Essential Aromatherapy » Resources and Guides

Natural Preservatives for Your Cosmetic Recipes

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:22:38 +0000

Making your own natural cosmetics allows you to control the ingredients and produce recipes created specifically for you. The downside to this is that natural ingredients tend to have a limited shelf life. Learning what ingredients are natural preservatives, and how to use them, will prevent rancidity and anti-oxidation in your homemade cosmetics.

Here’s a list:

Benzoin Resin (also called Styrax) is a less well known preservative and fixative. For centuries, it has been an important ingredient in the making of incense due to its fixative qualities. Benzoin has a rich sweet scent that is quite distinctive. Because it is easily absorbed through the skin, it should be diluted in alcohol before use in cosmetic recipes. Benzoin resin is often found in facial toning and facial oil recipes to improve their shelf life.

Borax is a common ingredient that used to be found on the laundry shelf of most grocery stores. It is a natural cleaner and preservative, and it often found in lotion, cream, bath salt and bath scrub recipes.

Honey is a marvelous natural preservative. One teaspoon to one tablespoon of honey can be added to most any natural cosmetic recipe to improve its shelf life. My personal facial elixir has honey as an essential component, but I also add it to salts, scrubs, facials, creams and lotions.

Jojoba is one of my favorite natural preservatives because, like honey, it is just so very versatile. Jojoba is often combined with those oils that are known for having a limited shelf life, such as almond oil, apricot kernel oil, and rosehip seed oil. Get in the habit of substituting a tablespoon of jojoba oil for the more fragile carrier oils to improve the shelf life of your home made creations.

Vitamin E Oil is another natural preservative that I use quite often. If you are making a preparation for the skin, add a teaspoon of vitamin E oil to prevent rancidity and as an anti-oxidant. Vitamin E oil has the additional benefit of being safe to use for recipes for babies and small children.

When creating my own cosmetic recipes, I tend to use a two-pronged approach. Benzoin and vitamin E in a facial oil, for instance, or jojoba and borax in a lotion. Incorporating these natural preservatives in your own creations will enhance your cosmetics making repertoire considerably.

Spa Night

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:54:01 +0000

Make one night a week spa night. My night is Sunday night; I love spending part of the afternoon getting ready for my personal beauty treatments. I make a body mask, a hair mask, a facial steaming formula, and a face mask. I also make sure I have the following on hand: a cuticle treatment, a gentle skin cleanser, an eye cream, two cucumber slices, a bath oil, a hair rinse, a facial toner, a facial oil, a rich body butter, and a hand and foot cream.

Here’s what to do on spa night:

Step One: steam face for 10-15 minutes using an EO formula for your skin type.

Step Two: step into a warm shower, gently cleanse skin and get hair wet.

Step Three: apply hair mask and wrap hair in towel turban style.

Step Four: apply eye cream to protect eye area, then apply facial mask.

Step Five: apply cuticle conditioner and then full body mask.

Step Six: Lay back and relax with cucumber slices on eyes for 15 minutes.

Step Seven: Rinse off in the shower and then let it fill the bathtub, treating the water with a bath oil if you have dry skin.

Step Eight: Soak at least 10 minutes while you use a pumice stone to remove dry skin on your feet, knees, elbows, etc. Then wash your hair and follow it up with a hair rinse.

Step Nine: Tone your face and then apply facial oil.

Step Ten: Slather a rich body butter over the rest of your body and if possibly use a special formulated cream for your hands and feet. Follow up with cotton socks and gloves that you keep on overnight.

You will wake up feeling like a queen!

I’m often asked where do I relax with a hair mask, a face mask and a full body mask? It’s, let’s face it, messy. I’ve tried a variety of strategies and have settled on using old pillows in the bottom of the bathtub. The tub tends to be wet from my shower, so I line it with a few old towels, and then drape an old beach towel over myself once I’m all masked up to keep warm. I also light candles, put some relaxing new age music on, and make sure I have my timer set (I’ve fallen asleep before).

When the time is up, I wrap pillows and towels in the beach towel and throw this bundle into the washing machine before I go to sleep.

This method is fairly comfy, and has the supreme advantage of keeping all the mess in the bathroom.

