Homemade Medicines #02: Skin cream - Cannabis, Chamomile, Calendula & Lavender Infusions With Cocoa Butter

How to prepare a potent natural skin cream for almost all your skin problems?
A natural remedy for cuts, burns, wounds, bruises, skin rashes, psoriasis, eczema and other skin related problems...

What About Manufactured Skin Products?

After reading the ingredient lists on many manufactured skin products (creams, salves, sunscreens,...) that I have used in the past, I doubt this stuff is really good for your skin and body... I even came across an article about the studies on the relation between sunscreen & skin cancer...

If you plan on using (chemical) sunscreen please read this article first!

I am no expert in this area, but I can tell you what works for me... avoiding the midday sun between 13-16pm depending on where you live, but for most areas this is the wisest thing to do in the summer. It isn't for no reason people in the south take a siesta in the afternoon. This tradition comes from the knowledge that it is not healthy to be outside in this burning heat. You shouldn't be baking like a tortilla by the swimming pool...

Do this together with using your own homemade natural skin cream and cancer doesn't stand a chance anymore...
Let's take a look at some plants that are very beneficial for your skin health.

Calendula1(flowers)	Cannabis2(seed oil & flowers)	Chamomile3(flowers)
anti-inflammatory	anti-inflammatory	anti-inflammatory
antimicrobial	antioxidant	antimicrobial
eczema	anti-cancer	anti-irritant
psoriasis	anti-arthritic	anti-fungal
dermatitis	eczema	eczema
antiseptic	psoriasis	hemorrhoids
moisturizer	moisturizer	...
sunburn	...	...

1, 2, 3

Olive (Oil)4	Coconut (Oil)5	Cocoa (Butter)6
anti-aging	prevents pre-mature aging	improved skin elasticity
improves skin health	sunburn protection	better collagen retention/production
antioxidant	anti-fungal	better hydration
antibacterial	moisturizer	anti-aging
...	antibacterial shield	antioxidants
...	collagen repair	moisturizer
...	...	burned skin

4, 5, 6

The Power Of Calendula & Chamomile

Calendula has been found to have strong anti-inflammatory properties via powerful flavonoids. These plant-based antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage and pro-inflammatory compounds like C-reactive protein and cytokines.

Anti-inflammatory linoleic acid is also found in high concentrations in Calendula. Its powerful anti-inflammatory properties make it a potent remedy for all kinds of inflammatory issues like diaper rash, dermatitis, ear infections, sore throats and more. Ear drops containing Calendula are sometimes used to treat ear infections in children.
Further it also controls muscle spasms, heals ulcers, wounds and hemorrhoids, aids menstruation, improves oral health... Source

Chamomile is considered to be one of the most ancient and versatile medicinal herbs known to mankind, dried chamomile flowers have numerous, widespread health implications thanks to their high level of disease-fighting antioxidants like terpenoids and flavonoids.

Chamomile’s vital antioxidants are found in the plant’s potent oils and are the main contributors to its natural healing properties. As an effective alternative medicine with almost no known negative side effects, chamomile has been used for nearly 5,000 years in standardized tea, herbal extracts and cosmetic forms to promote tranquility, vitality, a youthful appearance and longevity. Source

Proven health benefits:

• Fighting anxiety and depression
• Natural allergy fighter or hay fever
• Anti-inflammatory
• Muscle spasms treatment
• PMS natural remedy and other menstrual disorders
• Insomnia cure
• Skin disorders
• Ulcers
• Wounds
• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Natural arthritis cure and rheumatic pain reliever
• Hemorrhoids home remedy

We can add lavender as well in the mix, lavender also has a lot of benefits for your skin. It is the perfect trio! I am even suggesting to put Cannabis flowers or Hemp flowers (hemp is legal and available in many parts of the world now) inside, although there isn't much research suggesting it is good for your skin, but I hear people speak about it, that they have used cold infusions with Cannabis for the skin as well, and they say it is the perfect oil for the skin, probably it has a lot of similar properties as the seeds and that could explain why people are liking it so much. Big manufacturers are even producing a lot of skin products with CBD-rich hemp flowers...

Use Hemp Seed Oil To Heal Skin Conditions

Hemp seed oil has also been found to help heal skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and other rashes. The oil’s fatty acids are believed to affect immune responses in the body which helps to promote healing. This is also likely due to the oil’s perfect balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

For the most effective relief, use hemp seed oil both internally and externally. Studies have shown that consuming the oil helps improve blood levels of essential fatty acids which can help speed healing from within. Additionally, applying hemp seed oil to the skin can relieve dryness and itchiness, reducing the need for medications. The oil can help to clean and detoxify skin, as well as even out skin tone.

