ZARİF FORMULAS
FOR WINTER HANDS, LIPS AND SKIN: THREE LITTLE FORMULAS TO MAKE AT HOME
Velours hand cream, Soie lip balm and Rosée moisture serum: three little formulas that smell lovely, soften and hold moisture; additive-free, simple and in small batches.
In November our hands and lips are the first to dry out. This month, in the Beauty & Skin section, we explained hyaluronic acid and winter care; now we make some of it in our own kitchen. All three formulas are made with easy-to-find ingredients, one pan of water and a scale. We gave each one a name: Soie (silk), Velours (velvet) and Rosée (morning dew).
AT HOME, SMALL AND FRESH
Homemade care products do not last as long as shop-bought ones; that is why we make them all in small batches.
– Before use, wipe the containers, spoon and whisk with 70% alcohol, or scald them in boiling water and dry them.
– Wash your hands; take creams from the jar not with your fingers but with a clean spatula. Choose a pump bottle if you can.
– Write the date of making on each product.
– If its smell, colour or texture changes, or if you see mould on it, throw it away.
WHAT'S LEFT OUT?
These formulas contain no parabens, silicones, mineral oil, colourings or synthetic fragrance. Scent comes only from pure essential oils or from fragrances suitable for cosmetic use. Everything is a simple ingredient you can read on the label and understand.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: EQUIPMENT
– A kitchen scale accurate to 0.1 gram
– A glass jar or glass measuring jug (heat-resistant)
– A pan of water for the bain-marie
– A milk frother or a small whisk
– A clean spatula or spoon
– A thermometer (helpful, not essential)
– Clean jars, pump bottles and dark glass dropper bottles for the finished products
ZARİF FORMULA 1 · SOIE · LIP BALM (30 grams)
It is a water-free formula; so it needs no preservative and keeps for a long time.
Ingredients
– 6 g beeswax (cosmetic grade, pastilles)
– 8 g shea butter
– 5 g cocoa butter
– 11 g sweet almond oil
– Optional: 3–4 drops of vitamin E (tocopherol)
Method
1. Heat the beeswax, shea and cocoa butter in a glass container over simmering water (bain-marie) until completely melted.
2. Take it off the heat, add the almond oil and vitamin E and stir.
3. While still warm, pour it into small balm tins or tubes.
4. Leave it to set fully at room temperature before closing the lid.
How to use: apply a thin layer to the lips during the day and at night before bed. We leave the lip balm unscented; because lips are eaten from, we add no fragrance here.
ZARİF FORMULA 2 · VELOURS · SWEETLY SCENTED HAND CREAM (100 grams)
A rich, softening winter cream with glycerin. Because it combines oil and water, it contains an emulsifier and a preservative.
Ingredients
Oil phase:
– 8 g shea butter
– 8 g sweet almond oil
– 5 g emulsifier (plant-derived, of the "Olivem 1000" type)
Water phase:
– 72 g distilled water
– 5 g glycerin (vegetable)
Final stage (below 40 °C):
– 1 g preservative (Geogard ECT)
– 0.5 g vitamin E (tocopherol), about 10 drops
– 0.5 g fragrance: about 10 drops of essential oil or cosmetic fragrance (see "How to choose the scent?" below)
Method
1. Weigh the three oil-phase ingredients into one glass container and the two water-phase ingredients into another.
2. Heat both containers in the bain-marie to about 70 °C. Let the oils and emulsifier melt and turn clear.
3. Add the water phase to the oil phase and whisk with the milk frother for 2–3 minutes until you have a milky white mixture.
4. Take the container out of the bain-marie and let it cool, stirring from time to time.
5. When the mixture drops below 40 °C, add the preservative, vitamin E and fragrance drops and stir.
6. Stir a few times until it cools. The cream reaches its true consistency within 12–24 hours.
7. Fill a clean pump bottle or jar.
How to use: after every hand wash, apply a thin layer while your hands are still slightly damp. One evening a week, apply a thick layer and sleep in cotton gloves.
Shelf life: about 2 months in a cool place.
ZARİF FORMULA 3 · ROSÉE · HYALURONIC ACID MOISTURE SERUM (100 grams)
The homemade version of the hyaluronic acid routine in this month's Beauty & Skin section. Suitable for face, neck and décolleté.
