The garden is prepared and ready to yield her secrets. Rose blossoms swirled in pink neroli cream. Olive oil kissed with golden calendula. Jasmine and ylang ylang infused into savory lotions laced with frankincense tears. Creams dripping with the fragrant aromas of aloe and myrrh. Balms to heal and protect. Sweetened with honey and flower petals. Lovingly displayed in cobalt blue, emerald green. Accept the aromatic invitation. Taste and smell the goodness of creation!
There are no rules when it comes to creating aromatic potions. For instance, you may not like the thinner texture of my Ballerina Butter. If so, add more beeswax. Is the brick-red color of African Body Tapestry unappealing to you? No problem. Make it using plain distilled water instead of rooibos tea. The only “rule” to remember is that you can always alter a recipe to create something that is uniquely yours.
makes approximately 2.5 ounces (71 g)
This is an excellent recipe to use for your first cream emulsion. It is one of the simplest formulas, and has a nice texture and richness. The alkanet oil lends a lovely pink color, but you may replace it with any oils that are liquid at room temperature. I guarantee you will be hooked!
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 4 ounces (71 g)
This lotion is light and airy, while still soothing and nourishing to the skin. The lotion tends to separate, so shake it before using. In place of the Light Skin Serum, you may substitute any oils that are liquid at room temperature.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 7 ounces (198 g)
Light Skin Serum can be used as 100 percent of the oil phase of any recipe, or use less depending on the desired texture and moisturizing properties of your finished product. As always after bottling, label and date your product.
Combine all ingredients in a large bottle, jar, or heavy-duty plastic container. Shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Store in the refrigerator between uses.
makes approximately 3.5 ounces (99 g)
Face Grace is packed with nutrients to soothe and soften skin, and it has a lovely golden color thanks to the addition of heliocarrot oil, lecithin, and Mercy, one of my Aromatic Alchemy blends.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 4 ounces (113 g)
The champaca wax, which gives the cream a slightly tan color and lends a light aroma, may be somewhat lumpy, as it can contain small clumps of plant material. The process below will help strain out the undissolved plant material. You may also omit the champaca wax from this recipe.
The cream is nice for dry, mature facial skin and is also good for use on elbows, knees, ankles, and other dry areas.
An Aromatic Profile
Andrea was raised in the woods, gardens, and meadows of Germany, where her herbalist grandmother taught her about plants and their uses. After earning a degree in nursing, Andrea worked for two years with a German dermatologist who specialized in herbal treatment of skin diseases. Even after Andrea emigrated to the United States in 1980, the gentle teachings of her grandmother remained with her. So when her son developed an allergic reaction to commercial soaps, Andrea formulated one especially for him.
Today, Andrea and her husband own and operate Country Herbals by Andrea, and recently opened The Soapfactory, a retail shop, on a well-traveled street in the historical district of their town. They have five full-time and three part-time employees, including an office manager and a full-time soapmaker. Women in the community earn up to $20 an hour in their homes wrapping soap, and Andrea feels good about providing a vehicle for mothers to earn a living and spend time with their kids.
Country Herbals has distributors all over the United States, Canada, and Germany. Andrea credits much of the growth of her company to the production of wholesome products and excellent customer service. Says Andrea, “A customer spending $10 is every bit as important to me as one spending $5,000.”
My favorite Country Herbals product is Nature’s Own Hydrating Serum.
makes approximately 6 ounces (170 g)
Natural Perfections Night Cream is very rich, suitable for dry, flaky skin. The combination of rose hips, tamanu, and squalene is soothing and nourishing, and the alkanet gives the cream a lovely pink hue. For easiest application, warm a bit of the cream between your palms and pat it gently onto the surface of the skin; don’t rub. Repeat the patting until the cream has been transferred from the hands to the face and neck. The rich ingredients will be absorbed into the skin on their own.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 9 ounces (255 g)
Though this smooth creation looks and smells like something that should have an umbrella, a straw, and a maraschino cherry on top, please resist the temptation to pour it into the nearest daiquiri glass and sip. In addition to smelling wonderful, this cream is a nice soother for dry skin.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 1.5 ounces (43 g)
If you have curly, wavy, coarse hair try this beautifully scented, shine-enhancing pomade.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps. To use, warm a bit of the pomade between palms or fingers, and massage into clean, dry scalp and hair, especially the ends and other dry spots. Brush and/or comb through, and style as usual.
makes approximately 2.5 ounces (71 g)
To have the feet that prima ballerinas only dream of, massage this very buttery treat into the feet, heels, and ankles at night, and then cover with socks. This is especially nice after a pedicure.
Make an emulsion following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
An Aromatic Profile
A wife, mother of six children, and avid baker, Connie began her foray into the world of handmade skin care when she sought information on herbs and essential oils in an effort to treat her children’s daily emergencies.
It all started when one of Connie’s daughters developed a case of thrush while breastfeeding. The thrush was affecting Connie’s nipples, which were already cracked and uncomfortable. When the drugstore remedies failed, Connie used balm of Gilead ointment made for her by a friend. While the ointment relieved the pain, it did nothing to alleviate the thrush. But after using a homemade preparation made with essential oil, the thrush quickly disappeared. (Connie is quick to point out, however, that she does not recommend this treatment for others.)
