Love those garden hands

Now that it’s June, I’m anxious to get outside and tackle the weeds that have laid claim to our garden. My husband had a bad case of pancreatitis in May, so I’ve been taking care of him, and the garden has been on the back burner for now. While I’m itching to get started working in the dirt, I’m going to make a batch of this homemade hand lotion up so it will be readily available for those chapped, cracked hands.

While certain oils and butters on their own will do a good job of moisturizing, I like to infuse my homemade lotion with different skin soothing, and healing herbs. I make and sell an herbal infused, skin healing salve in my shop, which you can find here that’s perfect for skin irritations like bites, burns and rashes. However, the healing salve can be a little heavy for daily, all over hand use, which is why I like this hand lotion.

Healing herbs

Calendula

This bright orange flower is good for soothing itchy, irritated skin. I use it in this salve recipe to help with eczema and psoriasis. Calendula is also good at calming inflamed and red skin, and is my number one herb for general skin healing.

Comfrey

This herb is nicknamed “bone set” because it works so quickly to help the body heal from fractures, sprains and broken bones. It’s also a quick skin healer and helps skin cells regenerate faster from damage.

Dandelion

Yes, that loathed “weed” in yards across the country is a great for soothing worn skin. It’s also great for dozens, if not hundreds of other herbal preparations and delicious edibles. So please, be kind to your dandelions!

Skin healing butters and oils

You can’t have an herbal hand lotion without something to infuse your herbs in. There are tons of good options out there, but I wanted to use something that was both deeply nourishing, but not too greasy. I’ve included mango butter, which is similar in consistency to shea, but faster absorbing.

Mango butter

Mango butter is also good for dry, itching, damaged or blemished skin. Not only does mango butter nourish damaged skin, but it helps to prevent the damage from happening in the first place. (soapers choice)

Tamanu oil

Tamanu oil is a potent smelling oil, but it’s also a potent skin healer. It’s most commonly used for acne and stretch marks, but it’s great for scrapes, burns, rashes, chapped skin and other irritations. On its own it’s very thick, but it works well and absorbs beautifully when mixed with other oils.

Beeswax helps to naturally thicken everything thing up, and the sweet almond oil gives this homemade lotion a light base. Since we aren’t using any chemical stabilizers or preservatives, this lotion should be kept out of extreme heat or cold and will only keep for a few months. If some oil floats to the top, simply stir it back in. However, if the lotion begins to smell rancid or “off” in any way, then pitch it and make a fresh batch. Vitamin E will help the oils from going rancid, but the lotion won’t last as long as a salve since it has water in it.

Herb infused homemade hand lotion

• 1/4 cup Calendula flowers – what I use
• 2 T. Comfrey leaves – what I use
• 1/4 cup Dandelion leaves and/or flower tops – what I use when I don’t have any in the yard
• 1 tsp Tamanu oil – what I use
• 2 T. Mango butter – what I use
• 1/2 tsp Vitamin E – what I use
• ½ cup and 2 T.  Sweet almond oil – what I use
• ½ cup filtered, boiled, then cooled water (or use a flower hydrosol like these)
• 6 grams Beeswax – what I use
• Glass bowl – the ones I have
• Saucepan
• scale – what I use

*all of the herbs used should be dried.

1. If you’re using whole herbs, give them a few pulses through a coffee grinder, or grind with a mortar and pestle until coarsely cut. This is the coffee grinder I have, and this is the mortar and pestle we use.
2. Combine the sweet almond oil and herbs together in a glass bowl. Fill the saucepan about halfway with water and place over medium heat. Perch the glass bowl with the oil on top to make a sort of double boiler. Keep the water at a low boil while the herbs infuse into the oil.
3. After an hour, turn the heat off and strain the herbs out with a cheesecloth, or clean, old t-shirt. I like to run it through a coffee filter too to make sure all of the small herb bits are out.
4. Put the infused oil back in a clean, glass bowl on top of the saucepan over medium heat. Add the beeswax and mango butter, stirring occasionally until melted.
5. Pour the oil mixture into your blender, add the tamanu and vitamin E oil, and let it cool for about 10 minutes in the fridge. You want the mixture to be creamy, but not cool so much that it gets hard. You can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer for this, but the emulsion won’t be as effective.
6. Turn the blender on, and slooooowly drizzle in the water through the top. The mixture will get creamy and thick. Stop the blender when it starts to sputter. If you’re using a mixer, then slowly pour the water in as you’re mixing on medium/high speed.
   Store your lotion in an impeccably clean glass jar, out of heat, sunlight or freezing temperatures. Slather generously onto skin damaged hands as needed.

