Cream for your skin’s sake

Press, 30 January 1982, Page 8

Cream for your skin’s sake

In vogue

Paula Ryan

Making your own beauty products is an enjoyable way to fill in empty hours’ when you are dispirited, bored or-' simply alone. It is not only a delightful contribution .. to -your appearance but a tremendous morale booster. Last week I gave a few recipes for cleansers, toners and astringents. This week I will give some more recipes devised and tested by»the beautician Clare Maxwell Hudson, author of the 1 “Natural Beauty Book.” Just' to jog your memory: it is important when recipes state “heat” that you heat all products in heat-proof containers sitting in a large pan of simmering (not boiling) water. Don’t forget to label them carefully. SKIN FOODS AND MOISTURISERS Sunflower moisture cream T 4 tsp lanolin (anhydrous) 2 tsp emulsifying wax 2 tsp beeswax 5 tbsp sunflower oil 2 tsp glycerine 6 tbsp water % tsp borax Melt the oils and waxes together in one bowl and the rest, of the ingredients in another, making sure the. borax is completely dissolved. While still on the ■ heat, slowly add the water to the oils and stir well as yotrcontinue to heat for a couple of minutes. . i; ,. Remove from the heat and stir or beat. The cream will slowly whiten and thicken to give you about a cup of rich .cream, which is instantly absorbed into the skin. It is fine for all skin types and makes an excellent moisturiser if you are spending some time in the sun. Use it as a body cream also. Jasmine moisture cream

2 tbsp emulsifying wax 2 tbsp almond or sunflower oil 1 tsp lanolin (anhydrous) % tsp borax P/z tsp glycerine 8 tbsp water 1 tsp witch hazel jasmine oil Melt the wax and oils together in one bowl and the borax, glycerine and water in another. When the borax has dissolved add the witch hazel. Remove from the heat and slowly mix in the oils and water. Stir well until cool, then add a few drops of jasmine oil. This makes about three-quarters of a cup of cream. As it is non-greasy, it is most suitable for oily and normal skins. Wheatgerm nourishing cream 1 tsp beeswax 1 tsp emulsifying wax 5 tbsp lanolin (anhydrous) 3 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp wheatgerm oil 5 tbsp water Vz tsp borax 1 tbsp witch hazel perfume oil. Melt the waxes and oils in one bowl and the water and borax in another, adding .the

witch hazel when the borax has dissolved. Remove from the heat and slowly mix together, stirring. Add perfume then beat or stir until the cream is thick and glossy. This makes a cup of very rich cream. All-purpose honey cream Honey is a natural healer; it /attracts and conserves moisture, softens coarse and sensitive skin and brings a glow to any skin. This recipe avoids the stickiness you would expect: it feels a little tacky at first but is soon absorbed into the . skin. 3 tbsp lanolin (anhydrous) Ya tbsp liquid honey 1 tsp lecithin 4 tbsp warm water perfume oil Melt the oils and honey together and slowly add the water, beating fairly fast and continually for the first minute then slowing down until it cools. Add perfume. This makes a cup of pale-creamy-coloured firm cream which keeps well out of the refrigerator: if it gets too cold it separates. FACE MASKS Nourishing egg-yolk This is a very well-known mask but in case you have not seen it before, you take one egg yolk and 1 tsp almond oil, mix together and leave on the face for 10 to 30 minutes. You can use the whole egg if you wish. Egg yolk is full of lecithin and protein which is why it makes such a good skin food. Avocado mask

If you love avocados this may not be for you as. it will be more likely to be eaten than worn. Avocados are one of the most nutritious fruits,

rich in vitamins, minerals and natural oils. 2 tbsp ripe avocado pear 1 tsp liquid honey couple drops of lemon juice Lemon juice stops the avocado from going black. Add it to the mashed and seived avocado, then add the honey to make a paste. Leave on the skin for 30 mins or a little longer. Apple mask The vinegar in this recipe restores the skin’s acid mantle: the pectin in the apple is soothing and the other ingredients nourish. Vz apple, peeled and sliced 1 tbsp liquid honey 1 tsp ascorbic acid 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp cider vinegar 3 tbsp sunflower oil Blend all the ingredients together in a liquidiser, or seive until completely smooth. Leave on the skin for about 15 minutes. This is good for all types of skin.

HAND CREAM Almond hand cream 2 tsp lanolin (anhydrous) IVz tsp cocoa butter 1 tbsp beeswax 5 tsp corn oil 1 tsp almond oil 2 tbsp water Vj tsp borax Perfume (almond essence) Melt together the oils and wax in one bowl and the water and borax in another. When the borax is completely dissolved, remove both bowls from the heat and stir together by hand: it sets very quickly to a pure white cream. Add a few drops of almond essence or, if you prefer, lavender oil, thyme or peach extract. This makes half a cup of cream, which is not at all greasy. Satin hand cream 1 tbsp stearic acid 2 tsp almond oil 1 tsp emulsifying wax 6 tbsp water 1 tbsp glycerine Vi tsp washing-up detergent Melt the oil and wax in one bowl and the other in-

gradients in another. Remove from the heat and slowly add the water to the oils, beating and stirring all the time. This makes half a cup of white, satiny cream, which gives hands a pearly sheen. It is good to use as a body ' lotion, too. . - BATH OIL Milk and honey This oil does not rest on the surface of the water. It sinks right in, leaving ’ the water milky so your skin- can absorb it all the time you are in the bath. 2 eggs Vi cup almond oil Vi cup of sunflower or corn oil l, z cup safflower or olive oil 1 tbsp liquid honey 2 tsp washing-up detergent Vi cup vodka or pure alcohol Vz cup milk perfume oil (lemon verbena, pine or jasmine) u S j n g th e i ow speed of your electric beater, completely blend the eggs and oils together, or do it the hard way by hand. Add the honey, then the detergent, ? which makes it thick. Keep . beating as you add the vodka ' or pure alcohol, then the milk, which thins the mixture a little. Finally add the perfume. This quantity should last you a couple of weeks, kept in the refrigerator but use it up fast, as it goes off. Warning: Very hot water inactivates it.