I’m not the most girly-girl, I’ll admit that right up front. I’d rather be out on the shooting range than any where else. My dad and I joke that the only powder I wear is gunpowder. Having said that, I enjoy hangnails, shredded fingernails, and dry cuticles as much as the next girl. Not!
This brings me to today’s topic: the cuticles. We all need to care for these precious cuticles, but sometimes a hand cream isn’t enough. If you have ever had a manicure or a pedicure, you know that the cuticles have their own special oil or jelly. Keeping the skin soft enough to avoid ripping is important – otherwise you might get an itchy trigger finger. 🙂
What is the difference between a cuticle oil and a cuticle jelly?
Cuticle oils are fluid, while jellies are semi-fluid. Both are useful, and preference is the only reason you would choose one versus the other. If you tend to not like oily hands, then a jelly is more in line. If you have very dry skin and feel like a bit of oil would help stop evaporation from the skin, then an oil is probably better.
For typing or gun handling activities, I prefer a jelly, because my fingers don’t slip around as much. For activities like driving, riding, hiking, or sleeping, the oil is nice.
I’m going to make the Cuticle Gelly recipe in our recipes section, and in honor of today, I’m going to color it green for Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
2 grams Carnauba Wax
30 grams Mango Oil
5 grams Sweet Almond Butter
5 grams Avocado Oil
8 grams Evening Primrose Oil
5 grams Cranberry Seed Oil
30 grams Sunflower Oil
8 grams Lanolin
5 grams White Cocoa Butter
1 gram Squalane
1.06 grams fragrance oil (I chose Lemon Zinger for a fresh and zippy scent
Touch of Blue Oil Soluble Lip Balm Color (optional)
Equipment
Scale
Microwave Safe Container
Spoons
Pipettes
1/4 oz Dropper Bottles or Lip Brush Pen
Weigh all ingredients except for fragrance oil, color and Squalane in to microwave safe container. Melt these ingredients in the microwave using short bursts of time. The Lanolin and Carnauba Wax will be last items to melt, so don’t worry. Do be careful though, you don’t want
to overheat the mixture. Once everything has been melted, add the fragrance oil, color and Squalane. Whoa! Wait a minute! I only added blue color. How do I expect it to turn green? The Lanolin of course! Lanolin has a light yellow/orange color. Once you add the blue color, green magically appears after some stirring.
Once the everything has been mixed, you are now ready to fill your containers! Cap your containers and you are now finished. Don’t these bottles look fantastic!
This mixture leaves the finger nail and cuticle area feeling soft, smooth and velvety. No itchy, twitchy trigger fingers. 🙂
Next week is all about making the home air smell good. We are going to make room sprays and linen sprays! Don’t forget about the Monster Away Sprays for Kids!
Collect needed items.
Weigh all ingredients into beaker.
Stiring mixture after 30 seconds.
Stirring again after 30 more seconds.
Adding Squalane to melted mixture.
Adding Blue color.
The blue color is starting to blend into the mixture.
Stirring in the blue color, but you can’t see it yet.
Our finished color of green.
Filling the 1/4 dropper bottles.
Filled bottles.
Andy,
I really like your formula and can’t wait to order my supplies to make some. I have severe allergy issue with
any type of nut oils and Lanolin. What would be the best substitute for the Sweet Almond Butter, Sunflower Oil and Lanolin.
Thanks a bunch!
Beauricua-
I’ve sent your question over to Technical Support, because I’m not sure about that.
This is one I will want to try! Just need to check my supplies and see what I’m missing!
Thank you!
I just received a sample of this. It’s wonderful!
Since I had ordered the supplies, my girls and I made a batch right away.
Thanks for starting this blog. The information is great and it’s nice to see the recipes done step by step.
KimVH-
I hope you and your girls had fun! I’m glad you enjoy this blog. I hope to keep this blog informative and helpful.
I just got this in my order. How exactly do I use it?
PEscapes-
Place a one or two drops on the cuticles and massage into the cuticles.
Thanks!
I just got my sample today! I love it and am going to make a batch! Thanks!!
I would love a few other recipes for cuticle oil/treatments — that would work in the new lip pen.
(This one has a few ingredients that I don’t have on hand: mango oil, sweet almond butter, cranberry seed oil)
As a new business owner it is cost prohibitive for me to stock every oil/butter to try these recipes (even though I really want to!!) — it would help me a bunch if you specify for example “mango butter” in a recipe — that you also note when “shea butter” or some other butter would be an acceptable replacement.
Thanks!!
Send me a list of what oils you have on hand and I will try to make a cuticle treatment for you.
I actually have quite a few.
I just ordered shea oil — should be on its way.
Also have: shea butter, coconut oil (reg and fractionated), cocoa butter (reg and deodorized), soybean oil, palm kernel, carnuba wax, sunflower oil, castor oil, sweet almond (just a bit), neem oil, wheat germ oil, grape seed oil, palm oil, beeswax, apricot kernel oil, aloe extract fixed oil, evening primrose oil, meadowfoam oil, jojoba oil. (I bought several to make some cream around mothers day — so need to use them up!!)
Thanks for your help!
Since cuticles need softening to be pushed back, please tell me the oils you like the feel of, and why. I’m looking for descriptors of each oil in a fashion that I can tell your skin type without any prejudices. If you have not applied each of these oils to the skin, alone, then now is the time to do it. Apply a tiny bit to the back of the hand or fore arm. Rub in. Now write exactly what you are thinking.
Okay — sounds like I have homework!! I’ll get working on it!
Thanks.