Producing natural cosmetics
If we talk about sustainability there is no way around to actually live sustainably and follow a critical path of consumption.
One essential way of living sustainably is to live "zero waste". Zero Waste has become a life philosophy, movement and life style for many people in the world who choose to use natural products without plastics and packaging.
Looking at waste, cosmetics play a big role in producing micro plastics (in creams) and plastic packaging: Everyday we are using tooth paste, body lotion or soap that are probably wrapped with plastic.
There is an alternative to that!
Milan Maushart from International Young Nature Friends put together some ideas of how to produce your own after sun lotion, shaving cream and soap for travelling:
First of all, it is very important to prepare everything properly and be very careful when doing so. Every jar and every pot you use should be fumigated. You can do that by using new ones but I would recommend to use normal pots for cooking and jars (at least for beginners) and put them in boiling water for at least 20 minutes and then disinfect them with some usual disinfection spray from the pharmacy. Use that spray as well for the surface you are working on and then put some clean paper sheets on top so that everything is really clean and tidy before you start. Bacteria can get very easily into the cosmetics and although you cannot see it with your bare eyes it is very unhealthy for your skin. Furthermore, I would as well recommend you to prepare every ingredient before you start. That saves a lot of time and makes everything less complicated. One note before it starts: I didn’t add any ingredients for conserving the products, because I always use them immediately or in the next days. If you want to keep it for a longer time, you can use Biokons or other preserving products that suit your product.
Ingredients:
Sunflower Oil ( 5 gr)
Cacao Butter ( 1 Gr)
Xanthan (Point of a knife)
Distilled water (63 gr)
Emulgator (I used Darmefeel) ( 7 gr)
Tea-tree Oil
D-Panthenol (4 gr)
Scale
2 Pots
Egg Whip
Optional: Lemon Juice
Step 1:
Melt the butter and the sunflower oil in a water bath and add the dermofeel once it melted completely. When everything is merged, take it off the stove and let it cool down.
Step 2:
Take 15 gr of the water and add just a bit of Xanthan and swirl with the egg whip (The electrical one is very useful). Let it rest for five minutes and it should be a gel by now. It should have the same viscosity as oil.
Step 3:
Take the rest of the water and mix it with D-Panthenol. This is a ingredient, that is nursing your skin. In that step you can add any other thing,that is good for your skin as well. You can do that depending on your type of skin. You can use e.g. as well: Calendula extract, Allantoin…
Step 4:
Put the cooled down fat mixture, the gel, the water, and the nursing ingredients in one bowl or pot and swirl it with the egg whip.
Step 5: Modifications:
If the after sun lotion is too liquid for you, you can still add some melted cacao butter to make it thicker.
As well you have to test the pH value before using you natural cosmetics. That is very important to prevent skin irritations. Just buy some stripes to measure the pH value in a pharmacy. Align with the slight acidity of the human’s skin the cosmetic should be around 5.5 to be neutral. If that is not the case, use some lemon juice to modify it.
If all that is done, you only have to store it in some box (I recommend some old, clean soap dispenser). It lasts up to three month in the fridge (if you use conserving ingredients). Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Wax (I used Jojoba Wax, another vegan alternative is Carnauba Wax) 7 gr
Cacao Butter 10 gr
Sheabutter 20 gr
3 tbsp Olive oil (or any other fat oil)
Ice cube tray
Essential oils
Egg whip
This process is very easy but still the product is very useful!
Simply melt the wax with the cacao butter in a water bath, take it off the stove and add the sheabutter. Swirl it with the whip till it has a creamy consistence and add the essential oils you prefer. Pour it in the ice cube tray and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Your result is a lotion bar,that melts in your hand when you rub it a bit. It is very useful for travelling. Just put it in an old plastic box and use whenever you want a bit to make your skin smooth again.
Here it is important as well to check the pH value! Do never use one of the cosmetics without checking that!
Ingredients:
Coconut Oil (50 gr)
Sheabutter (50 gr)
Olive oil (35 gr)
1 tbsp liquid soap
Essential oils/ Vitamin-E oil
This is a good, mellow shaving creme for sensitive skin. It is very easily done and most of the things you most probably already have in the kitchen!
Melt the Coconut Oil and the sheabutter in a pot. Once it is melted, take it off the stove and add the olive oil together with the essential oils and the Vitamin-E oil if you have chosen to use some. Vitamin-E is basically for conserving the shaving creme. You can adapt the essential oils according to you needs and your type of skin. Mix everything well and put the mixture in the fridge till it becomes solid. The result should resemble butter. Put the product in a bowl and whisk about 3–4 minutes till it becomes creamy. To support this process, add the liquid soap after 2 minutes.
When the product becomes creamy, you can use it for shaving! It is not as creamy as real shaving cream once you put it on your skin but you have a nice fat film on your skin to shave it.
Again, I advise you to check the pH value before using!
You can read his full article here.
