Bath Melt Recipe

Making a Bath Melt Could Not Be Easier!

A bath melt is definitely one of the easiest toiletry recipes to make at home. They are solid at room temperature and so can be stored in the bathroom cabinet ready to use. The principle is the same for all the recipes - you may find that only the base oil and essential oils change.

Use a cookie mould (mold) to set the melt or any other container that you think will give you the correct size. Some moulds intended for melt and pour soap also make good containers for melts.

Remember when you use the melt, the bath will become slippery so you should always exercise caution when getting in or out - and if you use essential oils do clean your bath thoroughly afterwards as they can discolour the bath!

Pam's Lavender Cocoa Butter & Honey Bath Melt

This was the very first bath melt recipe I invented. The lady it was created for worked with me at the time and suffered from chronic dry skin. She was delighted with the resultsIngredients
85g Cocoa Butter
5g Sweet Almond Oil
5g Honey
5g Powdered oatmeal
2ml Lavender Essential Oil  

Method
Place all ingredients except the essential oils into a bain marie over a low heat until melted. A bain marie is a pot of water on the cooker top with another pot inside. You place the ingredients into the smaller pot and allow the heat from the water in the pot below to melt them. In this way the ingredients do not come into contact with direct heat.




Once the mixture has melted remove it from the heat and allow to cool until thick before adding the essential oils. Stir well and then pour into patty tins or something suitable for use as a mould. Cup cake papers can be nice too! Place the melts into the refrigerator to go hard. These bath melts do not set totally solid because of the honey, they were a bit like soft fudge.  If you prefer a harder product then simply leave out the honey from the recipe.To use
Crumble a small amount into the warm bath. It is not necessary to use the whole thing in one go (although you can if you want to!) In this way it will last for as many as three or four baths.

The above recipe is quite a small amount, but it is best to trial a small quantity first to make sure that you like it. If you do, you can always increase the recipe size for the next time!
To Vary Use different essential oils (check out the blends suggested in my more recent posts) or change the sweet almond oil for something more suited to your skin type.

Macerating Oils with Herbs

Macerates make superb skincare oils. And it is possible to tailor them specifically for yourself. Maceration is the process of transfering the therapeutic parts of plants and flowers into the oil. You must use dried herbs or flowers and it is very important to identify which herb or flower you are using correctly. Not all plants have beneficial qualities. Very clear easy to follow directions for drying your herbs can be found at The Herbal How To Guide as well as any help identifying which herbs to use.
Once you have your dried herb, you then bruise it substantially in order to break the tough outer skin. The herb can then be covered with a suitable skincare oil. Plain olive or sunflower is most common but it is entirely up to you which oil you use. Cover the bruised herb with your chosen oil and then allow it to steep for two or three weeks in a sunny place, giving it a gentle swirl every day. If you do not have reliable sunshine, then simply place it in a warm place - airing cupboard or close to the Aga will do.
After two to three weeks the oil is then ready to be strained. First through a fine mesh sieve and finally through coffee filter paper or muslin, to remove any last traces of plant material. The oil can then be used to make your chosen skincare product.

Herbs in Water - Facial Teas
You don't have to keep your dried herbs for using solely as macerates in oils.  They make wonderful teas and facial washes that can be used as toners or comkbine with other ingredients to make cleansers.  Most of these herbs can be macerated in oils if you wish but often their properties are more forthcoming in water, however their shelf life is vastly reduced when made into a tea.

Chamomile tea is excellent for calming the skin. Simply make up a bowl of tea using a preparatory tea bag (or fresh from your garden if you have it!) and when it has cooled bathe the face with it.  Chamomile can be successfully macerated in oils which then will make wonderfully soothing balms or baby creams.


Angelica (or Dong Quai) is antiseptic and if you buy some from the herbalist you can make a tea for bathing the skin. (It is also useful against eczema and very dry skin conditions).  Infuses in warm oil very easily.

Calendula whether grown in your garden (Marigold) or bought makes a wonderful soothing wash for the skin as well as the well known macerate - use with sunflower or olive oil.

Comfrey which used to be used during medieval times for helping to reduce swelling around broken bones is a useful skin healer. Difficult to find as a dried herb at the normal chemist shop but occasionally can be found as an infused oil from the health food shop.

Green Tea - just your normal standard tea bag of green tea makes a great face wash. Powerful antioxidant and very soothing, can be macerated in oil too.

Lavender - Make a tea from the fresh flowers (and stalks) and bathe the face when cool.  Makes a wonderfully fragrant macerate when combined with oil.

