Odd Chick's cooking... sort of..

yum, yum - my kitchen smells like mango butter and apricots but you can't eat it. I had an order from my chappedchick.com and so I'm making a fresh batch of cuticle salve and I added mango butter to the recipe this time and I love it.
While I was at it I remembered that I need a body scrub for my really dry skin and thought others could use a polishing. I've included an easy recipe. I can tell you an excellent scrub with things you probably have around your kitchen & bathroom.

Use 1/2 cup glycerin soap (pieces you have laying around will do)

Use 1/2 cup of shampoo base or some kind of liquid soap (just because it's mild)

Melt these things slowly in the microwave together or over a double boiler.

If you have beeswax add 1/8 cup or add honey. You want this to stick to you a little bit so it can do its job before it slides off. Melt this slowly in the mixture.

Now stir in an oil, if you have dry skin, any vegetable oil, plant, or tree oil so you won't clog pores, even castor oil will do. Olive oil is great, for dry skin. Almond or sunflower oil is light for oily skin. Do not use baby oil or mineral oil because after the scrub you need the oil to moisturize your skin unless you're really oily. Otherwise, mineral oil or baby oil just sits on top of the skin, clogs the pores and doesn't allow any nutrients into the skin.

Pour in epsom salt, or bath salts, or sea salt, or sugar, or brown sugar until you like the consistency, (I like lots of epsom salt). This ingredient must be fine, not big and coarse. You can throw stuff in your blender or food processor to get a fine consistency. Then add essential oils if you would like or some of your favorite perfume, or vanilla extract, and stir vigourously,melt again if needed but just until pourable. Now quickly pour into plastic jars if they are going to be by your tub or in your shower.
I just had to throw some mango butter in mine because my skin is so dry and some apricot oil.

When I washed up with the leftovers -my forearms and hands glowed and felt so smooth, and I'm old!!

If you've used non-clogging oils and fine ingredients, this can be used on the face once a week or so- you don't want to stir up the oil glands too much. Make extra to give as a gift or share with a friend. Add colors by adding colored soap or food coloring and layer in a nice jar, tye a ribbon around it, add a handmade tag and waalah!