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Other Lotions

Any other appropriate tincture or blend of tinctures, add 60 ml (2 fl. oz.).

AN EMULSION TYPE LOTION BASE FOR

MEDICINAL OR COSMETIC PURPOSES

Start out by using the following simple ingredients to experiment with as you learn to blend water with oil. Once you have developed a familiarity and skill with this basic technique, begin incorporating exotic essential oils and other precious ingredients. (Some excellent recipes for cosmetic lotions and other skin care products may be found in Aromatherapy—A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, by Kathy Keville and Mindy Green.)

Equipment

Make sure all equipment is sterilized.

Kitchen blender

Plastic spatula

Chopstick

Small funnel

Glass measuring cup (1 cup size)

Metal saucepan (large enough for the measuring cup to sit in)

Grater (for shaving beeswax)

Small glass jar container(s)

Paper towels or tissues

Ingredients

3/4 cup fixed oil

I cup distilled water (or floral water)

I/2 oz. beeswax (shaved)

1. Place lid on blender and remove its center ring; set a wide mouth funnel into the ring opening.

2. Pour the water into the blender and set it aside. (There must be enough water used to cover the blades, so they can engage the liquid sufficiently to generate this emulsion.)

3. Put the oil into a measuring cup, and add the shaved beeswax to it.

4. Set this into the saucepan of water. The water surface should reach up to or a little above the level of the oil in the cup, making a water bath.

5. Place the pan on a low heat and warm the oil just long enough for the beeswax to melt.

6. Remove the measuring cup containing the oil and beeswax from the pan.

7. Let the oil/wax mixture cool a few minutes just until you see a faint rim of hardened wax forming on the side of the measuring cup.

8. Turn the blender on high speed and very slowly add the oil/wax until all the oil has been poured into the mixture. (Some lotion-makers start with a lower setting, and when the blender motor begins to bog down, turn it up to the next higher speed, continuing this until the high speed is reached—it’s a matter of getting to know your machine.)

9. When all is going well, the emulsion will begin to harden after about two-thirds to three-quarters of the oil/wax has been added to the water.

10. You can remove the entire blender lid at this point and use the chopstick to carefully stir the top edges of the lotion as you pour the remainder of the oil (be mindful of the currently invisible whirling blades).

11. You now have a silky smooth lotion; you can turn off the blender.

12. If you choose to add essential oils [30 to 50 drops for this recipe/15 to 25 drops per 250 ml (8 oz. cup) of lotion], turn on the blender just long enough to incorporate the oils; do not overblend the lotion.

13. Pour the lotion into containers, using the spatula to get all of it.

14. Store in the refrigerator, for at this point, aside form the essential oils, you have not incorporated any preservatives.

A good emulsion is a product of the combination of the proper temperature of an oil/wax mixture and the uniformity of the flow of oil as it is poured into the churning waters below. This is not difficult to accomplish, but unsuccessful attempts have been recorded, predominantly by those who have successfully performed this procedure hundreds of times, but are presently demonstrating the technique in front of many others. Dignity is such a fragile commodity.

AN ELEGANT ROSE CREAM

A cream is made in the exact same fashion as a lotion, requiring the same tools as listed above. The consistency of a cream ends up being thicker, due to employing a little more wax and a little less liquid. Sometimes when making a cream all the water will not blend with the oil, so it needs to be removed by pouring it off or by touching it with an absorbent tissue; when preparing a lotion this is seldom required.

Ingredients I will not give approximate metric equivalents for these measurements. I’ve used these, they