How To Make An Organic Moisturizer

Organic Skin Care must include moisturizers. Although it is handy to purchase these in a ready to use form, you may want to try some of the following homemade moisturizers for a luxurious change on occasion.

You will find that they leave your skin feeling like a million bucks. If cost is a concern, check prices online before choosing a certain recipe. Keep in mind that the more essential oil that the recipe calls for, the more expensive it is to make. In places that the essential oil is more for light fragrance than for necessity to the recipe, it is marked as 'optional.' Any essential oils marked this way can be omitted or changed to a scent that you prefer. For those not marked optional, you need them for the recipe to work like it should.

By packaging the moisturizers in small Mason jars, you leave yourself open to decorate and give as gifts in a pinch. Place a bit of colorful fabric over the flat lid to the jar, screw the ring on, wrap a color coordinated ribbon around the ring and add a personal tag and you have a ready to give, organic skin care gift from the heart. Just be sure that you are willing to share the recipe or they may drive you crazy wanting more!

Quick and Simple Moisturizer:

Jojoba Oil is great for any skin type and absorbs easily. Apply a small amount to your freshly cleaned face before you dry it. The water on your face is very important to the use of this oil as a moisturizer. For added enjoyment, mix a drop of your favorite organic essential oil to the jojoba just before application. For anti-aging help, use one teaspoon of jojoba and a dab of active royal jelly (found in refrigerated in health food stores); keep your royal jelly refrigerated or it becomes inactive and no good to you.

Anti-aging Dry Skin Moisturizer

4 ounces shea butter

2 ounces organic olive oil

2 teaspoons organic vitamin E oil, 5000 IU

1 teaspoon active royal jelly (refrigerated section of health food stores)

6 drops organic lavender essential oil

Mix all ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. It is necessary to make small amounts of this at a time and keep refrigerated because of the active royal jelly. This is an awesome ingredient for its healing properties and well worth the effort.

Super Simple Moisturizer

With only 2 necessary ingredients, this one is a breeze. Mix 1/4 cup pure aloe vera gel (directly from plant) and 2 tablespoons organic vegetable glycerin. This amount is for use over the entire body. Use immediately because aloe vera gel begins to lose potency immediately. For added effects, you can add 3 or 4 drops of your favorite essential oil or you can add 1/2 teaspoon of active royal jelly for anti aging effects. Active royal jelly must be kept refrigerated to remain active and can be found in refrigerated sections of health food stores.

Dry Skin Moisturizing Cream

This moisturizer has the healing qualities of aloe vera, the anti-oxidant qualities of Vitamin E, and a variety of oils specifically chosen to infuse dry, tired skin with moisture and a renewed radiance.

1/3 cup aloe vera gel (taken directly from plant)

1/4 cup beeswax (liquefied)

1/3 cup coconut oil

3 drops grape seed extract

6 drops of organic lavender essential oil (optional)

3/4 cup organic olive oil

1/4 tsp vitamin E (5000 IU)

2/3 cup water (distilled)

Combine olive oil, coconut oil, and beeswax and melt in a large, microwave safe bowl then pour in blender and let cool until it is about as thick as a milkshake.

While the above is cooling, combine your water, aloe, essential oil, vitamin E, and grape seed extract in a large liquid measuring cup, pour this into blender when the other mixture has cooled enough. Blend until smooth and creamy.

If you are lucky enough to have a heavy duty kitchen mixer (the kind that is on its own stand with its own bowls), you may find that it works better for you because the mixture does become very heavy.

Store refrigerated in small jars.

Honey and Beeswax Soap

Beeswax forms from the secretions of the worker honey bee. The wax substance is an ingredient in candles, cosmetics and soap. Making your own beeswax soap is an enjoyable activity, affording you the opportunity to know exactly what ingredients have gone into your soap. Make your own beeswax soap if you have sensitive skin, prefer to use natural products or simply enjoy making usable crafts.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:
• Double boiler
• ½ Cup glycerin soap base
• 1 tsp. beeswax
• Spoon
• 10 drops fragrant essential oil
• Soap mold
• Plastic bags
• 1 tbsp. beeswax
• 1 cup opaque soap base
• 1 tbsp. honey

Beeswax Soap With Fragrance

1. Place 4 oz. of glycerin soap base in the top of a double boiler. Heat until the soap base melts, stirring constantly.

2. Add 1 tsp. beeswax to the melted soap base, then turn off the heat. Continue to stir the two ingredients until the beeswax melts.

3. Drop 10 drops of a fragrant essential oil into the soap base and beeswax combination. Stir it into the mixture.

4. Pour the soap mixture into a soap mold. Allow the soap to harden, then pop it out of the mold. Store your glycerin soap in a plastic bag until ready to use.
Honey Bee Soap

5. Place 1 tbsp. beeswax and 1 cup opaque soap base in the top of a double boiler and melt over low heat. Stir the ingredients continually as they melt.

6. Add 1 tbsp. honey to your melted soap and beeswax combination and stir in.

7. Empty the soap ingredients into a soap mold. Let the soap mold sit until the honey soap is completely hardened. Remove the soap from the mold and seal it in a plastic bag until you're ready to use it.

Tips & Warnings
• Essential oils come in a variety of fragrances. Use them alone or create your own signature combination.
• Supervise children when working with hot, melted ingredients as they can cause burns.

Antibacterial Soap Recipe

Choose no more than two essential oils from the following:

Lavender oil – a very popular anti-bacterial herb.
Rosemary oil has astringent properties.
Patchouli oil helps with cell regeneration and has antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties.
Eucalyptus oil is also an anti-bacterial herb.
Tea tree oil is a wonderful choice as a secondary oil and has antiseptic qualities.
Sandalwood oil is also an antiseptic and astringent herb.
Bergamont and Clove are also both antiseptic herbs with very strong scents you may not care for.

Use a bar of castile Soap (From the January Recipe's) and grate the soap into a pan and put that pan over a pan of water and turn up the heat.
As the water heats it will melt the soap.
Stir to make sure the soap is completely melted.
Remove from heat and add 20-30 drops of your chosen oil or oils.
No more than 30 drops total or you may have some really mushy soap. For example, if you chose Lavender oil and Tea Tree Oil – you may want to add 20 drops of Lavender Oil and 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil to make a combined total of 30 drops of oil.
Pour mixture into soap molds, small metal or glass dish and allow to dry.

After 24 hours you should be able to pop your soap out and stack it up (if you made a bigger batch) and let it “cure” for about a week before using. Then wrap in paper (wax paper or parchment is fine) and it will stay perfect until you’re ready to use. n of finely ground herbs. Pour the soap mixture into a bowl or a small metal or glass dish and allow it to dry.

Antiseptic Balm

50g Beeswax
85g Sweet Almond Oil
25g Jojoba Oil
20 drops Wheatgerm Oil
20 drops Myrrh Essential Oil
20 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

Makes enough to fill 4 each 1 ounce salve jars or 1 ounce metal tins. A rule of thumb is 2 parts oil to one part beeswax. Simply heat the Sweet Almond and Jojoba oil in a saucepan and add Beeswax. If you want a thin consistency ( such as a cream or Vaseline ) add only a little bit of Beeswax. Want it thicker like wax? Just add more Beeswax. Allow the base to cool down to see what the consistency is like. If it’s too thick, add more Sweet Almond oil and reheat. Too thin? Add more Beeswax.

As the base is cooling add the essential oils to enhance the healing effect of the balm. After you have added the essential oil and the lip balm is still warm enough to pour, carefully pour it into Salve Jars or Metal Tins.

Use this instead of antiseptic ointment, this is far superior!

Vitamin E Cream

100g. sweet almond oil
25g . beeswax
50g . water
10 drops Vitamin E oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Melt the oil and the wax in a double boiler. Remove from heat, add water, and stir thoroughly. Add your Vitamin E, essential oil and stir continuously until cool. After you have added the essential oil and the cream is still warm enough to pour, carefully pour it into Salve Jars or Metal Tins.

This cream is very moisturizing and emollient. It is nice for rough, dry, or chapped complexions and should help promote healthy looking skin.

Natural Shampoo

Here are some recipes for making your own shampoo at home.
Tip: To add your own custom scent to any of these recipes, mix 4-8 drops of an essential oil of your choice with one teaspoon of rubbing alcohol. Stir it into the soap mixture just after all the soap has dissolved.

