Now that the weather is warming up, I am packing away the heavy-duty body lotions and getting out the dusting powder.

While many hear “powder” and think only of baby powder or that used to treat athlete’s foot, powder is a grooming product that I consider to be a must especially for those of us who live in hot, humid climates.

While the aisle of drugstores and big box stores carry many different brands of powder, the vast majority of them contain talc. While talc is a natural mineral but it is pretty controversial—some studies suggest that cosmetic-grade talc may be linked to cancer including ovarian cancer. While the jury is still out, it’s not a risk that I want to take.

Making my own powder is safe, fun, and easy as pie. I use the powder below on myself and on my kids but it can also be used to deodorize and is especially good in hot, sweaty sneakers. Best of all, the basic recipe can be modified and in a recycled glass container, it makes a really nice gift for the special person in your life. (Keep it in mind with Mother’s Day around the corner.)

The following recipe has been adapted by The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible by Sarah Stacey and Josephine Farley.

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup of arrowroot powder
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 table spoon of dried lavender flowers
6 drops of lavender essential oil

What to do:

1. Place the corn starch, baking soda and lavender flowers in a food processor and blend until they form a fine powder.

2. Using a fine wire mesh drainer or a flour sifter, place the powder in a container (an old powder box or wide mouth, shallow glass container work well).

3. Add the essential oil, place the lid on the container and shake well.

4. Apply with a powder puff or a big cosmetic powder brush.

5. Enjoy!

Note: For variations on this recipe, replace the arrowroot with corn starch and the lavender flowers with dried rose petals or calendula flowers. I also like to use jasmine essential oil instead of lavender when I want something a little more sensual smelling.

Author: Kimberly Lo

Editor: Katarina Tavčar

Photo: iris on Flickr