Treat yourself this week, celebrate the Coronation, and make luxe creams with essential oils fit for royalty… and yourself! Throw caution to the wind and use those luxury essential oils and absolutes you normally squirrel away for those special occasions.
If you've yet to buy something decadent, I hope this will encourage you to splurge and treat yourself. Let Rose, Neroli, and Jasmine tempt you with their floral tendrils of fragrance, and add depth with Vanilla and Cardamom.
Alternatively, plump for the most cost-effective oils like Rose Geranium. Meld these with super nourishing cosmetic butter like Mango and weave the magic of carrier oils like Monoi de Tahiti and sumptuous Argan through it.
Using beeswax adds that super luxurious feel to the crème and gives us that luscious protective layer. What is stopping you from treating yourself like royalty for the day? Find your crown and your oil box!
Here in the heart of England, we are in the run-up to the Coronation Day of King Charles III. Towns and villages everywhere are beavering away in preparation for the celebration of the century. Bunting, patriotic colors, and flags are appearing everywhere. Shops are full of color-coordinated party ware and souvenirs. The community is abuzz with anticipation and excitement.
Most of the time, I am very aware of how we are in a cost-of-living crisis, and I develop products and recipes that are always aimed at being attainable and cost-effective. Today I will throw caution to the wind and make luxe creams with essential oils that are fit for royalty—brimming with gloriousness, chock full of nourishing goodness for your skin, and fragranced to make you swoon.
(Fear not, though, this is still me writing, there will be gorgeous secrets for every budget).
Luxury at Your Fingertips
The luxurious skincare world is full of high-end creams costing hundreds or thousands of dollars. Occasionally, this can be down to the processes and ingredients used, but you are often paying for the name and prestige that comes with it.
Aromatherapy-based luxe skin care can be expensive as some essential oils and absolutes, like Rose and Neroli, can be prohibitively expensive, but they are a worthwhile investment, especially when you can use so little and easily make them last. There's little better when it comes to nourishing and feeding your skin, even if you are not royalty, or even vaguely related, for that matter!
Creating a luxe, high-end creams and spectacular skincare at home is entirely within your grasp and for a fraction of the price, too, with careful planning and essential oil know-how.
Where To Start With Making Luxe Creams with Essential Oils?
There are a couple of places to start. You can start with an outstanding, ready-made base and add luxurious butter and ingredients. Or you can make a base from scratch.
I'm all for the easy life now; why make things complicated? Let's plump for the ready-made base - you could even get away with using a good quality, natural-based, unscented lotion. By the time we have finished with it, it will fit for royalty!
Buy the best natural and organic ingredients that you can afford at the time, even if you have to buy a smaller quantity. It is the quality of the added ingredients that creates the luxe here.
Search out Fairtrade and community-produced cosmetic butter that has little processing. You want them as fresh and 'un-messed' with as possible.
Treat yourself to luscious carrier oils that make your skin glow with vitality and health—feeding and nourishing the skin to make it appear smoother, younger, plumped, and more supple.
Splurge on at least one great essential oil and bless your skin with its unique properties. Suppose you can't do that; plump for something that delivers beautiful properties and stunning fragrances like Rose Geranium. I choose it all the time because I love it.
The Best Cosmetic Butter For Making Luxe Creams with Essential Oils
Before we start, many cosmetic butters, like carrier oils, come from nuts. Therefore, please source alternative cosmetic butters if you have a nut allergy.
Unrefined Shea Butter is a nut butter usually made by indigenous communities. Seek out those made by these incredible and hardworking communities and choose those that are fair-trade to support their important work.
Being a natural product, its qualities can vary from place to place and community to community. Refining processes can also affect Shea Butters antioxidant levels and qualities.
Shea butter will boost the moisture in our skin, leaving it looking plump, renewed, and younger. Unrefined Shea Butter is full of antioxidants associated with anti-aging qualities.
Shea butter is extremely rich in nutritious fatty acids but has anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for damaged and irritated skin. It's also rich in vitamin E, generally used to combat the signs of aging by nourishing the skin.
Unrefined Shea Butter can have a solid and distinctive smell, so many prefer refined Shea Butter. However, choosing suitable essential oils can complement and cover the scent of Shea Butter, making it worthwhile sticking to the unrefined to harness all its many beautiful properties. I always use unrefined because I want the best from it, even if that means buying less.
Mango Butter is a seed butter that Is a beautiful moisturizer and skin nourisher that can help soften the skin. It has an abundance of both Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which are well known to fight the free radicals associated with environmental pollution. Vitamin C will also stimulate the production of collagen, which helps our skin appear smoother and more youthful.
