Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup calendula flowers
• 1 cup natural sweet almond cream
• 2 teaspoon wheatgerm (which contains some vitamin e)
• 2 tablespoon jojoba oil (thise is easily absorbed into the skin
• 30 drops pure lavender essential oil

Place the flowers and cream into the top portion of a double boiler (preferably glass) and heat gently over a medium heat. The cream should become liquid, but not boil.

Place some cheesecloth over a jug or bowl and pour the liquid into it. Strain all the liquid through the cheesecloth, squeezing it to get as much of the liquid as possible out of it.

Add the wheatgerm and jojoba oils to this and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Add the lavender drops and stir thoroughly once more.

Decant into wide-necked bottles and allow to cool thoroughly before placing the lid on.

Our customer is very pleased with the result. After 4 months, her mother’s leg only has a slight red tinge left, the ulcer has healed.

We will make this mixture up for you with pleasure. Please give us 3-4 days notice as we prefer to make each batch fresh.

All the ingredients are available from us, as well as various sized bottles if you wish to make your own cream.

Happy brewing.

Hydrosols are the purified waters that are left over after an essential oil has been distilled.

Ones that are more well known are: Rose water and Sweet Orange water. These two are often added to biscuits and other confectionaries to add a subtle flavour.

But in these hot, sultry, summer days, there is nothing better than choosing your favourite floral/herbal water and using it as an instant mister to cool yourself down and close those pores that have been opened wide by the heat.

EHP has the following available in a ready-to-use 175ml spray bottle: Chamomile (Sensitive skin), Jasmine, Lavender, Neroli, Rose, Sweet Orange, Tea Tree, and Witchhazel.

Scented bath bombs:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups bicarbonate of soda

1/2 cup citric acid

8 drops essential oil (Suggestions: Lavender; Lemon and lime [4 drops of each]; tea tree; jasmine blend; rose blend; neroli etc)

1/2 teaspoon sweet alomond oil

2 drops food colouring

• Combine all ingredients
• Press into muffin pan or mould of your choice
• Release from mould
• Wrap in coloured cellophane and tie with a ribbon or raffia

Scented body powder

Ingredients:

1 cup bicarbonate of soda

1 cup cornflour

10-20 drops essential oil (your choice: any of the suggestions used in the bath fizz could be used)

Glass jar

Combine the bicarb and cornflour in the jar. Add the essential oil, a few drops at a time, shaking well after each addition. Break up lumps with a fork. Test the scent after each addition to guage the strength of the scent. Allow the powder to set for a day or two before using, to allow the essential oil to completely absorb. Decorate jar with ribbons, handmade labels etc.

Honey and almond scrub bar

Ingredients:

1kg Glycerine soap base

2 tablespoons finely ground oatmeal

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon cedarwood essential oil

• Melt soap base in a double boiler.
• Add oatmeal and honey. Mix
• Add essential oil. Mix
• Pour into moulds and allow to set thoroughly.

Here is the recipe again, if you missed it. We sell organic castille liquid soap.

RECIPE:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup liquid castille soap
  
• 1/2 of a teaspoon (or several capsules) of vitamin e oil
  
• 20 drops of Essential Oils of choice (peppermint and grapefruit, or lavender, or rosemary). These are good choices to start with.
• For dry hair: add 1/2 tsp olive or almond oil (optional)

METHOD:

1. Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind (pump soap dispensers)
2. Shake well to mix.
3. Keep in shower for up to a month.
4. Shake before each use.
5. Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup liquid castille soap
  
• 1/2 of a teaspoon (or several capsules) of vitamin e oil
  
• 20 drops of Essential Oils of choice (peppermint and grapefruit, or lavender, or rosemary). These are good choices to start with.
• For dry hair: add 1/2 tsp olive or almond oil (optional)

METHOD:

1. Combine all ingredients in an old shampoo bottle or jar of some kind (pump soap dispensers)
2. Shake well to mix.
3. Keep in shower for up to a month.
4. Shake before each use.
5. Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.

Please let us know how this worked for you. It is an American recipe for their climate. We would like to know how you found it for our South African climate. I will be trying it out over the next week.