Peppermint - Another tea bag that should always be in your kitchen cupboard. Very cooling to the skin. Can relieve itching sensations.  Makes a fragrant macerate in oil that is useful for foot balms and products that require a refreshing scent.

Nettle - More beneficial for dry skins and those prone to exzema and sometimes combined with burdock.  Macerates well.

Coming Next.  Natures Skin Peel (A fraction of the cost you would pay at the beauty parlour and just as effective!)

Night Serum

What is it? And how do I make it? A night serum is one of the simplest yet most luxurious products that you can make. The most perfect Mothers Day Gifts and a good learning process for beginners to lotion making. A night serum is used mostly by those who have started to see the effects of time or perhaps 'burning the candle at both ends' on their complexion. It is a combination of plant oils and extracts which are dabbed gently onto the skin before bed. While you sleep the special properties in the oils that you included in your night serum do their magic. Regular use is very beneficial to the skin and comes under the category of skin-food - the nourishing and plumping of skin cells which gives them a more youthful, healthy appearance. If you have greasy skin you may wish to be very circumspect about how often you use a serum - but even better, since most ready bought serums are designed for those with very dry skin, you could formulate your own which will not overload your skin with oil. The simplest form of night serum is to use a little neat plant oil on the tip of your finger and dab it on to the face very gently. Choose an oil that suits your skin type or better still a combination of oils. You could add a couple of drops of an appropriate essential oil to enhance it’s effects - although strictly speaking, most serums do not contain essential oils. The addition of a fruit or plant extract will maximise it's potency. A night serum is not advised for use during the day because it takes some time to be absorbed into the skin and for the purpose of nourishment of the cells it is better done very slowly while you sleep. Patch Test Always test your oils by applying a small amount onto the delicate skin on the inside of your elbow. Allow the oil to penetrate and leave for 24 hours. If you experience any adverse effects or allergic reaction to the oil then simply replace it in your formula with another oil. Botanical Extracts It is possible to purchase botanical extracts which contain beneficial skincare qualities. These are not the same as the plant oils and they are not essential oils either. These are particular, concentrated chemicals that have been extracted from specific flowers and plants such as orchid, rose, chamomile, lavender... etc. for specific skincare benefits. Suppliers will usually tell you what each extract is good for and what quantity (percentage) to use in your product. These extracts are also very useful in moisturisers and hair care products. There are both oil and water based extracts available. For a serum you should choose an oil-based extract. For a product such as a toner, you would choose a water-based extract. Suggested Blends for your First Serum   Emollient Night serum for Normal Skin40% Sweet almond oil 25% Safflower Oil 25% Jojoba Oil between 5% and 10% active ingredient* 1% Vitamin E *an active ingredient should be an oil chosen for a specific effect upon the skin. For example.. for normal skin with a tendency towards occasional acne  one could choose Avocado oil, Argan oil, Hemp or Wheatgerm oil or a rose extract, or green tea extract as the active ingredient. For normal skin with a more frequent acne problem the percentage of sweet almond oil could be reduced and the active oil ingredient percentage increased. Please note that oils with a very vivid red colour such as carrot, rosehip or sea buckthorn can stain the skin, these oils should be used well diluted. Amounts as little as 3 or 4 drops in a 100ml formula will still have a beneficial action upon the skin. To help you personalise your serum refer frequently to the list of oils and their skincare uses. in the previous post. Moisturising Night serum for Dry Skin30% Jojoba 30% Avocado 20% Safflower 5% Evening Primrose 5% Wheatgerm 5% to 10% Active ingredient (see explanation above) 1% Vitamin E Moisturising Night serum for Oily Skin 50% Macadamia 20% Safflower 15% Avocado 5% Calendula 5% to 10% Active ingredient 1% Vitamin E Although these formulas may last for some time before going rancid I would advocate keeping them in the fridge and decanting only a very small amount into a bottle for use on the dressing table. Many of these oils can be purchased at a health food store or from the chemist but the botanical extracts are currently only available from specialist suppliers. The Vitamin E oil is a powerful antioxidant and will help prolong the shelf life of your blend and is also instrumental in the removal of poisons and toxins from the body. There is no special method for mixing the oils. Simply combine them cold (oils heated above 50 degrees C can lose some of their beneficial properties). If you absolutely insist on using essential oils (no more than 3 drops per 100ml of base formula for use on the face) can be added to any of the formulas above. It would take an entire website or book to outline the principles of choosing an appropriate essential oil, but my next post will be a beginners introduction to using aromatherapy oils, which I hope will prove sufficient for your purposes. Enhance your Night Serum by macerating a healing herb in one of the oils you intend to use. Instructions on how to macerate herbs in oil is coming in the next post. A brief list of herbs useful in skincare will also be given.  So do check back soon, or sign up to follow this blog.

