It's time to celebrate our inner witch and brew up some enticing concoctions that support healthy skin.

Skin is the human body's largest organ. What we put on it, matters very much. Did you know that the skin absorbs some of whatever you apply to it? Traces of the chemicals in cosmetics, deodorants and perfumes end up in our bodies.

With that said, I am delighted that simple plant based oils have become popular for skin care. It's the most sensible of trends. I only wish they would all keep the formulas as pure as their clever marketing implies.

When browsing through the many beautiful bottles of oils, serums and elixirs, I noted that they were not only overpriced, but many contained not so healthy ingredients. One look on-line and I was off to the pantry to brow up my own 100% pure batch of skin food.

Using oil to cleanse and nourish the skin is an ancient ritual. For centuries oil was a valuable skin care remedy across many cultures including, Greece, Egypt and Rome.

In ancient Egypt they would make a cleanser using animal or vegetable oil combined with powered lime and essential oils. This was used instead of soap. People rubbed themselves daily with perfumed unguent oil that had been soaked in scented wood. The mixture was left in a pot until the oil absorbed the wood scent. Perfumed oil was used to prevent the skin from drying out in the harsh climate. source

Ayurvedic beauty rituals included oil treatments, which promoted physical and spiritual cleansing. Ancient Indians believed that if you couldn’t eat it, it didn’t belong on the skin. So, basically their skin care was edible and derived from the most nutritious herbs and oils around. source

Skin care does not need to be complicated. You can forget all that silly marketing where they pick at our self esteem and tell us we need whatever pricey concoction they are peddling in order to look amazing. You already look amazing. You are amazing. Sometimes we just need a bit of help keeping our skin balanced and healthy and pure and simple ingredients are always best.

My secret is really simple.

oil

@riverflows and I were recently talking about how we both love to use coconut oil as a moisturiser. It really is that simple and you could literally buy a good quality oil from the grocery store and be done. This post would be rather boring if I left you there though so I am going to share how to enrich those oils with botanical benefits. I think it is worth the extra effort, even the process of making these oils is enjoyable and therapeutic.

Why Oil? How Does It Work? Isn't Oil ...Oily?

I use oil as an all in one, skin balancing, cleanser, toner and moisturiser. One bottle does it all. Oils are effective for mature, combination and even oily skin which contradicts a lot of what is marketed.

Often we are taught to use a cleanser that contains ingredients that strip the natural oils from our skin leaving it unnaturally squeaky clean. To combat the effects of the cleanser we then need to apply a moisture cream and numerous other potions to artificially replenish what we just stripped and threw off balance.

Natural plant based oils are lipophilic, meaning that they are naturally attracted to other oils, including the sebum our skin produces. This is what allows the oils used in a cleansing regime to dissolve make-up and excess oil while softening skin at the same time.

Recipes for Botanical Infused Oils and Elixirs

Now, lets get down to a few recipes that I enjoy brewing up. The first one is incredibly simple and really does not need anything special. The second recipe is more involved and a bit more of an indulgence.

Slow Infusion - Herbal Infused Oil

Herbal infused oils are extremely easy to make. There are countless oils you can use for your skin, and even more herbs and beneficial ingredients that you can infuse into them. Each ingredient offers their own valuable properties and by infusing plant material into the oil, you get to make a bit of magic.

Carrier Oils

There are so many oils you can use, argan coconut, almond, olive, jojoba, grapeseed, rosehip seed, marula, sesame seed, camellia seed, pomegranate, carrot seed, moringa, sunflower seed, avacado and many others. Do your research to decide which one is best for your skin type. If one oil does not quite work for you, try another.

The Oils That I Personally Used In These Recipes Are Great For All Skin Types.

Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis)

Try to make sure that what you’re buying is 100% cold pressed (unrefined) and organic. Jojoba oil contains unique liquid waxes and fatty acids that nourish the skin. It is excellent combined with other skin care oils, adding balance and fortifying the benefits provided. Jojoba Seed Oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E. Excellent skin conditioner and balancer. Good for all skin types.

Organic Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis)

Try to make sure that what you’re buying is 100% cold pressed (unrefined) and organic. Sweet Almond Oil is a natural source of skin-nourishing fatty acids and lipids. It has a rich, skin nurturing consistency that provides a nice glide during massage. It is excellent for bath and after-shower applications, and especially appropriate for dry-skin care. Almond Seed Oil is a wonderful source of skin nourishing fatty acids and lipids.

Rose Hip Seed Oil

High in essential fatty acids and Vitamin E, beta carotene and the powerful anti-aging antioxidant lycopene to assist in skin renewal and repair.

Herbs

Many herbs can be grown in your garden. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, You can use dried herbs instead. You can also use a few drops of essential oils if you prefer. Here are some of my favourites.

