Glucomannan has been used as a thickener in these two products. I wrote an interesting article about glucomannan, which you can read here. In the recipes, I used a familiar and safe Calendula as an herb. Calendula is a favourite herb of many, but you can of course select your own one if you wish. How to make moisturizing hand lotion and facial toner?

These recipes are quite simple even for beginners. Glucomannan conveniently gives you more texture to your products. Start with a low dose of glucomannan first. You can then easily add it if needed. However, keep in mind that glucomannan needs time to form a jelly. Let the mixture swell for at least an hour but recommendation is even three hours. Time will show the final thickness of the product.

Moisturizing and caring facial toner

Ingredients:

• 100 gr of distilled water
• 25 gr of floral water (hydrolat), rose water or chamomile water (for sensitive skin) goes well
• 12 gr of dried calendula
• 0.7 gr of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to bring acidity to the toner. You can measure the pH value of toner with the strips. My water’s acidity was 4.5-5 after adding ascorbic acid.
• 0,19 g of glucomannan powder
• 1 gr preservative (Geogard 221 or preservative Eco)

Do like this:

• Measure water into a pot and heat it to boiling
• Pour boiling water over the dried calendulas and let them infuse for about 20 minutes
• Filter out the calendula petals and let the liquid cool down below 40 degrees Celsius
• Add the hydrolate to the infusion and mix.
• Add glucomannan powder by sprinkling it on the surface of the liquid in the same way.
• Mix properly, the liquid will thicken a little. This may take some time
• Allow the mixture to thicken more for about an hour, stirring from time to time
• Add ascorbic acid powder to the cooled liquid. Ascorbic acid lowers the pH of the product to a level suitable for the skin.
• Mix with ascorbic acid powder into the toner base.
• Add a preservative like Geogard 221 or Preservative Eco. In this way, the product can be preserved for up to 3-4 months.
• Pack the product in a pump bottle and label it with date.
• Store in a cool place, away from light.

How to use prebiotic calendula facial toner?

This toner is suitable for use on cleansed skin in the morning and evening. Moisten a cotton ball with toner and pat thoroughly on the skin of the face and neck.

Allow the toner to dry on the skin for a while, then apply the moisturizer.

This toner is not suitable for layering. If you want to layer this toner, put on just a couple of layers. Polysaccharides such as glucomannan deposit on the surface of the skin if used extensively.

Glucomannan hand lotion

Glucomannan works great in hand lotions. Glucomannan acts as a thickener with the emulsifier. It gives a slightly gel-like (but not stretchy) structure to creams.

Glucomannan brings moisture-retaining properties to the product. When moderately applied, glucomannan does not appear to accumulate on the skin. Instead, a pleasant, not at all greasy-like feeling remains on the surface of the skin. This is useful if you need a hand cream for office work.

I also used Calendula in this product. Calendula is a well-tolerated and skin-gentle herb. Calendula can be added to the product as an infusion or oil extract. I added both to this product. In this way, all the active ingredients of the plant are accurately utilized.

To add a moisturizing effect, I added sea buckthorn oil to the hand cream. Sea buckthorn oil smells wonderful. The strong colour of the sea buckthorn goes well with the Calendula.

This moisturizing hand lotion is what dry hands really need, namely moisture. Grease or oil alone does not moisturize the skin. Greases and oils only protect and prevent moisture from evaporating.

To add a moisturizing effect, I added sea buckthorn oil to the hand cream. Sea buckthorn and palmitoleic acid in sea buckthorn oil lock moisture in the skin. Sea buckthorn smells just like candy. This is what one person who tested the hand cream said. The strong colour of the sea buckthorn goes well with the calendula.

Moisturizing Calendula – sea buckthorn hand lotion

Calendula-sea buckthorn hand cream; ingredients for 100 grams of cream

• 78.25 gr ready-made calendula infusion. The basic instructions for the infusion can be found here
• 0.25 gr of glucomannan powder

Do like this:

Mix the glucomannan powder into the calendula infusion and mix well. Let the mixture form a gel for about 2-3 hours. Stir from time to time so that the coagulation takes place evenly.

Measure the following ingredients

• 78.5 gr of previously prepared glucomannan-calendula infusion
• 12 gr calendula oil extract, you can find the instructions for making the oil extract here
• 3 gr glycerol
• 2 gr sea buckthorn oil
• 3.5 gr Olivem 1000 emulsifier
• 1 gr Geogard 221 preservative

Do like this:

• Mix calendula- glucomannan infusion and glycerol in a heat-resistant container
• Measure the oil-soluble ingredients into another container; calendula oil and Olivem 1000 emulsifier.
• Place both containers in a water bath and heat them to over 70 degrees Celsius. Mix the phases during heating
• Make sure that the Olivem emulsifier is completely melted.
• Combine the phases by slowly pouring the oil phase into the water phase. Mix gently all the time.
• Stir the emulsion until it cools below 40 degrees.
• Now you can add sea buckthorn oil. Carefully mix the sea buckthorn oil into the emulsion.
• Finally, add the preservative and mix thoroughly.
• Preferably pack the cream in a pump bottle and add a label with a date
• The cream will be preserved very well in the pump bottle for up to 3-4 months, provided you used a preservative. Keep the hand cream cool place and protected from light.

