How to Make Lip Balm In Home

Dry, chapped lips are a common occurrence during the winter when the weather is cold. This happens due to lack of moisture and a lip balm can come to your rescue. There are many kinds of lip balms that are available in the market and they contain ingredients like petroleum jelly and shea butter that keeps the lips moist and hydrated. But you can make lip balms at home and the advantage of using a homemade lip balm is that it is free of artificial colors and additives.
Lip balms are very essential for moisturizing dry chapped lips. It is not difficult to make lip balm at home.As the lips are soft and sensitive, artificial food additives might cause an allergic reaction. You can also add your favorite infused oil in the homemade lip balm to make your lips smooth and soft.
Coconut Oil Infused Lip Balm
Ingredients
1 teaspoon beeswax
1 teaspoon cocoa butter
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons sweet almond oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E
Method
In a microwave safe bowl heat beeswax and cocoa butter together for about 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove the bowl from the microwave, and mix them ingredients thoroughly, so that the ingredients are well combined. Now add the coconut oil, sweet almond oil and vitamin E and stir well. When the mixture starts thickening pour the lip balm into a clean container and it is ready to be used.
Cocoa Mint Lip Balm
Ingredients
2 teaspoon cocoa butter
1 teaspoon shea butter
2 tablespoons beeswax
1 teaspoon pure vitamin E
4 drops mint essential oil
Method
Melt the cocoa butter, shea butter and beeswax over a double boiler. Once all the ingredients are melted and properly combined remove from heat. Add 4 drops of mint essential oil along with vitamin E and stir the mixture. While the mixture is still hot, pour it into a small container and let it stand undisturbed for around 20 minutes. When the mixture cools down, it solidifies and your lip balm is ready for use.
Honey Jojoba Lip Balm
Ingredients
4 teaspoons jojoba oil
3 teaspoons grated beeswax
1 teaspoon honey
6 teaspoons lime oil
Method
In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and the jojoba oil, stirring constantly so that they are thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and add the lime oil and honey and give it a good stir, taking care that the honey does not clump. Now pour this mixture into clean dry containers and let it sit undisturbed for 20 to 25 minutes. Use small cosmetic jars to keep the lip balm.
Tinted Lip Balm
Ingredients
2 teaspoon beeswax
1 teaspoon cocoa butter
1 teaspoon mango butter
1 teaspoon sweet almond oil
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoons aloe vera oil
1 teaspoon castor oil
1 teaspoon amber mica
Method
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the mango butter, beeswax and cocoa butter and microwave it on high for 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in the sweet almond oil, coconut oil, aloe vera oil and castor oil. Mix all the ingredients together until you get a smooth paste of a thick consistency. Add the amber mica and stir again. Pour this mixture into pretty pots and tubes and use it for yourself your gift them to your friends. The addition of castor oil in this homemade lip balm makes it glossy and shiny.
You can try a lot many variations by using different essential foochem oils. One important thing to remember in making lip balm at home, is that while melting shea butter, do not overheat it, as at very high temperature the shea butter turns grainy. If you prefer a hint of color in your lip balm add some of your favorite lipstick to it while melting the beeswax. Now that you know how to make lip balms, you can gift them to your friends and I am sure that they will greatly enjoy these customized beauty presents.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-to-make-lip-balm-in-home-5933988.html

Homemade Soap Additives Ideas

Homemade soap is more skin-friendly than commercial soaps. The advantage of making soaps at home is that one can customize the soaps as per one's tastes and preferences.
Most commercial soaps lack glycerin, and make the skin dry and itchy. The component glycerin helps retain moisture, and though its level cannot be altered in commercial soaps, one can make soap at home with glycerin. Homemade lye soap recipes comprise a combination of lye and fat, resulting in a chemical process called saponification. During this process, glycerin is released as a by-product. Homemade soap making is not only easy, but it also enables people to make soaps that suits their needs. Making soap at home gives the flexibility and authority to choose ingredients to be added in the soap. Scent is commonly added to soaps to make them more appealing. It is believed that vanilla scent calms a person, and the tangerine one, with its powerful citrus fragrance, is actually quite invigorating. It is highly beneficial to people who find it difficult to get to their feet in the mornings!
Homemade Soap Additives Ideas
To enhance the aroma and quality of the soap, one can add various kinds of soap food additives beyond color and scent. The different homemade soap additives are:
Herbs: Adding herbs to the soap mixture not only gives the soap its uniqueness, but also provide various health benefits. Herbs such as lavender exhibit anti-inflammatory properties which help the skin relax. Moreover, it has a wonderful aroma. Chamomile is another herb which is refreshing and soothing. It also works as a mild astringent and is effective in reducing irritation in skin with eczema. Rosemary also has mild astringent properties which helps relax, and basil is naturally antibacterial. Eucalyptus adds the invigorating aspect to the soap, and for a cooling and stimulating effect, one can add lemongrass.
Milk and Butter: Adding cocoa butter to the soap mixture causes the soap to become creamy, and Shea butter, on the other hand, is added to soaps as an ultra-moisturizer. One can add instant powdered milk to the soap mixture as a natural cleanser. However, since milk softens soap, only a limited amount should be added. Besides powder, one can also add about 1 tbsp of coconut or goat's milk per pound of soap base. If fresh milk is added, then some amount of Vitamin E should be added to the soap in order to prevent mold. The above mentioned ingredients are to be added in small amounts (? tbsp) until the properties desired are achieved. The maximum amount that should be added is 2 tbsp. Milk ought to be frozen before use, as it should be slushy when added to the mixture. This is because milk has a tendency to overheat.
Spices: For a spicy scent, add ground cloves to the soap mixture. Powdered cinnamon,when added to the soap imparts a spicy, speckled-brown natural hue and a home-baked scent to the soap. Cinnamon is believed to be a stress reliever and stimulant. However, large amounts of cinnamon can result in skin irritation, thus it needs to be used sparingly. In order to give a warm brown color, cocoa powder can be added.
Other Additives: Aloe vera relieves dry as well as burned skin and is a good soap additive. Honey also has relaxing properties and can be added in a limited quantity, as too much honey softens soap. Oatmeal (regular oatmeal) with its soothing and exfoliating properties is another option. Cornmeal, sugar and salts can be used as natural exfoliants. Poppy seeds are gentle exfoliants which add an interesting texture to the soap. If one is looking for a natural colorant, then adding Calendula petals is a good idea. These petals hold their golden color in the soap and add natural beauty to it. Beeswax can be added as it not only acts as a hardening agent, but also imparts a lovely, fragrant aroma. Coffee is a common natural deodorizer. People who have oily skin can add clay (Glacial or Bentonite), as clay has the ability to draw excess oil from the skin. Almond meal helps absorb excess oil from the skin and unclogs pores.
While adding foodchem additives, it is advisable to place them in the mold before pouring soap. This will allow the additives to be on the top of the soap, giving them a unique look. Using the above homemade soap additives ideas, one can make a unique soap that suits one's personal needs. These homemade soaps make wonderful gifts as well!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/homemade-soap-additives-ideas-5933984.html

