This week the blog featured several projects inspired by fruit, including the Apple and Sage Salt Scrub. It is made with the new Apple Sage Fragrance Oil, which is the perfect blend of sweet and herby notes. To exfoliate and moisturize the skin, the recipe has Epsom salt and avocado oil. Evergreen Mica and Apple Moss Green Mica complete the apple-inspired design.
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Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (May 7th ~ 13th)
The masculine projects continued this week with the Pumice and Poppy Seed Melt and Pour Tutorial. They bars are made with pumice, poppy seeds and Lagoon Green Jojoba Beads to help scrub away dead skin. The exfoliants also add color and interest to the soap. For a masculine scent, the soap is scented with Bramble Berry’s Made to Measure Type Fragrance Oil.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (April 30th ~ May 6th)
I love pink hues, floral scents and glitter, but this week the blog was all about masculine projects like the Easy Scrubby Body Wash. The recipe is made with Stephenson Suspending Body Wash. The base evenly distributes the Sierra Sky Jojoba Beads, which add color and exfoliation. The recipe is scented with Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil. It’s easy to make and perfect for Father’s Day.
Sunday Night Spotlight: Glycerin
Glycerin is a thick, clear fluid that is used in a wide variety of bath and beauty products. It is a humectant, which means it has the ability to attract moisture in the air to the skin. This ability makes it great for lotions, soaps and other products. In addition to the bath and beauty industry, glycerin is used in the food industry as a sweetener. Outside the United States, it is commonly referred to as glycerol.
Glycerin is a major ingredient in melt and pour soap bases. In fact, some refer to melt and pour soap as “glycerin soap.” The large amount of glycerin is one of the reasons why melt and pour soap feels great on the skin. Adding extra glycerin to the soap softens the base. This is great if you want a bendable texture. For example, in the Melt & Pour Soap Ribbon Tutorial, additional glycerin gives soap the flexibility to create ribbons. The moldable texture also comes in handy in the Candy Cane Soap Tutorial, and the Embedded Melt & Pour Jellyroll Soap.
Left to right: Melt and Pour Soap Ribbons, Candy Cane Soap
Because glycerin attracts moisture from the air, it can cause melt and pour soap to “sweat.” This sweat is known as glycerin dew. Learn more about glycerin dew and how to prevent it in this post. In cold process soap, glycerin is a naturally occurring by-product of the saponification process. If the soap gets too hot, the glycerin can congeal which leads to glycerin rivers (shown below). Glycerin rivers are not harmful in any way, but they are a cosmetic issue. Click here to learn more about glycerin rivers and how to prevent them.
When cold process soap gets hot, the glycerin can congeal into “glycerin rivers.”
Mother’s Day Project Inspiration
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 8th, which will be here in no time. As a mom, handmade gifts from my kiddos are my favorite. Give me a macaroni necklace over a store bought necklace any day. =) If you’re looking for a handmade bath and beauty project for Mother’s Day, I’ve rounded up some of my favorites to treat your mom on her special day.
The gift of relaxation is the perfect way to pamper mom. The LoveSpell Solid Bubble Bath DIY creates feminine bubble bars with plenty of sparkle. To use, break up the bar under running water to add big fluffy bubbles to the tub. To see this project in action, check out the How to Make Solid Bubble Bath video on Soap Queen TV.
The LoveSpell Solid Bubble Bath DIY creates big fluffy bubbles in the tub.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Jan. 23rd ~ 29th)
This week continued our streak on natural cleaning (get it, streak? Punny!) including the Natural Soap Scum Cleaner. It is made with baking soda, pumice and Epsom salt. They scrub away tough grime in the bathtub. The baking soda and salt also absorb any unpleasant smells. The lemongrass essential oil and fir needle essential oil added to the recipe will make your bathroom smell crisp and clean.
All About Butters in Bath & Beauty Products
Rich, creamy and decadent, butters are a great addition to a wide variety of projects. They can be used in cold process soap, lip balms, body butters and more. They are solid at room temperature, and have varying textures. If you’re wondering what butter is right for your project, read more about mango, cocoa, coffee, shea and avocado butter below. Keep in mind that choosing a butter depends a lot on personal preference, and how you’d like your finished product to feel.
