Wavy Loaf Sorbet Soap

For those who have taken my melt and pour soap making classes in the past and were interested in learning how to make a loaf soap, here is a basic layer soap project from Soap Place.

The instructions for this Wavy Loaf Sorbet Soap is very basic, although I am concerned with the non stick loaf pan being used as a mold. I do not know for sure how well the soap will come out once it is cured. You may want to spray the pan with some cooking spray or better yet use a silicone loaf pan.

As for the color and scent of these bar of soap, you do not have to follow what the instructions call for you can purchase what fragrance or coloring that you choose. You can purchase the Life of the Party supplies from Michaels. As for the crinkle cutter, I found mine on Ebay. If anyone else knows where else someone can purchase one please let us know.

How To Make Your Own Silicone Soap Mold Liners Tutorial

If you are interested in learning how to make silicone mold liners, you may want to read this article titled DIY Silicone Liners for Soap Molds by Kaseen Cook of Tortuga Soaps whick appears on SMF Tutorials. According to Kaseen making your own silicone liners are relatively simple but the one big obstacle is the cost of the silicone - it is extremely costly. But making your own can save you labor cost , as well as make soaping easier and more fun without having to line your molds all the time with other items such as freezer paper. Kaseen says that you can also pour your liners onto cool textures to make all sorts of uniquely textured soaps. And suggests try pouring on engraved plaster to create a liner custom made with your logo. It takes a bit of patience, but is certainly not too hard for anyone to accomplish in a weekend.

The Moustache Soap

The San Francisco Giants have a pitcher by the name of Brian Wilson. Whenever he came up to pitch, you would hear the fans chanting "Fear the Beard". When I found this cold process soap recipe, I immediately thought of that. Although this is a a moustache, there is not thing to fear about this bar of soap. Actually, it reminds me of a barbershop quartet. This would be a really cute soap to make for Father's Day. If you are a cold process soap maker and would like to create this Moustache Soap by Amanda Griffin, you can find it on a site called Lovin' Soap. If you are also looking for more cold process soap recipes, you should check out Lovin' Soap's website.

A Brief Description of Perfume

Are you not sure what the true description of a perfume is? Alison Kontur of Bathbodysupply.com has an entry on her blog DIY Workshop titled, Perfume: A Brief Description which explains what a perfume actually is and the differences between an extract, Eau de Parfum (EdP), Parfum de Toilette (PdT), Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne (EdC) and Body Splash and After Shave.

According to Alison, perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils, aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents used to give the human body and/or living spaces a "pleasant" smell.Perfume oils are often diluted with a solvent, though this is not always the case. The most common solvent for perfume oil dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol with water. Perfume oil can also be diluted by means of neutral-smelling fixed oils such as fractionated coconut oil or liquid waxes such as jojoba oil. Perfume types reflect the concentration of aromatic compounds in a solvent.

Infused Lip Balm

In a recent posting on the Soap Queen's blog, Soap and the Finer Things in Life was a post on How to Make Infused Lip Balm from Soap Queen TV which appears on Vimeo. You will need the following to make these wonderful oil infused lip balms. The ingredients you’ll need to make the project in this video are:

For infused oil: 16 oz. Sweet Almond Oil, 1/2 oz Dried Calendula Petals

For Lip Balm: 2.5 oz Calendula Oil, 1 oz Yellow Beeswax, 1/2 oz Coconut Oil, 1/2 oz Shea Butter, 5 mini scoops of Stevia, about 16 lip tins

I am sure that you can purchase all of these ingredients through Brambleberry.com. I asked in a post if I could sub the powdered Stevia with a flavored Stevia that you can get at Whole Foods. Have not heard back, but once I do I will let you know their response.

Tangerine Honey Soap Recipe

Here is another wonderful citris cold process soap recipe from MakingBathProducts.com it is called Tangerine Honey Soap. According to the website,this recipe smells really wonderful in the shower but you can’t let it sit too long before cutting it into bars. Something about all the citrus in the recipe makes the loaf become really hard after twenty-four hours. If you find that you would like to anchor the tangerine scent a little more, try replacing half of the sweet orange essential oil with patchouli.

