Homemade Lip Scrub in Chocolate Mint for Natural Winter Skin Care

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January 2, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 10 Comments

Using natural products is an important part of my everyday beauty regimen. This homemade lip scrub recipe in chocolate mint is an easy way to keep with the theme of natural winter skin care. Plus it’s also the perfect addition to your self care routine for the New Year. Read on to learn how to make a homemade lip scrub as an easy addition to your natural beauty routine. And learn about my goals I’ve set for the New Year.

Setting Self Care Goals for the New Year

I recently saw a quote that said “What if the only resolution you made for the New Year is to love yourself more?” This year, I totally agree. In years past I’ve either set no New Year resolutions at all. Or I had some pretty lame ones. A recently memory hop on Facebook reminded me that I once made a resolution to stop calling boys in their twenties twelve when they’d hit on me in social settings. While at the time I felt like that was me trying to be a kinder person to strangers, it actually taught me a very important lesson. Changing bad habits is hard. However, it’s also totally worth it.

So this year, I’m going into the New Year with resolutions to break my most unhealthy habits. In fact, these goals are so important to me that I started them a full two weeks early.

Between losing my grandmother earlier this year when her organs started shutting down due to heart failure, and my dad undergoing three heart surgeries for blocked arteries, heart health has moved to the top of my list for health priorities. This means not just cutting sugar, but also other foods that cause inflammation including red meat, chicken and pork. I also gave up alcohol. (All of these things support not just heart health, but also help reduce the occurence of my fibromyalgia flare ups.)

I’d been heading in the direction of giving up these things since the end of summer. By the time December hit, I’d lost 20 lbs. and gone down two pants sizes. Not only do I look better, but I FEEL better. So I’ve also added on push ups (I’m up to sets of six toe push ups followed by twelve knee push ups) to my weekly routine for strength, and I’m trying to stay more active. Sometimes this just means lots of dancing. Other days it’s simply getting out and walking. I can’t wait for the weather to take a turn though, because I’m so ready to start hiking again. I feel strong and healthy. And my mental health, along with my physical health, has improved as well. So I really feel like I have all over body wellness.

Some of the most important things I’ve learned as I struggled to overcome PTSD and depression aren’t just related to diet and exercise however. They are also about mindset. These accomplishments include:

Saying no and not feeling guilty about it.
Setting boundaries and walking away from drama as well as toxic people and relationships.
Learning to let go of my anger.
Finding healthy ways to reduce stress.
Accepting life as life happens so I’m better able to adapt to change. (A must as a blogger as algorithms are constantly changing!)
Journaling to help break bad habits.
Accepting the limitations of my body and not pushing myself to do more to my own detriment.

What’s great about all of these things is that they all relate back to self care. Thus emphasizing the importance it plays in our daily lives. It’s one of the reasons why I created a free printable self care journal for you (my lovely readers!) to use in the New Year.

Of course, outwardly caring for bodies is also an important part of self care. It’s why I included printable skin care and face mask recipe cards as part of my printable self care journal. So you can use the following homemade lip scrub recipe as one of your journal recipes. Or customize it to make it your own!

Homemade Lip Scrub for Natural Winter Skin Care

My homemade lip scrub, while an easy 5-minute project for weekly self care, is also a must for your natural, winter skin care routine. Naturally scented with cocoa absolute and peppermint essential oil, this homemade lip scrub recipe exfoliates to remove dead skin cells and hydrates skin to help prevent chapped lips.

Homemade lip scrubs are also a great way to restore dry lips as a result of using long lasting lipsticks and stains. (You can also try my tinted lip whip recipe for healthy looking lips.)

Use this natural lip scrub recipe once weekly to nourish dry, winter lips so they remain soft and supple throughout the season.

Chocolate Mint Homemade Lip Scrub Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. avocado butter
1.5 oz. granulated sugar
12 drops cocoa absolute
12 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the refined shea butter. Heat the shea butter in either a double boiler, or at 30% power in a microwave, until melted.

Carefully remove the melted shea butter from heat. Then, using a graduated transfer pipette or dropper, add the cocoa absolute and peppermint essential oil. Stir to combine.

Finally, weigh out the granulated sugar. Pour the sugar into the melted shea butter and mix well, until all of the sugar is evenly incorporated throughout the sugar.

Now simply package your chocolate mint, homemade lip scrub as desired using either small containers or jars or lip balm tubes. (The containers I used for my homemade lip scrub recipe are from SKS Bottle & Packaging.)

To use, gently massage your homemade lip scrub onto wet lips in a circular motion using either your finger or a soft toothbrush. Allow to set for one minute before rinsing off. Then follow with your favorite natural lip balm. Two homemade lip balm recipes you can make include my Chocolate Mint Lip Balm Recipe and my Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe with Lanolin.

More Homemade Lip Scrub Recipes

If you like my homemade lip scrub recipe in chocolate mint, then you may also enjoy some of these other homemade lip scrub recipes for winter skin care.

Love the idea of using a homemade lip scrub for your natural beauty routine but aren’t quite ready to make your own? You can buy homemade lip scrubs from a number of artisans on Etsy here. Or browse my curated collection of makeup, beauty & natural skin care products.

For more great self care ideas as well as winter skin care recipes, be sure to follow Soap Deli News. You can follow me now on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Or find me on Blog Lovin’. To receive an email whenever I share a new post, sign up via feedburner here.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and beauty, body scrub recipe, essential oil recipes, essential oils, home remedy, lip scrub, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural remedy, natural skin care, self care, skin care recipes, sugar scrub, sugar scrub recipe, winter skin care

Hand Salve Recipe for Winter Skin Care with Essential Oils & Beeswax

December 15, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Learn how to protect, hydrate and soothe dry hands with this simple, homemade winter hand salve recipe. It’s made beeswax, coconut oil and natural peppermint and pine essential oils. These ingredients then all come together to create a natural product that’s perfect for your winter skin care routine.

