In a small sauce pan, bring distilled water to a simmer. Add chamomile flowers, and steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the flowers and discard or compost.
Place marshmallow root in a pint-sized mason jar, and pour the cooled chamomile infusion over the herbs. Cover and allow to infuse at room temperature for 4-8 hours or overnight. Strain out the herbs, squeezing them to release the mucilage. Make sure there is no remaining plant matter in your infusion. The discarded herbs can be used as a poultice on dry or inflamed skin or composted.
At this point, you will have about 25%-40% less liquid than you started with, thanks to evaporation. Top up the distilled water until you have 200 g again.
Add aloe, allantoin and colloidal oatmeal if using, Blend will with a whisk or immersion blender.
Sprinkle sclerotium, gum arabic and xanthan gum powders over the surface of the chamomile/marshmallow infusion, and blend well.
In a separate small jar or pinch bowl, dissolve essential oils (if using) in the squalane carrier oil. Once the essential oil droplets are no longer visible in the oil, add the squalane to the water base and continue to blend until it resembles a thick, creamy milkshake.
Finally, add your Geogard ECT or preservative of choice. Blend once more until your gel is completely smooth and well combined. The gel will continue to thicken for a couple of hours before it reaches its final consistency.
You’re done! Go smear some on your face and let me know what you think. ♥

Notes

I recommend glass containers for storing homemade lotions and potions. Glass doesn’t leach chemicals and it’s easier to clean/sterilize after the product is used up and you’re ready to refill.

If you do choose to use a plastic container, be aware that essential oils tend to react with plastic, so even if you can get it “clean,” your container will likely not be reusable.

Ingredients

Phase A

Phase B

Phase C

Instructions

Notes

Tincture Dilution Calculator