Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (4 page)

Bowls, measuring cups, and spoons:
No need to buy anything to prepare your products. Just use the bowls, saucepans, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and other items you already have in your kitchen. The only thing that
may be useful is a set of little plastic funnels, which you should be able to find at your local hardware store.

Notebook and labels:
Make sure you use a notebook to keep a record of your recipes. Write down dates and any problems or triumphs you encounter. You will also need sticky labels for each preparation. You can get really creative with your labels (see “Do It Beautifully”). You may want to cover a paper label with sticky plastic or tape to keep the oil from dripping down and spoiling it. You can also
wrap a rubber band just below the rim of the jar or bottle and it will catch the drips.

Storage:
If you are making a cream or lotion, you need to store it in the fridge because of the lack of preservatives. You can store your body and facial oils in a cool, dark cupboard or cabinet. I specify in each recipe exactly how long it can be stored; however, you may find it useful to purchase a Chek-It: Home Test Lab in a Box from www.snowdriftfarm.com. This way you can check if, after a few weeks, any bacteria or fungi have crept in!

Getting Started

Choose a cleanser, moisturizer, and toner for your skin type. Then, go shopping for what you need. Having picked your recipes and purchased your supplies, you’re ready for some fun. I suggest putting aside no more than an hour. This will give you plenty of time to make a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and body oil.

Set aside a large, clear space on your kitchen table or counter and set out all your supplies. Make sure you have a few clean rags or dish towels, and all your labeling supplies (see “Do It Beautifully”).

You may want to share this fun with a girlfriend or even an age-appropriate child. From my own experience, a 7- or 8-year-old will be able to participate without causing total mayhem. Keep in mind that you will be heating, stirring, and adding minute drops of essential oils, so a hyperactive child could have you tearing your hair out. My 8-year-old daughter got a strong prior word of caution (about heat and spilling), and now absolutely loves these sessions and even makes her own little potions.

STERILIZATION

You need to sterilize all your glass storage bottles and jars before filling them. The easiest way is to put them through a hot dishwasher cycle and allow them to air dry. If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can boil your bottles and jars in a large pot of water for 5 minutes and remove carefully with tongs. Allow to air dry on a clean dishcloth.

Skincare Regime for Oily/Problem Skin

CLEANSER

Citrus Cleansing Cream

For those of you who are prone to oily skin, this is perfect for removing dirt, grime, and even makeup.

Yields:
approximately 2 oz. of cream

Application:
use every evening to remove makeup and the day’s dirt

Storage:
2-oz. dark glass jar in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
Place the base oils, beeswax, and lanolin in a small bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water and heat until the wax melts. Remove the bowl and leave it to cool for 10 minutes.

2.
In another pan or in the microwave, warm the water and stir in the borax. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow it to cool.

3.
Spoon the base oil mixture into a blender and blend on a high speed as you slowly drizzle the water through the hole in the lid. Blend for 15 seconds or until it is a smooth consistency.

4.
Add the vitamin E and essential oils and pour into the jar. Allow it to cool completely before screwing on the cap.

How to use:
Scoop out a dime-size dollop of the cream and massage into your face. Add some warm water, massage again, then rinse with cool water.

TONER

Pure Aloe Vera Toner

This is a wonderful, inexpensive toner for oily skin. If you have combination skin, it might be a good idea to use this toner only on your T-zone. You can store it in an old jelly jar.

Yields:
approximately 16 oz. of toner

Application:
use in the morning to refresh before moisturizing and in the evening after cleansing

Storage:
16-oz. glass jar in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
Pour the aloe vera juice and the water into the jar and gently shake.

2.
Store in the fridge.

How to use:
When you are ready to tone, dip a cotton pad or ball into the juice and gently wipe across your face and neck.

MOISTURIZER

Lavender and Rosemary Moisturizer

This is a beautifully therapeutic moisturizer for oily skin. The combination of the essential oils is antiseptic and antibacterial, so it can help with skin that is prone to pimples or acne.

