When seeking out natural alternatives to store-bought body care and wellness products, it can be hard to know how to create shelf-stable versions of store-bought staples at home. In fact, some of the most common questions we receive from our friends and customers relate to naturally preserving homemade botanical goodies.

While many of us are familiar with solid coconut oil with its myriad of uses in our everyday lives, some may be less acquainted with its liquid counterpart known as fractionated or MCT coconut oil.

While looking forward to a fresh new year, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on the past and the lessons learned along the way. We had a blast creating a variety of botanically inspired recipes for you, from natural body care formulations to herbal remedies that will keep you well all year long. Here are seven selections from 2018 that really stood out:

Since prehistoric times, humanity has sought out scented botanicals to create perfumes for anointing the body and burning as incense. From ancient Egyptians using enfleurage of fragrant flowers to create unguents that would melt in the heat and sweeten body odor, to modern perfume houses and the dizzying array of creations they offer, scented preparations are an essential part of the human experience.

I love the scents of the holiday season. Nothing compares to the fresh, crisp scent of peppermint, or the warm, inviting, and spicy scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves—nothing, that is, except the sweet scent of oranges mingling with spices and chocolate. That distinctive fragrance always evokes childhood memories of my mom and me handcrafting those lovely orange pomander ornaments, made by sticking cloves directly into an unpeeled orange in creative designs. It’s a beloved holiday tradition that I have carried over to my own family!

Lip balm is about as much of a staple in my life as water. While some might say that I’m addicted to it, I like to think I’m a connoisseur. Whatever you want to call my love for happy, hydrated lips, I simply cannot go without my beloved stick of soft, smooth goodness. And with a habit like mine, it’s far more cost effective and fun to make my own lip balm than to stock up at the store. Tinkering with different recipes is one of my favorite pastimes; after all, a person can never have too many flavors of lip lusciousness!

Midwinter holidays are my favorite time of the year. I adore having a reason to craft gifts for my loved ones, and I find it so much more satisfying to dance and sing around my kitchen like a happy elf while I concoct individualized creations for everyone on my list, than to fight through traffic and crowds to purchase mass-produced goods.

The holidays are almost upon us, so we’ve curated some of our favorite culinary and natural body care recipes to inspire your homemade gift giving this year. From homemade decor, to natural body care formulas, to kitchen staples, most of these DIY projects can be done in a day, and none takes more than a week. Even if you’ve put off your holiday crafting a little longer than you intended, there’s still time to whip up some botanical bounty to surprise and delight everyone on your list!

Ever since I joined the Mountain Rose Herbs team, I’ve been dabbling in making my own body care products (and loving it!). DIY goodies are easier to make than you might think, and they’re completely customizable to your unique needs and aroma preferences. With the abundance of beautiful and healthful botanicals available in my workplace, it didn’t take long for little jars of homemade body butter to start appearing on my desk, office shelves, and nearby countertops. I find body butter to be a wonderful everyday moisturizer for my (often dry) Mediterranean skin.

When the evenings grow chilly and all your friends seem to have the sniffles, a warming mustard bath is just the herbal experience you need! It might seem strange to replace bubble bath mix with mustard seed powder, but mustard bath salts have been used since ancient times to stimulate skin circulation and rejuvenate tired muscles. I also find them very relaxing and helpful during those “under-the-weather” days. With a wonderful, invigorating aroma, this recipe includes many time-tested bathing favorites, like Epsom salt, sea salt, baking soda, and essential oils.

Keeping your hands and cuticles well hydrated is the key to keeping them looking great! If your cuticles are not well moisturized, they're more prone to splitting or breaking, leaving your finger beds vulnerable to infection and injury. Maintaining well hydrated cuticles is what keeps them strong and manageable.