PLANT OILS AND THEIR SKINCARE PROPERTIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SOAP AND TOILETRY MAKINGI have used the words PLANT OILS rather than vegetable oils - these are not essential oils - there is a section on aromatherapy which will cover those, but here I want to talk about the beneficial qualities of some of the many varied oils used in modern skin care products. Some of these are vegetable oils, but some are from inedible plants, and many of these plants contain special chemicals which have positive effects on our skin. Whether you wish to formulate recipes for a luxury organic face cream or make homemade soap to combat head lice in your children's hair - there is a plant oil just perfect for the job! When it comes to
soap making the different oils that can be used produce different end results
in the soap bar. For example Coconut oil is renowned for producing a very hard bar, whereas sunflower oil makes a softer bar of soap. You get the idea.
Once you start making your own creams and balms the oils you choose to use becomes even more important.
The basis of a good balm or cream is the oil
(sometimes the water too). Understanding which oils are going to benefit your skintype or be the most use for purpose in your recipe is the key to producing professional quality skincare products. Many of the oils you can use have therapeutic qualities, some are absorbed quicker than others and some will suit particular skintypes. This would be useful information right?On top of this, you can infuse or macerate therapeutic herbs or flowers to further enhance the plant oil's properties. In this way, the same basic recipe, for a moisturiser or body lotion, can be adjusted an infinite number of times to suit all manner of people and skin conditions. "If a thousand people take one of my skin cream recipes and decide to make it with their own choice of oil - there is a good chance that we would have 1000 individual and totally unique skin creams." It is up to you to do a little research before you begin. Become knowledgeable about plant oils. When you come across a new oil from a supplier ask them all about it. The list here is not exhaustive... it is merely to get you started. All too often everyone focuses solely on aromatherapy and they forget the amazing properties and beneficial qualities that a simple vegetable oil may have. From this page you can access the following information:
Properties of Oils suitable for Soap Making
including directions how to macerate a therapeutic plant or herb in oil.
Use your plant oils knowledge in a basic recipe
|
