How to make your own natural skin cream

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Using homemade, natural skincare can help to improve your overall complexion and give your skin a healthy glow. In this article, I am going to share different skin creams that you can create, based on your skin type.

Determining your skin type

Different skin types need different care. The general skin types are:

  • Normal skin: little or no sensitivity, a bright complexion and very small pores. It isn’t too oily or dry.
  • Combination skin: can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others. The oily areas are usually the forehead, nose and chin. It can cause blackheads and dilated pores.
  • Oily skin: enlarged pores and prone to blackheads and pimples. People with oily skin may have either a shiny or dull complexion.
  • Dry skin: can have red patches, more visible wrinkles and lines, nearly invisible pores, and a dull complexion. Dry weather, hot showers and hormonal changes can make dry skin worse.

I can tell you what your skin type is, and discuss with you any other skin conditions you may have. Having this knowledge can help you avoid medications, supplements, foods and skincare products that could make your skin worse.

Making a cream for combination skin
  1. Heat 2 tbsp of almond oil, 2 tbsp of jojoba oil, and 1 tbsp of beeswax together until all of the oils are melted and combined. This will take a few minutes.
  2. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for an hour or two to room temperature.
  3. While this cools, mix 40g of aloe vera gel and 5-7 drops of an essential oil of your choice.
  4. Once the mixture cools, gradually combine the aloe vera and essential oil combination in while mixing. Keep adding slowly until you get a thick consistency – you may not need to add all of the aloe vera.
  5. Stop once you get the thickness you like, and transfer the cream into a jar.
Making a cream for oily skin
  1. Heat 5 tbsp of jojoba oil, 2 tbsp hemp seed oil, and 5 tsp beeswax until melted and combined.
  2. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature, when it should start solidifying.
  3. Use a hand mixer to whip the oils, adding 1 tsp of aloe vera gel and a few drops of lemon essential oil or tea tree oil.
  4. Keep whipping until it gets thick enough. Then transfer into a small jar.

The hemp seed oil and jojoba oil have low comedogenic ratings, meaning they are great for oily skin and won’t clog your pores. The lemon or tea tree oil will help to remove excess oils from your skin.

Making a cream for dry skin
  1. Put 30g almond oil, 2 tbsp coconut oil, 2 tbsp beeswax, ½ teaspoon vitamin E oil, and 1 tbsp shea butter into a glass jar.
  2. In a saucepan, bring 50ml of water to a simmer. Place the jar in the simmering water until the ingredients have melted completely. Then combine the ingredients well.
  3. Move the cream into a smaller jar where you’ll be keeping the cream.
  4. Leave the cream at room temperature until it cools and hardens, then place the lid on.

The ingredients in this cream are good for eczema, psoriasis and scarring on the skin. They also have anti-aging qualities.

Good luck with making your skin creams! I’d love to hear how you can on, so please let me know.

Till next time,

Shoela

What exactly is Naturopathy?

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Naturopathy is an alternative medicine, based on the idea that health problems are caused by lack of balance in the body – either physically or psychologically. Naturopathy is used to restore balance to help cure these problems. It is branded at “natural”, “non-invasive” and is promoted as “self-healing”.

Importantly, Naturopaths treat the root causes of illness rather than just the symptoms of disease. Symptom management may be important, but it is more important to not disregard the underlying cause.

The story of Naturopathy

The principles of Naturopathy began being used by the Hippocratic School of Medicine in around 400 BC. Hippocrates believed in viewing the whole person when finding the cause of a disease, and using nature to induce cause. It was from this that Naturopathy takes its principles.

Naturopathy principles

  • The healing of power and nature: the body can heal itself, given the right condition and treatment
  • Identify and treat the cause: identify the underlying cause of illness, rather than suppressing symptoms
  • Treat the whole person: when preparing a treatment plan, all aspects of a person’s being are considered
  • Do no harm: Naturopaths will never use treatments that could create other conditions
  • Prevention is better than cure – Naturopaths may remove toxic situations and substances from a patient’s lifestyle to prevent further disease
  • The Naturopath as a teacher: Naturopaths empower the patient to take responsibility for their own health by teaching self-care

Common health issues

Naturopathic medicine is used for most health issues. Some of the most common issues include:

  • Allergies
  • Fertility issues
  • Digestive problems
  • Headaches
  • Obesity
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Chronic pain
  • Prostate issues
  • Stress

What does a treatment consist of?

A consultation usually takes an hour. During this time, the Naturopath will ask questions about the person’s condition, diet and lifestyle, medical history, and any treatments that they are having. The Naturopath may then look into the iris, or tongue and nail diagnosis to get a clearer picture of the health state of the client. Pathology testing such as hair or blood analysis is sometimes recommended.