Essential Oil Scent Classification Table

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:13:48 +0000

Essential Oils Scent Classifications
Anisic (licorice-like)	Basil, Fennel
Balsamic (sweet, warm soft, earthy)	Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver
Camphoraceous (clean, fresh, medicinal)	Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree
Citrus (fresh, cool, clear)	Bergamot, Lemon, Orange, Neroli, Pettigrain
Floral (fresh, spring-like)	Helichrysum, Jasmine, Pathcouli, Rose, Ylang Ylang
Forest-like (wet, mossy, woodsy)	Cypress, Juniper
Green (fresh, light)	Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Peppermint
Herbacious (herby, green)	Clary Sage, Palmarosa, Rosewood, Thyme
Powdery (light, dry, faint)	Sandalwood, Vanilla
Resinous (buttery soft, deep)	Benzoin, Frankincense, Myrrh
Spicy (hot, sharp, sweet)	Coriander, Ginger, Marjoram, Rosemary, Thyme

How Many Drops to Use

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:40:47 +0000

How many Drops of Essential Oil Blend to Use in Your Aromatherapy Recipe

Bath Blends: 5 drops of Essential Oil Blend

Body Creams: 10-30 drops of Essential Oil Blend per 6 ounces

Body Mists: 5 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Facial Clays: 5 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Facial Oils: 10 – 15 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Facial Toners: 5 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Fragrance Blends: 10% – 35% concentration

Hair Treatment Oils: 20 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Lotions: 15 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Massage Oil Blends: 10 – 15 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce of carrier oil

Room Sprays: 10 drops of Essential Oil Blend per ounce

Essential Oil Substitutions

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:58:13 +0000

For the purposes of scent, the following oils can be used as substitutions. Note that the essential oils’ properties may be quite different, and this could alter how you decide to blend your formula.

Bergamot – Grapefruit

Chamomile – Lavender

Clary Sage – equal parts Sage and Nutmeg

Grapefruit – Lemon

Jasmine – Ylang Ylang

Lemon – Lime

Lime – Lemon

Neroli – equal parts Orange and Pettigrain

Orange – Mandarin

Peppermint – Spearmint

Rose – Rosewood

Sandalwood – equal parts Benzoin and Cedarwood

Spearmint – Peppermint

Basic Conversion Chart

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:59:02 +0000

Basic Conversion Chart for Your Aromatherapy Recipes

3 teaspoons (tsp) = 1 tablespoon (tbls)
2 tablespoons (tbls) = 1 ounce (oz)
6 teaspoons (tsp) = 1 ounce (oz)

10 milliliter (ml) = 1/3 oz.
15 milliliter (ml) = 1/2 oz.
30 milliliter (ml) = 1 oz.
10 milliliter (ml) = approximately 300 drops

16 TBsp = 1 cup
8 TBsp = ½ cup
4 TB = ¼ cup

20 drops = 1/5 teaspoon
100 drops = 1 teaspoon
300 drops = 1 tablespoon
600 drops = 1 ounce

On Line Conversion Tool

Herbal Infusions and Decoctions: A Simple How To

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:44:18 +0000

Many of the recipes below require an herbal decoction or infusion. These are very easy to prepare. Here are the basics:

Herbal Infusions

An infusion is made like a tea; you boil water, pour it over the herbs, and let it steep. The quantity of herb used will vary according to your purpose, however, a good standard is one heaping teaspoon of dried herb to one cup of boiling water If using fresh herbs, double the quantity. To increase the effectiveness of the infusion, increase the quantity of herbs used.

Herbs Commonly Used for Infusions: Borage, Calendula (Marigold), Chamomile, Comfrey Leaf, Elderflower, Horsetail, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Marsh Mallow Leaf, Peppermint, and Rose Petals.

Chop the herbs or mixture of herbs and place in a heat-proof glass jar (a major jar will work fine).
Pour on boiling water and steep for 10 minutes covered to preserve the volatile oils in the steam.
Strain before use. Make as needed; it should be prepared the same day it is used.

Herbal Decoctions

A decoction is very similar to an infusion, except this is the appropriate way to use the woodier parts of a plant (roots, barks, berries, seeds). Quantities used are the same as for an infusion.

Herbs Commonly Used for Decoctions: Burdock Root, Echinacea, Fennel, Ginseng, Marsh Mall Root, and Rosemary.

Chop the herbs or mixture of herbs and place in a glass saucepan.
Pour on water, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes; let steep. Steeping time will vary according to the herbs used. Generally the woodier herbs (horsetail is a great example) require more steeping.
Strain before use. Make as needed; it should be prepared the same day it is used.