Pickles n' Tickles by JJ

AS I'm typing out this post, I'm drenched in a luxurious concoction of premium east-african shea butter, rosehip oil and glycerin, scented with drops of ylang ylang and lavender essential oils. My skin is gleaming, reflecting the light from the window, and the scent, oh so intoxicating. The potion is soft and stable at room temperature but melts like butter on a hot bun when it hits the skin. I smell like the sweet offerings for the god of the skies, like an ancient temple or an Indian bride on her wedding night. Whatever, I smell so good right now. Ylang ylang, on its own puts me off but with lavender, it's mild and mysterious. It's  been deeply satisfying making my own lotions, creams and balms. Last night, I attempted a whipped body and hair cream. Unrefined shea and organic cocoa butters as the base with a teaspoon of glycerin, rosehip and coconut oils, bound by the humble rosemary and lavender essential oils. I had so much fun melting, mixing and beating the oil...

OILS and I go a long way. My mom used a lot of oil on me, growing up. As a teenager, baby oil was my go-to daily face moisturiser. I didn't know then what I know now about synthetic oils but it worked for me. In my early 20s, I fell in love with pure essential oils. I was introduced to the world of Culpeper during work. Then, I was gifted a 50ml bottle of jojoba base oil with two precious bottles of 10ml rose and geranium essentials oils courtesy of Culpeper. I was set for life and I've never looked back ever since.  Over the years, I have depended on and dwelled solely in beauty oils. Recently, I've started learning about healing through essential oils. It's been a huge eye-opener for me. Essential oils are just not skin deep, they're simply so much more than that. The potent substances extracted through steam distillation from various shrubs, flowers, roots, skin and seeds could have incredible healing powers when used with sensitivity, respect and knowledge....