Cocoa Butter is a seed butter that can create a protective barrier over our skin using essential fats and fatty acids. Perfect for being out in the cold and blustery Spring weather that we are having!
Cocoa butter is super rich in phytochemicals, which are natural plant compounds. These compounds can improve blood flow to the skin and potentially slow skin aging. It is widely used worldwide to stop skin damage from the sun rays.
Other Cosmetic Butters.
There are many weird and wonderful cosmetic butter to try, so please search them out and choose ones that suit your skin type. Here are a few examples:
- Olive Butter
- Hemp Seed Butter
- Almond butter*
- Cocoa Butter
- Coconut Butter*
- Macadamia Butter*
- Cupuacu Butter
- Kokum Butter
Nut butters are marked with an asterisk *
Cosmetic Waxes
I will also include cosmetic waxes in this section because they have a place here. I love the qualities of beeswax, especially for creating a luxe skin cream that will nourish and protect the skin.
Adding wax to this type of rich, nourishing cream improves the skin feel and the body of the cream. I stick to either beeswax or Hemp wax as my preferred options. Hemp wax is glorious mixed with beeswax, mainly used for lip balms.
Other types of cosmetic wax include:
- Soy Wax
- Rice Bran Wax
- Candelilla Wax
The Best Carrier Oils For Making Luxe Creams With Essential Oils
Before we start, many carrier oils come from nuts. Therefore, if you have a nut allergy, please source alternative carrier oils.
Jojoba Carrier Oil
Jojoba carrier oil is a wax, but so well known as a carrier oil that I have included it where you would expect it to be. Jojoba oil's waxy composition is almost identical in texture to human sebum, secreted to moisturize the skin and create a barrier.
When we have dry skin, it can be because of an imbalance in sebum levels. The beauty of jojoba carrier oils is that they can replicate it. This forms a waxy barrier over the skin. In turn, this traps moisture below and hydrates it.
If you have oily skin, it will trick your skin into thinking it has produced enough sebum and helps to balance it out and bring equilibrium back to the skin. Because of its similar ph. to sebum, it also balances out the acidity on the skin. It makes Jojoba carrier oil an excellent choice for all skin types.
Argan Carrier Oil
Argan carrier oil contains Vitamin E, fatty acids, and linoleic acid. Vitamin E is a well-known, widely utilized, powerful antioxidant guarding against damage from free radicals. It can also repair the skin's lipid barrier, reducing skin breakouts and nourishing the skin deeply.
Argan oil benefits are anti-aging and anti-wrinkle as it nourishes dry skin, helping it look plumper, smoother, and, therefore, younger. It is restorative to the natural lipid barrier, so it is suited to all skin types and can even balance sebum production in oily skin.
Argan oil is such a beautifully delicate product, I find that it is so nurturing to sensitive and inflamed skin, and I have found it helpful for use with acne and rosacea.
Rosehip Carrier Oil
The rosehip carrier oil is one to use sparingly on your face - It is incredible but vibrant, and too much can block your pores, so we recommend keeping it to less than 10% of your overall ratio if you plan to use it on your face.
It is the one carrier oil I must admit I put in almost everything; even if it is the tiniest drop, it is like a small drop of molten gold. Certainly fit for royalty with its wealth of incredible properties and golden hues.
Rosehips were the saving grace in the UK during WW2 because they contained around 20 times as much vitamin C as oranges, and they were made into syrups and given to kids to keep up their levels through winter. Topical vitamin C is often used for its anti-aging and anti-pigmentary potentials, and Rosehip is packed into the gunnels with it.
It is an emollient that smooths softens, and soothes the skin.
Camellia Carrier Oil
Camellia carrier oil is a seed oil that is high in Oleic acid. One of the foremost carrier oils used in Japan over the centuries to moisturize and condition the skin, hair, and nails.
Camellia oil is an intensely nourishing addition to preparations and is highly suited to luxe creams for dry, damaged skin.
I have been using it for decades as it is my go-to favorite carrier oil for use on my face and body. It makes a beautiful facial massage oil or serum ingredient.
Indeed, a carrier oil fit for a Queen.
Monoi de Tahiti
I go weak at the knees for a GOOD Monoi de Tahiti, ideally made in French Polynesia.
Coconut oil has been steeped with Tiaré flowers, highly fragrant with a scent like the tropical paradise it comes from. It's like opening a jar of heaven and being able to slather it on your skin.
If you are lucky enough to live in a climate where Tiaré flowers grow, I highly recommend making your own. But here in rainy England, we are not so blessed. I order mine directly, where possible, favoring home producers.
