Homemade Nourishing Creams

Nourishing preparations include all the skin foods whether they are oil-based or of the moisturizing type, whether they are light and immediately absorbed or heavy and sticky, needing to be massaged into the skin. Hormone creams and lotions, vitamin products, serum ampoules, anti-wrinkle creams and lotions, biologically active prepa­rations all come into the nourishing group. Some of the easy-to-make nourishing recipes are given below.

Cocoa Butter Cream:
Heat the following ingredients together over a water bath, stirring them thoroughly:

2 tablespoons cocoa butter
2 tablespoons emulsifying wax
1 tablespoon beeswax
4 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon almond oil

When the ingredients are completely melted, remove from the heat and stir until the cream is cool. Add a few drops of perfume while stirring. This cream leaves the skin smooth without being greasy.

In case waxes are not easily available mix 2 tablespoons lanolin and 8 tablespoons almond oil (or sesame or safflo­wer oil) and melt these together over a water bath. It is really good for dry skin and neglected areas such as elbows, knees, feet and neck. If the cream has to be applied on oily skin, add 2 tablespoons rosewater (or ordinary soft water).

Elder Flower Cream:
Mix together 3 tablespoons almond oil, 4 tablespoons elder flower blossoms and I tablespoon lanolin in a bowl over a water bath. Let it simmer together for an hour, strain, and then add warm water slowly.

Honey Cream:
Honey is very useful for a dry, coarse and sensitive skin. To make a nourishing honey cream for sallow skin, mix 3 tablespoons lanolin, 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tea­spoon lecithin in a bowl and melt over a water bath. Slowly add 4 tablespoons warm water to it, beating continuously until it cools.