Have you ever created the perfect skin care recipe?

And then experienced the frustration of trying to make it again but you have no notes?

Or you have notes... but you can't read them... or find them?

Never be frustrated again!

Follow these 10 simple steps and you will be well on your way to making your own natural skin care products with ease.

1. See what ingredients you have on hand. Sniff, look inside your ottles and conainers. It's amazing how a slight whiff of scent can explode into a great idea for a blend, or a few rubs of an ingredient or two can give you a great idea for the texture you are looking for.

2. Think awhile, dwell on your inspiration. What are you in the mood for. This is the time to be relaxed and reflective. Grab a cup of tea and sit outside or in your favourite chair just to get a feel for what you'd like to put together.

3. Write a list of possible ingredients starting with 1-3 star performers. Brainstorm a list of optionals or variations to choose from as the mood hits you.

4. Research ingredients for properties, safety, usage rates and special instructions. This is what you will use as a jumping off point for amounts and measurements of each ingredient as well as your method.

5. Outline, according to your research, a first try recipe that you think will work. Record carefully in a binder just for your own natural skin care recipes. Don't write it on a loose piece of paper unless it is in your binder!

6. Mix it up, recording any special instructions and observations.

7. Let it sit a day, sampling throughout to see if you need any last minute adjustments.

8. Take notes on texture, future adjustments, problems, solutions, second trial adjustments and variations.

9. Repeat the process until satisfied.

10. Record your final recipe in a bound book and/or sheet protector in your natural skin care binder.

TIP: While creating your recipe, use a pencil so that you can erase any changes and adjustments. This will save a lot of crossing out and make it much more legible later when you try to make it again. Record the final copy with pen and put it in a sheet protector so that you can use it without ruining it. It never hurts to make a back up folder of your recipes on your computer as well.

Creating your own natural skin care recipe can be almost Zen like. It's good for you, good for the environment and good for your skin.

The pleasure that you get when using your own creation and sharing it with friends doesn't compare to anything that you can buy off the shelf - you might just want to keep it to yourself!