It's sublime on the skin and chock full of all things wonderful to leave your skin feeling soft, supple, and moisturized.
The Best Essential Oils For Making Luxe Creams With Essential Oils
Rose Essential Oil (Rosa Damascena)
Where would England be without her Roses? Where they tangle through the miles of green hedgerows up and down the land. Where they appear in gardens across the nation, from our palaces to social housing, England has a royal love affair with her Roses.
That love affair does not stop at the garden either; we love it in our perfumes and toiletries; you can find them everywhere.
As an essential oil, Rose Otto is the one that I turn to when my skin feels like it needs 'feeding.' If it looks lackluster, it's always my first point of call. I also love its uplifting nature and how it can lift my spirits; it's a great choice if you feel down or out of sorts.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Neroli Essential Oil (Citrus Aurantium)
Neroli is an Absolute that comes from the blossom of the Orange tree, and it is utterly sublime. It brings the Mediterranean to your fingertips, like applying pure sunshine to your face.
Again, this oil can boost your spirits and give you that emotional lift.
Aromatherapists tend to turn to Neroli for dry and more mature skin. I love it, and one of my favorite moisturizers I ever made was chock full of Neroli.
If you fancy bottled sunshine from the Med, this is for you.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Jasmine Essential Oil (Jasminum Grandiflorum)
Jasmine is another excellent Absolute; as you open the bottle, you are transported immediately to a hot balmy night in India, sitting under a bower of starry white Jasmine flowers. I always find this is an oil that moves you in some way. Which is great if you have some emotional processing you have been struggling with.
It is one that I always recommend when someone is experiencing acne or very greasy skin. It is a beautiful skin soother, and it is widely used in the aromatherapy world to reduce the effects of scarring.
It's one that I often choose because of its soothing properties for my susceptible skin, and it always feels entirely decadent and luxurious—a wonderful, majestic treat.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Violet Leaf Essential Oil (Viola ordorata L.)
This has been one of my favorite Absolutes for nearly 40 years now. When we were kids, my mother used it to make a skin cream for sensitive skin with Rose essential oil, and the fragrance used to whisk me away every time.
Now all these years on, it's like late Spring in my garden with the last of Violets flowering and the first of the Roses blooming.
The scent of Violet Leaf is probably not what you first expect, bright, fresh, and green and underlaid with that distinct note of Violet in the background. Even the tiniest drop in a pot of cream can create an intense fragrance sensation. I use it in a toner spray, and it's so fresh and vibrant.
You never need a great deal of this, so it is worth an investment, especially if you have super sensitive skin like me.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Vanilla Essential Oil (Vanilla Planifolia)
Vanilla Absolute is like diving headfirst into an enticing Italian gelateria. Deep mellow, and sweet. But it is much more complex and goes way beyond the idea of ice cream.
It has profoundly sedative and aphrodisiac properties, and it lifts our mood and makes us happier.
It is used in the perfume industry as 'base, not' fixative, as it brings depth and warmth to any blend in which it is used. For this reason, it's the perfect complement to some of the other absolutes to round out the scope of your perfume blend for your Luxe Cream. It adds that deeply luxurious layer that speaks of decadence and enhances the sensuous nature of your luxe cream.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Rose Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium asperum Var Roseum)
Finally! I hear you say - something more affordable. I agree; it has earned its place here on the list of luxury. After all, it is often used to adulterate Rose essential oils and boost the fragrance level in rose-scented products.
However, I am all for advocating it as a first choice, not a second choice. I reach for it when I want something light and fresh and often dab a little into some cream and use it like perfume. People always comment on how lovely it smells. Superbly fresh and intensely floral!
It is a great choice to nourish dry skin and balance greasy or combination skin.
Make it one of your first choices, and you won't regret it.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (Cananga Odorata)
Derived from a beautiful tropical forest Orchid, it brings that beauty with it as it envelopes you in its heady and intoxicating fragrance.
Ylang Ylang is one of the solid floral fragrances that brings a deeper layer of mystery and luxury. It is always an oil of many layers, both in perfumes notes and its many fabulous properties for your body and mind.
It's a profoundly balancing essential oil, and its properties work that way upon the skin, making it a good choice if you have a combination skin type.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria Cardamomum)
With all of these florals, we need something spicy to underpin them all and to add that layer of warmth and depth to the overall blends.
It also brings a soothing sense of calm and gentleness to the overall blends and your mind and body. It is one of those ancient medicines more commonly known for its digestive properties.
