The Natural Beauty Workshop

Shealoe Butter

One of my all time favorite natural skincare ingredients is Shealoe Butter, a combination of Shea Butter and Aloe Vera.  The cooling feeling of Aloe and the creamy texture of Shea come together to form a very unique product.  With a consistency similar to a thick frosting or a cold cream, Shealoe Butter is simply dreamy to work with.  I actually keep a small jar in my bathroom to use  "as is".  It adds gloss, shine and a non-greasy slip to balms, lotions and other skincare products. 

Because Shealoe Butter is such a unique ingredient, it can be used to create very unique products!  I often use Shealoe Butter to add a creamy texture to formulas where a water based cream would be less than ideal.  Shealoe Butter can be mixed with other butters, wax, and oil to create extra creamy body butters and lips balms.  In the Candy Cane Sugar Scrub I used Shealoe Butter to create a creamy, suspension base for the product.  Shealoe Butter can also be added to Shower Gel, Shampoo, or Bubble Bath Bases to add thickness and creaminess.

When working with Shealoe Butter please keep in mind that since it is somewhat fragile and you must not overheat it.  To incorporate it into your formulations, heat Shealoe Butter gently to about 50 degrees C but not above 55 C as it will start to de-emulsify.

Blossom Body Cream

Blossom Body Cream

This recipe is an aromatic delight! You can almost always find a batch made up in my refrigerator.  It makes about 4 ounces by weight and a little more by volume (since it is whipped).  The naturally aromatic hydrosols and essential oils in this recipe give the cream an intense floral aroma.

Ingredients

Oil Phase
12 grams Mango Butter
12 grams Ultra Refined Cocoa Butter
12 grams Babassu Butter
10 grams Emulsifying Wax
2 grams Stearic Acid

Water Phase
35 grams Organic Lavandula Augistofolia Hydrsosol
35 grams Distilled Water
2 grams Glycerin                                       
3 grams Grapefruit Seed Extract

Essential Oil Blend
15 drops of Bergamot Essential Oil
20 Drops of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Directions
In a double boiler, heat all in the ingredients in the Oil Phase until they are thoroughly melted.  In a separate container, gently warm the Water Phase ingredients.  Do not use a microwave as it can damage the ingredients.  Use a second double boiler or try putting a heat-proof glass or beaker inside a pot of hot water.  Heat the Water Phase until it is warm, but do not boil it.  When both phases are ready, transfer your Oil Phase into a sturdy mixing bowl.  Use a hand blender or electric mixer and begin whipping the Oil Phase.  Slowly, add the Water Phase to the bowl (while you are mixing).  The mixture should become white or creamy looking and will foam up when you add the Water Phase.

Continue to beat the mixture until it transforms into a cream (about the consistency of a thin pudding). This could take between 10 and 15 minutes of constant whipping.* When the cream has cooled to this point you can add in your essential oil blend. Be sure to thoroughly mix the essential oils into your cream. Dispense your cream into sterilized containers and you are finished!

*Tip: If your cream does not thicken up after 15 minutes of mixing, you may want to try cooling the mixture.  Set your mixing bowl inside a bath of ice water while you continue to whip the emulsion.  This should cool the mixture completely, allowing the cream to harden up.

Storage
Unless you add an additional preservative to this cream I would recommend keeping it in the refrigerator where it should keep for at least 2 weeks.  Products with water based ingredients are especially vulnerable to bacteria and rancidity.  Take extra care to keep your cream from becoming contaminated.  I suggest storing the cream in a closed capped bottle or if you are using a cream jar, to use a clean popsicle stick or other utensil to dispense the lotion (as opposed to your fingers).  This can help to extend the life of your cream.  If your cream changes in color, scent, or appearance, it may have expired or it may have become contaminated.  Discontinue using any cream or lotion that you suspect has gone bad.

White Willow Bark Extract

White Willow Bark is most commonly known for its use in herbal medicine.  A natural pain reliever, and anti-inflammatory, White Willow Bark owes its infamous properties to a component named Salicin.  The use of White Willow Bark for medicinal purposes dates back to the time of Hippocrates, when he is noted to advise the chewing of White Willow Bark to reduce pain, inflammation, and fever.  The herb gained popularity again during the early 1800's.  At that time, the active ingredient, Salicin, was discovered, and later synthetically reproduced, creating salicylic acid.

Today, aspirin is usually made from acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), another synthetic variation based on Salicin.  Aspirin masks are commonly used to reduce redness, inflammation, and soothe acne.  Natural masks can be created with the same goals in mind by using White Willow Bark extract.  This extract is a water soluble powder, and can be used to create creams, lotions, soaps, tinctures, and body wraps as well. 

White Willow Bark Extract can also be used to soothe sore muscles, aches and pains when used topically.  Try creating an herbal pack for stiff muscles using White Willow Bark Extract, Dead Sea Mud, Argan Oil, Shavegrass, and Alfalfa Leaf Powder.  Body lotions made with White Willow Bark Extract can also be used in a soothing massage. 

