Very easy beginner hand cream recipe.Ju

**Kimberlina** · 03-09-2005, 11:27 AM

I just thought I would share this recipe. I don't know if this is exactly the right forum, but since it isn't actually soap, this is the best fit.

You don't need very many supplies to make this, and it is very simple. My only recommendation would be to keep it refrigerated and use it up quickly if you don't add a separate preservative to it.

Creamy hand cream
1/4 C mineral oil or other oil of your choice
1/4 C stearine flakes (used in candle making, can get at Michael's or Joann's)
1 C distilled water
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 T glycerine (easy to find in pharmacy section of stores)

Put mineral oil and stearine flakes in top of double boiler. Stir while flakes melt. When liquid is completely clear, remove from water bath.

Mix rest of ingredients - in measuring cup with fork or whisk. Heat this mixture in the microwave for a minute to minute and a half - don't bring to a boil.

Slowly pour the water mixture into the oil mixture, whisking. Have stick blender or regular mixer ready to use. After solution foams and doubles in volume, mix it with either mixer on high for several minutes. Do not stop mixing too early or the cream will later seperate into water and solids. It will mix, mix and suddenly it becomes the consistency of marshmallow creme. When thoroughly mixed, set bowl aside and cover to cool. If desired, when cool, stir in a little (drop or tow) of fragance oil or essential oil. Spoon into sterile jars or containers when cool. If you note a "watery" texture after rubbing it in, you probably didn't blend long enough.

I don't use mineral oil- you can use any you want, and I use olive oil. I also often leave out the glycerine altogether, or substitute aloe from my plant. The recipe is pretty flexible, as long you sub oil for oil and water-based for water-based. It is VERY important to use sterile jars, and if you plan to give this as a gift, you will need to use a preservative. I use germ-all. I think I spent about $15 dollars to buy enouh supllies to make a LOT of cream, and everyone loves this cream. People from work even want to buy it from me.

**BlessedMommy** · 03-09-2005, 11:45 AM

Thanks! I'll have to try this sometime!

**oreo** · 03-09-2005, 12:55 PM

How much preservative do you add? Thanks for listing where to find the sterine. Do you think you can add essential oils for scent? This looks fun.

**Kimberlina** · 03-09-2005, 01:44 PM

How much preservative you use depends on the preservative that you decide to work with. I use Germ-all and it says to use 1% of the total weight of the formula...which is too fussy for me. I just put a tiny bit in- maybe 1/2 teaspoon or something, and I have not had any problems with mold, which definitely happen if you don't use a preservative.

I actually bought my first stearine off e-bay and my next batch from Majestic Mountain Sage. It can be found at Joann's if you want to make this soon and don't want to wait, but it is fairly expensive there. And I wasn't able to find glycerine at all (not even in the candy-making section of a craft store- a friend who wrote this up was obvisouly able to find it at her pharmacy and I forot to take that bit out) and I shop in a pretty metro area So, that is why I just left it out, and I didn't have any problems.

As for scents, EOs will work fine, as long as thy aren't ones that would be skin irritants (like really strong cinnamon or something along those lines.) I have used EOs, candy making oils, and soap scents. You just have to experiment with thte amount to get the right scent w/o going overboard or wasting money.