When it comes to manufacturing handmade cosmetics one ingredient no crafter should be without is lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) posses antibacterial proprieties, is gentle to both dry and oily skin, and has the ability to relieve such conditions as muscle pain, insomnia, headaches, burns, bug bites, eczema, psoriasis, and acne making it the most versatile of essential oils. It is also one of the few essential oils that can be used as a middle or top note in perfume due to its fresh, floral smell and affordable price.

Here are a few recipe ideas for using lavender in handmade cosmetics:

Salves, Ointments, and Balms: Lavender blended with neem seed oil or comfrey root powder produces a salve that soothes itching caused by insect bites, bruises, burns, and even diaper rash. Add cinnamon and clove for a pain relieving muscle rub ointment. Use lavender by itself as a gardener’s salve to help chapped hands or as a temple balm to aid in falling asleep and to quell headaches.

Hair Care Products: Blend lavender with apple cider vinegar and nettle herbs for a normal-to-dry hair rinse. You can also try combing rosemary, peppermint, and lavender essential oils along with jojoba and oat extract, which produce a very effective scalp oil treatment.

Bath and Body Care Products: Add lavender to toners, facial creams, and body lotions to combat acne or dry skin conditions. Lavender essential oil combined with dried lavender buds, dead sea salt, Epsom salt, and powdered milk make for a lovely bath salt recipe. Blend jojoba with rose geranium, lavender, sandalwood, and vanilla for a sweet and sexy feminine perfume oil.

Soaps: Try adding tea tree and lavender essential oils to opaque melt and pour soap base along with pumice (sprinkled at the bottom of your soap mold) for a deodorizing and exfoliating soap bar.

A word of caution, due to their volatility, research any essential oil, and always do a skin patch test before use.

Here are a few recipe ideas for using lavender in handmade cosmetics:

Salves, Ointments, and Balms: Lavender blended with neem seed oil or comfrey root powder produces a salve that soothes itching caused by insect bites, bruises, burns, and even diaper rash. Add cinnamon and clove for a pain relieving muscle rub ointment. Use lavender by itself as a gardeners salve to help chapped hands or as a temple balm to aid in falling asleep and to quell headaches.

Hair Care Products: Blend lavender with apple cider vinegar and nettle herbs for a normal-to-dry hair rinse. You can also try combing rosemary, peppermint, and lavender essential oils along with jojoba and oat extract, which produce a very effective scalp oil treatment.

Bath and Body Care Products: Add lavender to toners, facial creams, and body lotions to combat acne or dry skin conditions. Lavender essential oil combined with dried lavender buds, dead sea salt, Epsom salt, and powdered milk make for a lovely bath salt recipe. Blend jojoba with rose geranium, lavender, sandalwood, and vanilla for a sweet and sexy feminine perfume oil.

Soaps: Try adding tea tree and lavender essential oils to opaque melt and pour soap base along with pumice (sprinkled at the bottom of your soap mold) for a deodorizing and exfoliating soap bar.

A word of caution, due to their volatility, research any essential oil, and always do a skin patch test before use.br
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Dr. Peter Vikesland, an environmental chemist at Virginia Tech had this to say about antibacterial soaps, This is the first work that we know of that suggests that consumer products, such as antimicrobial soap, can produce significant quantities of chloroform. There are numerous potential exposure pathways that can be envisioned, such as inhalation and skin exposure, when using antimicrobial soaps to wash dishes or when taking a shower. There is also risk of exposure when using triclosan laden moisturizers as they may also react with chlorine in the water.

What is Triclosan?
Triclosan is a synthetic antimicrobial agent found in a wide variety of products. Its broad spectrum, bacteria fighting ability has made it popular in an ever increasing number of personal care products, cosmetics, antimicrobial creams, acne treatments, lotions, hand soaps, and dish soaps. Triclosan goes under the trade name Microban®, when used in plastics and clothing and Biofresh® when used in acrylic fibers. Even though Triclosan is effective at killing bacteria, it is registered as a pesticide with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill some type of life form. The EPA considers triclosan a high risk for human health and the environment.

Why is Chloroform so Bad?
When triclosan, the active ingredient in antibacterial soaps, reacts with the chlorine in the tap water, chloroform is created. Chloroform is a central nervous system depressant and cancer causing compound. The U.S. Department of Labor has strict guidelines when it comes to contact with chloroform. Chronic inhalation of chloroform may cause psychiatric and neurological symptoms, including depression, hallucinations and moodiness. In one study, liver enlargement was demonstrated in 17 of 68 workers exposed to chloroform at low levels for 1 to 4 years. Alcoholics are more at risk from chloroform because ethanol increases chloroforms toxic effects.

Some Bacteria are Good for You
The bacteria on your skin serve as a part of your skins natural defense mechanism. Your skin uses healthy bacteria to keep colonies of unhealthy bacteria at bay. Without the healthy bacteria, the unhealthy ones can take over and create infections and other skin problems. Destroy all the healthy bacteria with antibacterial soap and you set yourself up for big problems. The constant use of antibacterial soaps is similar to using antibiotics for every little cold or sneeze. All antibacterial products should be used sparingly so that resistant strains of bacteria do not develop. Using antibiotics only when necessary ensures they will remain effective when the need arises.

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
When bacteria are exposed to long term, low doses of antibiotics, some of them can develop antibiotic resistance. Resistant bacteria must be treated with other, sometimes stronger antibiotics. In rare instances, there is no known medication that will kill the bacteria. It is wiser to use antibiotics sparingly and for shorter duration. The constant use of antimicrobials, as in the antibacterial soaps, creates a real long term health hazard; one that is easily avoidable with regular soap.

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pCopyright (c) 2006- 2009 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc/ppWoody McMahon has been working as a healthy lifestyle professional for over 25 years. Before starting his career as a healthy lifestyle coach, Woody earned his Bachelor of Science degree in human biology from the University of Maryland, his Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine from Palmer College of Chiropractic and is certified as a personal trainer through the National Strength Professionals Association./ppHe writes a bi-monthly newsletter called The Sequoia Advisor. To sign-up for your FREE newsletter subscription, go to a target=_new href=http://www.sequoiahealth.com/freestuff rel=nofollowhttp://www.sequoiahealth.com/freestuff/a/ppHe currently offers an integrative healthy lifestyle program called Fresh Start. With its unique set of tools, Fresh Start makes it easy to lose weight, improve conditioning, have more energy and eliminate the aches and pains that slow you down keeping you from living life to the fullest. To learn more go to a target=_new href=http://www.sequoiahealth.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.sequoiahealth.com/a/pbr
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