Skincare Oils and their Benefits in Homemade Beauty Recipes

This list of commonly used skincare oils is not exhaustive. New and exotic oils are constantly being found and made available to those making their own homemade beauty recipes. Many of these oils have amazing anti-wrinkle or anti aging properties, other's contain therapeutic ingredients that do wonders for particular problem skin. With a little basic knowledge of which oils to use you can make lots of different products from baby creams to a simple balm or a sophisticated moisturiser.  You should check with your suppliers regularly for new products and ask them for lots of information, they should be, after all, the experts. You will see from the list of skincare oils below that it isn't just the exotic varieties that contain the beneficial properties. Even the humble sunflower or olive oil that we take for granted has a great deal to offer the DIY cosmetic formulator. The breakdown of the skincare oils is as follows: name of oil followed by the most suitable skin type and then the oils specific properties. Avocado All skin types (problem)Healing, anti-bacterial and anti aging, softening. Very deep penetrating oil. Excellent base for ointments for treating lacerations, dermatitis, acne.Sea Buckthorn Fruit All skin types (damaged) Unique anti aging, skin softening, nourishing. Helps protect against sun damage. Excellent anti oxidant, soothes irritation and improves barrier protection of the skin. Dilute because it is strongly coloured. Sea Buckthorn Seed All skin types (aging) Tissue regeneration and healing, analgesic and anti inflammatory, moisture regulator and anti oxidant. Dilute becuseit is strongly coloured. Macadamia Mature, Dry & Sensitive skin Unique properties very similar to sebum of human skin making it easily absorbed. Soothing and emollient. Rosehip SeedVery dry or very oily, damaged. Very effective in skin treatments, useful for treating scars, blemishes, burns, aging and sun damage. Dilute. Wheatgerm Dry, Mature. Acne. Very rich source of natural vitamin E, reduces skin dryness and improves overall complexion. Argan Damaged skin. Soothing and moisturising. Anti wrinkle. Protects weather damaged skin (sun, wind and cold), Soothes dry excema, chicken pox, psoriasis and acne. Useful for prevention of stretch marks and healing of scar tissue. Jojoba (this is not officially a skincare oil as jojoba is in fact a liquid wax)All skin types. Moisturising and hydrating without greasiness. Long history of use in hair and skin care. Hemp Normal to dry (and problem) Emollient, skin softening, promotes healing, anti inflammatory, can relieve itchy scalp, shines hair. Sesame All skin types Penetrates skin easily, nourishing and detoxifying deep tissue layers. Moisturises and promotes healthy skin. Black Cumin All skin types (problem) Detoxifying, healing, anti inflammatory, useful for treating allergic reactions and inflamed acne. Dilute. Hazelnut Mature or Aging Rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins, easily absorbed, tones and tightens, imparts firmness and elasticity, encourages cell regeneration. Dilute. Evening Primrose Dry or aging. Problem skin. Delicate and readily absorbed into the superficial layers of the skin. Useful treatment for premature aging, dry scaly skin conditions, excema, dandruff, psoriasis. Dilute.Walnut All skin types (dry) Excellent emollient, easily absorbed, useful for dry or irritated skin conditions. Dilute. Sunflower All skin types High in Vitamin E. Moisturising, light and easily absorbed. Good carrier oil. Olive All skin types Softens skin and attracts external moisture. Good barrier oil. Apricot Kernal All skin types (delicate) Fast absorbing, skin softening properties, emollient, useful for delicate facial skin. St John’s Wort (Macerate) All skin types (acne) Anti bacterial, anti viral, useful for burns, stings, minor skin irritations. Dilute. Calendula (Macerate) All skin types (damaged). Soothing inflammation, healing damaged tissue, useful for nappy rash or cradle cap, inflamed acne, dehydrated, delicate and aging skin. Burns, slow healing wounds, herpes. excema. Carrot (Macerate) All skin types (mature) Anti wrinkle, rejuvenating. Healing. Moisturising. Yarrow (Macerate) All skin types (oily) Astringent, useful in the treatment of excema, pimples, oily skin conditions, varicose veins. Rose Petal (Macerate) All skin types (delicate) Moisturising, healing and soothing, useful for delicate skin, thread veins, ideal all over emollient. BUTTERS/FATS Shea Butter All skin types (dry) Protective and emollient, restores skins natural elasticity, useful for extreme dryness, scar tissue, dermatitis, excema. Softens, soothes improves quality. Cocoa Butter All Skin types (dry) Anti oxidant, useful for dermatitis and dry skin conditions and for prevention of stretch marks. Moisturising and easily absorbed.  In my next post I shall talk about using some of these oils to make a facial serum, including some recipes, so do check back.