Written by Teresa Wald
One essential way of living sustainably is to live "zero waste". Zero Waste has become a life philosophy, movement and life style for many people in the world who choose to use natural products without plastics and packaging.
Looking at waste, cosmetics play a big role in producing micro plastics (in creams) and plastic packaging: Everyday we are using tooth paste, body lotion or soap that are probably wrapped with plastic.
There is an alternative to that!
Milan Maushart from International Young Nature Friends put together some ideas of how to produce your own after sun lotion, shaving cream and soap for travelling:
First of all, it is very important to prepare everything properly and be very careful when doing so. Every jar and every pot you use should be fumigated. You can do that by using new ones but I would recommend to use normal pots for cooking and jars (at least for beginners) and put them in boiling water for at least 20 minutes and then disinfect them with some usual disinfection spray from the pharmacy. Use that spray as well for the surface you are working on and then put some clean paper sheets on top so that everything is really clean and tidy before you start. Bacteria can get very easily into the cosmetics and although you cannot see it with your bare eyes it is very unhealthy for your skin. Furthermore, I would as well recommend you to prepare every ingredient before you start. That saves a lot of time and makes everything less complicated. One note before it starts: I didn’t add any ingredients for conserving the products, because I always use them immediately or in the next days. If you want to keep it for a longer time, you can use Biokons or other preserving products that suit your product.
After Sun Lotion:
Ingredients:
Sunflower Oil ( 5 gr)
Cacao Butter ( 1 Gr)
Xanthan (Point of a knife)
Distilled water (63 gr)
Emulgator (I used Darmefeel) ( 7 gr)
Tea-tree Oil
D-Panthenol (4 gr)
Scale
2 Pots
Egg Whip
Optional: Lemon Juice
Step 1:
Melt the butter and the sunflower oil in a water bath and add the dermofeel once it melted completely. When everything is merged, take it off the stove and let it cool down.
Step 2:
Take 15 gr of the water and add just a bit of Xanthan and swirl with the egg whip (The electrical one is very useful). Let it rest for five minutes and it should be a gel by now. It should have the same viscosity as oil.
Step 3:
Take the rest of the water and mix it with D-Panthenol. This is a ingredient, that is nursing your skin. In that step you can add any other thing,that is good for your skin as well. You can do that depending on your type of skin. You can use e.g. as well: Calendula extract, Allantoin…
Step 4:
Put the cooled down fat mixture, the gel, the water, and the nursing ingredients in one bowl or pot and swirl it with the egg whip.
Step 5: Modifications:
If the after sun lotion is too liquid for you, you can still add some melted cacao butter to make it thicker.
As well you have to test the pH value before using you natural cosmetics. That is very important to prevent skin irritations. Just buy some stripes to measure the pH value in a pharmacy. Align with the slight acidity of the human’s skin the cosmetic should be around 5.5 to be neutral. If that is not the case, use some lemon juice to modify it.
If all that is done, you only have to store it in some box (I recommend some old, clean soap dispenser). It lasts up to three month in the fridge (if you use conserving ingredients). Enjoy!
Lotion Bars:
Ingredients:
Wax (I used Jojoba Wax, another vegan alternative is Carnauba Wax) 7 gr
Cacao Butter 10 gr
Sheabutter 20 gr
3 tbsp Olive oil (or any other fat oil)
Ice cube tray
Essential oils
Egg whip
This process is very easy but still the product is very useful!
Simply melt the wax with the cacao butter in a water bath, take it off the stove and add the sheabutter. Swirl it with the whip till it has a creamy consistence and add the essential oils you prefer. Pour it in the ice cube tray and put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Your result is a lotion bar,that melts in your hand when you rub it a bit. It is very useful for travelling. Just put it in an old plastic box and use whenever you want a bit to make your skin smooth again.
Here it is important as well to check the pH value! Do never use one of the cosmetics without checking that!
Shaving Creme:
Ingredients:
Coconut Oil (50 gr)
Sheabutter (50 gr)
Olive oil (35 gr)
1 tbsp liquid soap
Essential oils/ Vitamin-E oil
This is a good, mellow shaving creme for sensitive skin. It is very easily done and most of the things you most probably already have in the kitchen!
Melt the Coconut Oil and the sheabutter in a pot. Once it is melted, take it off the stove and add the olive oil together with the essential oils and the Vitamin-E oil if you have chosen to use some. Vitamin-E is basically for conserving the shaving creme. You can adapt the essential oils according to you needs and your type of skin. Mix everything well and put the mixture in the fridge till it becomes solid. The result should resemble butter. Put the product in a bowl and whisk about 3–4 minutes till it becomes creamy. To support this process, add the liquid soap after 2 minutes.
When the product becomes creamy, you can use it for shaving! It is not as creamy as real shaving cream once you put it on your skin but you have a nice fat film on your skin to shave it.
Again, I advise you to check the pH value before using!
You can read his full article here.
Written by Teresa Wald
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