Natural beauty from the outside in

It's easy to "take charge of your health, create balance and vitality, and nurture beauty," writes wellness blogger Williams in her powerful debut. Drawing on lessons from Ayurveda as well as her own travels, Williams offers 75 DIY recipes for beauty products organized by ingredient and location. She begins in Ghana, where shea butter is popular; the recipes in this section include deodorant, shaving cream, and body butter. In Jamaica, Williams delves into the beneficial qualities of carrier oils and shows readers how to make facial serums, and in Costa Rica, she discovers the calming effects of aloe vera, out of which she makes lotion and a hair mask. Other destinations include Swaziland and France, where she makes use of clay, and Zanzibar, which is marked by its abundance of herbs and spices. The recipes themselves are doable and laid out in easy-to-follow steps, and are great companions to her lovely travel writing: "Zanzibar was a breathtaking cacophony of hues. My mouth was agape with wonder the moment the plane landed as I took in the greenest green, vibrantly bursting into dewy shadows depending on the direction of the sun." For readers looking to make their own products, this is a great place to start. (Oct.)