Beautifully frugal - Body Butter

Jo Malone, that's my favourite! It's heavenly body moisturising cream is over £40 a pot. It's divine.

I had a pot. Actually, I still have the pot, I cannot bring myself to part with the pot. It's still half full....

I discovered the miracle that countermands the above in a fit of frustration that my skin wasn't helping me to be as beautiful as I could be - well not all over. Thanks (sort of - I'm still in two minds) to the lovely nurse practitioner who informed me that I have very sensitive skin and all my "highly perfumed" products would "have to go". She handed me a utilitarian looking tube of Aqueous Cream.

Apparently anyone who's ever had a baby knows about this stuff - they give it to you to lather up your nethers - ENOUGH!!! All you need to know is that it's one of the best basic moisturisers around. It has the consistency of body butter and is less than £4 for 3 times as much as Jo's heavenly concoction.

Too good to be true? Well... erm.... a bit.... It doesn't smell horrible but it's not glamorous.... frankly.... it's just, well...dull.... Am I convincing you? to rush out and get some yet?!!!! (Please bear with me)The second secret is Aloe Vera Gel, not a greeting for a Coronation Street character but the jellied juice of a spiky plant found in parts of the world more exotic than here. This is wonderful stuff - promoting healing, having an emollient (moisturising) effect, it firms your skin, soothes it and leaving you feeling generally wonderful. It's excellent used neat between cleansing and moisturising. I read somewhere that it acts as a conduit for other products. So it's great to use under moisturiser if your skin is particularly dry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera

I’m cutting to the chase here – the two products together are a minor miracle for the skin. I use this as a rich night body lotion after a hot bath – it’s major moisturisation and great fro the winter months when skin’s been dried out by central heating and cold weather - it’s also a GREAT base for self-tan – less nasty over dyed dry bits as you’re soft all over before you start!

The smell, mmm….. now I can cope with it – but if you’re a major olfactory nut then I would suggest adding either a little of your favourite perfume or even better a couple of drops of essential oil. I have been known to add lavender oil to mine for a lovely restful bedtime body butter.

I would mix as follows:
1 part Aloe Vera Gel to 2 parts Aqueous Cream - add as much pure essential oil of your choice as needed – you need around 2 drops for every “heaped tablespoon” of the mixture. Be careful with this as the essential oils can be the thing that people with sensitive skin can react to.
Have a look at this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy#Popular_uses for some popular/suggested fragrances to suit your mood.