What Are the Benefits of Beeswax Lip Balm?

Are you wondering what the benefits of a beeswax lip balm? According to Wisegeek.com,

"Beeswax is a natural compound secreted by female bees that is often used in cosmetics, particularly lip balm. This substance is very moisturizing, can help protect the lips from the harmful rays of the sun, and has a pleasant smell. It can also help prevent infections and cold sores. Beeswax balm has uses other than as a lip balm, and it is fairly inexpensive and easy to find.

Beeswax lip balm is very moisturizing, which is another major benefit. Beeswax contains natural emulsifiers, which help retain moisture in the skin. This is especially helpful for dry lips and chapped lips. Instead of having cracked or flaky lips, individuals using beeswax lip balm will usually notice smoother lips.

Ultraviolet (UV) rays given off by the sun can be very harmful to the skin. Although many individuals take measures to protect most of their body from these rays, the lips are often forgotten. Using lip balm with beeswax, however, can help protect the lips as well."

If you would like more info on this subject, then check out Wisegeek's article
What Are the Benefits of Beeswax Lip Balm?.

Buttery Bath Melts from Wholesale Supplies Plus

Sue in customer service of Wholesale Supplies Plus developed this formula for Buttery Bath Melts. This is a very simple recipe and would be a great gift to make. You probably can find some really decorative packaging you can find in your local craft store. I know Michaels sells mason jars and I even think they may have these bail jars for sale.

You will need the following ingredients to make these Bath Melts: Refined Cocoa Butter (melted), Baking Soda, Citric Acid,Crafter's Choice Pink Sugar Fragrance Oil, Crafter's Choice Citrus Splash Fragrance Oil, Crafter's Choice Liquid Lake Yellow 8, Crafter's Choice Liquid Lake Red 28 and a Square Tray Silicone Mold. All of these ingredients can be purchased through Wholesale Supplies Plus. If you have refined cocoa butter, baking soda and citric acid from another vendor than that is ok. If you have another favorite fragrance you want to use instead of the suggested in this recipe then go for it. I have never used liquid lake colorants before, I have used the liquid soap dyes that you can find at Michaels for most of my bath and body products. So I do not know how well these work but you can select any color to your liking.

How to Make Palm Wax Candles

You have heard of beeswax, soy and paraffin wax candles. Have you ever heard of palm wax candles? In this article titled How to Make Palm Wax Candles by WriterGig, eHow Member. According to the author, Palm wax candles burn exceptionally well and are safer for your health, without the negative side effects of petroleum-based candle products. Palm wax comes from palm tree oil and is a good natural material for poured candles. You can customize your candles colors and scents by the amount of dye and fragrance you use. This project is moderately difficult.

Choosing Safe Containers for Container Candles

Love the concept of container candles? Container candles are a great way to start making candles. Plus they make great gifts to give for any occasion. They're easy to make and while most people start with just a humble jelly jar, the variety of containers that you can use is endless. If you are interested in learning more about what containers you should use for container candles, then I recommend reading Choosing Safe Containers for Container Candles article from About.com gives you three rules to follow when choosing a container to make a candle in.

In the past when I made container candles, I tried to be really creative. I have found single teacups from retail establishments such as Marshall's and Ross to make really cute decorative items.

What are the Different Types of Lip Balm?

Are you wondering What are the Different Types of Lip Balms? are there? Well, this article from Wisegeek.com can possibly answer all of your questions. According to Wisegeek.com:

"Lip balm is an ointment used on the lips to help keep them moist and to aid in the healing of sores and cracks. Different types of lip balm use different ingredients, ranging from petroleum jelly based balm to those relying on 'natural' ingredients such as beeswax. Lip balm is different from lip gloss and lipstick, both of which serve only a cosmetic purpose. Lip balm, in addition to adding a sheen to the lips, also aims to fight chapping and to protect the sensitive skin of the lips from sunburn.