Soothing Shampoo for a Dry, Itchy Scalp

• 3 bags of chamomile tea
• 3 bags of peppermint tea
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tbsp. liquid Castile soap
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Bring water to a boil. Steep all six tea bags for twenty minutes. Let tea cool to room temperature. Remove tea bags, then add liquid Castile soap and vegetable oil to the brewed tea and stir until blended. Massage generously into hair and scalp. Rinse well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Moisturizing Shampoo for Damaged Hair

• 1/4 cup of liquid Castile soap
• 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel
• 1 tsp. glycerin
• 1/4 tsp. vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Apply liberally to wet hair and let sit a few minutes before rinsing well with cool water. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, and shake before every use.

Herbal Dandruff Shampoo

• 2 tbsp. rosemary (preferably fresh)
• 2 tbsp. thyme (preferably fresh)
• 2 tbsp. coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of water
• 2 tbsp. of liquid Castile soap
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Bring water to a boil. Steep herbs and coconut flakes in boiling water for twenty minutes. Let cool to room temperature and strain the solids from the water. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until blended. Apply generously to wet hair and massage into scalp before rinsing well with cool water. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Castile Soap

If you are one of those wanting to go green and natural, you surely have heard of castile soap. Unlike what many think, castile soap is actually not a brand. (The brand comes in when you talk about Kirk’s Castile Soap for example, which is probably the most popular today.) Castile soap is a kind of soap that is made of vegetable oil and lye instead of animal fat.

Many people insist that the only soap of this kind should only be olive oil castile soap. However, other vegetable oils such as coconut, almond, jojoba and hemp can be used as well.

What makes castile soap special and “green” is that it is biodegradable and making it does not produce as much waste harmful to the environment as in normal soaps. Being natural, it is safe and gentle on the skin. Many moms even use them as baby’s first soap.

Uses of Castile Soap
What makes it all the more special is that it is very versatile. In fact, it is known as “seafarer’s soap” for this reason. First, it can be used as shampoo and works well even without conditioner (and is cheaper too!).
Liquid castile soap can be used for general cleaning around the house, for washing clothes and baby diapers, for heavy duty degreasing, for washing the dishes, among many others!

Making Castile Soap
So, how do you actually make castile soap? Making castile soap is much like basic soap making. The only difference is that you use olive oil with lye.

Here is a sample recipe of making a simple castile soap.
To make 4.5 pounds of soap, you will need about 40 oz. of olive oil (plus about 5 oz. each of palm and coconut oil to give it some stable hardness), 16 oz. water and 7 oz. lye. You can put about 1.5 to 2 oz. of essential oil, based on your preference.

When making castile soap, it is best to use a stick blender. Doing it by manual stirring will take you long hours to trace.

The cold process is the most common method for making this kind of soap. Your soap temperature should be at 100-120, and curing for about 6 weeks will produce the best results.

You can add your favorite fragrance or essential oils just as well, but remember how these may irritate sensitive skin.

How to Make Liquid Castile Soap
You may know that the main different between liquid soap and bar soap is the base or alkali used. Your liquid castile soap recipe will include vegetable oil and potassium hydroxide, and the usual fragrance and essential oils.

Here is a sample recipe you can try. You will need about 16 oz. of sunflower oil (or olive oil, plus 7 oz. of coconut oil), 5.5 oz. of potassium hydroxide, 16 oz. of distilled water for the lye, and 40 oz. water for the soap paste.

The same procedure is used when making ordinary liquid soap. Simply follow the step-by-step method and you will have your natural castile soap ready in no time.

Natural Lip Balm

Making your own natural lip balms is a fun and inexpensive project, and it’s easier than you think. Lip balms make great gifts for Mother’s Day or Christmas, or favors for your teen and pre-teen children’s birthday parties.

Materials

1. Wax

Wax is used to bind the ingredients together. The best wax to use is beeswax, which is available in sheets. There are several other options as well. The first is soy wax, processed from soybeans. The second is carnauba wax made from the leaves of a Brazilian fan palm. The leaves have a waxy coating that is removed by shredding the leaves and drying them, which causes the waxy layer to flake off. The third is candililla wax from a plant of the same name that grows in the Mexican desert. The stems have a waxy coating that is removed from the plant by boiling it in a special solution. All of these waxes are used to make candles as well as cosmetics.

2. Liquid Oil

Several types of liquid oils are used to make lip balms including almond, olive, avocado, vitamin E, vegetable, or more exotic ones such as emu oil.

