Di Millow transitioned to making her own products in 2007 to help her son's severe eczema.
Waipā residents can learn how to make their own household and beauty products at two workshops next month.
The sessions — in Cambridge and Te Awamutu — are run by Tamahere woman Di Millow.
Di operates under the business The Dairy Farmer's Daughter and owns the Waikato franchise of MAKE (Making A Kinder Environment).
She transitioned to making her own products in 2007 to help her son's severe eczema.
Six years later she started a business to teach others what she had learned.
At next month's workshops participants will learn how to make eight common cleaning and beauty products, sample some of the products and take the recipes home.
They'll also take home a MAKE Moisturiser Kit that creates 250g of moisturiser.
Di says education is the key to creating change.
"If you just give someone a recipe they won't make it, but if you show them how quick and easy it is they will make it themselves."
Di admits she was once a big consumer of commercial products and generated a lot of plastic recycling waste at home.
Although she makes many of her products now, there are two habits she hasn't changed.
"I get my hair coloured twice a year and use my favourite perfume."
She chooses to wear her perfume on her clothes rather than her skin as it contains more than 30 ingredients.
The remaining products she makes herself — using ingredients like baking soda, white vinegar, oils and honey.
She makes deodorant, moisturiser, night cream, lip balm, shampoo, hand wash and body wash.
For cleaning she makes dish wash liquid, dishwasher powder, laundry powder and other general household cleaning products.
Di says making your own products is a triple-whammy.
"You save a lot of money, you know what's going on your body and you help to reduce waste."
Di admits she's no expert — she's simply showing people what she does in her home.
"What I'm teaching people is nothing new, it's back to basics.
"If anyone had told me back in 2007 I would be making my own products I would have told them I haven't got time for that."
But she says the recipes are quick and simple. She makes the products in bulk and stores them in plastic and glass containers that she would otherwise throw away.
Di is passionate about what she does and is excited to share it with the Waipā.
Waipā District Council is supporting the two events to help show the community how to cut back on plastic.
The workshops are only for Waipā residents, who must bring their Waipā District Library Card or addressed mail along to the event.
Di will have ready-to-make kits and supplies available to buy. Cash only.
The first workshop is in the Te Awamutu Library Community Room on Saturday, July 7 at 9.30am.
The second is in the Cambridge Town Hall on the same day at 2pm.
Buy tickets here.
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