Mother Earth News Fair –
Belton Texas + Rosemarys Perfect Face Cream

This past weekend a few friends and I went up to the Mother Earth News Fair in Belton Texas.  It was my first time attending the event, and the others had been going for a few years.  There were so many amazing teachers and classes – I attended as many as I could, but some of the classes I wanted to see overlapped each other. I wish the festival went on for a few days longer! Mother Earth News Fair offers 1 hour classes with similar content to their magazine (homesteading, bread and cheesemaking, animal husbandry, natural living, off grid and solar energy – all of the things we are interested in.

One of the classes I attended was a hands on demonstration by Rosemary Gladstar, well known herbalist, teacher, and author. She taught our class how to make her “perfect face cream.” It was a complete honor watching this famous recipe be made in person by its creator!  After we watched her demonstration, she guided us through making our own.  Yes, it did turn out to be THE PERFECT FACE CREAM! Perfectly creamy, yet solid – with simple, all natural ingredients.  The recipe is pasted below, if you want to give it a try yourself.  As noted, this recipe is just a rubric, play around with the ingredients to your liking!

Rosemary’s Perfect Homemade Face Cream

by Rosemary Gladstar

Waters

1/3 cup distilled water, or rose water

1/3 cup aloe vera gel

1 or 2 drops of essential oils of choice

Vitamins A and E as desired

Oils

3/4 cup apricot, almond, or grapeseed oil

1/3 cup coconut oil or cocoa butter

1/4 teaspoon lanolin (omit for allergies)

1/2 – 1 oz grated beeswax.

Method

1. Combine the waters in a glass measuring cup. Tap water can be used instead of distilled water, but it will sometimes introduce bacteria and encourage the growth of mold.) Set Aside.
2. In a double boiler over low heat, combine the oils. Heat them just enough to melt.
3. Pour the oils into a blender and let them cool to room temperature. The mixture should become thick, creamy, semisolid, and cream colored. This cooling process can be hastened in the refrigerator, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t become too hard.
4. When the mixture has cooled, turn on the blender at its highest speed. In a slow, thin drizzle, pour the water mixture into the center vortex of the whirling oil mixture.
5. When most of the water mixture has been added to the oils, listen to the blender and watch the cream.  When the blender coughs and chokes and the cream looks thick and white, like buttercream frosting, turn off the blender.  You can slowly add more water, beating it in by hand with a spoon, but don’t overbeat! The cream will thicken as it sets.
6. Pour into cream or lotion jars. Store in a cool location.

My other favorite classes were taught by Lisa Mason Ziegler – she lectured on starting seeds, and growing flower gardens. Admittedly, I am no gardener…. but I am trying to learn.  Her talk was so inspiring! I left wanting to start growing flowers, and appreciated all of her first hand knowledge mixed with comical anecdotes. Please check out her website, there are lots of videos and tools.  I can’t wait to get started on her new book “Vegetables Love Flowers.“

If Mother Earth News Fest is coming to a town near you, I suggest you go!  There are so many things to learn – and the whole weekend cost $25 to attend.  Check out their website for the class schedule near you.