Homemade Lotions, Cremes, Bath Salts Part II

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Soothing Bath Oils Recipe #2:

1 whole egg

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup baby or mineral oil

1/4 cup whole fresh milk

2 teaspoons liquid soap or dishwashing liquid

1/4 cup vodka

Fragrant oil (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Use only one or two tablespoons of this oil in a bathtub of water.

OR, try this...
Turkey-red oil (a derivitave of castor oil) acts as an emulsifying agent for other oils so they won't coat your skin or the tub. Mix 3 parts turkey-red oil to 1 part fragrance oil. Add a few drops to your bath.

Add herbs to your tub by either making an infusion of them and adding directly to the bath water, or putting the herbs into a muslin bag and tie it directly under the tap as the water is running. You can also add scented oil to the mixture if you want to. Here are a few ideas for herbs to use:

Mix 1 part citric acid (you can get this at a pharmacy) with 2 1/4 parts baking soda. Add several drops of essential oil and a few drops food coloring. Moisten by spraying with water or witch hazel (witch hazel is better since it evaporates much more quickly) until mixture just begins to stick together.

Place all of the dry ingredients (first 3) into a bowl and mix well. Add fragrance and colorant. In a small glass bowl combine oil then add fragrance and colorant. Slowly add oil mixture to dry ingredients and blend well. Take truffle sized scoops of the mixture and shape into balls.

Balls should be about 1" in diameter. Let balls rest on a sheet of waxed paper for 2 - 3 hours. Let the bombs dry and harden for 24 - 48 hours. Pack each bomb into its own candy cup. Store bombs in a closed container. To use drop, 1 -3 into warm bath water

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let stand a few days and then sift through a flour sifter. Pour into a powder shaker/container.

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Sift and store in powder shaker. Use to keep baby's skin soft and dry.

The arrowroot powder can be used all by itself as a soothing body/bath powder, just add scent to suit your nose.

The above quantities are provided as a guideline. Basically, you want to use equal parts of baking soda and cornstarch, adding about 20 drops of fragrance oil for each cup of the mixture. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together until thoroughly blended. If you're making large batches, you might want to cover your nose/mouth so you don't breathe in too much of the powder. Then, if desired, add fragrance oil and stir until thoroughly blended.

If you're using cornstarch, you'll probably want to sift it through a screen, to break up clumps and fluff it up. Push the mixture of oil/cornstarch through the screen and mix with the rest of the cornstarch powder. You may need to repeat the filtering process a few times.

Let the whole mixture sit in a sealed jar overnight. This allows the scent to permeate the whole batch. Be sure to let dry before packaging

Shampoo is just liquid soap, usually made with vegetable oils rather than animal fat, and with glycerine and alcohol added during the soapmaking process.

The basic ingredients for regular soap are lye (potash leached from ashes), fat (animal tallow) or oil, and water. (Depending on how basic you want to get, you could even make your own lye and render your own fat, but that's very time consuming.)

Mix oils together. Place in a container and set the container in a large pan.

Mix the lye solution - pour the lye into an enamel coated container of 2 pints of cold water and stir steadily. When cooled, pour lye solution into a glass container and set in another large pan. Bring both to between 95° and 98° F - this will mean pouring either cold or hot water into the pans, depending on the original temperature of the ingredients.

Add the lye solution to the oils, pouring in a steady stream while continuing to stir. The mixture will turn opaque and brownish, then will lighten. It's ready when its surface can support a drop of mixture for a moment. The consistency should be like sour cream.

Stir in 1 1/2 oz. glycerine 1/2 oz. alcohol and 1 1/2 oz castor oil. Add any colorants, scents you desire.

Now, you can pour the mixture into molds and allow to harden, then make the shampoo as you need it by shaving off flakes and boiling in water until they dissolve - about 1 pound of shavings per gallon of water. Or, you can add more water to mixture, boil, and allow to cool, then place in bottles for use.

Combine herbs and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs and mix the baby shampoo with the herbal water. Pour into a plastic squirt bottle or jar.

Combine herbs and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the herbs and mix herbal water with the baby shampoo, egg and milk. Pour into a plastic squirt bottle or jar.

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling. Remove immediately from heat and let cool. Pour into a plastic spray bottle and spray on the ends of hair while wet. Wrap a warm, wet towel around hair and leave for one hour. Shampoo the mixture out of your hair, rinse and dry as usual. Mixture should be stored in a cool place.