Ingredients
– 1 g sodium hyaluronate powder (cosmetic grade)
– 3 g glycerin
– 95 g distilled water
– 1 g preservative (Geogard ECT)
Method
1. First mash the sodium hyaluronate powder with the glycerin in a bowl into a paste; this keeps the powder from clumping.
2. Add the distilled water little by little, stirring. The mixture may look lumpy at first; don't worry.
3. Cover and leave for 1–2 hours, stirring now and then. As the powder absorbs the water, a clear gel forms.
4. When the gel is smooth, add the preservative and stir.
5. Fill a clean, dark-coloured pump or dropper bottle.
How to use: after washing your face, apply 2–3 drops while the skin is still damp, then add moisturiser on top. This is the Beauty & Skin section's rule: "The skin must be damp".
Shelf life: about 1 month in the refrigerator. Make it in small batches.
WHAT DO THE INGREDIENTS DO?
Glycerin: a humectant that draws moisture from the air and holds it in the skin. Choose a plant-derived one. The proportion matters: 3–5% is enough; more makes the cream sticky. In very dry air, glycerin used alone can draw moisture back out of the skin, so the cream's oil phase (shea and almond) seals it and keeps the moisture in. That is why glycerin is never used without oil.
Shea butter: made from the fruit of the shea tree that grows in Africa; it forms a protective layer on the skin and softens dryness and cracking.
Sweet almond oil: a light, easily spread oil that softens the skin. Those with nut allergies can use olive oil or jojoba oil instead.
Cocoa butter: gives the lip balm firmness and softness; it leaves a faint scent of cocoa.
Beeswax: gives the balm its shape and its protective effect. Those who want a plant-based alternative can use candelilla wax (reduce the amount by about half).
Emulsifier: lets oil and water combine without separating.
Preservative (Geogard ECT): any product containing water must be protected against mould and bacteria; water-free formulas (the lip balm) don't need it. The recommended rate is 0.6–1%; we use 1%. It is added below 45 °C.
Sodium hyaluronate: the salt form of hyaluronic acid; it draws water to itself and hydrates the skin.
Vitamin E: slows the oils from going rancid.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE SCENT?
If you want to give the hand cream a lovely scent, you have two options:
– Pure essential oils: around 10 drops; for example 6 drops of lavender with 4 drops of rose geranium. Avoid bergamot and cold-pressed citrus oils; they can stain the skin in sunlight.
– Cosmetic fragrance: scents such as "powder", "vanilla", "white musk" or "rose"; the packaging must say "suitable for cosmetic use". Do not put candle or soap fragrances on your skin.
Other options for those who don't like rose and lavender:
– Powder or white musk: a clean, soft, warm scent like baby powder.
– Vanilla: sweet, enveloping and one of the scents that suits winter best.
– Sandalwood or cedarwood: a woody, deep, calm scent; for those who want something simpler.
– Orange blossom: light, clean and floral, but softer than rose. The pure essential oil (neroli) is very expensive; a cosmetic orange-blossom fragrance is both affordable and gives the same feeling.
– Unscented: if you prefer, add no fragrance at all; the cream keeps its own natural scent.
You can use any of them alone at around 10 drops, or mix two scents half and half (for example 5 drops of vanilla with 5 drops of sandalwood). Do not apply essential oils such as cinnamon, clove and thyme to the skin; they can irritate.
The fragrance should be no more than 0.5–1% of the whole cream. In pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children and for sensitive skin, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using essential oils. If there is a cat at home, use essential oils with care; they can be harmful to cats.
WHERE TO BUY THE INGREDIENTS?
These ingredients are available from chemical suppliers, websites selling cosmetic raw materials and some herbalists. Search with these names: "sodium hyaluronate (cosmetic grade)", "Geogard ECT", "Olivem 1000 emulsifier", "unrefined shea butter", "sweet almond oil", "cosmetic beeswax", "cocoa butter", "vegetable glycerin", "tocopherol (vitamin E)". Make sure the product is suitable for cosmetic use.
A SMALL TEST FIRST
When using any new product for the first time, apply it to the inside of your arm and wait 24 hours. If redness or itching appears, do not use it. People with eczema, rosacea or allergies should consult a dermatologist before starting a new product. This article is for general information only.
ZARİF FORMULAS NOTE
A homemade cream carries the signature not of a brand but of care. Every gram you place on the scale, the scent you breathe as you apply it and the softness that comes to your hands give you a small warm corner of this winter.