Aloe Moisturizing Hand Cream
1/4 cup rosewater
12 drops herbal extract
1 tbsp aloe gel
1/8 cup sweet almond oil
1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp cocoa butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp anhydrous lanolin
1/2 tbsp liquid lecithin
1/8 oz. grated beeswax
400 I.U. vitamin E
6 drops tincture of Benzoin
Melt the waxes, oils, cocoa butter, lanolin and lecithin and allow to cool a bit as per procedure (above).
Place aloe gel in blender and whip for a bit. Add the rosewater to aloe and blend. Stir tincture of benzoin (or grape-seed extract) and vitamin E into the warm oils. With blender running, slowly add the oils into the aloe-water mix. Put up into suitable containers and store in refrigerator. Shelf life is approximately one month.
Hand Lotion:
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup sweet almond oil
3 oz. vegetable glycerin
1/2 tbsp liquid lecithin
1/8 oz grated beeswax
8 drops tincture of benzoin
Melt wax and oils in top of the double boiler. Place glycerin in bottom of bowl or blender. Turn on blender and start adding the oil mix into the glycerin per procedure above.
Face and Hand Cream:
Remember to use boiled (sterile) water and sterilize your jar and cap.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp coconut oil
a walnut-sized piece of cocoa butter
1/2 tbsp liquid lecithin
1/8 oz bees wax
1200 IU vitamin E
1/3 cup boiled water
1/2 tbsp vegetable glycerin
Combine oils, fats, and waxes in top of double boiler. Melt over hot water. Remove from heat and add vitamin E. Combine 1/3 cup boiled water with vegetable glycerin.
Mix the melted oils and fats into water/glycerin mixture while your beater/blender/mixer is working. See Procedure for making cream above. Remember to use boiled (sterile) water and sterilize your jar and cap.
More Face and Hand Cream:
This cream feeds the skin and holds in whatever moisture. Apply this cream while the face is still damp after cleaning. Homemade remedies are not as quickly absorbed into the skin as the commercial counterparts.
If you are not ready to make an extract, but would like to include herbs, simply replace the rosewater with herbal tea made from 1 tbsp of the ground herbs to 1 cup of distilled (or boiled) water.
Use the same herbs listed in the Herbal Extract Recipe. Combine the herbs as listed, then powder enough in a coffee mill or grinder to make up 1 tbsp. Place in a bowl and pour 1 cup of water just off the boil over the herbs and allow to steep for 10 minutes, covered. Strain through a coffee filter and measure out the 1/4 cup of herb tea to replace the rosewater.
NOTE: If using the herb tea in place of the rosewater, you will not need to use the extract. You can also substitute the rosewater with distilled water to which 3 drops of essential oil of rose or lavender is added.
1/4 cup rosewater
12 drops herbal extract
1/2 tbsp vegetable glycerin
1/8 cup sweet almond oil
1/2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp anhydrous lanolin
1/2 tbsp liquid lecithin
1 tsp cocoa butter (5 grams)
1/8 oz. grated beeswax
400 I.U. vitamin E
Add glycerin and extract to rosewater and blend. While blender is running, add the melted waxes and oils to which the vitamin E has been added. When well blended, transfer to a suitable container. Cover and refrigerate. Shelf life is about one month unless tincture of benzoin or grapefruit seed extract is used.
An easy variation (and richer for aged and thirsty skin) is to make it without the herbal tea or extract.
Simply combine 1/3 cup sterile (boiled) water and 1/2 tbsp vegetable glycerin. Melt the oils, waxes and butters and proceed as per instructions. Use the following ingredients (makes a smaller batch which will last about 3 weeks to 1 month in the refrigerator): 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 tbsp cocoa butter, 1/2 tbsp lecithin, 1/8 oz beeswax, 1200 IU Vitamin E.
Gels:
Petroleum jelly has such a wealth of uses that it is nice to know how to prepare your own non-petroleum substitute. Many over-the-counter salves, ointments, liniments and cosmetics have petroleum jelly as a base.
Making Non-Petroleum Jelly
A softer or firmer gel can be made by changing the amount of beeswax used. Try this recipe, then decide if you like it or if you would like to change the next batch to a different consistency.
For a softer gel, use 1 oz. of beeswax. For a firmer gel, use 1½ oz. of beeswax. For a very soft gel, more like an ointment in consistency, use 1/2 oz of beeswax.
Combine 1¼ oz. grated beeswax and 3/4 cup sweet almond oil (or olive oil) in the top of a double boiler.
With water in the lower pan at a simmer, thoroughly melt ingredients together. Remove from heat and pour into suitable container(s). This recipe will fill two 3½ to 4 oz. containers. This allows one jar to be used 'as is' and the other to be used as a base for products you wish to make.
Lip Gloss:
This is a good way to use up those colors of lipstick you aren't very fond of. It is also possible to create new colors by mixing small amounts of different colors. Keep a record of what you use and how much in case it turns out to be a really good color.
You can control the hardness of the product by using less or more beeswax according to preference. If it doesn't turn out quite right, simply toss the experiment back into the top of the double boiler and melt it down again, then add a little more of whatever you need.
1 Tbsp non-petroleum jelly
lipstick the size of a small pea
1/2 tsp grated beeswax
In the top of a double boiler, over barely simmering water, melt beeswax and jelly together till both are well combined. Add the piece of lipstick. Continue to add small amounts, if needed, until the desired color is reached. Pour into a small lip balm tub or tube and allow to set up. You can also improve the healing quality of this by adding the contents of one 400 IU capsule of vitamin E.
Healthy Lip Gloss:
Follow directions as for Lip Gloss above and combine:
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp sweet almond oil
pea-size piece of lipstick color
1 tsp grated beeswax
200 I.U. vitamin E
NOTE: The difference between these two products is a matter of consistency and which one you prefer.
Charles
