Tea Tree Dry Foot/Hand Cream Recipe

Tea tree is a great essential oil for use in hand and foot products because of its antibacterial and stimulating qualities. It blends well with citrus and herbaceous oils such as Rosemary and Lavender so if you don't want to just use tea tree you could replace some with another oil.

This cream is vegan friendly packed with lots of lovely natural ingredients. You could use it as a body cream if you don't want to use it just on your feet and hands, we would recommend using it when you are still slightly damp after having a bath or shower.

What is in this recipe? 

This is a great cream to use on feet or on your hands after a hard day's gardening. It has deep moisturising abilities from the oils and the butters will help lock in the water to moisturise your skin for an long time.

Jojoba Oil is the Queen of Oils for skin care. It mimics our natural sebum and so it soaks into our skin easily and quickly. It is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties which will help with inflamed skin. 

Sweet Almond is a great moisturiser for the skin, packed full of healthy fatty acids

Shea Butter & Cocoa butter add natural emollient and moisturising qualities to the cream. They add a great feel and take time to soak into the skin, which can keep the skin moisturised and supple for longer.

Fractionated Coconut Oil (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride) is a great oil for acne as it is light, easily absorbed and is calming for the skin. The fatty acids in Caprylic/capric Triglyceride make it a great skin repair oil.

Vegetable glycerine is a natural by product of soap making and is a humectant. It attracts water to the skin to add moisture and keep the skin supple for longer. (Want an alternative? Use honey to replace glycerine, but remember your product will no longer be vegan friendly)

Tea Tree Essential Oil is anti-bacterial and helps with red skin. It is a versatile oil that will help settle the skin.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. When oils are exposed to air they start to oxidise and form peroxides. These are damaging to the skin and can contribute to ageing skin. Using Vitamin E is recommended in all products containing oil, and is now a legal requirement in some instances.

Recipe: 

Preparation time

20 mins

Making time

45 mins

Ingredients 

Water Phase:

Water - 335g (Deionised is recommended) 

Glycerine - 15g (Humectant)

Oil Phase:

Shea Butter - 25g (Emollient) Cocoa Butter - 15g (Emollient) Glyceryl Stearate SE - 25g (Emulsifier) Cetyl Alcohol - 15g - (Emollient/Emulsifier) Stearic Acid - 15g (Thickener) Jojoba Oil - 10g (Wax - Emollient) Sweet Almond Oil - 10g (Emollient) Fractionated Coconut Oil - 25g - (Emollient)

Actives Phase:

Phenoxyethanol & Ethylhexylglycerin - 5g (Preservative) Vitamin E - 2g (Antioxidant) Tea Tree Essential Oil - 3g (Essential Oil)

Equipment you will need You will need:

Scales Pan to heat the water Pan & bowl, double boiler or wax heaters to heat fats and waxes - we use these on our courses Spoon/spatula Blender Thermometer (example here) Jar to store

Method 

Weigh all ingredients in the 'Oil Phase' list into your heater. Heat to 75 degrees celsius and hold there for 20 minutes.

Heat the water to 75 degrees Celsius and hold for 20 minutes. 

This method is called the heat and hold method. This is to remove any nasty bacteria that could have got into your ingredients. 

You can then add the Oil Phase to the Water Phase and use a blender to combine. We recommend using the blender for 5 minutes, before moving to stirring with a spoon or spatula (see our blog about why we use blenders here). 

When the mixture is around 40 degrees c. you can add your additives phase and stir in with a spatula/spoon. Make sure you stir through enough to mix everything together, especially the preservative.

Scoop into a jar and screw on a cap or pump.

Applying 

You can use your hands to apply to your feet or take some into your hands and rub together. You can also use your hands to apply to your body, especially straight after a bath or shower.