Connie enjoys experimenting with different herbs and essential oils to create useful remedies. Her Burn Ointment is made with honey, chickweed, comfrey, lanolin, and beeswax and has been used in several minor emergencies — including the time when Connie’s daughter spilled melted wax on her arm. After cooling and removing the hardened wax, Connie applied Burn Ointment. Within 20 minutes, the pain was gone, and there was no blistering.
Above all, Connie believes in simplicity, and rarely uses more than a few aromatics at a time in any particular blend. Says Connie, “If just a few things combine together to work well, why add 10 more things just because they are good things?” Excellent advice!
makes approximately 3.5 ounces (99 g)
Rose concrete and tamanu oil combine to make this cream extra rich and special; use it for dry skin. Left unscented, it has a slightly nutty aroma. If you share this with a friend, expect to see her soon after, because she will likely return for more!
Make an emulsion following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 4 ounces (113 g)
Surround yourself with the heavenly softness of flowers and cream with this luscious blend of nutrients designed to treat dry skin. This lotion is very smooth and spreads easily onto your clean, damp face, neck, and body after a warm bath.
Make an emulsion following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
Baldini emerged from his laboratory almost daily with some new scent. And what scents they were! Not just perfumes of high, indeed highest quality, but also cremes, powders, soaps, hair tonics, toilet waters, oils . . . Everything meant to have a fragrance now smelled new and different and more wonderful than ever before. As if bewitched, the public pounced upon everything, absolutely everything — even the newfangled scented chair ribbons that Baldini crafted one day on a curious whim.
— Patrick Süskind, Perfume
makes approximately 2 ounces (57 g)
A lovely cream to soothe dryness, Helping Hand Cream is loaded with richness to help heal even the most mistreated skin. Use nightly for best results.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 4 ounces (113 g)
At the 1998 Aromatic Girlfriend Party, what a time we had sharing handmade treats and sampling the exquisite aromatics provided by Rachael Shapiro, from A Woman of Uncommon Scents. I made everyone a jar of Shea Butter Cream, each scented with a few drops of the world’s best aromatics. I just love being a girl!
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 4 ounces (113 g)
With a golden color and fragrance from the rarest petals, Golden Flowers is a wonderful cream for nourishing and soothing dry skin.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 9 ounces (255 g)
Dessert for Your Skin body lotion feels like soft mousse. Made with soothing rooibos tea, this lotion is suitable for normal and dry skin alike.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 10 ounces (284 g)
This brick-red lotion is a favorite to soothe any wintertime skin, but I like to make it for my African “sisters,” who love the rich texture and emollient character. (My friend Jennifer calls this her “wonderful black girl’s lotion.”) How fitting that it should include a healthy dose of a native South African herb, rooibos, said to ease symptoms of eczema. Although I suggest an aromatic blend, you can also leave the lotion unscented and enjoy the light natural scent of rooibos and virgin coconut oil.
makes approximately 7 ounces (198 g)
Give those lines a TKO with this lovely peach-colored cream, inspired by a recipe developed at an Aromatic Beauty Workshop. It glides smoothly onto the skin and is absorbed quickly and completely, making it appropriate for dry skin, too. Pretty in peach!
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
makes approximately 7 ounces (198 g)
Use this blend as 100 percent of the oil phase of any recipe, or use less depending on the desired texture and moisturizing properties of your finished product. Because of the calendula and carrot oils, Dry Skin Blend can add a slightly orange or golden color to your finished product.
Combine all ingredients in a large, clean bottle, jar, or heavy-duty plastic container. Shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Store in the refrigerator between uses.
makes approximately 5 ounces (142 g)
Some Native American cultures call for a blessingway ceremony in which the entire community celebrates the upcoming birth of a baby. Gently smoothing Blessingway Cream over the stretching belly skin of a mother-to-be is soothing and nurturing for her and the baby.
Make an emulsion, following the instructions for Creating Cream or Lotion in Five Easy Steps.
When the soul approaches the mysteries; when it tries to rally to the great spiritual principles, the perfumes are there. The odor of incense and roses fills the temples and churches of every religion in the world.
— Marguerite Maury, The Secret of Life and Youth
There is, of course, great value in a product containing moisture-rich oils, skin-loving plant waters, and pure essential oils. But what about the value of emulsifiers or thickeners? Let’s face it, as much as the addition of these ingredients increases the aesthetic appeal of a product, it does nothing to treat the skin. I now share with you my recipes for Second Skin Elixirs, silky-smooth formulas that contain no emulsifiers, no gums, and no thickeners, and are easily absorbable and 100 percent nourishing. If care is taken to choose ingredients suited for your skin type, they are indeed the purest form of skin-soothing emulsion. (You can also try making your favorite emulsion formula without the thickeners and waxes, and adjust the proportion of oil and water to account for your personal preferences — I recommend a blend of 50 percent oil to 50 percent water.)
