Summer Time

And the living's easy!  Summer is so close we can almost taste it, now is the time to think about protecting your skin and repairing it when damage (inevitably) occurs.  We created a couple new formulas to spark inspiration to make your own summer skin care products instead of spending more money than you need to on drugstore products.

A key component to summer skin care is sun protection.  We recently launched two kinds of Micronized Zinc Oxide, Water Soluble and Oil Soluble, which can be incorporated into almost any product with ease.  They both have the following features:

• Long-ray UVA Protection
• UVB Protection
• Transparency
• Stability - doesn't degrade in the sun
• Hypoallergenic
• Non-Staining
• Non-greasy
• Enables gentle formulations
• Easy to preserve
• FDA Category 1 Sun Screen (2 - 25%)
• FDA Category 1 Skin Protectant/Diaper Rash Treatment
• Synergistic with Organic Sunscreens

The water-soluble micronized zinc oxide is used in sunscreens, lotions and creams with sun protection, and mineral makeup, whereas the oil-soluble is used in balms, salves, ointments, and lip products.  They can be added at anywhere from 1%-25% to effectively block out harmful sun rays.  You can even add micronized zinc to creams and lotions that you already have at home to help boost their sun protection!

If you've recently spent some time in the sun and are feeling like your skin is a little scaly, we totally recommend the use of the following silky body lotion.  To make 520 grams you'll need:

Hydrating After Sun Lotion

6% Incroquat TMS-50 - 31 grams

9% Kukui Nut Oil - 47 grams

5% Coconut Oil Fractionated - 26 grams

2% Hydrovance - 10 grams

2% Dimethicone - 10 grams

74% Water - Boiling Hot - 385 grams

0.5% Vitamin E D-Alpha Tocopherol - 3 grams

1% Optiphen Plus Preservative - 5 grams

0.5% Silk Amino Acids - 3 grams

Directions:

1. Measure out the first 5 ingredients into a heat-safe container.  

2. Add your pre-measured boiling water and whisk continuously until all solids are melted. 

3. Continue to whisk every minute or two until the product thickens considerably and is just barely warm to the touch, or under 40 degrees Celsius.  

4. Add your vitamins and preservatives, whisking gently to combine.  

5. If desired, add a teaspoon of fragrance or essential oil, stirring to combine.

6. Package into Plastic Bottles with lotion pumps.

This lotion is thin and moisturizes well, leaving skin feeling powdery soft.  The kukui oil helps heal damaged skin while the coconut oil provides exceptional moisture.  

So let's say you went on the lake and *gasp!* forgot your sunscreen, and now you're left with a painful sunburn.  We created a powerful skin spritzer to help repair damaged skin and cool the sting.  Here are the ingredients to make 500 grams:

Soothing Skin Tonic

35% Neroli Hydrosol - 175 grams

15% Witch Hazel - 75 grams

36.5% Cold Water - 183 grams

9% Aloe Vera Extract - 45 grams

1% Hydrovance - 5 grams

0.5% Green Tea Extract - 2 grams

2% Polysorbate 20 - 10 grams

1% Skin Therapy Essential Oil Blend - 5 grams

Directions:

Mix the Polysorbate and essential oil together in a small container and set aside.  Whisk the other ingredients together in a large measuring cup.  It may be beneficial to mix the green tea extract with a couple teaspoons of glycerin to ensure there is no clumping, then add the Polysorbate/fragrance mixture.  Mix well then package into Aluminum Bottles.

The hydrosol helps treat wounded skin, the witch hazel cools the sting, the aloe helps heal and cool, and the green tea extract contains powerful anti-oxidants.  We used our Skin Therapy Essential Oil blend due to its wonderful properties for the skin but Lavender and Peppermint have also been used to ease the burn. 

Remember this summer that protecting your skin in the number one way to keep it healthy looking for the rest of your life!

Sincerely,

The Voyageur Team

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