Snowflake Soap Tutorial

Here is one snowflake soap tutorial from the Soap Queen herself, Anne -Marie. This would be a nice gift during the Christmas holiday or anytime during the Winter Season! What a great way to get the kids involved to make presents for their grandparents, teachers or whomever.

The supplies needed for this project are Clear M&P soap base, White M&P soap base, Iridescent glitter, Brilliant Blue Lab color, Snowflake soap mold and fragrance (we used Fresh Snow). All of these supplies can be purchased through Brambleberry.

The tools you need to make these cool soaps are microwave safe containers for melting soap, spoon for stirring, spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and M&P tool kits (optional - but they sure make it easier!)

There are just two ways to make soap for the Christmas season. One is to make the bar itself Holiday Soap Making: Fun with the Season

There are just two ways to make soap for the Christmas season. One is to make the bar itself suggestive of the yuletide, and the other is to encase any handmade soap you have produced in holiday-themed packaging.

Holiday soap making need not be complicated. Your options are made less bewildering by the limits to which soap mixes lend themselves to shape and color manipulation, and by the cultural bounds for decorative elements associated with the season. In other words, you just have so many traditional Christmas symbols to choose from.

Snow, snowmen, pine trees, stars, angels, gifts, wreaths and boughs, Santa, glittery hues of green, red and gold—these and others form the relatively fixed array of advent representation.

Holiday Soap Making: Christmas-shaped Soaps

What are some of the Christmas shapes into which we can mold soap bars? Pine trees, bells, stars, angels, snowmen and stockings are ones that come into the mind easily. You can buy plastic, stainless steel, wooden molds and stamps from a crafts store, but why not try making your own casting forms this time?

Use gypsum plaster (not plaster of paris) as your molding medium, latex molding rubber as the barrier, and an object, say a Christmas tree figure, as your model. This last item has to be made of non-porous material like plastic, glass, ceramic or sealed wood. After making your mold, peel off the rubber from the object. The shapes you can come up with for your holiday soap making are as many as the non-porous models you have!

Holiday Soap Making: Christmas Scents and Colors

Pine and peppermint are the fragrances you will want to add to your soap to make them “smell like Christmas.”

As for colors, green, red, white and gold are your logical choices. If you want to stick to natural coloring, you’ll probably get less vivid hues, but it may not matter to you if you are happy with a toned down effect. If such is the case, you can use turmeric for gold, Moroccan red clay for red, and alfalfa for green.

But if you want to get closer to the vivid, glowing hues of Christmas, use micas combined with liquid colorants. You can use Ruby Mica for your reds, Emerald Mica for your greens, and Polar Ice Mica for your white. One other option for red is thoroughly mixed Ultramarine Red.

Now here’s one cool holiday soap making idea that plays with the colors green and red against white. The Melt and Mold technique of crafting soap is used:

Make both red and green translucent bars of soap, then cut into chunks. Arrange the chunks inside your molds whichever way you like. Get your opaque white soap base ready for pouring into the molds. Let this base cool off a bit and then pour over the chunks inside the mold. Allow to cool and harden, and then unmold.

Holiday Soap Making: Packaging Tricks

You may be one of those whose idea of holiday soap making is simply to package soap with the trimmings of Christmas or as gift items. Outlined below are just a few of the ways of doing this:

Pack your soaps in:

Fabric gift bags made of muslin, calico or mesh
Handy-sized pine wood crates
Gift baskets that are bundled up with glittery organza or cellophane paper
Christmas stocking-shaped nets
Corrugated carton sheets tied up with hay-like or ornamental string

For trimmings, use strips of Christmas paper (which look like colored aluminum foil), raffia ribbons, red and green checked cloth, shiny Twistee wires, and Christmas ribbons. These items come in handy as you engage in your holiday soap making activity.

Source: http://www.soapmakingfun.com/making-homemade-soap/holiday-soap-making2.shtml

Snowglobe Soap Project from Alpha Mom

Need an idea to put you in the holiday spirit? Here is a really cute melt and pour soapmaking project for the winter or holiday season from Alphamom.com. It is a Snowglobe Soap. This would be the perfect bar of soap to put in the powder room or to make as gifts. If I received this as a gift, it would definately put me in the Christmas spirit.

