Bath and body

[me&thegals]

Hi y'all!

I don't own a single piece of makeup and haven't for years. I've always figured myself to be a person lacking in vanity. Turns out I was just young enough to not need stuff on my face. So, now that 35 has rolled around and I'm starting to notice wrinkles that don't go away during the night, I find I actually do have some vanity after all!

In the spirit of SS and all things homemade, I've been having fun messing around with different homemade things and wonder if anyone would be interested in a thread for bath and body products.

I LOVE the following lip balm and will also post a recipe for a facial mask I haven't yet tried but hope to soon. Here goes...

Lip Balm
1 part beeswax
4 parts oil (I have been using canola)
essential oil to smell

Pour into lip tubes, tins, containers or a larger 1/2-cup container to use as body butter.

I have used this on my hands during blackberry picking, on my feet covered with socks at night to soften calluses, all over my face and around my eyes to see if it improves wrinkles (jury's out) and slathered on my son's chest and back (with eucalyptus EO) when he has a cold and cough. I LOVE this stuff and am never going back to storebought lip balm again.


Now, the one I haven't tried yet:

Southern Buttermilk Facial
3 tablespoons fresh buttermilk
2 teaspoons oat flour

For an extra hydrating and skin-loving boost to this formula, add flaxseed oil or carrot seed oil.

Instructions:
Mix buttermilk and oat flour together. Apply to your face and let dry. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.

 

[big brown horse]

I'm going to eat that facial! Where do you get empty lip balm containers? Those would make great gifts!

Thanks for sharing! Does anyone have a recipe for face lotion? I've seen it here before I think, but I can't seem to dig it up.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

How about an all natural alphahydroxy? I love love love this. I was starting to get the between the brows line, and it's still there, but smaller & less noticable.

1 apple, cooked and pureed
1/4 t. honey (humectant, regenerative)
1/4 t. milk (or soymilk) (alpha hydroxyl acid, enzymes digest skin cells)

For Dry Skin, add 1/2 t. brown sugar (exfoliates, moisturizes, alpha hydroxyl acid)

For Oily Skin, add 1/4 t. apple cider (tonic action promotes skin circulation; alpha hydroxyl acid; regulates pH).

Combine the ingredients for your facemask. Mix gently and apply to your face avoiding the eye area. Rest and relax for 10-15 minutes while your wrinkle removing facemask gently exfoliates, nourishes and conditions your face. Rinse with warm water and apply the appropriate moisturizer for your skin type.

Found that on the site free recomended for the Fabulous All Natural Face Cream - http://www.womens-menopause-health.com/bath_and_body.htm

 

[Bettacreek]

Walmart has some lipbalm jar type things that I plan to check out.

In spirit of the thread:

Blackhead removal mask:
2p. knox gelatin (other vegan gelatins might work)
1p. powdered milk

Mix a small amount with warm water and apply a thin coat to blackhead areas. Let dry, then peel.
Variations: 1. Use a small waxing type cloth. 2. Use chamomile tea/extract instead of water.

 

[delia_peterson]

I love this thread!!!!! I have only used Bag Balm from the feed store on my face for like 10 years, so does my daughter. It works wonders(not to mention, lasts forever). But now I can make stuff!

 

[big brown horse]

Thank you Noobie!! Very cool site! Here, I copied the face lotion:

Fabulous All Natural Face Cream.

Ingredients.

Water group:
8 oz. distilled rose water (can use 3/4 cup aloe vera gel)
1 tsp. vitamin E oil
several drops essential oils - these oils are added to the water group because of their beneficial properties are destroyed by heat and the oil group is heated.

Oil group:
6 oz. expeller pressed canola oil, grapeseed or apricot kernel oil (can add 1 t. lanolin) - these oils are the liquid oil portion the following oils are the solid oil portion:
2 1/2 oz. mixture of coconut oil and cocoa butter (2/3 coconut, 1/3 or less cocoa butter) just eyeball the mixture but measure out the combined to 21/2 oz. 1/2 oz. grated beeswax if you prefer lotion or 3/4 oz. if you prefer cream.