How to use Calendula – sea buckthorn hand lotion?

Calendula – sea buckthorn hand lotion is a really moisturizing and protective one. Apply the lotion about ½ teaspoons to your hands and forearms. This moisturizing hand lotion eventually absorbs well, although it doesn’t seem to do that right away. At first, it feels like the lotion stays on the surface of the skin. However, continue rubbing and the cream will begin to sink deeper into the skin.

Now your hands have a pleasant moisturized, silky feel. The lotion does not leave a greasy layer on the skin precisely because of glucomannan.

Personally, I really like this hand lotion. Even though it is not a super-nutritious and greasy lotion, it works incredibly well on dry hands.

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Almost all of us have used calendula cream sometimes.  It is a basic herb for skin care. It is a very common ingredient in creams and other cosmetic products. I should have actually written about calendula already. Better late than never so let’s do it now.

The time when calendula flowers are at their best is midsummer. However, now it is the right time to put the seeds of calendula in the ground. Later on, in the summer, you can then enjoy the magnificent floral blow and home-grown ingredients for your cosmetics. In this story, I will tell you the reasons why calendula is so popular as a skin care herb and what effects it has on the skin.  Soon you will also find easy calendula recipes in the recipes-section.

Calendula is a common ornamental and medicinal plant

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) belongs to the aster plants. It is native to the Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. In the English-speaking world, calendula is called by its Latin name calendula or by its common name marigold. There is another group of flowers, Tagetes, that are also called Marigolds.  These flowers are completely different plants with different effects. These two should never be mixed. The name Calendula comes from the Greek language and refers to the calendar. Calendula blooms around the year, at least in Greece and other countries where is always warm.

Calendula has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries.

Calendula heals minor skin damage and burns. Calendula is also suitable for internal use so it suits well for both herbal and nutritional purposes. Especially the beautiful yellow petals are tasty. They give a nice and fresh impression for salads and other dishes.

Calendula is really easy to cultivate

Calendula is very popular because it is easy to cultivate. It is one of the most easily germinating and easy to grow -flowers. That is why you should, if possible, cultivate the calendula flowers you need by yourself. Calendula may need additional watering in very warm weather, but usually it grows and blooms without any additional care. It grows in almost any soil. To bloom well, a calendula requires sun but also goes well in partial shade.

There are many different looking calendula existing. You can get gorgeously coloured varieties from the seed shop and enjoy the beautiful blooms throughout the summer.

Harvesting continues throughout the summer until frost

Calendula gives a harvest all summer. You need to pick flowers every 3^rd or 5^th day so that the bloom doesn’t stop. As soon as the plant begins to develop seeds, it stops blooming. A continuous harvest is a really nice thing. You can dry the calendula in small quantities at a time and at the same time enjoy the bloom.

Cut and pick up the flowers as soon as the sun has dried the morning dew away from them. Allow the flowers to dry in peace in a warm place protected from light. Arrange the flowers airily apart on a grid. You can cover the grid first with a cloth. Drying the flowers can easily take a couple of weeks.

How to make sure the quality of dried calendula is good enough

You can also buy dried calendula. You will recognize a high-quality calendula by its bright colour. Obsolete calendula fades quickly and loses some of its colour. Even faded calendula can be used. It still has medicinal effects. However, for cosmetics, you should use a bright orange dried calendula.

How calendulaaffects the skin

Calendula contains antimicrobial ingredients. It soothes irritated skin and heals minor skin damage. The oil extract made from calendula is rich in triterpenoids which are anti-inflammatory agents. In many inflammatory skin problems, calendula is an important treatment-enhancing herb.

Calendula carotenoids are powerful antioxidants. They affect the aging mechanisms of the skin as well as the skin’s response to UV rays. Carotenoids are not the actual UV protection but can enhance the effect of the actual UV protection. Carotenoids also improve skin’s colour. When using calendula products, the skin looks brighter and firmer.

Use of calendula for cosmetics

Contrary to popular belief, the green receptacles of calendula are also suitable for making herbal oils and herbal infusions. If you are preparing a caring cream, the active ingredients in the receptacles are especially important.

If you just want to add the great colours of calendula and less caring features, use only Orange Petals.

There are many different ways to use the active ingredients of calendula

• Prepare a marigold infusion by infusing the dried or fresh calendula in hot water
• Prepare calendula herbal oil. You can use dry calendula to make herbal oil quickly. See instructions for making herbal oils here.
• Prepare glycerite, a glycerol extract, from fresh calendula flowers. See instructions here.
• Use fresh or dried calendula for steam baths. The essential oils of calendula and other active ingredients go deep into the skin pores with the warm steam.

Calendula is suitable for many products

Calendula is generally a well-tolerated herb, so you can use it in all of your diy-products. Of course, someone can be allergic to it. The most important thing, however, is that calendula does not contain strong, skin-irritating acids. That is why it is a very popular herb in all cosmetics.

