I’ve had a quite a few requests asking how to make Blue Chamomile Face Cream without the sodium borate. I finally got around to experimenting and must say that I LOVE this new version made with stearic acid (a natural, palm derived emulsifier) even more so than the original!
Before starting, make sure to sterilize all utensils, bowls, beaters, and jars – I use the dishwasher. Because this cream contains herbally infused water and no chemical preservatives, the shelf life will be much shorter compared to store-bought creams. Be sure not to leave out the Rosemary Antioxidant (Extract), which is not the same as Rosemary Essential Oil and will help lengthen the shelf life. Refrigeration will also preserve freshness, though the trade-off may be a bit of separation. If that happens, simply stir gently before each use.
First you’ll want to gather some of the following herbs to create an infusion, remembering you can substitute ingredients or change the amounts or use dry/fresh depending on what you have on hand. I like growing as many of these as I can, but for ones I don’t/can’t, I like to buy from Mountain Rose Herbs. You’ll want a teaspoon or so of each (dried) or a generous pinch of each (fresh). Some herbs that work well in this cream:
- lavender buds
- plantain
- calendula flowers
- comfrey leaves
- lemon balm leaves
- chamomile
- rose petals
- violet leaves
Place these items in a mason jar and pour simmering hot distilled water over them. Immediately cover with a saucer to retain the vapors. Let this steep while you gather and prepare the rest of the ingredients. I find that about 45 minutes to an hour is a sufficient time to get the benefits, without too strong of a scent, but you can steep this overnight if you wish.
Place the following in a heat-proof measuring cup with ounce markings:
- 1 TBSP Jojoba Oil
- 1 TBSP Meadowfoam Seed Oil
- 1/2 TBSP Tamanu Oil
Then add enough sweet almond oil or infused olive oil (I used half sweet almond, half violet leaf infused olive oil for this batch) until it measures 3 ounces.
Add 1 1/2 ounces of shea butter. (You can add chunks of it into the liquid oil until it is pushed up to the 4 1/2 ounce mark if you don’t have a scale.
Next add 1/2 ounce beeswax pastilles (again, add until liquid oil is pushed up to 5 ounce mark on measuring cup if you don’t have a scale) and 2 Tablespoons of stearic acid.
Set the heat-proof measuring cup with all of these in it into a pan of almost simmering water until melted. Remove from the pan and let cool to body temperature. (Test with clean finger.) While the oil is cooling, strain the herbal infusion into a heat proof glass and set it down in the pot of water that has been removed from heat. This helps it warm up to body temperature.
Pour 4 ounces of the slightly warmed herbal infused water slowly into the oil while beating with an electric mixer. Mix on highest speed for about 15 minutes, adding the following essential oils during the last 30 seconds or so:
- 2 to 6 drops of Bergamot (optional – for scent only; also avoid this oil if you will be using as a day cream since bergamot can make your skin more sensitive to the sun)
- 15 drops Balsam Peru
- 15 drops Lavender (add a bit more for stronger scent if desired)
- 4 to 8 drops Ylang Ylang (optional – for scent only, add more or less as desired)
- 5 drops Carrot Seed
- 20 drops Blue Chamomile
- 1/4 teaspoon Rosemary Antioxidant (Extract) (NOT essential oil)
The cream will start to emulsify after about five minutes, but will still be runny – keep beating! By ten minutes, it will look nice and thick, but still drop off of a spoon. You will need to beat another five minutes and by then you should have a nice, thick cream that stays on the spoon even when you turn it upside down. NOW, it’s ready!
Spoon into jars leaving as little air space as possible and cap tightly. Remember how perishable this is, so make small batches that can be used up fairly quickly. Sterilize everything your ingredients will touch, use clean fingers or a small sterile spoon for scooping out of the jar, and keep the finished product refrigerated if you’re afraid it will spoil too fast.
When you first put this cream on, it seems a little thick – just rub it in and give it a few minutes. It will soak it and leave your skin so smooth and soft. This is definitely one of my most loved items!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post on making Blue Chamomile Face Cream! For other make-your-own-beauty-products ideas, check out my DIY Herbals & Vinegars Page, which is where I’m gradually indexing all of my favorite recipes.
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Thanks for the recipe! My daughter and I will make our batch this weekend. Great pictures and the tutorial is very clear and understandable.
Kristin
Thanks Kristin! Hope you and your daughter enjoy!
As always, Jan, the numerous photos and detailed instructions really help to make the duplication of your products possible for those of us who are very new to it!
Thanks Farmer Doug! I’m glad to hear when people find my posts useful!
Just curious – what does the stearic acid or borate do? I recently bought a cream and noticed there was borate in it, and thought it seemed kind of harsh for an all-natural cream–thank you!
Hi Sage!
They help emulsify the oil and water so they don’t separate so fast. Supposedly, stearic acid will also help lengthen the shelf life, but I can’t vouch for that. There’s a few other waxes I’ve seen you can use, but I’ve only used borax and stearic acid. I’ve seen some recipes that even leave all emulsifiers out – I haven’t experimented with that idea other than a lotion I made my niece. It did separate faster than I’d like, but it was just me hodge-podging ingredients on the fly and may not have had the right balance of water/oils/beeswax.