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Massage 1 tsp into your scalp, then brush through hair. Repeat if necessary.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Shampoo into your hair and rinse well. The egg will act as a conditioner, and the lemon juice will bring shine to your hair!

Place flax seeds & water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let sit for about 15-20 minutes. Strain and allow to cool completely. Add essential oils (if desired) when cooled. Place in glass container and store. Contributed by Lisa Van den Boomen

Mix ingredients together in a large pot or dutch oven. Set over low heat, stirring occasionally until the soap has dissolved. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly. For a less thick gel soap, use 1 gallon of water.

This soap is great for removing dirt and oil from the skin without drying. Vanilla gives it a delicious fragrance and the ground almonds provide a beautifully textured soap. (Makes one bar.)

Grind the almonds to a fine powder in a food processor or coffee grinder and set aside. Shred the soap and set aside. In a heavy saucepan bring the water to a boil; then reduce heat to a simmer; Remove the pan from the heat and add the almond powder, almond oil, and vanilla fragrance oil, stirring until well blended. Spoon the soap into a mold and let set for five hours or until hardened...

While wearing safety goggles and neoprene gloves, combine solid lye and liquid, stir well. Set aside and allow to cool (100° F to 125° F). This is best done outside while you are standing upwind.

Combine oils and heat gently. Once the fats and oils are melted allow the temperature to drop to 100° F to 125° F.

Combine lye solution and melted oils. Be careful not to splash while combining the mixtures. Stir until the mixture traces. If tracing takes more than 15 minutes, which it often does, stir for the first 15 minutes, then stir for 5 minutes at 15 minute intervals. Tracing looks like a slightly thickened custard, not instant pudding but a cooked custard. It will support a drop, or your stir marks for several seconds. Once tracing occurs...

Pour raw soap into your prepared molds. After a few days the soap can be turned out of the mold. If the soap is very soft, allow it to cure for a few days to firm the outside.

Cut soap into bars and set the bars out to cure and dry. This will allow the bar to firm and finish saponification. Place the bars on something that will allow them to breathe.

Note: If you don't want to mess with tallow and lye, you can substitute shavings from any white unscented soap.

Shred the Castile soap and set aside. Heat the water in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir in the shredded soap until it forms a sticky mass. Remove the pan from the heat and add the powdered milk, Sweet almond oil, Peach fragrance oil, food coloring; stir until well-blended. Spoon the soap into its mold and let set for four hours or until hardened.
From Soaps, Shampoos & Other Suds: Make Beautiful Gifts to Give (Or Keep)
(Gifts from the Home) by Kelly Reno

In a heavy saucepan, melt the glycerin soap over low heat until liquefied. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon oil and coloring until well mixed. Pour the soap into a mold and let set for three hours or until hardened. Makes One Bar 1 4-ounce bar.

With very clean hands, work the turpentine and essential oil into the borax until there are no lumps left, then work into the soap. Keep it in a wide-mouthed jar or tin that's easy for him to open when his hands are greasy, and which you won't mind getting black on the outside. Don't forget to put a nail brush and pumice stone out with the hand cleanser. Recycle old soap!
Here are several ideas for re-using those little bits of leftover soap:
* Use as tailor's chalk - mark darts and hems on washable fabric
* Make bubble bath - shave and crumble and add to bath
* Make new soap cakes - get them wet and stick them together to make a new bar
* Make shower soap - Put slivers and pieces into the toe of some old pantyhose. Tie a knot in the nylon just above the toe, and another at about the knee. Hang in the shower. Preservatives & Shelf Life
Most of the recipes offered here have a shelf-life of 2-3 months if stored in a cool place. mended usage is .5 - 5% of the entire volume (in ounces) of your batch.

It's better to use weight measurement than volume measurement when working with recipes requiring lye (a caustic alkali).

Oils and fats have different saponification values which must be taken into account when calculating how much lye to use per recipe to convert the oils into soap. This insures there is no leftover lye after the saponification process to irritate the skin, or worse, cause a bad burn.

Liquid Plumber and Draino are unacceptable sources for lye, because they contain aluminum which will be carried over into the finished bar of soap and then used on the skin. Red Devil Lye is the only 100% lye readily available in small containers and can be found at most supermarkets.