Before we look at the different kinds of butters, let’s talk about what butters have in common. Butters come from various natural sources, such as fruit trees and kernels. Some butters, such as coffee butter, are a blend of hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen to liquid oils to turn them into a solid. In general, butters are extremely skin loving and add a luxurious feel to products. In cold process soap, butters can contribute to the firmness of the bar. But, using too much butter can inhibit lather, or cause the soap to crack. In general, I like to use butters around 10%-15% or less in my recipes. To read more about various soap making oils and butters, click here.
Some butters are soft and spreadable, while others are hard and brittle. In my opinion, the softest butters are avocado butter and coffee butter. They are soft, spreadable and melt on contact with the skin. Shea butter is slightly firmer, but still soft and spreadable. The two harder butters are mango butter and cocoa butter. Both are more brittle, and need to be chopped rather than scooped. Cocoa butter is much firmer than mango, and is great for adding firmness to cold process soap. Do you have a favorite butter?
Valentine’s Day DIY Inspiration
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a great time to express your love for the people in your life, be sappy and say the things that we don’t always say in everyday life. I like to spoil my friends and family with small handmade gifts on Valentine’s Day. Who doesn’t enjoy receiving a gift covered in hearts? In addition, who doesn’t love making gifts covered in hearts? It’s a win win!
With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away, now is the time to get crafting. Melt and pour is an awesome crafting option when you’re in a time crunch, because the soap does not require any cure time. These cute Sparkling Strawberry Melt and Pour Bars feature pink and red hearts, scented with a combination of Strawberry and Champagne Fragrance Oil.
These Sparkling Strawberry Melt and Pour Bars smell sweet and bubbly.
Rose gold has become super trendy in the past few years. It translates beautifully in melt and pour soap with the use of Rose Gold Mica. In both the Romantic Rose Gold Melt and Pour Bars and the Rose Gold & Charcoal Heart Melt and Pour Bars, Rose Gold Mica creates a warm pink hue. The Romantic Rose Gold Melt and Pour Bars are scented with Baby Rose Fragrance Oil for a traditional Valentine’s scent. In contrast, the Rose Gold & Charcoal Heart Melt and Pour Bars use White Magnolia Fragrance Oil which has a soft and feminine scent.
Left to right: Romantic Rose Gold Melt and Pour Bars, Rose Gold & Charcoal Heart Melt and Pour Bars
Sunday Night Spotlight: Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a great choice for a wide variety of bath and beauty products. It is processed in a similar way to olive oil. First the skin and seed are removed. Then, the oil is extracted from the creamy green pulp. Non-refined avocado oil can appear dark green and has a natural smell, while refined avocado oil is light in color and scent.
Avocado oil is known for its moisturizing properties, and is rich in vitamin A, B, D and E. It absorbs easily into the skin, making it a staple for lotions, balms, massage oils and more. Avocado oil is also commonly used for cooking due to its nutritional value and high smoke point. Keep in mind that the avocado oil sold at Bramble Berry is not edible, as our warehouse is not considered “food-safe” by the FDA. Avocado oil has a shelf life of about 1 year.
Avocado oil is not to be confused with avocado butter, which is solid at room temperature. Avocado oil is shown on the left, avocado butter is shown on the bottom right.
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Dec. 26th ~ Jan. 1st)
This week was all about looking back on our favorite things from 2015 and looking forward to finding new favorites in 2016. My goal is to read 1 book a week and share some of my favorites with you. My top books from 2015 include The Martian, which is about an astronaut stranded on Mars, and The Girl on the Train, a great mystery novel. Click through the Favorite Books of 2015 post to see the full list.
Sunday Night Spotlight: Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is one of the most popular oils in soapmaking. It offers a unique combination of cleansing, firming and skin-loving properties to recipes. In addition, coconut oil is wonderful in a variety of other bath and beauty projects such as scrubs, lip balm, hair care and more. It has become particularly popular in the past few years, as many use coconut oil as a skin and hair moisturizer.
