Anywho...if you are like many others when the cold season rolls around, you suffer from dry skin, particularly our hands and most definitely if we are washing them alot to ward off germs. The downside to all of that washing, no matter what soaps you are using, dry skin is going to happen especially if you live in an area where the air is dry, like I do, in Idaho. I have to be particularly careful since I am prone to contact dermatitis if my hands get too dry so I'm always using some oil (natural, of course) to help maintain and good moisture balance.
Therefore, the recipe that I'm going to share with you today is a DIY hand balm. You can use essential oils with this or use it without the oils. Of course, the oils make the balm smell good so I will recommend so favored oils to use with this balm blend. Additionally, it is important that you are using all natural, and if economically possible, organic products. Check where you buy since some products are not as natural as they appear or they have other ingredients. You want pure products, so do your research and homework when looking for the products in this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1/8 cup aloe vera gel
1/8 cup water
2 teaspoons shea butter [NOTE: For a lighter blend, use vegetable glycerin in place of shea butter]
½ teaspoon sweet almond oil
**10 drops of essential oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix together aloe vera gel, water and melted shea butter.
2. Add sweet almond oil and mix thoroughly. If using essential oils, add to blend and continue to mix thoroughly.
3. Pour into a 2-ounce mister bottle, cap and shake well.
Apply a dime-size amount of balm to the palm of your hand.
Rub hands until dry.
Quick Tip: Add 2 drops of tea tree essential oil to the blend
for purifying benefits. (Just so you know, tea tree is a wonderful antiseptic but it does have an antiseptic fragrance so a good balancing oil to blend with the tea tree is lavender.
If you want to use essential oils, these oils have wonderful properties to help with dry, flaky skin. They are:
Lavender
Helichrysum
Neroli
Rosemary
Rose
German chamomile
Geranium
Roman Chamomile
Frankinscense
Myrrh
Sandalwood
Personally, I would choose lavender, rose and tea tree, but that is just a favorite fragrance of mine. Additionally, some of these oils may be pricier than others but you do want to ensure that you are using GOOD quality oils. While I realize that some stores sell essential oils, this doesn't guarantee their quality so use good quality EOs. My personal favorite is Aura Cacia, but doTerra and YoungLiving are also good quality products, and I'm certain there are others that might be your favorite. Additionally, if you do use doTerra or YoungLiving, they may already have a blend that they recommend for skin care. You can use that blend for essential oil for this recipe.
One other recommendation is to use this heavily, at night, and cover your hands with gloves. You will be surprised at how silky and smooth your hands will feel.
Be well,
--Kim