How to Make Pumpkin Goat Milk Soap + Plop Swirl (Spoon Swirl Soap) Tutorial

Today is the last day of September.  Soon it will be Halloween and then Thanksgiving.  So if you are really interested in celebrating the aromas of the season, here is one from Lovin' Soap Studio called How to Make Pumpkin Goat and Milk Soap + Plop Swirl (Spoon Swirl Soap) Tutorial.  I have never tried the plop swirl technique before but the results do look like an interesting layered look. So if you are looking for something new to try in your cold process soap making, then give this a try.

How To Make Natural Wax Candles

Now that Fall is here and the days are getting shorter, it is a good time to start making some candles.  Candles are great tools and a fantastic to any space especially now that the days are getting shorter.  The flickering light adds a natural coziness to your room or bring a feeling of warmth while you are reading a good book.  Would you believe that candles are easy and affordable to make?  Candles are the perfect project for craft night but they also make a great holiday or birthday gift for anyone you may know. The basics of making candles is just melting the wax and pour, you can formulate a blend of essential or fragrance oils to create a special scent. Want to learn more?  The Mountain Rose Blog recently posted instructions on How to Make Natural Wax Candles which gives you all the details on how to make your own candles.  Have fun!

How to Make Soleseife or Brine Soap (Salt Water Soap)

Have you ever heard of Soleseife soap?  I never heard of it before until I saw this post from Lovin' Soap called How to Make Soleseife or Brine Soap (Salt Water Soap). Basically, Soleseife soap is soap make with a salt brine.  Salt is dissolved in lye water instead of adding at the trace stage.  When the soap is complete it comes really hard and it is white.  Would you believe that using single cavity molds?  Its true!  Interested in trying this new fangled type of soap?  Read the post and find out how to do it!

Rose Gold Cosmetic Collection: Eyeshadow, Lip Shimmer & Nail Polish

According to the Soap Queen, Micas can be used for a variety of projects, including lotions and melt and pour soap.  Would you believe that they are also great for cosmetics because they add beautiful simmer?  In a recent post called Rose Gold Cosmetics Collection:  Eyeshadow, Lip Shimmer and Nail Polish, The Soap Queen provides recipes and instructions on how to do each.

RECIPE: Creamy Vanilla Fig Emulsified Sugar Scrub

Do you love using a sugar scrub while you shower?  Here is a recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Creamy Vanilla Fig Emulsified Sugar Scrub that you will just fall in love with.  It is creamier in texture and does not leak like the traditional sugar scrubs. What is great is that you can have more control over how much sugar you want to add or subtract depending how "scrubby" you like your scrubs.

Romantic Rose Gold Melt & Pour Bars

I have not posted a melt and pour soap project in a long time so when I saw this project from The Soap Queen called Romantic Rose Gold Melt and Pour Bars I wanted to share it. What is really great about clear melt and pour soap base is that mica powder colorants really shine and in this recipe there is no doubt that the individual mica really are accentuated. This is an intermediate project that should take one to two hours and result in about 2 pounds of soap.

Earthy and Sweet Lotion Bar

Do you love using lotion bars?  I found this recipe called Earthy and Sweet Lotion Bar on the Aura Cacia website while searching for some essential oils. It is a simple homemade lotion bar that combines the wonderful aromas of cocoa butter, lime, lavender and patchouli in a skin soothing oil blend that will leave your skin feeling silky smooth.

Emerald Swirl Cold Process Tutorial

Way back in 2002 I started off making soap the melt and pour technique. And since then I have collected a lot of flexible ice cube trays in a variety different shapes that I could use as soap embeds. Since I taught classes I have made a bunch of embeds for classes but I have not taught a class in awhile I thought maybe I could use them in a cold process soap batch.  And would you believe I found instructions on how to do this from The Soap Queen.  The tutorial post is titled Emerald Swirl Cold Process.  This recipe is for the intermediate cold process soapmaker and results in 3.5 pounds of soap. I may not make this particular recipe at the moment, I will try using the what I have at the moment and see how it goes. I do like the look of this project and I plan to try it in the future.

