Welcome to Humblebee & Me!
I’m Marie—the “me” in Humblebee & Me. I love to make things—cosmetics, soaps, lotions, lip balms, and most of all… messes. I’m on a journey to ditch shop bought body products and cosmetics and swap them for homemade, high quality, natural alternatives. I post new recipes twice a week (every Monday and Thursday), and I’ve already got over 850 recipes up here for you to look at, plus an FAQ and an Encyclopedia. I’d love it if you DIYed with me!
As seen on…
Forest Facial Cleanser
I dreamt up this cleanser for my friend and super-awesome yoga instructor Danny. He’s pretty much the sole reason I’ve been able to start running again, so when he mentioned he’d be interested in trying some of the things I make, I was on it (I...
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Fireworks Lip Gloss
I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever outgrow glitter. I don’t particularly want to, but I also didn’t want to realize the special effects in some of my favourite childhood movies are painfully bad. Sometimes these things just happen. One of my strongest...
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Summer Margarita Emulsified Scrub
I’ve got margaritas on the brain these days, and oddly enough, it’s not because I’m drinking them. It’s because of Jimmy Buffett. Most people are pretty surprised to hear that Jimmy Buffett is one of my all-time favourite musical artists. Now,...
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A Quick Guide to Stearic Acid & Liquid Oil Ratios
Today we’re looking at stearic acid, and how it behaves when melted together with olive oil at different ratios. Stearic acid is a pretty humble ingredient—mine is unassuming white beads that are bigger than cetyl alcohol, but not by much. We use it to thicken...
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Gentle Calendula Cleansing Oil
Something about the string of hot summer days we’ve been having has been making me think about herbs. It’s probably all the lush, overflowing gardens Lottie and I walk past on our walks, and the way the now-golden prairie grass ripples in the wind. It...
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Plantain Chamomile Ointment
Plantain (Plantago major—not the banana-like fruit!) is one of my favourite herbs, but not for the reasons you might think. I like it because I see it everywhere, growing in alleys and public parks, and I just think it’s a fun thing to see something so useful...
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Hydrating Rose Water Facial Toner
As I’ve been learning more and more about Asian beauty philosophies and trends, I’ve been really intrigued by the Asian-style toners /r/AsianBeauty raves about. Toners from Korea and Japan are focused on hydration and pH correction, packing a seriously...
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The Natural Efficacy Fallacy and Natural Shaming
Today I wanted to chat about two things that I see a lot in the natural/DIY skin care community: the natural efficacy fallacy and natural shaming. These two things often come hand-in-hand, and I’d like to address them because they can drive people away from this...
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Chamomile Citrus Vegan Lip Balm
The consistency I look for in a lip balm is almost entirely dictated by how my lips are feeling. If I’m feeling extra parched and lizard-like I’ll reach for something sticky (like this or this) that has the power to stubbornly cling to my lips and really...
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Soothing Oat Bath and Body Oil
This soothing oat bath and body oil was born from a recipe request from Claudia, who loves Aveeno’s Skin Relief Shower and Bath Oil. She said that it was fantastic for dry winter skin and even helped with her son’s eczema. Taking a look at the ingredients,...
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Orange Abyssinian Overnight Balm
This juicy, honey-hued Orange Abyssinian Overnight Balm is utterly lovely. It has an almost unbelievable dry finish, leaving skin hydrated, but not greasy. It smells of pure, juicy oranges with the slightest hint of sweet, floral Tahitian gardenias. It’s smooth...
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White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Lotion
To me, macadamia nuts will forever evoke memories of Hawaii. I was last there with my family when I was seventeen, and I remember picking up a bag of some chocolate covered macadamia nuts in the airport on our way home. Those nuggets of chocolatey goodness were...
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Vegan Citrus Lip Butter
Ever since I made my Chocolate Lip Butter I’ve been completely smitten with it, so naturally I want more of it in all kinds of different variations. I’ve been wishing for a citrussy lip treat for ages, but since citrus essential oils are photosensitizing,...
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Rose Gold Facial Serum
Last week I was watching a makeup tutorial with Adele’s makeup artist, Michael Ashton, and as he was prepping his beautiful model’s skin, he used two products that really intrigued me. One was a fancy-sounding French facial serum; Decleor’s...
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Luxury Facial Serum
The amount of money some shop-bought natural skincare products sell for never ceases to amaze me. You’d think I’d be used to seeing price tags north of $150 for a few tablespoons of something, but I’m not. I’m perpetually astonished to find a...
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Chocolate Lip Butter
Out of all the things I’ve made that I have to frequently remind myself not to eat, this Chocolate Lip Butter is pretty high up that list. It smells downright delicious, and leaves my lips oh-so wonderfully soft and hydrated. And did I mention that it smells...
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Pomegranate Primrose Summer Facial Serum
My new Pomegranate Primrose Summer Facial Serum is a fantastic way to lighten up your skin care routine for warmer days (I’m calling it my PrimPom Serum for short, ha!). It is silky and light, absorbing into your skin quickly and leaving it beautifully hydrated,...
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Two-in-One Creamy Hair Conditioner
Ever since I started publishing creamy hair conditioner recipes a few months ago, readers have been asking about the possibility of including some vinegar in the water part of the emulsion to create a two-in-one conditioner that eliminates the need for a separate...
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I Wrote a Book!
Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care, By Marie Rayma, creator of HumblebeeandMe.com will be published December 2016 by Running Press.