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Fathers Day gift ideas

Father’s Day – commercialised nightmare, or a chance to show Dad that he’s loved and appreciated?
Ignore the hype, and get together with the kids to create something unique for him. There’s something for everyone to do: make a skincare item, design your own wrapping paper, make a card, and make the label for your gift.  If you need a few sticky labels, add a message when you order and we can include a couple.
Below are gifts to make, and gifts to buy. The two are a bit mixed up - for example, some dads really enjoy making cold-process soap or even moisturiser from a kit.
Fragrance is a great way to personalise your gift - see below.

Gifts to make:

 
Melt and pour soap

Make him a special soap with our LOVE mould and Melt & Pour soap. If you decide to keep it simple and get a kit, you have a choice of colours: The green option is great - or maybe Dad would rather have the standard red.

Perhaps you have melt & pour soap and mica at home, and just need a mould.		 LOVE-green-123
Lip balm

Lip balm is fun to make with kids, and something that an outdoor Dad is sure to find useful.  Our lip balm tubes make it easy. Just don’t overheat your oil and wax mixture! The kids can decorate the tube – when you order, ask us for a stick-on label or two if you haven’t any handy.

Use the base balm recipe or try the Lemon lip balm recipe. Chocolate lip balm is divine!		 lip balm tubes-335
Cold-process soap

Maybe Dad sees himself as a bit of a chemist and would enjoy making his own cold-process soap. This soap is great for shaving (with a brush and mug!) One ingredient is sodium hydroxide, which is dangerous stuff in its raw state – so this is an option only if the kids are old enough to give Dad some uninterrupted space!

Or you might prefer to make some soap for him, with his favourite fragrance. If you haven’t made cold-process soap before, a kit is an excellent place to start, as you have a reliable recipe, full instructions, a strong re-useable silicone mould, and all ingredients. There are plenty of options.		 soapsCP230-887
Beard oil
 
Does Dad have a beard? Blend him some beard oil, the perfect way to keep beard and skin glowing with health.
Jojoba oil is ideal. Use it alone, or blend it with your favourite high-quality cold-pressed vegetable oil(s) – argan oil, avocado oil, or whatever your favourite is.
Include instructions on your label – something like this:  Put a few drops on your palm, rub palms together, and smooth over beard. Maybe include a Best Before date…		 oil 20ml dropper-585-548-517
Moisturiser

Make a masculine moisturiser, using our basic recipe. Choose a vegetable oil that you think would suit him (maybe create a blend). You could choose raspberry seed oil for some degree of sun protection, jojoba oil and shea butter for skin that’s exposed to wind and rain, organic almond oil or apricot kernel oil for sensitive skin… the possibilities are endless!

Choose a special fragrance - see below.

Or you could buy a moisturiser kit, with all ingredients and full instructions!		 Rich Moisturiser -574-853
Insect repellent

Insects – the small, annoying, biting sort – are proliferating at the moment around here. Traditional insect repellants are unpleasant to use, and not great for the body or the environment. You can make up a blend of essential oils in a carrier oil that spreads well (eg jojoba), and create an insect repellant that is non-toxic and pleasant to wear. Oils often included are lemongrass, thyme, basil, eucalyptus, clove, and peppermint. Cajeput is less common, but I really like it.
Add just enough drops of oil to your carrier oil to get a good perfume. A 20ml dropper bottle can be a handy size.
 		 mosquito-431
Shaving butter

Shaving butter makes a great gift for any dad. Our recipe is scented with rosemary and peppermint essential oil but you can personalise the fragrance that best suits your dad. It also looks great in out 200ml pot!		 shaving butter-399-810-179
Hair wax

Hair wax is so easy to make. Simply melt 30g beeswax white and 20g shea butter together. Then add 20g jojoba oil and blend with a hand mixer. You only need a pea size amount at a time. A little goes a long way!
 		 hair wax A-130
Gifts to buy:
 
Maybe everyone is ultra-busy, and it’s simpler to buy something that's pretty much ready to go.
 
* Is Dad an out-in-the-shed or under-the-car person? Liquid castile soap is a great substitute for products like swarfega – it cuts through grease and grime but is gentle on the skin. (I think I’m channelling an old dishwash ad!) Buy a lotion pump with your 500ml plastic bottle of liquid castile soap, and you’re away.
 
* Our new face masks are proving popular with men, particularly the tea tree mask, which is great for troubled skin.
 
* Witchhazel is a great aftershave. Try adding some hydrosol for fragrance and extra soothing – kawakawa, kanuka, lemon verbena, tea tree… Use a 250ml bottle and a mister.

Fragrance

Personalise your gift by choosing a fragrance that you think would appeal to the man in your family.

A few suggestions:
Therapeutic grade essential oils bring healing qualities as well as fragrance.
Sandalwood is a perennial favourite: Australian sandalwood is expensive and high quality; West Indian sandalwood is lighter on the nose and on the pocket.
Some men like herby aromas - rosemary, coriander, oregano.
Conifer fragrances are popular: fir needle, cedarwood.
Lime essential oil is refreshing.

If you're just after fragrance, we have some beauties for men in our fragrance oil range:  coconut and lime, chocolate, coffee and more.

Many of you enjoy blending your own fragrances.
A touch of frankincense can add a hint of the exotic – as can patchouli.
Patchouli and lavender can be a successful combination, as can lemongrass with a touch of cedarwood. Get creative!