DIY natural body butter cream

Sometimes harsh weather, especially winter, can leave the skin feeling rough, dry, chapped and at times itchy. A rich body butter made of natural products can be the perfect answer to soothe and keep it moisturized. There are many butter blends you could prepare at home.

What you need

3 oz of cocoa butter

6 oz of shea butter

3 oz  of coconut or argan oil or any other liquid oil

Essential oil or fragrance (optional)

Instructions

Ø      Melt grated cocoa and shea butter gently in double boiler of microwave oven until they have fully liquefied (melted).

Ø      Add your preferred liquid oil, (if using virgin coconut oil, melt it first) and whisk the mixture with a hand blender then cool it gently for 5 minutes in the fridge or in a bowl of ice.  Take care not to cool it too fast as it can get grainy or lumpy.

Ø      Add a few drops of your preferred essential oil or fragrance at this point (3-5 drops) and give it another whisk to get air into it.

Ø      Cool your mixture some more 5 minutes and whisk it again. Repeat the process till you are happy with its consistency.  Leave it to set before use.

The Cocoa butter helps relieve dry skin, dermatitis and eczema. It is effective in reducing and prevention of stretch marks and scars. The Shea butter leaves your skin feeling really soft and smooth. It is great for dry skin and softens rough areas of the skin. It is non-greasy and is quickly absorbs into the skin.  Coconut oil is especially good for dry skin as it is an excellent skin moisturizer and softener. Argan oil is great at counteracting the effects of age and weather.

Tips

• If you find the body butter cream hard and you prefer it softer next time, formulate the mixture using a higher percentage of liquid oil. For a harder cream, use a higher percentage of cocoa butter.
• As with any 'at home remedy', first test for sensitivity; especially to essential oils, on a small patch of skin before use.
• Care should be taken when using essential oils.

SliceofNature

What is dandruff?

In our previous article, we saw that drying and flaking off of skin cells from the scalp is normal. However, if the shedding and build up is excessive due to internal or environmental causes, it tends to give the scalp a scaly appearance leading to irritation. It can be identified by dry, fine flaky skin on the scalp. Most people will simply complain of white/grayish flakes on their shoulders which are mostly noticeable on dark clothing.

The common causes of dandruff are; infrequent shampooing, emotional and mental stress, compromised or poor immune system, hormones as well as hair styling and use of harsh treatments/chemicals on the scalp.  

Dandruff Treatment

Dandruff is a mild and easy to treat skin/scalp problem. It will mostly resolve in a few weeks of treatment with therapeutic dandruff shampoos. All affected areas should be shampooed. The shampoos help by slowing down over production of skin cells, removing the affected cells as well as controlling the fungi that promotes dandruff. It is also important to learn to manage your stress levels, eating well, treating underlying medical conditions as well as cutting back on harsh hair styling products and heat treatment.

We, at SliceOfNature recommend a natural, non toxic, non irritant, easy to use remedy for the treatment of dandruff; African wild sage, commonly known as leleshwa.  It is great for this purpose when used in shampoos, treatments, hair conditioners and gels. Treatment is easy; just dilute a few drops of leleshwa (3 to 5 drops) with your preferred shampoo, treatment, conditioner or gel and apply as usual. Repeat treatment 2-3 times a week.

It is good to note that application of leleshwa is only safe in small quantities and only if diluted with a carrier oil or a solubilized solution. For external use only, avoid contact with eyes. Treatment is not recommended on pregnant women during the first three months. Whatever treatment regime you choose or works for you, follow through with recommendations and persistence because all methods of treatment take time.

This blog is aimed at providing suggestions for the management of mild cases of dandruff and is not a replacement to physician advice. If symptoms persist or worsen, it is important to contact a physician. Most often, a doctor will diagnose simply by looking at your hair and scalp.

SliceOfNature