Tinted Lip Balm Recipe from BOrganic

Ladies, has your favorite color of lip stick is at its last or worse the color has been discontinued. Well, if you want to extend the life of your favorite lipstick, why not take what is remaining and make it into a tinted lip balm? Does this make you jump up and say, "yes"? Then check out this project from Season 1 of BOrganic, which was demonstrated by Caitlin from OlivU.

Tinted lip balms are easy to create and an excellent way to use up those lipsticks or the lipsticks that "weren't just the right shade", So go through your make-up drawer and collect the lipsticks that you would like to use for this project. Then you will need to purchase the rest of the ingredients from your local health food store (or store that would carry body product supplies) or online source (Brambleberry, Wholesale Supplies Plus, etc.). I want to mention to you that in the listed under supplies there is fragrance. Do not purchase fragrance oils that you would use for melt and pour soaps. You want to purchase appropriate items like candy flavorings, flavored Stevias (available at places like Whole Foods but are quite expensive) or pure essential oils. Remember that citrus essential oils (lemon. lime, orange, tangerine, etc.) are photosensitive you may want to stay away from those particular oils.

Tempering Shea Butter

When I made recipes with Shea Butter, particularly lotion sticks, I found that the Shea Butter would often make the recipe gritty. Then I learned from Melanie Wessner that one should temper it before using it. I really never thought of doing that. According to Melanie, shea butter should be melted and heated to about 175 degrees and kept for 20 minutes.

While searching online, I found how to temper your shea butter from a forum on BeeSource. According to Luscious Honey, who posted this response says that this is how to temper your shea butter.

"Heat butter to 170-185F and HOLD that temp. for 10 minutes. Steady heat obliterates the fat crystals and won't hurt the beneficial qualities of the butter. To prevent the crystals from reforming, stick the butter in the fridge until solid. If you find that crystals have reformed, you can try it again, paying close attention to time and temps."

Lucious Honey suggests adjusting your butter-to-oil ratio also helps. The weather, evidently plays a part too as really hot weather tends to melt untempered butter causing the grit -- so this may be something you need to do only in summer, if you're winters are cold."

I am not sure which method is better. I will have to try both to see which works better. Has anyone else tried to temper their shea butter before. If you have, could you please share your experience? It would be greatly appreciated.

How to Make Lava Lip Gloss

Ever since I took Melanie Wessner's Lip Balm, Exfoliator and Gloss class, I could not help to show the Lave Lip Gloss we made in class. Everyone that I showed it too was completely wowed with this unique product.

If you grew up in the 60's and 70's this would be a cool product to make. This would be a great item to make at a tween or teen girl's birthday party. If you make this project at a birthday party it will be a hit and they will be talking about it to all of their friends.

The recipes that I have found all are pretty similiar with the ingredients. If you have a Whole Foods Market in your area you can purchase a variety of carrier oils, vegetable glycerin, stevia flavorings and food coloring. You can purchase some candy flavorings at Michaels. The only thing that you would have to order online would be the roll on lip gloss containers. Or if you prefer you can do one stop shopping and purchase all of the supplies from Wholesale Supplies Plus, Snowdrift Farms and others. So go for it and have some fun!

Bittercreek Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Recipe

Soap Teacher Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Recipe which was donated by Julie Florida.

Snowdrift Farms Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Recipe

Wholesale Supplies Plus Colored Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Recipe

If I find any other lava lamp lip gloss recipes, I will make sure to pass them along.

How to Make Christmas Luminaries With Mason Jars

For Halloween I posted on how you can make luminaries for that holiday, now here are step by step instructions on How to Make Christmas Luminaries With Mason Jars on by Nannette Richford. They are pretty much the same so all you really need is make some minor changes. Even though luminaries are a popular tradition in the south, it can pretty much be done anywhere, but are really impossible to sue in area that go through extreme weather conditions during that time of the year. Just remember to keep it safe!

Ornament Soap Project

If you would like to create something extra special to decorate your Christmas tree or give as a Christmas gift to someone, then may I suggest this melt and pour ornament project from Soap Queen (aka Anna Marie). What a great gift to make! Who would not want to receive this clever project as a gift? So check out the instructions for the Ornament Soap Project and start making those holiday gifits. Everyone will ooh and ahh and these beauties.

