14 May 2008

Healing Hand Cream

I am not going to claim any credit for the following recipe (is a handcream recipe a recipe?) it came from the bbc gardener's world program on the healing garden; luckily I had written it down as the website has since been removed... such a shame as it is a great recipe.

Ingredients
100g chopped Calendula officinalis flowerheads (Marigolds)
150g emulsifying ointment
70ml glycerin
80ml water

Mix your chopped flowerheads, emulsifying ointment, glycerin and water. Stir well then simmer gently in a bain marie for 2 to 3 three hours. Add a few drops of lavender oil to preserve. Strain the mixture into sterilized glass jars. Label and date, and store in fridge for up to a year.

Applied externally this cream is said to help with many minor skin problems including nappy rash, cuts and grazes, chilblains and even insect bites.

Nb 100gm = approx 70 flower heads

I have had friends who have tried it and loved it, as it is natural with no preservatives or artifical ingredients; my supplies have dwindled and this year's marigolds are yet to grow big enough to produce flowers for this year's supplies.

NB - I did also try it with rosemary and lavender - equally nice, but then I might be biased.

Interesting link to another home-made recipe for lip-balm here : Kathy

2 comments:

Asclepius said...

Interesting. I have yet to find an over the counter hand cream that can keep my hands in good condition. Given how regularly we have to wash our hands on the wards my hands are in a terrible state. Damn those sick people :P. It might be worth giving this a go. at very least the smell should be nicer than the nivia stuff my girlfriend uses.

JoCar said...

Have you tried Boudreaux's Butt Paste? It's available via www.buttpaste.co.uk (though I think the website is down at the moment) and 'Butt Paste' is working brilliantly, in a protective kind ofa way so skin heals naturally. Worth a go :)