The most famous brand of lip balm in the United States is ChapStick, which manufactures hundreds of specific types of lip balm. The brand has become so popular that its trade name has become generic, such that any lip balm, no matter the manufacturer, may be referred to as chapstick. ChapStick lip balm comes in different product lines, each of which offers different varieties for consumers. The All-Natural line, for example, has additives such as mango butter, jojoba and vitamin E.

Flavored lip balms are also very popular, particularly among younger users. Major manufacturers of flavored lip balm include Lip Smackers and ChapStick's Flava-Craze line, though most major lip balm manufacturers have at least one flavored product available. Popular flavors include strawberry, cherry and mint, with odd-ball flavors such as coffee offered by some companies.

Though most lip balm products have some level of sun protection in them, usually around SPF 4, many manufacturers offer special lines of sun-care lip balm which contain especially potent sun-block. These lip balms are ideal for those spending extended periods of time in the sun. Most protecting lip balms have an SPF of at least 25, and often contain ingredients such as aloe and vitamin E as well.

Medicated lip balm is also available from a number of companies. These products contain a number of ingredients meant to sooth pain in the lips and help repair intense damage. Ingredients such as menthol, camphor and phenol act as analgesics to dull the pain, while petrolatum helps to repair damage to lips.

There are a number of rumors that lip balm is 'addictive', requiring users to continue using it or face damage to their lips and experience physical withdrawal symptoms. Most independent investigations suggest that there is no physical addiction occurring with the use of lip balm, but that users become accustomed to a high level of softness and moisture for their lips, and experience psychological withdrawal when their lips return to a natural state. This may provoke users to lick their lips in a misguided attempt to remoisturize them, which ultimately serves to dry them out more and cause cracking, which may then be attributed to a physical addiction to lip balm."

Oils to use in Your Soap Making

Are you just getting started in making your soap by the cold process method? Are you confused with all the different oils you can use in your soaps? An article titled "Quality of Soap Making Oils" by David Fisher can tell you what you need to know. Each of the oils bring something different to the table.

"There are many oils used in the soapmaking process today and they are mostly food grade oils. We use liquid oils along with solid oils/fats to make a wonderful hard bar of soap. Along with being able to make your own soap, you can balance your oils to make some wonderful soaps to meet different skin needs. You can add more oils at the point of trace or just leave it at the level of superfat that the recipe calls for. Here are a listing of the oils that can be used and what their properties are.

Here are some of the oils David talks about. You may want to read the full article to see what oils can be used to create your own recipes.

Almond Oil (Sweet)

This oil is a popular oil for use in massage oils and general skin care. It is highly moisturizing, gives stable lather when used in making soap. Can be added at trace in soaps or with the other oils and as an addition in lotions, creams, body butters, lotion bars, etc. A few drops in facial masks helps with facial dryness. It is nutrient-rich and is suitable for all skin types.


In soaps use from 1/2 oz. 1 oz. per lb. of oils in your soap formula. Can be used alone or with other oils, butters, etc. when making lotions, creams, body butters, lotion bars, etc.


Apricot Kernel Oil

An emollient oil, it is especially good for premature aging skin, dry and sensitive skin. It is highly moisturizing, gives stable lather when used in making soap. Good for all skin types.


In soaps use from 1/2 oz. 1 oz. per lb. of oils in your soap formula. Can be used alone or with other oils, butters, etc. when making lotions, creams, body butters, lotion bars, etc.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is a rich, nourishing oil that is good for soap, creams and lotions. Avocado oil is excellent in hair and scalp formulas. It absorbs into the skin and scalp easily and is high in Vitamin A & E. Is a good for dry and damaged skin and is known to help with Eczema and Psoriases some say even hair loss.

