NATURAL COSMETICS

© Anna Franklin 2005

I love making my own toiletries and beauty products. I’ve used my own formulas for many years and find that they work as well, or better, than bought ones.

Deep Cleanser

Use when your skin is tired and dull, it also helps reduce wrinkles

Small pot natural live yoghurt

2 tsp runny honey

1 tsp olive oil

1 small apple, peeled and cored

1 egg white

5 drops rosemary oil

5 drops lemon oil

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on a low setting. Massage the mixture over the face. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Place any remaining mixture in a screw top jam jar and keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Cucumber & Honey Cleanser

This potion moisturises, cleanses and clarifies the skin.

1 oz runny honey

2 pints distilled water or rainwater

4 oz cucumber

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend on a low setting. Massage over the face and rinse with warm water.

Elderflower Cleanser

¼ pint natural live yoghurt

6 elderflower heads

1 tbsp runny honey

Wash the elderflower heads and cut off as much of the green stem as possible. Place them with the yoghurt in a pan and simmer over a very low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave for 4 hours. Reheat the mixture, then strain and add the honey, whipping as the mixture cools. Apply to the face with cotton wool, and rinse off with warm water. Keep in airtight jars in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Cleansing Milk

2 fl oz full fat cow’s milk

2 fl oz runny honey

1 tsp wheatgerm oil

¼ oz fresh lettuce leaves

¼ oz fresh chamomile flowers

¼ pint distilled water or rainwater

½ oz fine cornflour

Place the herbs in the water and simmer for 10 minutes and allow to cool. Place in a blender with the other ingredients. Massage into the skin with your fingers and rinse off with warm water. This will keep for 2 days in a screw top jar in the fridge.

Violet Milk

¼ pint milk

Handful violet flowers

Warm the milk, but do not boil. Pour over the fresh flowers, infuse for several hours, strain into a sealed bottle and keep refrigerated (it will keep for 3 days). Soak cotton wool in the milk and pat over the face twice a day to improve the complexion.

Heavenly Fluid

This sixteenth century recipe cleanses the skin and smoothes wrinkles.

3 oz rye breadcrumbs

2 egg whites

1 pint cider vinegar

5 drops benzoin oil

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Strain through a muslin bag into a clean, screw top jar.  Smooth over the skin and rinse with warm water. It will keep for 6-7 days in the fridge.

Eggy Cleanser

This will feed the skin as it cleanses and reduces wrinkles

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp cider vinegar

½ tsp sugar

4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil

Whip the egg yolk, as the sugar and vinegar and then the oil, a drop at a time, whisking vigorously until a paste is obtained. Use with a cotton wool pad and rinse off with warm water. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Olive Oil Cleansing Cream

1 tbsp beeswax

2 tbsp lanolin

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp sweet almond oil

Melt the wax in a double boiler, stir in the lanolin and oils. Remove from the heat and double boiler and beat until cool and creamy, spoon into clean jars. It will keep for several months. NB Some people are allergic to lanolin.

Pineapple Exfoliator

The enzymes in the pineapple will help to gently strip away dead skin cells and reveal fresh new skin beneath.

Take a fresh pineapple and pulp it in a blender. Apply to the face and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse off and moisturise.

Bran Facial Scrub

1 large egg

½ oz bran meal

2 tsp wheatgerm oil

2 drops calendula oil

2 drops chamomile oil

Beat the egg and add the bran and oils. Massage into the face with circular movements, avoiding the eyes. Rinse with warm water. The mixture will keep for 2 days in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Apple & Marsh Mallow Mask

4 tsp runny honey

2 tsp almond oil

½ oz fresh mallow leaves

4 oz apple, peeled and cored

1 egg white.

Blend all the ingredients in a blender to make a thick paste. Add some rice flour if it is too thin. Immediately, spread the mixture over your cleansed face and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat the skin dry before putting on a moisturiser.

Sesame Anti-Wrinkle Mask

1 tbsp lanolin

2 tbsp jojoba oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp wheatgerm oil

1 tbsp apricot oil

1 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp cider vinegar

4 drops lemon oil

In a double boiler melt the lanolin in the oils over a very low heat. Remove from the heat and add the cider vinegar. Keep whisking until the mixture is cool, add the lemon oil. Apply to the skin and leave for 1 hour before wiping off any excess. Use regularly to achieve the best effects. The mask should keep for a few weeks in an airtight jar. NB Some people are allergic to lanolin.

