I thought quitting my corporate job would eliminate my stress.
Ha!
How wrong I was. Self-employment brings with it a whole different kind of stress … irregular income, accountants, hustling for business, sitting alone in front of your computer all day with no coworkers…
But I experienced a completely unexpected source of stress this week … trying to make a video tutorial on how to make this body cream!
Oh I had visions of Amanda-as-Nigella creating a luscious body cream in a gorgeously light and airy kitchen.
The reality was dark and dreary, with echoey sound and going on far too long (thank you small city kitchen, London gray skies and trying to film myself!)
Fortunately for me, I was making stress relief body cream, which was almost as good as chocolate to soothe my frustrated nerves.
And you can make some too. Just follow this tutorial (in photos … while I work up the courage to try filming again!)
Oooh body cream, looks complicated?
If you’ve never made a cream before, you have got to try this project. It’s a bit of a miracle.
At first you have water and oil.
And then… voila! It blends together into the most thick, luscious cream.
It’s kind of like making mayonnaise. But even better (in my opinion.)
Why is this body cream good for reducing stress?
In this recipe, I used a synergistic mental stress blend of essential oils (thank you, The Fragrant Pharmacy for inspiring this blend. Great book, btw.)
This blend for stress relief includes geranium, lavender and patchouli oils and is especially for stress caused by “trying to achieve; doing exams; anguish over uncompleted jobs; unemployment or financial worries.” A pretty useful blend for modern life!
As you know, one of my very favorite things about making beauty products is that you can customize them exactly for your needs. So if you don’t like the oils I suggest above, you can change them! Just make sure to use the same number of drops of essential oil as I do in the recipe below.
Stress Relief Body Cream
(makes about 500ml or 2 cups of body cream)
- 250 ml rosewater ((or filtered water, or herbal tea))
- 1 tsp vegetable glycerine
- 175 ml olive oil ((or sunflower oil))
- 75 g coconut oil
- 25 g beeswax
- 20 drops geranium essential oil
- 20 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops patchouli essential oil
- Blender or stick-blender ( (or strong arms and a whisk!))
- Container to store your finished body cream
- Label for your finished product
-
In a double-boiler, bain-marie, or just a bowl over a pan of simmering water – combine the olive/sunflower oil, coconut oil and beeswax until melted.
-
Remove the oils from heat and let cool to room temperature. Decide if you’re going to use a blender or a stick-blender. If you’re using a blender, pour the warm oil into the blender container, and allow to cool in the container. If you’re using a stick blender, just allow to cool in the bowl.
-
Meanwhile, combine the water and glycerine in a glass or measuring jug, something that’s easy to pour from.
-
The goal is to make the oil & water the same temperature. So, you can get fancy and use a thermometer, or you can just estimate it by dipping your finger into each container. I usually wait until both oil and water are at room temperature. Note: the oil will go white and semi-solid as it cools, this is good!
-
When the oil & water are at the same temperature, it’s time to make cream! If you’re using a blender, put on the lid, open the feeder hole, and start blending. If you’re using a stick blender, just start blending. Drizzle in the water slowly while you’re blending. This is where the magic happens! You’ll notice the mixture becoming thick and white – it’s turning into cream! Add all of the water and make sure to blend it all in. You may want to stop and scrape down the bowl or blender container halfway through.
-
Once all the water is incorporated and you have a thick cream, you can add the drops of essential oil and stir them through.
-
Pour the cream into your container(s). It will thicken as it sets. LABEL the container with the name of product and the date.
How long will homemade body cream last?
Creams are perishable! If it’s very hot outside, you may want to store your cream in the fridge. At cool room temperature (London), this cream lasts for at least one month. However, there are TONS of variables for why your cream might go off … so just be as clean as possible while making the cream, use clean containers, and watch for any signs of spoilage.
If you get any mold growing on your cream, or if the smell changes, just throw it out and make fresh. Use your common sense!
Now go on and enjoy your thick, rich body cream – ahhhhh luxury!
Have you ever made body cream? What are your favorite scent combos? Have any tips to share? Let us know in the comments!