Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

Creating Your Own Natural Body Care Products: featuring Better Shea Butter

2/13/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
With how many chemicals, toxins and harmful additives are added to our food, I began to wonder how many could be found in other things that touch my body… In my clothes, my body care products… My medicines. And so, after much studying and hundreds of hours spent researching and practicing herbal medicine, I’ve finally come to a place in my life where I’ve weeded out most of the chemicals that ever touch my body.

​
I’ve gotten used to using up what I had and then never going back again. I don’t use fluoride toothpaste, I don’t eat high fructose corn syrup, and I refuse to eat foods with artificial colorings, like red 40 or yellow 5. The list goes on and on, but the simple truth is that what food companies, pharmaceutical companies and what other corporations have gotten away with is nothing but an atrocity. Cheapening the production of products with chemicals and processed artificial ingredients and calling it food should be punishable by the law system. Unfortunately, it is up to us to do our own research, because the everyday consumer seems to shop blind. But for me, I don’t have that much trust in my fellow humanity. Sad, but I’m just being honest.

Picture
Prior to progressing in my understanding of herbal medicine, I began crafting my own body soap, beard oils, face balms, and acne treatments. Once you gain a basic understanding, you can hit the ground running. Medicinals require more time, as every herb that you infuse has a range of benefits, and sometimes side effects or interactions, so it’s important to do an obscene amount of research before trying to treat medical-related problems. But when you’re simply creating skin care products, like soaps and moisturizers, then you’re likely avoiding the herbal infusions and are working strictly with waxes, butters and oils.

I recently reached out to Better Shea Butter, because they’re one of the best companies online offering high quality natural butters and waxes, as well as oils, some herbs and more. To keep a recipe natural, you have to think in terms of consistency. For example, if you want a balm or salve that can withstand summer temperatures, yet melt in your hand, you have to be quite precise with your measurements of wax, because wax is the main element that adds thickness to natural body care products, and is what helps sets up topical salves and balms. Butters are added to moisturize and to add a smooth, butter feel to the mixture.

Better Shea Butter was very kind in their willingness to team up and sent over their Pure Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Carnauba Wax, Rosehip Seed Oil and Zinc Oxide (Non-Nano, which means it won’t soak into the skin, but rather sit on top as a skin protector. Zinc Oxide is used primarily in natural sunscreens). I was blown away by the quality and prices they offer, and as soon as I received their package, I got to whipping up some really amazing recipes. Don’t worry, I’ll share one of my favorites below.

Better Shea Butter focuses on ‘Skin Foods,’ because many of their products act as foods for the skin. The butters moisturize skin and repair damaged skin like stretch marks, wrinkles and dryness. Also, some of the other butters and oils they offer provide nutrients and minerals when soaked into the skin, like fatty acids, antioxidants, and anti-aging properties that can heal scars, dark spots, and discolorations in the skin. How cool is that?!

Overall, I fell in love with the Pure Mango Butter, because it’s less sticky than Shea butter, and is by far a superior natural butter. It’s perfect for beauty balms, body butter and other moisturizers, and can be used in lotions, creams, salves, and soaps. It’s extremely silky feeling and seems to bring a luxurious sensation to homemade body care. Their Cocoa Butter is indeed from the cocoa tree, and is a rich natural butter that is renowned for its effectiveness against stretch marks.

When choosing which wax is best for your handmade products, typically there’s Beeswax, which is the natural industry’s standard and most popular wax, or there’s Carnauba. For starters, beeswax is a lovely emollient that has many health benefits for the skin, but is indeed from an animal, and though, while it does not hurt the bees to collect their wax, as they will simply make more, this wax is frowned upon by those who lead Vegan lifestyles. That is one reason why Carnauba wax has become a popular option for natural products, as it’s a vegetable wax from the Brazilian Palm tree (Copernica cerifera, also known as the ‘Tree of Life’). When using it, you will want to use quite a bit less than beeswax, as it’s the hardest natural wax available.

Another fine product from Better Shea Butter is their Rosehip Seed oil, which is one of the finest beauty oils due to its ability to moisturize, and for its healing and anti-aging properties. Rosehip Seed oil is loaded with Vitamin A, a natural retinol, and is effective in treating dark spots, discoloration of the skin, wrinkles, age, and acne. I like using this oil in my face balms, acne treatments, anti-aging oil treatments and other related salves.

If you would like to learn more about Better Shea Butter, click here.
 ​ 

I recently created a beauty balm recipe that can be effective for use in anti-aging, wrinkles, dry skin, and acne. This topical recipe creates about 5oz of salve, but a little will go a long way, and so if you decide to make the full batch, try making 5 1oz tins, so you can share!

Mango Butter Beauty Balm recipe:
In a double boiler, infuse the herbs in oil. Extract the medicinal properties on medium heat for 1.5-2 hours. Let cool, then strain with cheesecloth. Then, in a clean pan, combine oil, butter, and wax and heat in double boiler until melted. Remove from heat, let cool one minute then stir in essential oils. Pour into glass jar or metal tin with tight fitting lid. Leave untouched to cool and set, then once cool, apply to the face and rub until it’s soaked in. Always do an allergy test by placing a small amount of the salve on the inside of the arm, and if there’s no reaction after an hour or so, feel free to use a bit more liberally as you see fit.
  • 3oz - Infused oil of Calendula in Avocado oil. (You may use other carrier oils. You may also make this salve without the infused Calendula, but it will not be as powerful. If you choose to forgo the herbs, increase essential oil drops.)
  • 1oz - Beeswax
  • 1oz - Mango Butter
  • 20 drops - Rosehip Seed Oil
  • 5 drops - Vitamin E Oil
  • ​Essential oils (drops): Lavender (10), Lemon (5), German Chamomile (5), Tea Tree (2), Frankincense (10), Geranium (10).
  • Or even better essential oils (but each are pricy, but amazing): Helichrysum, Blue Tansy, Neroli.



*This article is for entertainment use, and should not replace the diagnoses of any disease or the subscribing of any medication. Always consult with your doctor or a medical professional for any and all health-related advice.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

November 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.