If anything can tempt us outdoors, it is surely summer with its warm, sunny days – inviting us to take a walk, go for a bike ride and explore our surroundings.
Except during the hottest part of the day, we can enjoy the pleasant warmth of the sun as it accompanies us along the way. The magical warmth of sunshine often opens us up, softens us and helps us relax. Some things simply seem easier than they do on cloudy days.
A “Coconut” August
Summer can also be closely associated with coconut. Its sweet scent seems to fit perfectly with the summer heat.
Since coconut oil has become available in almost every shop, I have enjoyed using it to make simple skincare products that combine coconut oil with other ingredients we can easily find in our kitchens.
So, let’s have a look at a few simple products we can make for our skin.
Coconut Cleansing Balm for Removing Make-up
You will need:
Phase A
- 77 g coconut oil
- 10 g beeswax
- 9.5 g organic sunflower oil (it is light and absorbs relatively quickly)
Phase B
- 3 g clay (white, yellow or green)
First, weigh the coconut oil, beeswax and sunflower oil. Heat the ingredients in a water bath until the beeswax has completely melted.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly (to around 45 °C), then add the clay. Stir well so that the clay is evenly dispersed and combined with the other ingredients.
Pour the finished balm into a clean, dry container.
And that’s it!
This time I used yellow clay, but you can choose another type as well. Clay binds impurities and can therefore be a useful addition to a cleansing product.
Apply the balm to dry skin, massage gently and remove with a soft, damp cloth.
Coconut and Oat Facial Scrub
A gentle scrub made with coconut oil and oats can be prepared in exactly the same way as the cleansing balm.
The only difference is that instead of clay, we use one tablespoon (3 g) of finely ground oats. If you wish, you can also add 3 drops of lavender essential oil.
The ground oats provide gentle exfoliation and help remove dead skin cells.
Give it a try!
Summer Coconut Balm
Natural skincare can be surprisingly simple to make, with just a few small adjustments to a basic formula.
One example is this summer coconut balm, created for taking care of the skin during the warmer months.
Instead of clay or ground oats, we add corn starch, which gives the balm a more pleasant and, above all, less greasy feel on the skin.
You will need:
Phase A
- 40 g coconut oil
- 30.2 g sunflower oil (or jojoba oil)
- 8.5 g beeswax
- 5.5 g cocoa butter
Phase B
- 15 g corn starch
- 0.4 g geranium essential oil
- 0.4 g lavender essential oil
First, weigh the coconut oil, sunflower oil, beeswax and cocoa butter into a suitable container.
Slowly heat the ingredients in a water bath until they have completely melted. Add the corn starch and mix well. Once the mixture has cooled to no more than 45 °C, add the essential oils and stir again.
Pour the finished balm into a clean, dry container.
The balm is intended for skincare and does not provide protection against UV radiation.
Store all three products in clean, dry containers and always use dry hands when taking out the product. As they contain no water, it is particularly important to prevent moisture from getting into them during use.
Enjoy your summer creations!
