DIY Rich Soothing Hand Cream

Photo: Coconutoil.com

Homemade hand cream is easy to make, so easy that I'm making two different formulas -- the first one to keep my hands moist and beautiful,and another for my mother's arthritic hands. What's that you say? Yes, I can hear you! My hands are too beautiful!! As are yours, and they deserve to be pampered. 

Rich Soothing Hand Cream (to treat dry hands)

Ingredients

3/4 cup Shea butter 
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 tablespoons pure water
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E
14 drops of peppermint essential oil

Directions:

1) Scoop the Shea butter, coconut oil and water into a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for 20 seconds at a time until the Shea butter and coconut oil melt. Whisk together.

2) Next whisk in the olive oil, sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil. (Note: You can substitute another organic oil, such as argon oil, jojoba oil, or marula oil. They are interchangeable carrier oils for the skin in making hand cream. Almond oil is more expensive, so I combine it with the cheaper, yet equally beneficial olive and grapeseed oils.)


3) Add the vitamin E and peppermint oil to the mixture. (Vitamin E gives your emollient a longer shelve life. Peppermint oil gives the lotion a tingle and clean scent.) Continue to whisk briskly until the mixture turns into a cream. Alternately, you can use an electric mixer if you wish. I just mix by hand since I have no desire to clean mixer beaters.

4) Scoop your hand cream into clean empty containers. I chill the cream in the refrigerator for about an hour to give it the perfect consistency … turning the liquid into a rich white cream.

Extra tips: 

1. If you have beeswax or cocoa butter, you may substitute either for the Shea butter. All will thicken the hand cream. In hot weather, you can add 4 tablespoons of Shea butter, beeswax or cocoa butter for extra thickness, since a hot temperature will keep it soft. Alternately, if you want lotion, stop at 2 tablespoons.

2. All essential oils will work, so substitute your favorite essential oil(s). I like how peppermint essential oil soothes and tingles. Also feel free to mix 2 favorite essential oils, such as 12 drops of peppermint and 2 drops of lavender.

3. If you can find the right jar with a tight lid, you can eliminate using the bowl and transfer. Microwave (without lid) and mix or shake in the same jar, then screw on the lid! I love these jars for bottling the hand cream. After shaking vigorously, I pop the hand cream directly into the refrigerator to solidify faster. 

Made in January, 2020

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Rich Soothing Hand Cream (to treat arthritis)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Shea butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons tincture of Arnica alcohol

3 tablespoons cayenne powder

I keep tincture of Arnica alcohol in my medicine cabinet to treat bruises. (If you only have Arnica gel, substitute it.)

Directions:

1) Nuke the Shea butter and coconut oil in a microwave save dish for 20 seconds at a time until it melts.
2) Mix in the Arnica and cayenne powder.
3) Whisk briskly until it turns into a cream.
4) Scoop the cream into clean empty containers.

Fortunately, I had all of the ingredients (except for the Shea butter) on hand. You can buy them cheap from these retailers: I ordered my Shea butter and organic coconut oil from Puritan's Pride; bought the almond and grapeseed oils at TJ Maxx; and got the arnica and vitamin E at the local drugstore. When I run out of peppermint oil, I'll check Puritan's Pride and TJ Maxx. So feel free to shop around to find the best price, but read labels to make sure all the ingredients are 100% what-they-say-they-are and nothing else. Peppermint oil should be 100% peppermint oil, coconut oil 100% coconut oil, and sweet almond oil 100% sweet almond oil, etc. Luckily, TJ Maxx carries a wide selection of quality essential oils! The retailer has quite a beauty section for less moola.

A bit of chemistry and voilà ... your own personal nourishing hand cream! You may never return to store bought again. Here are a few more tips on making your own whipped body butters here. It explains the difference between all the oils you can use.

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Best Oils For Skin, Hair And Nails

Photo: Seebiz.net

At one time I used baby oil after showering to protect my skin from dryness. Right after bathing is the best time to seal in moisture. What's more, one of the changes I made over the last year was to replace baby oil with nature's organic oils. 