This recipe was taken from: http://wellnessmama.com/3701/how-to-make-natural-shampoo-easy-recipe/

Cut into pieces, 100g pure glycerine soap and place into a glass jug or other suitable container. Place the jug into a pot of hot water and melt over a medium heat.

Once the soap is melted, add 10ml moisturising oil. I added palm oil. Mix until all melted. Remove from heat.

Add 5ml Neem oil (Organic and cold pressed). Mix well to ensure all ingredients are well blended.

Pour into a mold and allow it to set.

When the soap has cooled and hardened, it is light brown in colour. It does not foam a lot, but the results are very good.

One happy little Jessie.

The second alternative is a cream, which you can make up yourself or order from us. It contains only natural products and is “Good enough to eat”. In other words, will do you no harm. It contains jojoba oil (A natural preserving oil), beeswax, and distilled water (we use a hydrosol, which is the water left over after an essential oil has been distilled).

Pure cream recipe
250ml Jojoba oil
30g beeswax
250ml distilled water/hydrosol of your choice (We used Neroli because of its calming benefits)

Method
Place the Jojoba oil into a double boiler over a medium heat. (a glass bowl in a pot of heated water works well).
Add the beeswax and slowly let it melt. Stir occasionally to aid the melting process.
Do not let the oil get too hot.
Once the beeswax has melted totally, take the oil mixture off the heat and stir well.
Allow it to cool to lukewarm temperature.
Using an electric whisk or hand held blender, start mixing the oil and slowly and steadily add the water mixture.
It will appear to be too “liquidy”, but the more water you add, the thicker the cream gets.
If is still appears to be too soft when all the water has been added, it could be because it is too warm. Allow it to cool and you will have a lovely creamy consistency.
At this stage you can bottle into dark glass jars and store.
This mixture should last a minimum of 3 months outside the fridge because of the ingredients.
If you add any herbal teas to it, the shelf life will be shorter out the fridge and it is recommended to keep in the fridge.

Watch this video from Rickvanman. He demonstrates the process very well. Please contact us if you have any queries.

Woodcutting by Dina Cormick

Mothers Day is this Sunday, 13th May, and we want to say thank you to all moms.

We have a few items which you can get from us at the Shongweni Market tomorrow morning.

Lip Balms:

• Grapefruit and Peppermint with Marula oil and beeswax: R21.00
• Lavender and chamomile with Aloe Ferrox and beeswax: R22.00
• Sweet Orange with Calendula and beeswax: R11.00

Tissue oil roll on:

• Marula: Which can be used to help treat dry, chapping skin, reduce skin redness, and improve the appearance of scar tissue: R29.00
• Rosehip: Which has been known to help reduce fine lines, help improve appearance of scars and reduce uneven skin tone: R25.00

This recipe was taken from a you tube presentation by mountain Herbs and then adapted for our south African climate and oils that are more local. The following recipe makes 50ml, which we placed into 5 little 10ml balm tubs. Please note that we sell this lip balm if you do not wish to make your own.

Grapefruit and Peppermint Lip Balm

• 16ml Beeswax
• 33ml Marula oil
• 20 drops Grapefruit pure essential oil
• 8 drops Lime pure essential oil
• 2 drops Peppermint pure essential oil

• Place beeswax in a double boiler (for such small quantities i used a small glass jar placed into a small pot of gently bubbling hot water).
• Add Marula oil once the wax is all melted. The wax will harden when it comes into contact with the colder oil. Keep it in the hot water and gently stir until it is all melted again.
• Take off the heat and stir in the essential oils.
• Decant into the containers of your choice.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil and Jojoba Oil

According to Ann Worwood, author of “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy,” a mixture of eucalyptus essential oil and jojoba oil can be used to help get rid of pigmentation and dark spots on the face. Combine ½ tsp. eucalyptus essential oil with 4 tsp. jojoba oil in a small bottle or container and shake to combine. Gently massage a small amount of the mixture onto the affected area and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing with clean water and washing with a mild cleanser. This treatment can be repeated daily unless it bothers your skin, and unused portions of the mixture can be stored in a dark, dry place for 30 days.

Here is a very well explained step by step instruction video on making a beeswax and Calendula lip balm. Have fun and let us know how yours turned out.