Yields:
approximately 2 oz. of cream

Application:
use morning and evening, after toning

Storage:
2-oz. dark glass jar in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
Heat the beeswax, cocoa butter, and jojoba oil in a bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water. Stir until the wax has melted. Remove the bowl from the heat.

2.
Place the emulsifying wax and lavender infusion in another bowl and put it over the same saucepan of boiling water, stirring until the wax dissolves.

3.
It’s vital that you make sure the base oil mixture and the lavender infusion are about the same temperature before you combine them. Dip the tip of your finger in each bowl to see that it’s warm (not too hot and not too cool). Very slowly add the infusion to the oil mixture, whisking vigorously. Be very sure you add the infusion mixture extremely slowly to keep the preparation from separating.

4.
When the mixture cools, stir in the essential oils.

5.
Spoon the mixture into a jar and only screw on the lid when it’s completely cooled.

Balancing Oil for Clogged Pores

You can either use this oil on just your nose/T-zone area (where the blackheads and enlarged pores will be worse), or if your skin is particularly oily, use it all over your face. Jojoba oil will help unclog your pores. It mimics your body’s natural sebum, so rubbing it into your clogged pores will tell them that they can stop overproducing sebum (which causes the blackheads). The molecules of jojoba oil are small enough to penetrate your skin pores, so the antibacterial tea tree oil that I’ve used in this recipe will be drawn into your pores.

Yields:
approximately 2 oz. of oil

Application:
use every evening after toning

Storage:
2-oz. dark glass bottle in a cool, dark cupboard

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
Sterilize your bottle by filling it with boiling water or putting it through a hot dishwasher cycle.

2.
Pour in the jojoba oil, then add the essential oils and shake gently.

How to use:
Gently rub in and around your nose and T-zone area. Then soak a little cotton pad in witch hazel and gently wipe over the area of application.

Skincare Regime for Normal/Combination Skin

CLEANSER

Chamomile and Aloe Cleansing Cream

This is a wonderfully creamy, soothing concoction that will completely remove all traces of grime and makeup (even stubborn mascara).

Yields:
approximately 2 oz. of cream

Application:
use every evening to remove makeup and the day’s dirt

Storage:
2-oz. dark glass jar in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
In a small bowl set over a large saucepan of boiling water, melt the base oils, beeswax, and lanolin until the wax has just melted. Remove from the heat.

2.
In another pan, heat the aloe vera juice, chamomile infusion, glycerin, and then stir in the borax until it dissolves in the liquid. Remove from the heat.

3.
Pour or spoon the beeswax mixture into a blender and leave it to cool a further 5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir the mixture, loosening it from the sides of the blender with a spatula.

4.
Turn the blender on high and, through the removable plastic center of the lid, very slowly pour the aloe vera and chamomile liquid. Blend for 15 seconds. Check that the consistency is smooth (you may need to scrape some more away from the sides of the blender) and blend 10 seconds more or until the cream is smooth.

5.
Add the vitamin E oil and the essential oils and blend 5 more seconds.

6.
Pour or spoon the cream into your glass storage jar. Screw on the cap only when you are sure the cream has completely cooled.

TONER

Rose and Aloe Softening Toner

This is the most wonderfully soothing toner for those of you with dry skin.

Yields:
approximately 4 oz. of toner

Application:
use every morning to freshen up before moisturizing and every evening after cleansing

Storage:
4-oz. dark glass bottle in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months

1.
Blend all the ingredients together in a measuring cup and pour into the glass bottle.

MOISTURIZER

Geranium and Apricot Moisturizer

This is my favorite moisturizer for normal to dry skin. It’s perfectly smoothing for under makeup, and the essential oils are joyously uplifting.

Yields:
approximately 2 oz. of cream

Application:
use every morning and evening after toning; allow 5 minutes for absorption before applying makeup.

Storage:
2-oz. dark glass jar in the fridge

Shelf life:
3 months