Store Second Skin Elixir in the refrigerator. I store mine in an amber bottle with a screw top, and since rubber can degrade aromatic oils, I keep a dropper nearby to dispense about 1 dropperful for a face and neck application. I can easily use a half ounce if I am treating my whole body. Remember to shake well before using.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
This special elixir is for normal to dry skin.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
Dry Skin Sundae is truly a treat for dry skin.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
If you have normal skin, you’ll love this recipe.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
A fantastically rich lotion, this skin elixir may help fade scar tissue.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
Don’t suffer from itchy, inflamed skin; try this remedy instead.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
Give maturing skin a boost with this lavishly scented lotion.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to mix. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g)
This recipe is for normal to oily skin.
Put all ingredients in a clean 1-ounce bottle. Cap and shake gently to ensure an even mixture. Dispense with a pipette or glass dropper.
These buttery beauty items are mixtures of oils and waxes, which thicken together to form healthy “food” for nails and lips. When making these balms, be sure to use a mixing cup with a pour spout so that you can easily pour the product into small tubes or jars.
makes approximately 1 ounce (28 g), or four .25-ounce lip balm tubes or two H-ounce jars
This is an especially fragrant balm with a transparent pink-brown color infused with ingredients that fortify and soothe.
makes approximately 2.5 ounces (71 g), or ten .25-ounce lip balm tubes
Smooth and sultry. Soft and supple. Your lips can be all of these things and more if you use Lip Tango in Paradise. You’ll want to take this soothing mixture of oils bathed in the scent of honey and jasmine with you everywhere. Note: You may substitute beeswax for the jasmine wax. You may also substitute 1 teaspoon of honey-scented fragrance oil for the beeswax absolute.
makes approximately 2.5 ounces (71 g)
During the wintertime, the skin around my fingernails used to become dry, cracked, and very ugly. So I decided to put many splendid things in a pot and stir them up together. This product is the wonderful result, with some of the best skin-care oils to soothe and nourish the cuticles and skin around the nail bed, and essential oils to protect against nail fungus. A friend of mine swears her nails grow faster when she uses this!
You may substitute beeswax for the carnauba wax. You may also substitute any rich oil for the Dry Skin Blend (see from here to here here for selections).
Lately, moisturizing combinations of oils and waxes called lotion bars have become quite popular. These products are very similar to lip balms, only they are molded into easy-to-use shapes so they can be held and massaged over the surface of the skin. “Lotion bar” is a misnomer, since lotions are really emulsions of oil and water, and lotion bars contain no water. To avoid confusion, I call these wonderful skin-soothing treats Balm Bars, and here are some of my favorites.
Made green by Emerald Oil, German chamomile, and yarrow, this balm bar will soothe and nourish itchy, chapped skin.
Follow directions for making Balm Bars, above. To use, first warm the bar gently between your palms so that the balm transfers to your hands. Apply the balm to your skin with your palms. You can also massage the bar directly onto the skin. If you’re using a push-up container, simply apply the balm directly from the container to your skin.
This Balm Bar is made golden by the addition of heliocarrot, annatto, and the CO2 Crew. Use it to moisturize dry, flaky skin.
Follow directions for making Balm Bars. See the directions for use in the recipe above.
Tend to your beautiful curves with this fuchsia-colored treat that incorporates alkanet, annatto, and rose concrete.
Follow directions for making Balm Bars. See the directions for use in the recipe above.
Scars are created when, following surgery, a wound, or other invasive activity, connective tissue accumulates on the skin’s surface. Regular use of this formula can help fade even old scars.
Follow directions for making Balm Bars. See the directions for use in the recipe above.
An Aromatic Profile
Pat Silver lives in a village in southwestern England with her partner, Dave, two Bengal cats, and a garden filled with herbs and “a whole host of weeds.”
Pat is a jill-of-all-trades, if ever there was one. She is a classical guitarist, singer, herb grower, backpacker, needleworker, radio technician, National Herb Society member, and student at the National Institute of Medicinal Herbalists. Pat also finds time to combine her chemistry and botany training with her love for plants to create skin-care products for loved ones. If all that wasn’t enough to distinguish Pat, in 1998 the traditional Japanese Christmas tree ornament she embroidered was selected by members of the British Royal School of Needlework and displayed on the Queen’s Christmas tree!
Pat’s toiletries adventures began when she ran out of her commercial gardener’s cream. Rather than purchase another jar, she decided to try making her own. The simple combination of olive oil, water, and beeswax worked wonders for her skin, and the success prompted her to try making lotions, bath salts, and lip balms.
According to Pat, “Knowledge is of no practical use unless it is shared. In our technological world, I think it is empowering to learn how to be self-sufficient even if only in a small way.” In that spririt of sharing, Pat graciously allowed me to pass along one of her favorite recipes, Chickweed Cream for Minor Skin Irritations (below). Naturally, it’s a favorite!
makes 3 ounces (85 g)
This simple recipe soothes skin problems, including eczema, dry rashes, and itching. In the past, an herbalist would have simply added chopped chickweed to a solid fat, such as lard, warmed the lard until it turned green, strained the herb-infused liquid, and used it as an ointment. That would still be effective, but it’s much nicer to use a basic cream recipe, adding lavender essential oil.