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Friday, October 7, 2016

Festive Friday, Let's Hear it for the Boy

Today we are going with a gift for the guys. TheHub is blessed (cursed) with a very heavy beard, so his mantra throughout our married life has been "shave well and shave often".  In addition to his Fred Flintstone beard, he is also cursed with sensitive skin. (To be honest as his beard has grayed he no longer looks like F.F. in the afternoon but let's just keep that our little secret. The beard is still heavy, but gray casts a much lighter 5 o'clock shadow.  So shhhh!)

We have bought every brand of sensitive skin shaving creams known to man, be it gel, soap or cream form and all work to an extent, but still leave his face chapped and itchy. Today I thought I would whip up some oil dense shaving cream for him which would also work well as an extra handmade guy gift.

First purchase or save a foam soap dispenser.  I bought mine at The Dollar Tree and it was filled with grapefruit soap.  I thought it was a good idea since I would just pour the contents of the foaming soap into a decorative dispenser I already have in my powder room.  It was a brilliant idea if you can ignore the fact that the grapefruit bottle is very pink. I think there was a different product with a different scent  in  a clear bottle, but  no, I went for the grapefruit fragrance.  Why?  Not thinking? Or just thinking how good I think grapefruit smells? Dunno! But a dumb ass move on my part. Also if you are getting a bottle to recycle, make sure it has a label rather than the printing inked on the bottle. Rubbing alcohol might take it off, or it might not. I haven't tried yet because none of my guys would be thrilled with the pink bottle anyway.

1/4 cup olive, almond or coconut oil
3 tablespoons shea butter
1/4 cup castile soap
1/4 cup aloe vera gel or honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon kaolin clay (optional)
vitamin E
3 drops Rosemary essential oil




Put the oil in a double boiler (I live dangerously and put it in a small pan on low heat.  I have better things to do than boil water just to get something to melt.)
Add the shea butter and heat it just long enough for the shea butter to melt.





                                                                                                                                                                                   






Whisk it rapidly to incorporate the oils . (Yeah right!  I keep chopsticks saved from Chinese take out and use it to stir so I won't have to clean my whisk afterwards.) Continue stirring adding all the other ingredients.
I was unsure about how much vitamin E to add so I used a sewing pin and punctured about a dozen of the capsules, squeezed out the vitamin E into the mixture and got tired of the process, so I stopped. Then I saw the rosemary essential oil sitting on the counter for another project I am doing today and thought it would be a nice, clean manly scent so I added just 3 drops.


This is before the baking soda addition.  That seems to
be what makes everything become really creamy.










Stir and stir and stir a little more until everything is smooth and creamy.  It really does become insanely creamy quickly. Put it into a bottle  and it is ready to use.

















I actually think a regular pump bottle would be just as effective as the foam pump.  This is not so much  a terribly thick lather as it is this a luxurious foamy cream.  TheHub was not around this morning when I finished this so I tried if first on my right leg.  It worked very well, and was not so soapy that it took a lot of rinsing to get it off.  It left my leg seriously smooth.  Then I put it over my face, like a guy shaving would do. I scraped it off with one of those unsolicited credit card junk mail cards, (you know, the ones with YOUR NAME and account number 00000-000-0000000 on them) then did a quick rinse so I could see how it felt on a face.  To be honest my face feels as soft as a baby's butt right now.







 I think this is going to be a winner.  Sons 1 and 2 both shave their heads on a regular basis so I am pretty sure this will be one of their "filler" Christmas presents.  Son 3 not only doesn't shave his head (yet!) but one of his "filler " presents is a beard brush.  Hope springs eternal that will change!

Update: Son2 gave it a try.  He declared it one of the bests shaves he had ever had (other than a hot towel professional one)






20 comments:

  1. Willy Dunne Wooters might like that recipe. He has sensitive skin, as do I. Fortunately, I don't have a beard and a mustache. My legs gets super irritated and itchy, though.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My right legs feels great, but my left feels a little ignored!

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  2. Yay you.
    It does look luxurious and lovely. Himself loves his beard (sigh).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TheHub had one and HE thought it was fantastic until a very good friend of ours (female) asked him if he intentionally wanted to look 20 years older than he was. He shaved it that night!

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  3. Replies
    1. W give each person many gifts every Christmas. Generally we have 1 really nice one, a couple of lesser ones then a bunch of very inexpensive ones. This is a great "lesser" gift idea and I am planning on giving it to all 3 sons and TheHub. I am hoping Son3 takes the not so subtle hint. I have not seen his entire face in 4 years.

      Delete
  4. My friend has an exceptionally rough hair but not sensitive skin. As many things that cause me to itch, I don't have sensitive skin. Well, maybe that is because I am careful what I put on it. A swipe of Dove soap works for me.

    I have a clear soft soap pump that I put shampoo deals into instead of buying new soft soap. One day, I grabbed the bottle of shampoo to refill my pump. NO, SAY IT ISN'T SO! The shampoo bottle was pink NOT the shampoo. I was so disappointed as I wanted pink soap. This recipe looks like something I might like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It leaves your skin silky smooth, but I think if I were making it for me I would use lavender or another floral essential oil.

      Delete
  5. One of my sons has a beard that I'd be happier if it would go away. But, I'm not in charge of his face. :( All of the men in my family just use soap for a shaving cream and are perfectly happy with it. I don't understand it, but once again, I'm not in charge. However, if I get one of my brother-in-laws when we draw names for Christmas, I'll keep this in mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I know I don't get a vote on the beard thing. If he is going to have one I just wish it would be a closer cropped version of one. Son2 has declared he is going to make this and use it exclusively.

      Delete
  6. I love lotionny stuff for shaving. DH is outside exposed to elements much of day so this would be refreshing to his sun and windburned skin.

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  7. I have always loved that song but have never seen that video. It was just a little pervy to me but I enjoyed it. What does that say about me...lol? That little boy was certainly good.

    pparsimony

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  8. I love this idea! My husband has really sensitive skin, too, and he shaves his head every day. I'll have to try this out; right now we share a sensitive skin shaving cream but neither of us care for the scent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am very funny about smells too. The 3 drops of Rosemary added a scent but it is clean smelling and not overpowering

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  9. I would love to see you shave with a fake credit card. You did make me laugh a bit.
    This sounds like a wonderful gift. You are making me look bad in so many areas! ;p You are saving money and keeping on budget and making a ton of Christmas gifts. Go you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I fake shave with a fake credit card and my house is in shambles!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Haven't had potato soup for while. But actual I been craving split pea soup. Came in from "Living Rich for the cheap"
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have never liked split pea soup, but I have been having a hankering for 10 bean soup. Maybe later in the week!

      Delete

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