The Blue Goo: Calming, Hydrating and Softening

This stuff is so easy to make. And SO WORTH IT! There is a story behind how this came to be and it is part of why I started this whole journey/blog...so let's just jump in.

Finished product before it sets. I call it blue, but maybe it's more of a blue/green - sort of similar to algae....

This began about a year ago - I kept seeing natural skincare advertisements all over, which is often the case when you are constantly researching things online - you get directed with ads. Everywhere. (Thank you data/tech/marketing people...🙄) The first thing I noticed was the majority of natural skincare is SUPER expensive! I mean, I am no stranger to spending $75 on a 1 oz. serum at a typical beauty counter. Shout out to the Bloomingdales in Boca Raton Florida - loved them so much - and they loved me! But I have seen natural products costing $100, $150, $250!!! for an ounce or 2 of just basic ingredients. I get it, it's a business. But it's also a little outrageous and in my honest opinion, a little distasteful. So I back to the story, I keep seeing ads for blue tansy products everywhere. Balms, oils, creams, and so on. And I couldn't understand why this ingredient seemed to drive up so much cost. I started researching and found it is a great natural skincare ingredient, but when you read a lot of the ingredients that are paired with it, especially in the anhydrous (oil only) formulas, they are pretty simple. I kept thinking "I can't believe places are charging this much for something that you can literally make in 20 minutes with ingredients you can find off Amazon!!" So I decided to formulate my own. And I love it. I have very sensitive skin and get red really easily. This goo (so professional, I know) is great for calming the skin, providing deep (long lasting) hydration, and protecting the skin from the elements. My husband even uses this regularly and he is not a man who loves using skincare products. It has helped to calm his skin redness and has even improved the texture, because it actually looks smooth and hydrated. Let's talk about what is in it!

The heated oil phase ingredients.

Star Ingredients

The first ingredient is prickly pear oil. This oil contains up to 70% +/- of linoleic acid - which is very hydrating and helps to maintain moisture (water) levels in the skin - in other words, it helps our skin barrier. (As you research you will find that most oil/butter ingredients, especially linoleic acid, are beneficial for the skin barrier. Oleic acid...not as much, but oils that contain it still have a benefit in skincare!) It is full of antioxidants and vitamins, such as vitamin E and vitamin K which can help with uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. It can also soothe skin inflammation and reduce redness.

Next is good old grass-fed beef tallow. This is another "buzzword" in the beauty industry. I hate buzzwords. Another ingredient I have seen sold for EXORBITANT amounts of money - again with simple, standard ingredients. And yes, paying for quality ingredients might cost a little more, but not enough to justify hundreds of dollars...sorry I digress. It is also high in vitamins and anti-inflammatory. It is typically composed of oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid and is thought to increase fatty acid in the skin. I really like tallow on my skin and find that it has a nice, smooth, yet non-greasy feeling. If you are vegan you can substitute this ingredient with another hard butter.

The third heavy hitter in this is a butter blend. It is a blend of shea and kokum butter. You may use one or the other. You do not need to use a blend. Though I highly recommend both. I am a big fan of kokum for facial products. It absorbs easily, has a harder feel than shea butter, and has a very low rating on the comedogenic scale. It is super nourishing, great for irritated skin and mature skin. I am sure most of us can list a ton of benefits to shea butter. In small amounts I don't mind it in facial products just because it's greasier than kokum.

The next butter is mango butter. It's fantastic for dry, itchy skin as it is highly absorbent. It also contains lots of antioxidants and vitamins which help fight against free radical damage. It is often used as an emollient due to it's softening and hydrating properties.

The other cold process ingredients.

I used 5 different essential oils for this. Blue Tansy, Helichrysum, Tumeric, Frankincense, and Rosemary.

First I will say most essential oils do not always smell very good IMO - but I like Blue Tansy. It also helps that is so calming to the skin due to it's anti-inflammatory properties. It has also been thought to have skin healing properties. Plus the color is AWESOME!

Helichrysum is said to have antioxidant properties that can help with balancing skin hydration, reducing hyperpigmentation, and supporting aging skin. It is also thought to be anti-inflammatory and soothing to irritated skin.

Tumeric (this is an extracted oil, not a powder) when applied topically is thought to provide a glow, or natural luster to the skin, and help lessen the look of acne scarring.

Frankincense - I love this stuff so much. I use it in a lot of my face products. It is said to help with cell regeneration and as a topical anti-aging ingredient. It is also anti-inflammatory and can help even to tighten the skin.

Rosemary has anti-bacterial properties, so i's great for those who break out. It can also help with stimulating circulation, and providing a radiant, refreshed look to the skin.

Recipe (makes 2 oz.):

Prickly Pear Oil	25%	14.17 grams
Tallow	24%	13.61 grams
Shea/Kokum Butter	23%	13.04 grams
Mango Butter	22%	12.47 grams
Baobob Oil	2%	1.13 grams
Tamanu Oil	2%	1.13 grams
Kukui Nut Oil	1%	.57 grams
Vitamin E	.4%	.23 grams
Essential Oils (Total)	.6%	.34 grams

Essential Oil Breakdown (total equal to .34 grams)

Blue Tansy	25%	.085 grams
Helichrysum	20%	.070 grams
Tumeric	20%	.070 grams
Frankincense	20%	.070 grams
Rosemary	15%	.051 grams

Instructions:

1. Weigh all tallow, shea/kokum butter, and mango butter into a beaker.

2. Using a double boiler method (I filled the frying pan halfway up with water) set the beaker in the water and melt them down till they are liquid. I recommend letting them "cook" for at least 15/20 minutes, otherwise your finished product could come out a little grainy if you don't make sure all of the fats are fully liquified. Some DIY'ers will say to temp test the ingredients to make sure they are 175 degrees (F).

3. Remove from heat (the glass will be hot - BE CAREFUL) and stir gently. Now you can begin adding the other ingredients. Weigh out everything and add to your beaker, one by one, the liquid oils first. Make sure the mixture has begun to cool before you add your essential oils. High heat will cause them to degrade.

4. Stir well. If you have a milk frother style mixer you can use it now to make sure everything is evenly dispersed.

5. Pour into jars, put the lid on and let it set!!

Tada! All done. The hardest part IMO is waiting for them to set. The time it takes is dependent on the ambient temperature and if you made any formulation changes. I recommend letting it firm up at room temperature first and then if you want, you can refrigerate it to make it harder. Plus it really does feel nice to apply cool products on the skin. Here is a video of the color change when I added the essential oils....

And pouring into my final container....

This is a great hydrating balm. At room temperature I would consider this a soft to medium feel and melts quickly on contact with the skin. If will harden/soften depending on where it is stored and your local climate. Color and consistency changes are normal as this is made completely from natural ingredients (which vary) and it is temperature sensitive. You could use this over your regular moisturizer, day or night, or you could apply this to a damp/wet face in place of a regular moisturizer, depending on your skin needs. It is cold, dry, and breezy where I am so I use a face cream and this over top. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - let me know what you thought if you made it!