Alex's Soothing Facial Cream
Bless my daughter's heart! She asked me last night if I would formulate a moisturizing cream for her buddy Alex who has dry skin, blemishes and recent acne scaring. I can't tell you how thrilled I get when my teenager requests my homespun skincare for her friends. She is earning brownie points towards her new car next year!
I wanted to make just about an ounce or so of cream for Alex to try out and see if he found it beneficial. For the oil phase, I knew I would add my own Calendula infused oil and then small amounts of Rosehip Seed Oil, Argan Oil and Tamanu Oil. All of these oils are wonderful for soothing dry skin and scars. For the water phase, I chose to use all Calendula Hydrosol since it is wonderful for all types of skin irritations. I also chose Emulsifying Wax which is a vegetable based wax from naturally occuring fats and esters. Also known as E-Wax, it helps create a "bond" between the oil phase and water phase so the two do not separate. I also squeezed in 1000 mg of Non-GMO Soy Lecithin from a capsule. I added in a 5% blend of essential oils to include Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Moroccan Blue Chamomile (Tanacetum annuum) and Sage (Salvia officinalis). All of these essential oils are included for their skin regenerative benefits.
Alex's Soothing Facial Cream
15 ml of Calendula infused oil (**Click here to learn how to make it)
1.5 ml Argan Oil
1.5 ml Tamanu Oil
1 ml Rosehip Seed Oil
4 grams Emulsifying Wax
1 gram Stearic Acid
1 gram Soy Lecithin (squeezing from a 1000 mg gel cap is easiest)
14 ml Calendula Hydrosol
10 drops Helichrysum Essential Oil
5 drops Moroccan Blue Chamomile Essential Oil
5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
5 drops Sage Essential Oil
10 drops Vitamin E
In a glass measuring cup set in a double boiler of simmering water, add in the calendula oil, Argan oil, tamanu oil, rosehip seed oil, E-wax, stearic acid and soy lecithin. Allow to melt and come to 150F and hold for 5 minutes then remove from heat. Allow oil mixture to cool in a small mixing bowl to 130 degrees. Gently warm the hydrosol to 130 degrees. Once the oil mixture is cooled, use a hand-held blender to mix the hydrosol into the oil/wax mixture.
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| When making small batches of skin cream, I use a single beater of a hand mixer to combine ingredients. |
Once your cream is nice and fluffy, it is time to add in the essential oils and vitamin E. Be aware that when using Moroccan Blue Chamomile, it has the most chamazulene of all the oils and will turn your product a bit blue (or in my case a bit green due to the yellowness from the calendula oil). It is all good and will not turn your skin blue when using small diluted amounts. Mix in your essential oils and vitamin E oil and transfer to a small container.
You will note that I did not add any preservatives to my recipe. I could have added a 1% addition of grapefruit seed extract, but I did not want to irritate Alex's skin anymore than it already is. You will note that on my product label I recommend the cream be stored in the fridge and used within 30 days. I also suggested on the label that a clean stick be used to retrieve the cream. I certainly hope that Alex will enjoy this custom formulated cream.
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| Make sure you label the product and include a use by date and how to store it. |
This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate.As with all essential oils, never use them undiluted. Do not take internally unless working with a qualified and expert practitioner. Keep away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier. I am an affiliate with Mountain Rose Herbs.