Winter Is Hard On Hands: Care for Them Naturally

As I’ve aged, my hands have aged as well. While the rest of me can still pass for at least a decade younger, my hands are definitely the one true sign that I’m older than I look. And with winter weather drying out my skin worse than usual, I really have to pay extra attention to them. Add to that the extra hand washings to avoid getting winter colds or flu, and there are days my hands actually look crepey. It’s pretty freaky. I’m not a fan. So in addition to drinking extra water this winter, I’m also slathering on moisturizer and hand creams like there’s no tomorrow.

However, sometimes my hands need a LOT more than what traditional moisturizers can offer. So in addition to using a skin softening hand scrub, I also reach for a winter hand salve to care for winter skin care. This year, I made my own natural hand salve recipe with both beeswax and natural essential oils to add to my winter skin care routine. (You can find this winter hand salve recipe below.)

Why Use Beeswax as an Ingredient in a Hand Salve?

I love how easy it is to make this winter hand salve recipe. It’s also pretty great that I don’t have to use this salve on just my hands. This homemade hand salve is also perfect for feet, cracked heels, dry elbows and pretty much anywhere else skin needs a little extra love. If you’re skin is really bad off, you can easily beef up this simple, homemade hand salve recipe by adding a small amount of lanolin to the formulation. (I tell you how further down!)

Why This Hand Salve Works

Beeswax offers a number of natural skin care benefits. These natural properties make beeswax a popular addition to skin care products.

Cosmetic & Skin Care Benefits of Beeswax

Hydrating
Skin Softening
Non-Comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores)
Soothing
Collagen Enhancing (due to Vitamin A content)
Protective
Skin Smoothing
Strengthening
Regenerative

In addition to the skin care benefits of beeswax, it also has medicinal properties that help support skin health. Specifically, beeswax is also anti-allergenic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral.

Information on the Benefits of Beeswax in a Hand Salve

Produced by the worker bees in honey hives, beeswax can is well known for its ability to promote healing and often skin. Beeswax also has naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory skin care properties. As such, it’s an often used ingredient in skin care products for dry or problem skin. Additionally, as beeswax is also rich in vitamin A, it is also able to support cell reconstruction and health.

As a humectant, beeswax helps to lock in moisture to soothe dry skin. So skin is not only better hydrated, it also feels and looks softer. By locking in moisture, beeswax also adds a level of skin protection against external irritants. So dry hands have time to recuperate from the ravages of winter elements and dry skin. I also love that beeswax eases some of the symptoms of dry skin such as itchiness and redness. (The itching it the worst, right?!)

Skin Care Benefits of Pine Essential Oil

According to Healthline, pine essential oil has been used for centuries in traditional medicines — including natural skin care applications. Like tea tree oil, pine essential oil also has antimicrobial properties. Fortunately, its smells SOOOooo much better than tea tree oil. Therefore it’s a great natural alternative if you ever need to make substitutions to your recipes in the future.

In addition, pine essential oil, like beeswax, also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with both irritating skin conditions, such as eczema or acne, as well as soothe pain caused by arthritis or muscle pain.

Skin Care Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil

Like pine essential oil, peppermint essential oil also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore it able to offer relief from muscle pain or headaches. Additionally, peppermint essential oil has been shown to also soothe itching in part to its natural cooling sensation from its natural menthol content. Plus, it smells amazing!

Ready to make a homemade hand salve recipe for your winter skin care routine? Below is the recipe from the December Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box for making a natural, essential oil peppermint & pine salve. (Also be sure to check out their DIY coffee body scrub with mandarin essential oil, also part of the December essential oil recipe box. Want your own box? Be sure to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to score a $40 off coupon good on your next purchase. Get it now.)

Peppermint & Pine Hand Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1.5 teaspoons beeswax
7 drops Scotch Pine essential oil
7 drops Peppermint essential oil

Hand Salve Optional Additions & Substitutions:

You can both soften this hand salve recipe and add an additional layer of skin protection by adding lanolin to the recipe. Simply add 1.5 teaspoons of lanolin in addition to the other hand salve ingredients.

If you’d like to make this hand salve recipe vegan, then simply swap out the beeswax with one teaspoon candelilla wax. (You’ll use less of this plant-based, vegan wax as it has a higher melting point than beeswax.)

Instructions:

Measure out the beeswax and coconut oil. Then combine the ingredients in a double boiler and heat until melted. (If you’re using lanolin, then you would also add it at this time.)

Once melted, remove from heat. Add the essential oils and stir to combine.

Finally, pour the melted hand salve into a 2 oz. tin. Allow to cool and harden completely. Then screw on the lid and label as desired for personal use or gifting.

If you like this easy hand salve recipe, be sure to pin it to Pinterest for later. You can also sign up with Simply Earth to receive a monthly essential oil recipe box, with projects just like this one! Sign up here and don’t forget to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to get a $40 coupon good on your next order. (You can seriously use this coupon code on ANYTHING. Even that diffuser you’ve been eyeing, essential oils you missed out on or additional ingredients you’ve run out of.)

More Winter Skin Care Recipes with Beeswax

Want more ideas for your natural, winter skin care routine? Try one of these other great recipes from Soap Deli News.

Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe with Lanolin
Natural Beeswax Lip Tint Recipe with Lanolin
Snowflake Hard Lotion Bar Recipe
Cranberry Chutney Lotion Bar Recipe
Simple Plantain Salve Recipe for Natural Skin Care
Lanolin Salve Recipe for Dry, Damaged Skin

If you’re ready to discover more great, natural skin care recipes, then be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all your favorite social media platforms. Find and follow Soap Deli News blog now via Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up via feedburner to receive an email every time I share a new post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, diy, dry hands, easy, essential oil recipes, essential oils, home remedies, home remedy, lanolin, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural remedy, salve recipe, simply earth, skin care recipes, skin nourishing salve, winter, winter skin care

DIY Coffee Body Scrub with Mandarin Essential Oil for Winter Skin Care

December 10, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 5 Comments

Learn how to make a simple 5-ingredient DIY coffee body scrub for winter skin care in just 5-minutes. This easy, natural beauty recipe with mandarin essential oil will help you achieve the look of naturally glowing skin. It exfoliates away dead skin cells, hydrates skin and helps to tone for firmer looking skin.

Here’s the Skinny on DIY Coffee Body Scrubs for Winter Skin Care

If you’ve even had your significant other ask why there’s dirt in your buttcrack, then you’re already down with coffee scrubs. A DIY coffee body scrub is probably the messiest scrub in existence, but there’s a reason why everyone loves them, and why no one wants to give them up. Accidental dirty buttcrack or not.

Literally the first time I used a coffee body scrub — it was Frank’s and a freebie in my monthly ipsy box — I was a little freaked out. The coffee grounds not only turned the water a muddy brown, but they also looked like little black ants. Getting everything to go down the drain after it was all said and done was also a challenge.

So let’s hope your shower head isn’t stationary or you’re going to be hauling a giant Pyrex measuring cup out of your kitchen cabinets. Then, you’ll also want to be prepared to mop water off your floor with a towel. Because it gets on the shower curtain, the sides of the tub, hell, places you’ve never even seen soap scum take hold.

After having said all that, you must be wondering, is a DIY coffee body scrub really worth the mess? The answer is still yes.

This DIY coffee body scrub with mandarin essential oil comes to you courtesy of the December Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box. (I’m told, however, that these boxes are selling out in the MIDDLE of the month, so if you want this one, then act now! Coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE scores you a free bonus box worth $40 AND a coupon for $40 off your next purchase of anything your heart desires this holiday season. Otherwise you’ll get a starter box and a bonus box so you won’t have to wait around for the new box to be released.)

Beauty Benefits of Using a DIY Coffee Body Scrub

This easy skin care recipe is made with just 5-ingredients and it smells amazing. The ingredients for this DIY coffee body scrub includes two types of coconut oil — solid and liquid — coffee, sugar and mandarin essential oil.

I love that the caffeine in the coffee helps to tighten and tone skin so it looks visibly firmer — at least for the day. And sometimes (hello, holly day party!) a day is all you need. Plus the exfoliating effects of the sugar and coffee grounds can also help reduce the visible appearance of fine lines as it softens skin. The coconut oil in this DIY coffee body scrub recipe also hydrates dry or maturing skin, so it looks and feels healthy.

This DIY coffee body scrub is such a simple beauty recipe to have so many beauty benefits. But that’s part of what makes it totally worth any clean up drama you may encounter. (Also, why is it no one else ever talks about the mess from making your own DIY coffee body scrub???)

Ready to give this mandarin scented DIY coffee sugar scrub a try? Here’s the recipe from the December Simply Earth Box. If you actually order the box, you get cool index sized recipe cards for all the recipes included inside, every single month! It’s a great way to finally put those index card files to use that your kid used in (the way back) elementary school years. (Or if anyone actually remembers using them for address cards when everyone still sent snail mail and email was a bizarre concept.)

This month’s box also included recipes for making a citrus Christmas room spray, Christmas candy diffuser blend, candy cane lip balm, a cold buster roll on and a peppermint & pine salve.

Mandarin & Coffee Body Scrub Recipe

This DIY coffee body scrub recipe has a shelf life of six weeks. It’s kid-safe for ages 2+. (But why would you want to share?)

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon fractionated coconut oil
1/2 Cup ground coffee beans
1/2 Cup sugar
15 drops mandarin essential oil

Instructions:

Use a measuring cup or Tablespoon to measure out the (solid) coconut oil. (3 Tablespoons equals 1/4 cup.) Place it inside a 12-cup glass Pyrex measuring cup. Then measure out one Tablespoon of the fractionated (liquid) coconut oil. Add the liquid coconut oil to the container with the solid oil. (You’ll receive both types of coconut oil with your free bonus box from Simply Earth when you sign up for their monthly essential oil recipe box! Just be sure to use the coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE)

Heat the coconut oils until the solid coconut oil has melted. You can do this either by using the double boiler method on your stove or by heating the oils in the microwave for 15 seconds, repeating as necessary until melted.

Once the coconut oil has liquified, remove from heat. Then add the mandarin essential oil. Stir to combine.

Next, measure out the coffee grounds and sugar using a measuring cup. Then stir into the melted coconut oil and essential oil mixture. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout your DIY coffee body scrub.

Now spoon your coffee body scrub into an 8 oz. container or equivalent. I actually used two 4 oz. low profile amber jars I had on hand from SKS Bottle & Packaging.

Screw the lid(s) onto your container(s) of DIY coffee body scrub, then label as desired. (Simply Earth does send out sticker labels for all the recipes in their essential oil boxes. However, there’s only one for each product.)

How to use Your DIY Coffee Body Scrub:

To use this coffee body scrub, remove desired amount before entering the shower. Then simply massage onto wet skin in the shower using a circular motion. Let the scrub sit on skin for about ten minutes, then rinse off.

Yield: 8 oz.

