faith4tots.com » Cuts & Scrapes

Make Your Own Lotion With 3 Simple Ingredients

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:07:47 +0000

Skin care is big business, accounting for millions of dollars in sales each year. According to IBISWorld the cosmetic and skin care industries are very competitive. As a result, companies are relying on new product introductions to grow their business. For the consumer, this means “new & improved” patented ingredients, more chemicals and toxins with unknown side effects, all with the promise of more youthful, healthy skin. Most Americans are accustomed to an abundance of choices in skin and personal care products, yet it can still be overwhelming trying to choose what is the safest and most economical. It helps to get products from a company you trust, like Young Living. EWG’s cosmetic database can help you avoid products with toxic ingredients. I’ve also found it easiest to simplify my routine where I can. If you are unfamiliar with the risks of using most drug store personal care products I encourage you to watch a short video from Safe Cosmetics.org, a non-profit organization committed to educating the public about safety in our personal care items.

Recently, I’ve found some great directions on making your own lotions at WabiSabi Baby.com. I’ve had the how-to information for years but never ventured out to try it until I read the clear directions from WabiSabi Baby. Packaged lotions are convenient and you don’t have to worry about shelf life, but if you’d like to try making your own lotion, I recommend this recipe. When you add your pure essential oils from Young Living you’ll have the purest lotion customized to your skin’s needs. I mixed together this batch of simple ingredients and had a very emollient lotion in 15 minutes. I used Young Living’s V-6 oil one time and coconut oil the 2^nd. The coconut oil version was amazingly emollient. I have used Young Living’s lavender lip balm (made with coconut oil) for dry patches and the coconut oil version was very similar. If you can heat up a can of soup, you can make this recipe. The first time I did this, the water separated a little. I reheated the mixture in the double boiler and it turned out much better. I look forward to trying this recipe with glycerin (making sure it’s vegetable glycerin) for even more moisture. Mountain Rose Herbs carries a large selection of lotion making supplies including beeswax pastilles and glycerin. Let me know if you’ve made your own lotions and what has or has not worked for you!

I mixed up ½ this amount the first couple times just to get comfortable with the technique:

¼ C vegetable oil (Young Living’s V-6 oil blend, coconut, jojoba)

¼ C emulsifying wax (I used local, organic beeswax. You can also get an emulsifying wax specifically for cosmetics)

1 ¼ C hot water (almost boiling)

Melt vegetable oil and emulsifying wax in a small sauce pan. Pour in hot water (this step is critical to avoiding a mess!) and stir until well incorporated, the consistency should be like milk. Pour the entire mixture into a glass canning jar or other glass bottle with a tight lid. Make sure you temper the glass first by running it under hot water to warm the glass slightly. I found it convenient to sterilize the bottle first, filling it with lotion once it has cooled a little, taking care to use hot pads for hot surfaces. Pour the lotion mixture in slowly as a dramatic temperature change will break the glass. Gently shake the bottle about every 10 minutes until the mixture sets.

Add 8-10 drops of essential oils when the lotion cools to customize to your needs:

Calming lotion: Roman chamomile, lavender & frankincense

Acne prone: Melaleuca alternifolia

Eczema: Myrrh

Cooling Foot Lotion: Peppermint

Sunscreen: Add 1 T non-nano zinc oxide plus lavender to protect and support skin health (I ordered mine from WabiSabi baby.com)

Insect Repelling Lotion: Purification, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Thieves, Citronella (make sure it is not a chemical citronella oil, but pure plant extract). Add non-nano zinc oxide to make a bug repellent sunscreen

I made half this version for a couple days use and keep it in the fridge since there are no preservatives. You could also add some Vitamin E oil or essential oils that would act as natural preservatives. Make sure you don’t use citrus oils in lotion you will be putting on before sun exposure.

Watch for an upcoming post on (making your own facials at home) with pure ingredients and essential oils customized for your skin type.

