Spa cosmetics made at home

Hard to stomach in these financially troubled times?

Don't fret, says Janice Cox, author of "Natural Beauty at Home," a book about creating your own health and beauty products, including bath salts and facial cleansers.

"It's very easy and cheap to make your own spa products at home," she says.

Ms. Cox, who has been making her own health and beauty products for a couple of decades, says most products use just three or four ingredients, including food products such as cooking oils and oatmeal.

Offers Julie Hasson, a Portland, Ore., fan of Ms. Cox's books: "A lot of the stuff is stocked in the kitchen already."

Aside from the money savings, Ms. Hasson says, she likes making her own beauty products because that enables her to tailor-make products to fit her needs and tastes.

"You have much more control over the ingredients," she says, adding that that can be of particular interest for people with allergies.

Some of the products, she cautions, must be stored in the fridge because they don't include any preservatives and contain fresh ingredients, including dairy products and eggs.

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