Kitchen Cosmetics
Recipes for Making Your Own Skin Care Products
Published by Jan Norn at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 Jan Norn
I.S.B.N. 978-0-9731099-6-2
Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Chapter 1 – How to Wash your Face
Chapter 2 – Applying Cream to Your Face
Chapter 3 – Cleansing Cream
Chapter 4 – Mask for Dry Skin
Chapter 4 – Mask for Normal/Oily Skin
Chapter 5 – Quick Pick-up Masks
Chapter 6 – Safe Sunscreen
Chapter 7 – E-mazing Emu Oil
Chapter 8 – Elegant Emu Moisturiser
Chapter 9 – Healing Lip Balm
Chapter 10 – Lip Butter
Chapter 11 – Big Lavender Massage Bars
Chapter 12 – Ylang-Ylang Glitter Bars
Chapter 13 – Manna Bath Lotion
Chapter 14 – Bath Blessings
Chapter 15 – Bath Teas (Ingenui-teas)
Chapter 16 – Flower Waters
Chapter 17 – Sea Salt Seaweed Scrub
Chapter 18 – Eve’s Edible Oil
Chapter 19 – Essential Oils
Chapter 20 – Herbal Preparations
Chapter 21 - Cream Perfume
Chapter 22 – Calendula/Grapeseed Maceration
Chapter 23 – Elderflower Cream
Chapter 24 – Calendula Cream
Chapter 25 – Dandruff Rinse
Chapter 26 – Rinse for Blonde Hair
Chapter 27 – Rinse for Dark Hair
Chapter 28 – Soap From Scratch
Chapter 29 – Hand-Milling
Chapter 30 – Gentle Goat’s Milk Soap
Chapter 31 – Floating Flower Soap
Chapter 32 – Shampoo Bars
Chapter 33 – Soapsicles
Chapter 34 – Natural Shampoo
Chapter 35 – Foot Fantasy
Chapter 36 – Fresh Mouthwash
Chapter 37 - Tooth Powder
Chapter 38 – Baby Powder
Chapter 39 – Face Paint
Chapter 40 – Solid Deodorant
Chapter 41 – Liquid Hand Soap
Chapter 42 – Pet Protector (Flee Flea)
Chapter 43 – Flee Fly
Chapter 44 – Containers
Chapter 45 – Ingredients
Chapter 46 – What I Don’t Use…and Why
Chapter 47 – Sources
INTRODUCTION
Since the dawn of time, women have loved cosmetics. Be it bear-grease and woad or complex creams and lotions, grooming has always been an attribute of the human female.
Somewhere during the last century, cosmetics stopped being something made from recipes handed down from mother to daughter and became a huge and competitive industry, presided over by people intent on making as much money as possible. Commercial advertising happened to us and ‘beauty’ became very costly (in some cases to our health as well as to our wallets).
Cosmetics are now manufactured from a huge variety of materials, from herbal oils and essences to salts, solvents, silicas, hormones, polymers, petroleum and a bewilderment of intricate chemical compounds. It used to be believed that the skin formed a barrier that prevented the things we put on it from penetrating any further. We now know that “what goes on goes in” and that unhealthy ingredients on the outside can eventually lead to trouble on the inside.
In her book, “Beauty to Die For”, Judi Vance describes her love of cosmetics, her years of unidentifiable illness and the long slow process of repairing and cleansing her immune system. She includes a fascinating list of common cosmetic ingredients and their effects. If you care about your skin, read this list! And start reading labels on your cosmetics.
Dr. Samuel Epstein, founder of the Cancer Prevention Society, has compiled “The Safe Shopper's Bible” which lists many household items, including cosmetics, in respect to their cancer-causing potential. Lots of surprises in this book, too.
I have been making my own cosmetics for the past three decades, but after reading about the effects of some of the ingredients that I had always considered safe and beneficial, I reformulated all of my recipes. Old favourites like lanolin, talc, borax and petroleum jelly no longer have a place in my cupboard, having been replaced by such things as emu oil, slippery elm, honey or beeswax.
Because I know exactly what goes into my recipes, and because I store them in the fridge (most recipes can be frozen) instead of loading them with preservatives, I know that they have no ill effects on my immune system and that they will benefit my skin and hair. Cosmetic cookery is no more difficult than the conventional kind. It will save you a great deal of money and will give you hours of fun, along with the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself.
HOW TO WASH YOUR FACE!
