Make your own face creams to nourish and protect your delicate facial skin, take advantage of healing ingredients and avoid harsh chemicals. According to "The Complete Book of Herbs," skin cream is an emulsion, like mayonnaise. Combine melted waxes with nourishing oils, herbal infusions, flower water and essential oil to create your own luscious moisturizer. Create a stimulating vitalizing cream, or substitute your choice of ingredients.
Step 1
Boil the distilled water and pour it over sage and rosemary or 2 tbsp. of your choice of herbs. Let steep, covered, for 25 minutes. Then strain through a coffee filter set in a wire mesh strainer.
Sage and rosemary leaves stimulate circulation, clean the skin, and tighten pores. Other infusion choices include chamomile, calendula and lavender--which are soothing and healing. Choose parsley or lady's mantle for sensitive skin, elderflower and dandelion for mature skin, advises "The Complete Book of Herbs."
Step 2
Melt beeswax and lanolin together in a double boiler over gentle heat. Beeswax protects the skin and lanolin has oil similar to natural skin oil, says "Organic Body Care Recipes."
Step 3
Melt the coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat. Stir in vitamin E oil, almond oil or your choice of oils. According to "Organic Body Care Recipes," avocado and coconut oil nourish and feed your skin. Hazelnut, almond, and soybean oil are softening. Olive oil is high in antioxidants, but has a strong scent. Vitamin E oil preserves your cream.
Step 4
Combine the strained herbal infusion from Step 1 with orange flower water or your choice of flower water and dissolve the borax in the liquid. Add the mixture slowly to the oil and wax, stirring constantly. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Borax is an emulsifier, helping the oils and water mix. Orange flower water has an uplifting scent, tones skin and helps regenerate skin cells. Rose and lavender water are soothing and rose softens.
Step 5
Add the essential oil, one drop at a time while beating with a wire whisk. With a spatula, scrape the cream into a wide-mouth jar. Apply about 1/4 tsp. of face cream to face and neck after washing.
To choose your own essential oils, sniff them and see which ones attract you. According to "The Complete Book of Herbs," geranium oil is revitalizing and astringent. Lemon grass and ginger stimulate circulation and tone skin. Chamomile and rose are good for children and sensitive skin. To relax and lift your spirits use lavender, neroli or bergamont.
Tips and Warnings
- Make sure all utensils and containers are sterile, clean and dry before preparing face cream to avoid mold. Oils and waxes should be at about the same temperature for mixing. So warm slightly or let them cool as needed. Homemade cream contains no chemical preservatives. Use it within a month or keep it in the refrigerator for up to five months.
- If you are pregnant, nursing or have compromised health, make sure herbs and essential oils are not contraindicated for your condition before adding them to your face cream.
Things You'll Need
- 1 tbsp. dried sage
- 1 tbs. dried rosemary
- 1/3 cup distilled water
- Wire mesh strainer
- Coffee filter
- 1 tsp. lanolin
- 1 tbsp. beeswax
- Double boiler
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp. vitamin E oil
- 1/4 cup almond oil (or avocado, soybean, hazelnut or olive oil)
- 2 tbs. orange flower water (or lavender or rosewater)
- 1/4 tsp. borax
- 20 drops geranium essential oil (or 20 to 50 drops other essential oil)
- Wire whisk
- Spatula
- Wide-mouth jar
References
- "The Complete Book of Herbs;" Lesley Bremness; 1988
- "Organic Body Care Recipes;" Stephanie Tourles; 2007
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