Soothing and Protective Balms & Creams

I originally made this cream for a friend's children, who were struggling with eczema. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

Heated Oil Phase

• 4% OliveM 1000
• 2% cetyl alcohol
• 5% shea butter
• 4% zinc oxide
• 13.5% oils: calendula, sunflower, grapeseed or infused oils
• 0.5% Vitamin E

Heated Water Phase

• 68% infusion: lavender, rooibos and/or chamomile

Cool Down Phase

• 1% Geogard 221
• 0.5% chamomile essential oil
• 0.5% Bisabolol
• 1% allantoin

Equipment:

• Beakers
• Thermometer
• pH test strips or pH meter
• Spatula
• Stick blender
• Glass jar

Method:

1. In a beaker add all the oil phase ingredients and melt through.
2. While that is melting, prepare your water phase infusion or 'tea' by steeping the botanical(s) in freshly boiled water and then straining out all plant matter.
3. When the oil and water phases are both around 75 C, pour the oil phase into the water phase and homogenise with a stick blender for a minute or two until the emulsion has formed.
4. Stir by hand while it cools down, then add in the cool-down phase ingredients and mix well to incorporate.
5. Test and adjust the pH if required to around 5.5.
6. Decant into a glass jar.