• Calendula is at its best in waterless creams, ointments and balms. Calendula is rich in fat-soluble ingredients. When you use an oil extract made from calendula as the basis for creams, you will get most of the calendula’s treating ingredients. Orange calendula, like a carrot, is rich in carotenoids. Carotenoids dissolve in oil when extracted.
• Calendula is also suitable for toners. Fat-soluble substances are also partly soluble in hot water. Calendula’s flavonoids, amino acids and carbohydrates are water soluble. The carbohydrates in the marigold are prebiotics, they maintain the normal bacterial population in the skin. Therefore, the toner made from calendula is very gentle and cares for the skin.
• You can try calendula also for making powder cosmetics. Dried, ground calendula petals are suitable for body powders and face mask powders.

You can find calendula recipes on this site on the Recipes tab. Take a look and try to make easy and effective calendula products yourself.

Do you grow calendula yourself ?

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Here are two calendula recipes for you. Calendula body butter is a classic that many make regularly. The foot soak takes care of tired feet instantly. Both recipes are really easy to prepare. They do not need extra preservatives or other chemicals. Only pure, natural ingredients for the best of your skin.

Whipped body butter with Calendula

The soft whipped body lotion with calendula herbal oil is really wonderful for dry skin. This body butter is very mild. Therefore, it is suitable even for very small babies, especially without essential oils. You can change the oils to your own favourite oils. Solid fats can also be exchanged if desired. However, the ratio of fats to oils should be kept the same. If you do not want to use shea butter, you can exchange it for cocoa butter, for example.

Calendula

You can read about the skin care features of calendula on my blog. Calendula is one of the most popular herbs used in cosmetics. There are many reasons for its popularity. One of the main reasons is its mildness. Calendula does not contain strong plant chemicals that irritate the skin. Of course, a calendula can also be allergic.

Plant butters

You can read more about shea butter, mango butter and cocoa butter here. Cocoa butter feels really wonderful in creams as it turns liquid in on warm skin. I used fruity mango butter for this recipe.

Oat oil

I have written about oats and oat oil in the past here. Oats are especially gentle on the skin and are suitable for almost everyone. Oats also have many healing features.

• 1 decilitre Shea butter
• 1 decilitre mango butter
• 1 decilitre of oat oil
• 1 decilitre calendula herb oil

If you wish, you can also add essential oils. Chamomile essential oil, for example, suits well for this lotion.

No preservatives are needed as the lotion is waterless. Waterless creams and butters do not need any preservative. In spite of this fact, you can still make your body butter to last longer by adding vitamin E drops. You can add 15 drops of vitamin E in this amount of lotion.

Do like this

• Measure all oils (no essential oils or vitamin E) and fats in a double boiler or water bath.
• Heat until the fats are completely melted.
• Keep the mixture at 80 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes to improve shelf life.
• Cool the mixture so that it is slightly solid at the edges.
• Start whipping the mixture with an electric mixer until smooth and soft.
• Add essential oils and vitamin E if desired
• Continue whipping until the mixture is completely cold. You can speed up the cooling by lifting the bowl into the ice cube bath.
• Put the cream into glass jars and close them with a lid.
• The cream will solidify to its final texture the next day.

Calendula body butter is suitable for dry skin. It is a rich cream that you can use for skin care for the whole family.

Calendula foot soak

Foot soaks are really relaxing. In addition to relaxation, the idea of the foot soak is also to soothe the overactive bacteria in the feet. Bacteria make your feet smell nasty. This foot soak is easy to prepare. It will not be spoiled easily even if you make a bigger batch. So you can double or triple the ingredients if you wish.

Salt

I’ve told the salt earlier here. There are many different grades of salt for sale. The best one for foot bath is crude sea salt. In addition to sodium and potassium, it contains many great minerals.

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt, or bitter salt, is magnesium sulphate. The magnesium of the Epsom salt is able penetrate through the skin directly into the muscle. Epsom salt relaxes muscles and eliminates swelling caused by exercising.

Baking soda

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is now particularly popular for many uses. I have written about soda for cosmetic use here. Baking soda is suitable for foot baths because it removes odours and acts as an antibacterial agent. Baking soda is also used in natural cosmetics deodorants for the same purpose.

You need

• ¼ dl Sea salt
• 1 dl of Epsom salt
• ½ dl Baking soda
• 1 dl dried calendula

Do like this

• Mix all ingredients in a blender or mixer.
• Use 2 tablespoons at a time in a bowl of warm water.
• Enjoy a cleansing and relaxing foot bath for at least 30 minutes
• Salt softens induration. If you wish, you can rasp your feet at the end of the bath
• After bathing, rinse your feet lightly but do not use any detergent
• Dry your feet thoroughly, also between your toes

You can try these 2 recipes right away if you happen to have dried calendula. Otherwise, you should plant calendula in the garden or on the balcony and wait a couple of months. Enjoy!

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