What Bath & Body Thing Have You Done Today?

[Misschief]

@Misschief Is your foaming bath salt recipe from Two Wild Hares, by any chance? I've had my eye on their Etsy recipe for a bit. Thanks for any recommendation you can provide!

Yes, it is.

 

[AliOop]

Thank you! It's in my cart now. Because, you know, I need one more thing to make.

 

[Misschief]

Thank you! It's in my cart now. Because, you know, I need one more thing to make.

It's easy to make, though. It takes longer to gather all the ingredients than it does to make it.

 

[dmcgee5034]

Made lip balms today - first time making them. I used @DeeAnna ’s recipe (thank you for sharing!)
I made them in 3 flavors with flavor oils and essential oils. Sweet Spearmint, Sweet Pineapple and Vanilla Mint.
What does everyone use for lip balm labels? I used Avery Kraft Brown Square Labels 1" x 1".

I've shared my lip balm elsewhere on SMF, but here it is again. Like Irish Lass's recipe, this one is another example of lip balm without nut butters --

Dee's Bees Lip Balm

Liquid oil #1 (high oleic sunflower is a good choice) ... 33.8%
Liquid oil #2 (jojoba is nice) ... 33.8%
Beeswax ... 31.5%

Essential oil blend (optional):
Sweet orange ... 0.5%
Red mandarin ... 0.3%
Rosemary verbenon ... 0.1%

Total ... 100%

All ingredients are measured by weight, not volume

Measure the beeswax and liquid fats into a small heat-proof container sitting in a warm water bath (bain marie). For this type of recipe, I often use a small glass canning jar to hold the fats and immerse it in a small saucepan of warm water that's as deep as possible. The deep pan of water warms the glass closer to the rim, so the balm remains more liquid as I pour it.

Warm the water in the bath to about 180F / 80C and let the beeswax melt, stirring occasionally. When fully melted and the mixture is clear, stir in the essential oil blend or other fragrance. Immediately pour into lip balm tubes or other containers. Let the balm cool undisturbed until the product is firm.

A 275 gram batch will fill about 50 regular-size (0.15 oz) lip balm tubes. A 90 gram batch will fill about 16 tubes.

This recipe as written passes my "pocket test" -- the balm in a regular lip balm tube doesn't melt in my pants pocket. It also passes the Iowa winter test -- the balm remains soft enough when it's cold to glide smoothly over sore chapped lips.

Your results may be different than mine, however, so plan to test and adjust the proportions to get the consistency you want. More wax (or less oil) will make the balm firmer and more melt resistant. Less wax (or more oil) will make the balm softer and more melty.

This recipe can be used on the face or other skin -- "Egyptian Magic" is one commercial product like this and another is Cindy Joseph's "Boom" sticks. To adapt this recipe to be more similar to the Boom and Egyptian Magic facial sticks, I'd replace the sunflower and jojoba with mildly-scented olive oil. If the beeswax is from a local beekeeper, the wax will naturally have propolis and pollen in it -- the lemon to butter yellow color is proof of that. If the beeswax is a nearly white product from a B&B supplier, it's most likely been filtered, deodorized, and bleached, so none of the propolis or pollen (or the wonderful scent) remains.

Boom sticks also have honey in them (not sure about the Egyptian Magic, speaking from memory.) You're on your own if you want to add water-soluble ingredients such as honey. Without an emulsifier, the honey may separate out unless you use only a tiny, tiny amount of honey. Also, adding a lip-safe preservative is mandatory if using honey, because honey will not function as a preservative when diluted. I want my balm simple to make and safe to use, so I never include water soluble ingredients.

Also see Boomsilk moisturizer dupe

 

[Misschief]

Made lip balms today - first time making them. I used @DeeAnna ’s recipe (thank you for sharing!)
I made them in 3 flavors with flavor oils and essential oils. Sweet Spearmint, Sweet Pineapple and Vanilla Mint.
What does everyone use for lip balm labels? I used Avery Kraft Brown Square Labels 1" x 1".View attachment 75497

I use these: 2.125" x 2.125" Lip Balm Labels with Perforated Tamper Evident Tab Seal - OL1102

 

[Savage Daughter]

Hi there…what is a zinc cream and what would it be used for?

Zinc cream is great for sun burns, blisters, burns from touching hot things, as well as rashes, eczema, skin irritations of many kinds. I have been making them for 30+ years now, I do believe, since my kids were small.

Mixed with some plant infused oils which are good for skin irritations, you end up with a product that is even more effective.

