DIY Life

OK, so that title might be a bit misleading. If you have stretch marks, you know, they simply cannot be banished completely. You'll probably have those little war wounds for the rest of your life. The good news is that they don't have to be as noticeable as they are now.

As soon as something is branded as a stretch mark remedy, the price tag goes up. It just kills me that our insecurities can be so exploited as to have us pay considerably more for something in search of a magical cure.

What's the solution? Shea butter. It is a common remedy for stretch marks. While it won't give you the same results as dramatic dermatological procedures, with a bit more time, it will come awfully close. So, walk right past that expensive stretch mark cream and make your own organic Shea butter soap.

These soaps can be used daily in the shower to improve the health and elasticity of your skin. I'll share the ingredients after the break.

• All-natural Castile olive oil soap
• Distilled water
• 2 tbsp all-natural, unprocessed shea butter
• 1 tbsp finely ground almonds (optional)
• Grater
• Double boiler
• Small Tupperware or molds
• Mixing spoon
• Drying rack

The instructions are very straightforward, even for a novice soap-maker like myself. If you enjoy making this Shea butter soap, check out some of our other soap-making posts, and gather some sweet inspiration from Debra's Scentual Life series.