Coconut oil is harvested from the seeds of the coconut tree (cocos nucifera) and is primarily cultivated from Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and melts to a clear liquid oil at 76 ° F. It’s made up of various fatty acids, including saturated and non-saturated. In particular, coconut oil contains a large amount of lauric and myristic saturated acids. The unique fatty acid composition of coconut oil gives it fantastic cleansing properties.
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and liquid above 76 ° F.
Coconut oil can be altered to create different “versions” of the oil. You may have also seen 92 ° F coconut oil on various lye calculators. The 92 ° F coconut oil has been hydrogenated to create a coconut oil with a higher melt point. This means that unsaturated fatty acids in the oil are converted to saturated acids, which increases the melting point. The oil sold at Bramble Berry is 76 ° F. If you’re unsure what kind of coconut oil you have, it’s usually safe to assume the oil is non-hyrogenated, 76 ° F coconut oil. This is the most common type of coconut oil found in stores and online.
Fractionated coconut oil is created by separating fatty acids from the whole oil. Specifically, the long chain triglycerides are removed, leaving behind the short and medium chain fatty acids. Fractionated coconut oil is a stable product with an an almost indefinite shelf life. It’s incredibly lightweight and does not leave a greasy feeling on the skin, making it a great option for massage oil and lotions. Fractionated coconut oil is clear and liquid at room temperature. It works great as a carrier oil for fragrances, or in products such as scrubs, bath bombs and lip products. Check out the Honey Kisses Lipstick Tutorial for a fantastic lip recipe using fractionated coconut oil.
Note: The Caprylic Capric Triglycerides-fractionated coconut oil found at Bramble Berry is specifically the short chain fatty acids, known as caprylic capric triglycerides. It’s slightly different from fractionated coconut oil, as it only contains the short chain fatty acids. It can, however, be used in place of fractionated coconut oil, with a slightly lighter, silkier feel.
In the Moisturizing Heel Butter, fractionated coconut oil is added to give the balm a smoother and softer texture. Because fractionated coconut oil absorbs so easily into the skin, it’s used with argan and sweet almond oil in the Baby Massage Oil tutorial. Fractionated coconut oil is also added to the Givember Massage Oil for a lightweight texture.
Top: Baby Massage Oil
Bottom: Givember Massage Oil
In cold process soap, coconut oil is generally used around 20-30% of the recipe. Coconut oil is a super cleansing addition that produces big, copious bubbles. It is so good at its job that it can strip skin of moisture. That leaves the skin dry and even irritated. A usage rate of 30% is ideal for the perfect balance of cleansing without drying. For more sensitive skin, keep the coconut oil at 15% or less in your bar. That being said, soaping rules are made to be broken! In this recipe from Modern Soapmaking, Kenna shows you how to create a bar with 100% coconut oil. To make sure the bar is not drying, Kenna uses a 20% superfat and aloe vera liquid.
This soap made by Kenna of Modern Soapmaking uses 100% coconut oil and aloe vera liquid to create a cleansing and moisturizing bar.
If you’re looking for more cold process soap recipes using coconut oil, good news! Just about all my cold process recipes use coconut oil. =) In my opinion, coconut oil is the trickiest to substitute because it gives the soap firming, lathering and cleansing properties. If you are looking to formulate a recipe without coconut oil, palm kernel flakes can help. I recommend using 15% or less of palm kernel flakes in your cold process recipe.
If you’d like to use coconut oil in more bath and beauty products, the Coconut Oil & Pink Salt Scrub uses both 76 ° F coconut oil and fractionated coconut oil. The combination of the oils creates a texture that is creamy and spreadable at room temperature. It’s scented with Lime Fragrance Oil and Island Coconut Fragrance Oil for a bright, citrus scent. Check out the Soap Queen TV video below to learn how to make it!