Peppermint Cocoa Lip Balm

Lip balm is truly one of the easiest and most inexpensive products to create. Once that you have created your own homemade lip balm, you will never want to purchase commercially made lip balm again!

This recipe will fill 8-9 lip balm tubes:

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Cocoa Butter
2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon & 1 teaspoon Beeswax
5-10 drops Peppermint essential oil

Directions:

Coarsely chop or grate beeswax (vegans may use Carnauba or Candelilla Wax as an alternative). Place wax, butter, and oil in a double boiler, and melt gently over low-medium heat. Once that the beeswax/oil mixture has melted, remove from burner, and add essential oils. Immediately pour the mixture into lip balm containers. Allow to cool completely before placing the caps onto your lip balm containers.

Click Here to find out other benefits of Peppermint Oil.



Source: http://www.aromatherapy-at-home.com/essential-oils-recipes.html

What is Bath Oil?

Have you recently received a bath oil as a gift and you have no idea what one is? Well according to Wisegeek.com:

"Bath oil is a body care product which is designed to be added to a bathtub. It is readily available in body care and bath stores, and you can also formulate your own relatively easily for a specific blend of oils or scents. Using bath oil regularly will help to soften and nourish the skin, eliminating dry and rough patches, because the warm water of the bath opens up your pores to help you absorb the oil. Follow a bath with a toner or cold water rinse and then moisturize thoroughly to keep your skin healthy.

The base of a bath oil can be made from coconut, olive, sesame, nut, jojoba, or vitamin E oil. The cost of the bath oil will vary depending on the base; vitamin E based oils, for example, tend to be quite expensive. Nut oils such as sweet almond are very common, so if you have nut allergies, read bath oil ingredients carefully. A plain, unscented bath oil will often contain a blend of oils formulated to improve the condition of your skin.

Most bath oils are scented with the addition of essential oils. In addition to smelling good, a scented bath oil can also be used for aromatherapy. Aromatherapy bath oils can be used to relax after a long day, energize for a night out, or support immune system health. Common aromatherapy ingredients include lavender, ylang ylang, rose, citrus, lemon verbena, bergamot, and yarrow. Most aromatherapy oils do not use potentially irritating essential oils like clove and black pepper, although these ingredients are safe to use in small, measured amounts.

In some cases, a bath oil will also contain dried botanical elements like rose petals and lavender. These additions add to the bath experience, but they can be difficult to clean out of a bathtub, as they tend to cling to the sides. If you do use a bath oil with dried flowers, make sure to use a hair trap when it drains so that the bath does not become clogged with petals, and try rinsing down the sides of the tub with a detachable shower head to remove the stubborn flowers.

Making your own bath oil is also very easy. Base oils are available from bath supplies and in some department stores; make sure to store the oil in a cool, dry, dark place when it is not in use to prevent it from going rancid. In a clean container, mix the carrier oil, or several carrier oils, and then add several drops of the essential oil or oils of your choice. Use approximately one fluid ounce (30 milliliters) in each bath."

Now that you received this lovely gift now you can make use of of it by taking sometime to pamper yourself.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bath-oil.htm

ThanksSoapGiving Soap Tutorial

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here is a really cute Thanksgiving or ThankSoapGiving Soap from Anne-Marie aka The Soap Queen. This festive soap is easy to create and would be adorable to create. So get the ThankSoapGiving festivities started and check out the ThankSoapGiving Soap instructions/tutorial . Anne-Marie always posts really cute tutorials on her blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life so check out her blog often for more creative and festive soap ideas.

A Brief Description of Cosmetic Clays

Have you heard of the term Cosmetic Clays but you do not know what they are? Well, Alison Kontur of Bath Body Supply has written an article on Cosmetics Clays on her blog "Design It Yourself" Skincare. This article is very informative in describing the different cosmetics clays that are available out on the market. So if any of your recipes include a cosmetic clay as ingredient this article will certainly help you out.

