The Natural Beauty Workshop

Pracaxi Oil

A gift from the Amazon, Pracaxi Oil is often used to reduce the appearance of scars.  High in Oleic Acid, Pracaxi Oil also makes an excellent conditioner for both skin and hair.  It is believed to posess healing properties, and may be helpful in the treatment of rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema.  This exciting new ingredient can be used in almost any type of formulation, and can help to increase viscosity in creams and lotions.  

Warming Massage Bar

This warm colored massage bar is made with Angelica Root Essential Oil, which has a subtle, spicy aroma and provides a warming sensation while helping to increase circulation and stimulate the senses.  The Warming Massage Bar is colored with Paprika to give it a warm orange tint on the top of the bar.

Warming Massage Bar
Makes one 4 ounce bar

Ingredients
3 ounces Fractionated Coconut Oil
1 1/2 ounces Babassu Butter
1 1/2 ounces Candelilla Wax 
1/2 teaspoon Paprika Powder
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Angelica Root Essential Oil

Special Equipment
Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth
Massage Bar Mold

Instructions
Combine 1/2 ounce Babassu Butter, 1 ounce Fractionated Coconut Oil, and 1/2 teaspoon Paprika Powder in a double boiler and heat for 10 - 15 minutes.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or a cheesecloth to remove the Paprika Powder.  After the oil has been strained, return it to the double boiler and add 1/2 ounce Candelilla Wax.  Once the wax has melted completely, remove it from the heat and add 1/8 teaspoon of the Essential Oil.  Pour the mixture into a Massage Bar Mold.  The first layer of this bar will have to cool completely before you add the second layer.  You may want to put the bar in the refrigerator while you prepare the oils for the second layer.  Clean and dry the double boiler than add 2 ounces Fractionated Coconut Oil, 1 ounce Babassu Butter, and 1 ounce Candelilla Wax.  Heat the mixture until completely melted, than remove from heat and add the remaining Essential Oil (1/8 tsp and 1/4 teaspoon).  Pour over first layer in the Massage Bar Mold.  Allow the bar to cool completely before attempting to remove it from the mold.  Removing it prematurely can cause the bar to crack or break.

Usage
Gently rub the Warming Massage Bar onto the skin.  When the bar contacts skin it should begin to melt.  Use the bar to coat a generous amount of oil onto the skin and then set it aside while you massage.  The Warming Massage Bar should be packaged in a tin or cello bag when not in use.  This recipe contains Angelica Root Essential Oil, which can potentially irritate certain skin types.  If any irritation occurs discontinue use immediately and wash the skin with soap and water.  Angelica Root Essential Oil is also a strong photosensitizer, and should not be used on the skin within 4 hours of sun exposure.  Angelica Root Essential Oil should also not be used on or around pregnant women, babied, or children.

Emulsion, The Magic Trick of Creams and Lotions

Water and Oil don't mix on their own.  When it comes to creating a cream or a lotion, something must be done to water and oil based ingredients in order for them to combine.  Emulsion occurs when water is allowed to encapsulate oil molecules with the help of a stretchy ingredient called an emulsifier.  Lecithin is a common emulsifier found in nature.  In cooking, the lecithin contained in egg yolk allows chefs to create luscious emulsified sauces such as mayonnaise or hollandaise.  Creams and lotions are created in a very similar way.  Only when it comes to lotions and creams,  other ingredients must be used to maintain a stable, long term emulsion.  Emulsifying Wax is an ingredient that has been especially formulated for this purpose.  It contains just the right amounts of wax and emulsifier to maintain a stable emulsion in most simple cream or lotion formulas.  For beginners, I often recommend this ingredient.  It is very easy to use, even when you are creating your own recipes from scratch.  

You can also create an emulsion with the help of natural ingredients.  However, unlike Emulsifying Wax, natural emulsifiers must be used in conjunction with each other in order to work.  The best combination to start with is Beeswax, Liquid Lecithin, and Borax.  Together, these ingredients can help to create a stable emulsion of fats and waters.

To create a basic emulsion formula, try working with this simple formula:

• 1 part Emulsifier
• 3 parts Oil / Vegetable Butter
• 6 parts Water or Hydrosol

The emulsifier part can be 100% Emulsifying Wax, or a combination of 80% Beeswax, 10% Borax, and 10% Liquid Lecithin.  Try experimenting with the amount of water, oil, or emulsifier you have to create unique textures.  You can also try switching Beeswax for other waxes, such as Candelilla, Carnauba, Bayberry, or Floral Wax.  

