Showing posts with label Make your own Skincare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Make your own Skincare. Show all posts

Friday, 24 October 2008

How to make Bath Bombs - Beginners Bath Bomb Recipes

Bath Bombs are a bit like huge alka-seltzers for your bath, drop one into your tub full of warm water, and watch while they whirl and spin releasing their skin softening ingredients and beautiful fragrances. Bath Bombs were made really popular by the shop ‘Lush’, and now you can buy Bath Bombs of all shapes and sizes in many shops, however they can be costly, but in actual fact, they are really quite inexpensive to create, and you can make bath bombs in your own kitchen, whats more you can have the all the delightful benefits of the bath bomb experience, whilst saving a lot of money, and being to make them as fabulous gifts for friends and family too! .
Beginners Recipe for Bath Bombs As a beginner I always suggest to keep it simple, when making your first bath bombs, use the basic ingredients without adding any extras such as oils and butters, until you have perfected the technique, then move on to using more delicious ingredients once you are more confident and speedier when blending.

You will need the following :

large mixing bowl Kitchen scales (ideally that weigh in 1 gram increments) finger spray bottle or also known as Spritzer containing clean cold water or witch hazel domed shape moulds or round shape moulds, (makes it much easier to remove if rounded or domed shape) Basic Ingredients: English soap Beginners Bath Bomb Kit which contains the following: (Makes approx 8 – 10 Bath Bombs)
  • Bicarbonate of Soda
  • Citric Acid
  • Cosmetic Grade Colours
  • Fragrance Oil
  • Re usual plastic moulds
  • Glitters
  • Botanicals - Petals
  • Cellophane Bags for gift wrapping
  • Instruction Brochure

(If not purchasing a kit, then the ratio is 300g of Sodium to 100g to Citric Acid plus a few drops of fragrance and some colourants) Instructions

  • Mix the sodium Bicarbonate and the citric acid into the mixing bowl
  • Sieve the mixture ensuring there are absolutely no lumps.
  • Adding the colorant – IMPORTANT only use a teeny weeny amount! Remember less is more! If you’re using liquid colour you will just need a few drops & you will need to mix it in quickly to prevent the bomb fizzing. If you’re using a powdered colour simply add a teen weeny pinch, at a time, until you have your desired colour, the colouring will look a lot lighter, once your bath bomb hits the water it will deepen in colour dramatically again, I always recommend that use only a teeny weeny pinch, a tip of the teaspoon is all you need.
  • Measure 10ml of either fragrance or essential oil into mixture. Most essential or fragrance oils will not cause the mixture to fizz, but certain citrus oils may, so if this happens, mix in quickly and thoroughly.
  • Do not leave the mixture to stand or it will slowly start to set.
  • Important – Blending with the finger spray bottle
  • Now this is the slightly tricky bit, with your finger spray bottle full of clean cold water or witch hazel, spritz onto your mixture, whilst stirring with the other hand. Spritz, then stir quickly, spritz then stir again, until your mixture begin to look a little wet and when your sqeeze some in your hand it begin to hold its shape, see my picture. If in doubt sprit then squeeze a bit, pop back in your bowl and spritz & stir again then squeeze until you are happy with the consistency.
  • IT MUST ONLY JUST HOLD TOGETHER when you squish your mixture in your hand, too much water and it will simply begin to fizz, not enough and it will fall apart

  • When it is sticking together push your mixture into the moulds, as hard as possible to fill the mould, and fill each half of your bath bomb mould with the mixture. Press the 2 halves together and if you are using moulds that come with clips, clip together.
  • Leave to dry for approximately 30 minutes then ever so gently remove one of the moulds, leave the bath bomb to harden on a dry surface, for approx 20 minutes then remove the other half of the mould. You may need to tap the mould to remove it, be careful as they are still very fragile. Leave for as long as possible to harden fully, I leave mine overnight to be sure. Hints and Tips: If you would like to make a two tone bath bomb using either a basic white with a colour or 2 different coloured bath bomb, at the initial stage of weighing out the mixture, then split into two different bowls, and proceed as the instructions, When putting the mixture into your moulds, simply alternate pressing the mixture into the moulds, Adding Petals and Botanicals, pop these into the base of your moulds before adding the mixture, this will ensure they are on the top of your finished bath bomb and will be visible! Add some glitter, again sprinkle into the base of your mould before adding the mixture to the mould, this will ensure your finished bath bomb will have a beautiful glitzy shimmer . Using colourants, you should always use cosmetic grade colours, however it is possible to use general food colourants too. REMEMBER DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH COLOUR AS IT WILL DYE YOUR BATH AS WELL AS YOURSELF AND YOUR TOWELS. Examples of a pretty pink rose bath bomb, using rose petals and fragranced with a English Rose scent.

Novelty ‘Boot Bath Bomb’ I made one of these from a Soap Making Mould. I made this for my friend who is a keen gardener, along with some fab gardeners soothing hand balm and soap.

Once your have mastered the techniques, it is easy to create some fabulous and unique bath bombs, just use your imagination and have lots of fun! To purchase one of my English Soap Co Beginners Bath Bomb Kits, this is a secure payment via Paypal. Beginners Kit £10.00 plus UK P + P Cost £4.50

Buy Beginners Bath Bomb Kit UK Customers only

If you wish to purchase one of my kits, and live overseas, please email me to request the postage prices.

See my website for more kits available and bigger choices !

Cannot see what you are looking for, simply contact me and I will try to help.