DIY Coffee Body Scrub with Mandarin Essential Oil

Learn how to make a DIY coffee body scrub for winter skin care. This easy, natural beauty recipe will help you achieve the look of naturally glowing skin.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

1/4 Cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon fractionated coconut oil
1/2 Cup ground coffee beans
1/2 Cup sugar
15 drops mandarin essential oil

Tools

Tablespoon
Measuring cup
Glass 12-cup Pyrex measuring cup or bowl
Utensil for stirring
Microwave
8 oz. jar or container

Instructions

Measure out the solid and fractionated coconut oil. Combine in a medium glass bowl or Pyrex measuring cup.
Heat the coconut oil in 15 second increments in the microwave until melted. Then remove from heat.
Add the mandarin essential oil. Stir well to combine.
Measure out the coffee and sugar. Then mix these ingredients into the melted oils until thoroughly incorporated.
Spoon into an 8 oz. jar or container for storage.

Notes

This product has a shelf life of about six weeks. To use, scoop desired amount from container for use in the shower. Then massage onto skin in a circular motion onto wet skin. Let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse clean.

Also don’t forget to purchase your subscription to Simply Earth. Use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to receive a $40 off coupon AND a free bonus box of ingredients and materials (valued at $40) at no extra cost. Sign up here. You can also try my own original DIY coffee body scrub recipes, which you’ll find below.

More DIY Coffee Body Scrub Recipes

Once you’ve master this easy DIY coffee body scrub, be sure to try some of my own DIY coffee body scrub recipes. These natural skin care recipes require a few more ingredients, however, they’re totally worth it!

Potted Succulent Coffee Scrub Recipe with Aloe Soap (for Gifting)
Cardamom & Pumpkin Spice Solid Coffee Scrub Recipe
Coffee Scrub Recipe for Cellulite, Stretch Marks & Anti-Aging Skin Care
Caffeinated Soap Recipe with a Coffee Scrub Center
Cardamom & Gingerbread Spice Solid Coffee Sugar Scrub Recipe
Grapefruit & Coffee Sugar Scrub Recipe

If you love this DIY coffee body scrub, then be sure to follow my DIY bath & body board on Pinterest for more great winter skin care ideas.

You can also follow Soap Deli News across all your favorite social media platforms for even more natural beauty recipes. Find and follow Soap Deli News blog now via Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up via feedburner to receive an email every time I share a new post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: anti-aging, beauty diy, body scrub recipe, coffee body scrub, coffee scrub, essential oil recipes, essential oils, natural skin care, simply earth, skin care recipes, sugar scrub recipe, winter skin care

Exfoliating Body Polish Recipe with Anti-Aging Essential Oils for Natural Skin Care

November 25, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Skip the synthetic foaming agents, fragrances and other artificial ingredients in Dove exfoliating body polish and make your own! My natural exfoliating body polish with anti-aging essential oils is a natural alternative that you’ll absolutely fall in love with. Plus discover more natural ways to care for your skin through whole body care using natural plant-based ingredients, botanicals and essential oils.

If your skin is like mine, you probably grew up with itchy bumps from dry skin. Or maybe dairy triggered excruciating eczema. My mom used to rinse our clothes twice because the synthetic fragrances in everything (EVERYTHING!) back then would break both my brother and I out in hives. Luckily, we know more about the ingredients in the everyday products we use. And there are a lot more options.

Unfortunately, factors outside of our control such as seasonal changes and age, can still make skin care a challenge. As we age it becomes more important than ever to care for your skin both from the inside and on the outside. There are a number of herbal remedies and foods we can ingest to care for our skin in addition to staying hydrated by drinking more water. But sometimes that’s not always enough. That’s where external skin care comes in. Together, both nutrition and external skin care are able to work in tandem for skin that looks and feels healthy.

Using An Exfoliating Body Polish for Natural Anti-Aging Skin Care

As winter weather starts sneaking in, I always always have to increase my water intake. Unfortunately, dry skin still likes to sneak in – even if I keep my gut health in check. And, as I’ve ventured into my forties, it’s actually gotten worse. My biggest skin care pet peeve has to be unsightly skin tags though. I mean, what are those? Due to the cold weather coupled with aging (OMG my hands betray my age every single time if not properly moisturized) I really have to amp up my natural skin care care routine in the winter.

My favorite way to fight both the visible effects of aging as well as dry skin is by using an exfoliating body polish. It’s really an incredibly simple and easy way to exfoliate and hydrate skin. Plus, by simply adding a few essential oils, I can give my exfoliating body polish an extra anti-aging boost to help fight the visible signs of aging and encourage cellular turnover. Used regularly, my natural exfoliating body polish not only gives me beautiful soft skin, it also helps to diminish the visible signs of aging. So (fingers crossed) I can on looking a decade younger than my real age.

Why Use a Natural Exfoliating Body Polish?

If you have sensitive skin or even chronic health issues, then you probably already avoid artificial fragrances and other synthetic ingredients. It’s through personal experience, and that unpleasant reaction, that you understand the impact certain ingredients can have. For me, I know artificial fragrances not only irritate my skin but often they trigger an allergic reaction in other ways, whether it’s a pounding headache or sneezing. Likewise, the aluminum in many commercial deodorants also throws my body out wack. (Since switching to natural deodorant, I have fewer problems. I also sweat less AND my sweat doesn’t stink like it did.)

As my exfoliating body polish recipe is all natural, I don’t have to worry about allergies or sensitivities to synthetic ingredients. I’m able to source my ingredients for my skin care recipes from businesses I trust. Therefore I always know what’s going onto (and possibly into) my skin. Because skin care is so important to me, I love to use fair trade and organic ingredients from Mountain Rose Herbs whenever possible. I’ve been shopping with them since 1995 and I’ve found that their ingredients make a huge difference in my natural skin care recipes. I also know I can always trust them to provide pure essential oils at a reasonable price for maximum quality.

