Saving the planet... one garment at a time!

... and one upcycle at a time... Welcome to my blog: A place to have an "over the fence conversation" about sewing, altered couture, upcycling, and all kinds of crafts using found objects, beads, ephemera and other vintage finds!


Saturday, April 21, 2012

A Recipe? On a Sewing Blog?


Yes, a recipe, but not for food.  If you've read many of my posts and looked at the pictures featuring my hands, you can tell I have some issues with dry skin.  A hand model I'm not.  In addition to the dry skin on my hands, (well, pretty much everywhere) I also get eczema on my face.  Around my eyebrows and along the hairline.  I've been reading a lot of natural remedy sites and I've tried a few of the various creams and lotions. 



I have always found plain coconut oil to work well, but have you ever tried to get it out of the jar when it's cold out?  So, I decided to whip up a little something of my own.  Though I researched a lot of sites, I think this recipe is original.

Dee's Dry Skin Coconut Balm

2T finely grated beeswax
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup rosewater
1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin

In a large Pyrex measuring cup mix the beeswax and the coconut oil.  Heat at thirty second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval.  Add the glycerin when all is melted, and stir.  Using a hand stick mixer, begin mixing the warmed oil, beeswax and glycerin.  While mixing, slowly add in the rosewater.  Continue beating until the mixture looks fluffy.

This can be used as a hand cream, or on eczema.  It is somewhat greasy, but if you are patient, most of this absorbs.  Just the thing for those hands dried out from slaving over a hot sewing machine all day!  If anyone tries it, please let me know what you thought.

15 comments:

  1. For liquid coconut you can use cold you can melt a little & mix w/30% of your choice: jojoba, hemp, etc. I like jojoba b/c it doesn't oxidize-it has a shelf life of 20 yrs on its own. OroDeSonora.com has great jojoba & shipping rates. If you call ask for Lee Aronstam. Shake the contents vigorously in a bottle. It may harden a tad but you should still be able to work w/it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I shall have to try this sometime as I too am a fellow sufferer! I have always had skin allergies and have been suffering from a bad flare up for about the past 8 weeks or so.It has mostly gone from my body now but is still lingering on my face and hairline so I know how you feel...I just want to hibernate under a tarpualin away from public view...hence not many pictures of me on my blog!
    In England nobody makes their own skin products much these days,well I know of no one,but I shall have a go at this I think.I found this time that the best thing to help was lavender oil and soaking in a bath with bath salts from the Dead Sea.
    At my age you would think that skin problems were a long way behind you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Have you tried Skinfree products? They are the best products without chemicals that I have ever used. I am 50 something and several doctors have told me that I have the skin of a 30 year old woman. Thanks to Skinfree, I feel comfortable in my own skin! The website is skinfree.org. Check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  4. where can you get vegetable glycerin?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got mine at our local health food store.

      Delete
  5. www.bulkapothecary.com I have never ordered from them, but I am getting ready to place my first order. They have an excellent price on vegetable glycerin if you don't mind purchasing it in bulk. I haven't been able to find a smaller amount for a better price. I use glycerin all the time. There are several natural beauty products that you can make with it. I hope this helps!

    ReplyDelete
  6. what other beauty products have you made with the vegetable glycerin?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have regular dry skin and have been on the search for a natural and basic solution. Will give this recipe ago later this week.

    Just a thought, but have you tried examining your diet for allergies? My sister (who also suffers from eczema) recently gave up white flour and white sugar and, among other health benefits, noticed her eczema cleared up significantly.

    Anywho, thanks for the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right, eczema does have an association with allergies.

      Delete
  8. you can get glycerin in the band aid isle or at a health food store

    ReplyDelete
  9. are these measurements correct? I think it should be 1/2 c of veetable Glycerin and 12 tsp of rosewater and not the reverse?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The measurements are correct...more rose water than glycerine... But please feel free to experiment. Let me know how it comes out!

      Delete
  10. correction 1/2 c. gylcerin and 1/2 tsp rosewater

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, it really is as stated in the post... if you want to call it an alternative, that's fine, but it is not a mistake or error as posted. Thank you!

      Delete
  11. I am really impressed with your writing skills
    as well as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
    Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a great blog like this one
    these days.

    Here is my weblog epicuren

    ReplyDelete