How to Make Chamomile Facial Cleanser

There are a number of beauty treatment recipes that use chamomile, including facial toners and cleansers. To find out how to use up all the extra chamomile flowers that you've harvested from your garden, just follow the easy steps below. You'll be begging your neighbor for some of his chamomile.

Things You'll Need

• Dried chamomile flowers
• Dried or fresh mint
• Stove
• Several pans
• Jars with lids
• Refrigerator
• Lanolin
• Cocoa butter
• Sweet almond oil
• Safflower, almond, or wheat germ oil
• Fresh chamomile flowers
• Zinc oxide
• Rose water
• Borax
• Glycerine
• Mixer

Instructions

1. Make a chamomile and mint astringent to cleanse the final bits of grime from your face. Use 2 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers to every 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint and 4 cups of water. You may use 2 tbsp. dried mint in place of the fresh mint. Boil this mixture for about 10 minutes and then remove it from the heat. Allow it to sit and steep for an additional 5 minutes before you strain the liquid into a jar. Put the cover on the jar and put it in the refrigerator. Use a cotton ball to apply the facial cleanser to your skin. Throw away excess after two weeks.

2. Cleanse dry skin with an oil-based cleanser. In a small jar put enough safflower, almond or wheat germ oil to fill the jar 3/4 of the way full. Add the flowers of the chamomile to fill to the top and allow to sit covered in the refrigerator. Apply the oil to your face and wipe off the dirt along with the oil.

3. Create a creamy cleanser from 1 ounce lanolin, 1 ounce butter and 4 tbsp. sweet almond oil. Place the mixture in a pan of boiling water and let it melt, occasionally stirring. Remove the pan and add 4 tbsp. of a chamomile infusion. (See tips for how to make the infusion, if you're not sure how). Beat with a mixer until well blended and slightly cooled. Pour it into a screw top jar and shake before using this facial cleanser.

4. Make another simple facial cleanser with chamomile. Melt 4 tbsp. lanolin. In a separate pot, mix 2 fluid oz. almond oil and 1 tbsp. glycerine. When the lanolin is melted, slowly pour in the oil mixture from the other pot. Warm 3 tbsp. chamomile infusion and dissolve 1/8 tsp. borax in the infusion. Add this mixture to the lanolin and oil mixture beating constantly. Once the mixture is creamy and somewhat cool, beat in 1 tsp. zinc oxide ointment and 6 drops of essential oil of rose. Spoon into sterilized jars and label. To use, smear some on your face and wipe off.

Tips & Warnings

• To make an infusion of use three tablespoons of the flowers to 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Mix together and allow to stand for 6 minutes. Strain the flowers from the liquid and use right away or within a few hours.

• On most of the mixtures, it is important that all ingredients are about the same temperature or the mixture will curdle.