By choosing quality skin care ingredients and combining them in recipes designed for anti-aging skin care, I’m able to naturally care for my maturing skin without the fear of accelerating aging or causing additional skin damage.

Formulating Your Own Custom Skin Care Products

While making your own natural skin care products is fine and dandy, it’s important to know if the recipes you’re using are safe. It’s also important to have a solid understanding of the ingredients that are beneficial to your skin in addition to why and how they are useful. This lays the foundation for you to begin formulating your own customer skin care recipes. Therefore, before I share my natural exfoliating body polish recipe with you, I first want to tell you how to get started creating your own custom body formulations.

Getting Started Making Natural Skin Care Recipes

Twenty short years ago, I started making my own soap. The Internet was in its infancy, so there weren’t a lot of resources available online. I had to go to the actual library and order real books online to get more information. When I made the natural transition to DIY natural beauty and skin care seven years ago, there still wasn’t a lot of information online. What was available was hard to find and not always reliable or even safe. (The very first olive oil Castile soap recipe I tried didn’t even mention WEIGHING the ingredients!)

Even though I consider myself somewhat advanced when it comes to making natural skin care products, I still have a lot to learn. And I’m amazed by just how much there is to learn. There are so many different ingredients I don’t know enough about. Not to mention safe usage for herbs and essential oils. These vary not just based on the ingredient but a person’s age as well as health can play a huge factor as well.

Of course, going back to school is not an option for me. Tuition, as you know, is completely out of control. (My son’s college was $43k a year to live off campus! Thank goodness scholarships covered the bulk of it.) So instead, I take the courses offered by The Herbal Academy. I recently took their Botanical Skin Care course and learned so much about herbs and their role in natural beauty. Not only is this course full of skin care recipes for the face and body, but it also has advice for using herbal supplements for better skin health. And that additional insight was invaluable! I love how everything I need to know is one place so I don’t have to hunt down information. And, if I want to learn more, additional resources are provided so I can access more research if needed.

What’s In The Botanical Skin Care Course?

If you’re new to The Herbal Academy, they offer full courses on how to use herbs in your daily life. The courses are all online, and you can complete them at your own pace. Once you buy access to a course, you’ll have online access to the course for one year. Once completed, you’ll earn your certificate. (Don’t worry about losing access to the course after a year, however. The entire course can be downloaded via PDF format so you can refer back to it for as long as you need. Just like old school paper books.)

They have classes for general herbalism learning from beginner to advanced, so you can take classes no matter your current skill level. They also offer specialized courses a few times a year. (Alternately, if you can’t take on a huge course at this time – because life – then consider a membership to The Herbarium.)

In the Botanical Skin Care Course, you’ll learn:

The Foundations of Supporting the Skin
Skin and Sun
Choosing Herbs for Your Skin Type
Support for Chronic Skin Conditions (including topical and how to care for your skin from the inside out)
Support for Acute Skin Conditions

This course is full of natural skin care recipes that you can make at home. The best part is that the recipes are formulated for every skin type. They give several recipes for cleansing, masks, scrubs, toners, serums and moisturizers for your daily skin care routine. Each recipe has information about the type of skin it’s best for, so you can create a custom skin care routine for your skin’s needs.

It also has a module on protecting your skin from the sun, which can help reduce the signs of aging from sun damage. There are several natural skin care recipes to use on your skin after spending time in the sun to keep your skin looking amazing after sun exposure.

One module is devoted to choosing the best herbs for your skin type beyond the typical dry or oily skin. It takes into consideration both your natural skin type and the climate in which you live. There’s a printable worksheet so you can determine your skin’s needs and choose the best herbs for your skin type.

Learn more about both chronic and acute skin conditions in the next two modules. Internal factors can cause some chronic skin conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis and rosacea. It not only teaches you about the best herbs for these conditions both topically and to use as a supplement, but it also has several recipes to make at home.

The Herbal Academy recommends using Mountain Rose Herbs. As previously mentioned, I’ve been using Mountain Rose Herbs for many many years. They offer high quality herbs at affordable prices. Pus, when you sign up for the Botanical Skin Care Course, you’ll get a discount on herbs through Mountain Rose Herbs as an extra perk.

Why I Love the Botanical Skin Care Course

Like I said, when I started making DIY bath and body products, there wasn’t a lot of information available. Now there is, but I want to make sure that I’m using being responsible with herbs, essential oils and other natural ingredients. I also want to make sure that you, my readers, are getting the most accurate information.

The Herbal Academy is a trusted source for using herbs at home. Their team of herbalists have studied herbs and how to use them safely for years. I feel confident using their courses because they have done the research and know how to use herbs for natural beauty.

I love the fact that I can learn at my own pace. Some weeks I have several hours to devote to working on the course, but other weeks I only have an hour or two to learn. Since the courses are self guided and available for download, you have plenty of time to read through the course and learn.

The online format is very convenient for me. It’s perfect for most people because you can learn at any time, day or night. For those who have full time jobs or families, this is an easier way to learn than taking a class. You can also learn on your couch in your pajamas if you want to. It’s also a great option for those who don’t live close to an herbal class because you don’t need to worry about getting there for each class.

Not only is The Herbal Academy convenient, but it’s also affordable. If you attended these classes in person, expect to pay a lot more per class. Taking an online course is a great way to learn about herbs without investing a lot of money.

As you read through the course, you may have some questions. The Herbal Academy offers support with printed materials and live forums. They are also active on social media. They answer phone calls and emails to help you understand the course and answer questions that you may have.

