Ingredients

Many modern-day beauty products are not only pricey, but they are also heavily laden with synthetic ingredients and fake fragrances. Many women have finally had enough of paying for and using store-bought products containing petroleum waxes, unnatural fillers, and irritating artificial chemicals. They are enthusiastic and eager to return to "beauty basics" by creating natural and organic plant-based skincare products.

Fresh-Picked Beauty is a place to find all the valuable information you need to formulate and create customized natural and organic kitchen-crafted skincare products to deliver your skin with the nourishment it needs for a beautiful and healthy glow. You will learn to select the finest carrier oils, butters, waxes, essential oils, and other plant-based ingredients to create high-quality lotions, creams, salves, body butters, lip balms, toners, scrubs, bath oils, aromatherapy products, and much more.



I buy most of my vegetable and carrier oils from Mountain Rose Herbs.  Here is some information about their butters and waxes from their website.

 Cocoa Butter:
An aromatic solid butter pressed from the roasted seeds of the Cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) and further processed to yield a warm color and delightful odor. Will soften at body temperature and adds a rich, creamy, and thick consistency to lotions, soaps, creams, and toiletry items to help reduce cutaneous dryness and for the improvement of skin elasticity. A soothing ingredient. 

Illipe Butter:
Similar to cocoa butter, only firmer. Great for soap-making and balms. 


Kokum Butter:
A highly prized and under-rated butter from the Garcinia tree. This naturally white and incredibly smooth butter has enormously high compositions of beneficial materials to help regenerate tired and worn skin cells and further supports elasticity and general flexibility of the skin wall. A great ingredient to add to healing lotions, creams, and body butters. It can be directly applied to the skin in its solid state, but it may require a mild amount of heating to improve applicability. Highly recommended to those that are crafting cosmetics with the intent of producing a skin healing end product. Click to learn more, see a photo, and/or order!

  
Mango Butter:
Expeller pressed and rendered from the seed kernel of the Mango tree, this highly prized butter is an exceptional quality base ingredient for body care products and soap making recipes. Mango Butter has beneficial moisturizing properties for lotions and acts as a mild lubricant for the skin, and is very similar in color and texture as cocoa butter making it an exotic and fun alternative for toiletry products. Great source of essential fatty acids. 

Shea Butter:
This raw unrefined butter is derived from the vegetable fat of the Karite Tree. The first choice in natural skin care and fine body care products, our certified organic shea butter forms a breathable, water-resistant film and is the leading natural product for moisturizing. A wonderful base for cosmetic recipes or used as a stand alone application, this comes highly recommended for those concerned about naturally healthy skin. Mountain Rose Herbs shea butter is hand harvested, certified organic, expeller pressed, and is imported directly from the processor. 

Beeswax:
A wonderful substance secreted by worker honeybees. This line of pure, filtered, cosmetic grade bees wax comes from beekeepers in the United States that we have a wonderful working relationship with. This beautiful wax is the finest we have ever acquired; producing a very fragrant, clean, and perfectly filtered product without the debris and muddy color found in typical waxes. Use it for cosmetics, salves, body care products, lotions and you can melt it down to make your own aromatic candles. 
Carnauba Wax:
One of the hardest cosmetic waxes found, this wax is taken from the Brazilian palm tree Copernicia prunifera. A very hard, thick wax with a high melting point around 180-185 degrees. It is mainly used in furniture waxes, lipsticks, and cosmetic recipes, which require a formidable barrier agent. 
Emulsifying Wax:
A vegetable based emulsifying wax from naturally occurring fats and esters, further processed into a convenient "pastille flake form".
This excellent medium is used to create a bond between water and oil for products which require their binding together. Makes a fluid cream, and lotion without the separation, and complements the finished products end texture. 

Thanks to Mountain Rose Herbs for supplying all the wonderful information about their carrier oils!!!
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 
*This information shall not be interpreted as specific prescription or usage advice and is published as a general guideline only.
I buy most of my essential oils, butters, waxes, and other bulk ingredients online from Mountain Rose Herbs. Since 1987 Mountain Rose Herbs has been known for its uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture and steadfast focus on the pure aesthetics and freshness of botanical products. Throughout these magnificent and developmental years, they have always emphasized conducting business ethically, responsibly, transparently, and ecologically, hoping to pave a medium for other blossoming green companies.

All products processed and offered by Mountain Rose Herbs are handled, analyzed, and supervised by a full-time quality control department. Every aspect of all their products, from the procurement and receiving, to the processing and packaging, is done according to strict quality control and organic handling procedures. As a result, the products they offer are guaranteed to be fresh, fragrant, and colorful. In addition, unlike traditional suppliers of herbal products who keep their merchandise stored in warehouses for several years, Mountain Rose Herbs will only sell or stock products a few months after harvest (except for seasonal items).


You can find out more about Mountain Rose Herbs by visiting them online HERE