Prepare Your Own Creams Against The Cold

No matter how covered we go down the street, our skin is not spared from being attacked or affected during the winter months. This is due to the fact that the skin is very exposed to rarefied environments, to tobacco and car smoke, to home or office heating, to the sun’s rays in mountain places, to contact with irritating products in the home or work …

Our skin is more prone to dry hands, legs and lips, or to suffer from sunburns associated with snow, hives from allergic reactions, acne, chilblains from cold or poor circulation …

Hydrate your skin in winter

A first precautionary measure involves a more or less continuous good hydration . That happens by drinking water or juices throughout the day, by wearing warm clothes, but also perspiring, and if necessary, by increasing the humidity at home or in the workplace using humidifiers.

But, above all, it also happens to hydrate your skin well with suitable creams or ointments. Conventional creams usually contain petroleum derivatives; on the other hand, the natural ones mainly resort to plant ingredients with a composition more akin to the skin.

And why not make your own cream?

If you have time and patience, you can prepare the creams at home, based on medicinal plants and essences. No special skill is required and you make sure to use quality natural ingredients.

Before getting to it, it is convenient to know the difference between cream and ointment. Basically, the difference is that creams contain water and ointments do not, which gives them different textures and properties:

• The ointments or salves fats or oils combined with plant and act on the skin creating a protective layer.
• On the other hand, by carrying water in addition to fats and plants, the creams penetrate more into the skin and are more refreshing.

Some of the most commonly used plants for making creams (and also ointments or ointments) are calendula, comfrey, St. John’s wort, plantain, arnica, cypress, thyme, marshmallow, shea butter, avocado and green tea, among others.

We have selected four of them as an example, but you can use those that you like the most for their properties:

• Calendula. The floral chapters of Calendula officinalis soothe in case of dermatitis, juvenile acne, minor burns, mycosis, skin eruptions, wounds and sores.
• Arnica. The creams with the large floral chapters of the Arnica montana are used in dislocations, sprains, bruises, bites, hives …
• Cypress. The mature cones or calbules of Cipressus sempervirens are a venous tonic, useful in case of varicose veins, hemorrhoids, varicose ulcers, chilblains, warts, hypersensitivity, bites, bleeding wounds …
• Avocado. Use the pulp, skin and seeds of Persea americana . It is a skin regenerator, suitable for dry, cracked and aged skin, and for dry eczema.

How to prepare a natural cream step by step

In addition to the ingredients, to prepare a cosmetic cream at home you will need to get some utensils:

• a small scale to weigh the plant
• a stainless steel container to heat in a bain-marie
• a bag to sift
• a dark or translucent glass jar

Once you have equipped yourself, the process is simple. Discover first the steps you must follow and then two concrete homemade formulas ideal for winter to start trying.

1. Choose the plant: choose the part of the plant you need (the floral chapter, the petals, the leaves …) and weigh it. You will need 200 g if it is a fresh plant, just harvested or acquired, or half, 100 g, if you work with a dry plant.
2. Make the emulsifier: Choose a natural emulsifier like candelilla wax, a plant-based alternative to beeswax. Melt 500 g of this emulsifier in a water bath in a stainless steel container.
3. Mix the ingredients: add about 230 g of glycerin, the 200 g of fresh plant (or 100 g of dry plant) and 200 ml of water to the melted emulsifier, stir without stopping and simmer for 3 hours.
4. Let cool: after 3 hours, remove from heat and strain the mixture through a sift bag. Stir the pasta to help it cool down and wait for it to set.
5. Package the cream: put it in dark or translucent glass jars, seal them and add an information label, with the content and the date.

Here we offer you the recipe for two natural creams. They contain plants suitable for skin care in cold months, they are easy to make and very effective.

Regenerating avocado and calendula cream

This very nourishing cream is ideal to regenerate the skin and very suitable to apply in case of dermal infections and stings.

Ingredients

• 0.5 g of calendula oleate
• 2 g avocado pulp
• 5 g rosehip oil
• 0.5 g allantoin
• 10 ml of plantain infusion or wild rose
• 100 g of a vegetable emulsifier
• 0.2 g of vitamin E (preservative)

Preparation

1. Melt the emulsifier in a water bath and add the other ingredients, while stirring.
2. Let it simmer for 2 hours
3. Filter it through a sieve.

Apply it in a gentle massage, 3 times a day.

Arnica soothing cream

In this cream, arnica is combined with plantain and marshmallow, which makes it ideal for the care of burns, irritated skin, eczema and dermatitis.

Ingredients

• 20 g fresh plantain
• 20 g of arnica
• 20g marshmallow root
• 300 g of a vegetable emulsifier
• 1 g of vitamin E (preservative)

Preparation

1. Melt the emulsifier in a double boiler in a saucepan.
2. Add the three plants and stir with a wooden spoon, over low heat for 40 minutes.
3. Filter and stir to achieve consistency.

Apply it in a gentle massage, up to 3 times a day.