I adore making my own health and beauty products. I love the satisfaction of knowing I am in control of what I am putting on my body, and that I can customize my products for MY skin, not generic skin needs.
If I am making the choice between body butters, body lotions, or body oils, I tend to choose body oils, simply because I do not like the heavy, sticky, oily feeling I often get from body butters and body lotions. Even before my real food reformation, I never wore lotions except very occasionally on my feet during the winter (due to dry skin, calluses, and peeling feet). Even then, I mostly wore petroleum-based heavy duty stuff because by that point, I really needed moisture and assumed that was the best!
Body oils satisfy my skin’s needs and my preferences in one delicious, soft, healing bottle. This particular body oil is light, spreads easily, and feels magnificent. The basic recipe uses ylang ylang essential oil because it has been shown to be effective at treating oily skin (as well as acne-prone skin), and is heralded for its soothing effects on anxiety, stress, and depression. It also is used as an aphrodisiac, so feel free to use this (basic recipe) oil as a massage oil during your intimate time with your spouse! Lavender essential oil is known for its soothing, relaxing effects, and is used for a whole host of ailments.
The recipe also includes Skin Healing Extras – these are add-ons that offer additional healing benefit to your skin. Each ingredient offers a different profile, but all are fabulous for you. I have a tendency to “Go Big or Go Home!” and will add more ingredients to my oil to try and get as many benefits as possible from my lotion, but I know not everyone is that way. So pick and choose, based on what your skin needs and what your preferences are.
Ylang-Ylang Skin Soothing and Healing Body Oil
Basic recipe:
1/4 cup sweet almond oil (where to buy)
1/4 cup grape seed oil (where to buy)
1/4 cup jojoba oil (where to buy)
1/4 cup olive oil (where to buy)
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E oil (preservative) (where to buy)
15 drops lavender essential oil (where to buy)
35 drops ylang ylang essential oil (where to buy)
Skin healing extras (add as many or few as you’d like!):
2 tablespoons tamanu oil (where to buy)
1 teaspoon carrot seed oil (where to buy)
2 tablespoons avocado oil (where to buy)
1 tablespoon argan oil (where to buy)
20 drops rose hip seed oil (where to buy)
15 drops sea buckthorn oil (where to buy)
1 teaspoon neem oil (where to buy)
10 drops turmeric oil (where to buy)
15 drops chamomile (roman) essential oil (where to buy)
10 drops white thyme essential oil (only use for particularly acne-prone skin) (where to buy)
Directions:
All these oils are liquid at room temperature and can simply be mixed together in a small, clean bowl and poured into a glass jar of your choice. Pour a dime to quarter size in your palm and warm between your hands before applying to skin. Use as little or much as necessary.
This is a great gift idea for your loved ones, particularly as we come up upon the holiday season! Make sure you store your oil in a glass container, and store in the refrigerator to extend the lifespan of your oil. Unrefrigerated, it should last about 4 months before the oils start to go rancid. Make sure you label, date, and make a list of the ingredients of your oil so you can replicate it later! Enjoy!
