Skin Care Made Easy
© Kim Draper
Today commercial products are often expensive, having vast amounts of money spent on advertising, packaging, distribution and testing (which can involve cruelty to animals). Allergies have increased along with the use of chemical preservatives, synthetic perfumes and artificial colorings. As a result a demand has risen for natural ingredients since research has demonstrated the remarkable therapeutic properties of herbs.
By making your own skin creams and lotions, you can be sure of the content. You select each ingredient and have control over its freshness and purity. Some preparations take no longer than boiling a kettle of water, others require heating and blending, but are no more complicated or time-consuming than preparing a simple sauce.
All skin creams are based on a combination of melted waxes, oils, and scented waters, which must all be at a similar temperature. The waxes are melted together over a low heat, the oils are warmed and beaten into the waxes then heated waters are dribbled slowly into the blended wax and oil, and the mixture is stirred until cool. It is like making mayonnaise, only easier, a 10-minute operation.
The proportions of the ingredients govern a cream consistency and are easy to adjust. To make a cream firmer, add more beeswax, to make it softer, add more oil. Adding more water will make it fluffier but it also makes the ingredients more prone to separation. Adding a few drops of essential oils will add fragrance and other beneficial properties. Always label and date products immediately, keeping a record of each recipe and its success or failure. All creams and lotions should be refrigerated, unless you choose to use a natural preservative like grapeseed extract.
There are three main categories of skin creams, they include:
Cleansing Creams:
These are more efficient than soap and water at removing heavy dirt and makeup. Massage into skin and either wipe off with cotton balls or rinse of with warm water, then pats face dry.
Toners:
Most people that take care of their skin leave out this very important step, toners are needed for tightening the pores and refreshing the skin, toners are not just for oily skin, they make a toner for every skin type.
Moisturizing Cream:
There is also a misconception about moisturizing creams, people think they are for dry skin only. Not true, every skin type needs some sort of moisture added every day. Just because you have oily skin does not mean that it is over moisturized, it just means it produces more oil in the skin than dry or normal. Trying an oil-free moisturizer is the trick.