Suggested Essential Oil Blends for Soap

strong or Masculine Blends

Ginger = 3 parts

Frankincense = 8 parts

Bergamot = 8 parts

Juniper = 2 parts

Geranium = 3 parts

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Cypress = 2 parts

Juniper = 4 parts

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Mandarin = 2 parts

Juniper = 3 parts

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Delicate non-flowery Blends

Sandalwood = 2 parts

Rosewood = 3 parts

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Peppermint = 2 parts

Lavender = 3 parts

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Cedarwood = 2 parts

Lavender = 3 parts

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Geranium = 4 parts

Patchouli = 1 part

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Feminine Scents

Ylang Ylang = 2 parts

Geranium = 3 parts

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Shampoo Bar Blends

Rosemary = 6 parts

Lavender = 4 parts

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Lavender = 6 parts

Geranium = 4 parts

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Tea Tree = 2 parts

Rosemary = 4 parts

Lavender = 4 parts

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In general the citrus oils do not hold well in natural soap - you can try anchoring the light citrus smell by the inclusion of a more base note oil - however this then changes the citrus smell somewhat. If you want a true citrus smelling soap you will need to look at using a fragrance oil. See my post on Fragrance Oils vs Essential Oils. Sometimes you can get the volatile top note citrus smell to linger for longer by anchoring it to a deeper note such as the following: (Mind you they no longer smell like true citrus scents)

Orange = 4 parts

Lavender = 4 parts

Geranium = 2 parts

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Lemon = 4 parts

Cedarwood = 2 parts

Cypress = 4 parts

The type of base oils and the method you use for soap making will have an effect upon the final scent of your soap. This is all part of the fun of making soap.

All Olive-Oil Soap (Castile)

This is one of the most simple soap making recipes, but not always the most simple to make, however don't let that put you off. It is worth having a go since this is a very gentle soap that I recommend using on your face.

The Castile soap making recipe is considered one of the most inoffensive soaps and is often recommended for use by people with sensitive skin conditions or problems such as acne, psoriasis and excema. To make it very special you could use an extra virgin olive oil, however, be aware that extra virgin olive oil can take quite a while to trace.

Ingredients:

Olive oil = 950grams

Water = 300grams

Sodium Hydroxide = 122grams

Don't forget the basic safety instructions.

Full soapmaking instructions can be found here. Stuck as to what fragrance to use? Would you like some suggested blends of essential oils to use? Check out the Essential Oil posts for some ideas to get you started.

"I haven't the time to read through all that!"

OK... in brief...the amount of fragrance you use will vary depending upon which essential oil or fragrance you choose, but on average I would add 2% of the total of the base oils as fragrance or essential oil.

For this recipe that means 19grams - although not entirely accurate I would use a 20ml bottle of essential oil or blend to a total of 20ml in a small measuring container. Be guided by your nose though, if the essential oil you choose is very strong then you may wish to add less.

If you would like to adjust the amount of superfat in the soap then please go to the post on formulating and tailoring your own recipes and read about the benefits of this and exactly how to do it. It is not advised to simply adjust the sodium hydroxide arbitrarily.

Happy soap making!

Base Oils for Soap Making

There are many more soapmaking oils available than the short list I have put below, however, these are the most commonly used. In general, the base oils you use in your soap bar, should be inexpensive and chosen for the qualities that they produce in the final product.

If you are making a hard soap bar for shaving for example then you will not choose to make it predominantly sunflower oil, no matter what the skincare qualities of that oil is.

A successful bar of soap is a balanced mixture of two or three (or more) soapmaking oils. If you want to make homemade soap with expensive gourmet oils then of course you can, but you will find these oils are best kept for use in small quantities with the bulk of the soap mixture being made up of a nicely balanced blend of cheaper but more reliable soapmaking oils.

