Did you know....

Your skin is your largest organ, it respires (breathes), regulates body temperature and absorbs both beneficial and harmful substances into the blood stream, nervous and lymph systems - that includes all the personal soaps, wash gels, shampoos, conditioners and plethora of skin creams, tonics, cleansers, moisturisers, anti-wrinkle, anti-pimple, aftershaves and everything we put on our skin and come into regular contact with.

THE BARE FACTS....

• your skin can weigh up to 3.5 Kg and cover up to 2 square meters surface area

• Over 20,000 untested chemicals are used in perfumes and to fragrance make-up, skin-care products, soaps, shampoos, deodorants, detergents and numerous other everyday item

• Sensitivity to chemicals can contribute to asthma, migraine, fatigue, and immune system deficiency

• Mineral oils and creams based on petrochemicals block the skin and leach vitamins out of the body, especially Vitamins. A, D & E

Natural & herbal skin care products you can make for yourself include:

Cleansers & scrubs: oatmeal, almond meal
Steam baths:  fresh & or dried herbs & boiling water in bowl
Skin Toners:  Rose water, Lavender water
Face packs:  Dry-Normal skin: cream, banana, rose petals.  Oily skin: tomato, cucumber
Moisturisers: natural oils, infused oils, creams (emulsions)
Healing ointments:  calendula, comfrey
Hair care:  Herbal Vinegars (conditioner wash, 1 Tblsp/liter water), Rosemary oil, beer
Hands: comfrey oil
Nails: wheatgerm oil
Herbal baths: fresh herbs and flowers, dried herbs in muslin cloth
Massage & body oils: infused herbal oils, essential oils in base oil

BASIC INGREDIENTS COMMONLY USED

Herbs:

• Fresh herbs from the garden
• Dried herbs (home-grown/dried, store bought)

• Cucumber                     Eggs               Oranges
• Cream                           Honey            Tomato
• Copha or coconut oil     Lemons          Wheatgerm
• Beer                              Milk                 Vinegar
• Banana                         Oatmeal          Yogurt

Other ingredients -

most of these can be readily purchased in health food shops, chemist, deli, supermarket, herbalist etc

• Almond powder            Aloe Vera Gel
  Cold pressed oils (almond, avocado, wheatgerm, olive)
  Vegetable oils - sunflower, olive, coconut
  Essential oils (rose, lavender, lemon, ilang, rosemary etc)
  Herbal waters (witchhazel, rose, orange blossom, jasmine)
  Herbal extracts/tinctures (calendula, chamomile, nettle, sage)
  Distilled water            Bees wax

Implements you might need

• wooden spoon
  measuring spoons (teaspoon, tablespoon)
  measuring cup (regular plus medicine for small amounts)
  dropper
  glass bowl
  enamel bowl
  stainless steel bowl
  cutting board
  cutting knife
  mortar & pestle or rolling pin
  hand mixer/ beater
  double boiler or suitable substitute
  plastic film (e.g. cling wrap)
  kitchen scales with small measurements (e.g 2 gram accuracy)
  glass containers - jars, bottles etc  with plastic or ceramic lid

Want to know more?

Check out these recipes and practical tips by Robyn Francis

Garden Apothecary #1 Infused oils and ointments - Robyn Francis

Related Articles:

Medicinal Plants - Use of and means of Extraction - N. Llewelyn-Smith

Robyn's Kitchen - Sally Fields