First Aid the Natural Way

Mon, 30 May 2011 21:32:52 +0000

I knew summer was almost here when my four-year old came in the house with two scraped knees, his brother an hour later with a sliver . The biggest change I make in first aid supplies this time of year is simply buying more band-aids for my portable oils case. I also stock up on those instant ice packs from a local sporting goods store. You’re probably mindful of the foods you eat, creating a natural first aid kit is just an extension of what you are already doing to be healthy. You can build your own compact first aid kit that is not only more natural, but kid friendly and even helpful in dealing with the stress that mishaps of life may bring. This natural first aid kit is compact and perfect for taking on trips camping , driving or flying. The 5 & 15ml (equal to 1/2 ounce) bottles of essential oils should be no problem to carry on a flight, although you can verify carry on restrictions with individual airlines before traveling. My first aid kit is not much more than my Everyday Oils collection - enough to treat most non-emergency situations in a natural way, some bandaids, antibiotic ointment and an instant ice pack. When you add essential oils to your first aid kit, make sure you are using quality therapeutic grade oils, preferably food-grade oils that are guaranteed to have no additives or chemicals in them which could actually be harmful if used for first aid. Here are some common first aid ailments and how we handle them with the Everyday Essential Oils Collection:

Cuts & scrapes - cleanse first with water & soap if available. Apply 1 drop of lavender or Purification oil to wound before covering with a bandaid. Lavender disinfects and speeds healing.

Bumps & bruises – apply PanAway to bump, only to unbroken skin for adults and older children. If there is a scrape on the bump, use Frankincense. Frankincense is gentle enough for newborns and toddlers, Young Living Frankincense can be applied undiluted directly on location to bump or wound.

Burns – apply lavender undiluted directly to the burn as soon as possible. Lavender stops the inflammation and can immediately start the healing. I’ve used this countless times, every time I apply right after injury, a blister never forms. Continue applying lavender (even every 5-10 minutes) until pain subsides. For sunburn, make your own lavender spray. Add 10 drops of lavender essential oil to a 4 ounce glass spray bottle, fill with water and keep in the fridge for cooling relief when sprayed directly on skin.

Cramps, muscle & PMS – apply 1-2 drops peppermint essential oil directly to sore muscle, to the abdomen for PMS.

Digestive issues - including nausea, diarrhea, travel sickness and IBS. Apply 1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil directly to the abdomen, for children under 3 use Peace & Calming or Lavender essential oils. If using Young Living’s food grade peppermint oil, add a drop to a 16 ounce glass of water and take small sips every 10 minutes until symptoms subside. Even just applying a drop on the vent of the car as you travel can help ease motion sickness for everyone.

Fever – Lavender is cooling and especially effective for children and infants. Peppermint is helpful for those over 3 years of age. Apply 1-2 drops of your oil of choice to the soles of the feet or along the spine, massaging into the back. Frankincense can also be added to the lavender or peppermint to enhance the cooling effect. Repeat every hour if needed.

Headache – apply lemon essential oil to the big toe. Peppermint and Thieves may also be helpful. PanAway is another option, applying 1-2 drops to the temples or back of the neck. Check out my drug-free headache relief post for specifics on techniques for applying the oils.

Insect bites – apply Purification blend directly to mosquito, spider bites and bee stings.

Itching – apply lavender undiluted directly to area of irritation.

Muscle injury – apply PanAway essential oil directly to point of injury. Layer peppermint oil on top to drive Panaway deeper into tissue. Repeat every hour until pain subsides.

Sinus Congestion – apply peppermint essential oil to bridge of nose. For congestion from allergies, apply lavender essential oil to the bridge of the nose.

Stress – apply lavender essential oil or Peace & Calming blend to the back of the neck, breath aroma in deeply to calm nerves. Frankincense is especially helpful in chaotic situations when you need to focus and relax. Apply frankincense to the temples, back of the neck or simply breath in the aroma. Any of these oils as well as Valor blend are also helpful in severe injury situations and can be inhaled or rubbed on to the soles of the feet on the way to seek medical treatment to calm those involved.

Essential oils are an easy, compact and effective way to deal with non-emergency situations in a natural way. Add them to your existing first aid kit for natural options that do not expire. For more information on specific usage in these and other situations, refer to an essential oil desk reference or other aromatherapy guide. Watch for my next post June 4th, with recipes for using essential oils for chemical free sunscreen and bug repellant!

This information is for educational use only and Pure Home and Body LLC does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.