How Many Calories in Coffee

Coffee is the first choice of a number of people, as an early morning drink. Many of us cannot fathom facing a grueling day without that first cup of coffee. But ever wondered how many calories your ‘wake-up drink' has?
A lot of us consume coffee without thinking twice about how many calories it may contain. It is a must-have to be able to keep ourselves going. Many consider it to be the oil that keeps the human machine running. However, it is not coffee itself, but the way you have it that determines the amount of calories in a cup of coffee. Choosing the right kind will not affect your weight, but the wrong one may increase the chances of failure in that diet you are following religiously, to desperately lose weight.
Calories in Coffee
As mentioned earlier, the calorie count in coffee completely depends on how you like it. Now coffee is a bitter drink, and it is natural for us to add some kind of food additives to sweeten it, at least until we develop a taste for bitter coffee. It is however, interesting to note that the calories in black coffee are much lesser than those in coffee with cream and sugar.
The average calories in cup of coffee – plain brewed, black (8 oz portion) is 2-5 calories. Similar is the case with an espresso. These calories come from some protein and mono-unsaturated oils present in coffee beans. It is the addition of milk and sugar, and various other toppings, that add to the calories in coffee. The addition of one teaspoon of sugar, increases the average calories in a cup of coffee by almost 15 calories.
Moreover, as the quantity consumed increases, for example, medium or large servings, so do the calories in that cup of coffee. To give you an idea about how many calories coffee has, given below is a table, that mentions the amount of calories in a cup of coffee.
Beverage Serving (per ounce) Calories
Instant Coffee 8 4
Espresso 1 1
Cafe Latte – Whole Milk 16 260
Cafe Latte – Non-Fat Milk 16 165
Cafe Mocha – Whole Milk – With Whipped Cream 16 400
Cafe Mocha – Non-Fat Milk – With Whipped Cream 16 330
Cafe Mocha – Non-Fat Milk 16 220
Cappuccino – Whole Milk 16 150
Cappuccino – Non-Fat Milk 16 100
Cafe Americano 16 15
Calories in Additives in Coffee
Here's a list of the calories in the additives that go into making our coffee a special (and calorie-filled) treat.
Additive Calories (per tbsp)
Cream 52
Whole Milk 9
Non-Fat Milk 5
Skimmed Milk 6
Soy Milk 6
Sugar 48
Whipped Cream 52
Chocolate Syrup 50
Coffee Creamer – Liquid, Regular 20
Coffee Creamer – Liquid, Fat Free 10
Coffee Creamer – Powder, Regular 60 (20 – 1tsp)
Coffee Creamer – Powder, Non-Fat 30 (10 – 1 tsp)
Reducing the Calorie Count in Coffee
By cutting down the number of calories consumed in coffee, you need not give up your favorite coffee drink.
a. Try to develop a taste for black coffee. It may take a while, but as you have seen, it is almost a zero-calorie drink. To start off with, purchase a black coffee and add the additives on your own. In this way, you can slowly reduce the amount you put and in turn, reduce the amount of calories consumed.
b. Try to reduce the serving size of the coffee. Go in for a medium instead of a large, or a small instead of a medium. By reducing the serving, you can reduce the total amount of calories you consume through coffee. Moreover, if you reduce the number of servings you have per day, it will make a vast difference in the long run.
c. In coffees that contain syrups, try to reduce the number of pumps that go into making the coffee as sweet as it is. For instance, even 1 pump of syrup is enough, rather than 4 pumps that are usually present in one cup of coffee. Also, a number of sugar-free syrups are available that taste the same, yet are relatively calorie-free.
d. You can also begin to reduce the calorie count in coffee, by having your coffee without the whipped cream you may have always liked. The calorie count in coffee can reduce by almost 80 calories when you decide to avoid whipped cream.
e. Opt for substitutes such as saccharine instead of sugar, and try to avoid having coffee with additives like chocolate in it. Slowly, you can try to get out of the habit of adding sugar or sweeteners at all.
You might not be able to tell the difference immediately after reducing your calorie intake via coffee. Nevertheless, over a period of time, say in a span of one year, you will realize how many calories you may have saved yourself from, by finding other suitable and effective alternatives to your favorite drink foodchem. Even then you will be able to relish it in the same manner.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/how-many-calories-in-coffee-5934023.html