Natural Lotion!

This past week I made my first attempt at creating a homemade lotion, specifically targeted at little M's eczema.  This time of year is hard on it, and he needs something great to keep him soft and itch-free.  I have tried lots of OTC eczema formulas with less than satisfying results.  I've had the most success with this formula from Burt's Bees and a not-yet-released sample of a new cream by My True Nature.  But nothing has ever been quite good enough for my guy.  So after tons of research I ordered several ingredients to start experimenting with my own eczema relief lotion.  Call me a control freak, but there's just something great about actually having the ability to know exactly what is in a product that's going on his skin!
I'm not 100% satisfied with my first attempt, but I believe we're on the right track!  Here's what I used:

1/2 oz beeswax

1 tbsp shea butter

2 tbsp cocoa butter

1 tbsp sweet almond oil

1 tbsp vegetable glycerin

I simply melted it all together using a double boiler setup, then poured it into a repurposed baby food jar.  I allowed it to cool and found that the oil seperated back out from the wax and butters, so I needed to give it a good stir.  It was great that night, but became too solid by the next night.  After a few days I decided to add a couple more liquid ingredients and see if I could soften it up a bit.  I added:

1 tsp sweet almond oil

1 tsp glycerin

1 tsp jojoba oil

You'd think I would learn from round 1, but no.  Again I allowed it to cool and the oil separated out.  I mixed it all up and was rewarded with a slightly creamier result.  It's pretty firm after a night, but softer than before.  Can I tell you that it smells absolutely delicious?!  The wax I purchased had a distinct honey fragrance, and my cocoa butter smells like white chocolate.  It even tastes sweet!  (I used a little as a lip balm, just as an experiment!)

I still have a lot to learn, but I am quite happy with my first round of lotion-making!

Hello Again!

It's been a while since I've been able to post.  After a round of stomach flu for big G, hand foot & mouth for little M, basketball season for my coach hubby and a broken elbow for myself, I am finally returning to my version of normal.  While the past month + has been a whirlwind, I have found some time to try a couple of natural recipes!  I created dishwasher detergent from the recipe I had previously posted.  I think it does a pretty good job of cleaning, but we do get some really hard lumps that can be a challenge to break up.  I've also found that it does leave a small residue on the dishes...nothing a little vinegar in the rinse cycle can't fix!  Overall I am happy with my economical and environmentally friendly dishwasher detergent!