MP Soap: Watermelon Slices

There are several watermelon soap instructions on the web.  This MP Soap: Watermelon Slices happens to be the second project from Wholesale Supplies Plus. This watermelon soap looks so real, someone may want to take a bite! Great seller for the summer months - they are sure to fly off your table at a summer craft show or farmer's market.

If you want to see the other watermelon soap project that WSP has to offer, then check it out. It will be hard to decide which one to make because both look delicious to eat.

Soap Techniques: Layering

Do you like the layered look in soaps? According to Inner Earth Soap, Layering your soap can make for a pretty design and it is also a good way to achieve a nice looking soap if you are using a fragrance oil that moves quickly. In that case each layers would require a separate trace.  So if you would like to learn how to achieve the layered look in your cold process soap, then I would recommend reading Inner Earth Soap's posting on Soap Technique:  Layering.

Back to the Very Basics: Shampoo

Making your own shampoo is becoming a big thing these days.  Are you interested in learning how to make your own shampoos and conditioners?  In August 2013 I took a class that was taught by Marla Bosworth at The Nova Studio. It was a very informative class and if you are interested in taking the class, I would recommend checking out the studio's website to see if the class will be offered again. It is well worth it.  In the meantime, if you are interested in learning the basics of shampoo, you may want to read a posting on the Point of Interest's site called Back to the Very Basics:  Shampoos. It may lead you down the yellow brick road on how to make your very own shampoo.

Thai Bath Tea Recipe

When you are soaking in a bath do you love using bath teas?  Never heard of a bath tea  According to The Natural Beauty Workshop when salt, herbs, and delicate essential oils combine to conspire to infuse bath water with an amazing blend of scents and properties, you know you are experiencing a really great Bath Tea. Like any good tea, Bath Tea begins with a great collection of dried botanicals. Herbs, spice powders, dry flowers, and sea vegetables are all ideal ingredients for creating a special tea for the bath. Salt, Essential Oils, and other aromatics can be added as well, enhancing the benefit and allure of the recipe. 

The Natural Beauty Workshop's Thai Bath Tea recipe was inspired by the bright, fresh scent of crushed lemongrass, and the deep musky notes of jasmine. Spearmint, and Green Tea Powder help to amp up the green notes in the tea's aroma, while dense Kelp Powder, spicy Ginger Powder, and natural Sea Salt add circulatory benefits. So why not get the ingredients together and start making right away.

Formulating Lotion Bars

Do you love making your own lotion bars?  They are pretty easy to make.  But if you are daring and would like to try to create your own recipe, then I recommend reading Point of Interest's posting on Formulating Lotion Bars.  The basic recipe is 1/3 butter, 1/3 oil, and 1/3 wax, Susan says that you can make plenty of modifications.  So read this  post all the way through for all of the useful information.

How to Embedding Soap Curls

Here are step by step instructions from Soap-Making-Essentials.com
on how to create cold process soaps with embedded soap curls. If you like this recipe, then check out there other cold process soap recipes.

Flip Flop Soaps

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start to summer.  Here is a really cute idea for melt and pour soap to celebrate.  This Sunny Day Flip Flop Melt and Pour Soaps project from Wholesale Supplies Plus is a perfect gift to give for those who love to kick off their shoes and where flip flops.

The Basics of Hair Conditioner

Do you use a conditioner on your hair?  Is it not working properly?  Maybe you are using the wrong kind.  Yes, there are different kinds. In this post from Point of Interest titled  Back to the Basics:  Conditioners   explains the differences.  If you want recipes for making your own conditioner, make sure to click on the link in the post on more information on conditioners.

Tutorial: Circular Soapy Geometry

Have you been thinking about getting more versatility out of your column mold?  Well, would you believe Anne Marie has been thinking the same thing?  Anne Marie came up with this great idea of  Circular Soapy Geometry tutorial .  This is an advanced melt and pour soap project that takes six to eight hours and results in 10 to 12 soaps.  Even though Anne Marie used blue, yellow and green as colors for this soap, you can decide to use what ever colors you like.

Can you turn a lotion bar into a scrub bar?

Ever had the burning question of Can you turn a lotion bar into a scrub bar?  Would you believe that Point of Interest has done that very thing in a recent post? Read the post to find out how and click on the many links in the article that provides information on facial scrubs.  Happy reading.

Coconut Oil and Warm Temps

If you just started out making your own body products and you are wondering about coconut oil and the warm weather, then you might want to read Point of Interest's post on Coconut Oil and Warm Temperatures. The post has useful information on the subject plus related links on using coconut oil in hair products, emulsified scrubs, and what oils to use for your particular hair.

