Hey! My name is Judith Sweeney. I am the Co-Founder and Formulator at Bubbles & Balms. I'm a lover of nature & natural skincare. I've been formulating since 2014, and my goal is to make the best-smelling, safest, and most effective skin care for people with dry & sensitive skin.
Hey Bubblers!
I've recently made a batch of our Calendula Soothing Skin Salve and the soft smells had me reminiscing about how this Flower Balm came to be.......
When we first moved to Alberta, I struggled with the climate change of the humid seaside New Brunswick to the dry winds of the West. Made worse by Chinooks, my skin felt dry, flaky, itchy, hot and just really uncomfortable to be in. This affected my self confidence, how I interacted with people, my daily activities and worst of all... my love of bathing! Gone was the warm embrace of my tub, as my frequent bathing ritual increased the dryness of my skin.
Insert Calendula! This yellowie-orange annual plant was gaining popularity amongst botanists at the time (and still is!), for its ability to help heal and protect damaged skin by reducing inflammation of the tissue. It’s antibacterial properties also allows skin cells to recover more quickly, increasing the health and wellness of dry & damaged skin. Sold! I started experimenting.
I began infusing the dried petals into a base of sweet almond & safflower oil. I chose these oils not only for their skin conditioning properties, but also because they are easily absorbed and are less “greasy” than most other carrier oils.
Image: Straining out Calendula Petals from the Oil Infusion.
I included coconut oil for the above reasons and more. Coconut oil contains natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties (there's a theme here), along with aiding in the protection of UVB rays and environmental damage. Mango Butter and Shea Butter were also added to strengthen the skin barrier and provide essential Vitamins (A & E) for optimal skin health, and to reduce trans-dermal water loss.
Justin and I were both enrolled in aromatherapy courses at this time, and included essential oils that we studied to complement and enhance the efficacy of the salve. We incorporated oils that were well known for their anti-inflammatory, skin soothing and antibacterial properties. These oils are Lavender, Carrot Seed, Patchouli & Tea Tree. Because this balm was anticipated to be placed on damaged skin, we ensured that the percentage of essential oils was mild, yet effective enough to play it’s part in the holistic overview of the salve.
Other key ingredients are Canadian Beeswax and Stearic Acid to further promote the barrier function and solidity, along with added Vitamin E to prevent oxidation of the natural and fresh ingredients used.
The finished product is a beautiful lightweight, creamy salve, ideal for dry, damaged and sensitive skin. It has a satiny finish with a delicately sweet woodsy scent. My skin was, and still is, glowing (perhaps it's from all the sunshine the flowers passed on ;) ). Although we've moved back to our humid home Province of New Brunswick, we still break out the Calendula whenever there's an itch, rash or general lack lustery dryness to our skin.
We’ve used it in our family for the past 7 years (and counting) as a polysporin-replacement, for eczema, sunburns, diaper rashes, and scalp treatment. It’s been used after surgeries to prevent scarring and expedite healing. It’s softened scaly psoriasis and has helped many of our dearest friends and family (including me!!) feel confident & comfortable in their own skin.
Image: Calendula Soothing Skin Salve Finished & Being Bottled
I hope you've enjoyed learning more about the ingredients we use! We love sharing our progress and knowledge, and look forward to continuing to grow (& glow!) together.
Take good care,
-Judith Sweeney, Formulator and Co-Owner of Bubbles & Balms
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841996/
https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/wounds/article/9064
https://thegoodfaceproject.com/product/bubbles_balms_calendula_skin_salve
1 comment
I literally just came across your website (never have heard of these products nor have ever tried then) and just from the reviews I’ve read…. I can’t wait to get these products and try them for myself and my son. He also has very, very sensitive skin and it’s allergic to many different things from laundry soap, to body wash, to lotion. After knowing what I’ve read, I can wait to finally help soothe his dry and bumpy skin. I’ll leave another review after we’ve tried it. Thanks