Zinc also works great to prevent skin from burning while in the sun for extended periods of time. I can personally attest to this having made this for myself & my kids in the past, although I stopped using sun screens many years ago.

 

[Misschief]

I'm gearing up for my last market of the season and want to have some gift packs ready to go. To that end, I've made two batches of shower steamers, with one more to come. I package them up in macaron boxes, 3 to a box. I put in one each of lemon, lavender, and eucalyptus. I ran out of eucalyptus eo but will pick some up after work one day this week.



I also made a batch of Mentho Minty Foot Scrub (based on the DIY Foaming Bath Butter base) and a batch of Avocado Mint Foot Cream, with the DIY Lotion Concentrate. They'll become part of a Foot Fetish gift basket that has 2 foot shaped pedi bombs, the scrub, the cream, and a cuticle balm, along with a pumice stone and a nail file.

 

[Zing]

Made lip balms today - first time making them. I used @DeeAnna ’s recipe (thank you for sharing!)
I made them in 3 flavors with flavor oils and essential oils. Sweet Spearmint, Sweet Pineapple and Vanilla Mint.
What does everyone use for lip balm labels? I used Avery Kraft Brown Square Labels 1" x 1".View attachment 75497

@Misschief copied me or vicey versey. Avery labels wouldn't stick for me. Congrats! So cheap and easy to make!

 

[BritS]

I did some lotion bars, too. I received an email from someone who had purchased one of my lotion bars at our local yarn shop; she wants another one but I haven't made them in a couple of years. So, I made them; they're scented with Love Spell. And, did up a batch of bubbling bath salt for my upcoming market, the last one of my season.

I also made foaming bath salts. They’re so much easier than bath bombs. I’m probably going to crush up the remaining ones I have for bath powders.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I've reformulated my lotion bar recipe to be more like @Zing 's. His lotion bars are rock hard, and non-greasy. Possibly need a little bit more 'softness/absorbency' for the NZ climate though, so to formulate my new recipe I mirrored some of his ingredients, but kept some of my originals:
In order of quantity:
Soy Wax 30%
Mango Butter 25%
Apricot kernel oil 13%
Kokum Butter ( it's the same price as cocoa butter here now!) 12%
Fractionated Coconut Oil 8%
Meadow Foam Oil 6%
Carnauba Wax 5%
Fragracne
Vitamin E
I had two of my old bars left. The recipe is similar but instead of Mango Butter I used Shea, which I think is what's causing the greasiness, and I used the kokum butter to replace the coca butter (mainly because cocoa butter is hard to get now, and very expensive). Oh and I used to use standard CO, but I replaced it with fractionated in the new one because I think it absorbs better. Anyway - I chucked the old recipe bars into the pot and melted them down into the new recipe, otherwise they would have been wasted.
They are in the refrigerator as we speak and I can't wait to try them out!

 

[not_ally]

That sounds beautiful, Kiwi, thanks for sharing the recipe.

I got ready to mix up 2000g worth of shampoo bars for Xmas presents. I have all the ingredients in the right mixing bowls but am putting it off actually doing it because I hate dealing with SCI/SLSa. I don't have a respirator mask, so I just wear a regular one, goggles, and wind a scarf around everything on my face below the eyes, I basically look like a Tusken raider from Star Wars. It is not very comfortable.

 

[KiwiMoose]

That sounds beautiful, Kiwi, thanks for sharing the recipe.

I got ready to mix up 2000g worth of shampoo bars for Xmas presents. I have all the ingredients in the right mixing bowls but am putting it off actually doing it because I hate dealing with SCI/SLSa. I don't have a respirator mask, so I just wear a regular one, goggles, and wind a scarf around everything on my face below the eyes, I basically look like a Tusken raider from Star Wars. It is not very comfortable.

When i wear my respirator mask my dog Molly absolutely freaks out! She hates it.

 

[Zing]

I've reformulated my lotion bar recipe to be more like @Zing 's. His lotion bars are rock hard, and non-greasy. Possibly need a little bit more 'softness/absorbency' for the NZ climate though, so to formulate my new recipe I mirrored some of his ingredients, but kept some of my originals:
In order of quantity:
Soy Wax 30%
Mango Butter 25%
Apricot kernel oil 13%
Kokum Butter ( it's the same price as cocoa butter here now!) 12%
Fractionated Coconut Oil 8%
Meadow Foam Oil 6%
Carnauba Wax 5%
Fragracne
Vitamin E
I had two of my old bars left. The recipe is similar but instead of Mango Butter I used Shea, which I think is what's causing the greasiness, and I used the kokum butter to replace the coca butter (mainly because cocoa butter is hard to get now, and very expensive). Oh and I used to use standard CO, but I replaced it with fractionated in the new one because I think it absorbs better. Anyway - I chucked the old recipe bars into the pot and melted them down into the new recipe, otherwise they would have been wasted.
They are in the refrigerator as we speak and I can't wait to try them out!