3. Solid Oils (Fats)

Solid oils or fats include cocoa butter, coconut oil (solid at room temperature), shea butter, and lanolin.

4. Essential Oils

Any essential oil can be used, but the ones most commonly used for lip balms are peppermint, tea tree oil, orange, lemon, or grapefruit.

Tools

Double Boiler

Microwave proof glass measuring cup

Disposable plastic pipettes

Large non-metallic spoon

Lip balm jars or tubes

Basic Recipe and Technique

Most lip balms use one part wax to two parts oil and essential oil. For example:

1 ounce of beeswax (about 2 tablespoons finely chopped)

1/4 cup of oil (about 4 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon of essential oil (about 50 drops)

For lip balms made with a combination of solid and liquid oils, the proportions are roughly the same. For example:

1 ounce of beeswax (about 2 tablespoons finely chopped)

1 1/2 tablespoons of solid oil

1/4 cup of liquid oil

1 teaspoon of essential oil

The basic technique for making natural lip balms involves melting and heating a combination of wax, solid and liquid oils and fats in a double boiler or in a heatproof cup in the microwave, and then adding essential oils or flavorings. The mixture is cooled slightly, and then poured into lip balm jars or tubes using a funnel or pipette.

Tips

* Melt the wax and oils slowly over low heat taking care not to let the mixture get too hot. Never leave it unattended as it can overheat and cause a fire.


*. Do not use food coloring. It is water based and will not mix with the fats in the lip balm.


*. Always use a food grade coloring substance. Add the color last and mix well to distribute the color evenly.


* Let the mixture cool slightly before pouring into lib balm jars or tubes to avoid cracks from forming.


* Use a plastic pipette because a glass one will become too hot and burn you.


* Use a funnel when pouring lip balm into lip balm jars or tubes for better accuracy and to avoid splashing.


* As lip balm cools it will contract. To avoid ending up with less-than-full jars or tubes, fill the lip balm jar or tube 3/4 of the way and then let it cool before filling the rest of the tube. Let it cool again before capping.


* If you use a flavoring oil, make sure it is food grade. Use approximately 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of mixture.

Cleopatra's Milk Bath

Pamper yourself with this luxurious bath!

2 cups powdered milk (dry)
1 Tbsp. dried orange peel
2 tsp. dried lavender flowers
2 tsp. dried rosemary

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a clear glass bottle. Use 1/2 cup of the mixture per bath - soak for 20 minutes. Tie a ribbon and a sprig of dried flowers to the jar for a ready gift!

Oatmeal & Brown Sugar Morning Scrub

Exfoliates and is very moisturizing but doesn't leave a greasy feeling. Before you turn off your shower scoop a small handful of scrub into your hand. Rub gently onto your skin. Rinse.

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup ground oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup pure honey
3/4 to 1 cup (or to total saturation)
Oil of choice - I use Jojoba, Grapeseed or Sweet Almond
1/4 tsp Essential or Fragrance oil of choice (optional) Vanilla works nicely. Though this smells great on it's own.

Mix the brown sugar & oatmeal together in a large bowl. Now add the honey. Drizzle the oil over the mix. Mix well. When all your mix is saturated and sinks to the bottom of the bowl and you have oil on top you're done. Add your essential oil or fragrance oil. A six or eight ounce wide-mouthed jar works nicely. Spoon mixture in.

Ginger Cinammon-Salt Body Scrub

This body scrub has the fresh, invigorating scents of both ginger and cinnamon!

1 cup sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup almond oil or olive oil


Mix all ingredients together, then gently rub over your damp skin (except your face) to slough off dry skin. Rinse with warm water.

Apricot Hand Scrub

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons of apricot oil

Preparation

Combine all the ingredients
Immediately rub the mix into the hands and continue gently rubbing and massaging
Rinse with warm water and pat dry

Brown sugar is a universally used ingredient in any scrub. Body scrubs use it and so do foot scrubs. Brown sugar is full of molasses which makes it brown and moist. Its grains are smaller than of regular, white sugar which makes it a perfect exfoliant. It is not too harsh on the skin, it is gentle and easily sloughs off dead skin cells. It smells great, warms the skin up, and leaves it smooth and luscious.

Once you are done with the hand scrub, choose from one of the following hand creams: