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| The Beauty of Herbs |
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| Note: Before using any herbal preparations, you are advised to sample a small amount first, particularly if you have had allergic reactions in the past. |
| USEFUL EQUIPMENT FOR HERBAL COSMETICS This list is meant as a guide only, but do avoid using aluminum, copper and nonstick pans as their chemical contents can affect the ingredients' beneficial properties. All containers and utensils must be scrupulously clean. ideally they should be sterilized by boiling. Have hot soapy water standing by to wash off wax before it hardens. Otherwise, stand bowls over boiling water to remelt traces of contents, and wash immediately. Heatproof glassware ~ Glass droper ~ pottery cookware (to sit in or above pans of boiling water ~ Wooden spoons ~ Glass rods ~ Spatula ~ Enamel double boiler ~ Dark glass bottles and jars with airtight lids ~ Wire whisk or electricmixer ~ Labels ~ pen ~ Measuring spoons ~ Measuring jug ~ A notebook for recording ~ Small glass measure ~ recipes ~ Small funnel ~ Nylon sieve ~ Pestle and mortar ~ ~Small weighing scale ~ Blender ~ Juice extractor |
| BASIC HERBAL PREPARATIONS Methods to extract the Therapeutic properties from herbs. INFUSING: Put 1 1/2 handfuls of fresh herbs or 1oz. of dried into a heatproof container. Bring 2 1/2 cups distilled water to the boil. Pour over the herb immediately; cover with a lid to prevent the loss of any volatile elements through evaporation. Steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain and store in a refrigerator for up to three days. DECOCTING: this method is usually employed for the tougher parts of herbs- for example, roots, bark, stems and seeds. Put 1 oz. of the herb, cut up if necessary, into a saucepan. Add 2 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. By this time the tea should have reduced by half. If more has evaporated, top with water to make 1 1/4 cups. Cool, strain and bottle. Keep in the refrigerator and use within a few days. MACERATING: Herbs likely to lose some of their therapeutic value if heated should be steeped in oil, vinagar or alcohol. Pack a glass jar with the crushed, fresh herb. Cover with vegetable oil, cider vinegar orpure alcohol. Seal and leave for two weeks, shaking the jar each day. Strain and top up with fresh herbs. repeat until the liquid smells strongly herbal. Strain, seal and bottle. Keeps well. PULVERIZING: Grind, bruise or mash plant fibers and seeds in a pestle and mortar or blender. |
| NONHERBAL INGREDIENTS |
| The following can be bought from any good pharmacist. Agar agar: Derived from seaweed. Used to make gels.> Alcohol: A colorless, flavorless preservative and solvent. The best alcohol for perfumery, and least irritating to the skin, is ethyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) is second best but has a medicial scent. Vodka can sometimes be used instead.> Beewax: Acts as an emulsifier for oil and water in creams. Usually sold in blocks. To make measuring easier, line egg box compartment with foil, melt the wax gently and put 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon in each compartment. when it has cooled and solidified, remove, wrap in foil and store until required.> Benzoin: A preservative, astringent and antiseptic.> Borax: A white, crystalline, mineral powder used as an emulsifier. May be omitted from recipes.> Bran: Used in face mask, soaps and body scrubs as a cleaner.> Buttermilk: Soothing and astringent.> Calamine lotion: A soothing alkaline lotion useful for skin problems.> Castile soap: A pure white soap with no added color or perfume. Makes a useful base for homemade soaps.> Cocoa butter: A thick fat from the cocoa bean, which makes a rich emollient in creams.> Distilled water: only pure water is suitable for making cosmetics. Tap water and rainwater contain too many impurities.> Emulsifying wax: A wax used to emulsify oil and water in creams.> Fuller's earth: A fine gray powder derived from single-cell algae found on seabeds. Its absorbent properties and mineral richness make it an excellent face mask.> Gelatin: A colorless, odorless, tasteless glue and a rich source of water-soluble protein, obtained by boiling animal bones. Used in eye ointments and nail-hardening lotions. Agar agar is a vegetable substitute.> Glycerin: A thick, colorless, odorless syrup and byproduct of soap manufacture. It mixes with water, is soluble in alcohol and has softening properties.> Honey: Softening, healing and binds other ingredients togather.> Iodine: Used as an antiseptic.> Kaolin: The purest form of clay, useful in face masks.> Lanoline: A thick, sticky fat obtained from sheep's wool. softens and nourishes the skin.> Liquid paraffin: A mineral oil that is not absorbed by the skin, making it useful in barrier creams.> Oils: Almond, avocado, wheatgerm, carrot, coconut and nut kernel oils are particularly skin-enriching. Castor oil disperses in water, making it a good vehicle for scented bath oils.> Oleic acid: An emulsifying liquid that can rescue separated creams.> Petroleum jelly: A pale yellow translucent mineral jelly insoluable in water. Does not turn rancid when exposed to air. Used in lip salves.> Vinegar: Used in cosmetics to soften, cleanse and soothe the skin.> Vitamin capsules: A convenient way of adding vitamins to skin creams.> Zinc oxide: A white power derived from zinc which has mild antiseptic and astringent qualities. Usually available as an ointment. |
| ALLERGY No cosmetics can claim to be nonallergenic, because every ingredient holds the possibility that someone might be allergic to it. One of the main benefits of making your own cosmetics is that if you do have an allergic reaction you know what ingredients you have used and can soon find the culprit. Test for a reaction by placing a spot of any ingredient on the inner, gauze area of a Band-aid and attaching this to your inner arm, between the wrist and elbow. Leave in place for 24 hours, by which time any reaction you may have will show. Some essential oils can irritate sensitive skins, particularly on the face. Oils to watch out for are bay, bergamot, geranium, neroli, pennyroyal, peppermint, sage and spearmint. For those with highly sensitive skins, the following ingredients can cause allergic reactions: Agrimony~~~~~~~~~~Glycerin~~~~~~~~~~~Lovage Almond oil~~~~~~~~~Henna~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nettle Cocoa butter~~~~~~~~ivy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Pennyroyal Cowslips~~~~~~~~~~~Lanolin~~~~~~~~~~~~Primrose Cucumber~~~~~~~~~~Lime Bloom~~~~~~~~Violet leaves |
| PLANTS TO USE IN CREAMS AND LOTIONS |
| Many plants and herbs have beneficial cosmetic uses. Those listed here are particularly effective in skin creams. Follow the preparation instructions above. For equivalent strengths, use half the quantity of dried herbs to fresh. Many of these herbs are also beneficail in face packs, baths and hair treatments and are listed in those sections of the chapter. Aloe vera: The sap from the leaves is soothing and healing. Avocado: An excellent skin food with high vitamin E and A content. Borage: Good for dry, sensitive skin. Calendula: A healing herb for rough, damaged and problem skin. Chamomile: A gentle, soothing herb that also softens and whitens skin. Comfrey: A healing and soothing herb that contains allantoin, a protein which speeds up cell renewal. Good for rough and damaged skin. Cucumber: A cleansing agent and toner. Soothing and healing. Dandelion: Contains a rich emollient useful in cleansing lotions for dry, mature and sallow skins. |
| Elderflower: A good tonic for all skin, especially mature or sallow skins. Reputed to soften skin and smooth wrinkles, fade freckles and soothe sunburn. Essential oils: These are excellent additions to creams and lotions. Fennel: Cleansing and soothing. Add crushed seeds to face packs. Houseleek: A healing, softening and soothing herb especially good for dry, sensitive skins. Ivy: Relieves sunburn; helps to disperse trapped fluids and toxins in the fight against cellulite. Lady's mantle: A healing herb for soothing dry, sensitive skin and rough hands; makes a good astringent for large pores. Lavender: A healing and gentle cleanser and tonic for all skin types. Lemon: An astringent that restores the skin's natural acid balance. Linden blossom: Soothes and softens the skin. Deep cleansing. Lupine seed: A cleanser and pore refiner for oily skin. Marsh mallow: A healing softener for dry skins, chapped hands and sunburn. |
| Nettle: A deep cleanser, particularly good for oily skin. Orange flower: An execellent skin tonic, said to help restore the skin's acid barrier. Also treats dry skin and broken capillaries and stimulates cell replacement. Parsley: A conditioner for dry, sensitive and troubled skins. Peppermint: A stimulating astringent that clears the complexion. Rose: A soothing and gentle cleanser that has a refining and softening effect on the skin. Rosemary: An invigorating tonic and antiseptic which boosts circulation and deep skin cleansing. Sage: A cleansing, stimulating astringent which also tightens pores. Thyme: A stimulating but gentle antiseptic cleanser. Violet: A gentle, soothing astringent. Watercress: Expressed juice can help to clear blemishes. Witch hazel: Soothing and astringent. Distilled witch hazel contains 15% alcohol. Yarrow: A healing and cleansing astringent. |
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| HERBS FOR FACE PACKS For normal skin: fennel, juniper berries, lady's mantle, linden flower, mints, nettle For dry and sensitive skin: comfrey, houseleek, march mallow, pounded flex or quince seed. For oily skin: sage, yarrow; 2 tablespoons of pounded fennel or lupine seed to refine pores. |
| NONHERBAL INGREDIENTS FOR FACE PACKS *Milk products and mild bleaching properties. Substitute 1 tablespoon of the herbal infusion for 1 tablespoon of creamy milk, or sour cream for dry skin, or yogurt or buttermilk for oily skin. *Add 1 teaspoon honey for its healing properties. *A few drops of lemon juice or cider vinegar help to restore the skin's acid mantle. *Eggs are an excellent binding agent. Add an egg yolk for dry skin and a beaten egg white for oily skin. *Mashed cucumber, strewberries, tomatoes, lemon juice and grapefruit juice are all good astringents. Avocado and ripe peach are rich moisturizer. |
| HERBS TO COLOR HAIR To lighten hair Chamomile: infuse 8 T. and use regularly. Mullein flower: make a decoction. Rhubarb root: make a decoction. Privet leaves: make a decoction. Holloyhock(blue-purple flowers); improves dingy yellow hair. use as a decoction. To darken hair Sage: make a decoction. Sage and rosemary leaves: make a decoction. Sage and dried raspberry leaves: make a decoction. Green outer shells of unripe walnuts: crush, add a pinch of salt, cover with water and soak for 3 days. Then add 3 c. water and simmer for 5 hours, adding more water as necessary to maintain at least 1 c. liquide. Strain and reduce to 1 c. by boiling. Ivy berries: make a decoction. To redden hair Alkanet root; make a decoction. Calendula; make a decoction. Henna: follow product instructions careful, as results are variable. Red hibiscus: make a decoction. Saffron: make a decoction For gray hair Hollyhock (blue-purple flowers): removes yellow tones. Use as a decoction. Betony: Highlights yellow tones. Use as a decoction. Sage: darkens grey hair and adds luster. Use as a decoction Make your selection from the list above. Make a strong decoction, simmering 2 oz. herb in 4 cups of water for 20 minutes, keeping the lid on the pan. Cool, strain and pour through the hair, catching the rinse in a bowl Repeat as many times as possible. Use an old towel to pat hair dry as some color will come off. These are progressive dyes, so the more you use them, the stronger the effect. For a more intence color, make the rinse into a paste. Use only 1 cup of water for the decoction and 1 oz. of herb. Boil, strain and add kaolin powder to make a smooth paste. Apply to the hair roots wearing thin rubber gloves and gradually work down the hair strands. Cover the head with a small hot towel and a plastic bag to retain the heat. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse off. If further color is required, leave the paste on longer next time |
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| Therapeutic Bath Herbs |
| Relaxing bath herbs Chamamile Linden flower Hops Meadowsweet Jasmine Valerian Stimulating bath herbs Basil Mint Bay Pennyroyal Eucalyptus Pine Fennel Rosemary Ivy Sage Lavender Tansy Lemon balm Thyme Lemon verbena |
| Healing bath herbs Calendula Lady's mantle Comfrey Spearmint Houseleek Yarrow Spring tonic bath herbs Blackberry leaves Lawn daisies Dandelion Nettle |
| Herbs For Facial Steam |
| To remove impurities Fennel Nettle Linden blossom To boost circulation and aid deep cleaning Nettle Rosemary For soothing and gentle cleansing Applemint Lemon balm Chamomile Rose petal Chervil Spearmint Lavender Thyme For healing Comfrey(roots and Leaves) Fennel For oily skin Calendula flowers Crushed lupine seeds Geranium Sage Horsetail Yarrow For dry, sensitive skins Borage Parsley Cornflower Salad burnet Houseleek Sorrel Lady's mantle Sweet violet Marsh mallow For mature or sallow skins Dandelion Red clover Elderflower Tansy Lemon verbena |
| I have been getting a lot of E-Mail from people asking for recipes for this section. So I have decided to add to my beauty page. The Link below will take you to my recipe pages. If you still can't find what you are looking for please e-mail me and I'll see if I can't find it for you. |
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| Still in the works! |
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