Herbal Steam Treatment

This is good for cleansing skin with spots, acne or clogged pores.

¼ oz chamomile flowers

¼ oz rosemary

¼ oz lavender flowers

¼ oz rosemary leaves

2 pints boiling water

Place a large fire-proof ceramic or metal bowl on a towel or mat and put the herbs into it. Pour the boiling water over them, leave to infuse a few minutes, and lean over the bowl, putting another towel over you head to keep in the steam.  Let the steam cleanse your face until the water cools. The pores will be open, so after this you can apply a face mask or pat the skin with cold water to close the pores.

Linden Moisturiser

½ oz linden leaf buds (picked before they unfurl)

½ pint glycerine

3 fl oz vodka

¼ oz beeswax

½ oz cocoa butter

1 oz sweet almond oil

5 tsp jojoba oil

2 tsp runny honey

20 drops rose oil

20 drops jasmine oil

Put the crushed linden (lime) buds in a clean screw top jam jar and cover with the glycerine and vodka. Leave for 2 weeks, shaking daily, and strain into a clean jam jar. Keep this in the dark and it will store indefinitely. Use 1 fl oz of the resulting linden maceration for this recipe. In a double boiler melt the wax into the oils then add the linden and honey. Remove from the heat and double boiler and continue to beat the mixture with a wooden spatula until the mixture is completely cool; it will thicken as it cools and is better for plenty of air being beaten in. When cool, stir in the essential oils and spoon into clean, screw top jars. Keep in the fridge.

Lanolin Night Cream

2 tbsp lanolin

½ tbsp runny honey

½ tsp glycerine

10 drops rose oil

1 tbsp wheatgerm oil

½ tbsp beeswax

3 tbsp rosewater

Place everything in a pan except the rosewater and rose oil. Place over a very low heat, beating with a wooden spatula until the wax has melted and the ingredients are blended together. Add the rosewater and continue to beat until smooth. Remove from the heat and continue beating until the mixture is cool and creamy. Add the rose oil. Bottle in an airtight jar. NB. Some people are allergic to lanolin; please test a little on the inner arm before use.

Mint Cream

For combination skin

Handful of fresh mint

½ pint boiling water

½ tsp powdered myrrh resin

3 tbsp cocoanut oil

2 tbsp jojoba oil

1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tsp beeswax

Infuse the mint in boiling water for 2 ½ hours. Strain and retain the liquid. Place the oils and wax in a double boiler and melt over a low heat. Separately warm the mint infusion again and dissolve the myrrh into it. Add this to the oils, remove from the heat and beat until cool and creamy.

Tomato Neck Mask

For an aging neck, cut a tomato into fine slices and spread over the neck and relax for an hour.

Nourishing Honey Mask

Spread honey all over your face and neck. Relax in the bath for 30-40 minutes, during which time the honey will be absorbed. Rinse.

Tooth Whitener

Crush or juice a strawberry and brush your teeth with the liquid. If you do this regularly it really does work.

Breast Firmer

1 pint boiling water

1 oz ladies mantle herb

Pour the boiling water over the herb and infuse for 20 minutes. Allow to cool a little and apply to the breasts with a warm flannel. Continue for 30 days.

Hand Cleanser

If you have dirty hands from working in the garage or garden, rub them over with half a lemon then wash with soap in warm water.

Nail Strengthener

Rub a little almond oil on your nails each night, using a cotton wool pad.

Lettuce Hand Cream

2 large lettuce leaves

½ pint boiling water

2 tbsp beeswax

1 tbsp lanolin

4 tbsp jojoba oil

Place the lettuce leaves in a pan and add the boiling water. Stand for 2 hours and strain. Melt the wax and lanolin in the oil in a double boiler over a very low heat. Whisk in the lettuce infusion and continue beating until the mixture is cool and creamy. Try adding the infusion a bit at a time as there may be too much liquid. Spoon into a clean jar and keep refrigerated. NB Some people are allergic to lanolin.

Elizabethan Hand Oil

¼ pint sweet almond oil

20 whole cloves

Put almond oil into a jar and add the cloves. Put the jar in the airing cupboard for three weeks. Strain off into a clean jar.