Once all of the information is gathered, a treatment plan is created to address all areas of a person’s life, providing the body with an optimum chance to heal itself. The treatment plan may include advice on lifestyle, exercise, diet, herbal medicine, homeopathic treatments, or other suitable remedies. A Naturopath may also refer the client to other practitioners as part of an integrated healthcare approach.

 

If you would like to book an initial consultation with me to review your health, please get in touch.

Till next time,

Shoela

‘Tis the season to eat asparagus

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Asparagus is the hero of vegetables, especially at this time of year. The season of these green stalks is brief, lasting from just late April to early June, but the quality is exceptional.

It’s native to Europe and Western Asia, although hardly noticed in England until the mid-1500s. Now we use it in a variety of ways – with pasta or rice dishes, with meat-and-two-veg meals, or for brunch with eggs. It’s incredibly versatile.

What are the health benefits of asparagus?

Asparagus not only tastes delicious, but it is incredibly good for your health:

  • Asparagus contains vitamin K, essential for healthy blood clotting
  • It is rich in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system
  • Eating asparagus can help reduce bloating and promotes healthy bacteria in the large intestine

Asparagus can even help to cure hangovers! It’s mildly diuretic, helping to detoxify the body. Need I say more?

How to cook asparagus

Boil it, steam it, grill it, roast it… This vegetable is incredibly versatile. But here are a few of my favourite ways to cook and serve it.

Grill

Dry your asparagus with kitchen towel to prevent any residual water from steaming the asparagus when grilling. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper, then toss until well coated. Lay the spears on a medium-high heated grill. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn and repeat once or twice more – until the asparagus is tender and slightly charred.

Add your grilled asparagus to grain bowls and salads, or serve with eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. You could also chop it up and add to scrambled eggs.

Roast

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Once again, dry your asparagus and toss in oil, salt and pepper. Spread the asparagus on a baking tray and roast, opening the oven to roll around once or twice. It should take around 15-20 minutes until you see them become golden and tender.

Roasted asparagus is great in pasta dishes or as a side for a main meal. On top of pizza would also be lovely.

Simmer

Fill a pot with water, and a large bowl with iced water. Bring the pot of water to the boil over high heat, and add the asparagus to cook for 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to immediately transfer the asparagus into the bowl of ice water. This will stop the asparagus from continuing to cook. After a few moments, remove from the water and serve.

Simmered asparagus can be placed into soups or stews. It also makes delicious pesto – simply replace the basil or greens with the asparagus. Yum.

Till next time,

Shoela

Your Health Journey: Winter Time

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As the days get shorter and colder, it’s that time of year when sickness tends to spread. So here are some tips that you could use:

If you don’t feel well, do not go. Your body gives you signs all the time. It matters if you notice them. Feel tired, irritable, and short fused? These can be signs that you are about to get ill. Respect it. Stay home.

Wrap up. A scarf and hat enables you to keep your body at a constant temperature, supporting the immune system to function optimally.

Consider taking a supplement during this season. It can include elderberry extract (not the cocktail), zinc, medicinal mushrooms, essential fats and probiotics to name a few.

Think that you might be coming down with something? Consider this winter warmer recipe:

  • 4 large spring onions
  • 500 ml of water
  • 1 tsp of miso paste
  • 5 cm of fresh ginger or 1 tsp of ginger powder

Add ginger and spring onions to cold water. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain liquid. Add miso paste and ginger to and serve.

Till next time,

Shoela

Your Health Journey: Christmas or Stress-mas?

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This is the time of year with mixed blessings. For some it is a joyous occasion with lots of laughter. For others it is a time of disappointment and sadness. Honour your emotions. The essence of Christmas is giving, without conditions.
This includes you.

  • So, support your health over the festive time by:
  • Giving yourself a break. Just slow down
  • Spicing it up: use herbs and spices in those Christmas feasts: Cloves, Cardamom and Ginger all aid the digestive process. A little goes a long way.
  • Laughing.
  • Moving.
  • Most of all do what is right for you.

Happy Christmas,

Shoela

Your Health Journey

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Welcome to my blog. I am a naturopath who enjoys sharing practical advice to support people with maintaining their health.

Health is one of those strange words that has various meanings. For some it can mean training for a marathon, for others it’s being able to get out of bed.

Often you focus on the physical aspect of health and ignore the other dimensions of yourself. Your value of health is unique to you.

My 3 R’s / key tips to start your health journey:

  1. Respect
    Being honest with yourself. Are you ready for change? Do you need guidance? Often, we focus on the goal at the end and not the journey.
    Life challenges come and go; learning how to manage them is the key – it must start with you.
  2. Release
    As you are reading this you are probably holding your breath. Release the air, breathe out. Breathing is living. You can gain a lot from focusing your breath for even a short time in a day.
  3. Remember
    You may work in a digital age with everything instant. That is technology not you. You take time to grow. Trust the process.

So, the next time you question if you are eating the ‘right food’ or doing the ‘right exercise’,   check in with your health journey.

Til next time,

Shoela