Teaching Soapmaking Classes to Boost Revenue – 8 Tips

As a soap maker, you probably have thought about making some money off of your hobby.  First thing you probably thought of was selling.  But after doing some soul search that is not for you. The next best thing you might consider is teaching.  I have been teaching since about 2004 and it is rewarding but it can be a lot of work.  If you are interesting in learning more about this, I would recommend reading the post from Lovin' Soap called Teaching Soapmaking Classes to Boost Revenue - 8 Tips.

Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cold Process Tutorial

Fall is just around the corner.  And when I think of fall season, the aroma of pumpkin spice comes to mind.  Here is a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cold Process Soap from The Soap Queen really hits home.  This recipe is for the advanced cold process soap maker and takes one to two hours to make. In the end, you will get about 3.5 pounds of soap.

How to Create Lip Product Recipes

Do you like or would like to create your own lip products?  The Soap Queen surely does.   In a post titled, How to Create Lip Product Recipes, The Soap Queen covers tips and tricks, butters, waxes, fixed oils, coloring, and flavoring.  Since the holidays are just around the corner, you may want to consider making your own lip products and give them out as gifts.

How to Make Gem Stone Bath Salts

It is has been along time since I made bath salts. I first tried to make bath salts from the stuff I saw at Michaels.  I was really not pleased with the results.  Then I took a class from Lori Nova a long time ago. Anyway this video tutorial from The Natural Beauty Workshop called How to Make Gem Stone Bath Salts looks interesting that I just may take up making a bath of bath salts.

How to Formulate Soap Salt Bars

Have your ever heard of a salt bar?   Basically it is a soap made with 50-100% of oil weight in salt.  I have tried to make one before but according to Amanda Gail of Lovin' Soap Studios there are a few different recipes out there on the internet. Anyway, she has a post called How to Formulate Soap Salt Bars in case you are interested in learning how to make them.

Fondant Bottom Painted Soap

Want to see a really cool cold process technique?  It shows how to use a fondant mat to make impressions in soap and how to paint with mica.  Angela Carillo sent this technique to Amanda Gail of Lovin' Soap Studio over a year ago and she finally decided to share this  Fondant Bottom Painted Soap. 

Soap Box Questions: “Can I Add Melt and Pour to Bath Bombs?”

Have you ever made bath bombs before?  You might have tried to add some other ingredients to your recipe like shea butter.  But it came up in a Soap Box Question session about adding melt and pour soap to the recipe. Would you believe the Soap Queen took the challenge and gave it a try. Want to find out if it works?  Then check out in a recent post called Soap Box Questions:  "Can I Add Melt and Pour to Bath Bombs?" I do not want to spoil the surprise but Melt and Pour Soap makers are going to be very happy.

Understanding FDA Cosmetic vs. Drug Claims

Now that you want to turn your hobby into a business and sell your products, you will have to understand the rules of making claims about your product is very important.  The rules and regulations for selling bath and body products fall are created by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are put into place for the safety of the consumer. According to The Soap Queen, soap and cosmetics should not make claims that could confuse your product as a drug.  And the FDA regulates and defines cosmetics, drugs and soap differently.  I can be tricky to understand these definitions and what type of claims are appropriate for each one of them.  In a recent post called Understanding FDA Cosmetic vs. Drugs, The Soap Queen explains what you need to know.  So I would suggest reading this post before you start selling your products.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub on Soap Queen TV

Fall begins next week.  Can you believe it?  Well, if you love the aromas that go with the Fall season, here is a recipe from The Soap Queen Queen called Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub.  This is the newest recipe to appear on Soap Queen TV.  Take a gander at it and see if you would like to make it  for yourself or give it out as gifts.