What is your favorite way to use coconut oil? It’s such a versatile product! I love it in scrubs, but of course I couldn’t do without it for cold process soaps. =)
Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (Sept. 26th ~ Oct. 2nd)
This week was all about warm fall colors, and featured projects made with Copper Sparkle Mica. The Caramelized Copper Brown Sugar Scrub has Copper Sparkle and King’s Gold Mica to leave a light shimmer on the skin. To exfoliate the skin, it has brown and white sugar. The scrub contains avocado butter to help moisturize skin, and Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil for a sweet and smoky scent.
How Leaning on Books Improves Product Photography
Linda O’Sullivan (also known as Mimi and Boo) creates stunning cold process soap and bath fizzies in the UK. I first came across her soaps on Instagram, via the hashtag #SoapShare. I quickly found myself scrolling through her dreamy Instagram feed, feeling incredibly inspired. All of Linda’s creations are elegant and sophisticated. I love how each look so creamy and decadent! Read more about Linda, her creative process and photography tips in the interview below! -A.M.
Linda’s beautiful peppermint cold process soap.
How long have you been soaping for and how did you get started?
I came across a soap making book back in 2000 and decided to give it a go. So I made my first batch and I’ve basically never stopped. It was very much a hobby at first and I gave away my soaps to friends and family as gifts. When my son started school in 2009, I realized that I wanted to be at home for him. I wanted to be at the school gates, I wanted to be there when he did his homework… I worked in broadcasting at the time, with a long commute and some traveling to faraway places. So I gave up my job and set about starting my own business making and selling handmade soaps. It turned out to be the best decision for me and my family.
What sort of advice would you give to those soapers just starting their businesses?
Well, what works for me is that I love what I do. Even when I work long hours it never feels like work and that keeps me going. To those starting their businesses I would say: Believe in what you do and go for it. You will make mistakes along the way. We all do but we can learn from them. And try to find the balance between being artistic and being consistent. When you’re running a business it is important be able to recreate the exact same product time and time again. I have many repeat customers who keep coming back to buy the same soap. This means keeping meticulous notes all the time.
How to Create Lip Product Recipes
Creating lip products is one of my favorite things to do. They are simple to make, cost less to make than you pay in stores and bonus, are fun and efficacious to use. If you have never made lip products before, it can be tricky to know where to start. There are lots of different ingredients that you can use in your lip products, including various waxes, butters and oils. Luckily, there are no concrete rules to making lip products. It’s all about personal preference, which is why formulating lip recipes is so fun.
Lip balm, lip gloss and lipstick are often made out of similar ingredients, including several kinds of oils and butters. What’s the difference between these terms? Well, it depends on who you ask. Lip balm usually refers to a product with a solid yet spreadable texture. Lip balm may or may not contain color. Lip gloss normally refers to an extremely shiny and soft lip product, with or without color. Lipstick usually refers to an product that is heavily pigmented, with a firmer texture.
There are plenty of other terms used to describe lip products, including lip tints, sheer lipstick, lip butter, lip stains and more. The bottom line is these terms don’t have a concrete definition and mean something different to everybody. If you plan on selling your lip product, consider the amount of color and texture to name appropriately. For example, it wouldn’t make sense to call your product a lip tint if it contains no color.
Now, let’s get started formulating your product! Below are some of the most common lip product ingredients, along with the properties they add to a recipe. Lip products usually only contain oils, waxes and butters. Once water or a water soluble ingredient is introduced, an emulsifier will be needed. When you begin emulsifying water and oils, you’re on your way to creating a lotion. Because lip products do not contain water, a preservative is not necessary. Read more about preservatives in this post.
One of my favorite tricks for formulating lip recipes is the “Frozen Spoon Trick.” This trick is a great way to test the consistency, color and flavor of your balm as you go. Simply place a spoon into the freezer about 30 minutes prior to making you lip product. When you’re ready to test, dip the spoon into the melted mixture. The mixture will quickly harden on the spoon, which allows you to test the lip product on your lips. Then, you can add more oils, color or flavor to your preference. Click here to read more about the spoon trick.
The frozen spoon trick is a great way to test your lip products!
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