Someone here asked me for my recipe for hand lotion/ cream. I thought rather than PM'ing it, I'd post it, in case others are interested.
Homemade Hand Cream
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup emulsifying wax
1/4 cup refined oil
10 - 20 drops of essential oil
1 and 1/4 cups filtered water
METHODS
Add oil and wax pastilles to a small heat safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes or until all the wax is completely melted and the oil is clear (temperature will be about 150 - 160 degrees at this point). Add essential oils, wafting your hand over the hot oil in order to small when the aroma is strong enough.
Microwave the water on high for 1 minute or until it is very warm but not hot (about 120 degrees).
Add the water to the oil-wax mixture; it will immediately emulsify and turn opaque. If your water-oil mixture does not emulsify into a smooth, creamy lliquid, but clumps instead, it is probably because either the oil or the water were not hot enough. You can try to reheat the entire mixture for about 1 minute in the microwave; whisk vigorously, and if it looks creamy pour into a jar to sit.
Pour into clean jars, cover, and allow to sit undisturbed overnight. In the morning you will have hand cream!
Yields just under a pint
Once you have all the ingredients, it is incredibly easy. All the ingredients are available inexpensively on-line. You could buy the essential oils too, but then it wouldn't be a garden product. I use the "oils" I distill. Since my still is very small, simple, cheap, what it produces is not true essential oil, but hydrasol, which is the essential oil still mixed in a small amount of water. But it works for purposes like this, just less concentrated so I need to add a little more.
When I add the oil/hydrasol, I add a tiny bit of food coloring, less than a drop. You don't want it looking unnatural and if you use too much, the color will come off on people's hands. You can be creative with fragrances - I like lavender/vanilla, lavender/sage, but bitter orange and all kinds of other things can be used.
It's pretty forgiving. The last time I made it, I guess I didn't get the proportions exactly right. It came out a little waxy, like it wanted to sit on your skin not get absorbed in. I re-melted it, add more oil and a bit more fragrance and jarred it and it still came out just fine.
But don't make too much. It doesn't keep as long as the commercial products all full of preservatives. After a couple months it tends to fall apart.
I found the recipe on-line, but my printout of it doesn't show the website, so I unfortunately can't give attribution.
