Latest Creation

So much goes into making at home beauty products. The selecting, the grinding, the sieving, the mixing and the most crucial part - why.

Why use this herb? Why use this oil? Why this grain? Why this size?

Research and preparation can be time consuming but it is paramount and once completed...

The rest is just one big, fun experiment!

Journey through my Latest Creation...An Oceanic Exfoliator.

For my latest creation I decided I wanted to go ocean themed. I have been experimenting with herbs for years and wanted to expand to the sea. After a few weeks of researching sea vegetables - I have chosen four ocean ingredients.

My first selection is...

Dulse is a red or purple algae seaweed that grows in the cold waters of the Northwest Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean.

It contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B12, D, E, K and P. A few of the minerals that can be found in Dulse are Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese and Zinc. The properties are antiaging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxicant.

What will all this do for the skin? It will cleanse, tone, soothe and moisturize your skin while nourishing and regenerating the tissue. The sea vegetables are starting out strong.

My second selection is...

Kelp is a brown algae seaweed that grows in cold, nutrient-rich water that ranges between 6 and 14 °C (43 and 57 °F).

It has vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B12, C, D, E and K. The minerals in Kelp include Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Protein and Zinc. The properties are antiaging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial.

What will all of this do for you skin? It will hydrate it, protect it and heal it, all while maintaining elasticity, reducing wrinkles and exfoliating.

My third selection is...

Pearls are found and created inside of an oyster or mollusk. When a grain of sand or other irritant gets inside of the oyster or mollusk as a protective measure they secrete a substance called nacre which covers the irritant and then, layer by layer, the pearl is formed over several years.

The minerals in Pearls include Calcium, Copper, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese. The properties are antiaging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and demulcent.

What will this do for your skin? It will control the oil and shine, tighten and tone while softening, repairing and generating new cell growth.

And my final selection is...

Spirulina is a green algae seaweed found in warm, alkaline freshwater lakes, rivers and ponds.

It contains vitamin A, The B Complex, D, E and K. The minerals in Spirulina include Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Protein. The properties are antiaging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxicant and nutritive.

What can be expected for the skin? It will tone, brighten and soothe while encouraging collagen production.

With the sea vegetables researched and selected, they are ground and a gram of each is added to the mixing bowl.

Now it's time to prepare the grain. I like to wash and grind in large batches so that I always have spare but only about a half a cup (90 grams) is needed for the exfoliator.

The grain needs to be thoroughly washed to remove any starch and then allowed to dry fully.

Once the grain has been washed and dried, it's time to grind.

It takes several passes through the grinder and sieves to get the size just right.

With the grain ready, it's time to add it to the mixing bowl and combine them with your sea vegetables until well blended.

Water is added, little by little, until a nice paste is formed.

All that's left to do now is exfoliate!

RESULTS:

The exfoliator is a beautiful color. There is a noticeable cooling effect on the skin. The exfoliator itself and the scent it leaves on the skin smells like you just climbed out of the ocean.

My skin was left feeling clean, soft and refreshed.