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Beauty Blends by Martha Schindler Connors with Larry Altshuler, M.D.

Herbs make a great addition to your personal care routine and can be incorporated into toners and astringents, moisturizers, and powders.

Making Astringent Solutions

Herbs with astringent, or drying, properties can be used to cleanse and refresh the skin and to gently remove excess oil. Here's how to make one:

  • Pack a wide-mouthed glass jar with dried herbs, leaving a few inches of space at the top.

  • Fill the jar with alcohol (or another solvent) so that there's an inch or two of fluid above the top of the herbs. Cover tightly.

  • Put the jar in a warm place and leave it there for 3 or 4 weeks.

  • When the time is up, strain the herbs and discard them. Transfer the liquid to a smaller bottle.

Here's a recipe to try at home:

Bay Rum Aftershave and Astringent

Ingredients:

1 part bay (Laurus nobilis) leaves (fresh if possible)

1 part cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), whole

1 part ginger (Zingiber officinalis), fresh (grated) or ground

Optional: Ground allspice (Pimenta dioica) to give your lotion a spicier scent

This preparation works equally well as an aftershave and facial astringent.

Follow the instructions for making an astringent, above.

Making Facial Creams

Facial creams are emulsions, or mixtures of oil and water. Do-it-yourself herbal creams typically contain aqueous ingredients such as distilled water and/or aloe (Aloe vera) gel or a water-based herbal infusion, plus vegetable oils — you can use apricot (Prunus armeniaca), almond (Prunus dulcis), or grape (Vitis vinifera) seed oils or an herb-infused oil (see above). They also might contain essential oils, which impart a scent and treat specific skin conditions. Some of the most popular essential oils used in facial products include rose (Rosa damascena), chamomile (Matricaria recutita), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and calendula (Calendula officinalis).

Some facial creams also contains essential oils. Use one of the following, based on your skin type:

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

for all skin types

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

for sensitive skin

Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)

for oily skin

Rose (Rosa damascena)

also known as damask rose, rose otto, or Bulgarian rose, for all skin types, especially dry and/or sensitive

Here's a cream to try:

Rosemary's Famous Facial Cream</h2> <p><B><B>Ingredients:</B></B></p> <p>⅔ cup distilled water</p> <p>⅓ cup aloe (Aloe vera) gel</p> <p>1 or 2 drops of essential oil (see above)</p> <p>¾ cup apricot (Prunus armeniaca) oil</p> <p>⅓ cup coconut (Cocos nucifera) oil or cocoa (Theobroma cacao) butter</p> <p>¼ teaspoon lanolin</p> <p>½ to 1 ounce beeswax, grated</p> <p><emphasis role="Bolditalic">Expert herbalist Rosemary Gladstar has been making this cream for over thirty years (it's a staple in her correspondence course, “The Science and Art of Herbalism”). It rivals any department-store concoction and works as both an emollient (softening agent) and humectant (it helps the skin retain moisture).</emphasis></p> <ul> <li><p>Combine the distilled water, aloe gel, and essential oils in a glass cup or bowl, and set aside.</p></li> <li><p>In a double boiler over low heat, combine the apricot oil, coconut oil (or cocoa butter), lanolin, and beeswax, and heat them just enough to melt the beeswax. Remove from heat.</p></li> <li><p>Pour the oil mixture into a blender and allow it to cool completely. When it's room temperature, turn the blender on to its highest speed and add the water mixture, pouring as slowly as you can, to the oils. Don't pour the whole amount at once — watch the mixture closely, and when it looks thick and white, stop adding water.</p></li> <li><p>Pour the cream into glass jars. Store in a cool location.</p></li> </ul> </div> <!--/gc--> <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/infused-oils-and-ointments.htm" title="Infused Oils and Ointments">Infused Oils and Ointments</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/common-health-concerns/" title="Herbal Remedies for Common Health Concerns">Herbal Remedies for Common Health Concerns</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/beauty-blends.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Beauty Blends - Herbal Remedies Guide </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/homemade-healing.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Homemade Healing - Herbal Remedies Guide </a></li> <li><a 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href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/sweet-tasting-syrups.htm">Sweet-Tasting Syrups</a></li> </ul><ul class="col2"><li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/tinctures.htm">Tinctures</a></li> <li ><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/herbal-remedies-guide/making-your-own-herbal-remedies/infused-oils-and-ointments.htm">Infused Oils and Ointments</a></li> <li class="btO">Beauty Blends</li> </ul></ul></div> </div> <script>if(zSbL<1)zSbL=3;zSB(2);zSbL=0</script> </div> <div id="widgets"><script type="text/javascript">if(z336>0){w('<div id="adB">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,280,'1','bb',3);w('</div>')}if(z155>0){w('<div id="adP">'+ap[0]+at[4]+as[0]);adunit('','','about.com',ch,gs,336,155,'1','ps',4);w('</div>')}</script> <div id="pg" class="pane"><div class="n3">Shopping</div><div class="cntnr"><a 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