I’ve taken several courses at The Herbal Academy, but the Botanical Skin Care course is probably my favorite so far. It has a lot of information in it, but it’s broken down into manageable modules for easier learning.

I use herbs both as natural supplements and topically for skin care. This course taught me more about using them as a supplement to help my skin from the inside out. There are recipes for herbal teas that you can make to support your skin’s health.

The course is also available as a PDF, so you can print it and read it on paper if you want. I like that option so I can highlight and make notes. After spending most of my day on the computer editing photos and writing, my eyes need a break from the screen. This is a great option for those who want to reduce screen time or eye strain from blue light.

In fact, it was the Herbal Academy Botanical Skin Care course that inspired my anti-aging, exfoliating body polish recipe! (Which you can learn to make – and customize -below!)

About My Natural Exfoliating Body Polish

Helping your skin from the inside out with herbs takes a while. You won’t see the effects for weeks or even months, so don’t get discouraged. If you want to see a more immediate result, try my natural exfoliating body polish recipe.

My exfoliating body polish is similar a body scrub. It helps slough off dead skin cells for brighter and fresher looking skin. If you have dry skin, this can help reduce itching and flaking by removing the top layer of dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. The sweet almond oil and mango butter also help to hydrate skin with fatty acids and nourish the skin with vitamins and minerals.

Using salt in an exfoliating body polish can help slough off more dead skin cells than sugar can because of the texture of the salt. For my exfoliating body polish recipe I chose to use fine grain Himalayan pink salt as it’s rich in trace minerals. The salt is then balanced with pink kaolin clay, which is a milder exfoliant. Since it is more abrasive than sugar, use this no more than once a week. Alternately, you can easily substitute the exfoliants to make my exfoliating body polish suitable for everyday use, as well as a scrub for facial care. (I’ll explain more after the recipe.)

Anti-Aging Essential Oil Blend

Of course, because I am in my mid-forties (shhhhhh.) I used an anti-aging essential oil blend for this exfoliating body polish recipe. It kept the essential oil usage low. However, you can increase the them if desired. Typically you can use essential oils up to 2% of your natural skin care recipes for a wash off product. However, it is important to note that some essential oils, such as cinnamon or clove, should be used at a lesser percentage to avoid skin irritation.

I used the following essential oils for my exfoliating body polish recipe:

Frankincense essential oil
Rose essential oil
Helichrysum essential oil
Myrrh essential oil
Lavender essential oil

Frankincense is probably the most common anti-aging essential oil. It can help even the skin tone by reducing dark spots. It also helps tone and tighten the skin. (There are four varieties of frankincense essential oil available. You can learn about the different types and their properties here as well as discover my natural rose body butter recipe.)

Rose essential oil is excellent for dry skin. It has vitamin C to promote collagen production to decrease the signs of aging. (You can try either geranium essential oil or palmarosa essential oil in lieu of the rose if it is cost prohibitive.)

Helichrysum is excellent for the skin. It can help rejuvenate and restore the skin and help make your skin glow.

Myrrh essential oil is often used for its anti-aging properties. It also helps fade age spots and can reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Lavender has some anti-aging properties and can help reduce the appearance of lines. It’s a gentle oil and can help soothe the skin.

My anti-aging essential oil blend, while effective, doesn’t smell like roses. (Despite the inclusion of rose essential oil.) So feel free to swap out the essential oil blend with one of your choosing if scents are important to you. One of my favorite multi-purpose essential oil blends for natural skin care is my eucalyptus and orange essential oil blend. (You can find that essential oil blend recipe here.)

Natural Exfoliating Body Polish Recipe

Ingredients:

.25 ounces emulsifying wax
.4 ounces stearic acid
1.5 ounces sweet almond oil
1.25 ounces mango butter
.15 ounces pink kaolin clay
10 ounces Himalayan pink salt, finely ground
5 drops rose essential oil
5 drops frankincense essential oil
3 drops helichrysum essential oil
2 drops myrrh essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

A natural preservative is recommended for this product as it may come in contact with water doing use. Should you choose to omit a preservative, I would remove desired amount from the container before showering or bathing to retain the integrity of this exfoliating body polish.

You will need to digital scale to weigh all the ingredients for my exfoliating body polish recipe. If you are using a natural preservative (covered in the Botanical Skin Care course) then use the percentage called for by the manufacturer. Also be sure to the add the preservative at or below the temperature called for by the manufacturer based on the preservative you’ve chosen.

To begin, use a double boiler to melt the emulsifying wax, stearic acid and mango butter. When these ingredients are fully melted, remove from heat.

Stir in the sweet almond oil. Then, using a glass dropper, add each of the essential oils called for in my exfoliating body polish recipe. Stir well.

In a separate container, combine the pink kaolin clay and the pink Himalayan salt, Mix well to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Then add the dry ingredients to the melted wax, oils and butter. Stir well. Allow the mixture to thicken, then restir before packaging.

Spoon evenly into three 4 oz. low profile jars. You can also use a 6 oz. mason jar. Screw on the lid then label as desired for personal use or homemade gifts.

How to Use Your Exfoliating Body Polish

To use your exfoliating body polish, scoop about ¼ of a cup of the body polish out of the jar and massage onto wet skin in a circular motion. Rinse well, then pat dry.

I recommend using this natural, exfoliating body polish once a week for soft, beautiful skin.

Customizing Your Exfoliating Body Wash

Exfoliant Alternatives for Your Exfoliating Body Polish

To use this exfoliating body polish recipe for sensitive skin or for facial care, try using an extra fine Himalayan pink salt. Alternately, you can also use superfine caster sugar or a combination of both depending on your skin’s sensitivity. You can also mix the two together at a 50/50 ratio or a 25/75 salt to sugar ratio. Using a milder exfoliant makes this exfoliating body polish suitable for daily use.

