hand / face lotion recipe wanted.

[Big Al]

Mrs BA uses bodyshop white musk lotion but is running out of her stash so I said i'd have a go at making something for her. she had good skin but with small patches of dryness. I sugested caustic soda but she sort of sdrewed her face at that one so I said I'd ask on here...

and recipes on offer please??

[Brij]

I'm afraid I don't have any recipes, but for hands (it is too oily for faces IMHO) a block of shea butter is nice - the warmth of your hands will melt it a little, and it just rubs in. Equally nice (but liquid in form) are sweet almond oil and coconut oil, which can often be found in the 'Asian foods' section of supermarkets.

[spitfire]

MOISTURISING FOR DRY/SENSITIVE SKIN:

1 CUP LIQUID OIL, ALMOND/AVOCADO ETC.( AVAILABLE IN MOST GROCERY STORES HERE IN THE U.S.A.)
1/2 CUP BEESWAX. ( HEALTH FOOD STORE)
3 CAPSULES VITAMIN E.
FEW DROPS ESSENTIAL OIL, WHAT EVER FRAGRANCE MRS BIG AL LIKES
1 VERY CLEAN/STERILE JAR.

COMBINE THE OIL AND BEESWAX IN A BOWL, PLACE BOWL OVER A POT OF BOILING WATER AND MELT TOGETHER STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. (JUST LIKE YOU WOULD MELT CHOCOLATE). WHEN MELTED TOGETHER REMOVE FROM HEAT AND WISK/BLEND UNTIL COOL.OPEN THE 3 CAPSULES OF THE VITAMIN E AND ADD THE CONTENTS TO THE MIXTURE, ADD A FEW DROPS OF ESSENTIAL OIL AND STIR TO COMBINE.
POUR INTO JAR AND STORE IN A COOL DARK PLACE.

HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

[Green Aura]

The problem with lotions, Al, is that they're a combination of water and oil, mainly water. Creams (more solid) are mainly oil. With both, the main problem is getting the mixture to emulsify. Most big companies use chemicals to do this, but there are other things like gum arabic (acacia) for oil in water (lotion) recipes and lecithin for water in oil (cream) recipes.

You can buy these but things can start getting a bit pricey, especially if you're buying in tiny amounts. You could have a look at websites like Fresholi or the Soap Kitchen for ingredients - they have loads of recipes too.

Spitfire's recipe will be lovely, with a carefully chosen blend of fixed and essential oils, but it won't be a lotion, or a cream, it will be oil - solidified. If you're wife has really dry skin, then this will be perfect. But I'm guessing if she's using BS's body lotion she'll probably want something much lighter.

Have a look online - there are tons of recipes, but unless it's a secret, I'd get your wife involved. It could prove quite costly to make something she'll only use once + the trip to BS to replace it

Oh, and the other thing is to buy the best ingredients you can afford - sunflower oil from the supermarket has been bleached, deodorised, coloured and scented (albeit sunflower oil smell) - I wouldn't put it on or in my body. Use cold-pressed oils.

[JillStephens7]

I tried making face creams but found they were always too rich for my face and ended up using them all as hand cream in the end. Have never tried lotion.

I now just mostly use aloe vera & rose oil. My Aloe Vera plant grows so fast I just break a leaf off, squeeze out the gel onto my hand and add a drop of rose oil before slathering it on. Works for me.

I have a book which I love called 'better basics for the home' which has lots of ideas for skin products (and everything else, including shoe polish, stain removers, paint, suncream, glue, insect repellant and cleaning products - over 300 pages)! There are lots of moisturising ideas, one lotion recipe is:

2 1/2 oz liquid oil (almond, olive or peanut)
1 1/2 oz coconut oil
1/4 oz beeswax
2 oz aloe vera gel
2 oz rosewater
1 tablespoon glycerine
1/3 tsp grapefruit seed extract (as a preservative)
10-25 drops suitable essential oil
1 tsp borax (optional emulsifier)

Melt oils & waxes over double boiler, remove from heat and whisk the rest in with hand mixer until creamy. Use more or less beeswax for thicker or thinner lotion.

Haven't tried it but all her other recipes I've tried have been great. Maybe this is too faffy for you? I love faffing about with potions so I might make some of this now! Best wishes : )

[Green Aura]

The problem is you can't buy borax any more. I don't know if the substitute they now sell instead has the same emulsifying properties.

[Broad Bean]

You can easily buy borax - can't remember where I got my last lot but a quick google showed this http://www.greenshop.co.uk/search/resul ... 8mov5anhg2 amongst others.

[Green Aura]

No you can't. Borax is now illegal to sell for household purposes. It's been replaced by Sodium Sesquicarbonate.

[Big Al]

No you can't. Borax is now illegal to sell for household purposes. It's been replaced by Sodium Sesquicarbonate.

I got a box of "borax substitute" on Friday to have a go at some washing powder but I too agree it is illegal to sell it in any european country now for home use and if it's for industrial use you need an eec permit to buy and use it.

Thanks for the info I'll give some more thought to this and get back to you with my woes,lol.

[caithnesscrofter]

i can send you a small bag of either emulsifying wax or cetyl stearyl alcohol. I have both in bulk. Enough for a small batch of of lotion for 3 quid. Pm me if u need it.

[caithnesscrofter]

i can also do small quantites of shea butter, hemp butter, apricot kernal oil and borage oil if anybody interested. Herbs too. Pm if needing.

[Berti]

okay you still looking for recipes? I will dive in my resources and come up with something.
you need something to be able to use on face AND hands?
often hands and face do have a different skin type so that is a tricky one but it should be possible.
the point is when making things, you have to try them to see what works FOR YOU.....

I will be back.

[Big Al]

It's been a while since I looked here but yes please still interested in having a go at making some cosmetics Berti.

Cithness crofter, will pm you soon, just seen the post so sorry for not replying.
BA

[StripyPixieSocks]

AS a jeweller I buy Borax cones for flux without any licence... I've even seen it for sale in the local shops, when did it become illegal??

[Berti]

ok I will take a stab at it...........but you will just have to try and see if it works for YOUR skin.
the recipe below in fact is a recipe writte for face use but will also work as a body cream.
if you like it more liquid then add a little bit more rosewater...
cocoabutter, sheabutter, jojoba and almond are all very good for dry sensitive skin.
makes approx 75 grams cream.

you need:
5 grams candelilla wax
4 grams cocoabutter
1 teaspoon sheabutter
10 grams jojoba oil
15 grams almond oil

40 grams rosewater

preservative 7 drops (there are various preservatives in liquid form)
perfume if you like, which is specific made for these purposes (cosmetics) 4 drops

put first five ingredients in heatproof jar, the rosewater in another.
set both in a little waterbath on the stove.
gently heat until the fats have melted, turn off the fire.

now you are going to make kind of a mayo......slowly drizzle the water in the fat base, while stirring with a spoon and continue until all water has been used up.
keep stirring until cooled till lukewarm.
add perfume and preservative.

put in well cleaned jar which has been rubbed with a tissue with rubbing alcohol to desinfect.
let us know how it worked!
there are some companies in your country selling basic stuff for making cosmetics and the ones above are not expensive. they also sell the preservative and perfume so you can just stock up there.

good luck.
it's not greasy so it would work for both face and body I think.