Nicole

Please note: This post is sponsored by MommyKnowsBest.com. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

The holiday season. The time of year when temperatures drop, heaters come on, the wind chills, and the daily battle to maintain healthily, moisturized skin begins.

Winter is always a trying time for skin. As dry indoor air often strips away the thin layer of oil that traps moisture in the skin during the colder parts of the year. Leaving skin itchy and tight. Like wearing an undersized turtleneck. And for those living with painful conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, this severe dry skin can be made all the worse each winter.

Whether you have eczema, psoriasis, or xerosis, otherwise known as severe dry skin, finding new ways to replace moisture stripped away from the skin from dry, cold air is a must! Which is why during the holiday season I love to break out this recipe for 1-Hour Winter Skin All-Natural Lotion Recipe. A recipe that is super nourishing, super versatile and super simple to make.

While I’ve bought so many lotions and creams in my life, including expensive organic blends, but I always come back to this recipe because it’s both simple to make and simply makes my dry winter skin feel better!

Why make your own lotion:

I also love making my own lotions because I’m able to keep out of my blend the harmful ingredients commonly found in many store-bought lotions including:

• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): A food preservative and stabilizer that’s an endocrine disrupter and carcinogenic.
• DMDM Hydantoin: A formaldehyde-releasing preservative used in body lotions that’s an irritant for eyes and skin. And while there’s no evidence that DMDM hydantoin itself is a carcinogen, formaldehyde definitely is. 
• Artifical Fragrances: Including diethyl phthalate, endocrine disruptors that are toxic to organ systems and can potentially emit harmful VOCs, which pollute indoor air quality, cause reparatory allergies, and induce asthma symptoms at home.
• Parabens: Parabens, including butylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben, widely used in the cosmetic industry since the 1950’s. While they prevent bacteria and fungus from growing in cosmetics, they are known hormone disruptions and have been linked to the formation of malignant breast cancer tumors. 

The best part about making your lotion at home? Many of the lotion’s ingredients are products you more than likely ones you already have on hand or can affordably buy online. Making it frugal in and time-saving in nature. In fact, I buy most of the products I need to make my DIY lotion at one online site, Mommy Knows Best. It’s my one-stop-shop for holistic living products at home. 

I love to use products from MommyKnowsBest because they are a leading provider of safe, natural products for nursing mothers and moms who seek an affordable, holistic lifestyle at home, like myself. Something everyone can appreciate this time of year!

Mommy Knows Best carries the staples I use in this recipe including nourishing oils and xylitol powder. A naturally derived sugar, that in addition to helping promote healthy teeth and gums, helps skin retain its own natural moisture by way of a natural boost of hyaluronic acid, a natural lubricant that promoted collagen production.

I use all-natural soy wax flakes in this lotion. As soy also contains isoflavones, a type of plant-derived compound called phytoestrogen, that helps diminish wrinkles, reverse sun damage, and even tighten sagging skin. Making these vegan soy flakes the perfect base for DIY lotions!

I also like to purchase pre-grated wax flakes. After all, who wants to grate wax? Not me!

For my nourishing oils, I use jojoba and avocado oils. Jojoba oil is great because it naturally moisturizes skin by way of Vitamin E, Vitamin B Complex. It also helps fights skin-related fungi infections and promotes overall skin health. My favorite blend? Vie Naturelle Jojoba Oil, from Mommy Knows Best.

Avocado oil is great for hydrating the skin but is a naturally effective treatment for acne, eczema, and other forms of skin inflammation. Because of its skin-loving fatty acids, avocado oil is perfect for nourishing and pampering dry, itchy winter skin at home. My favorite blend comes from Vie Naturelle Avocado Oil. 

I also love to use essential oils in my lotion recipe. Adding them can turn your lotion from simply being moisturizing to a product that is nourishing and healing for your skin. An added bonus? Essential oils also make this lotion customizable. By adding a combination of holiday-inspired oils and jarring this lotion, you then have a DIY holiday gift idea too!

My favorite essential oil blend for winter:

• 10 Drops Bergomant Essential Oil
• 10 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
• 20 Drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Need a few essential oil blend ideas?

Aging skin: Rose, geranium, and lavender.
Energy: Lavender, lemon, bergamotnt, and grapefruit oils.
Issues with psoriasis or eczema: Helichrysum, frankincense, lavender, or chamomile oils.
Avoiding stretch marks: Helichrysum, lavender, patchouli, neroli, rose, geranium, or fir essential oil.
Holiday-inspired scents: Rosemary, clove, anise, or sweet orange oils.

