Making your own body cream is a great way to customize a lotion to address the needs of your skin and avoid chemicals found in many commercially available creams. As you purchase the supplies to make your cream, consider buying only top-quality, natural ingredients to further the benefits of making body cream at home. Your homemade cream may be have less staying power because it lacks preservatives, but keeping a part of what you make in the refrigerator will help keep it fresh, says herbalist James Green in "The Medicine-Maker's Handbook."
Step 1
Add 1 cup of almond oil to a small glass mason jar without a lid and stir in powdered dried herbs of choice. If you are want an antiseptic, add goldenseal. To aid dry, irritated skin, can add calendula, as it has anti-inflammatory properties. For a fragrant body cream, add rose or lavender, and for a cream that will stimulate blood circulation, add rosemary.
Step 2
Place the uncovered mason jar in a oven preheated to between 100 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the oven door slightly open to allow the heat to escape. Allow the oil and herbs to remain in the oven for four to five hours.
Step 3
Remove the oil and herbs from the oven and strain out the infused oil using a large strainer lined with muslin cloth.
Step 4
Measure 1 cup of your infused almond oil and place it in a medium glass bowl that fits into your double boiler.
Step 5
Add 1 oz. shaved beeswax to the bowl and warm the double boiler at very low heat until the beeswax is completely dissolved.
Step 6
Remove the cream from the heat, and dip a metal spoon into the cream. Place the spoon in a cool place, ideally the freezer, in order to make your cream harden so you can check its consistency without having to wait for the whole batch to cool down. If it needs to be harder, add more beeswax and repeat the heating process to dissolve it. If it needs to be softer, add more infused oil.
Step 7
Let your cream stand and cool off at room temperature. Fill your 2 oz. jars with your newly made body cream. Store the jars in the refrigerator until you are ready to use the cream.
Tips and Warnings
- Use glass containers when making your cream in order to prevent chemicals from leeching into your mixture when it is hot.
- Stop using your homemade skin cream if you experience any type of allergic reaction, and consult your primary doctor or dermatologist.
Things You'll Need
- 1 cup almond oil
- 1 oz. powdered dried herbs of your choice
- Small glass mason jar
- Metal spoon
- Muslin cloth
- Large strainer
- Medium glass bowl
- 1 oz. shaved beeswax
- Double boiler
- 5 glass containers with lids, 2 oz.
References
- "Family Herbal - A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality"; Rosemary Gladstar; 2001
- "The Medicine-Maker's Handbook"; James Green; 2000
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