Experiments in Beauty Products

[saifai]

I've been dabbling in making products of my own for years now. Partly because of my allergies I find it hard to come by products that do their job without making me break out in a rash.

My recent problems have been plaguing me since winter set in, and my lips are horribly chapped. I've been playing around with mixtures and came up with one that seems to be working so far. Thought I might share it with you.

I don't have exact measurements. I just sort of throw things in. I was trying to save time and did it all in the microwave, and figured out that if you set it on 30% power, it's low enough not to scorch the ingredients.

In a plain white demi tasse cup (it was small and microwaveable, so it works for me), I added together a teaspoon of beeswax pellets, cocoa butter, shea butter, a couple few drops of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, a half a dropper full of vitamin e oil (maybe 10 to 12 drops?), and a small bit of my favorite lipstick color (I used a shimmery pink). I microwaved the cup for 30 seconds at a time until it was melted. All total, it took roughly 2 and a half minutes to fully melt.

I had intended to add honey to this batch too, but forgot about it until I'd already poured it. Ah well, maybe next time.

I stirred it all up with the handle of a plastic fork, and then poured the mixture into a recently emptied chapstick tube. It's rather messy to do it without a funnel (albeit a very small one).

I wanted to exfoliate my lips first, so I rubbed them with a bit of olive oil and sugar. I rinsed that off, used my new lip balm (doesn't take more than about fifteen minutes with the cap off to cool enough to use).

So far so good. Not sure yet if it'll help keep my lips soft with long term use, so we shall see.

Next up I'm toying with the idea of using hydrosol from Owyhee (A. ludoviciana) in a lotion to help with my eczema. Supposed to be a lovely anti-inflammatory.

Comments

[fantomeq.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a neat idea. I have trouble finding products I can use too. Maybe if your ideas turn out really well, you could sell them on etsy?

[saifai.livejournal.com]

I'd love to do something like that, though I'm not entirely sure with the logistics of such a venture would be. I'll have to look into the rules and regulations they have for selling beauty products.

I'm currently testing out a face cream too. My face has been horribly dry and flaky in some spots from my eczema. So far so good with that one, though I'll have to find a way to make it smell better. It's got aloe, sage, chamomile, and rosemary in it. Put together it smells very... odd. And it's green. o.0

[velvetwhip.livejournal.com]

That's a great idea.


Gabrielle

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping it works like intended. *crosses fingers*

[dusty273.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's an awesome idea!

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I rather thought so. Hopefully they'll work like I intend them to. :)

[alexburnvictim.livejournal.com]

If you skin is sensitive you could use plan shay butter. My mom and I also make herbal creams and stuff which we sell. :\ I use it for my mild eczema on my arms and face. I'll do a little bit of research for you and send you a message. :]

[saifai.livejournal.com]

By itself shea butter is quite oily and thick. It's not good as an all over moisturizer. For spot and problem areas yes, and I certainly use it on my feet and hands sometimes. I'd never use it by itself on my face though, well, not anymore at least. I tried it once, but I've got acne prone skin and I broke out horribly. Trying to treat pimples in an area that's already dry and rashy from eczema is not the most fun. It's the thick oily texture of it that causes problems for me. Adding it to some of my face creams doesn't cause as many problems for me, but I've got to be careful about the amounts I'm using.

As for a treatment for eczema, it's not a solution. It helps treat the dry skin, but it's never worked for me to treat my severe rashes, which is why I sought to add some of my other treatments to an intensive moisturizer.

If you've got other suggestions, I'm very open to it. I appreciate any other advice you can offer.

[alexburnvictim.livejournal.com]

I used shea butter at night only before I went to bed and it worked well for me. I for some reason thought I added in the "at night" but I didn't. D: Sorry for the confusion.

I talked to my mom a little bit about what she buys me since I don't actually pay attention myself... She says it's best to stay away from anything synthetic such as "petrolatum" and byproducts such as mineral oil, paraffin wax and liquid paraffin. They can upset your skin's oil balance because they coat the skin, which really translates to: lol I clog your pores.

Ingredients like CynergyTK™ help stop inflammation & redness, though I checked my products and neither of them contain this...

http://www.skin-and-health-site.com/

^ That site had a lot of information. Some relevant to me some not. Hopefully it'll help you a little bit.

Green &/or White tea is EXCELLENT for sensitive skin. I had a white tea face set a few years ago and I felt like I glowed. I never had any problem with either of them though white tea felt "lighter" on my skin.

If you happen to have a bit of money to spare, Sephora has excellent products. Philosophy Hope In A Jar is an excellent face moisturizer. They had a rose one for sensitive skin, from the brand "Korres". :\ I had my jar for about a year and I used it everyday so it's well worth the money.

Avveno is a cheaper option that I've used before. It's like... 7 USD at walgreens. It's made from Soy, has little to no oils or synthetic products. No fragrance and it's fairly light on the skin.

As for Eczema! I only have small breakouts on my arms and hands and I've always used shay butter or one of my mom's herbal suave's (That's not the right word I don't think lol D: ) I would stay away from anything steriod-y since those are bad for you... Sorry I typed a lot. .______. I hope this helps a little bit though! If you happened to be in Boise you could drop by our shop and try any of our natural soaps or the herbal suave thing.

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the information. Lots of stuff to research and think about.

Oddly enough, the Hope in a Jar doesn't work for me. I've tried it, and it's a superb moisturizer. But there's something in it that my skin doesn't agree with. It gives me mild breakouts of eczema.

I've tried Aveeno. It seems to work okay for me as a general moisturizer. I'm not familiar with their entire line, but they've got one with oatmeal that I love.

Where in Boise is the shop?

[alexburnvictim.livejournal.com]

913 Warren St. near BSU. It's right off broadway behind the bar. :D American something building.