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When purchasing cosmetics, "less is more" is a good guide. The fewer ingredients, the better usually. I've often found if you can't pronounce the ingredient, or if it has more than 6 syllables, then the product's purity is compromised.
While searching for instructions on how to make a cream to soothe the calloused hands of gardeners, I found this recipe from the book Natural Beauty from the Garden by Janice Cox and Dorothy Reinhadt, The recipe is said to have originated with Galen of Pergamum, the 2nd-Century Greco-Roman philosopher and physician.
Galen's Cold Cream has two main ingredients, rosewater and olive oil. Rosewater is a versatile elixir with anti-bacterial properties, such as preventing blemishes and wrinkles, soothing sunburns and stressed skin. Olive oil is high in polyphenols, making it an excellent moisturizer. Olive oil can be used in the bath, directly on the skin, as a hair conditioner, lip balm and cuticle oil. When you combine these two staples, you get a nourishing cream. This cream can be used as a cleanser and as a makeup remover.
Before arduous labor, it is a good idea to slather your hands and feet with this combo before you put on your work boots or gardening gloves. This will prevent your hands and feet from becoming dry and cracked as you work.
How to Make Galen's Cold Cream
1/4 cup Rosewater
1/2 teaspoon borax powder
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons grated beeswax
Dissolve the rosewater in the borax and then set aside. Mix the olive oil and beeswax in another container, place this mixture in a pan containing 1-2 inches of water. Heat on low or in a microwave until the wax is melted, stirring gently. Bring the borax and rosewater to the same temp as the wax and oil, hot but not boiling. Slowly mix the two solutions together, stirring briskly. As the mixture cools, it will thicken, so continue to stir until the mixture is well blended and thick in consistency. Poor your finished product into another clean container with a lid. As the mixture completely cools, it will thicken even further. To use, simply apply desired amount to your skin, let sit for just a few minutes and wipe off.
Source: Natural Beauty From the Garden.
More on Green Personal Grooming:
Find A Cure for Athlete's Foot In Your Own Backyard
The Price of Your Cosmetics: Male Hormone Imbalances
Make Massage Lotion from Pot Marigolds
Go Green: Fashion & Beauty
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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