This soothing, all-purpose lotion can be used daily for a wide variety of skin conditions, and it only requires four ingredients.
• 1 cup purified water
• 2 teaspoons dried horsetail (or 4 teaspoons fresh horsetail)
• 3/4 cup sweet almond or apricot kernel oil
• 2 tablespoons shaved beeswax
1. Boil water and pour over herb. Cover and let mixture brew for 10 to 20 minutes. Strain out herb, reserving herbal infusion.
2. Pour oil into a Pyrex measuring cup and add beeswax. Set it in a saucepan of water that reaches about halfway up the side of the Pyrex container. Heat mixture on stove over low heat until beeswax dissolves, then immediately remove pan from heat. Allow it to cool for a minute or two, but not longer, as beeswax will begin to harden.
3. Pour herbal infusion into blender and begin blending on high speed with lid on (with a hole left in the lid for pouring the beeswax-oil mixture). Slowly pour oil-beeswax mixture into the water. It will begin to thicken after about three-quarters of the oil has been incorporated. Continue adding oil until you’ve incorporated all of it.
4. Immediately pour lotion into jars. Use a spatula to remove any remaining lotion from the blender. Because it’s free of preservatives, it’s best to store this lotion in the fridge, where it will last about 3 months.
Makes about 2 cups.
Check out more body care recipes: