Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World (19 page)

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Combine the oil and wax in a Pyrex (heatproof glass) liquid measuring cup, then set the cup in a saucepan filled with 2 or 3 inches of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the wax melts. Take the mixture off the heat and, while it is still liquid, pour it into tubes or tins. Let the balm cool, then cap the containers.

Makes 1 ounce

If you’re planning to recycle lip balm tubes, you should know that the mechanisms in the tubes are delicate—we learned this the hard way. Don’t clean them in the dishwasher or even with hot water. Instead, wipe them out as well as you can and disinfect with rubbing alcohol or white distilled vinegar.

LIP BALM VARIATIONS

For scent and/or flavor, stir in a tiny amount of essential oil when the balm comes off the stove. If you choose to use peppermint essential oil, just remember that too much of it will make your lips burn. Start with no more than 3 or 4 drops in the preceding recipe. Test the balm by cooling it a bit on a chilled plate while the rest of the mix stays in the water bath.

FOR SCENT, COLOR, AND HEALING PROPERTIES,
use herb-infused oils, as described on page
116
, in place of all or part of the olive oil. Our favorite lip balm is made with chamomile oil. It has a lovely applelike fragrance. Also try peppermint-, rosemary-, lavender-, and calendula-infused oils. Just be sure that the herb you choose is edible. And if it’s medicinal, be aware of its medicinal properties.

FOR A CHOCOLATE SCENT,
add organic cocoa butter to your balm recipe by replacing one-third the volume of olive oil with cocoa butter. Add peppermint essential oil to make peppermint-chocolate balm.

FOR A HEAVIER, RICHER FEEL,
add in a solid oil like cocoa butter, coconut oil, or shea butter. Substitute any solid oil for one-third the olive oil. To put it another way, the recipe would be 2 parts olive oil (or more for a softer balm), 1 part solid oil, 1 part beeswax. Be sure to use organic and minimally processed solid oils. Other rich, high-quality liquid oils can also be substituted for all or part of the olive oil.

FOR TINTED LIP BALM,
the easiest thing to do is melt a chunk of your favorite lipstick into the heated oils. We experimented with adding beet juice and pomegranate juice, and the results were disastrous. The pigments in beet juice oxidize, slowly turning the balm from beautiful magenta to the color of old liver. Pomegranate juice attracts mold. The best natural red dye for cosmetics comes from the root of alkanet
(Alkanna tinctoria),
a plant related to borage. You can order it from herbal suppliers in root and powder form, then infuse it in oil to make wine-red oil, which you then use to make rosy-tinted lip balm.

Cocoa Puff Skin Butter

PREPARATION:
15 min

This recipe starts like a salve, but at the end we add a little water. This creates a hybrid between salve and cream with a thick, buttery texture. It’s a superrich moisturizer meant for elbows and feet and gardeners’ hands. The cocoa butter gives it both a heady chocolate scent and a silky feel on the skin. Jojoba mimics the oils in our own skin and is absorbed readily. Meanwhile, the olive oil and beeswax, both stalwart healers, work their magic in the background.

Pure cocoa butter, sans additives, is hard, even dry. It has to be warmed to be applied to the skin. To measure it for this recipe, scrape at it with a spoon to shave off cocoa butter shavings or dust.

YOU’LL NEED

• 2 tablespoons organic cocoa butter shavings (Find cocoa butter at health food stores or order it online.)
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 tablespoon jojoba oil
  
• 1 tablespoon organic beeswax
  
• 1 tablespoon water (Optional; omit the water if you’d prefer a solid salve.)
  
• Clean 2-ounce jar
  

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Combine the cocoa butter shavings, olive oil, jojoba oil, and beeswax in a Pyrex (heatproof glass) liquid measuring cup. Place the cup in a saucepan filled with 2 or 3 inches of gently simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the cocoa butter and beeswax melt in the oil.

Take the mixture off the heat. Pour into a small bowl. Stir in the water and keep stirring like crazy as it cools (a regular spoon is fine for this purpose), whipping until the texture turns to that of thick pudding. Transfer to the small jar. It will thicken a little more as it sets.

Makes 2 ounces

37>

Moisturizing Cream

Moisturizing cream is made with a combination of oil, beeswax, and water. The water changes the texture of the oil, making it lighter, fluffier, and easier to apply than body oil or salves. The oil and water combine to provide light and lasting moisture to the skin. Under normal circumstances, oil and water do not mix. Fortunately, beeswax is an emulsifier.

Both of the following moisturizers are ideal for sensitive skin, precisely because they are so uncomplicated. In general, we believe that the fewer ingredients in any personal care product, the better. None of the ingredients in these creams are skin irritants, which is more than most commercial moisturizers can say. Olive oil doesn’t block pores or interfere with the skin’s natural processes. It is also a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture out of the air and draws it to the skin. Beeswax moisturizes and protects the skin from the elements. The addition of coconut oil gives our Silky Cream its rich, buttery texture.

All-natural moisturizers, ones that don’t contain any objectionable chemicals (like artificial scents and preservatives), are expensive and hard to find. Making your own is surprisingly easy and costs only pennies. You’ll quickly get addicted to the luxury of slathering yourself from head to toe in rich, gentle, nourishing cream.

Homemade moisturizers contain no drying agents, so when you first put them on, they may seem shiny compared to their commercial counterparts, but the shine fades in a few minutes. After you go through one batch and get used to the slightly different feel, we bet you’ll never buy face cream or body lotion again.

We’re offering two variations here, one rich, one light.

Silky Cream

PREPARATION:
15 min

This rich, supermoisturizing cream is almost a butter and is suitable for face and body.