How to Make a Skin Cleansing Version of This Body Polish

Making a natural skin cleansing version of my exfoliating body polish recipe is easy. And you won’t need to add any synthetic cleansers or foaming agents, such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate, that the Dove exfoliating body polish has. Simply substitute part of the carrier oil with a natural, unscented liquid Castile soap. I recommend subbing between .25 oz. and .5 oz.

Swap Out Your Carrier Oil for More Custom Skin Care

You don’t have to use sweet almond oil for my exfoliating body polish recipe. My favorite anti-aging carrier oils include rosehip seed oil, pomegranate seed oil, camellia (tea) seed oil and argan oil. Hemp seed oil is also a great option. To learn more about the benefits and properties of carrier oils, check out the book, Carrier Oils, by Cari Dunn. This book is a beginner’s guide to using over 40 carrier oils in bath and beauty recipes.

If you love my natural exfoliating body polish recipe with anti-aging essential oils, then don’t forget to pin this natural skin care recipe for later. Or, if you’re ready to learn more about the Botanical Skin Care course, click here to sign up. (You can also check out my detailed review of the Botanical Skin Care course here.)

More Exfoliating Body Polish Recipes

If you like my natural exfoliating body polish recipe with anti-aging essential oils, then you’ll also want to try these other homemade body scrub recipes.

To discover more great, natural skin care recipes from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my newsletter. Alternately, you can explore my own easy melt and pour soap recipes for beginners here.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: anti-aging, bath and beauty, beauty recipes, beauty tips, body polish, body scrub recipe, exfoliating, moisturizing, natural skin care, plant based, salt scrub recipe, skin care recipes, vegan

Beauty Benefits of Ginger Essential Oil: Plus Natural Skin Care Recipes

October 7, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 3 Comments

Ginger oil anyone? There’s a reason ginger essential oil is a favorite among natural skin care enthusiasts. Ginger essential oil offers a number of natural skin care and beauty benefits when used as an ingredient in your skin care formulations. Learn about all the ginger essential oil benefits for your skin! Plus discover a collection of my favorite natural skin care recipes made using ginger essential oil.

Ginger Essential Oil Benefits

Ginger essential oil probably isn’t in your top 10 favorite essential oils, but it should be. The benefits of ginger essential oil are numerous for both your hair and your skin.

A natural anti-inflammatory, ginger essential oil feels warming on the skin when you use it topically. For this reason, it’s often used in pain relieving and sore muscle recipes to relieve pain naturally without side effects. Not only does it work well as a natural pain remedy, it’s also a wonderful alternative ingredient for those who may be allergic or sensitive to capsicum, which is found in cayenne.

You can also use ginger essential oil for skin in natural skin care recipes. It’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and full of antioxidants to combat the signs of aging. These benefits of ginger essential oil make this one of my favorite essential oils for natural skin care. Ginger oil for hair can also boost hair growth and control flakes from dandruff. Because who wants to deal with that?

What is Ginger Essential Oil?

Ginger essential oil is extracted from the root of the ginger plant by either steam distillation or extraction using carbon dioxide. Ginger is native to South Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, but it was exported to India and Europe about 2,000 years ago. It is a common spice in Indian and Asian food.

In the past, ginger root was commonly used for digestive issues. How many of you grew up drinking ginger ale when you had a stomach ache? Having a glass of pop was the only good part of being sick when I was a kid.

Ginger essential oil benefits aren’t just for digestion however. Using ginger essential oil for skin and ginger oil for hair also offers many benefits. So it’s great as part of your natural beauty routine.

Inflammation

One of the main ginger essential oil benefits include being a natural anti-inflammatory. Ginger essential oil has several natural compounds that are natural anti-inflammatories. One of these compounds is zingibain, which has been shown to help relieve migraine pain without side effects.

The anti-inflammatory properties of ginger can help reduce pain and inflammation from muscle ache, arthritis, and migraines. While I use my favorite ginger oil salve for sore muscles, I also find it effective at soothing fibromyalgia pain when it flares up.

Cramping

Ginger oil can also help reduce muscle cramping when used topically, so ginger essential oil benefits include after exercising care for your body. It may be effect for sore muscles, menstrual cramps, stomach cramps, and back pain. It can also help soothe sore muscles after working out.

Along with being a natural anti-inflammatory, ginger essential oil can boost circulation, which can lower muscle cramping. The warming effect is a benefits of ginger essential oil that can help relax muscles to reduce cramping.

Anxiety

Ginger essential oil benefits also includes relieving anxiety naturally. It has been shown to naturally reduce anxiety in animals, and it may help reduce anxiety in people, too. Ginger works by activating the serotonin receptors in the brain, which makes you feel good.

This can help improve your mood, and it can also reduce pain by lowering anxiety levels. As someone who once suffered from agoraphobia, I’m well versed in how debilitating anxiety can be. Therefore, finding natural ways to better cope with anxiety and stress are always high on my list.

Antioxidant

Perhaps the biggest ginger essential oil benefits is that it is high in antioxidants that combat free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are oxygen molecules that have an unpaired electron. This causes oxidative stress in the body. Antioxidants bind with the unpaired electron to make the oxygen stable.

Antioxidants can prevent the visible signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. Free radicals are also associated with some diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. Ginger essential oil for skin helps boost antioxidants naturally for better looking skin.

Antimicrobial

Ginger essential oil is a natural germ killer. If you use antibiotic soap or certain kinds of hand sanitizers, you could be creating super bugs that are resistant to antibiotics and will be harder to kill.

