a mostly...
I hated not understanding all the nuances and confusing advertising of the many million skincare products and opaque dermatology advertisements. - They overwhelmed me and made me very lost. I found, over a year or two, a relatively cheap (around aud$100 a year) but effective skincare regime. One that is simple & repetitive.
I started by looking for the people whose skin I liked... I landed on Tilda Swinton (I love how she's not necessarily ageless and seems to not be afraid of her age), then I searched for her dermatologist...
Her name is/was Cristina Radu. And she has shared some things over the years...
CLICK HERE for a selection of her tips verbatim. (I don't endorse/not endorse them/her words myself).
I came to 2 important points - in order of importance
I came to 2 important points - in order of importance
(though I still had to work through her tips, and interpret them) :
(though I still had to work through her tips, and interpret them) :
1- Gentle Physical Exfoliation - Jojoba Beads
1- Gentle Physical Exfoliation - Jojoba Beads
(creates luminescent skin) (I'd still recommend doing this if you are acne prone and can't use shea butter).
(creates luminescent skin) (I'd still recommend doing this if you are acne prone and can't use shea butter).
2- Moisturisers from Healthy Fats - Shea Butter Whip.
2- Moisturisers from Healthy Fats - Shea Butter Whip.
(non acidic, with Vitamin A & E; shea whip can be used as an eye cream and a body lotion)
(an alternative is cocoa butter, though it doesn't have Vitamin A)
*I also use QV moisturiser
SKINCARE Routine
ANTI-CAPITALIST
EXFOLIATOR
EXFOLIATOR
Cristina was adamant against the use of macadamia shells or other abrasive exfoliators. There is Gommage and there are other physical exfoliating products. - However Gommage products are expensive, and many exfoliators come with acids. -
I eventually came to just buying Jojoba beads. They're round wax balls, that become softer as they melt on your skin when you exfoliate with them.
I mix a small amount (a teaspoon) of these beads into a small plastic container with two fingers worth of acid-less cleanser (I use QV cleanser from Australia).
The approach:
1- with a finger, draw out a small amount of beads and cleanser.
2- I then apply them, by gently moving the beads around in circles starting at the forehead and going down. - if I put too much pressure on the beads, I've noticed I can get bumps. -
Cristina says to do it gently for a long time (I don't have any minutes to give you, follow your intuition) and as much as once a day.
However, I like to do it one to three times a week, and for a short amount of time (say a minute or two); as it makes me less sun sensitive.
*You can exfoliate your whole body (elbows, knees etc.). Just add more beads and moisturiser to your container.
*You can exfoliate your whole body (elbows, knees etc.). Just add more beads and moisturiser to your container.
*A cheaper physical exfoliator: caster sugar and a small amount of sunflower or canola oil so it kind of clumps together. - Cristina Radu says to exfoliate with these very very gently, as if you don't feel anything. As even though the crystals are very fine, they still have kind of sharp corners unlike jojoba beads which are round wax beads.
*A cheaper physical exfoliator: caster sugar and a small amount of sunflower or canola oil so it kind of clumps together. - Cristina Radu says to exfoliate with these very very gently, as if you don't feel anything. As even though the crystals are very fine, they still have kind of sharp corners unlike jojoba beads which are round wax beads.
*yes, I really wrote all this... lol
*yes, I really wrote all this... lol
I clean my face first with micellar water.
I clean my face first with micellar water.
Apply as much as you can handle. It can get greasy. Though a small amount goes a long way. The more you put on the more vitamins that will sink in (or so says Radu).
Apply as much as you can handle. It can get greasy. Though a small amount goes a long way. The more you put on the more vitamins that will sink in (or so says Radu).
You can get Shea butter from https://aromaavenue.com.au/about/ at 5/397 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
You can get Shea butter from https://aromaavenue.com.au/about/ at 5/397 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC 3065
SUMMER FORMULA
40% | 20g refined shea butter
60% | 30g sunflower/canola oil (cold pressed)
SUMMER FORMULA
40% | 20g refined shea butter
60% | 30g sunflower/canola oil (cold pressed)
WINTER FORMULA
35% | 17.5g refined shea butter
65% | 32.5g sunflower/canola oil (cold pressed)
WINTER FORMULA
35% | 17.5g refined shea butter
65% | 32.5g sunflower/canola oil (cold pressed)
The timing mentioned in these instructions is for a 50g (1.76oz) batch; if you change the batch size significantly, the times required for melting, chilling, whipping, etc. will also change. I’ve provided descriptions of what you’re looking for at each stage, so go by those rather than the mentioned times if you’re making a different batch size.
Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the shea butter and apricot kernel oil into a small bowl that you can heat and whip the butter in later. Place the bowl in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
I’m often asked about the little stainless steel bowls I use for small batches of whipped body butters—they’re Kirkland (Costco) brand. I picked them up at a thrift shop years ago, so I have no idea when Costco sold them.
After about 20–30 minutes everything should be completely melted through. Remove the water bath from the heat, remove the measuring cup from the water bath, and dry it off with a dishtowel. Place the bowl in the freezer for 15–20 minutes; the mixture should be a soft solid and the top should be ‘frozen’ over. A gooey centre is ok, but if it’s still liquid in the middle and sloshes about when you tip the bowl, give it a few more minutes in the freezer.
Grab your electric beaters [I used a hand held manual whip - arm workout!]; you’ll want the attachments you’d use to cream butter and sugar together if you were making cookies or a cake (the whisk attachment will work if yours is sturdy; mine is pretty squishy). Depending on the size of your bowl you might just need one beater rather than both of them.
Whip away for about three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the body butter starts to soften and collapse a bit, pop it back into the freezer for another five minutes.
Whip again for another three-ish minutes, until the body butter is light (both in consistency and colour) and makes soft, marshmallowy folds when you stir it.
Leave it to fully come to room temperature. If you’re making this for the first time, l recommend leaving it overnight.
Once it’s settled at room temperature, give it a poke and make sure you’re still happy with the consistency—that it hasn’t melted into a puddle or anything unpleasant (If you live somewhere quite hot, please read this). If it’s too hard, whip in a bit more liquid oil and wait. If it’s too soft, add more shea butter, re-melt, and re-whip. If you make any changes, make sure you wait to ensure it stays soft at least overnight before packaging it up.
When you’re happy with the consistency of your whipped butter, it’s time to package it up! I gently scooped mine into a 2-oz tin from YellowBee (gifted). Be careful not to crush the butter and ruin its whippy gorgeousness—do not pack it into your jar or tin.
Use as you’d use any body butter or lotion, remembering that a little goes a long way. Enjoy!
SHELF LIFE & STORAGE
Because this product does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Do not store this body butter anywhere it’ll get hot [it will melt & separate] or cold [it will become too hard].
The timing mentioned in these instructions is for a 50g (1.76oz) batch; if you change the batch size significantly, the times required for melting, chilling, whipping, etc. will also change. I’ve provided descriptions of what you’re looking for at each stage, so go by those rather than the mentioned times if you’re making a different batch size.
Prepare a water bath by bringing about 3cm/1″ of water to a bare simmer over low to medium-low heat in a small saucepan.
Weigh the shea butter and apricot kernel oil into a small bowl that you can heat and whip the butter in later. Place the bowl in your prepared water bath to melt everything through.
I’m often asked about the little stainless steel bowls I use for small batches of whipped body butters—they’re Kirkland (Costco) brand. I picked them up at a thrift shop years ago, so I have no idea when Costco sold them.
After about 20–30 minutes everything should be completely melted through. Remove the water bath from the heat, remove the measuring cup from the water bath, and dry it off with a dishtowel. Place the bowl in the freezer for 15–20 minutes; the mixture should be a soft solid and the top should be ‘frozen’ over. A gooey centre is ok, but if it’s still liquid in the middle and sloshes about when you tip the bowl, give it a few more minutes in the freezer.
Grab your electric beaters [I used a hand held manual whip - arm workout!]; you’ll want the attachments you’d use to cream butter and sugar together if you were making cookies or a cake (the whisk attachment will work if yours is sturdy; mine is pretty squishy). Depending on the size of your bowl you might just need one beater rather than both of them.
Whip away for about three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once the body butter starts to soften and collapse a bit, pop it back into the freezer for another five minutes.
Whip again for another three-ish minutes, until the body butter is light (both in consistency and colour) and makes soft, marshmallowy folds when you stir it.
Leave it to fully come to room temperature. If you’re making this for the first time, l recommend leaving it overnight.
Once it’s settled at room temperature, give it a poke and make sure you’re still happy with the consistency—that it hasn’t melted into a puddle or anything unpleasant (If you live somewhere quite hot, please read this). If it’s too hard, whip in a bit more liquid oil and wait. If it’s too soft, add more shea butter, re-melt, and re-whip. If you make any changes, make sure you wait to ensure it stays soft at least overnight before packaging it up.
When you’re happy with the consistency of your whipped butter, it’s time to package it up! I gently scooped mine into a 2-oz tin from YellowBee (gifted). Be careful not to crush the butter and ruin its whippy gorgeousness—do not pack it into your jar or tin.
Use as you’d use any body butter or lotion, remembering that a little goes a long way. Enjoy!
SHELF LIFE & STORAGE
Because this product does not contain any water, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.
Do not store this body butter anywhere it’ll get hot [it will melt & separate] or cold [it will become too hard].