Don't be silly, you say - I've been doing this all my life. Well, so had I, but it took me 54 years to figure out the right way. My life has always been busy, so a quick kitty-lick with warm water morning and night was about all the attention my face received. If I had been wearing make-up, I would cream it off with any available cleanser and wash gently with water, but never with soap. Soap made my skin feel tight and shiny. I know why about 90% of the women I talk to say, “I can't use soap on my face.”
It was not until I started making my own soap that I realized the huge difference between homemade and commercial. At that point I started washing my face with soap from my kitchen and realized that I had been missing something for about half a century. Now think about it. Would you wash your clothes in oil (even good quality oil) mixed with detergent, then wipe them off and expect them to be clean? So how about cleaning your face the same way? Not the best plan.
Skin is constantly renewing itself by sloughing off dead cells and excreting oil. It also gets dirty. It needs to be cleaned thoroughly and firmly, not just patted at with cleanser. After cleaning, it must be PH balanced, hydrated and moisturised.
You will need:
Pure unscented goat's milk soap or pure vegetable soap
A piece of loofah or a good cotton face cloth
Witch hazel in a spray mister
Distilled water in a spray mister
Moisturising cream
(1) If you are wearing heavy makeup, remove with a natural cleansing cream (Chapter 3), particularly around the delicate eye areas. Remove with cotton, not tissues.
(2) Wash thoroughly with soap and scrub briskly. Soap does not destroy dirt; it catches the tiny molecules and slides them off your skin. Scrubbing helps to open clogged pores and dislodge clinging molecules. It also stimulates circulation. Be firm with your face!
(3) Rinse with clear water and dry.
(4) Mist face and neck with witch hazel. Allow to dry naturally.
(5) Mist with distilled water. Remember that water is the single most important thing that you can put on your skin. Your body is more than 99% water after all, and your skin craves it.
(6) Moisturise with a natural preparation.
NOTE: Your skin will feel like rose petals!
Applying Cream to Your Face
No, you don't just grab that pot of cream and scrabble it into your skin! Slow down and spend a few soothing minutes with this gentle and uplifting exercise.
You will need: A safe moisturising cream, clean hands, a little time.
(1) Always stroke upwards when applying cream. Avoid stretching your skin down. Starting at the base of your throat, apply cream with clean fingertips. Using long, upward strokes, massage in gently from throat to chin, with at least 20 strokes to stimulate circulation.
(2) Now use both hands and work from the centre of the chin to your ear lobes - 20 more strokes, please.
(3) Starting at the corners of your mouth, draw imaginary pussy-cat whiskers over your cheeks. Stop when you reach the delicate skin under your eyes, but cover all the surface of your cheeks with another 20 strokes.
(4) Begin at the centre of your upper lip and make 20 short strokes to the corners of your mouth. Still using both hands, start at the outside of your nose, cream upwards between your eyes, and spread towards your temples in a Y shape; 20 again.
(5) Finally, pat cream briskly into the fragile areas below your eyes and on your eyelids.
( 6) Massaging the cream into your skin not only helps it to penetrate, but stimulates circulation. Extra blood flow helps to carry away impurities and promotes healing.
(7) If you are concerned about being allergic to any of the ingredients used in the recipes on the following pages, do the simple allergy test in Chapter 18. If the ingredient upsets your skin, replace it with something similar that does not cause you problems.
NOTE: For the fun of it, count the number of personal care products you use every morning before going to work.
Do the same for the evening.
If there is a man in your family, how many does he use?
Now add up what they all cost. Surprised?
You can make your own safe products for much less.
CLEANSING CREAM
Milk was Cleopatra's beauty secret. She took baths in it. We think that yoghurt is even better, not for baths but for a gentle cleanser, full of natural enzymes and rich creamy milk.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons plain yoghurt
1 teaspoon fresh pineapple juice
1/2 teaspoon witch hazel.
(1) Add juice and witch hazel to yoghurt and stir in gently with plastic spoon or spatula. Do not heat. Spoon into jar and keep refrigerated when not in use. Best made in small quantities and used within expiry date of yoghurt.
(2) To use, apply liberally, starting at the neck area and working up. Follow the same pattern that you use to apply moisturiser, always working with upward strokes.
(3) Remove with cotton pads or a damp cotton facecloth. Never use tissues on your face. They may be sanitary, but they are made of wood processed with a lot of chemicals.
(4) Finish by washing your face (the right way).
Why?
Yoghurt because it removes make-up and impurities gently and effectively, while actually nourishing the skin.
Pineapple Juice contains bromelain, which helps to soften and exfoliate dead skin cells.
Witch Hazel stimulates circulation and restores PH balance.
