Soap, Lotion, Bath Salt Making

[Magister]

Moira:

  Thank you for pointing out the difference between Essential Oils, and Fragrance Oils.  To head off any debate let me make this much clear:

  I would like to make a point that not everyone, "knows everything there is to know"... since this is a very difficult thing to do.  Prevalent allergies change, chemicals and interactions vary.. better to be safe than sorry.  The FDA is hardly the end stop for anything - they have made many high profile "mistakes" lately.  Do not take anyone on this boards opinion - including my own - as gospel. So do your own research, talk to medical professionals if you are unsure.

  So when dealing with things that may induce negative reactions such as oils, nut byproducts, or even fragrances (as someone allergic to most perfumes and colognes it's something I think of when trying new personal care products) it is important to take caution when working with, using, or distributing items made with them.   The more information and warning the better.  That is one reason why we have threads like this.

  If you have questions, I encourage everyone to do further research online, and contact your physician if you have any specific questions or experience any adverse reactions in the manufacture or use of any of the recipes presented in this or any of our crafting threads. 

  The person posting the recipe, nor RenaissanceFestival.com, its owners, operators, or moderators are NOT responsible for your results - try at your own risk.

  - Mag
   Crafting Corner Moderator



 

[Beautiful Dreamer]

Where to find some of the ingredients online.    I had fun trying to find them a few years ago.   

www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com
www.brambleberry.com
www.chemistrystore.com
www.mountainroseherbs.com

[Tami MacLeod]

Yes i love Brambleberry and also naturesgaedencandles.com
i love them even more.. and somewhat cheaper as well..


thank you so much , i forgot all about links to suppliers..

I also have kits, i have for sale, if you don't want to spend a lot on things, many like to do that to see if they like it or not before they spend a few hundred bucks.. kits are the way to go.. and there are lots of soap places selling kits..

thanks
Moira

[Tami MacLeod]

Yule bath salts

3 cups Epsom salts
1 1/2 cup kosher salt
6 drops peppermint oil
2-3 drops red and green food coloring

Divide the epson salts into three 1 cup amounts and place in plastic bags. Add peppermint oil to two bags, leaving one unscented. Add green soap coloring to one bag and stir until well distributed. Add red soap coloring to second bag and mix well. By now you should have three bags of salts in green, red and white. With a spoon, start with the red salts and fill your decorative bottle until a nice layer is visible... an inch or two depending on size of bottle. Add second layer of white salts this time and finish off with a third layer of green.

[Tami MacLeod]

Dream Time bath salts

2 cup kosher salt
2 cup baking soda
5 drops lavender scented oil
handful of lavender buds
*4 tablespoons of liquid glycerin

Combine all of the above ingredients and stir well. The liquid in this recipe might contribute to clumps forming, so simply break apart with the help of a fork.

*The glycerin acts as a moisturizer and is an optional ingredient if you have none handy.

[Tami MacLeod]

Sea Tide Bath Salts

1 ½ c. Table Salt
1 c. Kosher Salt
1 c. powdered milk
a few drops of blue soap coloring
a few drops of vetiver essential oil (or any scent that reminds you of the seaside).
I just bought a FO called seaspray, and it wonderful..so i used that instead of the vetiver oil

Combine all of the above in a large bowl and stir well to mix all of the ingredients and distribute the soap coloring evenly. If any clumping occurs, use a fork or large spoon to crush.

[Tami MacLeod]

Milky Herbal Baths

cups rock salt
1 cup of table salt
2 cups baking soda
1 cup finely ground oatmeal
2 T of your favorite dried mint
4 T of crumbled dulse (sea weed)

Crumble the mint and dulse and then add to the remaining ingredients.

Fill a muslin bag with this recipe so that cleaning the tub is less of a chore.

Package in decorative glass jars. I recently found some (jars) that offer an opening to insert a wooden spoon. If you spot them, snap them up.

[Tami MacLeod]

Bubbling bath salts

2 cups of kosher salt
1 cup table salt
2 T cosmetic grade glitter
a few drops of sandalwood scented oil

1/4 cup of baby shampoo

Combine the top four ingredients and stir until the texture is smooth. Drizzle with the baby shampoo and then spread onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet until you have an even layer. Allow to dry. This could take up to 24 hours depending on the humidity.