Use in making soap at up to 30%. Can be used alone or with other oils, butters, etc. when making lotions, creams, body butters, lotion bars, etc.

Beeswax

Is use in making soaps, creams, lip balms, ointments and lotions bars. If you use fresh Beeswax, it has a natural honey scent and also has the natural healing values that the bees impart to it.

You can use it at about 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. per lb. of oils in your soap formula to make your soaps harder. To make a spreadable ointment, use 1/2 oz. for each 4 oz. of liquid oil used.

Calendula Oil

This oil is made by infusing Calendula Petals in a good carrier oil like Olive or Sweet Almond. It is a light yellow colored oil. It is historically known for healing wounds, dry and damaged skin and for Eczema and soothing skin eruptions. Is very mild and a great addition for baby soaps, lotions and creams. Good for all skin types.

Canola Oil

This is one that can be added to soap aid in lather of the soap. Only small amounts should be used because to much will make the soap soft. Can also be used in small amount is lip balms, bath butters, etc.

Use 1/2 oz. per lb. of oils in a regular soap formula and 1 oz. per lb. of oils in a shampoo bar.

Cocoa Butter

Makes a wonderful addition to soaps to make them harder and add emollients. It has a natural chocolate smell which imparts a wonderful fragrance to a Cocoa Butter based cream, lotion and lotion bars. But if you don't want the scent to clash with you fragrances, there is an unscented Cocoa Butter that can be used. Has wonderful skin softening and moisturizing properties. Good for Normal to Dry skin.

Coconut Oil

This is one of the oils for soapmaking that give natural soap it lather. In it natural form it is very good for the skin. Beware of any product that says "derived from Coconut oil" this is the synthetic foam booster "sodium lauryl sulfate" that has been linked to many skin allergies. The natural Coconut Oil can be used in soaps, creams and lotions and is good for all skin types.

Can be used up to 30% on the oils, but if over that the superfatting should be at 7% or 8% or more because when this oil is saponified, it can be drying if not enough superfatting is added.

Carrot Root Oil

This is an oil that is a rich golden oil that is obtained from carrots, this is not the Carrot Seed Essential Oil. Carrot Root Oil is high in Vitamin A and Bata-Carotene and is a healing addition to facial oils, creams and lotions for dry and mature skin.

Emu Oil

Emu Oil is a deep penetrating oil that is known to draw into the skin anything that is used along with it. It is best to use this only with Essential Oils and herbs as it will help these work much better. The pure oil is said to help sore muscles, aching joints, pain and inflammation. So when combined with certain Essential Oils, can be a good pain reliever. Is not clogging to the skin and is very nourishing. Helps rejuvenate skin cells and reduces scarring. Good for helping Eczema and Psoriasis. Good for all skin types.

I have used this at 25% of a soap, but because of the expense that this oil can be for some, the use of about 1 oz. to 2 oz. per lb. of oils in a soap formula will impart the values of this oil. Can be added to lotion, cream, body butters, ointments, etc. at about 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. for each 16 oz. to 20 oz. of a formula.

Evening Primrose Oil

It has been researched well and is one of the few plant sources of GLA (gamma-linoleic acid) that is very therapeutic both internally and in natural skin care products. It blends well with other carrier oils, is mildly Astringent and it is an excellent treatment for dry, flaky skin and skin prone to Eczema, Psoriasis, etc.

This can be added at trace or with the other oils in a soap formula at about 1/2 oz. to 1 oz. per 1 lb. of oils in a soap formula. Is wonderful used along with other special oils in a lotion, cream, body butter, ointment, etc.

Grapeseed Oil

Is a green tinted oil and is used as a massage oil and as a base oil for lotions and creams for its emollient properties. It is widely used for hair conditioning and styling, imparting a rich silky luster and enhancing hair growth. This is a light, penetrating oil and it nourishing for all skin types.

Use maybe 1 to 2 Tbsp. per lb. of oils in a soap formula added at trace.