To create the emulsion, start by heating the waxes and oils/butters together, along with the lecithin, if you are using it.  In a separate container, heat the waters along with the borax, if you are using it.  When both phases have become hot, and the waxes have fully melted, begin whipping the water phase. Slowly pour a very thin stream of the oil/wax mixture into the water phase while continually whipping.  After the ingredients are fully combined, continue to whip the mixture for at least a full five minutes.  The mixture should become thick and opaque.  

Depending on your ingredients your mixture can vary in texture and appearance wildly.  Achieving a stable emulsion may also require some tweaking of these ratios depending on the ingredients you choose.  Becoming an expert on making creams and lotions is an adventure!  Embrace experimentation, and don't lose heart when formulations break or fail.  It is all part of the learning process.  For a more in depth look into handmade emulsions, check out Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotions by Donna Maria, an indispensable guide to cream and lotion making.  

Do you have a favorite emulsion recipe to share?  If so, please share it with us in the comments below!

Tease & Tousle Hair Spray

Made with nourishing green tea and stimulating dead sea brine, this spray serum can add volume and texture to damp hair.  Aloe Vera gel helps to keep hair moisturized while it is being styled, while green tea adds conditioning and shine.  The high salt and mineral content in Dead Sea Brine brings out the body, volume, and texture, giving hair a sea swept look.

Tease & Tousle Hair Spray
Makes about 16 ounces

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Dead Sea Brine
• 4 ounces Aloe Vera Gel
• 3 ounces Distilled Water
• 1 ounce Green Tea Floral Water
• 2 teaspoons Green Tea Powdered Extract 50%
• 1/2 teaspoon Grapefruit Seed Extract

Directions

Heat the Distilled Water and combine it with the Green Tea Extract and Grapefruit Seed Extracts.  Mix the ingredients together until they have dissolved fully.  Strain any remaining solid particles out of the liquid with a fine mesh strainer if necessary.  Combine the liquid with the Aloe Vera Gel, Green Tea Floral Water, and Dead Sea Brine.

Usage & Packaging

Carefully pour the mixture into 8 ounce Aluminum Sprayer Bottles.  Spritz damp hair with the mixture while scrunching with your fingers.  You can blow dry your hair with or without a diffuser, or try letting it air dry.

Japanese Skin Care Ingredients

The people of Japan have incorporated natural ingredients into their skin care routines for generations.  With a rich supply of sea vegetables, grains, and tea products at their disposal, these nutritional ingredients have become staples in both diets and personal care routines in Japan.  This quick overview of Japanese ingredients showcases the building blocks of Japanese skin and hair care.  Japanese ingredients can be used to make batches of traditional recipes, or they can be fused with other types of ingredients to create new and unique formulations.

Grain Products

Japanese grains are used to provide gentle exfoliation for facial and body scrubs.  Brans are also pressed for their carrier oils, yielding uniquely textured fixed oils that boast exciting benefits.  Adzuki Bean Powder, Rice Brans, and Rice Powders are finely ground, perfect for mild scrubs and cleansers.  

• Adzuki Bean Powder
• Rice Bran Powder, Coarse
• Rice Bran Powder, Fine
• Rice Powder, Medium
• Jojoba Oil
• Rice Bran Oil

Aloe Products

Aloe's soothing properties are popular worldwide, and Japanese skin care is no exception.  Aloe is used in lotions, creams, facials, and cleansers to provide the recipes with calming, moisturizing properties.

• Aloe Vera Gel 1:1
• Aloe Vera Butter
• Aloe Vera Oil
• Spray Dried Aloe Powders

Sea Vegetables

Sea Vegetables are densly nutritive ocean plants.  Rich in vitamins and minerals, Sea Veggies can be used in almost any type of hair or body formula to add a healthful boost.  Body wraps, facials, and soaps are just a few of the most popular ways to include Sea Vegetables in skin and hair care routines.

• Organic Bladderwrack Powder
• Organic Irish Moss Powder
• Organic Kelp Powder, Atlantic
• Organic Kelp Powder, Norwegian

Other Ingredients

In addition to these three major ingredient groups, Japanese skin and hair care also makes great use of a variety of miscellaneous natural products.  For example, Camellia and other Tea based products are often used for their bounty of antioxidants.  A wide variety of herbs and flowers are also an important part of Japanese skin and hair care.

• Hibiscus Petal Powder
• Ginseng Powder
• Rosehip Powder
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• White Kaolin Clay
• Camellia, and other Tea Based Ingredients