Create your own cosmetics
Catherine Cooper from The Express Newspaper spends a day learning how to craft custom-made beauty products in Paris.
“Have you ever thought about what goes into your face creams and body lotions? In the same way people have become more concious of eating healthy, unprocessed foods, many are now applying the principals of using natural, organic ingredients in the creams and lotions they are applying to their skin every day.
One advocate of healthy cosmetics is Christine Pravaz who is so passionate about using chemical-free products that she has set up her own shop in Paris selling all natural, organic cosmetics. While managing the shop and making soap in her laboratory, Christine runs courses on making your own beauty products. Christine says ‘I wanted to spread the word about natural cosmetics, it is important to know what you are putting on your skin and it’s something people are more and more interested in’.
The cosmetics course starts with Christine putting lots of ingredients in tiny bottles on the table and explaining that we are going to make a basic moisturiser. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of which oils, flower extracts and various other ingredients are good for different skin types.
The cream contains macadamia oil which is good for dry skin, beeswax to protect it, rose water to give the right consistency, essential oils to perfume it, a few drops of Vitamin E to act as an antioxidant and extract of grapefruit - a natural preservative.
The oil and beeswax are melted in a bain-marie then the other ingredients are stirred in with a tiny whisk. A few minutes later the runny mixture suddenly turns into something that looks like a face cream. Here’s comes the science bit… the ingredients need to be heated to exactly 63 degrees before being mixed together.
After this we make a gorgeous body cream and a lip gloss which is a triumph, is nourishing and gave my lips a subtle colour and sheen. Christine gave me a list of recipies and a list of the benefits of the ingredients.
The course is facinating and inspired me to make cosmetics. All you need is access to some good scales, the ingredients and recipies. Christine’s course has made me think about the ingredients and I will definitely look out for more natural ranges.”
Express Newspaper: Express Yourself 21 May 2009
This Cosmetics creation course in Paris costs £151 per person and you take home all the cosmetics you’ve made from your day course. If you are looking to spend a little longer in France, GoLearnTo.com also offer a weekend course in the Languedoc region of France where you’ll use high quality essential oils, carrier oils and other natural ingredients to create a host of your own beauty products. The weekend make your own beauty products course in France with accommodation for 3 nights, all meals and wine as well as 2 full days tuition costs just £379.
To book: visit GoLearnTo.com now.
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Filed under: Activities Worldwide, Featured Holiday Courses, In the Press