Green Tea Lotion Recipe for Dry and Mature Skin
This green tea lotion recipe was formulated for dry and mature skin. Why put green tea in lotion? Because it’s a rich antioxidant that helps combat aging. You can easily make this lotion at home and use it on your face and body. I formulated this lotion for my own mature, sun-damaged skin. I spent a lot of time in the sun when I was young. I can not imagine who came up with the idea of a DIY sun reflector made with aluminum foil and a record album. During my college days in the Midwest, we’d skip class to bake our bodies in the sun. We spent hours coated in baby oil with a foil-lined record album propped “just so” to reflect even more of the sun’s burning rays onto our young skin. Young, naive, and not very forward-looking! Now I drink green tea every day and incorporate it into my DIY skincare products wherever I can.
Green Tea for Sun-Damaged Skin
Skin damage occurs as a result of oxidation. This is a chemical process in which unstable molecules called free radicals steal electrons from healthy cells. On the skin, oxidative damage shows up as wrinkles, thickening, discoloration, and loss of elasticity. Unfortunately, sun exposure is one of the most damaging causes of oxidative stress. Sunlight, as enjoyable as it can be, and important for Vitamin D production, is a form of radiation, specifically ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation leads to free radical damage and can cause cells to mutate and turn cancerous.
Antioxidants like green tea offer the best defense against free radical damage or oxidative stress. As the name suggests, antioxidants combat oxidative damage by sacrificing their own electrons to balance free radicals, but without turning into free radicals themselves. A diet rich in high-quality, organic fruits and vegetables will give your body a daily dose of antioxidants. Personally, I like to up my daily antioxidant intake with the regular consumption of green tea, truly my favorite antioxidant internally and topically! In addition to antioxidants, this green tea lotion recipe includes other soothing, hydrating ingredients to nourish your skin and counter sun damage.
Oils and Essential Oils for Dry and Mature Skin
Calendula-Infused Oil
You can make your own skin-soothing, calendula-infused oil or also purchase it at your local apothecary. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is one of the most versatile and useful herbs for topical skincare. It’s soothing to irritated, inflamed skin and aids in healing wounds, burns, boils, and rashes. It is an excellent topical remedy for all skin types. For daily skin care, calendula helps to soften and smooth skin, reduce pore size, and clear acne.
Aloe Vera Juice
From the aloe vera leaf (Aloe spp.), this juice is an excellent choice for sunburns and wound healing. In skincare products, it’s anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and emollient and my dry skin loves it. It’s also anti-bacterial which makes it a good choice in acne products. Aloe vera juice can be found at most natural grocers.
Jojoba Oil
This medium-textured oil comes from a small shrub (Simmondsia chinensis) that thrives in the hot desert sun of Arizona and California. I use jojoba oil in all my lotions, creams, and facial oils because it is similar to the sebum produced by our skin, penetrates well, and leaves no oily residue. As it penetrates, it carries all of the other luscious ingredients deep into your skin. Jojoba oil is also very stable which helps to extend the shelf life of your DIY products. Jojoba Oil can be found at natural grocers and supplement shops.
Helichrysum Hydrosol
Also known as Immortalle or Everlasting, Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum (syn. angustifolium)) is a potent skin regenerative, used to reduce and prevent scarring, soothe inflammation, and repair sun-damaged and couperose skin. Hydrosols, sometimes called flower waters are created during the steam distillation of essential oils. They possess many of the same qualities as the essential oil, but are much less concentrated, making them well-suited for topical use. In this lotion, I used helichrysum hydrosol, but you could also use the essential oil in place of other essential oils in the recipe.
Frankincense Essential Oil
This beautiful, sacred oil (Boswellia carterii (syn. sacra)) has a bright, citrus-like, and somewhat peppery fragrance. It is one of my favorite essential oils for the skin and especially for mature skin. Frankincense is used to rejuvenate tired, sagging skin and helps heal blemishes and wounds. Its anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties make it a good choice for all skin types, but especially for acne, scarred, or damaged skin.
Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Derived from Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), also known as Queen Anne’s Lace, this essential oil has a strong, earthy, and somewhat spicy fragrance. In skincare, it’s especially helpful for damaged, scarred, wrinkled, or inflamed skin—the perfect choice for sun-damaged skin.
Lavender Essential Oil
True Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) is one of the most versatile and widely used essential oils. Topically it’s cooling and soothing to burns, including sunburn, and helps take the sting out of insect bites. Lavender’s ability to balance the skin and soothe irritation makes it a good choice for all skin types and for all skincare products.
Making your own lotion is not difficult, but it does require some attention to detail in order to get the water and oil parts to blend together without separating later. Read all the way through the instructions before you begin. If this is your first time, I recommend sticking closely to the recipe. After that, you can customize the lotion and substitute other oils and ingredients to create a lotion perfect for your skin.
Green Tea Lotion Recipe for Dry and Mature Skin
Yield 6-8 fluid ounces
INGREDIENTS
Oil Portion
1/4 cup organic Calendula Infused Oil
1/2 cup organic Jojoba Oil
1/2 ounce organic Yellow Beeswax
Water Portion
1/2 cup organic Aloe Vera Juice
1/4 cup brewed organic Green Tea
1/4 cup organic Helichrysum Hydrosol
Other Ingredients
1 tsp Vitamin E
25 drops Frankincense Essential Oil
25 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For a longer-lasting lotion, before you begin, sterilize all of your equipment, as well as the containers and lids for the finished product.
2. Place the oil portion in a small glass, steel, or enamel pot (a double boiler is best). Add the beeswax and slowly warm over low heat until the beeswax is melted. Pour the oil/beeswax mixture into a blender to cool. It will thicken as it cools, but should still be pourable. You can also place the blender in the refrigerator but check frequently to make sure it doesn’t cool too much. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
3. In the meantime, prepare the water portion in a separate container and set it aside. The water portion should also be at approximately room temperature.
4. Once the oil/beeswax mixture has cooled, place the lid on the blender and remove the small center cap. Turn the blender on high and slowly pour in a thin stream of the water mixture. When about two-thirds to three-quarters of the water mixture has been added, the contents in the blender will emulsify and thicken taking on the texture of a lotion.
5. Remove the blender lid and slowly continue adding the water mixture, carefully stirring the upper edges of the lotion to incorporate as much of the water portion as possible. It is not necessary to add all of the water portion. Turn off the blender.
6. Add Vitamin E or other preservatives and essential oils. Pulse the blender a couple of times to incorporate these ingredients.
7. Pour the lotion into containers, cap, label, and enjoy! Store extra containers in the refrigerator to increase the shelf life. Use within 6 months.
You’re going to love how soft and hydrated your skin feels with this green tea lotion. If you have questions or want help customizing this recipe for your skin, send me a note.