Foot Softener

2 pints boiling water

½ oz rosemary (fresh or dried)

Olive oil

Pour the boiling water over the rosemary herb and infuse for 15 minutes. Strain into a bowl large enough to soak your feet in and cool a little before soaking your feet for 15 minutes. Dry them off and then rub in plenty of olive oil and put on cotton socks and keep them on over night. Calloused and rough hands can be treated in a similar manner.

Soapwort Shampoo

1 oz soapwort root

½ pint distilled water

4 tsp castor oil

4 tsp salt

Few drops tea tree oil

2 oz brandy

Simmer the chopped root in the water for 15 minutes. Leave to cool a little then strain onto the salt and oils in a jam jar. Shake to dissolve the salt. Use as per a normal shampoo, though it won’t lather much. You can make it without the brandy but it will not keep for more than a few days. It is good for greasy hair.

Chickpea Shampoo

2 oz chickpea flour

¾ pint distilled water

Gradually add the water to the flour in a pan and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Use immediately- cool the mixture and work it through the hair and massage the scalp with it. Rinse very thoroughly.

Treat For Dry, Lifeless Hair

Few drops jasmine oil

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. sweet almond oil

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp runny honey

Mix the oils, egg yolk and honey and spread over the head, massaging into the scalp. Cover with a towel and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then shampoo as usual. You hair will be super-soft and shiny.

Dry Shampoo

5 oz dry semolina

Few drops lemon oil

In a pestle and mortar add the lemon oil to the semolina. Massage the mixture into the scalp and brush out. NB the semolina must be coarsely milled and not fine powder or it will be very difficult to get out. Maize flour works equally well.

Egg Shampoo

1 egg

¼ pint distilled water or rainwater

Whisk the ingredients together and immediately massage into the hair and scalp for at least 5-10 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water (too hot and you will get scrambled eggs!) and add some lemon juice to the final rinse.

Nettle Anti-Grease Hair Lotion

4 oz fresh nettles

2 bay leaves

½ pint vodka

30 drops tea tree oil

1 pint cider vinegar

Wash the nettles and put them in a blender with the vodka and blend until pulped. Place in a jam jar and leave for two weeks, shaking daily. Strain into a clean jar and add the oil and cider vinegar. Regular use will help treat greasy hair. You can massage it into the scalp before shampooing, or use it between shampoos to remove grease by wiping the scalp and hair roots with a little on a cotton wool pad.

Anti Dandruff Hair Rinse

1 pint cider vinegar

1 oz fresh nettles

1 oz ivy leaves

½ oz sage leaves

½ oz rosemary leaves

½ oz thyme

2 fl oz vodka

Wash and pat dry the nettles and place, with the chopped herbs, vodka and cider vinegar, in a jam jar and leave for two weeks, shaking daily. Strain into a clean jar. Shampoo your hair as normal, and add a tablespoon to the final hair rinse. 

Anti Dandruff Scalp Treatment

Cider vinegar

½ oz marigold flowers

½ oz nettle

½ oz sage leaves

2 tsp wheatgerm oil

Place the herbs in a jar and cover with the cider vinegar. Leave on a sunny windowsill for 14 days, shaking daily. Strain into a clean jar and add the oil. Massage the mixture into the scalp regularly, using a cotton wool pad.

Camomile Lightener (Fair Hair)

1 oz camomile flowers

1 oz marigold flowers

Juice and zest of 2 lemons

½ pint water

Add the flowers and lemon zest to the water and simmer 10 minutes. Cool and strain through a muslin bag. Add the lemon juice. Apply the mixture to fair hair to lighten it. Cover with a warm towel and leave for 45 minutes, then rinse.

‘Talcum’ Powder

2 oz rice flour

1 tablespoon ground dried rose petals

2 tsp crushed dried lavender blossoms

½ tsp powdered myrrh

Small pinch powdered cloves

½ tsp dried, powdered rosemary

½ tsp powdered benzoin

Rub everything through a fine sieve and keep in a dark, airtight container.

Soapwort Soap

A handful of soapwort leaves, chopped and bruised

½ pint water

Boil together for 30 minutes. Strain off the liquid and retain this. It will be soapy and can be used for washing hands and woollen fabrics. Don’t be alarmed by a slightly green stain on fabrics as it rinses out.

Aftershave

2 fl oz cider vinegar

2 fl oz witch hazel

2 fl oz vodka

6 cloves, powdered

1 oz sage

Put everything in a jar and leave on a sunny windowsill for 14 days. Strain into a clean bottle. You can experiment by using different herbs in the mix.

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