How to make your own moisturiser

Poison potion alert! Ever read the ingredients on an average bottle of shampoo or face cream? Do those long chemical names sound healthy? Would your skin really benefit from being plastered in petrochemical slime and preservatives? And what about the environmental consequences of those toxic products going down your plughole? Once you’ve recovered from the shock that your ‘nice’ herbal product is actually a mini chemical weapon, learn how to make your own natural version instead. It’s as easy and fun as making a cake – and empowering, too!

Holistic beauty: Simple body bliss

When I’m formulating a product I always aim to keep the recipe as simple as possible. I don’t believe it’s necessary to have 30 different ingredients in a potion to make it effective. The best potions for the skin are the simplest; in fact ingredients like cocoa butter or almond oil can be used just plain as they are. There is no need to over-complicate or make it ‘sciency’!

There’s a wonderful range of nature’s delights to choose from. Ingredients such as beeswax, almond oil, honey, oatmeal, lavender flowers, distilled flower waters, rose petals, cocoa butter, essential oils and other gorgeous treats make up the ‘store cupboard essentials’ of the natural skincare producer. You don’t even need any special equipment – just the usual kitchen gubbins will do.

How to make your own super-gorgeous lavender moisturizer

Shelf-life: 3 months

Skin types: Suitable for dry skins

To make your own moisturizer, you will need:

• 80ml macerated lavender oil (this is simply dried lavender flowers steeped in almond oil for 2 weeks)
• 50ml organic lavender flower water
• 20g local beeswax
• 50 drops organic lavender essential oil
• Bain-marie (a glass bowl or saucepan over another saucepan containing water that’s being heated will do)

Lavender is renowned for its healing and regenerative properties. This non-vegan face cream is similar to old-fashioned ‘cold creams’ as it’s super-nourishing yet has a light cool feel on the skin. This home-made lavender moisturizer would be ideal as a night cream.

How to make the moisturizer:

1. Melt wax and heat oil together in a bain-marie

2. Remove from heat and whisk until thickened and opaque (but not quite set hard)

3. Gently whisk in the lavender flower water until it is a lovely creamy consistency.

4. Add the essential oil

5. Use a palette knife to transfer your moisturizer to a nice glass jar.

Alternative potion: You can change the flower waters and essential oils to make a new potion. For example, try using Orange flower water and Neroli (Orange blossom) essential oil.

How to use your beautiful home-made moisturizer

Gently smooth over the skin after washing or at bedtime to allow this rich cream to do its work.

There you are. Not too hard, is it? Feel free to play with the amounts… If you want a harder balm then add more beeswax. If you want a runnier lotion then add less beeswax and more oil and water.

It’s all a matter of experimenting and finding out what’s right for you.

Enjoy a fragrant life…