November 2021
Decadent Cashmere Sugar Body Scrub For
Healthy Skin Month
November is National Healthy Skin Month and the start of the cold season. #YourHealthiestSkin is the unofficial hashtag used by many including the American Academy of Dermatology Association for good reason. The American Academy of Dermatology Association invented Healthy Skin Month! During the winter, between the cold air outside and indoor heating which tends to be dry, your skin cells dehydrate and become dull.
Oat Oil is derived from the Avena Sativa plant, the kernel of the oat. Oat oil is high in ceramides which is the fatty acid that makes up half of our skin cells as well as antioxidants and Vitamin E. Oat oil is also beneficial for those with impaired barriers, suffer from eczema and rosacea due to the ability to decrease inflammation. Oat oil is also anti-bacterial. (1)
Foaming Bath Butter from Stephenson is a new formulation that is Paraben-Free and Propylene Glycol Free. This is a very versatile soap as it is a cream soap that cleanses and moisturizes. What I like about using this particular soap is that it has a very mild pH level of 5.5, which is the skin’s natural pH level. Why is this important? Because when we use products that are the same or very close to our natural pH level, this helps support healthy barrier function as well as the skin’s acid mantle. (2) The skin’s acid mantle is also very important to skin health as when your skin is within the appropriate range, and your acid mantle is intact, it can effectively protect against bacteria, environmental pollutions, moisture loss and premature aging.
Although ancient Egyptians were the first to practice body exfoliation, sugar had not been used in beauty treatments until recently. (3) Historically, exfoliant ingredients have included dead sea salts (4), alabaster particles (5), ground blue corn (6), river sand (7), rice and soybean powders (8), and later on sugar and plastic microbeads. Today, sugar is a more popular ingredient as it is environmentally friendly and dissolves in water.
Sugar is also a natural source of glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). These naturally occurring acids help break down layers of dead skin, and encourage cell turnover to assist in more youthful-looking skin.
Turbinado Sugar is often mistaken for brown sugar but is more coarse, because of this it is an excellent ingredient for body scrubs. This type of sugar is also the least processed and holds the most essential minerals.
Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil is a sweet mix of vanilla tonka, olive wood, spices, sandalwood, coconut, amber, musk, and cocoa butter. This is mixed with the Brambleberry’s Liquid Cashmere to create a decadent aroma that smells like fall impersonalized.
The first step is to add the 32 ounces of the foaming bath butter to a large mixing bowl. I used the Cuisinart hand mixer as opposed to my stand mixer for this next step with the setting on low to blend the material. As it blends, increase and continue to whip until the butter is soft and there are no visible clumps.
Next, add 1 ounce of oat oil. Using the mixer on low, slowly incorporate. Once the oat oil is mostly incorporated, you can increase the speed and continue to whip the ingredients for 30-60 seconds.
Next, we add the fragrances. Add 0.3 ounces of the liquid cashmere and 0.7 ounces of cashmere fragrance oil. Whip until completely combined and the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy.
Once this is complete, add 10 ounces of the turbinado sugar and whip. Add another 10 ounces of sugar and continue to whip. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and continue to whip until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.
The final step is to add the scrub to the storage jars. You will need to store the scrub in a cool and dry place.
To use the scrub, simply apply to wet skin and scrub and then rinse off.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16864974/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exfoliation_(cosmetology)
- https://www.inbmedical.com/the-evolving-role-of-skincare
- https://hbmag.com/exfoliation/
- http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2014/02/ancient-native-american-beauty-secrets.html
- https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/article/192994/aesthetic-dermatology/winter-exfoliation-multicultural-approach
- https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-07/26/content_26227214.htm