Is it just me or is it super hard to find a face cream that stands up to the extreme cold and dry air of a Candian winter? I’ve tried a number of products that claim to be the best winter/dry skin face cream, but they never seem to do the trick for my already overly dry skin. Not to mention, I’m one of those people who has crazy sensitive skin… So what’s a girl to do?

Make her own, that’s what!

After doing some research spurred by my holistic studies, I learned that both shea butter and sweet almond oil are non-comedogenic, which means they won’t clog your pores — perfect for the delicate skin on our face. They’re also more stable than many other oils/butters and won’t spoil when heated and cooled, making them great ingredients for beauty products.

Tea tree and lavender essential oils both have antiseptic qualities helping to eliminate breakouts and unclog pores. Lavender, in particular, is more gentle and healing which makes it great for those of us with sensitive skin.

Alas, my new favourite face cream was born!

One jar usually lasts about 4 to 6 months, depending on the season. In the winter I slather it on thick at night and wake up with hydrated glowing skin. During the day I massage a minimal amount into dry spots only — be sure to massage well otherwise you might end up with a greasy look. In the Summer I love to use this cream to quench my skin’s thirst after a long hot day in the sun (it’s amazing at soothing sunburns).

Want to see what else goes into my daily face care regime? Check out my Favourite Green Facecare Products post!

Hydrating Face Cream

¼ Cup Shea Butter
1 Tbsp. Sweet Almond Oil
1 Drops tea tree oil*
2 Drops lavender*

Using a double boiler melt the shea butter and sweet almond oil together. Stir the mixture until the shea butter is melted and has combined with the almond oil. Set aside to slightly cool for a few minutes before placing the bowl in the fridge to solidify for about 1 to 2 hours. Once the mixture is solid, remove from fridge and whip with a hand mixer (I find a hand mixer works best as there’s only a small amount of oil/butter in your bowl). Once you get the consistency of whipped cream, add in your essential oils and whip a few more seconds to combine.

Store in an air-tight, dark coloured, glass jar for up to 6 months.

*If you’re sensitive to essential oils, or allergic to plants in the lavender or tea tree families, be sure to leave them out. Don’t worry even without essential oils this is still a great cream.

Sprouted Tip: This recipe is a great starting point. If your more prone to breakouts and have oily skin you can add more tea tree oil. If you rarely break out and tend to have overly dry skin, you can stick with soothing lavender oil.