Let's Talk Ingredients
My cosmetics-making journey started about 9 years ago when I realized I was allergic to SO. MANY. THINGS. Good lord, I had always prided myself on my lack of sensitivity (ah the hubris of youth!) and then BAM I was hit with hyper-sensitivity to fabrics, lotions, foods, you name it! Eventually, I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type 3 which does not have a cure, but which can be treated in a variety of supportive ways. In my case, the supportive ways were figuring out how to avoid things that didn't work for me!
And guess what? Those things that didn't work for me also don't work for a lot of other people, AND tend to be pretty nasty for the environment! The worst of them for me included synthetic dyes, wheat, parabens, synthetic fragrances, and synthetic cosmetic preservatives.
So what's the solution? Make my own, of course! I tinkered around with ingredients I found in organic cosmetics and online recipes, played with different whole ingredients, and finally have settled on a few tried and true recipes that work for me 100% of the time. I say this with the caveats that 1.) I am not a doctor and 2.) for other folks with autoimmune issues, these ingredients might not work for them: everyone has to go on their own journey and find what's right :-)
So what are the base ingredients I use for all my "lotions and potions" as my mom would say? There are only four: beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils. If you'd like to know more about each ingredient, please keep reading!
Beeswax
Humans have been using beeswax for thousands of years. Prized for its anti-bacterial and healing properties, there have been remains from 6,500 years ago found with beeswax as a dental filling*!
As a cosmetic, beeswax keeps moisture in the skin, is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial**, and fosters cell growth without clogging pores. It's really one of nature's wonders.
Shea Butter
Hailing from a beautiful, narrow belt of fertile, well-drained soils in the savannah stretching from West Africa to East Africa, shea butter is the fat that comes from of the nut of the shea tree (vitellaria paradoxa).***
Shea butter is edible and used as a cooking oil in Benin, and is traditionally used as a waterproofing wax, for hairdressing, to reduce stretch marks, for candle-making, and in ointments. For the musicians reading this (I'm looking especially at you, Dad and Colin), it is also used by the makers of traditional African percussion instruments to make the wood and tuning straps more durable! Super cool!
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is the fat extracted from the meat of ripe coconuts, and can be found anywhere coconut palms grow! I think most folks who are visiting this blog post have used coconut oil in the past, and I unfortunately don't have any fun quips to report on the subject! It smells nice, is edible (but only in small quantities because it's 82% saturated fat OMG), acts as a lovely moisturizer that melts at about 78 degrees Fahrenheit (I like to use coconut oil as a temperature gauge in the summer), and some people are super allergic to it, so *PLEASE DON'T USE MY SELF-CARE PRODUCTS IF YOU HAVE A COCONUT ALLERGY*
Essential Oils
Photo above stolen from https://lambornmountainfarmstead.com/ Click on the picture and check out their amazing store out of Paonia, Colorado if you have a chance-- their lavender is OUT OF THIS WORLD amazing!
****New as of November 20, 2020 I will be making a non-scented version of all of my self-care products. It has come to my attention that a number of folks including COVID long-haulers have allergies to fragrances, so I would like to make sure everyone feels taken care of.****
Essential oils are created through a few different methods: steam distillation (steam is passed through raw plant material, which causes the plants to release their aromatic compounds: this method is usual for lavender, peppermint, tea tree oil, patchouli, and eucalyptus), expression (pressing a plant: this is common for citrus), and solvent extraction (a plant or flower is dissolved in a solvent, then the solvent is evaporated off: this is common for jasmine and other delicate flowers).
I've tried making my own essential oils from plants I've grown, and the product was so terrible I'll just go ahead and stick to buying super high-quality organic essential oils!
So anywhoo-- since I started making my own "lotions and potions", my skin is happier and healthier, and I hope I can make you feel happier and healthier too! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out at geminibotanics@gmail.com :-)
Articles referenced:
*https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0044904
**https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27633295
***https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160321200331.htm#:~:text=Shea%20trees%20only%20grow%20in,cooking%20oil%20in%20the%20region.