3 Ways to Make Money with Homemade Bodycare Products

Dry skin. Chapped lips. Brittle hair. Read on to see how you can alleviate these problems for yourself and others.

Winter is setting in whether we’re ready for it or not. I think the hardest part for me is the minus 40 temperatures that are inevitable. It’s a good time of year to not have to drive to a job in town.

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I have been working on my Etsy Shops, recorded and published the second episode of my podcast, and spent some time making homemade lip balm.

A couple weeks ago I ordered some shea butter, cocoa butter, almond oil, beeswax pellets, lip balm tubes, and two ounce screw-top tins. I have a case full of essential oils so am working on trying out a few recipes to see what works and what doesn’t.

I’m making the balms and salves for my own use, plus to give to family and friends. I had considered making it to sell but in all honesty, it doesn’t go with either of my Etsy shops. I do however, plan on adding some printable labels to TOLA50Printables for those who do make and sell bodycare products.

Now that brings me to how money can be made with bodycare products.

1. Make products to sell.

The most common way to earn money with bodycare products is to make and sell them. With so many products on the market made in who-knows-where, it’s nice to know exactly what’s going into the lip balms and lotions.

Many people are wanting to take a step away from the commercially produced, chemical-filled soap, shampoo, lotion, etc. By making some high end products with simple ingredients you could potentially have an in within the health and wellness industry.

The nice thing is it really doesn’t take a lot to get started. I spent less than $100.00 on the supplies listed above, and most likely could have started with less. I’m sure I didn’t need 50 lip balm tubes or 48 screw-top tins, but when I ordered them I was still undecided as to what I was going to do.

There are a LOT of recipes available online and in books, but don’t be afraid to test and tweak. I have made a “medicated” pain relief salve using infused shea butter, but found it to be too hard. I remelted the salve and added in a little almond oil, so will be trying it to see if it’s easier to apply. Well, the applying wasn’t the hard part; getting it out of the jar was.

The lip balm I made was a 1:1:1 ratio, plus a drop of food grade essential oil for flavour. I do think another drop or two of oil would have been okay, as there is a hint of cinnamon but it’s definitely far from overpowering.

One thing I did learn while making the lip balm: have everything ready and work fast when filling the tubes. I was surprised at how quickly the mix cooled as soon as I started to pour it. The jar I mixed the ingredients in was almost too hot to hold with my bare hands, but it did not take long for the mix to cool.

I am a Young Living Distributor and have access to the best essential oils available. I use them regularly in my diffuser, in my cooking (food grade ones), and even for cleaning. There are some recipes in the catalog I want to try, especially the pain relief topicals.

Last winter when I was achy I would run a hot bath and add lavender and spearmint to Epson Salts, then soak for 15 – 20 minutes. It helped with the achiness plus my bathroom and bedroom smelled really good afterwards too.

Some things you can make are:

  • lip balm
  • pain relief cream
  • bath bombs
  • shampoo
  • hair conditioner
  • hand lotion
  • body lotion
  • soap
  • sugar scrub
  • body wash
  • shaving cream
  • body butter
  • shower bombs
  • deodorant
  • toothpaste
  • bath salts
  • …and more.

There’s really no limit to what can be made with a few simple ingredients, some essential oils, and some creativity. And for those of you who like to dabble in cannabis, it can be added to topical bodycare products too.

Medicated Salve and Cinnamon Lip Balm
2. Recipe Book

This is more the avenue I’m interested in taking. As I try different recipes and tweak them, I’ll be compiling an ebook. I personally do not want to have a lot of product on hand, so will just make enough for family and friends…plus possibly a local shop that is stocked with locally produced products.

I do not want to be worried about shipping products, or carrying an inventory. Plus I don’t want to have to worry about having product that will expire. Keep in mind that when chemicals aren’t used the product will go bad faster.

I do know some can be kept cold or frozen to extend its shelf life, but when one lives in a rural area a steady stream of local customers is a little harder to come by than in an urban area.

Plus, writing is right up my alley. I love to do research, trial and error, then put it all together into an ebook to help others. And as with my crochet patterns, my customers can make and sell the items I design/create.

The benefit to this method is the ebook only has to be written once, and I can sell it over and over again. It’s more of a passive income route than the active income that making and selling the products requires.

3. Teach a Class

With all of the options available online, teaching has become easier and easier.

I enjoy teaching others, but more through the written word. I know not everyone is like me, and platforms such as Skillshare and Teachable can be lucrative if utilized.

Whether you decide to make lip balm, body scrub, lotion, or bath bombs, showing someone else how to do it step-by-step can benefit your bank balance. You can choose one product, or do a series of products.

When you’re teaching others how to make the products, you’re also teaching them how to support themselves. Your class will be a combination of video lessons and handouts, which will ultimately do one of two things: help others create and build a bodycare business, or it won’t.

In Conclusion

You cannot control what your students do with your information once they have it. Some will be excited about it and follow your recipes and advice; and they will be the ones who thrive. Others will perhaps take the class and not do anything with what they have learned. That is not a reflection on you as a teacher. Some people are just like that.

One thing I do have to emphasize: no matter what you do, don’t ever promise your students they will earn X amount of dollars by taking your class (or reading your book). The materials you provide are for informational purposes only, and earnings are never guaranteed. It is up to the individual to make that happen; not you.

Have you or do you make bodycare products?

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Author: Diane Ziomek

I am a mom, grandma, independent author/publisher, freelance writer, fiber artist, and information product creator. I like to share what I have learned with others over the years, in hopes of making their lives easier and more lucrative. My published works can be found on most ebook platforms, as well as on my website. I also have two just-for-fun websites: one about gardening where I share information about plants, how-to's, and gardening in a cold climate, and the other to document my journey to a healthier me by practicing yoga and low-impact exercise.

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