Those with sensitivities to aspirin, salicin, salicylic acid, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) should not use White Willow Bark Extract or products containing White Willow Bark Extract.  Be sure to label any products containing this product accordingly.

Camellia Oil

Camellia Seed Oil is pressed from the seeds of Camellia Sinensis, a plant that is best known for its use in the production of tea.  The leaves of this plant are used to produce Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea, and one of my personal favorite, Oolong Tea.  While the leaves produce the healthful beverages many of us know and love, the seeds produce a unique and beneficial oil that is a little less commonly enjoyed.

Camellia Seed Oil is also known as "Tea Seed Oil", and is a popular cooking ingredient in some areas of China and Asia.  This name is not often used in the cosmetic industry, to avoid confusion with Tea Tree Essential Oil, a very different product.  While the cooking oil can vary in appearance, our cold pressed Camellia Seed Oil is pale yellow in color and has little to no aroma.  It has a medium thickness, similar to Jojoba.

Camellia Seed Oil makes an excellent skincare ingredient due to its high content of antioxidants and vitamins A, B and E.  It absorbs into the skin readily, so it may be used alone, or in any number of formulations.  Hair treatments, creams, serums, and massage oils are all wonderful places to incorporate Camellia Oil.  This nourishing oil may be especially beneficial to dry and damaged skin and hair. 

Random Facts and Places

I was recently tagged by Michelle from Oats and Honey with the classic internet meme, Random Facts.  I pondered what five facts would be most interesting.  I noodled away at what places I most wanted to visit.  But then I decided that instead of being a total egomaniac, I would share some facts from other FromNatureWithLove.com employees.  After all, you hear from me all the time.  So for a change, here are some juicy tidbits from some of the other members of our team.

Five Random Facts

1. Nina, from customer care, confessed that she has a very odd phobia.  She is freaked out by ears!
2. Mary, also from customer care, told me that no matter how tired she is, or even if she is in pain, when the right kind of music plays she can't help but move to it.
3. Wendy in marketing can recite the alphabet backwards.
4. Victoria, our bulk sales coordinator, loves to write poetry.  She has even had work published in four different books!
5. As for my random fact, every time I drive through a yellow light I kiss my pointer finger and touch the roof of the car.  I do this so often that I often catch myself at it even when someone else is driving.

Five Places We Would Like to Visit or Revisit, and Why

1. Nina would like to explore Bath and Lake Country in England in order to see the places that inspired her favorite author, Jane Austen.
2. Mary would love to visit the Golden Gate Bridge.  She says it makes her feel like she's in a time warp.  Plus, it's beautiful!
3. Wendy has several "dream destinations", but Austria is near the top of her list.  She spent two remarkable summers there as a child and would love to revisit the small village that she stayed in.  Wendy explained that she missed Austria's breathtaking beauty and the fascinating and loving people she came to know there.
4. Victoria would love to be on her way to Italy.  Not only would she delight in seeing the beautiful architecture, and exploring the monuments and sights, it would give her a chance to visit with her extended family that lives there.
5. I often dream of visiting Dominica.  This Caribbean island is a hiker's dream.  Mountains, waterfalls, jungle, and coral reefs are available for exploration by foot, bicycle, or flipper.  That is my kind of tropical paradise!

If you have a blog, and would like to share some random facts about yourself, consider yourself tagged!

Jojoba Esters

Body butter and balm formulations can sometimes feel too heavy due to the portion of wax that is needed to keep the balm or butter stiff.  Jojoba Esters, which are made from hydrogenated Jojoba, can help solve this common formulation issue.  Jojoba Esters can be used to substitute a portion of wax in a balm, butter, or bath melt formula to reduce its heaviness.  They can also be used in creams or lotions to help thicken or stiffen the emulsions.  They are available in a variety of hardnesses.  Jojoba Esters 20 (MP44), which are the softest of the three esters carried by FromNatureWithLove.com, look similar to a vegetable butter and are soft enough to scoop with a spoon.  Next in line are the Jojoba Esters 60 (MP56).  These esters also have a butter-like appearance, but are harder in texture than the 20 esters.  Jojoba Esters 70 (MP70) are so solid that they resemble Jojoba Wax Beads rather than butter.  This variety of esters allows formulators to add as much or as little hardness to their recipe as needed.

Secrets of the Spas

Catherine Bardey's book, Secrets of the Spas, is a fantastic resource for the home spa practitioner.  This book includes seventy five bath and body recipes, many of which incorporate fresh ingredients.  Secrets of the Spas is conveniently categorized by the types of treatments offered; body, face, hair, hands and feet.  It even includes a chapter of spa cuisine recipes, making this book a great tool for throwing home spa parties or indulging one's self with  the total spa experience.  If you tire of treating yourself, the author provides a listing of twenty professional spas nationwide.

