As requested, I will be posting several waste-free skin care recipes over the coming weeks. I thought I would start off with something easy, which is incidentally one of my favourites: The Rubbish Junkies Whipped Coconut Oil Moisturiser.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 1/2 cup of coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon of liquid vitamin E
- 10-20 drops of an essential oil of your choice (I like Lavender, but I have also been told my Tea-Tree version is very effective at healing sore over-blown noses and opening up sinuses-perfect for making yourself feel a little better when suffering from a common cold).
- Electric whisk
- Mixing bowl
- One up-cycled jam jar
WHAT TO DO:
1) Place your coconut oil in a mixing bowl
Coconut oil MUST be solid to successfully whisk. If you are luck enough to live in a hot climate, place it in the fridge until hard
2) Whisk on the electric whisks lowest setting (e.g. level 1). I use the lowest setting because solid coconut oil can spray all over the place when you first start whisking. You don’t want to be finding coconut oil half way up your kitchen walls.
3) Add one teaspoon of liquid vitamin e. This will keep your skin nice and healthy, perfect during the long English winters.
Liquid vitamin E can be bought from your local health food shop or online. I use this particular brand because it is sold by my local health food shop which means I can support local businesses, and the bottle can be recycled.
4) Add drops of your chosen essential oil. I usually add 10 drops, whisk to mix it through, and add up to 10 drops more depending on my preference for fragrance strength.
Please research your essential oil of choice before applying it to your skin. Some essential oils should be avoided by pregnant women, infants, and young children.
5) Whisk until light and creamy. Fold the cream using a table spoon to make sure there are no hidden coconut oil lumps. Total whisking time: approximately 10 minutes.
The ideal consistency!
6) Decant the cream into your used jam-jar and store in a cool place.
So there you have it! It really is that simple.
By using quirky up-cycled jars, these make great gifts for waste-free birthdays too!
SHELF LIFE: This simple recipe uses all shelf-stable ingredients, a jar this size usually lasts me 4 months before I simply run out.
APPLICATION: I use a tea spoon for application to avoid any unwanted moisture from my hands entering the jar and causing a risk of mould. This also means you can share your jar without sharing germs. A little goes a long way, and the smallest piece will melt onto your skin and leave you feeling soft and lovely.
STORAGE: Store in a cool space, bathroom cupboards are fine. You will notice that the creamy texture can alter depending on the temperature (coconut oil melts when heated, and goes rock solid when cold). If your cream goes hard, simply run it under hot water, and if it goes runny just pop it in the fridge. Your jar of moisturiser can be re-whipped any time, and even when hard it will melt on your skin.
USES: I use this moisturiser on my legs and underarms after shaving, I use it as a face-cream at night time, a hand-cream after work, and I use it as a massage cream for myself and my partner. It’s known as the “miracle cream” in my house! It has cleared up mild acne and blemishes, it’s softened skin, and even helped sooth sore areas such as over-blown noses. This is NOT however, a medical cream, and should not be used as such. It’s just a simple way to feel soft, smooth, and luxurious, without spending a tonne of money on chemically infused beauty products packaged in toxic plastics!
The Rubbish Junkie 