Who sparked your interest in making your own beauty products?

Home beauty has always been my hobby and I have collected recipes all my life. My first book "Natural Beauty at Home" was made up of my favorite beauty recipes.

How old were you when you concocted your first beauty recipe, and what was it?

I started making my own cosmetics at age 12. I made a simple egg facial mask recipe from a magazine and thought it was quite exotic and my skin felt super. After that I was constantly experimenting and creating new recipes in our family bathroom.

Your recipes are so varied. How did you learn this craft?

Many of them my mother and grandmother used. Today many of my friends and readers also give me recipes to try. My very favorite recipe is a simple sour cream facial mask. My most popular recipe is a massage oil that contains cinnamon and vanilla. All of my recipes are super simple and use common ingredients and household equipment.

Which recipe gave you the most difficulty?

Probably the most difficult would have to be soap recipes because you really have to have an attention to detail. I have written three books on Natural Beauty and each one contains different recipes and ideas. Natural Beauty at Home is more kitchen based with ingredients such as honey, eggs, milk, oils, spices . Natural Beauty for All Seasons is focused on our skin and hair needs during different times of the year and gift giving ideas. Natural Beauty from the Garden contains plant inspired recipes and gardening ideas.

You have written three books to date. Is there a fourth on the horizon? Tell us a little about it.

I would like to do a fourth book and am currently developing that outline. I am busy writing for a variety of magazines. I write a regular column in the magazine Natural Living Today --"Recipe for Beauty".
I hope this info helps--
Janice Cox
Natural Beauty by Janice Cox