Bath Melt T's Recipe

Do you love bath melts? Why not try this recipe from Ponte Verda Soaps. I have encountered other recipes that include such ingredients such as cocoa butter and shea butter. But this recipe is interesting ingredient is coconut oil. Wouldn't that make an interesting smelling bath melt if you incorporated unrefined cocoa butter?

For this recipe you will need to purchase the following ingredients: cocoa butter, vitamin E oil, coconut oil, favorite essential oil, 2 oz Bars Mold. Powder pigment or liquid pigment color. Ponte Verda Soaps states that food coloring will work, but it is hard to incorporate. The reasoning that food coloring is hard to incorporate is that is probably water base.

Melt the cocoa butter over very low heat and add the coconut oil. Remove and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well and add to your mold. Let harden and remove from mold. Place in the freezer to quicken the hardening. Keep in a cool place or the refrigerator. Snap off sections and pop them in your tub for a soothing smoothing luxury bath.

Soap Puffed Marshmallows Soap

Doesn't this soap look like a delicious piece of fudge? It definately looks good enough to eat. This Soap Puffed Marshmallow Soap appears on blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life. Anne-Marie used and advanced cold process soap technique called "In the Pot Swirl" which means that she split the batch into two different colors and poured one color into the other. The soap batter naturally swirls the two colors together.

If you would like to see the "In the Pot Swirl" Soap technique is demonstrated, then check out the premium Soap TV Queen Episode.

Annie Marie shares her secret on how to make her secret mallows. They were inspired by Soapylove's Soap Frosting Recipe. I would say that is the price of admission.

It just dawned on me that these soaps remind me of a delicious cup of hot cocoa. So I would say that these would make perfect gifts during those cold winter months.

How To Make Candy Cane Candles

Christmas is just around the corner and you are looking to add abit of candle light to your home. Why not create this Candy Cane Pillar Candle from One Stop Candle?

Candy canes always remind me of the Christmas season and making these candles would enhance your holiday decor. Even if you do not celebrate Christmas somehow peppermint conjours up a snowy winter day for me.  How about you?

Sugar Scrub Cubes

Here is a Sugar Scrub Cubes recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus.

This recipe is interesting because it contains a persevative of Phenonip. When looking at the INCI Ingredient that Wholesale Supplies Plus provides there are listing of a couple of paraben ingredients: Methylparaben (and) Ethylparaben (and) Butylparaben (and) Propylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben which are contained in the perservative Phenonip. If you are concerned with parabens and their effects then you may consider a preservative that does not contain parabens. Now when I took the sugar scrubs class at The Nova Studio in September 2010, the recipe does not call for a preservative. So I guess it is up to you whether or not to add one or not. But, I am not planning to add one to the recipe that was given to us.

Simple Pumpkin Sugar Scrub Video Tutorial

From Allison B. Kontur from Bath Body Supply has this great instructional video on You Tube on how to create your own Simple Pumpkin Sugar Scrub.

What a great gift to make someone who loves pumpkin pie.

Shea Butter Body Whip - From Scratch

Here is another great recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus and it sohappens to be one of Debbie May's favorites - Shea butter Body Whip - From Scratch. The estimate time to make this product is an half an hour and yields 7 jars.

The ingredients you need are 16 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Shea Butter - Refined, 1 Ounce(s) Crafter's Choice Vitamin E ,10 ml(s) Crafter's Choice Bliss - Certified EO Blend, 2 Tablespoon(s) Crafter's Choice Modified Corn Starch , 7 Natural PP Low Profile Jar - 5 oz , 7 Jar Lids - 91 mm and.7 Jar Disc Liners - 91 mm. All ingredients can be purchased through Wholesale Supplies Plus. If you are planning to sell this product, you have to properly label all of the ingredients. If you are using the extact ingredients like the recipe calls for, then you would label the ingredients as follows and according to INCI name.

The equipment you need will be a Dropper, Electric Hand Mixer, Mixing Bowl - 64 oz, Spatula and a Spoon.

Spicy Plum Soap-A Homemade Gift Soap.

Spicy plum soap is a wonderful and extravagant experience for the face, hands and body. This homemade gift soap feels silky-smooth and smells terrific.