Shea Butter Salt Scrub Recipe

Love to use an exfoliate in the shower? Here is a Shea Butter Salt Scrub recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus that you may just like to try.  This particular recipe is gentle exfoliant that helps remove dead skin while it refreshes and brightens leaving your skin renewed and moisturized.  Would you believe that this an easy project to make?  To tell you the truth it is.  It will only take you a half hour to make (10) four ounce jars.

Striped Candy Lip Balm Recipe

Does the little girl inside of you want to come out?  Well, I just may have the answer for you with this recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Striped Candy Lip Balm.  I have to tell you that this recipe calls for a pre-made lip balm base to be purchased through Wholesale Supplies Plus but if you have a favorite lip balm recipe that you rather use go ahead and substitute just remember you may have to adjust the beeswax. Usually if a lip balm recipe is going into a pot instead of a tube, the beeswax needs to be increased.

School Ruler & Eraser Soaps

As the school year comes to an end and you are looking for something to give as a teacher's gift, here is really cute "school" theme soap project that would be a great end of the year school gift for your child(ren)'s teacher. This School Ruler & Eraser Soaps project from Wholesale Supplies Plus. This is a pretty easy project that should take you an hour to make 16 rulers and eraser soaps.

After Shave Gel Recipe

Now that Mother's Day is over, it is time to start thinking about Father's Day.  Instead of getting him a boring tie, why not make him a bath of After Shave Gel?  This recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus has the combination of Babassu Oil, Argan Oil and Aloe Vera that would be great on any man's face.  So start planning and order your supplies.

Ruth's Soap Bucket: Spatulas

If you saw the first article Ruth's series on her soap bucket series, here is the second article called Soap Bucket: Spatulas.  Ruth explains why she likes using spatulas in her soap making process.  If you missed the original first article in the series, there is an opportunity to get caught up in your reading.

Shea Butter Body Bars Recipe

Love to use body bars?  Here is a Shea Butter Body Bars recipe from Sapphire Blue that would be great to try.  Shea Butter Body Bars are easy last minute gifts made with rich Shea butter, Virgin Coconut oil and Beeswax. Of course you do not have to use the essential oils that the author used, you can decide to use your own favorite blend or keep them unscented. Either way, the virgin coconut oil adds a "macaroon-type" aroma and these are welcome treats for any occasion. It is already May and in California we have experienced some really hot days, so if you are planning to send these during the upcoming warm months they may melt during mailing.  I would recommend not mailing them during this time of the year.

Bug Away Spray Bouquet

If you live in area of the country where you experience a lot of mosquitoes or you are going on a camping trip this summer, you may want to make some natural bug sprays to help keep your summer bug free.  In a recent post titled Bug Away Spray Bouquet, Anne-Marie provides two simple bug away sprays. Both recipes contain a simple mixture of non-greasy, quick absorbing fractionated coconut oil and two different blends of essential oils that have specifically selected for their bug repelling properties.

Emulsified Sugar Scrub Recipe

Do you love using sugar scrubs in the shower?  Or have you always wanted to try?  Well, this Emulsified Sugar Scrub recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus contains luscious butters that are sure to make your skin feel smooth and silky. This is a very easy project to make because it only takes one hour to make (16) 4 oz jars.

Whipped Body Butters Recipes to Try

Love using body butters?  Want to learn how to make your own?  Point of Interest has recently posted an entry on Whipped Body Butters to Try. What is recently great about this post is that the author include links on learning about oils and butters, testing oils on the skin, creating body butter.  In addition there is a recipe plus useful information on combining oils and butters, lowering the butter amount and using non-butters. So read this post and see if it helps you out on creating your own whipped body butter.

Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil

Have you ever heard of Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil?  According to Anne Marie of The Soap Queen fame, Hungarian Lavender is a velvety and smooth scent that is less camphorous (sharp and cooling) than our other lavender essential oils, and much more green in scent. This particular EO is distilled through steam which means that no chemicals are used to process it. How do they process plants and botanicals with steam you might ask? Just like with cold or hot water distillation, the steam is passed through the plant material and gathered to makeup that relaxing lavender scent that you all just love.  In her posting on Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil,  Anne Marie has kindly given a few blends that she has been playing plus a really great infused lip balm recipe.

Soap Techniques: Swirling for Beginners

Are you new to cold process soap making and are wondering how other soap makers get that wonderful swirl in their soaps? Inner Earth Soaps has kindly posted some tips for the beginning soap maker on their blog called Soap Techniques:  Swirling for Beginners. If you really wants some great tips on this technique, I would recommend it.  I am going back right now to read it myself.

Ruth's Soap Bucket

In a new series of postings, Ruth Esteves is writing about tools that she uses for soapmaking. In this first post for The Nova Studio blog, Ruth is writing about how she keeps her tools for soap making organized in Ruth's Soap Bucket. So stay tuned for more great information about soap making tools from Ruth and The Nova Studio.

Eye Shadow Primer Recipe

If you want to try and take a stab at making your own eye shadow recipe I would recommend that you read the posting on Point of Interest blog called
Weight vs Volume, Language We Use, and and an Eye Shadow Primer Recipe.

It has a lot of great information on weighing. volume, converting and conditioning plus a nice eye primer recipe.

Homemade Poppy Seed Soap Recipes

There are different ways to make soap.   But if you like to make soap the easy way like Brandy of Gluesticks.blogspot.com she has two melt and pour projects in her posting Homemade Poppy Seed Soap Recipes - Fresh Lemon Poppy Seed and Sweet Almond Poppy Seed. The fresh lemon poppy seed soap is great for kitchen use.  The lemon scent easily removes the lingering aroma of onion and garlic during meal preparation. The poppy seeds are an exfoliant that scrubs away dead skin and the shea butter softens your hands. As for the sweet almond poppy soap is great to pamper your dry and tired hands. The shea butter makes you feel like your washing your hands with lotion.

Natural Baby Oil

Do you have a baby in the family or is one on the way?  Would you like to use a natural baby oil on your baby's skin instead of the commercial brand on the shelf? Here is an easy recipe for Natural Baby Oil from The Soap Queen that a beginner can make.  According to Anne Marie, the skin loving combination of just three oils makes for a wonderfully textured and not to greasy option for your baby's skin, plus the addition of Oat extract takes the sensitivity of young skin into consideration.  For maximum benefit, put this oil n dry patches after bathing.

Lipstick Recipe

Love wearing lipstick?  How would you like to make your own?  This Lipstick Recipe from Natures Garden contains two recipes.  The first recipe is an easy recipe which contains lip base which you purchase from Natures Garden and then add beeswax, vitamin E, lip tint, mica pigment and titanium dioxide.  The other recipe which is the from scratch version includes all for the same ingredients  beeswax, vitamin E, lip tint, mica pigment and titanium dioxide but you are using jojoba oil and castor oil instead of the pre-made base.  My only question is that for the easy recipe you are using a pre-made base shouldn't that already have the beeswax in it? According to the link of the lip balm base the ingredients include coconut oil, beeswax, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter and vitamin e.  So it seems like the beeswax and vitamin E in the easy recipe are too much.  Wouldn't adding more of these make the recipe to liquid?  What do you  think?

Lavender Apple Sugar Scrub Recipe

Do you love to use a scrub in the shower?  Here is an interesting sugar scrub recipe from Natures Garden Candle and Soap Supply called Lavender Apple Sugar Scrub. To be honest I never thought to combine lavender and apple to fragrance any body products.  I have heard of lavender and rose but this sounded interesting.  This downloadable recipe makes (7) 4 oz jars which is a great amount to give out as gifts or as party favors at your bridal or baby shower.

Felted Soap Tips

If you have some really ugly soap that you do not want to get rid of you may want to take a look at Great Cakes Soap Works blog because Amy Warden has tips on felted soap. I never made felted soap before and would like to try it some day. If you would like to see their suggestions, visit the posting on Felted Soap Tips on Great Cakes Soap Works. Amy has suggested that you should bookmark the instructions on how to felt soap from Little Birdie Secrets. Now I must warn you if you are allergic to wool, this technique would not work for you.

Lavender Cream

Do you love the scent of Lavender?  Here is a cream recipe from Saffire Blue called Lavender Cream  that you just may love to make. The author of this recipe states that it is a very think. Some of the oils can be expensive so the author suggests substituting more affordable carrier oils.

Why do we need preservatives in products containing water?

Are you wondering why you need to add a preservative in your body products that contain water? Would you believe that microbes need water and oxygen to live?  Just give them the right conditions and they can breed like bunnies. If you want to learn more about this subject,  I would recommend reading Point of Interests' post titled Why do we need preservatives in products containing water?  This post has some good information in addition to links to other postings including a video on the importance of preservatives.