Rose Petal Rinse 1 tbsp dried rosemary or 2 tbsp fresh rosemary 2 tbsp dried chamomile flowers 4 cups water 2 tbsp dried or fresh rose petals Combine all ingredients in a small glass or enameled pan and boil uncovered over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then strain out the herbs. Put liquid in a bottle with a lid and dab on with cotton, OR put it in a spray bottle and spritz it on your skin. Rinse off. This rinse will remove any traces of soap on your face. Refrigerate between uses. Oatmeal/Almond Scrub 1 part ground oatmeal or ground almonds 3 to 5 drops of essential oil of choice if desired Mix well with a fork. Use oatmeal for normal skin. Oatmeal is a soothing, softening cleanser, and makes an excellent nonalkaline soap substitute. If your skin is dry, use ground almonds for a good moisturizing cleanser. Place a handful of the mixture in a washcloth. Dampen it and rub over your body as you would with soap while in the tub or shower. Lip Balm

1/4 cup Sweet Almond Oil (found at health food stores) 1/4 - 1/2 oz Beeswax Flavor Oil (found at Candy Supply Store) Small Jars to store inPour 1/4 cup almond oil into the measuring cup. Place measuring cup in the saucepan of warm water and heat gently. Slowly add 1/4 ounce of beeswax to the warm oil, and wait for the wax to completely melt. (Make sure you keep enough water in the saucepan as the wax melts! Add more water if needed.) Using an old metal spoon, mix the now liquid wax and oil potion together. Flavor the balm by adding five drops of flavor oil and stir to blend. Remove measuring cup with mixture from heat and set aside. Now test the consistency and strength of your lip balm! Pull your spoon out of the blended mixture, allowing a small puddle of balm to remain in spoon. Carefully place spoon in refrigerator to cool. When cool, gently run your finger over the hardened balm mixture. If the Balm is too hard (waxy), add more oil to your mixture. If it is too soft, add more wax. Do this until you've reached the desired consistency. A few more drops of flavor oil can be added at this time if desired. Place measuring cup in the saucepan with water and back onto the stove to re-warm and melt any ingredients you may have added. When all ingredients are thoroughly melted and mixed together, spoon balm into small jars. Set aside to cool.

Heat 1 cup of water almost to a boil. Add the gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat add another cup of distilled water, 10-20 drops of oil/fragrance, and food coloring if desired.

You can replace food coloring and oil/fragrance with premade liquid potpourri (available at most craft stores, candle shops, etc.). Just make sure it's the concentrated kind or it won't retain its smell. The procedure would be the same. Heat 1 cup of the liquid potpourri, almost to a boil. Stir in 4 packets of Knox gelatin, until dissolved. Then stir in 1 cup cool liquid potpourri.

Pour the mixture into clean baby food jars and set at room temperature overnight until "set". You can place the jars in the refrigerator if you need them to set more quickly, but be aware that the smell will permeate the fridge.

For gift giving, you can decorate the baby food jars by wrapping with material, or glueing on wallpaper, stickers, wrapping paper, etc.

To use, place the jar on the stovetop (not directly on the burner!) while cooking, heat in a potpourri burner, or simply set out on a table and enjoy the aroma.

Heat potpouri until almost to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 envelopes of gelatin. Stir to dissolve gelatin and pour into clean decorative jar. Place piece of plastic wrap over jar and secure with rubber band. Either place in refrigerator for quick set or leave out overnight on counter. Cover with piece of starched "lace" and wrap with ribbon to decorate. Before using, remove plastic wrap and recover jar with lace cover. Hope my hint helps with this wonderful craft idea.

Cut roll of paper towells in half, remove center cardboard, mix liquid ingredients, pour on top of paper towels, pull first towel up. Each roll of towels makes 2 containers of wipes, which lasts aprx. 3 weeks.

I have found that if I let them sit for about 1 hour all the liquid has enough time to absorb the entire 1/2 roll. I also have tried several brands of heavy duty paper towels, and have found that Bounty expands when wet and the others seem to shrivel up. Remember do not shake the liquid, it will foam up.

Bring water to boil and add baby bath and lotion. place one half of paper towel roll into plastic container, and pour solution over paper towels. Once cool, pull your "wipes" from the center of the roll. keep sealed when not in use to prevent evaporation.