Sometimes I Amaze Myself

So during my morning routine on Wednesday I discovered that I was just about out of facial moisturizer.

Crap.

I also remembered that I made a commitment to not purchase anything during the season of Lent.

Double crap.

My skin is fairly dry in the Winter months and I really need a good moisturizer to avoid looking 20 years older than I actually am. I thought briefly about just bagging the whole thing, but then remembered that Lent is about sacrifice and I wasn't going to give up because of my vanity. I made a commitment and I was going to stick to it. So I turned to the internet to research recipes for home made facial moisturizer.

I found plenty of decent looking concoctions, but I didn't have all of the ingredients required to make them on hand. There were, however, two common components that kept popping up: aloe vera and grapeseed oil.

Upon further research, I found that both elements were highly moisturizing and had anti-bacterial and regenerative properties, which made them ideal for use on the face. I also found that these two ingredients were in the store-bought moisturizer I was already using. Best yet, I had both of them under my bathroom sink.

So I grabbed a small, clean jar and a kitchen spoon and started mixing, adding and stirring until the consistency felt about right. Here's what I ended up with:

4 parts aloe vera
2 parts grapeseed oil
2 drops of pure essential oil for fragrance (I used ylang ylang..it smells so fresh!)

I've been using this morning and night since Wednesday and, much to my surprise, I LOVE IT!! I think this concoction actually moisturizes better than my store-bought cream. It absorbs quickly, is non-irritating and I haven't seen one sign of a breakout.

It's also not bad on my hands and feet.

I have to admit, I'm a bit pleased with myself. I never thought I'd actually try making stuff like this at home, let alone put it on my face. But I stuck to my commitment and as a result, discovered something pretty neat (well, I think it's neat) and was able to find an effective solution without hitting the store!