Welcome to Soaps By Sue

Skin Dew Lotion

How and Why I Make It

I started making Skin Dew soon after I started making soap. The soap made from olive oil agreed with my skin so well, I started looking for other skin care products made with olive oil. I found them to be expensive and not readily available. I started reading books on making my own skin care products and found there were several at my local library and in local bookstores.

I found a recipe for a skin cream that had olive oil in it, but I wanted a lotion. I tried the cream for a while and liked it except that the shelf life was short. I found more information and kept working on my formula for about a year until I finally had a product I thought I could market. By the time I had what I wanted, I had changed so much from the original recipe that I felt I could truly call it my own.

Each ingredient has its purpose. I use distilled water to create a strong chamomile decoction (a tea like solution) so that there are no chemical or impurities in it. Chamomile is an herb that has soothing and healing properties. To that I add a pinch of borax, which is a natural chemical, found on shorelines in places like California, and is used as a water softener and preservative. I also add honey that is a humectant, a substance that holds moisture, and has healing properties.

For my oils I use extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil because of their moisturizing properties without leaving the skin oily looking. I add lanolin to help create a moisture barrier and help hold your skin’s natural moisture in, and vitamin E to nourish your skin and keep it young looking. The beeswax is what holds the oils and the chamomile decoction together, plus it adds its own natural nutrient to your skin.
Once I get it to the cream stage, I thin it with a little more of the chamomile decoction. My one concession to chemicals is the small amount of perfumer’s alcohol that I add at the very end. I found it to be the best stabilizer for keeping the lotion at the right consistency for several months. I use the smallest amount I can and still accomplish my goal.

The finished product leaves your skin soft and moist. The slight shine it gives your skin when it is first applied disappears and makeup can be applied right over it. It is best used in small amounts. A customer from Arizona says it is the best she has found to combat the very drying effects of the sun and dry air in that region. Another customer in Iowa told me she found it to be very useful for sunburned skin as well. Still another customer found it to be ideal for the maturing skin of her face. Others have found it useful in healing chapped hands, especially when used in combination with the olive oil soap from Soaps By Sue.



	Skin Dew Lotion How and Why I Make It I started making Skin Dew soon after I started making soap. The soap made from olive oil agreed with my skin so well, I started looking for other skin care products made with olive oil. I found them to be expensive and not readily available. I started reading books on making my own skin care products and found there were several at my local library and in local bookstores. I found a recipe for a skin cream that had olive oil in it, but I wanted a lotion. I tried the cream for a while and liked it except that the shelf life was short. I found more information and kept working on my formula for about a year until I finally had a product I thought I could market. By the time I had what I wanted, I had changed so much from the original recipe that I felt I could truly call it my own. Each ingredient has its purpose. I use distilled water to create a strong chamomile decoction (a tea like solution) so that there are no chemical or impurities in it. Chamomile is an herb that has soothing and healing properties. To that I add a pinch of borax, which is a natural chemical, found on shorelines in places like California, and is used as a water softener and preservative. I also add honey that is a humectant, a substance that holds moisture, and has healing properties. For my oils I use extra-virgin olive oil and coconut oil because of their moisturizing properties without leaving the skin oily looking. I add lanolin to help create a moisture barrier and help hold your skin’s natural moisture in, and vitamin E to nourish your skin and keep it young looking. The beeswax is what holds the oils and the chamomile decoction together, plus it adds its own natural nutrient to your skin. Once I get it to the cream stage, I thin it with a little more of the chamomile decoction. My one concession to chemicals is the small amount of perfumer’s alcohol that I add at the very end. I found it to be the best stabilizer for keeping the lotion at the right consistency for several months. I use the smallest amount I can and still accomplish my goal. The finished product leaves your skin soft and moist. The slight shine it gives your skin when it is first applied disappears and makeup can be applied right over it. It is best used in small amounts. A customer from Arizona says it is the best she has found to combat the very drying effects of the sun and dry air in that region. Another customer in Iowa told me she found it to be very useful for sunburned skin as well. Still another customer found it to be ideal for the maturing skin of her face. Others have found it useful in healing chapped hands, especially when used in combination with the olive oil soap from Soaps By Sue.