In today’s world, we pay for time.  Products like pre-cooked bacon and sausages would have been scoffed at by even our 1970’s moms (and they were the “Me” generation!). 

 Now, however, anything that can “save time” is looked upon as having unimaginable value. 

 There is a children’s book called “Momo” that my fellow keeps recommending to me.  In it, there are the “Time Bankers” – shadowy people who try to save as much time as possible.  In the end, the citizens of this village end up making innumerable sacrifices just to “save time”.

 This concept is a metaphor for our world’s ever-increasing need to squeeze more time in.  As the world embraces time saving products, companies will be able to make enormous profits on these products. 

 My philosophy is that if an item has a reasonable economic payoff, it is worth “taking the time” to do. 

 One “time-saver” that we don’t even really know about, because we are so far removed from the process, are bath and beauty products.  We think nothing of buying shampoo, soap, conditioner, bath oils, and innumerable items that can easily bankrupt a woman if designer brands are purchased. 

 The secret is – it is easy to make these products.  Dead easy, and dead cheap.  Cosmetics companies are making an enormous profit selling these items to women – and men.  You never have to buy shampoo or conditioner again – ever.  You may need to purchase the ingredients to do a good job, but these will be far cheaper for you than buying the finished products – and a lot of the ingredients (ie essential oils) are transferable between products. 

 Not only can you make these for your own personal consumption, but after gaining some experience you can sell them to family and friends, and locally, as organic alternatives to the beauty products in the drugstores. 

 This approach to removing a “time-saver” can almost amount to a part-time job, you will save so much money.

 Let’s look at what an average household spends on shampoo, conditioner, lotions, and soaps.  Taking my own consumption for two adults, I spend approximately $20/month on these items.  That is $240.00 annually.

 If my consumption in ingredients is reduced to $5.00 a month (that is a 75% markup already – not bad cosmetics companies!), I will be spending $60.00 a year on beauty products.  That is a savings of 180.00 per year.  Assuming I live for another 48 years,

That is a savings of almost 5000.00, not counting inflation (I am assuming cost of ingredients will rise proportionate to finished products). 

That is just one reason to make your own beauty products.  The next is savings of fossil fuels.  I am not sure what the breakdown is, but the shipping involved in these finished products consumes fossil fuels at each stage.  As everyone and not just environmental nuts now know, saving fossil fuels makes very good sense for a number of reasons, not least of which are political reasons.  Whenever you buy any locally made product, you are conserving fossil fuels.  Whenever you make something for your own consumption, you are likewise doing the same. 

You would also be saving packaging as well, assuming of course that you would be refilling the same bottle a few times.

This is really just the root of a stub of an idea.  If any of you have any feedback on making your own beauty products, I’d love to hear it.  I will also chart my progress on this site as I attempt to make my own natural beauty products.

Posted: March 13th, 2008 under Natural Beauty.
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