The perfect All Over Cream? You decide!

One of my best sellers and a foundation of my line. A customer favorite with a loyal following is also very popular for gifting.

I create my Butter Cream with pure, steam distilled, plant hydrosols plus 1/3 Aloe juice for hydration (ie moisture). So instead of plain old "distilled water”, organic aloe juice and hydrosol provide more than just “moisture” to relieve thirsty, dehydrated skin, they offer an extra boost of healing & soothing your skin will appreciate.

Mango butter, cocoa butter, and liquid shea butter infused with wild Roses and Yarrow, provide long-lasting conditioning and barrier repair, without being overly emollient. They help soothe irritation and relieve itch associated with dehydrated, tight skin, and mild skin irritations.

I triple whip the buttercream and add one of my signature essential oil blends listed below. I hope you discover one (or a few) that you just can’t live without ever again. And maybe one to share with someone you love.

100% Biodegradable

100% Plant Derived and Vegan

Made with Wildcrafted + Organic + EcoCert Ingredients

Soothe itchy skin + Relieve Dryness

Non-Comedogenic

Made with Aloe Juice + Hydrosol (floral waters)

NO Parabens + NO Dyes

NO Formaldehyde

NO SLS or Similar

NO SYNTHETIC FRAGRANCE or PERFUME

Just CITRUS

Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Litsea, Mandarin, Sweet Orange Peel.

• Ah, the sweet, uplifting aroma of a big bowl of freshly cut citrus fruits, I included just about everyone I can find - citrus is known to be uplifting and stimulating to the senses. Most everyone enjoys citrusy scents so this is the one I recommend when looking for a gift when you’re not sure what aroma they might prefer.

LAVENDER DREAMS (formerly OH BABY)

Colorado Lavender and Chamomile.

• BABY SAFE but not for just babies! Simple. Bright. Fresh. This blend offers a nice balance of these two favorite floral scents. I reach for this one right before bed - lavender is renowned for soothing the mind, supporting deeper sleep, and relaxing the senses. This one is a great choice for those with sensitive skin, the very young and very old. Makes an excellent bum cream for the wee ones too.

ALPENGLOW

Chamomile, Lavender, Clary Sage, Copaiba, Grapefruit, Rose Otto, Peru Balsam, Sandalwood, Sweet Marjoram, Ylang Ylang, Geranium, a-bisabolol.

• Similar to Lavender dreams but more layered and complex. Feminine, floral, and a bit earthy with a woodsy note from the sandalwood. I named it after the pink glow that spreads across the mountain peaks at sunset and sunrise. Forever a best seller and a great gift, this is my best-selling aroma blend you’ll enjoy anytime, especially before bed to quiet the mind and soothe the senses.

WILD FOREST

Sandalwood, Rose, Cedarwood, Fir Needle, Cardamom, Patchouli, Thuja, Vetiver.

• This best-selling blend is rather mysterious - much like the wild forest surrounding my mountain home. Sandalwood and rose are a classic combination, I blend in additional scents to remind us of warm earth, rose bushes and spruce trees in the rain.

CHILL

Sweet Orange, Chamomile, Lavender, Peppermint, Sweet Basil, Cardamom, Patchouli

• Another gender-neutral scent that’s citrusy and minty with subtle floral notes. Calming and grounding while uplifting and cozy, this blend appeals to just about everyone making it great for gifting.

This rich, penetrating cream not only helps my skin survive but thrive here at the top of the world. Ever since I started making this creamy delight, it has been my rescue remedy to not just relieve but actually heal my parched hands, knees, elbows, cuticles, and heels for a long time!

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Apply a little or a lot! Anytime and all over! Including for faces - it really is an ALL OVER cream so go ahead, slather it everywhere.

TIPS: Water is absorbed by our skin when we bathe, but once we leave the tub or shower, it quickly evaporates. So, before that happens, make a habit of applying a generous amount of butter cream immediately after you pat dry. Leave a little dampness on your skin—this also helps increase moisture in our skin (dermal moisture). The cream will also soak in faster and deeper.

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To even further enhance the dermal moisture content of your skin and help relieve really parched, dehydrated hands, elbows, knees try this trick:

First, apply a generous amount of a lotion and rub that in well. (Lotions typically have about 60-70% moisture from either water or water-like substances like aloe juice and hydrosol.