So if you’re looking to help relieve your tightest, driest winter skin, here’s how to make it!

How to make 1-Hour All-Natural DIY Lotion at home:

Begin by measuring out your wax. You’ll need a full half cup. Make sure you are densely packing your measuring cup during this step. Adding less wax to your nourishing oils will result in a greaser more slippery lotion blend.

Now you’ll need to melt your wax flakes. You can heat your wax flakes over low heat in a saucepan or in a double boiler. For me, I opt for the microwave. This can be done by microwaving your flakes in 30-second increments until melted.

Once melted, add your wax to your vessel of choice. Quickly adding your xylitol to your wax. The residual heat of the wax flakes will melt your xylitol into your lotion.

You’ll then add your nourishing oils. I use equal parts jojoba and avocado oil. A few points to consider. Should you want a blend only for your face, add only jojoba oil. If you want a blend more for your body, especially for dryer areas such as knees, elbows, and legs, opt for a blend of only avocado oil. Make sure to stir in your oils into your wax and xylitol blend until well combined.

Now let your blend sit for 15 minutes, or until no longer transparent. After which, you will need to give it a stir. Then repeat this process every 15-minutes for the next hour. 

During the last round of stirring, add in your essential oils. A good rule of thumbs is to add 40 drops of essential oils, per 6-ounce jar, for citrus oils, and 10 drops per 6-ounce jar, for herbal oils.

In terms of storage, because of the fatty omega-rich nourishing oils, this lotion has the added benefit of being broad-spectrum preserved. Making this blend shelf-stable!

That’s it! How simple was that? Making your own lotion doesn’t get more simple than this! If you’d like to see my make this lotion live, you can check out my YouTube tutorial too! 

Friends, I hope you will consider trying your hand this at making lotion this cold weather season. Treat yourself to this all-natural blend. And when you’re ready to purchase the supplies to make this lotion at home, check out Mommy Knows Best for everything you’ll need to get started!

Looking for other natural, zero-waste skin DIY’s at home? Check out my other beauty posts and for more zero-waste goodness this season! 

Now I want to ask, do you make your own lotion products at home each winter? Or do you have tips for nourishing and healing dry, cracked winter skin at home? If so, I’d love to hear about them below!

Connect with Mommy Knows Best:

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DIY All-Natural Winter Dry Skin Lotion

2017-11-22 16:38:47

Looking for a simple, all-natural lotion recipe? You're in for a treat! This 1-Hour DIY lotion is full of skin-nourishing oils. Making it perfect for treating dry, cracked winter skin at home. Here's how to make it:

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Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

1 hr 5 min

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 grated soy wax flakes
2. 3/4 cup avocado oil
3. 3/4 cup jojoba oil
4. 1 Tablespoon Xylitol Powder
5. 10 drops of herbal essential oils or 40 drops citrus essential oil blends

Instructions

1. Begin by measuring out your wax. You’ll need a full half cup. Make sure you are densely packing your measuring cup during this step. Adding less wax to your nourishing oils will result in a greaser more slippery lotion blend.
2. Now you’ll need to melt your wax flakes. You can heat your wax flakes over low heat in a saucepan or in a double boiler. For me, I opt for the microwave. This is done by microwaving your flakes in 30-second increments until melted. Stirring each time you check your flakes.
3. Once melted, add your wax to your vessel of choice.
4. Then quickly add your xylitol to your wax.
5. The residual heat of the wax flakes will melt your xylitol into your lotion.
6. You’ll then add your nourishing oils. I use equal parts jojoba and avocado oil.
7. Now, should you want a blend only for your face, add only jojoba oil. If you want a blend more for your body, especially for dryer areas such as knees, elbows, and legs, opt for a blend of only avocado oil. Make sure to stir in your oils into your wax and xylitol blend until well combined.
8. Now you will need to let your blend sit for 15 minutes, or until no longer transparent.
9. Then every 15-minutes for 1 hour you will need to stir your lotion blend.
10. During the last round of stirring, add in your essential oils. A good rule of thumbs is to add 40 drops of essential oils, per 6-ounce jar, for citrus oils, and 10 drops for herbal oils.

Notes

1. Because of the blends fatty omega-rich nourishing oils, which lend this lotion the added benefit of broad spectrum preservation. Making this blend shelf-stable.

