DIY MOISTURISING BALM ...SUPER EASY AND 100% NATURAL

Petroleum Jelly is considered a must have balm in every Pakistani household and most of us don't even give it a second thought when it comes to its safety but did you know that petroleum jelly (aka petrolatum) comes from crude oil? Well, now that you think of it, it's kind of obvious, right? I mean, the name is very clear on that. Just to be clear and avoid any confusion, crude oil is that thick, black, yucky goo that is the cause of most of our global environmental and humanitarian crises.

Besides the fact that petroleum jelly carries with it a dirty carbon footprint and is harmful to the wildlife once it gets flushed down the drain, a risk of contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), cancer-causing chemicals found in crude oil and its by-products should also be of concern to users of this product.

As far as its healing and moisturising properties go, petroleum jelly does nothing more than wrapping your skin in plastic would. It clogs the pores and prevents moisture exchange, it increases risk of fungal infections, it accumulates in lymph nodes , prevents absorption of vit. A and much more.

In the light of the above mentioned facts, it is sensible to consider a more natural, safe and environmentally friendly alternative.The recipe below is just that and as an added bonus it is super simple to make and easy to store and the recipe will make quite a large batch.You don't have an excuse to not make it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sweet almond(or olive) oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup beeswax

1 tsp. vit. E oil (or pop 10 capsules)

essential oils (optional) as per preference

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a glass jar or glass jug.

Insert glass container in saucepan

Water boils,beeswax starts to melt.

Beeswax is almost completely melted.

Done

Place the jar/jug in a saucepan with hot water.As the water starts boiling and heating up the oils and wax in the glass container, the oil+beeswax blend will melt. Mix with a spoon or spatula to distribute the melted beeswax evenly.

Add the vit. e oil and essential oils (if desired)

Pour in clean containers

Leave to cool and set.

The balm is almost set.

Ready

Pour in a container and leave to cool.

Tips for using:

This moisturising balm is very rich and does not contain any water.This is why you need to apply on wet skin for a better absorption.

You can use this balm in any way you would use petroleum jelly: as a general moisturiser, lip balm, nappy balm, eczema treatment, balm for heels and dry elbows etc.

Due to lack of water content, this moisturizer will keep for a significantly longer period than my homemade lotion but when not in use for a longer time period it's still best to refrigerate it to slow down rancidity of oils.

You can easily make this balm at home or give my Baby Balm a try for a general use alternative to petroleum jelly for everyone.