Quick, Inexpensive Christmas Gifts For Your Man

For less then 15 minutes and $2,  Beard Balms and shave oils are very trendy, inexpensive and fun gifts to make!

Shave oils give a MUCH better shave than store bought creams and foams. My husband not only says his shaves are closer and more comfortable by the end of the week, but his blades last much longer than they used to. Store bought shave oils? Cost upwards of $30/bottle when I made mine for less than $2 plus the $1 for the container.

Beard balms help keep beard and mustache hair soft for you and less itchy for him! This trendy gift runs me less than $2 ( plus the $1/bottle).

If you can measure, melt, and pour. You’ve got a gift in less than 15 minutes. 

Beard Balm Recipe-

• Beeswax (4 TBSP)
• Shea butter or cocoa butter (4 TBSP)
• 6 oz of oils of your choice (You can use all one oil or a mix. Good choices include jojoba, coconut, grapeseed, sweet almond oil, hemp seed)
• Optional- 3-4 drops of essential oil of your choice (adds mostly aroma. But I makes mine without).
• A small 4 ounce mason gift jar
• All you do is measure, melt and pour.
  • Measure everything into a glass pyrex 2 cup measure
  • Melt- set in the microwave on low power until melted ( I use a butter melting program).
  • Pour the melted oils into the glass mason jars until mostly full
  • Carefully put lids onto the jars
  • Decorate and gift!
  • Place in the refrigerator until solid
    • This is important if using shea butter, because when shea is cooled slowly it can later turn your lovely creating grainy and gritty. By putting this recipe into the refrigerator and cooling it quickly, the shea butter won’t crystalize later.
  • Once solid, take out of the refrigerator, decorate the container, and GIFT!

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Shave Oils– THIS IS EVEN EASIER! There’s NO HEATING! Just pour & package. THAT’s IT!

• Measure everything into a small bowl with a pour spout ( I use a small measuring cup):
  • 4 Tsp Grapeseed Oil*
  • 3 Tsp Jojoba Oil*
  • (use any oils you like. Jojoba absorbs nicely. Other options include avocado, grapeseed, sweet almond, rice bran, and hemp oil. I don’t care for coconut here because it is a solid at room temperature, and olive oil is a bit greasy.
• Optional: add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil (whatever smell you like). I leave this out, and go with no aroma.
• Pour into a 1 ounce bottle with a pop up pour spout
• Decorate and GIFT!

*you can use your own choice of oils. Jojoba is so close to a skins oils and it absorbs nicely. Avocado, grapeseed, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil all do a great job. The things to stay away from include coconut oil (because it solidified at room temperature) and olive oil tends to be greasy.

How do I get this stuff?

Beeswax- I bought pellets at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon. You can also find beeswax at crafts stores ( like Michael’s and Joanne’s) in the soap and candle making areas. I’ve used white and yellow wax. The pellets are super easy to use, but if all you can find is a beeswax brick, you can carve off how much you need. It’s not as easy, but certainly doable.

Shea Butter/ Cocoa Butter-You can pick it up at Hobby Lobby and often Joanne’s or Michael’s by the soap making supplies. Stores like Walmart sell unrefined shea or chunks of pure coca butter. Just make sure you get pure shea or cocoa butter, not something mixed with other oils or waxes.

Other oils- you can really use any oil here. Jojoba is a lot like your own skin oils, so it works nicely. I got mine at Trader Joe’s. But Avocado Oil, Grapeseed oil, and coconut oils (for beard balm) are readily available at the grocery store. Argan oil is popular these days, and tends to be readily available. Be creative and use what you can find. The only changes for the beard balm would be how hard the recipe is and any odors from different oils. If you have time to order online or find a soap supply store online or near you, you can often order them in small enough quantities to not have a lot left over.

Essential Oils- these aromatic oils are so popular, you can often find them in many stores these days. I have found them at Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, the soap making supply area at craft stores). For beard balm and shave oil, sandalwood and other earthy tones are popular. Some of the soap supply stores have fun aromas, like amber ale.

Containers– Crafts stores are a great option for all kinds of cute small mason jars or small bottles. A number of stores sell empty travel containers, like small lotion type bottles. I get mine at Target for $1.20/each or at some pharmacies in the travel size isles. Toss on a pretty ribbon, or a small piece of Holiday fabric to dress it up a bit.

Enjoy!