By Nicole Roberts

The LadyPrefers2Save https://theladyprefers2save.com/

Disclosure: Please note, I received this product for review purposes from MomsMeet.com. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

If you’ve spent anytime recently in the dairy department of your local grocery store you’ve more than likely stumbled upon whole sections of milk alternatives. While there are a lot of choices currently on the market, there’s one shining star that deserves an honorable mention, almond milk.

You may be wondering, is almond milk really good for your family? The resounding answer is yes!

Whether you’re a vegan, have sensitivities to lactose, or are looking for something outside the utter, there are so many reasons you should take the plunge and switch to almond milk in your daily diet. Here are 7 reasons almond milk is a fabulous alternative you should consider trying on your next trip to the store:

It’s good for the waistline: One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, as opposed to 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories in 2%, 102 calories in 1%, and 86 calories in skim. Making it a great substitute for those looking to lose weight at home.

It’s heart healthy: Almond milk is cholesterol-free, saturated-fat free, is low in sodium, and high in healthy fats such as omega fatty acids. Heart-healthy fats typically found in fish, that help to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. Drink almond milk and your ticker will thank you!

It’s good for bone health: While almond milk does not contain as much calcium as cow’s milk, almond milk does offer 30% of the recommended daily amount of calcium and 25% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin D per 8-ounce serving. All while reducing your risk for arthritis, osteoporosis, helping provide you with healthy teeth formation, and improving your overall immune function.

It’s great for your complexion: Want a glowing complexion? Drink almond milk! Almond milk contains 50% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E, per 8-ounce serving, while providing your skin with skin-loving antioxidants that help protect your face and skin against sun damage.

It helps maintain healthy blood glucose levels: Almond milk is naturally low in carbs, which means it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels. This helps reduce your risk of diabetes and because of its low glycemic index. Your body will convert the carbs you consume from almond milk as energy, rather than stored fat cells!

It’s healing: While almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it contains plenty of B vitamins, such as iron and riboflavin, both important for muscle growth and healing. Especially for those who hit the gym, yoga studio, or run after toddlers daily!

It’s lactose-free: Did you know that close to 25% of the United States population have difficulty digesting lactose, the sugar in cow’s milk? Which makes purchasing almond milk a safe bet for entertaining large groups of friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers during the holiday season and beyond!

While there are tons of reasons you should make the switch to almond milk, there’s still an even more compelling one. It just tastes better! Almond milk tastes better and is better for you!

Almond milk is also affordable, shelf-stable, and can be safely consumed cold or at room temperature. Making it the perfect drink for outdoor enthusiasts, those going to the gym, PTA moms, or those looking to keep quick and healthy snack options in the car for your little ones at home!

Personally, I have been slowly transitioning to a plant-based diet for the past year and so I’ve been enjoying almond milk for some time.

But with most products, all almond milk is not created equally. Some contain added ingredients like carrageenan, a common food additive that has no nutritional value and has been used as a thickener and emulsifier to improve the texture of ice cream, yogurt, cottage, and nut milk, such as almond milk, for decades.

Carrageenan is not an ingredient I want to consume. Which is why I always look for brands that do not contain this additive, such as New Barn Organic Almond Milk products.

New Barn products are gluten-free, non-GMO, and are, you guessed it, Carrageenan-free too! An added bonus? New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk contains 3x the almonds of other brands. They are also Organic, Non-GMO, vegan, Kosher, Whole30 approved, are non-dairy, and soy-free!

Plus, New Barn has so many awesome varieties available including Unsweetened Almond Milk, Barista blend for coffee, Original, and even Unsweetened Vanilla. Which means there is a New Barn product for every taste and palette! 

Unlike a lot of great organic products that can sometimes be hard to find in your local grocery stores, New Barn Almond Milk can be found in a variety of stores including Shaws, Whole Foods, and Publix for around $4.99 a container! Click here to find a store locator near you!

I have been enjoying the New Barn Unsweetened Organic Almond milk in my morning smoothies and have really enjoyed the taste. Nothing is better than knowing that the products that you love help to love your body, mind, and heart right back!

Be sure to try the New Barn brand of Almond Milk at your local grocery store and see what a difference New Barn products can bring to your overall wellbeing! Also be sure to check out my other posts on health and wellness too! Now I have to ask, do you currently use New Barn Almond Milk or are you interested in trying it? I’d love to hear about your brand experience below!

Connect with New Barn Organics:

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