Homemade Miracle Cream

Beauty supplies and products have such a huge market. These days there are a million to choose from and they range in price from dirt cheap to outrageous. The issue I have is that I hate to buy something and it fail or not give me the results I expected. The other issue is that some of these proven results products are more expensive than my gas for a month. And I can't convince my husband that it's worth it!

I recently researched what ingredients are good for our skin, anti-aging, smoothing, balancing, brightening, and curing (for those scars and marks). Some of the most simple ingredients, or at least natural ones, were items I had on hand so I made my own "cream" from some stretch marks (hello, two babies in the house) and wrinkles, my section scar(s), and acne scars. I tried out a combination of three of the items I researched and to my surprise it has been AMAZING! Seriously. I will spare you gross or awkward before and after photos of my section scar and stretch marks but please know that I would not be recommending this unless I really thought it was a winner. If you have the same results as me then you will be so excited and will never pay an arm and a leg (and a foot and a ear and a nose) for other creams. Why not try it? It's super easy and if it doesn't work you aren't out much except about 30 seconds 1-2x a day.

The ingredients are simple, there are only three and I have included some information, reasons why, and where to find them.

Coconut Oil:
- What does it do? It acts as a natural antioxidant. Oxidation is identified as a factor in skin aging! That means if applied to your skin it will help fight the oxidation and therefore fight skin aging. Second, coconut oil is known for being a great skin moisturizer. Restoring moisture in your skin will help with fading unwanted stretch marks! Also, it contains a lot of Vitamin E naturally within the oil. Vitamin E is something additional I add to the recipe because of it's amazing skin benefits and is discussed below.
- Why do I like it? Easily accessible, relatively affordable, and multi-functional... besides all the health benefits!
- Where do I buy it? You can get coconut oil almost anywhere these days! Even Aldi carries it!! Here's what you should look for: organic, virgin, expeller pressed coconut oil. The organic indicates reduced amounts of possible toxin absorption via your skin. The virgin means it is less processed and "extra" is a marketing term. :) The expeller-pressed indicates it is pressed by a machine (physically refined) rather than chemically refined by a solvent extra like hexane. When you are eating something or putting it on your skin it should be high quality, right?

Vitamin E Oil:
- What does it do? Vitamin E is an excellent vitamin for hair, skin, and nails... in fact it is included in many hair, skin, and nails supplements! It is similar to coconut oil in that it is an antioxidant which makes it effective in anti-aging.
- Why do I like it? It gives this cream and extra boost of the amazing vitamins already in coconut oil. Vitamin E added to coconut oil makes the coconut oil a little smoother and easier to apply as well.
- Where do I buy it? I first bought mine in capsules and just broke the capsule and squeezed out the oil. This was a lot of work but I knew that the oil was pure. I found these capsules that were d-Alpha which indicates that it is Vitamin E in it's natural form. You will also find dl-Alpha which means it is a synthetic, man made Vitamin E. Also, when looking for Vitamin check out the IUs (international units) and the ingredients. Sometimes, to save cost, companies will dilute the Vitamin E with another oil. Look for only alpha-tocopherol. This would also effectively lower the IUs. The higher the IU the more effective it will be up to the recommended daily value. The recommended daily Vitamin E value for adults is about 22 IUs. You will get vitamin E in some foods as well, like coconut oil. Here's a link to the pure Vitamin E oil, d-alpha tocopherol. You can see that it is 14,000 IUs in the whole bottle. A little bit goes a long way when it is pure!

Frankincense Essential Oil:
- What does it do? Frankincense has been prized as a precious oil, dating back to the days of Jesus! It is known for it's anti-inflammatory properties as well as skin rejuvenation. The frankincense is a go to soothe the skin but can also be used to relieve stress.
- Why do I like it? It is a secret weapon! A little goes a long way and it smells nice too. There are so many positive benefits to including frankincense health wise as well.
- Where do I buy it? Just like everything else I have listed above or that we have a choice in buying, there are levels of quality. I've said before that if you are putting it on or in you then you need to pay attention to the quality and essential oils are no different. I believe there are a handful of companies that sell high quality essential oils and after my own personal research I decided to focus on one company. If you are interested in learning more about Frankincense or essential oils in general then please email me!

So here's a rough "recipe" for my Miracle Cream...

Ingredients:
1/4 C Coconut Oil
15 Capsules Vitamin E Oil, oil removed and capsules discarded or 1/2 teaspoon of oil
5-10 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

Directions:
Warm coconut oil... I use a cup of warm water. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small, glass container. Why glass? Essential oils are strong! Essential oils can eat through plastic or any synthetic for that matter, it's safer to just stick to glass. Let sit for about 4 hours. The cream will go from liquid to solid and feel more like a cream.

Usage:
Apply using fingers to problem areas- wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, etc- in a circular motion until the cream is fully blended into your skin. And that's it! I put mine on before bed and/or after I get out of the shower to keep that skin hydrated.

Variations:
I have changed my recipe a little each time. I'm always trying something new! Some other variations I have enjoyed are to mix other oils. Some people don't like coconut oil for their skin which is ok because everyone's skin is different. Other good options to try are jojoba and almond. Both great for your skin as well. I will say that changing the oil will change it's consistency. Coconut oil is solid below 76 degrees so it feels more like a cream than an oil. It will work either way though! Another variation is to add other essential oils like lavender and geranium to your cream to give it additional benefits or aromas.

Are you going to try it? If you try it please come back and let me know what you think! Take your own before and after photos to help you see what your results really are. :)

<-Kassy->