I like its balancing actions, properties, and what it brings to your skin. It is something that I often will include in skincare, not only for its stunning fragrance but also for the qualities it gets to your skin, mind, body, and spirit. It's a fantastic allrounder and one I highly recommend you try, especially for that final touch of luxury and decadence to your blends and Luxe Cream.
Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Our Favorite Coronation Recipes For Making Luxe Creams With Essential Oils
| Luxe Cream Base Fit For Royalty | |||
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I have formatted this recipe a little different, so that you can see and choose to use an alternative or substitute a different ingredient. This means you can endlessly tailor it to your individual budget or preferences. I tell you EXACTLY how much you need for each type of ingredient - so you can make substitutions where you like. I’m clear about what CANNOT be substituted too. Directions: You will need to choose an ingredient from all three columns in each ingredient section. You can mix the recommendations with substitutions, as long as you have one from each of the 3 columns. As you can appreciate this offers you a huge variety of developing Luxe creams from a large range of ingredients options. This will make 1 liter or 33.81 fl oz of product. I recommend splitting into 4 x 250ml/ 8.45 fl oz containers. |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| You will need 3 tbsp of Cosmetic Butters and 6 tbsp of Cosmetic Waxes overall | |||
| Butter and Waxes |
1 tbsp Shea Butter |
2 tbsp Mango Butter |
6 tbsp Beeswax |
| or | or | or | |
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Butter and Waxes Suitable Substitutions |
1 tbsp Cocoa Butter |
2 tbsp Kokum Butter |
6 tbsp Hemp wax |
| You will need 5 tbsp of fluid Carrier Oils and 2 tbsp of solid carrier oils overall | |||
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Carrier Oils |
3 tbsp Jojoba |
2 tbsp Rosehip |
2 tbsp Monoi De Tahiti (Solid Oil) |
| or | or | or | |
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Carrier Oils Suitable Substitutions |
3 tbsp Sweet Almond |
2 tbsp Argan |
2 tbsp Coconut (Solid Oil) |
| You will need 100 ml of water/hydrosols, 2 tbsp of glycerine and 2 tbsp of sugar based emollients overall. | |||
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Other Ingredients |
100ml Rosewater |
2 tbsp Glycerine |
2 tbsp Manuka Honey |
| or | - | or | |
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Other Ingredients Suitable Substitutions |
100ml Hydrosols like orange water or Lavender water. Or just use Spring Water. |
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2 tbsp Maple Syrup* or Cheap Honey |
| *If you decide to use Maple Syrup or cheap honey we highly recommend adding a preservative to your Luxe Cream as it could affect the shelf life of your product. Especially those that you intend to store. Cheap honey can often be adulterated. | |||
| You cannot substitute these ingredients. | |||
| Base Ingredients |
10 Vit E Capsules |
600 ml /23.66 fl oz Aqueous Cream Base |
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OPTIONAL 2 tbsp Kaolin Clay |
OPTIONAL Preservative. Follow manufacturer's guidelines |
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Equipment:
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Method: Please follow this precisely to avoid a lumpy outcome.
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Safety: See individual essential oils blends for safety. Make sure that you do a 48 hour patch test before using on your face and body. If you intend to use Maple Syrup or cheap honey we highly recommend using a preservative. Cheap honey can often be adulterated, so it is worth bearing this in mind if you plan to include it in your Luxe Cream. |
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How to Use:
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Essential Oils Blends For Luxe Creams Fit For Royalty
We have made the uber-rich and luscious Luxe Cream base; what stupendously gorgeous essential oils will we bestow upon it?
These were some of my favorite ideas:
Remember, I’m pushing the boat regarding essential oils here, but there will be fabulous blends to suit every budget, so don’t get discouraged; stick with me.
Before we start, a quick note on dilution rates for these essential oil blends:
These essential oil blends are designed for 1000ml / 1 liter / 33.81 fl oz of product
- Using a 3% dilution rate, recommended for adults = 30 ml of essential oils or approximately 600 drops.