Hemp seed won’t clog pores as easily as other heavier oils. So if you’re looking for a good moisturizer that doesn’t leave a greasy residue, consider hemp seed oil. Furthermore it is similar to our skin’s own natural lipids. So it is able to penetrate cells to deep. Source

If you know other beneficial oils, dry herbs or flowers that help heal (your) specific skin conditions don't hesitate to use them. The planet is full of medicinal plants! I am just making suggestions here, so together we can find our lost ancient knowledge about the plant-based medicines back.

Methods Of Oil Infusions

There are different ways to do infusions, but if we want to make a very easy and potent medicine, we should do a cold (raw) oil infusion.
This method preserves all the volatile oils or medicinal terpenes and other beneficial plant compounds. The only downside is the time you need... if you want to make a cold Olive oil infusion you need 4 - 6 weeks of patience... But it is well worth the wait, you wont find a better homemade natural medicine, especially if everything comes from your own garden!!
Make sure your garden is a place where soil bacteria & fungi can thrive, this will create a very healthy garden with very potent medicinal plants.

Only use dried herbs for the cold infusions, because fresh herbs might rot as they still contain water.

If you don't want to wait so long or want to use fresh plant material, you can make an infusion using heat as well!

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Preparation (Raw/Cold)

1. First of all let's start with taking two jars of 250ml or 500ml, depending on your quantity of oils & herbs you want to use.
2. 3/4^th of the jar can be filled up with herbs.
   (I tried to measure by sight, 1/4 parts of Calendula, Chamomile, Lavender & Cannabis sugar leaves. You can do as you please, if you like one flower more present than the other for example you can use 1/2 parts Calendula and the rest you split up into 1/3 parts to fill up 3/4^th of the jar.)
3. In a second jar of the same size you measure the oils by sight. For example eye ball 1/3 parts of Hemp seed oil, Olive oil & Coconut oil.
   (You can make marks on the outside of the jar if this makes it easier for you. You might have to heat up the Coconut oil first to make it liquid.)
4. Once you mixed the oils you can pore them into the other jar with the herbs.
5. Close the jar and label it with the ingredients and the date of today. And now you can store it for 4 - 6 weeks in a dark place at room temperature.
6. After 6 weeks strain the oil from the herbs and melt Cocoa butter in the infused oil.
   (Be careful not to use to much heat, the raw Cocoa butter starts loosing its beneficial compounds above 40°C/104°F.
   If you used 250ml oil add 200gr Cocoa butter to start, we can add later if necessary.)
7. Once melted, take it off the heat and start whipping with an electric mixer (or by hand if not possible) for two minutes.
8. Now put it in the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes.
9. Take it out the freezer and start whipping it again, you will see that it turns into a nice milky skin cream, continue whipping for 5 minutes.
   (If it is still too oily you have to add some more Cocoa butter and repeat the process.)
10. You can store the end result in your fridge for a very long time, if you want to keep it out of the fridge add some drops of vitamin E oil for better preservation.

Using Heat

• If you cannot wait 4 - 6 weeks, put a cooking pot with water on the stove, and the closed jar of herbs & oils inside of the water, on a low fire.
• Let it steep at a temperature not higher then 38°C/100.4°F. Do this as long as possible (try at least 4 -6 hours) and don't forget to shake the jar regularly. It is probably even easier If you have a crock pot or something similar.

If I have made some mistakes in the process or you have some useful tips about methods and/or other plants, please share your knowledge. I am happy to learn new things everyday...

Enjoy your homemade 100% natural potent herbal skin cream...

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This should not be treated as professional medical advise, I am not a trained professional. This is only based on my own experiences and knowledge from research. I suggest you do your own research to check if the information is correct. If you have experiences with these kind of medicinal plants please share your knowledge with us. This is an attempt to start sharing information and experiences with each other, to learn together what is good for us, instead of depending on our pharmaceutical industry who are only about making profit instead of healing people.

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Previous posts about homemade herbal medicines

• Homemade medicines #01: Insomnia & Anxiety Remedy - Cannabis & Lavender, Coconut Oil Infusions & Diffusing Essentials Oils

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To your health...

Images 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 courtesy of Pixabay
Graphic designs are done with the website https://www.canva.com/