Hemp Seed Oil

A source of valuable essential fatty acids, high in minerals and Vitamin A. This is a wonderful emollient oil that is used in lotions, creams, hair conditioners and natural soap.

Used at about 25% of the soap oils in a formula or added at trace at about 1 oz. per lb. of oils in a soap formula.

Jojoba Oil

Jojoba Oil is really not an oil, but a liquid wax. This oil has been used for many years in skin care products because of the healing power that is has. It is said to be closely related to human sebum and this makes is very compatible with our skin. It is said to help is fighting Acne and Pimples and is wonderful for dry and damaged skin.

I prefer to use this as a fixitive for the scenting oils in my soaps. Just a tsp. or 2 in with the scenting oils in a glass jar and then added at trace. This will give a bit to the superfatting of the soap as well.

Lard

Lard makes a wonderful hard white bar and was used as the main or only fat before vegetable oils were used in soapmaking. It makes a wonderful addition to the liquid vegetable oils that have a tendency to make a softer soap.

Can be used as 100% of a soap formula.

Mango Butter

Is a great addition to lip balms, lotions and creams for its moisturizing properties.

Use at about 15% of a soap formula.

Neem Oil

This oil is known for it help with skin problems like Eczema, Psoriasis, Dry Skin and as a natural Pesticide for farming.The usage recommendations are about 5% for soapmaking.

I use up to 10% for a healing skin care soap.

Olive Oil

Makes what is knows as a Castile soap. This oil is very good to the skin, soothing and emollient. It makes dinse tiny lather when used alone, but you can add a bit of Castor Oil to make larger and longer lasting bubbles.

Use at 100% for a true castile soap or at whatever precentage you wish. "

Information on Palm Kernal Oil, Palm Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Rice Bran, Safflower, Sesame, Shea, Soybean (liquid), Sunflower and Wheatgerm are also included in this article.

Gardener's Soap (Cold Process) Recipe

Know someone with a green thumb? Then why not create this cold process soap recipe from Brambleberry! Originally, Brambleberry created a melt and pour verision of this soap and it was so popular that they created a cold process version of it. So in a recent newsletter I received the recipe. I would highly recommend signing for Brambleberry's newsletter because often times there will be great recipes to try.

This recipe is a layered cold process soap that features pumice, ground loofah and coffee grounds. Their combined scrubbing power is sure to get those dirty hands clean.

Ingredients

•1.6 oz Sweet Almond Oil
•13.7 oz Coconut Oil
•2.2 oz Mango Butter
•19.2 oz Olive Oil
•13.7 oz Palm Oil
•4.4 oz Palm Kernel Flakes
•8 oz Lye
•18.1 oz Distilled Water
•Coffee Grounds
•2 TBLS Blue Pumice
•1.5 TBLS Shredded Loofah
•3.5 oz Orange 10x essential oil
•.3 oz Cinnamon Leaf essential oil
•1 oz Patchouli essential oil

Instructions

PREP: Line your 5 pound ELF mold with freezer paper. Don your safety gear, making sure it fits well.

ONE: Carefully combine your water and lye and mix well. Always add the lye to the water and stir until the mixture turns clear. Make sure you're in a well ventilated area.

TWO: While the lye mixture cools, melt and combine Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Flakes, Sweet Almond Oil and Olive Oil. Stir the Mango Butter into the warm mixture so it melts slowly (this prevents the mango butter from getting a grainy texture).

THREE: Slowly and carefully add the lye water to the oil mixture. Stick blend until light trace. Add your blend of essential oils and stick blend until trace.

FOUR: Separate the batch into two even containers (eyeball the measurement).

FIVE: To the first half of soap batter, add 2 tablespoons of ground coffee and mix well with the stick blender until you reach thick trace. Pour the soap batter into the mold.

SIX: Add 2 tablespoons of Blue Pumice to the second half of the batter and mix until thick trace. Pour the second layer of soap.

TIP: Pour the soap over a spoon so it hits the first layer of soap gently preventing a "break through". We want a nice and even layer.

