Sojourner Walker Williams - Natural Beauty from the Outside In: 70+ recipes for all skin and hair types

Sojourner Walker Williams is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga instructor, and energy healer based in New York City and Southern Maryland, depending on the day. An enthusiast of travel and DIY body care products, she has compiled her acquired knowledge into this engaging and informative resource guide. Natural Beauty from the Outside In is her first book.

All of the recipes in this book are 100% natural and free of synthetic additives and preservatives. This being said, there are some things to consider when it comes to storage.

• Store products in a cool, dry environment. Cool environments help slow the separation process of ingredients in your natural formulations.
• Avoid direct sunlight and hot humid bathrooms, as the potency of your product may be compromised. Heat and humidity also open the door to bacterial growth.
• Dark glass bottles will help preserve the integrity of your products. I recommend amber or cobalt bottles, as they do an excellent job of filtering out sunlight.
• I recommend using glass bottles over plastic. Plastic bottles can leach toxins. If plastic is preferred, I recommend finding BPA-free HDPE plastic containers, as they are generally considered the least damaging.
• Products with dairy (milk and yogurt mainly) must be refrigerated and have a six-week shelf life.
• Refrigeration for all products, whether or not they contain dairy, is a good idea during the summer months if you live in a very warm environment.

In a perfect world, one drop of tea tree essential oil would be enough to protect your handmade products from bacterial contamination, but its not that simple. Oftentimes products that have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (such as tea tree essential oil) are termed natural preservatives. While these products can help maintain the integrity of your natural products, they are not powerful enough to provide full spectrum protection against bacteria, fungi, and mold.

The good news is that not all products will require additional preservatives. As a general rule, products without water will not need preservatives since bacteria needs water to grow. So, if your product is any combination of carrier oil, essential oil, butter, and/or wax, you dont need to worry about a preservative.

When youre working with fats (carrier oils and butters), however, you do want to add an antioxidant to your formulation, as fats can become rancid without anti-oxidants. I suggest using vitamin E, which works wonderfully in bath and beauty formulations to preserve the good qualities of oil blends. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and will not prevent or kill bacteria growth if your blend contains water.

If your blend contains water, you have a few options. My favorite option is refrigeration. Refrigerating your product will offer protection from bacterial growth. Another option is to use a preservative to extend the shelf life. There are a few preservatives that are considered safe to use in natural products. Generally speaking, following European Union (EU) cosmetic legislation is a good way to go since Europe has a highly regulated cosmetic industry. Some of the EU-approved preservatives include silver citrate (water-soluble antimicrobial preservative), citric acid (preservative against mold and bacteria), and MEA-benzoate (preservative salts).

Everyone is different, and a skin reaction to natural ingredients is always possible depending on your unique internal makeup. As with food products, if you have a sensitivity to nuts, avoid nut oils. Its also a good idea to consult your doctor if you have inflammatory skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, or rosacea.

If youre pregnant, nursing, or creating a product for a baby or small child, youll want to do your essential oil research, as some essential oils are considered harmful to babies, small children, and pregnant and nursing mothers.

No matter what your condition, when trying something new, its always a good idea to conduct a skin patch test to see how your body reacts to a particular ingredient or set of ingredients.

• Wash and completely dry a patch of skin on the upper part of your inner arm (near the crook of your elbow).
• Apply a pea sized amount of the product youre testing.
• Cover with a Band-Aid and leave for 24 hours. Try not to get the area wet.
• After 24 hours, remove your bandage and check for signs of irritation like redness, burning, itching, rashes, or blistering.
• If irritation occurs, remove the bandage and wash the area with soap and water.

Apply a small dab of product to your inner arm to test for allergic reactions.

I hope this book has been both enjoyable to read and informative. For your ease, I have added a list of websites that will direct you to some of my favorite resources for purchasing the products, materials, and tools I use to make my bath and beauty products. Please note that I am not sponsored by any of these companies and am making recommendations based only on my preferences.

Lavender bouquet.

Remember, your health is in your hands. You are what you put on your skin, so its crucial to nourish yourself not only from the inside out but also from the outside in.

I wish you continued health and happiness.

Blessings,

Sojourner

MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS

Organic non-GMO spices, herbs, body butters, waxes, salts, carrier oils, clays, and containers. See www.mountainroseherbs.com.

JADE BLOOM ESSENTIAL OILS

High-quality essential oils, carrier oils, and hydrosols. See www.jadebloom.com.

FLORACOPEIA ESSENTIAL OILS

Organic and wildcrafted essential oils and flower essences. See www.floracopeia.com.

SKS BOTTLE AND PACKAGING

Glass bottles and jars, tins, and capsules for easy storage. See www.sks-bottle.com.

BULK APOTHECARY

Body butters, oils, waxes, and containers. See www.bulkapothecary.com.

DR. BRONNER

A variety of castile-based soaps for use in shampoo and body wash recipes. See www.drbronner.com.

LINDERA FARMS

Fine and rare vinegars, locally and sustainably sourced in Virginia. See www.linderafarms.com.

SHEA BUTTER
GHANA

West Africa, Summer 2005

So-jah!

I glanced up from my orange Fanta, wincing as the syrupy sweetness fizzed down my throat. I had just become used to the fact that my name, when spoken here, sounded like soldier. Seeing no one in my immediate space, I continued to nurse my soda, which was disturbingly reminiscent of the pink antibiotic I used to take as a child every time I had an ear infection. It was hot. The humidity was heavy and suffocating. I wanted water but couldnt afford it. Tap water had the potential to make me violently ill. Bottled water was my only water option and was priced four times the already steep price of soda. That afternoon, I settled for soda. It didnt do the job.