Supplies Need:

8 oz. Unscented white soap, grated
4 oz. Milk
2 tsp. Plum fragrance oil
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon fragrance oil
1 tsp. Ground nutmeg
Brown food coloring
Gold mica dust

To Make This Homemade Gift Soap:

In the top of a double boiler, heat milk, along with the fragrance oil. Grind soap as fine as possible in a food processor (not absolutely necessary, but makes it easier). Put the ground soap in a bowl and add the nutmeg, food coloring, gold mica dust. Stir to distribute the color evenly. When milk and oils are hot, add soap and, stirring occasionally, allow the soap to soften to a creamy mass (then water in the bottom of the double boiler should be hot, but not boiling). It may take as much as 1/2 hour. After the soap is fully melted, press into a small bunt pan (or two, depending on the size). Present your homemade gift soap on a plate, sliced.

This homemade gift soap also makes a perfect gift. Your friends and family will appreciate a homemade gift soap that is a relaxing and unique bath and body product. That this gift came from the heart and your hands makes them even more special. Packaging and presentation play a predominant role in the gift-giving of your handmade gift soaps, salts and lotions. Below are several packaging ideas, but don’t let this brief list limit your creativity!

Sticky labels, round labels and heavyweight card stock can be used for labeling your plum soap.

Boxes and baskets are nice containers for homemade gift soaps, especially when you fill the boxes with other materials. You can fill the box or basket halfway with herbs, dried flowers or potpourri that matches the scent of your homemade gift soap. Gift basket fillings, other toiletries, washcloths or sponges also make great fillers in the basket with your spicy plum soap. Once you have added the filler and soap, wrap the box or basket in cellophane.

Coffee mugs also great "baskets." Add a filler to the cup and place your spicy plum soap in the center and wrap with cellophane or tulle. Small brown paper bags, cello type bags, wood crates and soap dishes are other containers you can use to package your soaps and salts.

Source: http://www.add-adhd-help-center.com/bathbody/plum_soap.htm

What is the Difference Between Shower Gel and Body Wash?

Looking down the beauty aisle at Walmart there are so many bath products to wash yourself with. It made me wonder, what is the difference between shower gel and body wash? I found the answer on Wisegeek.com:

"Shower gel and body wash are both forms of liquid soap that are appropriate for cleansing the body. The primary difference between the two is texture. Shower gel has a firmer, gel-like consistency while body wash is more like liquid soap or dish soap in consistency. Another difference between the two, though slight, is their concentration. Much like the difference between perfume and eau de toilette, shower gel frequently has a higher concentration of fragrance and tends to go farther than body wash.

Shower gel and body wash are both popular alternatives to bar soap for cleansing, especially amongst women. Their preference could be attributed to their convenience of use and storage, but is most likely attributed to the wide variety of scents available. Shower gel and body wash may also be more appealing than bar soap because they frequently include moisturizers.
The application of shower gel or body wash is best achieved with a bath sponge or mitt. A washcloth can be effective, but sponges and mitts tend to produce more lather. There are differences in the quality of shower gels and body washes as well. Less expensive drug store brands cleanse as effectively as the more expensive bath store products, but tend to produce less lather with the same amount. There are exceptions, but bath store products definitely have a wider variety of fragrances.

Shower gel or body wash is available for women, men, and even children and infants. Infant body wash is very mild and can be used on skin and hair. There are a wide variety of fragrances available in all varieties, including designer fragrances and fragrances for men.

The best way to find the shower gel or bath product that you prefer is to experiment with different varieties and fragrances. If you need something for sensitive skin or something with extra moisturizers, simply read the labels and ingredients before buying. Avoid using shower gel or body wash on babies and young children unless it is specified for that use as adult cleansers can sometimes be too harsh for young skin."


Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-shower-gel-and-body-wash.htm

Pumpkin Face Mask

Ashley English recently did a guest blog post on Whipup on how to make your own Pumpkin Face Mask. If pumpkin pie is your favorite desert, then this face mask recipe is up your alley. You will need two simple ingredients of pumpkin pie puree (not pumpkin pie mix) and plain whole milk yogurt to make this perfect autumn treat for your face.

Marie Gale's book Soap & Cosmetic Labeling

Are you having a difficult time finding Marie Gale's book Soap & Cosmetic Labeling? Well, you do not have to look very far to purchase one. Wholesale Supplies Plus is now a place where you can purchase your very own copy for $24.95.