YOU’LL NEED

• 6 ounces olive oil (See “The Right Olive Oil for the Job” on page
  128
  )
  
• 2 ounces coconut oil
  
• 1 ounce organic beeswax (about 4 tablespoons), chunks or pastilles
  
• 10-20 drops essential oils of your choice (optional)
  
• 1 cup tepid water (Distilled water, filtered water, or rainwater is best.)
  
• Clean, dry jars; enough to hold 2 cups of cream
  

THE RIGHT OLIVE OIL FOR THE JOB

Extra-virgin olive oil is unrefined and the best-quality olive oil for skin care overall. However, it usually has a strong color and olive scent, and that will transfer to the skin cream to some extent, depending on the individual oil. Lower-grade oils have little color and scent and thus make white, scent-free cream. However, they have been chemically processed. That said, they’re still perfectly acceptable for this recipe. We use whatever olive oil we have around. If you choose to use extra-virgin olive oil, seek out brands that aren’t strongly scented.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Measure and combine the oils and wax in a Pyrex (heatproof glass) liquid measuring cup. Begin by pouring in the olive oil until you reach the 6-ounce line, then add the coconut oil bit by bit until the oil level rises to the 8-ounce line. Add the beeswax until the liquid reaches the 9-ounce level. Then place the cup in a saucepan full of simmering water.

Note:
If you don’t have a Pyrex measuring cup, measure the oils and wax by weight on a kitchen scale, then combine them in a double boiler.

Heat the oil and wax over gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the wax melts completely. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the essential oils, if using. If you’re not going to start mixing immediately, let the melted oil and wax sit in the water bath, off the heat, so the mixture stays warm.

While the wax is melting, pour 2 cups or so of boiling water into a blender or mixing bowl to prewarm it. This will prevent the wax from solidifying on the walls. Measure 1 cup of water. It should be tepid—not chilled and not hot.

The next step has to happen quickly, so have everything at hand. Empty the boiling water out of the blender or mixing bowl. Pour in the hot oil. Start the blender or mixer running, and pour in the tepid water in a steady stream.

The oil will turn to cream almost instantly. More than likely, some water will remain unincorporated, and this will make the blender or mixer choke. Just stop the machine, scrape down the sides, and start the machine again. Repeat until the water is incorporated. It should turn thick and smooth. Before you stop mixing, poke down to the bottom to make sure there’s no standing water hiding there. Stop as soon as it all comes together. Don’t overmix.

Transfer the cream to clean, dry jars. You might be able to pour it, you might have to scoop it. If you see air pockets in the filled jars, stir to remove the pockets—the cream will keep better that way. Leave the lids off the jars until cool. It should set into a heavy, silky cream. It may even set thicker, more like butter.

Makes about 2 cups

VARIATIONS

Experiment with the recipes by trying different blends of oils, replacing the olive oil in whole or in part with other rich liquid oils, like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or sweet almond oil. Replace the coconut oil with shea or cocoa butter. Or make the cream with oil infused with herbs beneficial to the skin, like calendula.

Olive Oil Whip

PREPARATION:
15 min

Olive Oil Whip has a lower oil content and more water than Silky Cream. While it’s thick in the jar, it’s light and cool on the skin and is suitable for face and body.

YOU’LL NEED

• ½ cup olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons (½ ounce) organic beeswax
  
• 10-20 drops essential oils (optional)
  
• 1 cup tepid water (Filtered water, distilled water, or rainwater is best.)
  
• Clean, dry jars; enough to hold 1½ cups
  

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Combine the oil and wax and warm over indirect heat. Either place the oil and wax in a Pyrex cup and rest the cup in a saucepan of gently simmering water, or combine the oil and wax in the top portion of a double boiler. Either way, warm gently until the wax melts. As soon as it does, take the mixture off the heat and stir in the essential oils, if using.

While the wax is melting, pour a couple of cups of boiling water into a blender jar or mixing bowl to prewarm it. This will keep the beeswax from solidifying on the walls.

Measure out the tepid water. Have everything ready so you can do the following steps quickly. Empty the boiling water out of the blender or bowl. Pour in the warm oil and start the blender or mixer. Add all the tepid water in a steady stream. The oil will thicken to cream instantly, but there will be extra unincorporated water. Don’t be fazed by this. Just stop the blender or mixer, scrape down the sides, then start it again. Repeat until all of the water is incorporated and the cream is smooth. Don’t overmix.

Immediately transfer the cream to clean, dry jars. You should be able to pour it, but if it has cooled some, you will have to scoop it into the jars. If you see any air pockets on the sides of the filled jars, stir to eliminate them. This will help the cream keep better. Let the cream cool before you put the lid on the jars.

Makes about 1½ cups

TROUBLESHOOTING

If, after cooling, water rises to the surface of the jar or the cream turns grainy or develops a crust, it has separated and needs more blending. Scoop it all back into a double boiler and gently warm it, then blend again.

NOTE ON STORAGE

Since these moisturizers contain no preservatives, it’s best to use up an unrefrigerated jar in 4 to 6 weeks or so. Store extra jars in your fridge for about 6 months, or give them to friends. If you add anything “foody” to this basic recipe—like aloe, tea, or oatmeal water—you increase the risk of spoilage. Make creams with those sorts of ingredients in small quantities and use them quickly.

TIPS FOR CLEANUP

Scrape as much cream out of the blender or mixer as you can with a rubber spatula and dispose of it in the garbage. Then fill the blender jar or mixing bowl with boiling hot water and use the spatula to stir and scrape away the rest of the waxy residue. Pour off the oily water. If there’s lots of yellow wax floating in it, pour it through a strainer so the wax doesn’t go down the drain. While the blender or bowl is still warm, wipe it down with a rag or paper towel to remove any remaining grease, then wash as usual. If any clouding remains after washing, polish with baking soda.