Summer Skincare Love - 3 Easy Recipes You'll Love

• 6.5 teaspoons aloe vera natural gel
• 1.5 teaspoon of jojoba oil or olive oil

Add 3 teaspoons of the aloe vera gel to a clean and sterilised jar (run the jar on a hot wash through the dishwasher to ensure it's fully clean).  Then add the jojoba oil or olive oil.  Mix together until the gel goes opaque then add the remaining aloe vera gel.  This base will keep in a fridge for 6+ weeks or in a cool place in your room for approx 4 weeks.  Aloe vera is an AMAZING skin soother so it's great for insect bites, and olive and jojoba oils are full of natural compounds that encourage skin healing.

Next add the essential oils that will help calm the insect bite itching:

• 4 drops of Sweet Basil
• 8 drops of Tea Tree
• 4 drops Lavender
• 4 drops Niaouli

Rub onto the affected areas and let the mix air-dry to soothe and calm the skin

Do not use this blend if pregnant - Sweet Basil should be avoided during pregnancy

 

AFTER-SUN COOLING MOUSSE:

Make a base using the above recipe for Aloe Vera and Jojoba/Olive oil but this time use tablespoons rather than teaspoons to make a larger volume.

Dealing with sore skin after exposure to the sun is massively helped just by the application of the Aloe Vera mixture on its own as it is so cooling and soothing.  But if you add essential oils to the mix, you'll end up with a product that really helps heal and speeds up recovery of the redness, as well as offering soothing relief.

So here's the blend I recommend:

• 25 drops of Lavender
• 10 drops of Chamomile (German or Roman)
• 10 drops of Geranium
• 10 drops of Peppermint or Spearmint
• 5 drops of Helichrysum or Yarrow (or if you don't have these add an additional 5 drops of Lavender

Add the above oils into the base that you've made earlier, and massage into your skin where the sun has caused any redness, dryness or soreness.  It offers instant cooling and instant healing.  Keep applying for a couple of days to keep the skin smooth, especially nice when applied in the evenings.  And make sure to keep the factor 30+ to hand.  Avoiding sunburn in the first place is the best thing of all!

 

Even if you've been good and have avoided any kind of sun burn, your skin will still dry out after a day on the beach - that salt water, sand and sun will work their magic!  I love applying this easy to make, super rich, intensly nourishing body oil at the end of the beach day.  Plus it's packed full of soothing essential oils that can help you zonk out and encourage an AMAZING night's sleep!

To make the nourishing base, I like to combine the oils listed below, although you can just use organic olive oil if you don't have any specialist oils to hand as it's packed full of squalene - a natural compound which helps strengthen collagen - and is also a very rich oil that works well to diminish dry skin

• 50ml olive oil  - a rich emollient.  Use organic cold pressed if possible, and avoid using commercial cheap olive oil from the supermarket.
• 25ml macadamia oil - easily absorbed and very good at offering protection from the aging effects of the sun
• 25ml wheatgerm -  high in lipid soluble vitamins and really rich, helps diminish any dryness

Mix together well until combined, then add the following essential oils before pouring into a clean and sterilised glass bottle - the body oil will keep for 6 months, in a cool dark place.

• 8 drops of Frankincense oil
• 5 drops Neroli
• 5 drops Geranium
• 2 drops Patchouli

These essential oils are all fantastic skin enhancers and work really well at nourishing dry skin.  They also smell incredible together, and are great at soothing nervous exhaustion and helping with relaxation before bed.  Win-win!

If you'd like to contact me to ask me any questions about any of the above blends, please feel free to drop me a line at marie@bloomremedies.co.uk

Enjoy! xx