The pre-Christmas period brings with it the inevitable and pleasurable task of choosing gifts. If you're running low on ideas and want to keep to a budget, with a little imagination and creativity we can make them ourselves — including cosmetics such as creams and body oils. All it takes is carefully selecting the base ingredients with which you can create natural beauty preparations to give to your loved ones. Here are some recipes for DIY cosmetics to give as Christmas gifts, though they are equally perfect for other occasions too.

Lip balm

Base ingredients: cocoa butter; sweet almond oil; rose hydrosol.

Melt the cocoa butter in a bain-marie (the quantity ranges from two to four tablespoons, depending on how much you want to make), allowing it to melt over a low heat. Once softened, place it in a clean bowl and add the sweet almond oil (one tablespoon) and five drops of rose hydrosol. Mix the blend well until smooth, then transfer it into a small dark glass jar or any other small clean, sterilised container. Empty sticks designed specifically for homemade lip balms are also available to buy and are very affordable (around €2). To help it set even more firmly, place the container in the fridge for at least twelve hours. It keeps for three months in a cool place, away from heat sources. Alternative base ingredients include another type of butter, such as shea butter, another vegetable oil, and you can add a few drops of a scented essential oil to taste, such as lavender or chamomile.

Nourishing body butter

Base ingredients: shea butter; cocoa butter; olive oil or, alternatively, wheatgerm oil; lemon or mandarin essential oil, as preferred.

Melt the shea butter and cocoa butter in a bain-marie (two tablespoons of each); then, with the heat off, add the oil (one tablespoon) and the chosen essential oil (three drops). Mix everything together well, then transfer into a dark glass jar and leave to set. A few hours in the fridge works well. The glass jar must be sterilised if it has been used before; affordable glass jars are available to buy (around €2). It keeps for four months.

Alcohol-free aftershave tonic

Base ingredients: witch hazel flower water (80ml); rose water or chamomile water (20ml); aloe vera gel (two teaspoons); lavender, peppermint and rosemary essential oils (two drops each).

Combine all the ingredients in a clean bowl and mix well to create a liquid, fragrant tonic. If preferred, you can use just one type of essential oil: in addition to those already listed, lemon essential oil also works well — an excellent disinfectant and antiseptic — as does sage oil, which is aromatic and balsamic. The tonic is easy to make, soothing and refreshing. If the gift is intended for someone with very sensitive skin, the essential oil can be left out entirely or the quantity reduced to just one drop. The lotion helps relieve the sensation of burning and leaves skin soft, thanks to the aloe vera gel. It keeps for three months in a dark glass bottle with a spray top, available to buy for around €1.50.

Alcohol-free body spray

Formula for her: lavender flower water (80ml); rose water (10ml); sage water (10ml).

Formula for him: rosemary water (50ml); witch hazel water (50ml).

Mix all the ingredients together well and store in a dark glass bottle, preferably with a atomiser. These deodorants are very easy to make and are soothing on the skin; as they contain no alcohol, they are suitable for everyone. It is best to use the spray within four months.

These are just a few gift ideas that can be put together in next to no time: a way to express our affection for the people we care about by making a small, useful and natural token ourselves. Each package — spray bottle, stick, glass jar and so on — can be made even more special by attaching a colourful card on which all the ingredients used to make the blend are listed. The card can then be tied to the package with a colourful ribbon, and if you like you can add a flower that echoes one of the chosen ingredients (from lavender to rose) or a small sprig of rosemary or sage.