Instructions:
Pour the oil group into a small enamel saucepan. Heat slowly over low heat until the beeswax melts. This does not take long. You want to remove this mixture from the heat as soon as possible and pour into a measuring cup to let cool to room temperature. This takes a few hours, but you can speed up the cooling time by placing it in the refrigerator for awhile. Or, if you prefer, you can do this step the night before and in the morning you'll be able to proceed with the blending.

*The water group needs to be at room temperature* If you had your bottle of rose water or distilled water sitting on the counter in the kitchen for a while, it will be room temperature. Take the temperature of water and
note it. Pour the water into your blender. Pour 1 t. vitamin E oil into the water and add your essential oils, 10-40 drops. Be conservative, a little goes a long way - let your nose guide you.

When the oil group is the same temperature as your water group (the MOST IMPORTANT detail to making the cream successfully is making certain that both groups - the water and oils - are the exact same temperature before blending) turn your blender on its highest speed and slowly pour in the oils blending it for few seconds until all the oils are added. Turn off the blender and give the mixture a few good stirs with a narrow spatula, turn the blender on again for a few seconds. Repeat this step if necessary. The batch is done when the two groups are incorporated and look wonderfully creamy. Spoon the mixture into clean jars, label and date them. Smaller jars work better unless you are going to keep your cream in the refrigerator. The cream contains no preservatives. One batch is approximately 16 oz. If you are not splitting this with a friend, you may want to make a half batch.

Ways to play with the recipe:
Water group:
You may use distilled water instead of rose water. You can use 2 1/2 oz of aloe vera gel in the water (decrease water by the amount used) or you may use orange flower water (particularly good for dry skin). You may add 1/2
teaspoon neo heliopan to the water group. This is a natural sunscreen. You also may add a couple droppersful of benzoin oil. It is wonderful for chapped skin and is a natural preservative. You could also add a little
borage oil (approx. 1 teaspoon) or carrot seed oil (several drops) if you wish.

Oil group:
You may use any good quality oil for your cream. Olive oil may be too heavy. Apricot kernel, grapeseed, sweet almond or expeller canola for the major portion of the liquid oils is recommended. You can use small
amounts of the super rich oils to replace some of your base liquid oils.
Examples:
avocado oil or jojoba oil. tablespoon or two of these richer oils is suggested. If you choose to add these wonderful oils, it is suggested that you melt your base oils and the beeswax before adding them. After melting,
add the rich oils. You may have to very gently re-heat again because the bees wax may solidify somewhat with the added cooler oils. These richer oils are fragile and their beneficial properties can be destroyed by heat.

Essential oils:
Dry skin - rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang, chamomile, lavender.
Normal - chamomile, lavender, geranium, neroli, rose.
Oily - geranium, lavender, lemon, patchouli, rosemary, tea tree, bergamot.
Combination - geranium, neroli, lavender, rose.
Mature- wrinkled - carrot seed oil, borage, frankincense, rose.
Chapped - benzoin.

 

[me&thegals]

Hoo boy--I can see I am going to be super busy this winter, all the way through until the chaotic busyness of spring. I think we need a primping, preening emoticon now.

 

[delia_peterson]

Walmart has some lipbalm jar type things that I plan to check out. In spirit of the thread:

Blackhead removal mask:
2p. knox gelatin (other vegan gelatins might work)
1p. powdered milk

Mix a small amount with warm water and apply a thin coat to blackhead areas. Let dry, then peel.
Variations: 1. Use a small waxing type cloth. 2. Use chamomile tea/extract instead of water.

Bettacreek, what is 2p? Packages? What size exactly? And what dept is lipbalm things fall under? Cosmetics? Thank you!

 

[Bettacreek]

P. stands for part. You can use whatever measurement you wish. Start out with 1 tsp for a part to test it out and see if you like it. If you do, you can make it a cup for each part and put it in an airtight container. Then just pull out a small amount and add warm liquid as needed.

I believe the lip balm jars were in the craft section. Just remember that not all areas will have them, whatever Wal-mart stocks depends on the region.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I remember seeing them in the section where the samples/travel sizes are. My wally place had the multi-colored, screw together type. Those are cool

Nice recipe, Betta!