The weather is the only thing that should be dry during the winter months. You don’t have to let the cold dictate the appearance or health of your skin. How do you keep you skin hydrated, though? There are simple natural ingredients, like neem oil, which have been used to promote healthy skin in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine for many years.
What is Neem Oil?
Referred to as “the village pharmacy” in India, the neem tree grows in tropical climates and produces fruits and seeds, from which neem oil is created. The flowers have been used to treat bile disorders and the leaves have been able to prevent ulcers. Even the bark was used to benefit the central nervous system! Neem oil has a potent smell and it has been used to remedy a variety of skin conditions, from regular dry skin to eczema and psoriasis.
The wonderful thing about the body butter in this article is that it contains the tag-team duo of neem oil and lavender essential oil. Both of these oils have anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain killing) properties. Lavender oil, when used topically, has been known to reduce redness, swelling, and promote the healing of burns and cuts. The combination of lavender and neem oil may be exactly what you need to get through the dry winter. Plus, the rest of the ingredients are pretty amazing!
Ingredients:
- .05 oz. cocoa butter
- 6 oz. shea butter
- .6 oz. arnica oil
- .4 oz. neem oil
- 18 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree oil
- 1 ml vitamin E oil
Instructions:
- In a double boiler over medium heat, melt the cocoa and shea butters, stirring them occasionally. Once they are melted, add the arnica and neem oils.
- Remove from the heat and add the lavender essential oil, tea tree oil, and vitamin E oil.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the mixture the next day and, using a hand mixer, whip the mixture until it looks like soft body butter. Store this in an airtight glass jar in a cool, dry place. Use twice a day on dry skin.
