Baby Balm

I'm down to my last jar of Baby Balm, so needed to make another batch.
Baby Balm is fairly messy to make as it doesn't have water in it, so no emulsifier, which makes clean up more difficult. The Zinc Oxide seems to go everywhere!

I came up with the Baby Balm formula after reading about the old fashioned Zinc and Castor Oil Balm that people used to make years and years ago to protect babies tender bottoms.

I looked at other creams on the market and could only find balms and creams which contained petrolatum, or petroleum jelly (Vaseline). So many people want to avoid ingredients derived from petroleum, so I decided to create a balm which included an infused oil. Chamomile is the most soothing of the herbs, so I chose to infuse this in olive oil. To provide a barrier which prevents urine from sitting next to the skin, beeswax is my choice of wax. It still allows the skin to breath, unlike petroleum jelly.

Zinc Oxide is a natural mineral from the earth. It has mild antiseptic properties and acts as a physical barrier when applied to the skin. It's often used instead of chemical sunscreens as it absorbs ultraviolet light.

Castor seed oil comes from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. Castor seeds have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 4000 BC being used mostly to fuel lamps because of the slow burning oil. Herodotus and other ancient Greek travelers have noted the use of castor seed oil for lighting, body ointments, and improving hair growth and texture. Cleopatra is reputed to have used it to brighten the whites of her eyes.

Added natural Vitamin E and Vitamin A make this balm more healing than others on the market. Vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol) is an antioxidant with skin moisturising properties.
It is also photoprotectant. In addition, it serves as a preservative for oils. Vitamin E is effective in preventing irritation.
Vitamin A is a keratinization regulator, meaning that it helps to improve the skin's texture, firmness and smoothness. Once absorbed into the skin the retin esters convert to retinoic acid and this provides anti aging benefits. This is why I use it in the Face Lotions and Rosehip Recovery Serum. Surface application of Vitamin A helps prevent skin dryness and scaliness. When combined with Vitamin E its skin regeneration properties are enhanced.

Skinflint Baby Balm contains a blend of essential oils. German chamomile, lavender and sweet orange combine to create a light fragrance that is soothing and has healing properties.
Check the ingredients of commercial balms. It's very unlikely they contain any herbal benefits, essential oils or vitamins.

At only $14 for a long lasting 100g jar, it's excellent value!

Hand & Nail Cream

I have made Hand & Nail Cream today in between a meeting with our local pollie finding out about the Govt's plans for amalgamation of councils and cooking curry for tomorrow night's sports club tea!
(We're not planning on amalgamating, by the way!)

Hand & Nail Cream is formulated with luxury sweet almond oil and light, nourishing rice bran oil. Virgin Shea Butter is added for it's soothing properties, while dimethicone assists with the absorption of the nutrients.

Lillypilly extract is high in Vitamin C, essential for healthy skin and Oat Protein assists with strengthening of the nail bed as well as encouraging collagen production. Added Vitamin E provides antioxidant properties, while d-Panthenol (Vitamin B5) is moisturising and protective.

I've scented this cream with a delicious Frangipani fragrance. As I poured this batch, I thought of those who are sensitive to fragrances, so I made a few without any scent.

If you require an unscented product, please let me know in plenty of time. If I happen to be making that product, I can set aside some unscented bottles or tubes.

Shampoo

I finished the Natural Balance Shampoo today. It's a long process requiring an overnight cooling for the first phase of the method for making this shampoo.

The Natural Balance range is designed for people with oily, thin hair. It has a light balance of conditioning ingredients and a little more of the stronger surfactants to cleanse the hair and scalp. These are balanced with mildness agents of almond glycerides and glyceryl cocoate.

Nettle extract reduces scalp irritation, nourishes the scalp and hair follicles, stimulates circulation and promotes healthy hair growth.
Wheat protein has elastic and binding properties, helping reduce the irritating effect of surfactants. Wheat protein moisturises and conditions skin & hair.
Escentials of Australia

Scented with beautiful blend of essential and fragrant oils, including lemongrass, this shampoo is gentle and effective. It can be used every day and won't strip the hair of it's natural oils. I've also found that my colour lasts much longer since using my own shampoo.
Skinflint shampoos contain only coconut and sugar based surfactants. No sulphates, no SLS or SLES and no parabens.

Those with longer, treated hair may be better using the Pure Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner and only conditioning the ends of the hair if the scalp is oily.