101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home: A Nerdy Farm Wife's All-Natural DIY Projects Using Commonly Found Herbs, Flowers & Other Plants

by Jan Berry

** REVISED & EXPANDED EDITION AVAILABLE -- THE BIG BOOK OF HOMEMADE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR SKIN, HEALTH & HOME**


Go Green in Every Part of Your Life with These Easy, All-Natural Herbal Products

Kick toxic, synthetic skin care products and cleaners out the door and bring the healing joy of nature into your life with the simple, versatile projects in 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home . In this incredible resource, Jan Berry teaches you the basics of making your own skin care and hair care products, health remedies and household cleaners―then how to customize them into truly unique and personalized items! You’ll learn how to make:

- Honey, Rose & Oat Face Cleanser
- Cool Mint Body Wash
- Basic Calendula Lotion
- Floral Salt Foot Scrub Bars
- Basil & Lime Lip Balm
- Lavender Oatmeal Soap
- Violet Flower Sore Throat Syrup
- Thyme Counter Cleaner
- Lavender Laundry Detergent
- And so much more!

All of the projects are easy to make and use commonly found herbs, flowers, oils and other natural ingredients. No fancy equipment or previous experience required! If you don’t have a certain ingredient on hand, Jan provides tips on how to substitute and what works best. Going green has never been easier or more affordable. With this book, you can use local, natural ingredients to make something beautiful, effective and good for you and your family.

Expand your herbal product collection with these other books in Jan Berry's bestselling series:
- Simple & Natural Soapmaking
- Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Crafts, Reference, Gardening, Cookbooks

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2016

Reviews

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing powerhouse of info about natural products and recipes. Most people don’t give enough thought to the products they use on their skin and hair. We absorb these chemicals through our endocrine system and they can have so many negative effects on us, such as hormonal issues and cancer. I read the ebook but I plan to buy the physical book for the future.

[Kitten Kisser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Originally I was going to rate it three stars, but after starting my review, I realized that there are a lot of recipes that I like so I decided to rate it four stars.

While I don't consider myself an expert, I do have some experience making organic skin, lip, & pet products both for my family/farm/pets & as a small part of business income for my farm. Mainly I stick with methods that do not use water as they are much safer & I feel they deliver better results.
My main interests are medicinal, & this book does contain some medicinal recipes but she doesn't really add much depth compared to other (better) books. While you can throw together some ingredients safely, others have much greater risks & the author should have done a better job stressing this to the reader. This is especially important for first timers who might not grasp just how important it is to follow certain safety guidelines. Many recipes are so fragile the author recommends keeping the in the refrigerator & using the product up in less than a week. These products easily spoil & can become contaminated very easily. As the reader you must use common sense & know not to put wet fingers for example into a product otherwise you have just increased it's likelihood of spoiling. Other recipes require constant shaking along with refrigeration prior to use. If you understand proper handling & don't mind making certain items often, then this is not a big deal. If on the other hand, you are pressed for time & don't understand proper handling, you could have a real problem on your hands esp. if you decide to give or sell the items.

Personally I feel Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health: 175 Teas, Tonics, Oils, Salves, Tinctures, & Other Natural Remedies for the Entire Family & Healthy at Home: Get Well and Stay Well Without Prescriptions are much better choices.

On the other end, there are some really great recipes that I love from this book. There are only a few sections that hold little interest to me. If you are a beginner I strongly recommend you read Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health first. If you find you want to further explore medicinal products I highly recommend Low Dog's book. I would also recommend reading an in-depth book on soap making if that is of interest to you. The soap making section in this book covers the basics, but you are better off learning all that you can before you begin.

Also, the author provides links to only a few products/companies she recommends that I've never heard of except for one. I have my own preferred suppliers for what I do not grow on my farm & only one of these well known suppliers are in her book. The fact that she only recommends a child size handful of suppliers makes me think she is getting paid to recommend them.

On a final note, this book is not bad if you are already experienced. The book is chock full of beautiful full color photos giving the reader many ideas for gift giving &/or marketing. Whatever you do, make sure you get a more informative book prior to this book so that you can get a proper education regarding making your own products at home.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a long time follower of Jan's blog The Nerdy Farm Wife so I was quick to preorder this knowing how great her recipes are. She is a concise writer of recipes, with easy to follow instructions. I am cautious in trying new things and her straightforward approach got me making some salves and lotion bars. I'm excited to try some new things in this book.
About the book itself:
The photos are gorgeous. The spine of this book is unique, a combination of glue and string bound that allows for it to open wide and stay open from any spot in the book - which I think is such an attention to detail for a cookbook.
What's inside:
Skin care, salves & balm, body butters & lotion bars, creams & lotions, soaks & salts, bath melts & scrubs, lip care, hair care, handmade soaps, home remedies, household solutions, and pet care. There's a great intro to the supplies you'll be using as well as a thorough index. Any skill level will find something to enjoy in this book.

