homemade skin care.

We have been making our own skin care products for just over a year now.

Our soap, moisturiser, lip balm, healing calendula salve and shower body scrub (something I would never buy) now are all made with our own hands.

We use calendula-infused oil a lot for it's healing properties.

Making my own skin care products had always seemed an obvious progression; being as close to the source of our consumables is preferable and just more satisfying for us. However, it was Ruby's persistent interest in lotions and potions that provided the necessary push to make it happen.

Initially we got together with friends to trial our first batch of moisturiser and soap.

Trialling with friends was a key step. Standing alongside someone, asking questions and seeing how it's done sets an idea into action. Highly recommended.

From there it was just a matter of getting hold of a set of digital kitchen scales, figuring the right recipes for our family and finding our groove in making them regularly, something which has been a process in it self.

Earlier this week we made a triple batch of my favourite moisturiser. Some for the family, some for my mum and some for a special friend.

This is a rich moisturiser, perfect for a weather beaten skin in need of some hydration.

Cocoa butter rich moisture cream

Oil Phase

20 ml avocado oil

5 gm cocoa butter

8 gm plant-derived emulsifying wax

5 ml vitamin E oil.

Water Phase

55 ml water

5 ml vegetable glycerin

1 ml citrus seed extract.

20 drops essential oil.

Place oil phase ingredients and the water phase ingredients into separate pyrex jugs and place in water bath until they have both reached 65 - 70 oC.

While still over the heat, slowly pour the water phase into the oil phase. Stir constantly (To speed the process up I use my stick blender conservatively. I pulse it every 5 or so seconds)

Take off the heat and stir until the emulsion is 45oC and then add the essential oil.

Stir a little while longer until it thickens a little. Pour into a clean pottle and store in fridge.

All of our recipes come from the super-informative "Do-It-Yourself Pure Plant Skin Care" by Carolyn Stubbin. This book has lots of recipes, information on raw ingredients and rooted in the Southern Hemisphere.

As for the ingredients, I buy them locally at The Herbal Dispensary but we have also used the fantastic Go Native website.

My skin has never been so taken care of.

It feels like a nice thing to do after such a long time in the weather.