SEVEN: Garnish the top of the soap with blue pumice and shredded loofah. Then insulate and put it to bed over night. I like to put a piece of cardboard over the top of the mold and wrap it in a towel. Cooling slowly will put the soap through gel phase and help prevent soda ash.

EIGHT: Let the soap set for 24 hours. Unmold, cut and let cure for 4 to 6 weeks.

Permission given by Brambleberry to reprint this recipe. For any questions regarding this project or purchasing supplies contact Brambleberry through their website.

Tutorial: Soap Favor Boxes by Erin

Are you looking for a new way to package your handmade soaps? Here is a soap favor box tutorial by Erin Pikor (of Naiad Soap Arts) which appears on the blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life.

This is very clever packaging by Erin and the instructions seem simple enough. I think with downloading a template really helps out tremendously. I am anxious to try this with alot of the scrapbooking papers that I have purchased in the past from Michaels and Joann that may work with this project.

Blending Handmade Perfume Oils

Interested in learning how to create your own perfume blends? Here is an article on how to Blend Handmade Perfume Oils from The Natural Beauty Workshop . If this article does not fulifill your needs, then may I suggest taking a class at The Nova Studio in Point Richmond, CA called Making All Natural Perfumes. In this class you will learn how to create three different types of perfumes which include a roll on, solid scent and a spray. I would recommend this class even though it has been quite awhile since I took the class. The next class is offered in December (2011).

Uses of Botanicals

Love botanicals and you are wondering what you can use them in your bath and body products? Check out this article titled Use of Botanicals from Erica at The Bonnie Bath Company. The article gives explains where you can use botanicals and how to use them properly.

Sea Clay Avocado Facial Bar

Amanda of Lovin' Soap so happens to be a guest blogger for The Soap Queen's blog Soap and the Finer Things Life and contributed this recipe for a Sea Clay Avacado Facial Bar Soap. According to Amanda this recipe is great for people who would like to go palm oil free but do not want to sub tallow or lard. What is great about the green clay in this recipe is that it is ideal for facial masks and body mud masks. According to the Brambleberry website the clay acts as a mild exfoliant and is thought to have many properties around detox and cellulite reduction.

Bath Tea Recipe from Mother Huddle

Have you ever used or heard of bath teas? Well, the best way to describe them is a choice dried herbs, blended to perfection, packaged in disposable "tea" bags that are used while soaking in the bath tub. Using bath teas can promote relaxation, softer skin, assist with back pain and sore tired muscles.

In this particular Bath Tea Recipe by Destri from the Mother Huddle appears on the site Make and Takes also includes bath salts as an ingredient. So you can consider this recipe like a bath salt with herbs. The author also makes the suggestion that you can add the following to this recipe to enhance it even more:

Essential oils – spearmint, grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, petitgrain, and rosewood.

Mix in - powdered milk, baking soda, cornstarch, ground oatmeal. All of these are skin softening.

Herbs - rosemary, basil leaves, comfrey leaves, rose petals, calendula flowers.

Also, check out the various packaging ideas the author gives because it may inspire you to come up with your own.

Cupcake Bath Bombs Tutorials from Little Birdie Secrets

Love bath bombs? Then you have to take a look at this tutorial for Cupcake Bath Bombs from the blog Little Birdie Secrets. These bath bombs are easy to make plus I think the packaging of this product is super cute. This would make an adorable party favor to give out at a tweens birthday party, bridal shower, baby shower or for any occassion!

Sculpted Floral Soaps

Isn't this rose beautiful? Would you believe this is soap? And you can create this beautiful flower yourself by reading these step by step instructions from Erica at The Body Bath Company. The instructions on how to create these Sculpted Floral Soaps, Erica has kindly provide photographs of each step to help you along.

This would be a great party favor for a bridal shower or you can make a whole bouquet to give to your sweetheart at Valentine's Day or to your mother on Mother's Day.

