Soothing Calendula Chamomile Aloe Gel
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Ooo ladies have I got a treat for you today! This soothing Calendula Chamomile Aloe Gel is just delicious to put on your skin after a good shave! It works wonders in soothing irritated skin and also helps to soften and heal any bumps or nicks you may have accidentally given yourself. Plus it takes only seconds to dry once applied. I don’t know about you, but that’s a big bonus in my book! You’re going to love it!
Where to purchase the ingredients
If you are unable to grow your own herbs, or find ingredients locally, then here are two of my favorite places to buy bulk ingredients:
You will need a few ingredients that you may or may not have on hand, but would be a good addition to your herbal arsenal. Chamomile hydrosol is one of those, which you can learn how to make your own here, (or buy it from here) and the other is calendula infused oil which you can learn how to make here, or you can purchase that as well.
You will also need a good quality aloe very gel. Please don’t use the kind that is loaded with food coloring and other junk. Get as pure as you can! Mountain Rose Herbs has a good one!
The three essential oils we will be using are Frankincense, Chamomile, and Helichrysum. I have my favorite essential oil company listed under Resources on the menu bar.
Soothing Calendula Chamomile Aloe Gel
Ingredients
66 grams aloe vera gel
17 grams calendula infused oil
14 grams chamomile hydrosol
0.3 grams helichrysum
0.7 grams German chamomile essential oil
1 gram frankincense essential oil
1 gram natural preservative
Directions
In a small bowl weigh out all the ingredients except the essential oils and preservative. Mix well to combine.
You will notice that we are attempting to mix water and oil together, which generally doesn’t work well. However, the aloe vera has both lipophilic and hydrophilic tendencies which means it loves both oil and water. This allows both of them to stay suspended in the aloe vera. As you mix they will slowly begin to come together and create a somewhat creamy looking gel.
Once you have a smooth looking consistency, do a quick test on your arm to make sure you like how it absorbs. Sometimes it can feel a bit tacky so feel free to add a teensy bit more water or oil if you feel it’s necessary. Just be sure to adjust the other ingredients accordingly so you still have a 100 gram final product.
When you are happy with how it feels on your skin, go ahead and add in the essential oils and the preservative. Mix well to combine.
Transfer the gel to a small glass jar with a lid.
Use as needed for pain. Just be sure you are not using this on open cuts or wounds and not while pregnant or breastfeeding.
Store in a cool dark place, possibly even the fridge, although I don’t think applying a cold gel would necessarily be pleasant on painful muscles. Use within a couple months and be sure to discard if it starts to smell funny.
It is possible to make this without the preservative, however, that will dramatically decrease the self life and you would want to use it within 1-2 weeks. Totally up to you, though!
How to Use
Use as you would traditional lotion after shaving. Rub a small amount together between your hands and massage gently onto your legs, arms, under arms, etc. Do not apply to your face. The essential oils combo is too strong for tender facial skin.
Allow the gel to soak in for a few seconds before putting on your clothes.
Yes, I realize the scent is a bit strong from the chamomile. If you do not love the smell of chamomile this may not be your favorite thing ever. However, I chose these ingredients because they are so incredibly soothing and healing.
As always, if these ingredients are new to you, please do a patch test on your skin to be sure they don’t cause you any personal irritation.
Benefits of the ingredients
Aloe Gel
Aloe vera gel is very well known and a much beloved sunburn reliever. It has the ability to cool the skin which brings down the temperature and helps to stop the skin from burning. It is also nourishing and soothing which allows it to help help heal the skin.
Chamomile Hydrosol
Chamomile hydrosol is very soothing for the skin and is an anti-inflammatory which helps relieve any redness or bumps.
Calendula Infused Oil
Calendula is very calming and soothing to the skin. It helps to rebuild tissue and promotes healing. It is anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-spasmodic, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal.
Helichrysum Essential Oil
Helichrysum is known to heal wounds, help with acne, and any skin inflammation that may be present. It is an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
German Chamomile Essential Oil
German chamomile is similar in properties to the hydrosol which includes being soothing and anti-inflammatory to the skin.
Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense helps heal wounds and is a great help in killing bad bacteria. It also may help in reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and stretch marks.
To really enhance your shave you should check out the recipe for my Coconut Lime Salt Scrub.
It makes an absolutely incredible shaving “cream”. It first works to exfoliate and moisturizes which allows you to get a really close shave.