The 2nd edition of this informative book has been updated to include an extra chapter devoted just to soap labels, additional diagrams and drawings of different types of labels and additional explanations about some of the more complicated (and controversial) aspects of product labeling.

This is an excellent reference source for figuring out how to follow the labeling rules and regulations for soaps, cosmetics and other consumer products, with plenty of examples.

This book explains, in plain English, how to follow product labeling rules and regulations from:

- Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act
- Fair Product and Labeling Act
- Uniform Weights & Measures Law
- Uniform Packaging and Labeling
- Regulations
- State Laws

In addition, the appendixes include cosmetic color additives and their approved uses, INCI names for common ingredients, restricted and prohibited ingredients and metric conversion charts.

If you would like to order this book, visit Wholesale Supplies Plus website or go directly to the following link Soap & Cosemetic Labeling book.

Pomegranate Exfoliating Scrub

Tis' the season for this sensory scrub. Here is a festive pomegranate salt scrub from PV Soap that is feast for the nose as well as the eyes. If you know someone who is a big fan of pomegranates then this would be a great gift for them. The ingredients for this recipe makes 20 oz of scrub.

To make this exfoliating scrub, you will need the following supplies:

18 ozs Dead Sea Salt
1/4 cup of either Sweet Almond, Macadamia Nut, or Apricot Kernel Oil (or a combination of all)
1/8 cup of Virgin Coconut Oil
1/8 cup Vegetable Glycerin Liquid
1 tablespoon Aloe Vera Gel (available at drugstore)
1 teaspoon Tocopherals (Vitamin E Oil)
1 tablespoon Pomegranate fragrance
dash/or less Red Iron Oxide (optional for color)
sprinkling of poppy seeds (optional exfoliant)

Just another in our series of wonderful body scrubs. This time we used dead sea salt from Israel. Dead Sea Salt contains ten times more minerals than regular sea salt. These minerals assist in cleansing, detoxifying and restoring a healthy body, especially the skin and muscles. The carrier oils including the virgin coconut oil all absorb well into the skin without leaving a heavy feel. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Add the fragrance (more or less as desired). When adding the colorant, start with a very tiny amount (less than a pinch) of red iron oxide until the correct shade is achieved. Spoon into decorative jars or our wonderful plastic Bail & Wire jars. As with any scrub recipe, let it sit overnight and the oils will rise to the top. Stir when ready to use. Add more oils if necessary or if your scrub becomes dry after several months. With proper storage - shelf life 1 year. Caution: tub or shower may get slippery from the oils.


Source: http://www.pvsoap.com/recipe_pomegranate_scrub.htm

Pumpkin Pie Soap Recipe

Love pumpkin pie? Then you may just love creating this melt and pour soap for the holidays. This is a very simply recipe that I found on the website BathNBody.craftgossip.com and I hope you will enjoy it for years to come.

"This pumpkin pie soap recipe from Mom’s Budget is a great way to start celebrating the start of autumn. Make now and use Halloween molds, or use Thanksgiving soap molds later in the year!

4 Oz glycerin soap (clear unscented)
1/4 tsp pumpkin fragrance oil
5 drops clove essential oil
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Orange food coloring (Ed. Or soap dye, available at craft stores.)

In a small saucepan over low heat (or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave) melt glycerin soap. Add clove essential oil, pumpkin fragrance oil, ground cloves and food coloring, stirring well. Pour into molds (you can find Thanksgiving or Halloween themed molds, such as pumpkins or turkeys). Allow molds to set. Remove from mold then wrap pumpkin pie soap in cellophane or plastic wrap."

Source:http://bathnbody.craftgossip.com/-pie-soap-recipe-2/2009/09/25/

Snow Globe Soaps

Are looking for something different to give as gifts this year for Christmas? Then why not create these adorable snow globe soaps from Alphamom.com? Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, these would be adorable gifts to give out during the winter season.