[Kristah Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been following Jan's blog The Nerdy Farm Wife for a while now and was excited when I saw that she had written a book. It is full of projects for making skin and hair care products, household cleaners, health remedies, and pet care products, using natural ingredients and common herbs, flowers and oils. I have made several projects from the book and am thrilled with how they turned out. The book is perfect for the beginner with easy-to-follow directions and lots of lovely pictures. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in making their own herbal products and in living a natural, chemical-free lifestyle.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great mix of DIY household creations , salves, cleaning products, and beauty essentials. I really enjoyed this!

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, informative recipe book! It was so helpful to have pages and pages included which gave overviews of individual flowers, herbs, oils, butters, etc. and their unique beneficial properties and uses in skincare. The author also included a section on soapmaking basics.

What a gem of a resource!! I don't want to give it back to the library. 😆

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025: Annual reread.

2023/4: Of many, this is the best practical homemade herbal book I have read and one of the very few books I own. My mom was a librarian when I was growing up and we weren't allowed to own books, so this is a meaningful statement.

Thanks, Jan Berry. Actively looking for your other teachings.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. checked out from library so I'll have to check it out again when I get time to make some of these items or purchase it down the road.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

really liked the book and the simple recipes for various products.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on the library shelf and impulsively checked it out. The explanations were simple and concise, most recipes seemed easy enough for a novice, and the photos were lovely.

Alas, I don't think I am going to do much with the information from this book right now. In a different life I think I could be an herbalist, but right now there are too many demands on my time and too many other things I prefer to do with plants (namely grow, cook, and eat them.) The idea of making my own soap feels lovely...but maybe in another life.

[Phyllis corella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own this book and it is very informative, especially for the person who wants to get into making homemade salves and creams. It is useful for anyone who has allergies and needs to avoid the toxic chemicals that many of the creams and salves contain. Most of the ingredients she uses are readily easy to purchase. I have posted a very long reading span because I continue to refer to it almost on a monthly basis.

[Diane Fogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be checking this book out of the library again. Or at least until I can find it at a price I can afford. One of those books I want to add to my personal library. Love the simple and easy to follow instructions. I look forward to making some of the lotions and soaps for myself. I will be checking this book out of the library again. Or at least until I have time to find it in a good used condition at a reasonable price.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book offers easy homemade recipes using herbs and flowers that are often found in your back yard. I've made useful, healing scrubs, salves, lip balms, and soaps with success using Ms. Berry's instructions. She obviously has the knowledge, skill, and experience that, to me, makes this a professional, easy to read, and effective guide to herbal remedies and cosmetics.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written it is very informative and has everything you need to make salves are body creams. I love that it tells you about each item that is being used, it also gives you details on the herbs and other plants that are being used. It is very easy to follow the instructions when making any item in this book. I did make the dandelion body cream it was amazing.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book as a Christmas gift. So many great herbal recipes that I want to try. The book contains detailed instructions, illustrations, substitutions and tips. A great reference book addition to my herbal book collection.

[Morgan Reyelts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that these recipes are almost all whole herb based, not essential oil based! She does use essential oils in some recipes, but they are often optional and not the main part of the recipe. There is also a nice introduction to soap making in this book.

[Robin Collier-Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how approachable this book is. It makes natural living feel doable, not overwhelming. The recipes are simple and grounded in things you can actually find and use. It feels empowering to create your own products instead of relying on store-bought everything.

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I was looking for! Pictures. Recipes. Descriptions. Helpful hints. Substitutions. Very thorough. Great if you are wanting natural ways to clean, or make your own cosmetics!

[Ems Loves to Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good suggestions & products. I won't use all of them, but I'll definitely use some.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seemed like good recipes for people that are really interested.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had time to infuse dozens of flowers and herbs in a variety of oils this would be the book for me. The recipes are intriguing and sound amazing, but who has time for all the infusing!

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection. I’m working on making some of these.

[Katie Verrue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures, easy to follow recipes. Great simple explanations for each herb, oil, etc. and what it does.