaction of trying my hand at some new projects. And, bonus points-- the holidays are approaching, so if something goes particularly well, you can bet your bottom that someone will find it under their Christmas tree. {Well, likely not the following two projects, as neither are particularly suited to gift-giving without offhandedly insulting the recipient. But those reindeer-face cookies? Perfect!}

Up first are these two pins: Homemade Deodorant (via How About Orange) and The Oil Cleansing Method (via Simple Mom).


And my versions:



I was able to whip up batches of both recipes in less time than it would have taken me just to search for my car keys to drive to the store, and the ingredients cost much less than the store-bought goods if you break it down to the cost per batch. I just stored them in some old containers I had. {The deodorant is in a Nivea lotion container-- sorry for the white on white; I wish you could see it better, but it was the best jar I had!} I use the mini-spatula/scraper to help me get the deodorant out of the container without getting gunk under my fingernails. It's liquidy in the picture since I heated the coconut oil a bit to mix ingredients, but it is normally solid like stick deodorant at room temperature and melts as it touches your skin.

I had heard great things about the homemade deodorant, and love that I'd be able to avoid the aluminum and other nasty ingredients that are in most commerical products. As for the olive oil cleaner, I was am a little more skeptical. A little context: I am the girl whose husband likes to torment her with greasy pizza fingers, since I tend to freak out at the thought of anything remotely oily ending up in my facial region. So, I'm supposed to not only put oil on my face willingly, but use it to cleanse my face? Icky. But, I'm also easily influenced by social media, and if Joy the Baker recommends it, I'm willing to give it a shot. And I do tend to get dry skin in the colder months, so if it helps that problem, I guess I can put up with a face that smells like salad dressing.

Big, huge, blinking-marque-sign caveat: Proceed at your own risk if you decide to try out these DIY items yourself. I literally just started trying out these methods over the weekend, so I have not had enough time to adequately judge whether the homemade deodorant will cause me to lose friends or if the face cleaner will make me break out like a hormonal teenager. I'm simply writing about these projects as a part of my quest to use Pinterest more interactively, and will have to return with a more thorough assessment of the recipes at a later date, if y'all are interested.


I'm curious to hear-- is Pinterest mainly visual inspiration for you? Or have you gotten some inspiration for hands-on projects from the site? And, more importantly, would YOU put olive oil on your face?