Pumpkin Puree Cold Process Soap Recipe

In an October 2, 2010 blog entry, Anne-Marie (aka The Soap Queen) listed a variety of fall projects for the 2010 seasons on her blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life. One was this recipe for Pumpkin Puree Cold Process Soap.  This fun fall swirl cold process soap is moisturizing and delicious smelling soap with real pumpkin puree. Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and vitamins A and C which can help keep your skin youthful and refreshed! If you love pumpkin pie or know someone who does this would make an excellent gift!

Thanksgiving Soap Project

Here is a really cute Thanksgiving project that the whole family can participant in making Thanksgiving soaps. I have not seen too many Thankgiving soap projects out there and I am glad that I found it. What makes this project for all ages is that is made through the melt and pour process which means that kids of all ages can participate!

Thanks to Anne-Marie (aka The Soap Queen) for posting this festive holiday project on her blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life. Anne-Marie always brings alot of great melt and pour soap projects for everyone to make. I cannot wait to see what next she shares with us.

What is Bergamot?

I offer students in my classes Bergamont essential oil to scent their bath and body products. I was wondering more about this popular essential oil. The only thing I knew that it was from the citrus family. But according to Wisegeek.com:

"Bergamot is an aromatic oil found in the peels of the fruit of the bergamot orange, a citrus tree which flourishes in Italy. The oil is used in essential oil preparations, skin care products, and as a food flavoring, most notably in Earl Gray tea. The flavor of bergamot is floral and rich, with a faintly bitter or astringent flavor. The oil smells of fresh citrus, and is pale gold in color. Caution should be used with oil of bergamot on the skin, because it tends to increase photosensitivity, and the skin may be damaged if it is exposed to excessive light.

The bergamot orange, also known as Citrus bergamia, is native to Southern Asia, but was introduced to Italy, where it flourished. Attempts to cultivate it in other regions have not been nearly so successful, with Italian bergamot oranges producing the bulk of commercially used bergamot. The peels of the oranges were dried and added to early flavored teas, and essence of bergamot was also extensively used in perfumes. The mild citrus scent and flavor are quite appealing to some consumers, leading to enduring demand for bergamot.

Southern France also hosts bergamot trees, which are small and unable to cope with extremely cold weather and frosts. The fruit of the bergamot orange itself is intensely sour, and it is often used in jams, preserves, and other sweet dishes to counterbalance the sugar. The true value lies in the peel, which has rich deposits of oil. Dried, the peels are used in some cosmetics and foods to add flavor, and the peels are also pressed when fresh to extract the essential oil, which is usually sold in concentrated form. Bergamot orange peel is also sometimes sold in a candied form, along with other citrus peels.

As an essential oil, bergamot is believed to be uplifting and energizing. It is often included in essential oil mixtures which are designed to reduce stress, energize, and treat depression. Bergamot can be included in incense, used in an essential oil diffuser, or added to baths, in moderation. The oil is also included in skin care products, and like other citrus oils, it is faintly astringent and toning. Pure oil can be harsh on the skin, and bergamot oil should always be diluted before being applied.

Pure bergamot oil is readily available from many natural food stores and distributors of essential oils in both cold pressed and steam distilled varieties. The dried peel can be found in food specialty stores, along with candied and jellied variants. For consumers who are concerned about sustainable farming practices, many bergamot growers offer organic alternatives to conventionally farmed bergamot."

Hope this gives you insight to Bergamont like it has me. I will have to try to use this essential more often. Of all of the essential oils besides rose, the citrus family like sweet orange and tangerine are my favorite.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bergamot.htm

Gingerbread Body Scrub

Gingerbread is another scent that reminds me of the Christmas holidays.  Why combine a great body sugar scrub recipe with the scent of gingerbread and make wonderful gifts for the upcoming holidays. I found this recipe on the Soapmaking Forum. 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons almond meal
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey granules

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and place in a jar. To use, add enough water to make into a thick paste. Scrub on to your skin gently. Rinse.

Source: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=314

Peppermint Layered Votive Candle

Here is another great votive candle idea by: Debbie L. in the Customer Service Department at Wholesale Supplies Plus which happens to appear on the Wholesale Supplies Plus Blog. This Peppermint Layered Votive Candle would be the ideal for Christmas candlelight. In case you do not celebrate Christmas or you need unique party favors to give out at your next event it would be easy to change the color and scent to suit your needs.