Package in a decorative jar... mason jars will do fine and include instructions for use if these salts are to be used as a gift. (About 1/3 cup should do the average bath).

[Tami MacLeod]

How to Make Bath Salts with Tips too

Ingredients:

    * 3 cups Dead Sea salt, regular sea salt or Epsom salt, or a blend of two or three of these salts. Sea salts typically come in several grain sizes. Combining multiple grain sizes can make your salts more appealing. Keep in mind, however, that more course grains do take longer to dissolve in the tub.
    * 15-24 drops of your selected essential oil or essential oil blend. Be sure and take heed in the safety data for the oil(s) you choose to use.
    * 1 tablespoon fractionated coconut oil or other carrier oil for moisturization (optional)

Directions:

Place the salt mixture into a bowl. If you have chosen to include the optional vegetable oil to your salt recipe, add it to the plain salts and mix well with a spoon or fork. Then, add the drops of your chosen essential oils. Again, mix very well. Add the mixture to a pretty jar, salt tube, or container that has a tight fitting lid. Salts that are kept in a container that is not air tight will lose their aroma more quickly.

After a day, you may wish to mix well again to ensure that the oils are well incorporated.

To Color to Your Salts:

For the most natural bath salt recipe, leave your bath salts uncolored. Certain exotic salts including Hawaiian Red Sea salt and Black Sea Pink salt are naturally colorful. Try mixing these salts with with Dead Sea or plain sea salt for a speckled effect.

If you would like to add color to your salts, FD&C liquid dye or mica powder can be added before you add the essential oils. When adding FD&C grade liquid dye, be sure to add only a drop at a time and stir well. When adding mica powder, only add a tiny amount (1/16-1/8 a teaspoon is usually sufficient) and stir very well. Using too much dye or mica powder can discolor the water and discolor skin, so be very careful. Leave bath salts at a soft pastel color. It is also important that you make sure that you are using skin-safe colorants and that the user of your bath salt blend does not have any allergies or sensitizations with the colorant that you have chosen.

To Use:

Add 1/2-1 cup of the salts to running bath water. Mix well to ensure that the salt has dispersed well in the tub before entering. To keep the essential oils from evaporating too quickly, you can add the bath salts just before getting in the tub instead of while the water is running. Sitting on undissolved chunky bath salts, however, can be uncomfortable, so make sure the salts have dissolved well before entering.

[Tami MacLeod]

Sunburn Healing Bath

Ingredients
1/4 cup rolled oat
1/8 cup whole powdered milk
1 teaspoon loose tea leaves (green or black )
3 drops lavender oil
2 drops peppermint oil

Combine all these ingredients in a handkerchief tied with string or a muslin teabag.

Run a tepid to cool bath and soak along with this bath bag.

Use it as a compress to spread healing, cooling relief all over.

[Magister]

Moira:

  Would the sunburn healing one benefit from an addition of aloe plant in some form or fashion?  I know being a pasty Irishman in Florida I live and die by my bottle of aloe gel during the summer here.

  I'm not sure how it could be added... but just a thought?

 

[Tami MacLeod]

Mags
some info on others

Aloe Take as many leaves as necessary from an aloe plant; refrigerate; peel off top layer of leaves; apply the side of the leaf with flesh exposed directly to the sunburn. Other remedies use aloe vera juice: for mild to medium sunburn, keep the affected area moist with aloe vera juice. Repeat frequently. This will reduce the pain and the amount of peeling. Aloe vera ointment works well, too, as it contains oil and will not evaporate. For a severe sunburn, keep the area moist at all times with aloe vera juice. Since aloe vera is an astringent, you may want to use aloe vera ointment or some sort of oil, such as olive or baby. Aloe is very effective in relieving pain and inflammation.

    * Combine aloe juice with ½ the amount of vitamin E. Dab on the sunburn. Vitamin E is a good moisturizer.

