PAMPERING can be an expensive habit – so the know how needed to make your own products is a worthwhile skill to have for any woman.

Fortunately, a Monmouthshire firm is sharing its tips of the trade, and it is surprisingly easy, and fun.

Honey Bee Beautiful is offering courses on how to make balms and facial scrubs, using honey.

Catherine Clark left behind the pressurised world of law to work for a total change in direction – working with bees.

And now she is transferring the knowledge she has gained into a number of courses which will educate interested others.

She said: “I enjoy sharing my skills as well, it is nice to pass what I know.

“The courses arean entry to make your own skincare products – they give you the confidence to think you can do it.

“It can be off putting because it sounds complicated, but actually it is like making a cake. 

“Once you have the ingredients and the measures, you can do it.”

The next course will be on Saturday October 28, and those attending will learn how to make beeswax Christmas candles.

“You will learn how to save a fortune by making your own beeswax candles which you will not only love but will make ideal presents for your loved ones during the festive season,” says the Honey Bee Beautiful website.

A honey soaps and balms making course will then take place on Saturday November 4. 

Attendees will learn how to make their own beeswax lip balms and lotion bars, as well as receiving an introduction to cold process soap making.

A further face and body scrub-focused workshop introduce the art of blending essential oils and making your own all natural skincare including scrubs and beeswax perfume balms. 

A date for the next course is yet to be announced. 

Discussing its own products, Mrs Clark said Honey Bee Beautiful uses raw honey only, which is able to retain it’s natural vitamins, enzymes and pollens as it is not heated to high temperatures or micro filtered.

The business also use beeswax ‘cappings’, which is the wax made and used by the bees to seal combs they store honey in.
 

It is the purest form of beeswax with no chemical residue.

“Beeswax is precious stuff,” Mrs Clark added. “We also use Propolis, which bees use to clean the hive and to seal small holes in the hive.”
Mrs Clark described the Honey Bee Beautiful range as “simple”.

To find out more about the courses, and products on sale from Honey Bee Beautiful, visit honeybeebeautiful.co.uk

Alternatively, visit facebook.com/www.honeybeebeautiful.co.uk

Try these out:

LIP BALM

20g cocoa butter
20g beeswax
60g sweet almond oil
2.5g raw Welsh honey
1g of Vitamin E

l After measuring all your ingredients, place all of them, except for the honey and the vitamin E, in a bowl and melt them in a low heat. This can be done either in the microwave or in a bain marie – placing a container in a large pan with warm water, which surrounds the materials in low heat, over a hob. Melting at a low temperature allows you not to damage any of the natural oils or butters.
l Then add the vitamin E and the honey and give it a good stir. 
l And it is ready! All you need to do now is pour the mixture into your little containers and, immediately, you will see how it starts to harden.

This lip balm is so nice in your lips. Apart from its amazing smell of chocolate, they feel light and non-sticky in your lips. Nevertheless, it leaves your lips feeling protected and nourished. 

ORANGE, ROSE AND PATCHOULI SUGAR FACE SCRUB 

60g of light brown sugar or caster sugar
50ml apricot oil (this will be our base oil)
A couple of pinches of Jojoba beads (which will provide us with a very fine exfoliation)  
Spoonful of raw Welsh honey
Essential oils, such as orange, rose geranium or patchouli  
Optional; a couple of pinches of dried heather flowers 

l First, mix together all the oils and honey, before giving it a stir. 
l Then add all the dry ingredients – the sugar, the Jojoba beads and, if using, the dried heather flowers. 
l Give it a good stir and, voila, your scrub is now ready. 

I tried this scrub the same day I made it with Catherine. I was surprised how moisturising it was, thanks to all the oils. Make sure you give it a stir before using it though, as the oils tend to rise to the top – be gentle, or you will end with an oily bathroom floor (like me!). Enjoy!