Monday, 15 September 2008

How to make natural Lip Balms - Chemical free - Natural make your own skin care

I now have all the gorgeous ingredients to help me create my newest kit ' make your own luscious Lip Balms'. I was horrified the first time I read the ingredients label on a lip balm and discovered all the chemical derivatives that they contain, so with a little research and a lots of practicing I have (in my opinion) come up with a recipe for a gorgeous natural chemical free lip balm.
I love lip balms, not only because they are so good for my lips, but as they are full of skin nourishing natural butters, they good to use elsewhere on your body too! Not just lips, they are good to apply to any area of your skin which is need of some nourishment and tlc! Indeed a friend of mine uses her pure naturally made balm on her babies bottom, and when in a lovely lip balm tin, they take a fraction of the space in a bag to carry around with all the other bits that are so neccessary when travelling with babies!
I should stress that there really is no absolute definitive recipe for lip balms, it really is a case of personal choice, and that is one of the great things about creating your own natural skin care, you can play around with the original recipes, add a little more oil, add a little less butters, and you will eventually find the quantities that will give you the luscious lip balms that you love to use!
So this is really only a guide, a starting place,
Ingredients:
5g Organic Cocoa Butter
4g Organic Shea Butter
3g Beeswax pellets
10ml of Oil ( I prefer Sweet Almond)
1 drop of a yummy flavour - Peppermint/Mandarin/Lime Essential Oils are very nice!
1) Gently melt the cocoa & beeswax first, in a bowl or a jug over a sauce pan of simmering water
2) when melted, turn off the heat from under the pan, add the shea butter to the melted oils and allow to melt.
3)add the liquid oil of choice (Sweet Almond)
Tip!
Leave to cool down for a short time, add your essential oil, if you add these when it a hot mixture, the essential oil will evaporate in the heat and you will not have any flavour in your lip balm!
Once cooled a little, pour into your sterilised and cleaned lip balm containers, either pots or lip balm tubes.
Hints and Tips
Some recipe call for Castor Oil, which works really well, it is just slightly a too strong flavour for my liking if I am making a completely natural lip balm.
Want a harder lip balm? Add fraction less liquid oil, and a touch more cocoa or beeswax
Want a softer lip balm? Add a bit more liquid oil, and a bit less beeswax
It is simply a matter of trial and error to find the recipe that you enjoy as a final lip balm!
Don't forget when doing your trials, always write the quantities down, so that you know what is that you have made, when you finally find the consistancy you like!!!
Add some honey as another natural flavour, and a hint of beetroot juice is a fabulous natural colourant as well!
Sore and chapped lips? Perhaps use some calendula oil instead of the Sweet Almond for it's healing abilities.
However you like your lip balm, certainly enjoy making them!

Jo Malone inspired soap kits! Make your own handmade soaps!

I have spend all weekend working on my website, I have been writing the descriptions for my new and exciting ranges of 'make your own skin care kits' and I am only halfway completed! I love my new Soap Kits, as with all my kits, they are really a labour of love, as I take a great deal of pelasure in creating these, including as many georgous natural ingredients as possible, with lots of inspirational recipes too! I firmly believe these should be a delight and a pleasure to receive, and not simply a chunk of soap, a mould and a bottle of colourant! I particularly love the 'fragrances' for me it is one of the joy's of creating your own products, and I use a supplier who produces the most fabulous fragrances which are 'similar' to the delicious perfumes of Jo Malone. Enabling me to enjoy these delightful fragrances, yet I can create my own unique scented bath time treats! Sheer joy!

I am delighted to say that 'melt and pour' soap bases, have come a long way since they were first introduced as I now only use SLS Free soap bases and also offer a certified organic soap base as well. Such a big improvement and also offer people the opportunity of using a more kinder and natural soap base, that in fact is quite tricky to buy as well a fabulous hobby too!

Thursday, 11 September 2008

Make your own Organic Chocoloate Fizzing Bath Melts

I have had several of my friends in Spain ask me to bring over some more of my really popular and very delicious Fizzing Bath Melts Kits.
This I confess is probably one of my successful make your own skincare kits, and is perfect to add some delicious organic chocolate too for the chocoholic lover! So I decided this would be perfect to share on my blog!
These are a lovely blend of Bath Belts with a fizzing Bath Bomb. Quite often many people find that Bath Melts alone, provide just a little too much oil for one bath so by combining with some fizzing therapy ingredients the oils are more finely dispersed as well as enjoying the benefits of the fizzing therapy too!

All that is required if you have not bought one of my kits which is complete with everything you need, ingredients, instructions and moulds, is some yummy natural ingredients and a some delicious fragrances and cute little muffin moulds too!

Ingredients:

Cocoa Butter

]Shea Butter

Sodium Bicarbonate

Citric Acid

Fragrance Oil

(Optional) Organic Chocolate Powder ( I love Green's Organic Cocoa Powder)

Moulds (Paper or Foil mini muffin moulds are great)

The instructions are along these lines:

1) Gently melt the cocoa butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water

2)When it is completely melted, turn off the heat and add your Shea Butter and leave to melt without using any heat.

3)Sieve the Sodicum Bicarbonate and Citric Acid powders with a spoonful of the cocoa powder, this will look a very light brown but once you add liquids it will turn a much deeper colour.

4) Quickly add your melted butters to the sodium and citric powders, and mix thoroughly yet gently

5) Add to your moulds or simply roll into small balls on the palm of your hands and wrap in cling film to help prevent fizzing and keep their shapes

6) Leave to cool and harden in a fridge for as long as possible.

You may wish to add some fragrance too, this can be added at the final stages

Now when you are ready to use one of your delicious fizzing bath melts, simply run your self a tub full of warm water and drop a bath melt into and allow to fizz and gently melt their moisturising oils into your bath water.

Sheer Bliss!

If you would like to buy a complete kit with all the luxurious ingredients, moulds and instructions simply buy one here!

 
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