Then, after that has soaked in, apply a generous amount of cream, which typically has about 30-40% moisture from either water or water-like substances like aloe juice and hydrosol. This provides an extra shot of hydration AND additional occlusive properties, which help seal in that moisture longer. You could choose instead to reach for a salve or balm; these are more occlusive and will seal the moisture longer.

The takeaway here? You need moisture (water) first, THEN occlusion from the oils, seed butters and waxes to seal it in.

I just have to share this amazing review from a favorite customer … What an honor it is to receive raves like this … so inspiring!

“I use organic products from a well-known company that starts with an "E,"but NO MORE!  Val's products are so amazingly effective.  I just purchased her olive oil soap, the wild rose + vitamin C oil and her buttercream.  I went cold turkey from my other products just to see how effective they are.  Let me tell you...my face has never been as hydrated as it is now.  By age - not by spirit - I would have mature skin.  In all honesty, it's never looked better.  Because of Val's purity level, it takes just a small amount to see results.  I live in SW Colorado where it is dry all year long.  The body butter is just amazing.  I do believe I've found the Holy Grail!  I had to call Val to tell her just how impressed I was with her life's work and passion.  Folks, this is the real deal.  Val is also very willing to help you through all your purchases.  Oh, and the fragrances are just divine - subtle, relaxing - just like a walk though the CO forest.   I'm placing an online order after this post, and I'm never going back to the "E" products.  Why should I?  They simply aren't as effective.  Thank you Val!  Keep following your passion!”   MaryGail Hammock

Care to Dig Deeper?

Parched, thirsty, tight, flaky, cracked skin. It seems everyone suffers to some extent. Many of you enjoy learning more about skincare. Continue reading if you’re curious about what products you might need to resolve your "dry skin" issue since the most common complaint I hear is skin that feels tight and “dry”. The causes are sometimes obvious. Other times, not so much.

“Xerosis” is the term for skin that is severely dehydrated.

Xerosis causes dry, scaly, flakey skin and often itch. It's usually minor and temporary (acute) but can cause discomfort and more serious damage without intervention.

The main cause of Xerosis? It is more common during the winter, in dry climates, and in older adults but can affect anyone at any age. But lifestyle habits are the main cause (and age): over exfoliating, bathing in very hot water, over cleansing and scrubbing. The list goes on.

Mild xerosis can often be resolved… but it can take time, changes to skin care products, habits, and routines. We CAN heal - our bodies just need to be given the space to do so. Provide it with the right fresh, clean, nourishing compounds it needs to repair itself, given some time, the right products, and using them the right way.

If we do not resolve the xerosis it can lead to more serious and painful skin conditions such as “dermatitis” and eczema.

Are you WATER DRY (dehydrated at the surface) or OIL DRY (dry skin type)?

We often confused DRY SKIN lacking oils with DEHYDRATED SKIN which is lacking moisture (water) and has become parched at the surface. Skin which does not produce enough oils because of a lack of oil producing pores is considered a “dry skin type”. Most of us have a normal amount of oil producing pores and this is why most of us do not technically have “dry skin, but rather “normal skin” which has become dehydrated at the surface.

It might seem like splitting hairs but it’s not. Because while the outward appearance of these two different skin issues is very similar they require different things to find relief.

If your skin craving moisture then it requires a lotion or a cream. Because oils, seed butters, salves, balms, and ointments do not include a water component they can not moisten or hydrate anything - despite what you see and hear repeated everywhere, even by so-called skin care experts!

What oils, butters, balms and salves do provide are skin loving fatty acids and other compounds that nourish our skin and provide it with healing compounds.

They protect the skin and seal in moisture with their occlusive, emollient properties - helping it stay happy: itch free, plump, supple, and soft to the touch.

Often when seeking relief from “dry skin” you may turn to repeated applications of just pure oils instead of a lotion or cream. However, your condition is unlikely to improve, and in many instances may become more severe, painful, and persistent. In fact, many people find their way to my website in their search for an answer to the question such as “Is coconut oil drying out my skin?”

A well-formulated lotion or cream is definitely a better choice, offering the best of both worlds.

Why?

Lotions and creams bring together oils AND water in a special alchemy where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Emulsifying these two very different molecules together actually improves on them both, providing conditioning, hydration, and more.