But nature's organic oils are more costly per ounce, and if you shower every day as lots of us do, the expense can really add up! Plus in comparing the various types of organic oils, some are 2-5 times more expensive then others. Are they worth it? And, is one type better for your skin and another for your hair? 

I do think switching to an organic oil is worth the extra money for a product you slather on your skin everyday, but you don't have to use the most expensive, or the rarer, harder-to-produce ones to benefit.

A dub of the more common types of organic oil does the trick of moisturizing your skin, hair and nails. In general, I use a richer coconut oil in winter and argon oil or olive oil in the summer. But I don't sweat the difference too much and stick to lower price choices from reputable manufactures, since we need a lot of product over a year's time. 

Here are 10 fabulous organic oils to consider:

Argon Oil - Comes from the fruit of Moroccan argon trees. It has high levels of vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants. Reportedly, it reduces

inflammation also (which keeps skin looking young). Great for skin, hair and nails.

Coconut Oil - Has Vitamin E, protein and lots of fatty acids. One of the heavier oils, making it perfect for winter's brutal cold. Good for skin, hair and nails.

Grapeseed oil - High in antioxidants, vitamin E, and omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. It has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to moisturize, tighten and tone the skin. Not as rare (and thus lower in cost) than some of the others, but just as powerful for beautiful skin.

Jojoba Oil - Contains vitamins B and E, as well as, minerals like zinc and copper. It absorbs easily into the skin. Yes, I love it, but it's one of the more expensive natural oils, so I don't buy it as often as I'd like. Great for skin or hair especially if you have oily skin or scalp.

Marula Oil - is known as Africa's beauty secret. Naturally soothing and healing, it is light and absorbs well into the skin. Rich in vitamins C (4 times the potency than in an orange), vitamin E, omega 3, omega 6 and linoletic acid. Protects the skin against free radical damage and promotes the production of collagen and elastin. Boosts skin firmness and density. Great for skin, hair or nails.

Olive Oil - An affordable all around fantastic moisturizing oil for skin, hair and nails. Has vitamin E, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids and seems to be a barrier from the sun's harmful ultra-violet rays. As a teenager, I borrowed the extra virgin olive oil from my mother's kitchen to use as an after-bath-skin-oil, a practice that didn't last long. She didn't approve and hid the bottle from me. So you see, Mom, I was ahead of my time!

Rose Hip Seed Oil - Has Vitamins A and C, omega fatty acids and linoletic acid. Excellent for uneven skin tone, acne and aging skin. For the skin, it speeds up cell turnover and the production of collagen. One of the more expensive oils, but if you need it, pay the piper.

Sweet Almond Oil - Almond oil comes in 2 varieties: sweet and bitter. While bitter, has a few benefits, it's the oil from sweet edible almonds that are the most popular. Sweet almond oil is rich in vitamin A, B, E. It soothes and treats dryness and inflammation. Almond oil removes impurities and dead skin cells. Improves circulation and helps firm dull, aging skin. Almond oil adds lustre to hair and moisturizes nails also.

Add drops of the next two oils to coconut oil, rosehip seed oil, or olive oil (in lieu of using them alone) to promote healthy skin and hair growth:

Clary Sage Oil - Reduces inflammation of the skin; controls oily skin and acne; stimulates hair growth and gets rid of dandruff.

Geranium Oil - Improves circulation and reduces inflammation, which slows down aging and promotes a healthy scalp and younger looking skin; speeds up the healing of wounds.

You can click the links below for previous posts pointing you to retailers (I personally use) who offer affordable prices for top-notch pure organic oils. I order from Puritan's Pride and use Sonoma Naturals.

Here's a super DIY recipe for an all purpose moisturizing cream from Popsugar Beauty. I need to buy glycerin to make it!

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Woolzies Rose Oil Smells Amazing

Perhaps you've noticed? I rarely write about perfume. (Only twice have I done so which I'll link below.) Because. I don't buy or wear it. I'm an essential oils kind of gal. My all time favorite scent is rose oil. But pure rose oil is very expensive, so usually I buy a quality blend, making sure rose oil is the 1st ingredient. Okay Blended Rose oil, which smells amazing, is a favorite! 

