 |
| Stella Crown & The HoneyBee Project |
I’ ve never liked snow. In fact, I really don’ t like winter. If I could afford it, I would choose to spend summer in Greece and winter in Australia. Sounds extreme, maybe but I don’ t like to suffer and the cold makes me suffer. My skin is sensitive, so when the winter arrives, it leaves its marks on me right away. My hands and lips cry for help. This is why, it has been necessary lately to make a rich and nourishing hand repair cream, to instantly heal my hands from the damage caused by the extreme weather conditions.
Influenced by hanging out with several beekeepers lately, I decided to dedicate my cream to the miraculous bee. And the result has more than compensated me! So, I used:
- pure beeswax, because it contains antibiotic substances and provides rich antioxidant action, it heals and softens the skin while enhancing its elasticity. It is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that maintains the skin’s moisture to normal levels, by creating a protective hydro- lipid film on its surface.
- propolis, because of its antiviral, antifungal and anti- inflammatory properties and its antioxidant and healing action on any skin condition. It fights aging and it’s very effective in treatingg dry and damaged skin, such chapped hands, lips, etc.
- honey, it protects the skin from infections, is a natural moisturiser that can soften even the most dehydrated skin or hair and it fights free radicals thanks to its antioxidant properties, keeping the skin refreshed. It boosts the wound healing process and is a mild antiseptic.
- royal jelly, because it is a rich source o vitamins, amino acids and minerals, it refreshes the skin, boosts collagen production and speeds up the wound healing process.
If we were talking about face cream, I would really like to find and be able to use bee venom, which is considered the absolute natural botox, famous for its anti- aging and firming properties. This cream however, is also excellent as a night cream; just looking at the ingredients is enough to understand its anti- aging action. Even without the bee venom.
Keep refrigerated as it contains royal jelly.
recipe for ~100 g | 3.5 oz
cosmetic phase A
8 g | 0.3 oz lanolin or vegetable lanolin
7 g | 0.25 oz coco butter
4 g | 0.14 oz centella asiatica oil
3 g | 0.11 oz calendula oil
3 g | 0.11 oz hypericum (St. John’ s Wort) oil
4 g | 0.14 oz beeswax
4 g | 0.14 oz emulsifier
cosmetic phase B
19 g | 0.7 oz achillea floral water
19 g | 0.7 oz chamomile floral water
5 g | 0.2 oz aloe vera gel
5 g | 0.2 oz vegetable glycerin
1 g | 0.04 oz propolis tincture
1 g | 0.04 oz allantoin
cosmetic phase C
4 g | 0.14 oz evening primrose oil
5 g | 0.2 oz silk protein
5 g | 0.2 oz pro- vitamin B5 (d- panthenol)
1 g | 0.04 oz vitamin E
1 g | 0.04 oz Taygetus thyme honey
1 g | 0.04 oz Taygetus thyme honey
1 g | 0.04 oz natural preservative
0,4 g |r 0.014 oz royal jelly
cosmetic phase D
1 g | 0.04 oz honey food flavouring
- Before we start making the cream, we sterilise tools, containers and work surface.
- We follow the cosmetic cream preparation process, available here.
- The evening primrose oil is added during the third phase, as it is a particularly sensitivee oil. It is generally used for healing wounds because it contains high amounts of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, to which it owes its moisturising and soothing properties.
- I used lanolin for the first time, just to see how it works out. Lanolin has yellow colour and sticky texture and it can blend with water and double its weight without separating. It is not a kind of fat. It’s an animal wax and a very good emollient, produced through sheep wool processing. Its high popularity is a result of its amazing properties, as with just one application, the skin shows 50% improvement. The lanolin that I used is not produced in any way through animal torture- this substance is found on the wool with which we also making clothing. Alternatively, if like me, you gave up on meat consumption, you can use vegetable lanolin, made of sunflower oil.
- Cocoa butter has strong healing properties due to its high contents in vitamins K and E, which is why it is considered ideal for damaged and dehydrated women’ s hands. It boosts skin elasticity, it softens and repairs.
- Centella asiatica is considered a “miracle elixir of life”, as it is used for a wide spectrum of health problems. Its oil is soothing and cooling. It boosts collagen production and helps heal wounds, scars and burns. It is just what our hands need.
- Calendula oil is one of the most effective anti- inflammatory ingredients against chilblains and a skin tissue stimulant. It is an oil rich in flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamins A, B, C and E. It has soothing and antisepticc action on dehydrated skin.
- Hypericum (St. John’ s Wort) oil has cooling and healing effects on burns and wounds and is rich in vitamins, proteins and micronutrients.
- Achillea floral water is anti- inflammatory, healing and antimicrobial, while chamomile floral water is cooling and calming.
- Aloe vera gel softens the skin while vegetable glycerin, which is produced from coconut fat, leaves the skin feeling silky and soft.
- I added the propolis tincture to the floral waters in order for the alcohol to evaporate and its properties to be maintained. Without the alcohol, it doesn’ t act as a natural preservative, this is why I added another natural preservative in the third phase.
- Allantoin comes from the comfrey plant (symphytum). It heals and repairs the skin, it is keratolytic and it makes the skin softer an more elastic.
- Silk protein improves skin texture, softens, deeply moisturises and boosts skin elasticity.
- Pro- vitamin B5 (d- panthenol) restores and heals skin by stimulating cell regeneration and is cooling and calming, while vitamin E maintains skin moisture levels to normal, fighting dryness and dehydration.
- This cream is appropriate for treating our hands and/ or moisturising our body, but is also an excellent anti- aging night cream. I should be kept in the refrigerator, as royal jelly is sensitiveve to temperature.
Stella Crown©
