Give thoughtful and unique gifts with home-grown flavor. Gifts from the Garden (Kyle Books, 2013) by Debora Robertson is an inspirational collection of pretty, practical projects. From edible to decorative, there’s a gift to suit every individual. The following “Herbs and Flowers” project is for sweetly scented, rose hand cream.
Purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store:Gifts from the Garden.
This sweetly scented, but hard-working cream makes a very good present to give to an enthusiastic gardener whose hands are dry from weekends spent in the garden.
Rose Hand Cream
Ingredients
• 1⁄2 cup sweet almond or jojoba oil
• 4 tablespoons shea butter
• 2 tablespoons beeswax, grated
• 1⁄2 cup rose water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon benzoin tincture (a natural preservative)
• 4 drops Rose Maroc essential oil
• 4 drops lavender oil (optional, though it will help heal small cuts and scratches on hard-working hands)
• Dark glass jar/s
Instructions
Place a small heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water; the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Put the almond or jojoba oil into the bowl with the butter and beeswax. Warm, stirring occasionally, until the wax has melted. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Whisk together the rose water, benzoin tincture, and essential oil/s in a bowl. When the oil/wax mixture is cool, spoon it into a food processor or blender and process for a minute. With the motor still running, pour the rose water through the feed tube and process until you have a smooth emulsion. Use a spatula to transfer the cream into cold, sterilized jars and seal. Makes approx. 11 oz
This cream will keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 weeks.
More from Gifts from the Garden:
• DIY Chamomile Hair Rinse
• How to Make Rose Lip Balm
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Gifts from the Garden: 100 Gorgeous Homegrown Presents by Debora Robertson and published by Kyle Books, 2013. Purchase this book from our store:Gifts from the Garden.