Soapmaking Oil Properties + Free Download

In making your own soap, it is very important to learn and know the properties of oils once they saponified and how they effect your finished soap.  This chart from Lovin' Soap Studio will help you when you are ready to formulate your own recipes.  This free downloadable chart is available through the post titled Soapmaking Oil Properties and Free Download.

Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Lip Butter

Summertime will come to a close really soon and Fall will be here. It is a good time to get started making products for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. Let's start with a lip butter.  Never heard of a lip butter?  A lip butter is really moisturizing and makes your lips more soft.  I found this recipe from The Natural Beauty Workshop that you should try and make.  It is called Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Butter.

How to Mica Paint on Cold Process Soap

I have used Mica powders to color my soap, but I never heard of it to use as a paint on a cold process soap recipe. Are you wondering what this technique is?  According to the Soap Queen,  Mica Painting is a fun technique that allows mica to be incorporated into cold process soap projects.  It even works with micas that normally morph in cold process soap.  Mica painting refers to adding a mixture of oil and mica to the top of wet cold process soap.  The mixture is them swirled into various patterns.  As the soap hardens, the oil is absorbed into the soap and a beautiful swirls of mica is left behind.  It usually takes a full day for the oil of the mica to sink back into the soap.  The painting will wash off once it is introduced to water.It is really cool technique that I would like to try.  If you want to see what it is all about then  check out the post titled How to Mica Paint on Cold Process Soap..

Tips for Swirling Cold Process Soap

Are wondering how to make those beautiful swirls you see in other bars of cold process soap?  Guess what?  I found the perfect post to tell  you how to do it.  The post is from Lovin' Soap Studio and it is called Tips for Swirling Cold Process Soap.  So check out the tips and even a recipe that you should try.

Moisturizing Highlighter Sticks

According to The Soap Queen, in the world of beauty and cosmetics, highlighting and contouring has become amazingly popular.  This basic beauty technique involves apply darker and light shades of make up to certain areas of the face to create definition.  Applying darker shades is referred to contouring, while applying lighter shades is highlighting.  Contouring and highlighting can create the look of a stronger jawline and more pronounced checkbones.  If you want to learn more on how to make this type of product, check out the post from the Soap Queen called Moisturizing Highlighter Sticks

Minty Mocha Mantra Marble Cold Process Soap

When I saw this guest post on The Soap Queen's site called Minty Mocha Mantra Marble Cold Process Soap, it immediately made think of a Junior Mint.  I really think this is a cool looking bar of soap. This recipe uses a product called Swirl Quick Mix Recipe.  According to the Brambleberry website that is produces a recipe that gives you plenty of time to swirl or do intricate designs. Mission Peak Soap in Fremont sells Soap Quick which ha some of the same ingredients (Coconut, Palm) so I do not know if you use it and instead of Brambleberry product if it would make any difference.  I never tried the Swirl Quick Mix before, but I have used Mission Peak's Soap Quick for a swirl in the pot technique and it came out great.

Make Your Own Green Tea Skin Serum!

If you are at that age where you have started using serums, did you know you can make your own.  Here is one called Green Sencha Skin Serum from Mountain Rose Herb which makes about one cup.  You can decide if you want to use it as a whole body oil or divided it up and share it.

RECIPE: Apple-licious Lip Balm

Can you believe September is here?  Soon summer will be over and the fall season will be here.  What makes you think of fall?  The color of the leaves?  What about apples?  Here is a delicious lip balm recipe from Wholesale Supplies Plus called Apple-licious Lip Balm.  This is a very easy recipe to make in only 30 minutes and results in (4) .15 ounce tubes. 

A Tutorial: Making Laundry Soap

Have you ever made a batch of cold process soap and it was lye heavy?  Well, Riverlea Soap has and guess what they did?  You guessed....Laundry Soap.  Wonder how they did it?  Check out their post called Making Laundry Soap A Tutorial to find out how.  I always wondered how I can turn a bad batch of CP soap into laundry soap.  And I have a batch that I can try this out on.