This summer, I have been able to spend a lot of my time again at the lakeside, surrounded by nature. It doesn’t matter, even though the summer has been quite cold and rainy here in the north. There have been quite a few sunny days as well. I only want to take simple cosmetics with me to the countryside cottage, such as high-quality soaps and waterless cream. However, sometimes I miss my good organic beauty products. Instead of them, I decided to develop real natural cosmetics, made only from natural ingredients. How can herbs and other natural ingredients be used in skin and hair care? We really do not need cosmetic bottles with us on a trip to the countryside. I’ll tell you my best tips for using herbs to clean and care for your skin and hair.
Herbal cosmetics is close to my heart
Years ago, I trained as a herbal therapist under Henriette Kress. Those lessons have given me a lot of joy over the years. I love herbs and the use of herbs in cosmetics. When I wrote my book Home Cosmetics Raw Materials and Manufacturing (only in Finnish), I had a clear vision of what real natural cosmetics is. The term “Natural cosmetics” means different things to different people. Of course, different certificates try to define natural cosmetics with their own criteria. However, there is no official definition for natural cosmetics. For me, natural cosmetics is effortless and uncomplicated to prepare. I think that real Natural Cosmetics does not mean emulsifiers and preservatives or heavily processed raw materials. True Natural Cosmetics means completely non-commercial wild herbs, natural water from streams, springs and clean lakes. Real Natural Cosmetics are not intended to be stored but to be used as such.
Everything you need in cosmetics can be made from natural ingredients. Next, I will tell you good tips for making natural cosmetic products.
Everyone knows how to make natural cosmetics
Manufacturing commercial cosmetics is demanding. You have to know how to emulsify, how to homogenize, know the biology and chemistry related to preservation. It is a must to have knowledge of cosmetics legislation, marketing and logistics. It’s very complicated.
If you want to make cosmetics for yourself that you use right away, nothing could be easier. You don’t need preservatives or even packaging. Cosmetics made from natural ingredients are as easy to make as basic food preparation. You just need to know the herbs for skin and hair care. Remember that you can collect herbs for cosmetics at any time of the year you find them. It doesn’t have to be spring like in culinary herbs.
Next, I will tell you which herbs and other natural products you should use when taking care of your beauty.
Natural water
The most important ingredient that nature provides for your cosmetics is water, genuine natural water that does not contain chlorine, fluorine or any other chemicals.
Although you cannot drink water from lakes and rivers, you can still use it for washing yourself. Washing your hair with lake water is the best hair care. You don’t even need a conditioner because the lake water is soft and naturally nourishes your hair.
The pH, acidity, of water is usually neutral, about 7. A pH scale of 7 is neutral, 0-6 is acidic and 8-14 is alkaline. The pH of the skin varies, but it is usually 5-5.5, is clearly acidic. The pH of the lake water is slightly acidic (6.5-6.8). Depending on where you live, the pH of tap water can be up to 8, clearly already alkaline. That’s why tap water often dries the skin. Fresh natural waters are more gentle on the skin precisely because of the acidity.
Natural waters are living water in which many beneficial microbes live. The same natural microbes are added as an extract to natural cosmetics. If you use unheated natural waters in skin care, you don’t need expensive forest biome extracts.
Remember that all detergents damage waterways. Therefore, carry the washing water with a bucket from the lake and wash indoors with a proper sewage system.
Birch
Birch is a plant familiar to Finns from the sauna. Birch is used in the sauna for a good reason. Birch contains a significant amount of saponins. Saponins are plant chemicals with detergent properties. You can also find washing saponins in walnuts and soapwort. You will notice the washing properties of birch from the foaming of the birch decoction.
You can make a very natural detergent from birch leaves and lake water. Birch leaf decoction is a very effective hair wash that effectively removes grease. If you have dry hair, you should dilute the dose properly.
Prepare a herbal infusion from birch leaves
- Pick up about a litre of birch leaves (measured loosely) and pour over two litres of boiling lake water.
- Let it brew for about 15 minutes. Strain the leaves out of the water and use to wash your hair.
Add enough cold lake water to the birch extract so that you get a suitable temperature for washing your hair.
- Wash your hair with water pouring the birch decoction through the hair. Massage and squeeze the hair at the same time so that you get all the dirt out of the lengths.
- Dry the hair with a towel or let it dry by itself.
- If you wish, you can also rinse the birch bath out of your hair with lake water.