Erica always has great bath and body projects on her blog Bath Alchemy and I would highly recommend checking out.

Beeswax Container Candles

Love making candles but you do not like the mess of the metal candle molds you find at the local craft store? How would like to learn how to create your own container candles make with beeswax? Erica from The Bonnie Bath Company has posted very easy instructions on how to create your very own Beeswax Container Candles.

Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Recipes

In October 2010, I took a class through College of San Mateo Community Education on making lip balm and lip glosses. One of the recipes made in the class was a lava lamp lip gloss. If you are a child of the 60's or not you will find this to be a really cool project to make. When I showed the sample from the class, there was alot of excitement.

There are many recipes available at your disposable for anyone one to make many lip glosses to give as gifts or to make at a young girl's birthday party. Here are a few that I found:

Lava Lights Lip Gloss (Snowdrift Farms)
How to make Lava Lip Gloss (Bittercreek)
Lava Lamp Lip Gloss (Donated By: Julie H. Florida to Soap Teacher)
Lava Lamp Tutorial (Suds and Wax)
Lava Lamp Lip Gloss (Soap Dish)

If you you would like to see an instructional video on how this project is made, I found this one on You Tube - Lava Lamp Lip Gloss Video.

Now most of the recipes will have one color in a clear oil, but I have seen sample of a dual color. Never have tried the dual color but it did look cool!

Taking Care of Your Precious Balms

Love your lip balms? Did you know that there ways you can take care of your precious lips balms? According to the blog Best Balms Blog, the best way to take are of your balms are

"High heat is the worse possible factor that affects the quality of balms and will reduce it’s ability to do what it was made to do. This applies to lip balms, holistic balms and pain relief balms. The heat degrades the ingredients by increasing and accelerating the oxidation process.

The obvious solution to this problem is keep the balm tin or container out of heated areas, direct sunlight and pockets. This will extend the lfe and efficiency of the balm product.

The other most common problem when using balms is the use of dirty fingers which promotes the growth of bacteria. It is important to use clean fingers to scoop or dab the balm which will help extend the life of the balm product. The use of rosemary & tea tree oil naturally helps prevent the balm product from growing fungus & bacteria.

Another helpful hint is to keep the balm tins lid or top sealed so that no excess air reaches the balm product. The more air the quicker the oxidation process so it is suggested that when you use your balm product close the lid until the next usage.

If you really want to extend the life of the balm then place the balm tin or container in a refrigerator which keeps the balm cold and as a result slows down the oxidation process considerably."

Bath Bomb Making Tips

If you have been making your own bath fizzy bombs and they are not coming out just right, you may want to check out these tips from the website Beauty and the Bath:

Essential Oils - Always read labels on essential oils, not all essential oils are safe to have direct contact with skin.

Molds - Try to choose molds without square corners which can be tricky when it is time to un mold.

Humidity - This is not a project to save for a rainy day, the high humidity can effect how your molds turn out.

Conversions - Use this formula to increase the Basic Homemade Bath Bomb Recipe below for your own use or for groups. Use twice as much baking soda as Citric Acid. Then twice as much Citric Acid as cornstarch.

Blending - Always blend and mix ingredients very well, failure to do so will result in bath bombs with a grainy texture.

Containers And Storage - Any contact with water, steam, or moisture can cause your bath bombs to start to fizz. If your bath bombs are going to be kept in a bathroom each bath bomb will need to be individually wrapped in cello or plastic wrap. Or stacked and stored in a container with a tight fitting lid.

For more fun and information check out Beauty and the Bath's pages on Bath Bomb Recipes For Fizz And Fun,

Homemade Body Scrub

Here is a body scrub recipe which appears in the March 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living. The list of ingredients include body oil from Burt's Bees; Epsom salt, sea salt, or organic cane sugar; lemon zest and a 12 oz PET jar.