NOTE: When a harmful substance is swallowed,
your digestive system may be able to cope with it,
but when something harmful is absorbed through your skin,
it goes directly into the blood stream.
MASK FOR DRY SKIN
A clay mask is an instant revitalizer for dull, tired skin. As the clay dries, it tightens the skin and stimulates circulation. An enforced half hour or so of complete relaxation is a bonus as well.
You will need:
2 tablespoons fuller's earth
2 teaspoons (approximately) of warm water
1 tablespoon lavender flowers
1-2 litres of hot water
A large towel
A place to relax with feet elevated
(1) Stir water into fuller's earth until a smooth, sticky paste is formed. Add a few drops more water if necessary. Set aside.
(2) Soak the lavender flowers in a pot with about a litre of cold water, and slowly bring to a simmer. Maintain heat for 5 minutes, then turn off stove.
(3) Pull your hair back from your face and pin or tie a scarf around it. Follow steps 1-3 of cleansing routine.
(4) Sit at your table with the infusion in front of you and the towel covering your head. Carefully arrange the towel so that it traps the steam and forms a tent. Position your face at a comfortable distance from the infusion and allow the steam to envelop it. This opens the pores and softens the skin. Continue the treatment for about 5 minutes until the infusion cools. Dry your face.
(5) With your fingertips, pat the clay mixture over your face and neck. Do not apply to eye area. Once it is applied you must keep your facial muscles still - no smiling or talking.
(6) Lie on the couch with your feet elevated on a couple of cushions. Read if it relaxes you, or just close your eyes and rest for at least a half-hour. The mask will keep working until it is totally dry, so don't rush it - and don't answer the doorbell!
(7) Rinse off mask.
(8) Follow Steps 4-6 of cleansing routine (Chapter1).
This is deep-cleaning for the skin, and only needs to be done once a week. See the next chapter for interim "quick masks".
NOTE: Other herbal steams for dry skin
Chamomile, borage, elderflower, yarrow, calendula, comfrey.
MASK FOR NORMAL/OILY SKIN
This mask is made with a volcanic clay called zeolite. It has the unusual ability of ion transference, which means that it can pull dirt and poisons out of many substances, including skin. Ideal for teenage skin.
You will need:
2 tablespoons of volcanic clay
2 tablespoons (approximately) of warm water
1 tablespoon of field horsetail
About a litre of hot water
A large towel
A place to relax with your feet elevated
(1) Stir water into clay until a smooth, sticky paste is blended. Add a few more drops of water if necessary, enough that it will stick on your skin without being too runny. Set aside.
(2) Drop the horsetail into about a litre of boiling water and simmer for ten minutes. Leave covered on very low heat.
(3) Pull your hair back from your face and pin or tie it securely. Cover with a scarf tied at the back.
(4) Follow steps 1-3 (inclusive) of cleansing routine in chapter 1. Sit with the hot infusion in front of you and the towel over your head. Carefully arrange the towel so that it forms a little tent to trap the steam and direct it to your face. This will open the pores and soften the skin. Continue steam treatment for about ten minutes until mixture cools. Carefully dry your face.
(5) With the tips of your fingers, pat mask over your face and neck, but avoid eye areas. Once it is applied, you must not move your face at all. No smiling or talking.
(6) Lie on the couch with your feet elevated on a couple of cushions. Read if you want, or just keep your eyes closed with a couple of moist tea bags over them. Rest for at least half an hour until the mask is totally hard and dry. As it dries and shrinks, it will pull microscopic impurities from your skin. It will also create heat, which stimulates circulation. Let it dry thoroughly.
(7) Rinse off mask with warm water.
(8) Follow steps 4-6 inclusive of cleansing routine. If you have especially oily skin, go back to step 1 and repeat the whole routine.
Normal skin will not need the deep-clean treatment more than once a week. Very oily or troubled skin may benefit from more frequent treatments.
Other Herbal Steams for Normal/oily Skin: Sage, horsetail, apple cider vinegar, mint, rose petals, rose hips, lemongrass, red zinger tea.
Quick Pick-up Masks: If you don't have time for the full treatment, these will please your skin. Mix together and apply any of these combinations:
A beaten egg plus 1 tablespoon of brewers’ yeast
1 tablespoon honey plus 2 tablespoons of cooked, strained oatmeal
1 tablespoon yoghurt plus 1 tablespoon of pureed strawberries
3 tablespoons mashed papaya
1 tablespoon honey plus 1 tablespoon mashed avocado
I tablespoon honey plus 2 tablespoons pureed grapes
3 tablespoons pureed tomato
1 tablespoon yoghurt plus 2 tablespoons pureed cucumber
Leave on for at least 15 minutes. Wash as usual.
Help for Oily Skin: Brewers' yeast, apple cider vinegar, yoghurt, wheat germ, crushed almonds, salt, bran.
Help for Dry Skin: Avocado, papaya, egg yolk, lecithin, honey, corn milk, dried apricots.
Skin Softeners: Cucumber, papaya, aloe vera, comfrey, grapes.
NOTE: “Women are like tea bags.
They don't know how strong they are until they get into hot water.”
(Eleanor Roosevelt)
SAFE SUNSCREEN
Does not contain hydroxy methoxy methyl benzophen-one, isopropyl dibenzoylmethane, octyl dimethyl paraminobenzoate, or any other scary things.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons emu oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons soya/cottonseed oil
1 tablespoon coated titanium dioxide
6 tablespoons 4x tea
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
3 tablespoons distilled water
(1) Make 4x tea by simmering a tea bag in two cups of water in an open pot until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Allow to cool and remove tea bag.
(2) Combine oils and stir over low heat until they melt together. Stir in titanium dioxide.
(3) In a separate pot, combine 4x tea with aloe vera gel. With both mixtures at a lukewarm temperature, add oils to liquids, stirring until blended. Beat on low until cool and creamy.
(4) Add water a little at a time, beating on high until mixture is the consistency of whipped cream.
(5) Put in small sterilised jars and refrigerate when not in use. Extra jars can be frozen until needed.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups of velvety cream.
Why?
Emu oil to pamper your skin.
Sesame oil. A natural sunscreen.
Grapeseed oil. Helps to prevent oxidation.
Soya oil. Improves resiliency of skin.
Cottonseed oil. Forms a moisture barrier.
Titanium Dioxide is a natural pigment that blocks the sun's rays.
4x Tea. Tea contains tannin, a natural sunscreen.
Aloe Vera Gel. A natural sunscreen and burn preventative.
Distilled Water because your skin needs it.
NOTE: Remember the Kiwi / Aussie rules for sun:
Slip, Slop, Slap!
Slip on a shirt ~ Slop on some sunscreen ~ Slap on a hat.
E-MAZING EMU OIL
For thousands of years the Australian Aborigines used emu oil for its healing powers. They were wise, as modern science now verifies. Arthritis is largely absent in Aboriginal tribes, whereas about 10% of Australians currently suffer from this disease.
Emu oil is:
Anti-inflammatory, with effects comparable to ibuprofen
Bacteriostatic (does not promote growth of bacteria)
Hypoallergenic (not known to cause skin irritation or have any side effects)
Highly penetrating, non-greasy
Non-comedogenic (does not clog pores)
Emu oil contains:
Vitamin E, an antioxidant and healer
Vitamin A, a known skin repairer and antioxidant
Linoleic Acid, which eases muscle pain and joint aches
Oleic Acid, a skin cell regenerator and anti-wrinkle agent
Sapogens, proven skin softeners
Terpines, known antiseptics
There is a great deal of information about emu oil on the worldwide web. It has many therapeutic connotations for such conditions as arthritis, eczema and carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as for burns and scars. Beneficial as a massage oil for people and pets, too.
The oil I use comes from the Outback Emu Ranch on Vancouver Island. The birds are raised for their gourmet meat, but they also have a fat storage pad, almost like a little hump, on their backs. This is the main source of the wonderful oil. It is rendered at a special processing plant to cosmetic specifications, a complex process that is carefully monitored and regulated.
The finished oil is expensive, but does not have to be used full strength. About 20% emu oil in the fat/oil content of a formulation gives you all of its benefits.
As well as regenerating, softening and conditioning your skin, the oil prevents moisture loss by forming a protective barrier. It has no known harmful side effects, and has been tested by the Aborigines for several thousand years!
ELEGANT EMU MOISTURISER
An all-purpose, ‘nose to toes’ type moisturiser. Safe for any skin! This is the only moisturiser you will ever need.
You will need:
2 tablespoons emu oil
4 tablespoons soya/cottonseed oil
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, macerated with calendula petals (page 48)
1 tablespoon honey, preferably unpasteurised
2 tablespoons apple, carrot, noni or pineapple juice
4 tablespoons lemon juice
A few drops essential oil, if desired.
3 tablespoons distilled or boiled water (cold)
(1) Combine oils and stir over low heat until blended.
(2) In a separate pot, blend fruit juice and honey, stirring until honey melts. Too much heat will destroy the enzymes, so keep it low.