This Natural Shaving Cream is great for both men and women. It is excellent for a man’s bristly beard as well as for the softer feminine hair on legs, underarms, bikini and Brazilian. The cucumber juice will soothe the skin, while the lavender and carrot essential oils will help with any razor nicks. Overall this natural shaving cream keeps the skin nicely moisturized, leaving the skin soft and smooth.

Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons almond oil
* 2 tablespoons avocado oil
* 1 cup cocoa butter
* 1 tablespoon cucumber juice
* 3 tablespoons witch hazel
* 3 drops Carrot oil
* 6 drops Lavender oil

Method
* Make the cucumber juice using a juicer. If you don’t have a juicer, place half a peeled cucumber into a blender and mix well. Pour this into a jug through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Set aside.
* Melt the cocoa butter in a glass pyrex jug placed into a small pan of simmering water.
* Once the cocoa butter has melted, remove from the heat and mix in the almond and avocado oils and the witch hazel.
* Stir this mixture well then add the cucumber juice, carrot and lavender oils and mix well again.
* Pour this mixture into a sterilized glass jar.
* Cover tightly and label the product, including the date.
* Shake the jar well before each use then stir with fingertips applying it to the skin ready for shaving.
* Please note, as this recipe contains fresh cucumber it will need to be stored in the refrigerator and should be kept no longer than 2 weeks.

Find the instructions here.

Botanical Name: Citrullus vulgaris
Aroma: Faint. Slightly Nutty.
Viscosity: Light.
Absorption/Feel: Penetrates Well.
Color: Yellow.
Shelf Life: Indefinite/Highly Stable

Notes: Watermelon Seed Oil (WSO) is a very nourishing yet light oil with good absorption. It is a good choice for use with oily skin but can be effective with all skin types. Its viscosity, mild aroma and indefinite shelf life make it a good all-purpose carrier oil for use in aromatherapy. Other thicker oils and oils with shorter shelf lives can be blended with Watermelon Seed Oil to lighten their texture and aroma and extend their overall shelf life.

Find all the instructions here.

1 Cup Powdered Milk
1 Cup Oatmeal (Rolled Oats)
1 Cup Lavender Flowers
1/2 Cup Chamomile Flowers
2 Cups Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Lavender Essential Oil
1 Muslin Drawstring Bag

Mix together Lavender and Chamomile Flowers. Add Powdered Milk and Oatmeal, mix well. Stir in Sea Salt. Sprinkle with Lavender Essential Oil and mix well.

Store mixture in large, decorated Mason Jars with an air tight lid. Scoop a large handful of mixture in to a Muslin Bag to use.

Tie the bag onto the faucet and then start your bath. Once your tub is full, allow the bag to float in the bath water so the goodness continues to seep out as you soak.

After your bath, empty and wash the Muslin Bag. Set it aside to dry so you can use it for your next bath.

Included in the post are guidelines as to which businesses are required to file reports and which ingredients used are mandatory to report.  For all the details, please visit here.

After Shave

Phase A

3.00 oz. Cremophor CO 40®
0.10 oz. Menthol crystals
0.50 oz. Fragrance or essential oil

Phase B

60.00 oz. Formulator’s Alcohol

Phase C

3.00 oz. Panthenol
33.40 oz. Water

Instructions:
Citric acid as needed to adjust to pH 5.

Melt the Cremophor CO40® and combine the menthol and the fragrance with it. Add a few menthol crystals at a time and ensure that they have dissolved before testing and adding more.

Slowly add the alcohol to this mixture using a whisk. Combine the panthenol with the water and add it slowly to the alcohol mixture. Adjust the pH to 5 using citric acid.

Avocado Butter properties

Avocado Butter
(Persea Gratissima)

Persea meaning avocado or alligator pear; Gratissima mean very pleasing or agreeable.

Avocados will not ripen while still attached to the tree! If picked full grown, the fruit will ripen within 1-2 weeks at room temperature. The avocado flesh contains tannin which will become bitter when cooked.

Avocado Butter, created through a unique hydrogenation process, is a butter that is creamy in texture and has excellent moisturizing properties.

Noted for its spreadability and is easily penetrated into the skin, Avocado Butter also contains some natural sunscreen properties along with Vitamins A, B, G and E making it an all around great ingredient for a wide variety of products.  A soft butter this is a great ingredient for creams and balms.

Common Uses of Avocado Butter
* Balms
* Soap
* Creams
* Lotions
* Hair pomades
* Massage creams

Benefits of Avocado Butter
* Moisturizes
* Good penetrating properties
* Excellent spreadability
* Some natural sunscreen ability
* Low comedogenicity

For full profile, please visit here.

Hazelnut Oil Profile

Hazelnut Oil
Botanical Name: Corylus avellana
Aroma: Light. Nutty and Sweet.
Viscosity: Thin.
Absorption/Feel: Leaves a Slightly Oily Film on the Skin.
Color: Light Yellow.

Hazelnuts are sometimes mistakenly called Filberts. Although similar in appearance, Filberts are slightly longer in shape.

Hazelnut Oil penetrates well and is said to be a good choice for those with oilier skin. It is a good all purpose oil that can also be used in aromatherapy applications ranging from skin care to massage.

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage by Len Price mentions that Hazelnut Oil contains approximately 9% saturated fat, 74% oleic acid (an omega-9 fatty acid), 17% linoleic acid (an omega-6 essential fatty acid), and less than 1% alpha linolenic acid (an omega-3 essential fatty acid). [Len Price with Ian Smith and Shirley Price, Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage (United Kingdom: Riverhead, 1999), 79.]