Homemade Un-Petroleum Jelly

I used to live and die by petroleum jelly when I had a cold. Man, nothing felt better than smearing that shiny goo all over my cherry-red, swollen nose. It was also smeared all over my older daughter's rear as a baby and almost smeared all over a girlfriend's and my teeth for our 8th grade dance. It was what all the models did, we were told, to keep them smiling and make their teeth bright and shiny. I don't know what divine spirit stopped us but the petroleum jelly never it made it past our lips.

The name itself harbors no secrets of where it originates from: petroleum jelly was found to coat the bottom of oil rigs in the 1800's. As such it is an unsustainable resource and not very green. It is unfortunate how prolific petroleum is in our beauty products. This is mostly in the form of mineral oil which coats the skin like plastic (also petroleum derived) and suffocates the pores with the potential of trapping in dirt and other debris. It also doesn't allow the skin to do one of its main jobs: detoxification. So all of the toxins get trapped in your pores causing a whole host of issues like damaged collagen & elastin by slowing down the rate of cellular renewal. If you are using petroleum jelly as a beauty product- stop! It is a pro-aging product and I'm pretty sure most of us are aiming for the anti-aging benefits from our beauty supplies.

Petroleum jelly is so versatile, though, that a safer, greener version had to be concocted. In what I thought was a botched lip balm recipe, with a little tinkering, turned out to be some great un-petroleum jelly.

The Ingredients:

Beeswax, shea butter, local raw honey and vitamin E oil. (Amounts will be given below.)

This will yield a more balm-like (thicker) consistency. If you want the more traditional salve-like consistency then use jojoba oil* (or any liquid oil- but not mineral oil!) in place of the shea butter.

*Edited: Due to research on the effects of olive oil on the skin I no longer recommend it for beauty products but eat up because it is still great internally!

Make a water bath by filling a pot or sauce pan with 1-2 inches of water. Place a glass measuring cup or mason glass jar with the shea butter and beeswax in the water. Melt the wax and butter over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the wax is almost all melted add in the honey and stir until the wax is completely melted. Remove glass measuring cup with wax mixture from the water bath. Fill a small bowl with ice water to place the measuring cup into.

Working quickly, because the wax will start to harden, add in the vitamin E and whisk briskly. If the wax starts to separate and harden too fast, remove from ice water and continue to whisk until the mixture is emulsified. Pour into a clean container. Let harden for at least two hours before use. This doesn't need to be refrigerated but use within one year.

Homemade Un-Petroleum Jelly By Living Life Granola Printable recipe here

2 tbsp shea butter 1 tbsp beeswax 2 tbsp local raw honey 4-5 drops vitamin E oil 2 oz container Put the shea butter and beeswax in a glass measuring cup and place in a water bath over low- medium heat, stir occasionally. When the wax is almost melted add in the honey and stir until wax is completely melted. Remove from water bath. Fill a small bowl with ice water to place the glass measuring cup with wax mixture into. Working quickly, for the wax will harden, add in vitamin E oil and whisk briskly. If the wax starts to harden and separate too fast, remove from ice water and continue to whisk until all is emulsified. Pour into container and let harden for at least two hours before use. No need for refrigeration but use within one year.

Unlike the damage that petroleum does to our land, water and bodies, this un-petroleum jelly is nourishing and protective. Raw honey contains vitamins C and B's, amino acids, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and iron. In addition, it is also antibacterial and antimicrobial. Shea butter contains vitamins D and E, pro-vitamin A and allantoin. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as stimulates collagen production. So feel free to smear this skin conditioner all over- but I would still hold off on using it on your teeth. 

Remember to use a stick to remove the jelly to extend the shelf-life of the product.

Sources:

     1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/vaseline-petroleum-jelly_n_4136226.html

     2. http://www.naturalnews.com/031621_beauty_products_petroleum.html#


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