Thank you Debbie for inspiring us! And make sure to check out Wholesale Supplies Plus' Blog and Website for more creative soap and candle making ideas.

The ingredients you will need for this layered votive candle are 1 lb of IGI 4641 Wax , 1 oz Peppermint Stick FO , #1 Red Candle Color Block and 4 Low Smoke Votive Wicks can be purchase thorough Wholesale Supplies Plus website.

The utensils you will need are Wax Melting Pot, Spoon, Candy Thermometer, Measuring Cup and 4 Round Votive Cups. If you do not have the votive cups you probably can subsitute dixie cups. Micheals carries alot of the Yaley candlemaking supplies which includes a wax melting pot which costs $14.99 (and you can use a coupon). They also have one for $24.99 which has some supplies in it. I do not know if it has a themometer or not but I know they sell a thermometer separately. I think it is $7.99 or $9.99. You may find a better one at an establishment that sells kitchen utensils.

Always remember to put a warning label on all of your candle creations.

How to Make Wax Dipped Bears

Around Christmas time, I saw that QVC was selling scented wax dipped animals. I thought they were cute, but I thought they were too expensive. Recently, I came across Lone Star Candle Supply website and I found instructions on How to Make Wax Dipped Bears. I thought I would share these instructions with you because these would be great gift plus you can purchase all the materials needed from Lone Star Candle Supply.

Materials needed:

1 Stuffed Bear
1 lb of IGI 4794 Wax, IGI 1343 Wax, OR NatureWax P-1 Wax
1.5 ounces of fragrance oil liquid
Dye (optional, recommended for darker bears)
Double boiler or some other method of heating wax
Pair of tongs
Drying rack
Large tooth comb or fork
THICK rubber gloves
Cooking sheet

Basic Instructions:

Melt wax and add fragrance (about 1.5 oz per lb of wax) stirring well. At this time you can add dye to match darker or colored bears allowing it to blend better with the material. This will help eliminate the "dandruff" look when using un-dyed wax on a darker bear. The average wax temperature is 170-190°F.

After the wax is melted, unplug the cooker so as not to exceed 200°F. If the wax is too hot, the animal may shrink and be otherwise damaged.

Using a pair of tongs, dip and roll the animal in the wax for about two minutes or until well- saturated.

Using the tongs, pull the animal out of the wax and, while wearing thick rubber gloves, squeeze out some of the excess wax. Tip: if you put the animal on a screen over your pot, the wax will drip back into your pot for the next animal. This means less waste and less mess!

Immediately use a large tooth wire comb (or fork in a pinch) to comb or fluff the hair. Longer hair requires more fluffing. This must be done before the wax hardens.

Next let cool to the touch, then put on a cooking sheet to finish the process. You can pose them at this point. To completely dry, let stand about two hours.

Once completely cooled you can package them in a cellophane bag and tie with a decorative ribbon. We recommend enclosing instructions for care.

Notes:

1 If you don't have a professional setup to melt the wax, you can use several methods found in your kitchen. You can use a double boiler, or boil water in a larger pot with the wax melting in second smaller pot inside the first. This method heats the wax to 212°F so let it cool slightly before dipping. Other methods include turkey roasters, deep fryers and crock pots where you can choose the desired temperature. Start slow and increase the temperature in increments for best results.

Other Helpful Tips:

Generally, 1 lb of wax will do approximately 1 larger bear or 2 smaller bears

Average retail selling price for these bears is around $20 but could be priced higher or lower depending on the size, quality, decoration, packaging, and your geographic location.

The fragrance will decrease over time if the animal is kept at room temperature. To refresh the scent, heat with a blow dryer for about a minute. This needs to be done about once a month as desired. You could even sell small bottles of fragrance oil for your customers to apply while refreshing their bears!

Some fragrance oils can discolor white animals. When using a white or very light colored bear, try to choose fragrance oils that are as clear or lightly tinted as possible.

Never put wax-dipped animals directly on wood. A dish, glass or metal, will protect the wood surface from stain by the oils in the wax.

Keep out of the reach of children, as these animals are no longer toys.

Of course, these animals are air fresheners, not candles and are not meant to burn.

Get creative with bows, decorations, packaging, accessories and poses. Most of all, have fun!