Throughout Secrets of the Spas, Bardey supplies a wealth of information on the ingredients in her recipes.  There is no shortage of variety of ingredients either.  Recipes feature a generous sampling of specialty oils, as well as herbs, grains, and fresh produce.  Each chapter is complimented by a series of tips, facts, and spa trivia.  This is more than a simple recipe book.  It is a crash coarse in natural skincare!  At the end of the book you will find a detailed glossary, as well as conversion tables, tool and equipment overviews, and brief sections regarding use of essential oils.  The author touches on safety, proper use, and also provides a list of popular essential oils along with their uses in the home spa.  There is a similar section for carrier oils.

I should also mention that this book is filled with gorgeous photography.  While I generally believe that the content of a book is more important than its pictures, there is something to be said for the pleasure that is added by photography to the overall experience of this book.  The images in Secrets of the Spas are nearly as inspirational as the recipes! 

Chocolate Truffle Scrub

What's more classically Valentine's Day than a box full of chocolates?  When I was a kid I had the awful habit of breaking open each and every candy before I ate it.  I was fond of surprises, but not when they involved mystery food.  I turned my nose up at strawberry nougat, coconut, and marshmallow.  These days I am far less picky about my chocolates.  In fact, I'll eat just about any mysterious bonbon that comes my way.  My sense of culinary adventure has grown considerably over the years.  With it, my appreciation of all things chocolate.

The Chocolate Truffle Sugar Scrub
This scrub makes about two 4 ounce jars.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Demerara Sugar
2 ounces Hazelnut Oil
1 ounce Sweet Almond Oil
1/2 ounce Cocoa Butter
1/2 teaspoon Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E (T-50)
1/4 teaspoon Grapefruit Seed Extract

Directions
Gently melt the Cocoa Butter in a double boiler or in very short bursts in the microwave.  Be careful not to overheat your butter.  Meanwhile, pour the Demerara Sugar into a mixing bowl.  Stir in Hazelnut Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Vitamin E, and Grapefruit Seed Extract.  Add Cocoa Powder and mix well.  Now add you final ingredient, the melted Cocoa Butter.  Stir the mixture well to make sure that the butter is distributed evenly. 

Fragrance
This scrub will have a slight natural aroma of Cocoa Butter while you are preparing it.  However, this aroma will dissipate once the mixture has cooled.  If you prefer a scented scrub you may add a 1 teaspoon of synthetic Fragrance Oil such as Dark Chocolate Supreme or Raspberry Truffles.  Another option is to add several drops of Bourbon Vanilla Absolute or Vanilla Oleoresin.  Although they are not chocolate, these natural Vanilla aromas would compliment this scrub nicely.

Bee's Milk

Bee's Milk is one of the more mysterious sounding products carried at FromNatureWithLove.com.  When I first heard the word, my mind was completely boggled as to what it could possibly be.  Fueled by my curiosity, I pounced on this product as soon as it came through the door.  "What is it?", I inquired.  The answer was as curious as the question.  This unique product has a great deal of potential uses, taking advantage of this new product will be a treat for formulators who love a good experiment.

Bee's Milk is a water soluble solution of Beeswax, Sesame Oil, Lecithin and water that has been preserved using a methylparaben. The application of Bee's Milk in skincare formulation should peak the interest of those creative individuals who are looking to try something new.  Bee's Milk can be added to any water based formulations, or oil/water emulsions. Creams, lotions, and facial serums can all be enhanced by the addition of Bee's Milk.  It can be also be used to thin finished lotions or creams.

Bee's Milk is also growing in popularity as an ingredient in haircare formulations.  It can be added to leave-in conditioners or styling agents.  Bee's Milk can help to create a moisture barrier around the hair as well as helping to reduce frizziness.  Also, try adding Bee's Milk to a body splash.  The light emollience of Beeswax and Sesame Oil can enhance the benefits of a simple scented spray. 

The potential uses for Bee's Milk are vast!  The next place I am going to try using it is in a bath bomb.  What have you used Bee's Milk in?  I would love to hear about other people's experiences with this product.   Email me, or leave a comment to share your Bee's Milk story with us.

Illipe Butter

One of the more exotic butters, Illipe originates in southeastern Asia.  The nuts from the Shorea stenoptera tree are harvested and pressed to extract the raw fat within.  The resulting butter is a very hard, but very emollient product.  Similar in composition to Cocoa Butter, Illipe makes a fine base ingredient for balms, lotions and creams.  It can also be used in soapmaking to create firm, highly moisturizing bars.  Illipe Butter is especially useful in the treatment of mature or chronically dry skin as its application can help to reinforce the skin's natural moisture barrier.  Unlike Cocoa Butter, Illipe Butter tends to be very light, sometimes white in color, and has little to no characteristic aroma.  While it does have a higher melting point than Cocoa Butter, with some slight adjustments Illipe Butter can make a fine substitute for Cocoa Butter in many formulations.