"Why is rose oil so pricey," you may wonder? It takes about 60,000 roses to get one ounce of rose oil. (40,000 petals make 5ml of rose essential oil, according to health writer, Jen O'Sullivan).

Thanks again to T.J. Maxx, I discovered another quality pure essential rose oil blend with beneficial skin ingredients that also smells sensational! Woolzies is its manufacturer, and the company is committed to using only the finest organic fruits, flowers and leaves while preserving the earth. Woolzies' essential oils are cold-pressed or steam-pressed to retain all their essence.

In addition to the 5% Rosa Damascene content, the 100% pure essential oil blend has 4 other essential oils that benefit the skin. The 5 essential oils are listed on the bottle in the following order, and I've also researched each essential oil's benefit to the skin:

Rosa Damascene - It comes from the Damask rose. Reduces pain and inflammation. Contains anti-aging antioxidants. Clears up acne.

Geranium oil - Tightens the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles; its antioxidants are thought to slow down aging. 

Neroli oil - Speeds up skin cell turnover. Reduces inflammation and redness. Improves stretch marks, dark spots and scars.

Citronella oil - Promotes wound healing and is a natural insect repeller. (Citronella oil is an odor in this blend, which I'm not crazy about, but mosquitoes hate it, so it's a fair trade off. The scent is slight while the rose oil is powerful.)

Palmrosa oil - Hydrates and reduces inflammation.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader of integrated medicine who is also a Harvard educated doctor, inflammation is the main cause of aging. So we get a few inflammation fighters in the blend!

What's more, in several scientific studies all 5 listed essential oils show promise in easing, stress, anxiety and depression. The pleasant floral  scent is a natural mood lifter.

Since the rose oil blend consists of pure essential oils, it is concentrated and therefore must be diluted before rubbing on your skin. Dilute the rose oil blend in carrier oils (such as coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil, etc.), or body lotion, or water.

Right after my shower, I put a few drops in my palm and mix with coconut oil (or olive oil), which I use to moisturize my skin. Personally, I like rose oil as a scent instead of perfume. Sometimes I rub a drop on the ends of my hair also. Sooo, if you catch me smelling a lock of my own hair, it's not vanity, but the intoxication of rose oil!😅😍

What a bargain I found at T.J. Maxx ... 4 ounces of Woolzies organic rose oil blend of 100% pure, essential oils with no fillers for $9.99! I got lucky!! The regular price is reasonable too. Much cheaper and IMHO better smelling than most perfumes.

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Homemade Antiseptic Cream

Photo: notrashproject.com

If I need to clean a cut or scrape, I usually saturate a cotton ball with some rubbing alcohol, or tea tree oil and apply it directly to the wound. Than again, if it's just a small cut, I might simply wash the area with soap and water and leave it at that. All three solutions kill germs to keep the open skin from getting infected.

If I stay home I leave the wound uncovered, but if I'm out and about touching public doors and subway poles, I wear a Band-Aid. (BTW: I don't bother buying Band-Aids decorated with cartoon characters for children. I mean, if you don't start, nobody will expect it. I buy a box of 100 flexible fabric Band-Aids and a box of 100 flexible non-fabric bandages that can get wet. All sizes, everybody is covered. No reason to run back to the store anytime soon.)

It's been a while since I've nursed a boo boo worth mentioning for either myself, or a family member. If you have young children, treating mishaps is a way of life until they are grown. On such occasions, here's a fantastic homemade antiseptic cream. Relatively cheap to make, it has a shelf life of up to 5 years. Here's what goes into it:

Homemade Antiseptic Cream 

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons beeswax, grated

1 cup of coconut oil (or olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil
Add drops of your favorite essential oils -- I like ...
20 drops of tea tree oil
15 drops of lavender oil (or Camimille oil)

10 drops of lemon oil (or 1 tablespoon of witch hazel can be substituted.)

Directions:

1. Drop the grated beeswax and coconut (or olive) oil into a sauce pan and melt over a very low heat. Stir together.

2. Remove from the heat. Add the vitamin E, tea tree oil, lavender oil and lemon oil. Mix well.

3. Pour into a small sterilized jar with a secure lid.

4. Keep in a dark, cool place.

Coconut oil makes a lovely base with a creamy consistency, but olive oil works too.

