BennyBee Journal
Why Calendula-Infused Oil Is at the Heart of Our Body Cream
A closer look at the botanical infusion, shea butter and simple formulation behind coming-soon BennyBee Body Cream.
When we started working on BennyBee Body Cream, we wanted something richer than a lightweight lotion but still comfortable enough for everyday use.
The formula starts with familiar skin-care ingredients such as shea butter, glycerin and apricot kernel oil. But the ingredient that gives this cream its BennyBee identity begins before the cream is even made.
We infuse the oil ourselves.
It starts with calendula
Calendula has a long history of use in traditional topical preparations and remains a popular botanical ingredient in modern skin care.
For our Body Cream, dried calendula flowers are slowly infused into apricot kernel oil. After the infusion is ready, the botanicals are carefully filtered out and the infused oil becomes part of the cream.
It is a slower process than simply adding another ingredient at the end.
We think it is worth doing.
Why apricot kernel oil?
Apricot kernel oil is a lightweight emollient oil that helps give the cream softness and slip without relying entirely on heavier butters.
It also gives us the oil base for our calendula infusion.
The result is an ingredient doing two jobs: providing the characteristics we want from the oil while carrying the botanical infusion that makes this formula distinctive.
And then there is shea butter
Shea butter brings the richer side of the formula.
Its emollient character complements the lighter apricot kernel oil and helps create the substantial, creamy feel we wanted from a body moisturizer.
Rather than building the formula around a single "hero" ingredient, we use ingredients that contribute different things to the finished cream.
Moisture needs more than oil
Our Body Cream also contains glycerin, a humectant that attracts and holds water.
That matters because moisturizing skin is not simply about coating it with oil. A well-designed cream combines water, humectants and emollient ingredients to create a more complete moisturizing experience.
The emulsifying system brings those water- and oil-based ingredients together into the cream you actually use.
Why we made it
BennyBee started with lip care, but the same idea translates naturally to skin care: thoughtful ingredients, small batches and formulas designed around how the finished product actually feels.
Our Body Cream brings together calendula-infused apricot kernel oil, shea butter and glycerin in a rich moisturizer made for dry skin and everyday body care.
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