Saturday, December 31, 2016

How to make a lotion bar less greasy?

Photo appears on Point of Interest
It has been awhile since I made a lotion stick but I do not recall that it was ever greasy. But Point of Interest had a question from Tania about greasiness in lotion bars.  Tania was wondering how to get tapicoa to melt in her recipe and she was feeling some grittiness of her product over time.  Have you ever had this problem?  In a recent post called How to make a lotion bar less greasy?, Point of Interest answer her questions and provides some recipes.  

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Kiwi Seed Facial Mask

I really loved the mud mask that I could purchase at Walmart, but a long time ago they stopped selling it.  So I have been on the hunt for a new one.  I found this one from The Natural Beauty Workshop called Kiwi See Facial Mask.  Since I have not tried to duplicate my favorite mask yet, I thought I would take a look at this one.  According to The Natural Beauty Workshop, fresh facials provide an excellent opportunity to pamper the face with active ingredients but they can be tricky to formulate into shelf stable products


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Cotton Candy Swirl Cold Process Soap Tutorial

One of my favorite fragrance oil scents is Pink Sugar from Juniper Tree in Berkeley. This fragrance smells a lot like cotton candy.  Anyway, when I saw this cold process soap recipe from The Soap Queen called Cotton Candy Swirl Cold Process Soap , it brought memories of the county fair.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Sweet Cardamom Lip Balms

Love lip balms?  Here is a really nice balm recipe that evokes memories of bake goods and exotic dishes.  This lip balm recipe from The Natural Workshop called Sweet Cardamon Lip Balm.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Midnight Plum Melt & Pour Soap DIY

I do love melt and pour soap projects that have layers, swirls, embeds, etc. But every now and then I love a simple and straight forward project like this one from The Soap Queen called Midnight Plum.  There is something to be said about a straight forward project and this no fuss project is just up the alley.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Olive Oil in Soap Making – Properties + Recipes

When I make cold process soap, I normally use a product from Mission Peak Soap called Soap Quick. One of the ingredients is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Olive oil helps to product a moisturizing creamy rich lather to a bar of soap.  If you want to learn about the different types of Olive Oil, Soap recipes and more, you may want to check out Lovin' Soap Studio's recent posting called Olive Oil in Soap Making - Properties + Recipes.


Saturday, December 17, 2016

How to Make Soap Last Longer in the Shower

If you are new to making soap by the cold process method and wondered about making the soap last longer, check out this recent post from The Soap Queen called How to Make Soap Last Longer in the Shower.  I found it interesting that the Soap Queen says that cold process soap does not last as long as melt and pour.  To me I found it quite the opposite. What I would like to know is how to keep the fragrance or essential oil to last longer in a bar of cold process soap.   It always seems that the aroma is a lot stronger when I do a batch but by the time the batch is cured,,,there is hardly any scent.  Any suggestions out there?

Friday, December 16, 2016

Zesty Green Cold Process Soap Tutorial


A while back I saw a clip on You Tube on how to do this unique checkerboard technique with cold process soap.  I always wanted to try it but never could find instructions.  Then The Soap Queen posted instructions on how to do this Zesty Green Cold Process Soap Tutorial.It is a really cool technique that someone who is an intermediate level or above cold process soap maker can do.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Soap Making Recipes and Tutorials for the Holidays

Are you having a difficult time deciding what to make for holidays?  Lovin' Soap has a list of creative soaps to make for the holidays.  But some of them take some time to make so put them on your list for next year.   So check out Soap Making Recipes and Tutorials for the Holidays by Lovin Soap.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Rose Quartz Cold Process Soap Tutorial

Rose quartz is such a pretty stone.  It sometimes referred to as the heart stone. love stone and the "Crystal of Unconditional Love".  This beautiful cold process soap project from The Soap Quuen called Rose Quartz has such a gorgeous rose pink color.  This project used the In-the-Put Swirl technique which uses shades of white and light pink to emulate the natural pattern in the gem. It is scented with Brambleberry's new Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil, which is a fresh take on a rose scent.  It has notes of orange zest, jamine and soft sandlewood which makes this fragrance oil take on a modern traditional rose fragrances.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Holiday Cookie Dough Scrubs

One of my favorite scents is Pink Sugar Angeline.  It smells so much like cotton candy.  I know it is strange put that fragrance oil in my lotions and scrubs thinking that you might smell like something sticky sweet, but I just love it.  Another fragrance I love is cookie dough.  And here is a scrub recipe from Natural Beauty Workshop called Holiday Cookie Dough Scrub.  This would be a perfect item to make for gifts for the holiday season.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Why is My Cold Process Soap Soft?

Are you new to cold process soap making? You made a batch that is too soft and you do not know why?  In a recent posting from The Soap Queen titled Why is My Cold Process Soap Soft?  goes deeper why you may be experiencing this problem while making cold process soap.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Apple Ice Wine CP Soap

Did you know that wine soaps have grown in popularity?  I have heard of soap made with goat's milk, carrot juice and beer but this is the first time I have heard of wine.  According to Wholesale Supplies Plus, wine provides excellent marketing and label appeal and it is a great conversational piece with potential buyers. The sugar in the wine also makes a bubbly lather that is amazing!  These bars of soap would be great as favors at weddings or if you make soap to sell this would be a great bar to add to your product line.  Interested?  Check out the Apple Ice Wine CP Soap recipe on Wholesale Supplies Plus' website.



Saturday, December 3, 2016

Dead Sea Mud & Argan Oil Facial Bar Soap Recipe

Are you having trouble finding a really good facial bar to wash your face?  Have you thought of making your own?  This cold process soap recipe from Lovin' Soap called  Dead Sea Mud & Argan Oil Facial Bar Soap that has truly decadent base oils, essentials, and additives.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Christmas Star Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

Christmas will be here in 23 days. It will go by fast.  But if you are looking to make and give a homemade gift, here is one from The Soap Queen called Christmas Star Melt and Pour Soap.  This is a perfect project for those who are beginners.  The most difficult part of this project is" painting" the soap once it is unmolded.  But I do have to admit this soap looks like a Christmas cookie.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Re-Creating Cold Process and Melt & Pour Soap Designs

Have you ever wondered if you could take a melt and pour technique and use it in cold process batch?  The answer depends entirely the design and technique of the project.  So basically, some CP techniques can be recreated with melt and pour and some cannot, and vice verse. Why?  Because the texture and behavior of CP and melt and pour are completely different.  If you want to learn more, I would recommend reading the post from The Soap Queen called Re-creating Cold Process and Melt and Pour Soap Designs.