- If you are in a weakened state, you may wish to reduce to 2% = 20 ml or around 400 drops
- If you want to take it down to 1% = Use 10 ml or around 200 drops
| Fit For A Queen Essential Oil Blend | ||
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3% dilution rate = 30 ml or approx 600 drops Beautifully laced with the scents of those English roses, interspersed with Indian Jasmine and Madagascan Vanilla. A treat for the senses. Fall back into paradise and let these scents make you feel like a queen. |
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| Essential Oils Needed | ||
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15ml or 300 drops Rose Essential Oil (Rosa damascena) |
10ml or 200 drops Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum) |
5ml or 100 drops Vanilla Absolute (Vanilla planifolia) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy. | ||
| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | ||
| Fit For A King Essential Oil Blend | ||
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Let’s not forget the men in your life and this Luxe Cream is just as good for their skin as it is for yours. Treat him to something amazing and make him feel like a pampered and adored King. 2.5% dilution rate = 25 ml or approx 500 drops |
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| Essential Oils Needed | ||
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5ml or 100 drops Sandalwood Amyris Essential Oil (Amyris Balsamifera) |
10ml or 200 drops Palo Santo Essential Oil (Bursera graveolens) |
10ml or 200 drops Cedarwood (Himalayan) Essential Oil (Cedrus deodara) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. | ||
| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | ||
| Majestic Moisturising Essential Oil Blend | ||
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This is one of my favorite all time blends to use on my skin, having very sensitive skin, Violet Leaf is perfect for me with it’s fresh green scent, entwined with Roses it’s just sublime and underwritten with Ylang Ylang it’s like being in a Royal garden on a balmy summer evening. Simply perfect in every way. 2.5% dilution rate = 25 ml or approx 500 drops |
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| Essential Oils Needed | ||
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15ml or 300 drops Rose Essential Oil (Rosa damascena) |
5ml or 100 drops Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola ordorata L.) |
5ml or 100 drops Ylang Ylang Essential Oil (Cananga odorata) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy. | ||
| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | ||
| A Kingdom United Essential Oil Blend | |||
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An essential oil blend made up from plants from each nation of the UK. Where traditional plants were not available as essential oils, like Scotland's Thistle and Northern Ireland’s Shamrock, I looked for essential oils that were being produced in those countries instead. 3% dilution rate = 30 ml or approx 600 drops |
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| Essential Oils Needed | |||
| England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
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12.5ml or 250 drop Rose Essential Oil (Rosa damascena) |
5ml or 100 drops Narcissus Absolute (Narcissus poeticus) |
1ml or 10 drops Scotch Pine Essential Oil (Pinus sylvestris) |
10ml or 200 drops Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 37 weeks of pregnancy. | |||
| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | |||
| Coronation Cracker Essential Oil Blend | ||
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When the budget won’t stretch far to celebrate, don’t think you can’t join in the fun. This blend focuses on highly fragrant essential oils that together combine to create the most gorgeous perfumed Luxe Cream. Not only that but your skin will thank you in the long run. Bring plenty of cheer and fragrant decadence to the occasion with this blend. 3% dilution rate = 30 ml or approx 600 drops |
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| Essential Oils Needed | ||
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15ml or 300 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium asperum var roseum) |
10ml or 200 drops Sweet Orange Essential Oil (Citrus sinensis L) |
5ml or 100 drops Cardamom Essential Oil (Elettaria cardamomum) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. | ||
| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | ||
| One for The Masses Essential Oil Blend | ||
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Another super fragrant essential oil blend to lift your spirits and get you in the mood to celebrate. You don’t need to break the bank to indulge in something truly beautiful and fit for royalty. Sink your fingers into this and enjoy the spicy, zesty sensations. 3% dilution rate = 30 ml or approx 600 drops |
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| Essential Oils Needed | ||
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15ml or 300 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi) |
10ml or 200 drops Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale) |
5ml or 100 drops Patchouli Essential Oil (Pogostemon cablin) |
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Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Grapefruit Specific -Not suitable for use for people who have platelet disorders or are on blood thinning medication. It is suggested you cease use of grapefruit essential oil 48 hours before any planned surgery. |
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| How to Use: Blend this essential oil blend into your Luxe Cream base. | ||
The Final Word
I hope you have a go at this project because it makes a genuinely sublime Luxe Cream a joy to use on your skin.
As you can see, you can tailor it to suit yourself, using butter, waxes, and carrier oils that you prefer. I have broken down the recipe so you can easily see where to substitute your favorites and how much you need.
This uses a lot of essential oils when you make a liter of the base Luxe Cream, but why not make the base and pop it into the jars and make just one of those jars into something ridiculously decadent?
For 250ml of base Luxe Cream for a 2% dilution, you only need 5 ml or 100 drops of your chosen essential oil blend. That seems much more realistic, so why not treat yourself and feel like royalty for a change?
Remember to buy the best quality ingredients, even if you can only make one small jar; it is worth it. You will covet and cosset that little jar and feel the joy each time you slide your fingers into the luscious Lux Cream and smooth it across your skin. You know you want to!
Whatever your budget, you will indeed find something extraordinary to use to treat yourself.
So come on, what are you waiting for? If you want super smooth and supple, younger-looking skin, make your own incredible Luxe Creams with essential oils fit for royalty!
