Vegan day 133: Homemade face cream

Feed your skin with organic and natural homemade face cream!
Sure we nourish our body through eating nutrient rich food but we still have to be conscious of what we put on our skin. Skin is the largest organ of the human body representing an average of 16% body weight. It’s necessary to keep our skin clean and healthy as it is also part of the body’s elimination system. Many of today’s cosmetics are not healthy- not cleansing or nourishing – and not vegan. Many use ingredients which come from animals directly or which are involved with animal testing. Animal testing affects millions of animals per year. Reality check for a moment: “animal consumption” is at it’s highest- where demand is quickly surpassing supply- where the numbers are high into the billions for farm animals slaughtered per year world wide. Yet I push on.. vegans are allowed reflective moments like this. OK..


I came across this face cream in one of my early ACHS classes. We were studying herbs and natural products. One of my favorite herbology books ever by Rosemary Gladstar is 
HERBAL RECIPES for VIBRANT HEALTH. Included here today is a recipe from her book- tweaked just a little each time I prepare it.


The timing is perfect. It’s Mother’s day and my Mom has been calling me and asking ever so nicely yet assertively for me to make this cream again. OK- she demanded it! lol My Mom is one of a few who tried some beauty products I made a while back. Her and a few others were really hooked on this cream. It moisturizes deep into the dermal layer of the skin. Many creams claiming to moisturize actually do quite the opposite and if you ever read the ingredients on a commercial face cream label- it’s almost as long as a strawberry shake at McDonalds. Do you know how many ingredients there are in those milkshakes?- take a wild guess- then click here to see!


This face cream was fun to make and I personally love it. If your skin is perfect to dry- you might want to give this a try. It also makes for great gifts – ones they will be demanding again- if they are your Mom!


Happy Mother’s Day Mom– you said you wanted the recipe because I take to long to make it lol. I made these for you– plus you can have the recipe! I will still make them whenever you want!


Rosemary’s Perfect Cream
by Rosemary Gladstar


Water’s
2/3 cup distilled water or rose water
1/3 cup aloe vera
Few drops of essential oil of choice
Vitamin A and E as desired
plus I added:
Glycerin




Oil’s
3/4 cup apricot oil, almond or grape seed oil
1/3 coconut oil or cocoa butter
1/2 – 1 oz of beeswax
[wow- I had to stop right there! Being VEGAN is such a process and with a high end continual learning curve. I don’t eat honey. I eat vegan. I would like to be more conscious of my cosmetics and my clothing. I just now realized that using beeswax is NOT VEGAN I just researched it and found that Candelilla wax is a plant wax and alternative to beeswax. I am going to order it now!]
plus I added:
Lecithin
Wheat germ oil


Purchasing NOTES: 
(hence the reason my Mom won’t make this)
Finding these products is not the easiest. It’s best to go online and chose a place that specializes in organic products. I really love 
ORGANIC CREATIONS. I have used this company a few times and I have tried others. It’s simple really- if I am going to put something on my face… it’s got to be good.. and pure!


I get the rose water from them, and my favorite ingredient – the apricot oil. I think their unrefined and unscented cocoa butter is the best. I have used others and have taken the fall for it when a few people felt the cream was different and smelled funny. The cocoa butter really should be unscented. I get the beeswax from them which will be CANDELILLA WAX– when I make it for myself next. This time I also bought a few new items from them- the glycerin, lecithin and wheat germ oil. 
In this batch, I added:

  • Glycerin for it’s humecant properties in retaining water
  • Lecithin (soy based) for it’s emulsifying (or binding) benefits
  • Wheat germ oil for it’s vitamin E



The How To:
Like most of my preparations- I try to clean up well ahead of time before I make a grand mess which of course, I did! I like to sanitize the area and the equipment to be used as well as the jars or containers for storage.
You will need measuring jars, a double boiler, a blender and jars for storage.


Measure the “water” ingredients mentioned above and keep to the side. I use lavender or lemon essential oil. Make sure they are therapeutic grade and 100% pure. I skipped the vitamins because I was using wheat germ il this time. It was my first time using glycerin so I used just a teaspoon. For the record- I always double this recipe!


Next, measure out the 2 main oils and the wax and put them in the double boiler over a low heat- just to melt the cocoa butter and wax. I added in the lecithin and wheat germ oil towards the end of the melting. Let cool. Use the refrigerator if you want to cool the oils but don’t let it get hard.


The mixer: here in lies the secrets and the art. Good luck! What seems to work well is putting the oils in first and then turning on the blender and pouring the water mixture in slowly and simultaneously. The mixture will soon stop up the blender as it becomes thick and creamy white. Be careful not to put things in the blender to mix it as they may snap off into the cream. 


Rosemary says to store this in glass jars and there is no need to refrigerate. I used PBA free plastic and sometimes I keep the extra jars in the refrigerator so it works both ways. 
Thank you Rosemary Gladstar for this and many other wonderful recipes!


Reference:


Gladstar, R. (2008). Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. Storey Publishing: North Adams, MA. 
ORGANIC CREATIONS: online shopping
The GOOD GUIDE– look for safe, healthy, ethical and green products
http://www.glenbrookfarm.com/makinglotions.htm
http://myhomemadebeauty.com/2010/09/01/lecithin-benefits-for-skin/


The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

[Saturday May 12th 2012 blog]
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