The essential oils in the cream kill germs and help heal wounds. All essential oils are anti-bacterial and anti-fugal, so you can usually substitute your favorite scent. Reportedly, lavender essential oil has the benefit of dulling pain. Vitamin E oil gives a cream its self-life and is thought to prevent scaring. Witch hazel soothes the skin.

Nature's medicine. Treat abrasions as needed. And of course, serious cuts, burns and animal bites should be examined by a doctor.

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DIY Lip Balm: Is It Worth The Cost?

Photo: www.tokopedia.com

We all use lip balm. A chapstick (a/k/a upright lip balmsells for up to $3.00, including the tinted variety (like Maybelline's Baby Lips, which is very moisturizing). A 13 ounce tub of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (a/k/a pioneer lip balmis even cheaper per ounce, costing about $3.50 a jar. What's more, there is no science behind fears that petroleum jelly is unsafe to slather on lips. I do it all winter.

So is it worth making your own lip balm? Well, the answer is yes and no. If you can't finish a batch in a year's time, it's cheaper and more convenient to just buy lip balm as you need it. 

However if you blaze through chapstick like wild fire, it is cost-effective to make a batch. After buying the necessary ingredients and containers, you can bring the cost down to about $1 a pot or stick. Plus, they make lovely gifts, or you can sell them if you are an entrepreneur.

An easy recipe I like for homemade lip balm uses 3 main (and 2 optional) ingredients:

Beeswax-Coconut Oil Lip Balm

Ingredients:

1 cup grated beeswax
1 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Optional ingredients:

a few drops of soothing peppermint oil,
food coloring; or a slice of lipstick for a tint. (A slice of a clean crayon works too; so does powder blush. All these options will add a tint.)

Directions: 

1) In a microwave safe dish, grate the beeswax until you get one cup.
2) Add a cup of coconut oil, which will be solid at room temperature. (1 to 1 ratio.)
3) Microwave the mixture for 20 seconds, repeat until it melts. Go slow so it does not boil.
4) Remove and stir them together.
5) Optional: 
 a.  Add a few drops of peppermint essential oil.
 b. If you wish, tint the lip balm with a few drops of food coloring; or a slice of lipstick. (You can microwave the mixture for a few more seconds if needed.) Stir together.
6) Finally, add one teaspoon of vitamin E oil to the mix. It gives the lip balm its shelf life. Stir all the ingredients until uniform.
7) While warm, pour into containers with lids. Some people recycle old, washed lip balm containers. Other folks repurpose their Altoids (mints) mini tins. While still others buy a supply of pot jars or cylinders like these, which can be labeled and gifted. 
8) After pouring into containers, let cool.

Note: Shea butter could probably be substituted if you don't have beeswax, though I haven't tried it.

I won't lie. Although I love the natural, luxe ingredients of this homemade lip balm, I usually just buy a chapstick (or Baby Lips tinted stick) as needed.

I'm more likely to make my own Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy because you can't buy a full size jar. I've only seen teeny, tiny jars of it -- .25 ounces to be exact. That's a Lilliputian size. Why so small?

What we can do is buy a regular size tub of clear Vaseline, then add a few drops of pink, or red food coloring or Kool-aid ... plus drops of a nourishing essential oil like coconut (or drops of almond oil; or rose oil if you have it). You can also add drops of peppermint oil, if you wish. Set the Vaseline on a stove top and let the pilot light soften it so you can blend it easily without melting. Voila ...  we have a full-size jar of homemade Vaseline Rosy Lip Therapy. However, it's more practical to make small pots at a time, and keep the rest of the Vaseline clear for other uses. The idea is to save money by buying a regular size jar of Vaseline and adding your own tints and oils.

I mixed a chip of cheek blush (arrgh, dropped my blush on the bathroom floor and a piece broke off!) with Vaseline to make a lovely lip gloss. Alternately, you can mix a slice of lipstick with Vaseline for a moisturizing tinted lip balm. It's too easy-peazy, not to do it yourself to get more product for less moola! 

