Adventures in Skin Care

I'm home from work today... been to see the doctor, feeling kinda yucky.  Normal folks?  They'd rest, take it easy, eat some soup.  Me?  I decided to concoct some facial cream!

I have very sensitive, very reactive, old and oily skin.  YUCK!  I've been doing some research on the oil cleansing method for skin, reading here and here.  Now, it seemed counter-intuitive to wash my old, oily face with oil.  But I'd reached the end of my rope after years of trying to find just the right products and considering a veil to hide the chaos that had become my face, so I gave it a try.  After a couple of weeks, my face is happier, much less upset and angry with the outside world, and seems to have found peace.  aahhhhh....

Next step.  Years ago, I scooped up an interesting book at our library's used book store.  I thought, I'll put this away for some far off time when life is slower and I'll have more time to explore these delights.  HA!

Anyway, I pulled out this gem and found a nice recipe to try:  Lemony Whip Cleansing Cream.  Let's see... recommended for oily skin, good for daily use, can also be used as moisturizer.  Here's what the author says, "I use this as a cleanser and a moisturizer when the weather is warm and humid and my skin is pumping out a bit too much of its natural oil... it is absorbed quickly without leaving an oily residue."  Perfect for a Hampton Roads summer!  Went to the Heritage Natural Market, purchased all the ingredients, and was ready to cook.

Let's see... heat the base oils, beeswax, and lanolin until the wax was is just melted... ok.

Pour the mixture into the blender to cool until it just begins to thicken and becomes opaque... got it.

after 1 minute

after 10 minutes

Drizzle in water, add drops of essential oils and Vitamin E.  Blend completely.

(Ok, so I didn't take any photographs of the last 5 seconds of this process when my blender started spewing the mixture all over my kitchen.  Seems there was a malfunction with how the blender was reassembled following its last cleaning... ahem, family?  Nor did I photograph the blobs of cream that landed on me and the floor when I picked the blender up from its base.  Nor did I display the fact that half of my delightful cream never made it into a jar, but rather is busy cleansing and moisturizing my cabinets, stove, and floor.  Nor did I photograph the positions I had to contort my body into to find all the far-flung bits of cream about the room.  Let's just say this is the "ADVENTURE" part of this post and let your imagination do the rest!)

Package and cool.  I had this lovely jar on hand and poured the mixture inside.  The cream is smooth and kissed with a buttery-yellow color and the brightest hint of lemony scent.  I can't wait to use it!!!

Now, I'm ready for rest and a bowl of that soup...