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Basic Moisturizing Skin Cream
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces blended oils
- 1 1/2 ounces coconut oil or cocoa butter
- 1/2 ounce beeswax
- 4 ounces distilled water
- 30 drops grapefruit seed extract
- 1/4 tsp. borax
- essential oils, optional
Method
Weigh the oils and beeswax. Melt over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove the melted oils and beeswax from the stove and add the water and borax. Mix with hand blender or mixer until creamy & thick. Stir in grapefruit seed extract and essential oils (if using).
Store in jars with screw-on tops.
Notes
Suggested blended oils:
almond oil, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil, olive oil - on their own or infused with calendula (great for skin)
cocoa butter, grapeseed oil, jojoba, Shea butter, wheat germ oil
This cream should last for 4 months or so, but if you see mold growing, discard. If you pour it into several containers you can keep some in the fridge until you need them.
Making kitchen cosmetics requires cleanliness to inhibit bacterial growth. Purified or distilled water is used for this purpose. Also, thoroughly clean utensils and counter surfaces before weighing and mixing.
Borax helps mixture not separate.
Lotion goes on greasy but dries nice and is very softening & moisturizing especially during winter.
Source: Renee & Damien Tougas
Post-production Notes
I wasn't as pleased with this batch of moisturizer as my first. I forgot the borax, big mistake, the lotion is already starting to separate just one week after making it. I can't remember the exact proportion of ingredients I used the first time but I liked it better.
I do know I used calendula infused olive oil and quite a bit of cocoa butter. The smell was wonderful - like chocolate. Brienne always thought I'd been raiding some secret stash of chocolate after I'd put it on
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[...] Renee is testing homemade moisturizing creams, she submitted Basic Moisturizing Cream. [...]
[...] Scratch Blog Carnival Submitted by renee on Tue, 2008-07-08 14:51. My experimentation with making my own moisturizing cream is included in this week's Make It From Scratch Blog Carnival over at the funky Home Ec 101 What [...]
Hi Renee,
This recipe looks really appealing, I would like to try it. Could you please share where did you buy the ingredient like cocoa butter and borax etc. and if there's any particular brand I should be looking for.
Thanks
Great idea! This would make a nice gift, too!
I does make excellent gifts and it's really economical (read: cheap) to make too!
Ingredient notes:
Find the unusual food oils (avocado and the like), cocoa butter or coconut oil, beeswax, grapefruit seed extract and essential oils, if using, at a health food store. GSE is expensive, something like $10 for a little bottle but it lasts a long time.
Find Borax in the grocery store with the laundry soaps. I use it for making my own laundry soap, scrubbing the toilet etc... So, kind of surprising that it's in cream but that little bit is necessary to keep it from separating.
By the way, I've never had a mold problem yet with making cream and this last batch has lasted 3 months and is going on strong. Keep extra containers in fridge just to be safe though.
Just so you know what you're looking for the cocoa butter I buy is NOW brand. There's others but this is cheapest at my health food store.
Renee
Thanks much for the info Renee. I can't wait to try it out.
[...] recipe for sautéed cabbage makes the list here. If you’re feeling bored, you can make your own moisturizing cream, and FIMBY’s version not only looks very appealing, it doesn’t seem to contain any [...]
Hi - I have just started making my own moisturizers and balms. I just have one issue - I used a glass bowl to melt down some beeswax and now can't remove the wax. How do you do it?
thanks!!
I always have problems removing beeswax! Using a metal pot for melting is better because you can heat it up again easily and then while it's still warm scrap out with a paper towel (which I then compost). I would heat the glass bowl on the stove in a pot of water and do the same thing. Or scrap out with a sharp edged object if the bowl has smooth sides.
Hope that helps.
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