Any update? I can't believe you found affordable kokum!
Am surprised you are tweaking -- I loved your lotion bar!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Any update? I can't believe you found affordable kokum!
Am surprised you are tweaking -- I loved your lotion bar!

Interesting - I thought yours were so different to mine. Did you not find mine too greasy compared to yours? I preferred that yours had 'instant' absorbency and i was aspiring for the same in mine. I wonder how much climate affects these things?
Anyway, soooooo much nicer with the new ingredients. I think it is probably the mango butter doing the good deeds in terms of instant absorbency because I tried it straight from the container before making the bars and it does absorb so very well into the skin. And by using 25% of it, it's certainly a major contributor to the new feel of the bars. They do still seem a little greasy at first, but it instantly dissipates upon application.
And as for Kokum, well it's not so much that it's affordable, it's more that cocoa butter has become so expensive that they've become the same price, so "why not try it?' I thought.

 

[Zing]

Interesting - I thought yours were so different to mine. Did you not find mine too greasy compared to yours? I preferred that yours had 'instant' absorbency and i was aspiring for the same in mine. I wonder how much climate affects these things?
Anyway, soooooo much nicer with the new ingredients. I think it is probably the mango butter doing the good deeds in terms of instant absorbency because I tried it straight from the container before making the bars and it does absorb so very well into the skin. And by using 25% of it, it's certainly a major contributor to the new feel of the bars. They do still seem a little greasy at first, but it instantly dissipates upon application.
And as for Kokum, well it's not so much that it's affordable, it's more that cocoa butter has become so expensive that they've become the same price, so "why not try it?' I thought.

I do think that mine absorbs quicker than yours but I still liked yours! I mostly applied yours at nighttime. I am confident that you will love mango butter and kokum. For what it's worth, my Hawai'ian friend loves my lotion bars. I worried they would would melt to a puddle but he assures me they're okay.

 

[Misschief]

One of our friends ordered some whipped body wash, which I make with the DIY Bath & Body's recipe for Foaming Bath Butter. He wants six different fragrance, one tub of each for his girlfriend. That's what I'm doing today. I made the base yesterday and am making the finished product today. At this point, I'm two down, 4 to go.

This product is the only thing she can use on her very sensitive skin; every other body wash product she's used makes her itchy to the point of rashy so I'm happy to make it for her. The hardest part is trying to decide the fragrances; I know her and I know which ones she likes but to choose six?? I have it down to 2 fruity, 2 floral, and 2 hippy-ish.

 

[AliOop]

@Misschief Here I thought it was bad making three different batches with three different fragrances (my bath and body thing of today). SIX of them would drive me bonky. All that washing up in between!

I'm done with those three batches except for labeling. Next up is to make a batch of lotion and split it off into two scents. Then I'm calling it a night.

All of this is to fulfill orders that were placed at our Ladies' Christmas Boutique last weekend. All products were donated and will go to scholarships for women, which makes me happy. But I'm ready to be done making donated products, so I can turn my attention to the last few gift boxes I'd like to make for family and friends.

 

[Misschief]

Here I thought it was bad making three different batches with three different fragrances (my bath and body thing of today). SIX of them would drive me bonky. All that washing up in between!

It wasn't too bad, really. I did two batches at a time... two bowls going at the same time. Since he only wanted one of each fragrance, I made a 1000 gm batch of the base, divided it into 6 equal parts. That's only 166 grams per fragrance. I even ended up with some left over for us. All told, it took about an hour. Labels will be printed tomorrow.

 

[AliOop]

It wasn't too bad, really. I did two batches at a time... two bowls going at the same time. Since he only wanted one of each fragrance, I made a 1000 gm batch of the base, divided it into 6 equal parts. That's only 166 grams per fragrance. I even ended up with some left over for us. All told, it took about an hour. Labels will be printed tomorrow.

Sounds very efficient! I made 1000g of base and divided it 300, 300, and 400 for the three fragrances. For the lotion, I made 2000g and divided it into 1500g for a 50-50 custom mix of Lavender 40/42 EO, and Coconut Cream from BB. That blend is tied with my Sandalwood Vanilla blend for my most in-demand scents right now.

I even managed to get all the labeling done tonight, so I'm pooped. Dishes will have to wait!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Here they (the lotion bars) are in their official photo shoot: