With spring upon us, it's that time of year where our legs start to see the light of day again. Now that they will be seen again, it's time to be prepared with some moisturiser on the go.
I don't know about you, but sometimes my brain is not fully functioning in the morning and I forget to do things I deem relatively important when getting ready. Such as, moisturising my legs (in the warmer months when they get seen), and sometimes even forgetting deodorant! Thankfully, I've learned my lesson and keep some deodorant and these moisturising lotion bars at work.
I love these lotion bars, as I can easily keep one in my drawer at work or in my handbag to use on the go. There's no messy lotion to spill in your bag if you accidentally leave the cap off, and you can customise the bars to whatever scent you like and your skins needs.
They also make perfect little gifts for friends and family.
In this blog post you will find:
1. Key ingredients and their benefits
2. Essential oil recommendations
3. Recipe
4. Video
Let's get moisturising!
1. KEY INGREDIENTS AND THEIR BENEFITS
Wax (soy wax or beeswax) where to buy
This is the ingredient that solidifies the lotion bars. But, it also benefits the skin in many ways depending on whether you use soy or bees wax. For most it is an ethical choice which wax they choose to use. As always, no matter which one you choose, ensure you do your research to find ethically and sustainably produced products.
Bees wax obviously comes from the diligent worker bees. It comes in a variety of colours and is generally classified as either yellow, white or absolute. Yellow wax is unrefined and raw, direct from a bee hive. White bees wax has gone through a refining process where it has been filtered, purified and bleached. Bees wax absolute, is wax that has been combined with alcohol.
Firstly, if you choose to use bees wax, here are the benefits it provides your skin:
• anti-inflammatory
• it provides a protective barrier between your skin and environmental pollutants
• high in vitamin A, which supports cell reconstruction
• moisturises
• reduces and prevents signs of ageing
• soothes irritated skin
• helps to heal wounds
• doesn't clog pores
Soy wax is a vegetable wax derived from the soy bean. Oil is extracted from rolled flakes that have come for the drying of the soy bean. One of the main reasons that I prefer using soy wax over beeswax, is that it is sooooooooo much easier to clean up! But, it also provides amazing moisturising benefits for the skin.
Sweet Almond oil (where to buy)
This is such a versatile oil with numerous benefits for the skin. Oil is extracted from ripe almonds, which have been either cold pressed, or pressed with varying degrees of heat. Almond oil can also be produced by grinding almonds.
When choosing an almond oil for the skin, you want to look for a sweet variety that has been cold pressed to get the most benefits from it.
Some of the benefits this oil provides skin include:
• moisturising dry skin
• acting as an emollient to help retain moisture
• reducing the appearance of stretch marks
• helping to reverse sun damage
• reducing appearance of scars
• reducing puffiness and under-eye circles
• reduces acne
• improves skin tone and complexion
• treats dermatitis and eczema
Shea Butter (where to buy)
Shea butter comes from the shea fruit, which believe it or not, comes from the Shea tree found in Africa! Traditionally, the nuts, which are the fruit of the tree, are boiled, roasted and beaten with water to release their rich fats extracts. The final phase involves boiling for a number of hours and then skimming the fresh shea butter which rises to the top. All of this, is done by hand by amazing African women. This process gives us unrefined Shea Butter or raw Shea Butter.
Cold pressing is another method used more commonly as it reduced production time by about 3 – 5 hours.
When searching for Shea butter, ensure it is unrefined and from a ethical and sustainable source.
Here are all the reasons why it makes a great addition to your skincare and also hair care routine:
• moisturising due to its fatty acid content, linoleic, oleic, stearic and palmite acids
• doesn’t clog pores
• won’t make your skin oily
• anti-inflammatory due its plant esters
• antioxidant due to significant levels of vitamins A and #
• it’s antibacterial
• it’s anti-fungal
• boosts collagen production thanks to triterpenes
• promotes cell regeneration
• can reduce appearance of stretch marks and scarring
• can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• provides sun protection
• can help make hair stronger
• decreases dandruff
• soothing for skin conditions
• promotes wound healing
Cocoa butter (where to buy)
This beauty comes from the cocoa bean. To produce cocoa butter as naturally as possible, the beans are first fermented in banana leaves, dried and roasted. Next they are ground to powder and boiled. When boiling, the natural fat from the beans rises to the surface where it is skimmed off. Cocoa butter can also be produced using a cold-pressed method.
Cocoa butter contains palmitic, stearic and oleic acids to provide numerous benefits, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E, dopamine, tryptophan, zinc and omega 6 and 9.
Due to all these amazing natural properties, cocoa butter provides the following benefits for skincare and hair care:
• helps to prevent ageing
• moisturises
• provides protective barrier to keep moisture in
• improves elasticity
• smooths scars and reduces stretch marks
• smells like chocolate!
Vitamin E oil (where to buy)
Vitamin E oil is very popular in skincare, and for good reason! This oil is renowned for its anti-aging properties, but also boasts many more beneficial properties for the skin.
It is recommended that this oil be used when mixed with other ingredients, and is generally not the best option if you have supersensitive, oily, or acne-prone skin.
Here are the key benefits of using this oil topically:
· helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
· can block free radicals (free radicals have been linked to premature aging)
· replenish lipids
· anti-inflammatory
· hydrating
· can reduce effects of psoriasis
Skin is more than just what we put on the surface. So, to get even more Vitamin E and nourish your body from the inside out, try adding the following foods into your diet:
• olive oil
• sweet potatoes
• avocados
• almonds
2. ESSENTIAL OIL RECOMMENDATIONS
3. RECIPE
Ingredients:
1 cup beeswax or soy wax
½ cup sweet almond oil (or replace with grapeseed oil or jojoba oil)
½ cup shea butter or deodorised cocoa butter
½ tsp natural vitamin E oil
10 drops essential oil
Method:
· Melt the beeswax and shea butter on the stove in a clean pot.
· Once melted, remove from the heat and then add the sweet almond oil, and vitamin E oil.
· Mix in the essential oil drop by drop until the mixture achieves the desired aromatic scent.
· Pour the mixture into a silicon mould.
· Leave to set fully before using.
4. VIDEO
