Favorite Hydrosols at Amazon
Lavender Hydrosol (Lavandula angustifolia) from Plant Therapy is clean and herbaceous. It makes a lovely linen spray on its own. And we use it together with Roman Chamomile hydrosol in a 10ml atomizer bottle when we travel. (PT’s Lavender Hydrosol is also available direct.)
Organic Orange Blossom Hydrosol from Sweet Essentials is sweet and uplifting. I use it as the water phase of body creams and as a refreshing body mist. It’s also makes a wonderful linen spray.
Peppermint Hydrosol (Mentha x piperita) from Aromatics International is my favorite peppermint hydrosol. It’s safe for internal use and I love to add a cooling spritz to chilled water. (Also direct.)
Peppermint Hydrosol (Mentha x piperita) from Plant Therapy is cooling and fresh. I love it as a foot spray or for misting sun kissed skin. Keep refrigerated for extra cooling sensation! (Also direct.)
Roman Chamomile Hydrosol (Anthemis nobilis) from Plant Therapy is soothing to itchy irritated skin. I also combine it with Lavender hydrosol in a small atomizer to use as a calming spray while traveling. (Also direct.)
Organic Rose Hydrosol (Rosa x damascena) from Plant Therapy is lovely as a facial toner on its own or blended with other ingredients, such as a touch of vegetable glycerin. (Also direct.)
Tea Tree Hydrosol (Melaleuca alternifolia) from Plant Therapy is a necessity for facial care! (Also direct.)
Favorite Skin Care Butters on Amazon
Organic Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao) by Better Shea Butter is rich and chocolately. I love adding it to dry skin formulations and lip balms!
Organic Coconut Butter (Cocos nucifera) by Artisana Organics is rich, soothing, nourishing, and smells amazing. It’s less greasy than coconut oil and penetrates the skin very quickly.
Illipe Nut Butter (Shorea stenoptera) from Oslove Organics is luxurious, providing long-lasting softening. Excellent for “mature” skin.
Mango Butter (Mangifera indica) from Better Shea Butter is light and absorbs rapidly. Just a touch will do!
Murumuru Butter (Astrocaryum murumuru) from 3CayG is a beautiful nourishing butter with a rich creamy texture that’s great for skin and hair.
Organic African Shea Butter (Vitellaria paradoxa) from 3CayG is smooth and silky, beautiful for protective body butters.
The Butter Sampler Packs from 3CayG allow you to sample exotic butters from around the world!
Cetyl Alcohol, by Artekas Innovations, isn’t a butter, it’s a plant-based thickener and stabilizer that I like adding to my whipped butters and emulsified creams for a powdery, silky skin-feel.
Favorite Skin Care Oils & Other “Carriers”
Organic Acai Berry Oil (Euterpe oleracea) from Renewalize is a rich nourishing oil I love using in my lip serums.
Aloe Vera Gel (Aloe barbadensis) from Seven Minerals is made from fresh Aloe grown organically in Texas. It has a simple ingredient list with no xanthan to make it sticky. I find it smooth and cooling.
Meyer’s Beeswax, Made in the USA, has a lovely honey-like aroma without the “smokiness” that a lot of beeswaxes have. It’s beautiful for lip balms, salves, skin care, and candle-making!
Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera biennis) from Plant Therapy is a skin toning oil, rich in GLA, an essential fatty acid important for skin barrier repair. (Also direct.)
Vegetable Glycerin from Seven Minerals is made from organic Coconut oil. This is my preference for skin care applications, like hydrating facial toners, body creams, and botanical glycerites. (For oral tinctures I use Starwest Botanicals’ glycerin.)
Organic Grapeseed Oil (Vitis vinifera) from Sky Organics is one of the few truly organic grapeseed oils I can find. I often use Grapeseed for herbal infusions and it’s excellent for oily skin.
Organic Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) from Plant Therapy or Renewalize is what I use for skin care. (Also Plant Therapy direct.)
Organic Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa) from Manitoba Harvest tastes really good. Kiko Dog and I swallow a spoonful of it daily for the omega fatty acids. If you want to store just one HSO, get this one for it’s versatility. It’s great in lip balms!
Organic Hibiscus Seed Oil (Hibiscus sabdariffa) from Renewalize is rich and nourishing. I love it in facial serums and lip oils.
Organic Jojoba Oil/Wax (Simmondsia chinensis) from Cliganic is a standard “carrier” lipid oil. It’s very close to the skin’s natural sebum making it an excellent oil for moisturizing and skin barrier support. (Also direct.)
Kukui Nut Oil (Aleurites moluccana) from Renewalize is a vitamin rich, penetrating, skin-soothing oil with a long history of use as a healing oil. I love this in lip serums and foot oils.
Meadowfoam Oil (Limnanthes alba) from Plant Therapy contributes a lovely silky skin-feel when added to skin care formulations. (Also direct.)
Organic Mongongo Nut Oil (Schinziophyton rautanenii), also known as Manketti Nut Oil, from Renewalize is a rich, ultra moisturizing oil. I like to comb a couple of drops through my hair ends after washing and while still damp.
Passion Fruit Seed Oil (Passiflora edulis or P. incarnata), also known as Maracuja oil, from Renewalize is my absolute favorite ingredient for facial serums. It’s a featured ingredient in my Tropical Passion facial serum.
Organic Rosehip Seed Oil (Rosa canina) from Cliganic is a lovely oil that leaves the skin and lips silky soft. (Also direct.)
Safflower Seed Oil (Carthamus tinctorius) from Renewalize is light, rich in skin-barrier supporting linoleic fatty acid, and virtually aroma-free. It makes a great base for all skin care products.
Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus annuus) from Renewalize is by far my favorite base for facial serums. It’s hard to find a linoleic-rich Sunflower Seed oil, so this is the one I rely on.
Fragrance-Free Lotion from Lubriderm for normal to dry skin is a great base for aromatherapy hand and body lotions.
Fragrance-Free Cream from Cetaphil for dry to very dry skin is awesome for sensitive skin and is a great rich base for skin-supporting essential oil blends.
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