Almond (Sweet)

Acid make up: Oleic 64-82 %, Linoleic 8-28%, Palmitic 6-8%. Soft bar, Medium bubbles - Good skincare, Tracing times: average/long

Apricot Kernel

Acid make up: Oleic 58-74%, Linoleic 20-34%, Palmitic 4-7%. Soft bar, medium bubbles - Good skincare, Tracing times: average/long

Castor

Acid make up: Ricinoleic 90%, Linoleic 3-4%, Oleic 3-4%. Generally a soft bar is produced (long curing times are required for large quantities of this oil to harden)Good bubbles/creamy - Good skincare, Tracing times: Quick

Cocoa Butter

Acid make up: Oleic 34-36%, Stearic 31-35%, Palmitic 25-30%, Linoleic 3%. Hard bar, light bubbles/poor lather - Good skincare, Tracing times: Quick

Coconut Oil

Acid make up: Lauric 39-54%, Myristic 15-23%, Palmitic 6-11%, Oleic 4-11%, Stearic 1-4%, Linoleic 1-2%. Hard bar, fluffy bubbles - Not usually attributed with good skincare qualities but depends upon skintype, Tracing times: Quick

Corn Oil

Acid make up: Linoleic 45-56%, Oleic 28-37%, Palmitic 12-14%, Stearic 2-3%. Generally a soft bar, light bubbles/poor lather - Good skincare, Tracing times: Long

Jojoba

Acid make up: Oleic 10-13%, Palmitic 1 - 4%, Linoleic 1 - 5%, Stearic 0.3 – 1%. Very soft bar, medium bubbles - Good skincare, Tracing times: Quick

Lard

Acid make up: Oleic 46%, Palmitic 28%, Stearic 13%, Linoleic 6%, Myristic 1%. Hard bar, creamy bubbles - cleansing, Tracing times: Quick

Olive Oil

Acid make up: Oleic 63-81%, Palmitic 7-14%, Linoleic 5-15%, Stearic 3-5%. Very hard bar (eventually), light bubbles/poor lather - Good skincare, Tracing times: Medium to Long (dependant upon grade of oil)

Palm Kernel Acid make up: Lauric 47%, Oleic 18%, Myristic 14%, Palmitic 9%.Hard bar, fluffy bubbles - cleansing, Tracing times: Quick

Palm Oil

Acid make up: Palmitic 43-45%, Oleic 38-40%, Linoleic 9-11%, Stearic 4-5%. Hard bar, medium bubbles - cleansing, Tracing times: Quick

Safflower Oil

Acid make up: Linoleic 70-80%, Oleic 10-20%, Palmitic 6-7%. Soft bar, medium bubbles/thin lather - Good skincare, Tracing times: Medium to Long

Shea Butter

Acid make up: Oleic 40-55%, Stearic 35-45%, Linoleic 3-8%, Palmitic 3-7%. Very hard bar, creaminess but scarcity of bubbles - Good skincare, Tracing times: Quick

Sunflower

Acid make up: Linoleic 70%, Oleic 16%, Palmitic 7%, Stearic 4%. Soft bar, medium bubbles - Good skincare, Tracing times: Medium to Very Long

Wheat Germ Oil

Acid make up: Linoleic 55-60%, Oleic 13-21%, Palmitic 13-20%, Stearic 2%. Soft bar, medium bubbles/creamy lather - Good skincare, Tracing times: Long

Once you decide on a balance of three or perhaps four soapmaking oils that you wish to put in your soap, then you can choose a final oil to use as a superfat - a small quantity of this oil would be added to the soap mixture at trace, just prior to pouring into the mould. This oil would preferably be one chosen for it's skincare qualities.

Plant Oils and Their Properties

Whether you wish to formulate recipes for a luxury organic face cream or make homemade soap to combat head lice in your children's hair - there is a plant oil just perfect for the job!

When it comes to soap making, the different oils that can b e used produce different end results in the soap bar. For example Coconut oil is renowned for producing a very hard bar with big fluffy bubbles, whereas sunflower oil makes a softer bar of soap with more medium sized bubbles. You get the idea.

Once you start making your own creams and balms the oils you choose to use becomes even more important. The basis of a good balm or cream is the oil (sometimes the water too). Understanding which oils are going to benefit your skintype or be the most use for purpose in your recipe is the key to producing professional quality skincare products. Many of the oils you can use have therapeutic qualities, some are absorbed quicker than others and some will suit particular skintypes. This would be useful information right?

On top of this, you can infuse or macerate therapeutic herbs or flowers to further enhance the plant oil's properties. In this way, the same basic recipe, for a moisturiser or body lotion, can be adjusted an infinite number of times to suit all manner of people and skin conditions.

"If a thousand people take one of my skin cream recipes and decide to make it with their own choice of oil - there is a good chance that we would have 1000 individual and totally unique skin creams."

It is up to you to do a little research before you begin. Become knowledgeable about plant oils. When you come across a new oil from a supplier ask them all about it. There are simply far too many for me to list them on this site, however I have put a few here... just to get you started.

Remember, All too often everyone focuses solely on aromatherapy and they forget the amazing properties and beneficial qualities that a simple vegetable oil may have. You could save quite a lot of money too by foregoing the essential oil and concentrating on a very simple but beautiful base oil instead.