What I found most interesting about this recipe is the body oil from Burt's Bees and the lemon zest to fragrance the scrub. According to Burt's Bees website, the oil that Martha recommends combines energizing Lemon Oil to refresh and Vitamin E and Sweet Almond Oil to soothe and moisturize, leaving you with soft, supple, beautiful skin, naturally. As I looked further down the page I found the following ingredients in the oil: prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) oil, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil, tocopherol, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil. I am sure if you want to use plain almond oil instead of this you surely can but you may to to add the vitamin E (tocopherol) to help with slowing down the rancity of the almond oil. If you want to add lemon essential oil to your almond oil you can do that too.

The second item is the lemon zest. Since this would be fresh, I would be most cautious that this may go moldy or make the recipe go back faster. So that is something to watch out for. If you like you can leave this ingredient out if you choose and add lemon essential oil in place of it.

How Can I Make My Own Lip Balm?

Lip balms can be found in speciality stores to drug stores to farmers markets. And the variety of lip balm flavors sold at these locations can range from sour apple to cotton candy and tints from sheer bronze to purple passion

Did you know making your own lip balm is easy as pie with the right tools and a little bit of creative will, you can make lip balm right in your very own home. If want to get started on all of the fun, you should check out this article from Wisegeek, How Can I Make My Own Lip Balm?. Once you get started you will not be able to stop and what a way to use your creative juices to make gifts for your friends or have a project to do at your tween's next birthday party!

Layered Bath Salts

Colored bath salts are so easy and an inexpensive gifts to make that you can even include small children join the fun. This is an ideal classroom project to teach primary color and color mixing or a project to do during vacation or rainy days. This layered bath salts recipe by Jane Lake involves minimal supplies which you can get at your local retail establishments.

Lemon Body Scrub Recipe

I do not know what it but lemons always conjours up wonderful thoughts of summer. If you would like to create your own summertime memories by creating this Lemon Body Scrubs recipe appears free on Craftbits.com.

Now if you do not know - citrus essential oils are photosentive when you wear them in sunlight. So take precautions when using them in your bath and products. If you are concern about this then you can subsitute the essential oil with its fragrance oil counterpart.

Sweet Meyer Lemon Scented Coco-Macadamia CP Soap Recipe

Summer is finally here and all I can think of is sitting on the porch sipping a large glass of lemonade. If time will not allow you to enjoy a lemonade then you may want to create this Meyer Lemon Scented Coco-Macadamia Cold Processed Soap Log from Aussie Soap Supplies.

In this ITP (In the Pot) swirl recipes uses BrambleBerry Sweet Meyer Lemon Fragrance and Lemon Drop Pop Mica. If you do not know what ITP process means is that you actually take a portion of the soap in which you add the color, then you taken that portion and simply poured back into the main pot. Then colors mix themselves as you pour the batch from the main soap pot into the muld. Aussie Soap Supplies recommends using slab or log molds are best for this kind of soap, though vertical moulds can look really nice too. They also mention that the most important thing with ITP style coloring is to avoid overtracing the soap. If it is too thick, it won't swirl well and will clump instead of flow. Also important is to use a fragrance or essential Oil that doesn't accelerate trace.

Selling Your Cold Process Soap

So you want to turn your hobby of making soap and generate some extra cash? Well, here is an article which appears on the Soap Queen's blog Soap and the Finer Things in Life. This two part article by Kim of Pepo Park has some really good tips in order to help you decided what is the best way to sell your soaps. So if you are interested in selling your soap creations or selling for awhile, both articles have useful information to help you in the area of selling your soaps.

So You Want to Sell Your Soap? (Part One)
So, you want to sell your soap: Part 2

Juicy Watermelon Soap

Watermelon is my favorite summer time fruit. Since you may be celebrating the Fourth of July with a picnic, you may want to create this fun melt and pour soap to give out as favors. This refreshing watermelon soap tutorial appears on the Soap Queen's blog - Soap and the Finer Things and I would have to say that it looks good enough to eat. Just a reminder that you can purchase all of the supplies through Brambleberry.