So I guess its better late then never to show what I made for Mother’s Day.I was a couple days late in delivering these gifts to our mothers and grandmothers because of our trip to Portland over the weekend.But I think they all understand!
I have been busy making the All-Purpose Healing Salve and the Hand Cream over the past week or so.I simply made labels with what was inside and a list of ingredients on the back.
The bag is full of bath salts that are perfect to adding to a bath at the end of a long day.I made the custom box to put it all in and topped it off with paper shreds and cellophane.
This was my first attempt to make any sort of skin care products and I’m happy to report that it was a success!I probably should have started with something a little simpler, like a salve, but I really needed to moisturize my hands and wanted to make my own hand cream.I always get dry hands and feet in the winter and then again in the spring and this year has been no exception. I've used all sorts of products and this last week I just wasn’t in the mood to purchase a cream or lotion at the store. I recently purchased this book and Rosemary has a "perfect hand cream" recipe that knew I wanted to make. I made this recipe just the other night and I am happy to report that the only improvement I’d make is adding more lavender essential oil. Check out the ingredients that I used and steps below:
Waters: 2/3 cup distilled water 1/3 cup aloe vera gel 2 drops essential oil of choice (I chose lavender, but would add a lot more than 2) Vitamin A and E as desired
Combine the water ingredients in a glass measuring cup then set aside. I had really had no clue on how much Vitamin A and E to add, so I went off the daily recommended dosage and then multiplied it by four - why four? I don't really know, but it works I suppose! I added 40 drops of the Vitamin E oil (10 drops is the daily allowance and then pricked 4 gel capsules of the Vitamin A and squeezed them into my water mixture.
Oils: ¾ cup apricot kernel oil 1/3 cup coconut oil ¼ tsp liquid lanolin ½ ounce beeswax I had 1 ounce bars of beeswax and so I just broke one in half - you can use up to an ounce though.
You want to then heat the oils over low heat in a double broiler until they are melted. I simply used a bigger pan of water and set a smaller saucepan inside. Once the oils are melted pour them into a blender and let them cool.
This step is super important!Let the mixture sit until it’s at room temperature.You can put in the refrigerator as I did to speed up the process, but keep checking on it to make sure it doesn’t get too hard.The mixture should look creamy and be a cream color.I kept dipping a knife into the mixture and testing the temperature to make sure it was cooled off.You also want to make sure that the water ingredients are at room temperature.
You then turn on the blender at the highest speed and with a slow drizzle, pour the water mixture into the center of the oil.If the blender starts over working, turn it off and add the remaining water by hand.I didn’t have a problem with my blender and was able to continue blending until all the water was poured in.If you have a beautiful creamy end result, then you did it right!Then pour into jars and store in a cool location. There you have it!I used some cream on my hands that night and am happy to announce that this cream is amazing!I am so happy with the results.I have a small enough container to keep in my purse and plenty for use at home!
Hi! I'm Christa, a dynamic woman and mother on my personal path of self discovery. I’m passionate about natural childbirth, green living, herbal remedies, vegan/raw food, crafts, woodworking, Down syndrome, spiritual healing, essential oils, owning my power and beauty as a woman and empowering other woman to live their truth.
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