Apple cider vinegar Apply apple cider vinegar to the burn with a cottonball, or make a cooling compress for a large area to relieve the pain. Keep the skin moistened. This remedy will prevent blistering and peeling.

Aspirin Aspirin kills the pain and reduces inflammation and redness of a sunburn. It short-circuits the whole sunburn process. It must be taken within 24 hours of getting sunburned. Aspirin is preferable to ibuprofen or acetaminophen because it is less stressful on the liver and kidneys.

Baking soda Dissolve some baking soda in water and make a compress using a clean cloth. Another remedy is to add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a tepid bath and soak. Instead of drying the affected area with a towel, let it air dry. Baking soda is cooling and will help the skin retain moisture.

Baths Add 20 drops of each of lavender and chamomile essential oils to a tubful of cool water and soak for 10 minutes.

Bergamot Add bergamot oil to cool bathwater.

Calendula Put 20 drops of calendula tincture in four ounces of water and bathe the skin until the pain goes away. Calendula is also available in gels and salves. Calendula will help soften and heal burned skin. It is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and can be used long after the burn to heal the skin.

Cucumber Rub sunburned area with fresh cucumber slices. They are very cool and will soothe the area.

Epsom salts Dissolve Epsom salts in water and make a compress using a clean cloth.

Ice Apply ice or cold water to the burned area. This will stop the burning process and cool the skin.

Lavender Mix 20-25 drops of lavender oil in one cup of water and bathe the sunburned area.

Lemon water Mix the juice of three lemons into two cups of cold water and sponge on the sunburn. The lemon will cool the burn, act as a disinfectant, and will promote healing of the skin.

Milk Make a compress of whole milk (or buttermilk) and apply to the burned area for 20 minutes; repeat every two to four hours. Wash the milk off so you won't smell sour! The fat content of the milk is soothing for burns.

A similar remedy  using a cup of skim milk and four cups of water, adding a few ice cubes, and applying as a compress as recommended above.

Oatmeal Put some oatmeal in tepid bath water, soak for a few minutes, then air dry yourself.

Peppermint Apply peppermint oil to the sunburned skin. You can also make a mild peppermint infusion and use it as a wash to cool the sunburn.

Potato Grate a potato and apply it to the burned area. The starch will cool and soothe the burn.

St. Johns Wort Make an ointment or salve with the essential oil of St. Johns wort for burns that have not broken the skin. It is anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. Caution: St. John's wort makes the skin more photosensitive, so stay out of the sun if you have used this remedy or if you are taking another form as an antidepressant. The cauton is courtesy of a reader named Wendi.

Shower Take a warm shower to draw out the heat of your sunburn. The warm water will increase circulation to the area while hydrating it, thereby speeding the healing process.

Tea Make some tea, cool, and apply to the burn. While any tea may be beneficial, mint tea, such as peppermint or spearmint are especially good. The teas have tannins that help the healing process.

Urtica urens Put 20 drops of urtica urens tincture in four ounces of water and bathe the skin. This remedy is good for itchy, prickly skin.

Witch hazel  a decoction of witch hazel and apply with a compress.

Yarrow Native Americans used an infusion of ground yarrow as a wash.

Yogurt Apply plain yogurt with live cultures, let it stand for a few minutes, then rinse off under cool water.


As for my soaps, yes i make aloe soap.. It is one of my best seller, and alot of men buy it for their shaving soaps. Great for the skin too and softens the hairs before shaving. There are other things as well to soften the hairs before shaving as well.

I use real aloe plant that i peel and blend and add into my soap base.

[Tami MacLeod]

Caution! You may have sun poisoning if you experience chills, fever, or get blisters or a rash. See your physician!

[knarlyknot]

How timely, my son just came home yesterday with a sunburn, will have to try some of these.

[Tami MacLeod]

Rubbed regularly into the heels and feet, this eucalyptus foot lotion will soften neglected, cracked skin.

Eucalyptus Foot Lotion
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon wheat-germ oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Put all of the ingredients in a small, sterilized glass bottle with a tight- fitting stopper. Shake the liquid vigorously until it is completely combined. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using.

cooling for tired feet.... a must have