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DIY White Fluffy Shaving Cream

Photo: Dreamtime.com

I'm on an essential oils kick! Making your own beauty and grooming products has a myriad of benefits. You: 1) know exactly what goes into them; 2) use the best ingredients cheaply; 3) can customize the products to the likes and special needs of the recipient; 4) develop a sense of self sufficiency; 5) learn how easy it is to make your own; and 6) can avoid putting harmful chemicals on your face and body.

Many men shave every morning, so here is a grooming product just for them. But hey, a woman can borrow it to shave her legs if she makes it for him! Look how simple it is to make a rich, fluffy, shaving cream:

White Fluffy Shaving Cream

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Shea butter
2/3 cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons olive oil (or any carrier oil: grapeseed, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil. All are terrific. Olive oil is cheaper.)
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More photo and razor info:  link here

These top ingredients are all you really need, but the following ingredients improve the cream.
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1 tablespoon baking soda (Refines the texture.)
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E (It preserves the shaving cream.)
20 drops of a favorite smelling essential oil, or a combination of essential oils. (For scent and skin conditioning benefits.) Examples: Clary sage and citronella; lavender and peppermint; eucalyptus and geranium.

Directions:

1) Spoon the Shea butter and coconut oil into a mixing bowl and microwave for 20 seconds at a time until they melt. In the summer, you probably won't have to heat the coconut oil. If already melted, just pour it in after nuking the Shea butter. (I don't heat an ingredient unless it needs melting to preserve the nutrients.)

2) Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and whisk.

3) Whisk, whisk, whisk by hand, or beat with an electric mixer.

4) With whisking, the air and emollients will come together to form a white, fluffy shaving cream. After you get a creamy consistency, scoop the shaving cream into a clean, pretty jar with a tight lid.

Great for sensitive skin, and makes a lovely gift!

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What Beauty Buys Am I Using Right Now?

Over time I've tried to switch over to more natural or organic beauty products. I use the word "natural" skeptically. We must always read labels and research commodities carefully to make sure the word isn't just a marketing gimmack but truly reflects purer ingredients in the ointments we rub into our skin.

Another aim is to spend less money on the personal care items we use daily. If quality is nearly the same with similar results, cheaper is always better! Over time the savings really add up!  And it goes without saying, we want to focus on products that really work because they have the science behind them! Let's also strive to not layer on too many elixirs, another way of washing cash down the drain. The goal of keeping beauty routines simple to save time and get out of the bathroom faster is smart also!

Here are personal care items I'm using right now that meet the criteria: 

For the Face --

Day

1) The Ordinary Buffet - a mix of effective anti-aging peptides. 

2) The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% - a high potency antioxidant and skin brightener. 

3) Walgreens Baby Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen - the #1 preventer of aging skin you can buy.

Night

4) Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream With Retinol Fragrance-Free

5) Azure Hemp & Retinol Sleep Mask - This I alternate with #4 whenever my face feels dry.

For the Body --

1) BuyBuy Baby Powder with pure cornstarch - A generic bath powder from Bed, Bath & Beyond. The cornstarch replaces talc because in the USA, you can't buy talc anymore. Since the pandemic, I apply baby powder on my face under my mask because I'm not wearing makeup. (Tinted face powder tints my mask which looks ugly!)

2) Puritan's Pride Coconut Oil - I use it after a shower to lock in moisture! The company makes coconut oil for the body, but I buy the food-grade coconut oil -- one oil to use in both the kitchen and bathroom. Done!

3) Botanical + Herbal Help Body Lotion - Containing tea tree and verbena oils, I use it as a hand or body cream. It's from T.J. Maxx and I buy their ever-changing array of lotions from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Korea, and exotic California.🙂

For the Hair --

SheaMoisture and Renpure💕💥 all the way! I switch up the formulas regularly. Right now I'm using ...

1) Repure Extra Strength Coconut Cream Shampoo

2) SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Shampoo

3) SheaMoisture Kukui Nut & Grapeseed Oils Conditioner

4) SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Conditioner

Both brands are from long-time manufacturers of good, clean, organic ingredients for the hair at drugstore prices.

So these are the beauty buys in my bathroom right now. Simple, clean, inexpensive and they work! ✔✔✔✔

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