Using ginger essential oil won’t create super bugs by only killing the weak germs, so it’s a great natural antibacterial agent to use. It’s especially effective on E. coli, staphylococcus aureus, candida albicans, and bacillus subtilis.

Beauty Benefits of Ginger Essential Oil and How to Use It

Ginger essential oil benefits can be used in DIY natural beauty recipes, but keep in mind that it feels warm when you apply it topically. For some recipes, this is a great thing and can help reduce pain. But for some skin care recipes, you may want to combine ginger essential oil with other oils.

Ginger essential oil benefits make it a great oil to use in your natural beauty recipes. It can help protect the skin from signs of aging and naturally kills germs that can cause acne or other skin conditions. Ginger oil for hair can help reduce dandruff and lead to thicker hair over time.

Ginger Oil for Hair

Dandruff

Dandruff is caused by a fungus on your scalp. Since ginger essential oil is naturally antimicrobial, it can kill the fungus, treating the dandruff and stopping the flakes.

Hair Growth

Ginger essential oil can help encourage your body to grow more hair. Ginger is warming, so it stimulates the scalp. This boosts circulation, which can lead to more hair growth over time. Using ginger oil for hair can lead to thicker hair over time.

Ginger Essential Oil for Skin

Cellulite

Ginger essential oil can boost circulation and tone the skin naturally. This can help reduce cellulite and make the skin appear to be more toned.

Fading Scars

Ginger essential oil may help reduce scars and lighter pigmented areas on the skin. This is due to its toning and antioxidant properties.

Anti-Aging

Since ginger essential oil is high in antioxidants, it can help prevent the signs of aging. Use it topically to prevent free radicals that can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help boost skin elasticity and tone the skin.

Ginger Essential Oil Recipes for Your Natural Skin Care Routine

With so many beauty benefits of ginger oil, I use it often in my DIY natural beauty recipes. I use it the most in my pain relieving recipes, but I also use it in hair care and skin care. Ginger oil really makes a nice addition to my natural beauty and skin care routine. Following are some of my favorite uses and recipes for ginger essential oil.

Lemon Ginger Lip Balm

Ginger essential oil for skin also helps your lips. Combine ginger essential oil with lemongrass essential oil for a light and refreshing scented Lemon Ginger Lip Balm recipe. This packs some serious moisture for your lips with cocoa butter, shea butter, and sweet almond oil.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Lip Balm

Use ginger essential oil to create a pumpkin spice essential oil blend for this pumpkin spice latte lip balm recipe.

Chocolate Ginger Agave Lip Butter

Get smooth and soft lips with my Chocolate Ginger Agave Lip Butter recipe. This unique flavor has shea butter, cocoa butter, and walnut oil to moisturize. It’s naturally flavored with chocolate absolute and ginger essential oil.

Ginger and Turmeric Face Polish

How to make an anti-aging and antioxidant Ginger and Turmeric Face Polish recipe. It has white clay to gently exfoliate and hemp seed oil and rosehip seed oil to moisturize.

Sea Salt Shampoo Bar Recipe

I used ginger essential oil in this Sea Salt Shampoo Bar Recipe. It also has kelp powder, eggs, and sea salt for hair health. Ginger oil for hair can help reduce dandruff and boost circulation in the scalp for thicker hair.

Essential Oil Roll On Perfume Recipe

Want to use ginger essential oil for aromatherapy? Make an easy roll on perfume recipe with natural essential oils.

Fall Soap Recipe

Ginger essential oil is perfect for fall. Get ideas for fall essential oil blends and an autumn harvest cold process soap recipe.

Gingerbread Jelly Soap Recipe

Learn how to make a gingerbread essential oil blend and use it to make gingerbread jelly soaps.

Chamomile Balm Recipe

Relieve dry skin with this chamomile balm recipe. It’s great for feet, elbows, hands, and other dry areas.

Gingerbread Emulsified Whipped Sugar Scrub Recipe

This gingerbread emulsified whipped sugar scrub uses ginger in a blend to smell like gingerbread.

Lush Inspired Massage Bar Recipe

Inspired by Lush, this massage bar recipe can use ginger essential oil in place of peppermint for a milder version.

Magnesium Body Butter

This magnesium body butter recipe combines the benefits of magnesium flakes and ginger essential oil benefits to naturally relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the body.

Pain Relief Massage Oil

How to make a pain relief massage oil. This easy recipe takes just a few minutes to make and uses the benefits of ginger essential oil to naturally reduce pain.

Ginger Salve for Sore Muscles

How to make a ginger salve for sore muscles. This uses an oil infused with ginger and ginger essential oil for more benefits of ginger essential oil.

Natural Pain Relief Salve

Get natural relief without side effects with this natural pain relief salve recipe. It has arnica infused oil, beeswax, and ginger essential oil, so it’s a fairly easy DIY recipe for beginners.

Now that you know about all of the ginger essential oil benefits, why not add it to your natural skin and hair care routine? You can purchase quality organic and certified ginger essential oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. Choose from their classic ginger essential oil made from dried root for an earthy spicy scent. Or try their fresh ginger essential oil made from fresh ginger root for its bright note and less earthy fragrance.

What are your favorite ways to incorporate ginger essential oil into your natural beauty routine? Be sure to share your favorite ways you use ginger essential oil in the comments. And don’t forget to pin these natural ginger oil skin care recipes for later!

For more ways to use essential oils in skin care, be sure to follow Soap Deli News across your favorite social media channels. You can find and follow me on Blog Lovin‘, pinterest, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, beauty diy, beauty hacks, essential oil, essential oil recipes, ginger essential oil, natural skin care, skin care recipes