Lavender

One of the best known healing oils, with a chemically complex structure. The botanical name Lavandula, comes from Latin lavare, which means “to wash.”. It’s topical properties are well known for being; anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-depressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, analgesic, calmative, detoxifier, hypotensive, and sedative. Lavender is restorative and healing with its anti-inflammatory properties, lavender can be used to fade scars, even out skin tone, heal acne, and balance the skin.

Frankincense

Promotes and maintains healthy cells and tissues. Improves dry skin, reduces the appearance of fine line, balances the skin.

Sea Buckthorn

Packed with nourishing and healing properties it contains antioxidants & macro nutrients: proteins, lipids , vitamins & minerals. Its properties are both rejuvenating and reparative to skin.

Rose hip

The rose hip, also known as rose haw or rose hep, is the fruit of the rose plant. There are many varieties. The plant is high in antioxidants and is commonly used for eczema, dermatitis, sunburn, moisturizing mature skin and healing scars. The Botanical name R. Canaina is derived from the common name ‘dog rose’ its use is traced back to ancient Greece. It’s topical properties are well know for being; astringent, anti-bacterial, anti-septic, anti-inflammatory, cleansing, anti-depressant.

Sage

Renowned for its natural disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Excellent for eliminating body odor and well knows for it’s capacity to heal the skin. Useful for healing insect bites and wounds. The botanical name Salvia comes from Salvare which means “to cure” in Latin. It’s topical properties are well known for being; anti-septic, astringent, Relaxing, antiperspirant, anti-bacterial, estrogenic.

Rose Petals

Rose petals infused in oil release a gentle feminine scent, not at all overpowering. A true rose essential oil can cost a small fortune, but you can extract some of the benefits from the roses in your own oil diffusion. Be sure to use organic rose petals that have not been sprayed or treated with chemicals. The botanical name will vary across rose species. We have an abundance of Rosa Rugosa so we use that for all of our culinary and medicinal infusions. It’s topical proprieties are know for: Antimicrobial, Relaxation & Heightened Libido, and can be used as part of a program for treating depression.

How To Make Herbal Infused Oil

Wash and dry fresh herbs. You can also use dried herbs.
Lightly bruise the herbs to release the fragrance. A Mortar and Pestle works great. Chop up the herbs into fine pieces. This ensures that more of the oils are released from the plant material into the oil.
Fill the jar with herbs 3/4 full and then cover with oil. Affix a lid and shake gently.
Heat helps infuse the oil so be sure to place the jar in a warm spot but not directly in the sunlight. I like this slow method better than using a stove top because more of the natural benefits are retained and this is the traditional fold art method from bygone eras.
Shake the jar every few days and once you are happy with the infusion strain and re-bottle for long term storage.

All Natural Radiant Skin Elixir

This lovely skin elixir packs in a lot of goodness into one bottle by combining different oils and botanical ingredients all into one potion. This recipe is intended to hydrate and balance the skin. There are a lot of combinations that can be used to make a skin serum. This is the recipe is the one I use most often. Keep in mind that you only need a few drops, a little goes a long way!

Ingredients

Makes 1 – 30ML bottle - 2 Tbsp Jojoba Seed Oil (Simmondsia Chinensis) - 2 Tsp Rose Hip Seed Oil (Rosa Canina) - 1 Tsp Almond Seed Oil (Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis) - 8 drops Seabuckthorn essential oil (Hippophae rhamnoides) - 5 drops Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) - 2 drops Frankincense essential oil(Boswellia sacra)

Directions

Sterilize your bottle. Wash well with hot soapy water and let dry completely before using/
Using a funnel measure the carrier oils and pour them into your bottle. Add the essential oils, cap the bottle and gently shake to combine.
For best results the serum should be stored in a dark place (out of direct sunlight). If your bottle is slightly larger that this recipe calls for, simply increase the amount of jojoba oil.

Various Ways To Use You Botanical Elixir or Herb Infused Oil

Cleanser

Apply 5-6 drops of oil your skin and gently massage it in. Using a soft damp cloth gently remove the excess oil. To exfoliate, rub slightly harder in a circular motion avoiding the eye area.

Moisturiser

Gently massage 3 drops of oil onto your face and neck using gentle upward strokes. When applying to the eyes swipe from other outside inward being careful to not get any in your eye. You will need to wait five minutes for the oil to absorb before you can apply your make-up.

Make up remover

Apply 3 drops of oil to a cotton pad and gently wipe away your make-up.

Steam facial

Rub 5 drops of oil on your face, being sure to gently dab it in around eyes and other trouble areas you might have. Heat a wash cloth and wring it out. Place the very warm wash cloth on your face, and breathe in and out relaxing as the cloth cools. Gently wipe away excess oil.

Go ahead and brew up your own botanical bottles of oils. It'll make you happy and they make excellent gifts too!

You can also find me at: walkerland.ca | Facebook

Ancient Rituals: Luxurious & Simple Botanical Oils & Elixirs