The beauty industry is huge – as I am sure you know, and the constant stream of new products coming on the market each year are expensive, smelly ( i.e. highly perfumed) and contain a complex mix of chemicals. But do they work? Could you make your own nourishing cream that contains only simple and beneficial ingredients that will not overpower your nose? Of course we have the recipe to do just that.

This recipe contains Essential Oils including a beauty blend of Frankincense Resin, Hawaiian Sandalwood, Lavender Flower, Myrrh Gum Resin, Helichrysum Flower and Rose Flower Essential Oils.

 

It provides a subtle perfume to the face cream and is blended to help reduce the appearance of skin imperfections.

You will note that I recommend adding additional Frankincense and Lavender. Please feel free to experiment with the oils but I can say that I have been using my face cream with this mix of oils for the past 6 months and am very happy!

What you will need:

85 g sweet almond oil

60 g coconut oil (the solid type that you can buy from the supermarket)

30 g organic refined shea butter (this will be white)

15-20 g beeswax pellets (use 15 g if you live in a cold climate)

10 drops Lavender Essential Oil

20 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

30 drops of Essential Oil beauty blend

10 drops of Rosemary Essential Oil

Glass jars – approximately 4 x 50 gram jars (I would have an extra one on hand just in case you need an extra!)

Either a Microwave, a double boiler or a Thermomix.

Method:

Mix all ingredients other that the Essential Oils together and heat (using your chosen method) until completely melted.

(If using a microwave only use short bursts of heat and stir thoroughly between each heating. If using a double boiler stir while melting. If using a Thermomix heat on 70 C on Speed 1 for approximately 5 minutes or until everything is melted.)

Once all ingredients in the mixture are melted allow them to cool for 1 minute.

Add the Essential Oils and stir quickly to combine.

Pour into the jars.

Storage:

When cool place the lids on the jars, label and date your jars and store in the refrigerator. The Rosemary Oil will help provide a preservative effect to slow down fat degradation in the shea butter. However, this cream does not contain any chemicals to inhibit the growth of bacteria or mould so it is best to keep it cool until you start using it. My jars have kept fresh over a 6 month period while using them. But always check for any growth or smells. Check out our post on spoilage of DIY products to find out a bit more about good habits when making these products.

Use:

Use a tiny amount of the oil to moisturise your face, neck and décolletage. You might like to add a drop of Yarrow/Pom to the cream prior to applying to your face. This will provide an uplifting, decadent and nourishing treat for your skin. If you have any cream left rub it onto the tops of your hands.

Note: You may prefer just to use this at night as it is very rich. That’s how I started out using it. But now I use it morning and night.

What Next?

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Until next time,

 

 

Gillian (and Andrew)