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I fell in love with essential oils when I was living in Calgary Alberta. We bought a little house in a very unique part of the city. Interesting stores were popping up and my favorite was a little essential oil shop. It became my saving grace in a very busy time of my life. It felt like heaven every time I walked in. The owner would spend hours sharing his passion by taking me on world tour of heart melting fragrances. He would tell me stories of all his travels, and open small bottles of Damask Rose, Gardenia, Lavender and explain where the best oils came from, the processing and how many pounds of flowers went into each bottle. He also made sensual blends and an amazing skin care line. He was one of the few people I have met in my life that shared his knowledge so readily teaching me everything I needed to know to start making my own skin care. The shop is long gone, and essential oils have become more common thanks to those who opened us to the awesome therapeutic benefits of nature. To this day I still make my own oil blends, and have come to believe that we can take care of most of our skin care needs with natural, wholesome ingredients.
I was 27 years old, married with a small child. I was going to university and performing opera, and teaching. I was developing fine lines around my eyes and already spending a small fortune on skin care products, and nothing was helping. When I first tried essential oil based skin care products I was elated that all my fine lines were gone within a week! I was hooked!
20 years later new concerns like sun damage have inspired me to find new essential oil recipes to fade sun spots and keep my skin looking radiant. I have found good quality natural ingredients work better for me than store bought brands, costing a lot less money. The secret is knowing how to blend your oils. I used many different oil both essential and carrier oils. Anything with high vitamin C will help fade dark spots and blemishes. So choose oils that have high vitamin C. Seabuckthorn, and rosehip, hemp seed and argan oils are among the highest for vitamins A, C, and E. Coconut oil is soothing, and anit-inflammatory and helps to heal scars and wounds.
For this blend I used coconut oil, hemp seed oil, and argan oil as my base. I chose these as they all have a natural level of sun protection, they are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties and are all good for cellular rejuvenation. I also add pure vitamin C and evening primrose oil, for their healing and radiant properties. Vitamin C has been shown in some studies to treat and prevent ultraviolet photo damage. So yes I'm adding it to my skin care regime! I love the sun and sail all summer. I also wear sunscreen but it's nice to know my moisturizer is helping to prevent and heal any sun damage I may get.
You can buy ascorbic acid in power form or you can grind of some good quality vitamin C tablets.
I used a mortal and pestle to grind the tablets into a fine powder. These are 1000mg tablets. I make a lot of this oil at once and put it into smaller containers. It will also keep in the fridge for about 3 months.
I have been making this moisturizer for for over 20 years. I have minimal makeup and no filters. I have two grown boys, a cat and a husband. I work, sail and have many different interests. I write this because I believe we don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to keep our skin looking beautiful. We age, and our bodies are constantly changing, however I have become a firm believer that Mother Earth knows how to take are of us. Making my own skin care oils is was one of the best skills learned in my 20's. I still LOVE my essential oils and continue to use them. I use them to clean my washing machine, making my own linen spray, bath salts, and of course keeping my skin beautiful.
Shining Soul all Natural Moisturizer
Make sure to start with a clean kitchen and sterilize the containers you'll keep the oils in as well as all your utensils. Buy organic and unrefined oils. You want your carrier oils to be as pure as possible. Cold pressed oils maintain their vitamins and healing properties that are destroyed when products are refined with heat. My favorite place to buy oils online is New Directions Aromatics. They have a good variety and lots of raw ingredients for making your own products. I have quite a few different oils in this so if it's overwhelming you can pick and choose based on your skin care needs. I use all of these as I have found it creates a complete product that covers all my bases.
I use immortelle, carrot seed, frankincense, rose, and lavender oil for their cell rejuvenation properties. These are all excellent for maturing skin and help to protect and heal from sun damage and give the skin a very creamy texture. Lemongrass has wonderful antibacterial, and anti fungal benefits. It cleanses and refines the pores and doesn't cause photo-sensitivity like citrus oils do. It's also loaded with vitamins A and C which help to fade dark spots and gives the skin an even tone. Vetiver is one of my favorite oils. It's thick, dark consistency gives a luxurious texture when mixed with coconut oil. The floral top note and earthy base blends beautifully with other scents creating an exotic fragrance. Very few people can guess what it is and it's skin care properties are outstanding. It's best property is its ability to lighten dark spots. It's the best thing I have tried and I'm amazed at how well it works. This blend has a deep rich fragrance with hints of vanilla, earth and citrus. It's luxuriously creamy. However coconut oil needs to be kept cool or it liquefies. If you live in a warm climate keep it in a dropper bottle. It's wonderful as an under eye moisturizer as well.
Ingredients
1/2 cup cold pressed organic coconut oil
3000mg evening primrose oil (capsules make easier measuring)
4000mg high quality vitamin C tablets.
1 tsp. hemp seed oil
1tsp pure argan oil
20 drops lavender oil
5 drops Immortelle Helichrysum oil
5 carrot seed oil
5 drops vetiver oil
5 drops frankincense oil
5 drops lemongrass oil
10 drops rose oil.
Method
Grind the vitamin C tablets into a find powder using a mortar and pestle.
Cut open the evening primrose oil with a sharp knife or scissors.
Blend coconut, evening primrose, vitamin C, hemp seed and argan oil together in a sterilized bowl. set aside.
Blend essential oils together in a separate bowl. Add each oil one or two drops at a time. Smell them often as carrot seed, and vetiver have a very strong scent that can over power the other oils. Depending on where you get your oils they can all smell very different. So take your time blending them. If you don't like the scent you won't use your product. Blending takes time to balance the underlying notes of the fragrances. You may want to add a bit more lemongrass is you like the citrus top notes, or add less of the earthy fragrances is you want to enhance the rose and lavender. I like this blend as it has well rounded fragrance texture with underlying hints of vanilla, earthy florals and citrus and the fact it works really well!
I would love to hear about your experience with this blend, and see the finished product.
Wishing you a happy blending!
Gina