The post Herb infused homemade hand lotion for working hands appeared first on The Herbal Spoon.

I’ve been in love with everything rose lately. I’ve been drinking rose tea, inhaling rose essential oil and I just made a rose hydrosol. I decided to put that rose hydrosol to good use and make this rose lotion recipe.

I’ve been hesitant to make a lotion for the longest time since I was afraid of messing it up. One of the first lessons you learn in science class is that oil and water don’t mix, so getting them to combine in a lotion can be a bit tricky. With a good mixer or blender though and a little bit of patience it’s totally doable.

I’ve made mint chocolate whipped body butter before that I love, but sometimes I just need something a little lighter. And while mint chocolate smells divine, sometimes it’s the subtle scents that draw you in. There’s something just so delicate and uplifting about rose.

Unwind and relax with rose

I’ve been super stressed these past few weeks and I’ve really been drawn to rose lately. Dandelions are usually more my thing. I never really liked the prim and proper rose, a flower that was coddled and probably went to the country club for luncheon. Weeds and wildflowers appeal to my intrinsic free spirit, so I was surprised to find my attraction to rose.

Roses are used to balance and strengthen the heart and help reduce feelings of anxiousness and inadequacy.  They are an anti-depressant and a nervine to combat stressful situations. So it makes sense that I would be drawn to rose right now. (source)

“Not only does it enhanced moods, decrease depression, induce sleep, decrease anxiety, and provide some pain relief, but it has also shown anticonvulsant activity and stimulation of nerve growth in dementia patients as well!” – source

I’ve been enjoying using this rose lotion recipe as a full body lotion on my thirsty winter skin. As I rub it in, I think positive, affirming thoughts and inhale the relaxing aroma.

You can buy rose hydrosol for this or make your own. Here’s the tutorial I followed to make my hydrosol. You’ll want to store this in the fridge and use it up in a few days for best results. You can find the lings to where I get my ingredients in the recipe list below, including the scale that I love.

Preserving your lotion

Since this is a lotion, you’ll need something to help extend the shelf life. Even though it’s only for home use, I added vitamin E at .5% for its antioxidant properties that help keep the oils from going rancid. You could also use rosemary antioxidant, though I don’t personally have experience with it. Be sure to store your creation in a cool place!

Given the known toxicity of many broad spectrum preservatives, I’ve chosen not to use them in my homemade products. From what I’ve been told by skincare professionals, adding a preservative does not guarantee it’s in the correct amounts to prevent microbe growth. The only way to be sure is to send the product in for professional lab testing, which most of us don’t have the funds to do.

By using an already preserved hydrosol that typically has a shelf life of 12-18 months, storing this in the fridge, and/or using it up within 2-3 months there really isn’t a concern for microbial growth. If this is meant as a gift, then be sure the recipient knows this information as well.

If you’re just uncomfortable with this idea and prefer to use a preservative, then you can find one online and follow the manufacturers directions for that particular preservative. Keep in mind though that this doesn’t guarantee the product will be as immune to microbe growth as products on store shelves. These have to go through multiple rounds of stability testing.

Homemade Rose Lotion Recipe

• 75 grams sweet almond oil – get it here
• 31 grams coconut oil – get it here
• 8 grams beeswax – get it here
• 4 grams vitamin e oil – get it here
• 10 drops  pure rose absolute – get it here OR 40 drops diluted rose absolute – get it here
• 1/2 cup distilled water or rose hydrosol – get it here
• 1 tsp glycerin – get it here
• Scale – the one I use

1. In a small saucepan combine the coconut oil, sweet almond oil and beeswax. I place the saucepan on my scale and hit the tare button then add my ingredients, hitting tare after each one for easy measuring.
2. Heat the oils and beeswax over super low heat, as low as it will go. Once it’s completely melted pour the oils into your blender or stand mixer bowl. I used my stand mixer.
3. Add the vitamin E and essential oils at this point, don’t worry about stirring it in. Pop this in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until it’s thickened and creamy looking. Don’t let it get solid though.
4. In a glass measuring cup with a spout, combine the glycerin and water or hydrosol.
5. If you’re using a mixer, use the whisk attachment and begin to whip the oil mixture on the highest speed. Slooooowly drizzle in the water mixture. You want a very thin stream so you don’t break the emulsion. Continue whipping until it’s thoroughly combined, about 1 minute after adding the water. You’ll want to scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times and mix some more.
6. If you’re using a blender, turn it on high and then slowly drizzle the water mixture into the middle of the vortex. Blend for 30 more seconds after you’ve added all the water.
7. Store at room temperature or in the fridge in clean glass jars.

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