I thought lavender causes sunburn. Since I’m ultra sensitive to the sun, can I just leave it out? Thanks.
Hi Jennifer! Lavender is not phototoxic (it’s also a really good sunburn soother), however bergamot could be. I only have the 2 drops in there for scent (my mom likes the smell) and since she usually applies it at night, I didn’t think about that aspect. Thanks for pointing that out! I’ll make a note of it in the post for people to avoid if they will be using this as a day cream. Also, mango butter provides a small amount of natural sun protection, so you might want to try that in place of the shea butter.
These are the phototoxic oils you’ll want to avoid applying if you’ll be heading out in the sun:
( From http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/fragrancesandaromatherapy/a/toxicEO.htm )
angelica root
bergamot (unless it’s specified as “bergaptene-free”)
cassia
cumin
ginger
lemon
lime (just the cold expressed oil, not the steam distilled)
lovage
mandarin (possibly)
orange (unless it’s a “folded” orange – luckily, most are)
verbena
What do you use this cream for?
Hi Kimberley! The ingredients are targeted to help dry, aging skin – my mom and several relatives use it as a face cream at night, I like to use it for my elbows & feet and any dry spots that crop up. (I have dry skin, had bad eczema as a child, and it’s still on the sensitive side – this cream is very soothing & skin-smoothing.)
hi there i would like to buy blue chamomile face cream could you tell me how i pay because i did’nt find how i pay , i live in the uk how long it take when i receive the item and thanks .
Hi! I am hoping to have my store re-opened in a few weeks. If you check back here then, I will have a link to it & you can see what’s available! (I’m still getting all of the details worked out, so am not exactly sure where I will have it hosted & what I will carry as of yet.) Thanks!
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Can I freeze this cream for later use?
Hi Mollie, that’s a good question. I’ve never tried freezing it. My thoughts are that the texture might become weird and separated when thawed, but I’m just not sure. I plan to make some in the next week or two and I’ll set aside a little in the freezer and see what happens to it! It would be nice if it works well!
Hi! I would love to try this cream, but my skin tends to trend a bit on the oily side (not dry at all) because I have PCOS, and I am also breakout-prone around that time of the month. I would, however, love the anti-aging benefits of this cream. I stopped using my Clinique (which I loved…sniff, sniff) abruptly when I started becoming aware of ingredients and chemicals and I am searching for a new one! What do you think? If you don’t recommend this one, do you have a recipe you’d recommend? Thank you
Hi Andrea! This cream is very rich and moisturizing, so it may be a little heavy for your skin type. I wonder if you’d be better off making a lotion more than a cream? And maybe adding the anti-aging ingredients such as blue chamomile and carrot seed essential oil. Tamanu is an amazing oil and you might want to use that in your formulation. This link tells of all the benefits that tamanu oil offers: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/oilprofile/tamanu.php It is AMAZING stuff. I use it in everything I can. I’ve not worked a lot with lotions to feel confident to give you a tried and true recipe, but I’ve heard a lot of great reviews about this one: http://frugallysustainable.com/2011/12/non-greasy-homemade-moisturizing-lotion/ If it were me making it for you, I’d use grapeseed oil (very light and slightly drying so ideal for oily skin) rather than almond oil (which is better for dry skin), throw in a 1/2 tablespoon of tamanu oil and I’d be cautious with the added cocoa butter. A subset of people react to cocoa butter with skin irritation. They keep applying more to help, only it aggravates the problem and they get stuck in an irritated skin cycle. If you keep red, irritated hands and use cocoa butter a lot, that’s a good sign that it’s bothering you. Anyway, back to your recipe! I like mango butter better for anti-aging, this link tells a bit more about it: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/butter/mango.php For essential oils I’d go with tea tree and blue chamomile, possibly carrot seed essential oil (which is a bit strong smelling so you might want lavender or rose for a pleasing scent plus both of those are soothing to skin.) Anyway, that’s what I’d do – take a recipe that has had a lot of positive feedback and make it work for you! Good luck and let me know if you try anything, how it works!
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I am going to try this in the next few weeks. Thanks for all that you post.
That’s great – I hope you have a lot of fun making it!
Hello!
Where can I buy Plastic Bottles & Jars for lotions & Creams for less?
Hi Leah! I’m not sure on plastics – I’ve recycled one or two that someone gave me to fill up with cream for them, but otherwise use glass containers from http://www.specialtybottle.com.
Hi! I can’t wait to try this, but I was wondering if I were to give it away as a gift how long should I tell the person it is good for?
Hi Calista! I would tell them around one to two months. You can tell it’s past its prime when it starts to darken. This short shelf life is why I only make small batches at a time and give them away in little 2 ounce jars. One way you can extend the shelf life a bit is to add a capsule or two of vitamin E oil and/or they can store it in the fridge, especially if they live in a warm/humid climate.