Grow your own! There are many quality vegan cosmetics you can make in your own kitchen. They're fresh, immediate, organic and you know exactly what ingredients are contained. So many items these days are packed with preservatives, additives and other products we don't want absorbed into our system. When someone is serious enough to live a vegan lifestyle, they are serious about the products they put into, and on their bodies. Using organic ingredients, you can make your own environmentally friendly, animal friendly cosmetics. Some of the quality vegan cosmetics you can make yourself include:

* Skin cream
* Skin cleanser
* Hair highlighter
* Moisturizer
* Shampoo and conditioner

Try this highlighter for golden summer highlights:

Hair Highlighter:

¼ cup strained lemon juice (from an organic lemon)
¼ cup white vinegar

Mix ingredients together and use as a final rinse after shampooing. Rinse and towel dry hair, or allow hair to dry naturally in the sun.

Is your hair naturally oily? Try this shampoo to clean your scalp and absorb unwanted grease from hair:

Oily Hair Shampoo:

Oily Hair Dry Shampoo:

¼ cup fine cornmeal
¼ cup powdered orris root

Mix ingredients together and put into shaker bottle. Sprinkle on scalp and through hair. Allow five to 10 minutes and brush out thoroughly until all of the mixture is removed and hair shines.

This concoction is perfect for dry, winter weather hands. Keep this on your nightstand:

Hand Cream:

12 oz. glycerine
4 oz. stearic acid
¼ lb. para-wax

Mix ingredients together over low to medium heat, or in a double boiler. Stir well with wooden spoon.

In another container dissolve ½ tsp. boric acid crystals in 2 cups hot water, stir well. Cool slightly and add ½ oz. 28% ammonia. Stir till milky. Remove all ingredients from heat. Combine mixtures 1 and 2 in bowl. Beat with electric mixer until thick and creamy (frosting consistency). Add a few drops of perfume and food coloring.

Try enriching any vegan skin cream you are currently using with any of the following additives:
1 tsp. of additive to 4 ounces of cream wheat germ oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, baby oil, apricot kernel oil, sesame oil.

Nothing is better for a beautiful, glowing complexion than all natural, animal by-product free, cosmetics. This "Fountain-of-Youth Cold Cream" is the perfect finale for your bedtime beauty regime:

Cold Cream:

2 cups vegetable shortening
2 tblsp. Mineral oil
2 tblsp. Olive oil
2 tblsp. Pure lanolin
2 tblsp. Castor oil
2 tblsp. Glycerin
Food coloring, fragrance (optional)

Mix ingredients. If electric mixer is used, use on low speed. After well blended, beat on medium or high speed until fluffy. The cold cream will turn out better. Add a few drops of your favorite fragrance and beat again. This can be put in jars and stored in refrigerator.

Quality vegan cosmetics are just a teaspoon away!