Making a cream out of a tincture

Hi, I'm new on here and would like some advice on if and how I can use a tincture to apply directly to the skin. Will I need to do something with it in order for it to work for the skin or use it as it is.

I'm wanting to use gotu kola for existing stretch marks I have, and don't really want to buy an expensive cream which may have perfumes and chemicals added. I would prefer to make one myself, using the tincture which I can get from neals yard remedies. If I can use this tincture directly onto the skin that would be perfect, but I'm guessing its not that straight forward??

Thanks xxx

Making a cream is quite tricky as it is actually an emulsion between an oil bases and a water base. You should be able to get Aqueous Cream from your local pharmacy. It won't contain perfumes - but almost certainly will contain preservatives and stabilisers since creams are naturally unstable and rather liable to contamination. But Aqueous Cream is about as pure and simple as you can get without making the base yourself.

The other possibility would be Oily Cream - which as the name implies is more oily and won't rub in as well but that may be helpful for the use you want .

The supplier of the tincture can probably advice you whether it is safe to use undiluted.

its actually quite easy to create a cream. Using the tincture, put into a warm bowl and mix an oil base and some cocoa butter (or shea butter) and melt to a liquid over a water bath, you can also buy these from NYR's add to that a few grams of beeswax, take off the heat and whisk while it cools, it will turn from a clear liquid to a cream colour and solidify. Some recipes say to add borax as the emulsifyer but you can make it without.

Try getting hold of NYR book on how to make your own creams and body butters. Lots of recipes to try.

The cream you make will last maybe 3months and needs to be kept in the fridge.