So today is October 4...a full 2 weeks after my fist attempt at making lotion. I've been using the dense cream - the result of my first attempt, and the lotion bars, and my skin as never felt better! Why can't I be satisfied? Two reasons..the first because I'm just not wired to quit. The second, because when I asked a Facebook friend who makes her own lotions and soaps, to recommend a comprehensive book on the subject, she told me that she knew of none. You just kind of learn by trial and error. The latter got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe I hadn't trialed and errored enough! Back to my kitchen I went. I soaked my lecithin, weighed and melted my oils...same as before, only this time I would change my blending process AND exercise more patience while doing so. After alternating between blending the dissolved lecithin, and melted oils to the water/green tea, the result was pretty thin - almost like milk. The last time this happened, I foolishly added more shea butter, which resulted in a glob of goo, so I wasn't going down that road again. I remembered that one blogger had written that it can take up to 20 minutes with an immersion blender to get the right consistency, so on I blended.

Today, I am doing a happy dance! I finally got something that actually looks like lotion! It feels like lotion too! It has been 5 hours since I finished, and it shows no sign of separation.

Now to see if the willow bark extract, vitamin E oil, and ascorbic acid are enough to preserve it for a few weeks. I'll report back with my non-scientific results....

On September 29, I refused to be defeated, and thought it time to try to make lotion again. I had read an article a few days prior, that lecithin was a natural emulsifier. So I went to my local health food store and bought a bag of granules. I could not find a "recipe" for lotion using lecithin as the emulsifier, so I was just going to wing it...yeah, right! That project was a big fat fail! It is not an accident that there is no picture here...I did not want a reminder! I did learn something from the "experiment" though; If the lotion seems to thin and watery...do not start adding stuff! I ended up with a big glob of curdled goo! By the end of the day, I had almost given up on my quest to make an all natural lotion. Maybe it really could not be done. My next project was hard lotion bars. No water in the mix, so no preservative necessary - pretty much just a few emollient oils prettily scented with essential oils and molded. I made these and scented with sweet orange and ginger essential oils. The smell refreshing, and do a good job of holding moisture in slightly damp skin. On dry skin, they feel kind of oily.

I don't consider these a fail...I like them, my daughter likes them, friends like them. They just aren't lotion....

Years ago, I became aware of the harmful side-effects in most OTC an prescription drugs, and the dangerous chemicals in our food supply. This resulted in my becoming obsessed with learning all I could about healing herbs and organic foods. I became a a crazy gardener, growing as many fruits, herbs,veggies as organically as possible in my front and back yards. I say "as "organically as possible" because I am guilty of buying seed packets wherever I find them on sale. Enough of that! Let's just say that no synthetic chemicals..pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or anything made by Monsanto or its subsidiaries, have come in contact with my garden for the past 10 years. I treat minor ailments with herbs and/or herbal supplements. When I shop for groceries, I avoid processed foods - especially those with ingredients I can't pronounce. Then a few weeks ago, I had an epiphany of sorts: I was so concerned about what I put into my body, but never really considered what I was putting on it! It all started with reading an article about parabens and their possible link to breast cancer. A quick glance at the lotions, creams, and makeup that littered my bathroom, showed parabens in every one! Then there were the sulphates, and artificial scents and colors and emulsifiers - many of which were known carcinogens...what was I subjecting myself to? I then wondered that since I had been successfully growing most of my own produce and herbs, how difficult could it be to make my own lotion? The answer to that question was the catalyst for this blog! I spent the first couple of weeks in September pouring over countless blogs and tutorials for DIY (do-it-yourself) lotion. There's like a gazillion of them out there! To my disappointment, most listed some form of chemical preservative (paraben) among the ingredients. Even the experts said that without a chemical preservative, lotion would grow mold and bacteria after a few weeks....very disheartening news! Could it be that our ancestors had to make lotion as part of their weekly chores? Or did they wrinkle prematurely because doing so was just too much trouble? Not easily deterred, I continued my search for a natural preservative. I finally found a few articles whose authors stated that willow bark extract was an effective preservative! With this bit of info, I was off and running....or so I thought!

My first attempt at lotion making did not yield the results for which I had hoped. I used beeswax as an emulsifier, but later learned that it was incomplete without borax...that stuff in laundry detergent and insect repellent? Uh..not exactly what I had in mind. As you can see from the above photo, my "lotion" turned out to more of a dense cream! Not only was it not lotion, but it had a waxy feel that I wasn't fond of. The good thing is, this is a really good moisturizer! I usually have to reapply lotion every time I wash my hands, but this stuff lasts through several hand washings. I made this concoction on September 20 - exactly 2 weeks ago, and no sign of mold or bad smell, so I'm guessing that the willow bark extract, along with the antioxidants I used are keeping the cooties at bay. I still want to make lotion, though....