- If you want, you can also use the birch decoction to clean the skin of your face.
Lady’s mantle
The lady’s mantle (Alchemilla) was once a favourite of alchemists, hence the Latin name. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb that has been used on ancient battlefields to treat wounds. The popularity of Lady’s mantle as a medicinal herb is largely due to the chemical components contained in the plant, such as tannins, salicylic acid, saponins, phytosterols and flavonoids.
In cosmetics, the plant has been used as a pore-shrinking and skin-soothing active ingredient. Lady’s mantle extract shrinks skin pores and makes the skin clear and bright. It effectively soothes irritated skin. Lady’s mantle extract is also an effective, natural herbal treatment for impure and acne-prone skin.
Make a herbal decoction from the lady’s mantle
- Pick up 2-3 lady’s mantle leaves from a clean place. Even one is enough if you find a big leave.
- Pour a cup of boiling water from spring, stream, or lake over the leaves.
- Let it brew for about 15 minutes.
- Strain and cool the brew
o Use the decoction as it is as a toner
o Dip a muslin cloth into the poultice and use it to remove the oil slick from the face.
o Add Lady’s mantle to foot bath water, etc. The possibilities are endless
Do not store the lady’s mantle extract but use it immediately. Prepare a new extract the next day if needed.
Plantain
Plantain (Plantago) is a well-known natural patch. If you have a small cut or scrape, look for a pure Plantain leaf in nature. Roll the leaf so that its stems break. Now place the Plantain leaf directly on the small wound. The wound heals quickly and does not become inflamed.
Plantain is used a lot in natural cosmetics. Plantain has been studied together with aloe vera, as they have similar healing and treatment properties. Both are skin soothing and anti-inflammatory herbs. Studies have shown that combining aloe vera and Plantain has a much better skin healing effect than using aloe vera alone. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6409144/
Plantain is a very useful herb for those with particularly sensitive skin. The Plantain is well tolerated. only a few are sensitized to it. Plantain is also a very moisturizing herb. I recommend Plantain for dry and aged skin.
Plantain brightens the skin and evens out skin discolorations such as liver spots. This is due to the antioxidants contained in Plantain.
Make a stew using Plantain
- Pick up 2-3 Plantain leaves from a clean place
- Boil a cup of lake water, stream water or spring water and pour it over the Plantain leaves
- Let it brew for 15 minutes and strain out the Plantain leaves
Use the decoction for cosmetics. My personal favourite is a face mask made from Plantain. You will need a muslin cloth or a thin terry towel. Mix half a teaspoon of rose salt or real sea salt (unrefined) into the Plantain brew. Wet the cloth in a warm steam bath and put it on the face. Leave the cloth on for 15-20 minutes. Finally, rinse your face with fresh lake water. Salt softens the stratum corneum of the skin and helps it regenerate. The skin on your face becomes silky smooth and feels cared for.
Goldenrod
Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) is an old effective medicinal plant that has been used for urinary tract problems, to relieve sore throats and to calm the intestines. Goldenrods exist domesticated and wild. Even the cultivated goldenrod, called Canadian Goldenrod, have spread around the settlements, and gone wild. The wild goldenrod is a smaller, about 30 cm tall grass-stemmed, bright yellow flower. The flowers are in the form of a cob on a golden spike. From a distance, the golden whip looks like a torch.
Goldenrod is an astringent plant. Astringent plants work in cosmetics to soothe the skin. That is why you should use goldenrod to make toner. Natural toner is easy to prepare. Boil a dash of water, preferably spring water, or lake water.
Make a decoction of goldenrod
- Use one goldenrod bloom for this. If you find a really big one, save half for the next day.
- Boil a cup of clean lake water, stream water or spring water and pour it over the goldenrod flower
- Allow the brew to brew for 15 minutes
- Strain off the bloom and use the liquid as a face wash as it is.
Making herbal cosmetics is really easy
What do you think? Making herbal cosmetics is easy. Just leave all the bottles and cans in the city. Mother nature provides us many things.
My skin has clearly improved in a natural environment. You probably noticed that I forgot all the oils and creams from the treatment program. You will find that you don’t need so many creams if you take care of your skin completely naturally. Dry city air and strong detergents make your skin surface dry. Surface dryness must be treated with creams and serums and facial lotions. The combination of lake water and natural herbs improves the function of your skin so that it stays moisturized without moisturizers and serums.