argan oil Archives - Soap Queen

How to Make Essential Oil Massage Oil

August 9, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Lotion

Massage oil is one of the easiest bath and body DIY projects. Simply mix skin-loving oils with fragrance and you have boutique-quality massage oil at home. The Massage Essential Oil Blend gives this oil a rich and spicy scent.

This massage oil is made with some of the most sought-after exotic oils: argan, jojoba, and moringa seed oil. Fractionated coconut oil is added to give the oil a lighter feel. If you don’t have one of these oils on hand, you can use a substitute. Just keep in mind that it will change the texture and moisturizing properties slightly.

The Massage Essential Oil Blend is a complex blend of pure essential oils. It was specifically formulated for massage and body oils. It contains more than 10 essential oils, including peppermint, rosemary, cinnamon, lavender, and elemi. Learn more about the blend here. This recipe contains enough essential oil for a light to medium scent. If you’d like a stronger scent, feel free to add more. Use the Bramble Berry Fragrance Calculator to help find the right amount.

Looking for more essential oil blends? Check out the Deodorizing, Spa, and Outdoor Essential Oil Blends.

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DIY Lavender Clay Face Mask

January 9, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Lotion

Usually clay masks are designed for oily skin. Because clay absorbs oil, it’s a natural fit. This Lavender Clay Face Mask was specifically formulated for dry and sensitive skin. Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you – it’s surprisingly easy to make! Transforming the clay, water and oil into a luxurious mask is a satisfying and rewarding creative process.

This Lavender Clay Mask recipe contains a luxurious blend of argan and avocado oil to moisturize the skin. Argan oil is well known for its nourishing properties, and contains high percentages of vitamins A and E. The oils and distilled water are mixed together with Polawax Emulsifying Wax and BTMS-50 Conditioning Wax. These emulsifiers create a smooth, creamy, lotion-like texture, and prevent separation of the oil and water.

A mixture of kaolin and purple Brazilian clay is added to the water and oils. The majority of the clay in this mask is kaolin clay, which is very fine and gentle. Purple Brazilian clay adds a beautiful color and helps create a thicker mask. Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil adds a light scent, but can be omitted if your skin is extremely sensitive. Evening primrose extract adds skin-loving properties, but can easily be swapped for any other extract you may prefer. Find out more about extracts here.

Overall, this mask has a lotion-like texture that spreads easily on the skin. Because it’s formulated with dry skin in mind, it contains a fairly small amount of clay. If you apply a very thin layer to the skin, you’ll find that after about 10 minutes it will dry. But if a heavier application is used, it may not fully dry and will continue to have a wet, lotion feel. If you prefer the mask to fully dry on the skin, increase the amount of total clay in the recipe to about 6 ounces.

A few notes about recipe substitutions and changes:

Polawax Emulsifying Wax is a highly reliable and strong emulsifier. It could be substituted for the generic version, Emulsifying Wax, if you prefer, although this recipe was not tested with Emulsifying Wax. Due to the clay in the recipe, we splurged and used Polawax Emulsifying Wax to avoid any chance of separation.
This recipe calls for avocado and argan oil. Other oils can be used instead if you prefer; we recommend staying with liquid oils that absorb easily into the skin. Changing the total amount of oil in the recipe will change the overall texture of the mask.
Because this recipe is essentially a lotion and contains a large amount of water, a preservative is necessary to prevent mold and bacterial growth. We chose Optiphen, but other water soluble preservatives will work. Learn more about preservatives here.
Increase the total amount of clay if you want it to be better suited for normal to oily skin types. Decreasing the amount of clay may create a thinner product with more moisturizing properties.
If you prefer to use different clays, feel free to swap them. Clays have different absorbing properties, which will affect how it feels on the skin. Learn which clay is right for your skin.
If you have very sensitive skin, fragrance and essential oils can be irritating. Omit from the recipe if you prefer.

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Lavender Lotion Bar Tutorial

October 11, 2016 Filed Under: Lotion

When skin needs serious moisture, lotion bars are the way to go. A lotion bar typically refers to a combination of butters, wax and oil that create a firm yet spreadable product when combined. Because they are made solely of oils, they are great for extremely dry areas like elbows, knees and cuticles. They are wonderful for a home spa day, or if skin needs a pick-me-up throughout the day.

These Lavender Lotion Bars are made with a luxurious blend of argan oil, avocado butter and white beeswax. Argan oil is rich in vitamin E and gives this bar a spreadable texture. Avocado butter and beeswax add firmness to the bars. Lavender 40/42 essential oil gives a light and calming floral scent. I love using the mini deodorant tubes for lotion bars because they are easy to travel with and carry around in your purse. Download and print this free label template for a finishing touch.

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Hydrating Lavender Hair Oil Tutorial

October 10, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

If your hair is feeling dry, oil might be the answer. This is especially true if you use hot styling tools every day or color your hair. Hair oil can be used in a variety of ways depending on your hair texture and severity of dryness. This Hydrating Hair Oil was specifically formulated to be easy to make and to be used in a variety of ways depending on your preference. Fractionated coconut oil gives this oil an overall light texture, while argan oil adds amazing antioxidant properties along with a blend of fatty acids that are amazing for hair.

Need some extreme moisture? Gently heat the hair oil and apply to dry hair. Wrap your hair in a warm, dry towel and allow the oil to penetrate the oil for about 30 minutes. Wash out thoroughly; it will probably take two shampoos to fully remove the oil. You can also apply a small amount of oil to the ends of dry or wet hair to keep hair smooth throughout the day. This recipe is also suitable for beards, facial hair and can be used as a body oil. This project also includes free templates! Download them here.

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Pure Honey Cold Process Soap Tutorial

August 11, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Honey is a popular additive in cold process soap. It’s a wonderful humectant and is great from a marketing standpoint. But, adding honey to soap does pose some challenges. The sugar from the honey can cause the soap to overheat. The key is keeping soaping temperatures cool and not using too much honey. I recommend a usage rate of 1 teaspoon honey per pound of soap. I also recommend placing the soap in the fridge or freezer after pouring it into the mold to prevent overheating. If you’d like to learn more about adding honey to your cold process soap, this post has more tips.

This Pure Honey Cold Process Soap contains a full tablespoon of local honey. It’s scented with Pure Honey Fragrance Oil, which gives the bars a wonderfully sweet scent. I kept the design of these bars simple to allow the honeycomb texture on the outside to shine. The secret to the honeycomb look is lining the mold with bubble wrap. Once the bubble wrap is peeled away, it reveals the realistic honeycomb pattern. As a bonus, we designed free downloadable labels for this soap! Find them here.

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DIY Argan & Jojoba Beard Oil on Soap Queen TV

March 15, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Burly beards and mustaches are back in style in a big way. To keep facial hair looking polished and healthy, beard oil is a must! Just like conditioner for the hair, beard oil works to give facial hair essential moisture. This beard oil recipe is formulated with lightweight fractionated coconut oil to ensure it doesn’t weigh beards down. It also contains luxurious jojoba and argan oils for intense hair loving properties. Aloe extract helps soothe skin, while vitamin e oil provides antioxidant properties.

Simply apply a few drops of the oil directly to the beard and skin to make it look shiny and well kept. This formula can also be used directly on skin, hair, or as a bath oil. To make the process of creating beard oil even easier, the Beard Oil Base is a premixed beard oil formula. The oils are already measured and mixed; all you need to do is customize the base with a fragrance or essential oil of your choice. Then your oil is ready to label and use! This beard oil would make a fabulous gift. In particular, I have heard of soapers making beard oil as wedding favors for the guys.

What You’ll Need:
Beard Oil from Scratch
Six 4 oz. Bottles (Black Disk Cap)
14 oz. Fractionated Coconut Oil
4.8 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
3 oz. Argan Oil
2.1 oz. Jojoba Oil
0.5 oz. Aloe Extract
0.2 oz. Vitamin E Oil
4 mL Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil
Dropper
Optional: DIY Wedding Labels

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

Pre-mixed Recipe:
Six 4 oz. Bottles (Black Disk Cap)
24 oz. Beard Oil Base
4 mL Mahogany Fragrance Oil

What is your favorite product for men to create? I’ve been working on a shaving soap recipe, so keep your eyes open for that in the next few months =)

Argan & Ginseng Gel Eye Serum on Soap Queen TV

July 2, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

I’m so excited about this Soap Queen TV because it’s a little out of the normal soap project. Surprise! It’s an eye serum that also doubles as a great eye make-up remover. Argan & Ginseng Gel Eye Serum is gentle and skin-loving with ingredients like argan oil, jojoba oil and ginseng extract. Argan oil is known for its high content of antioxidants, and is popular for a wide variety of cosmetic applications. To learn more about argan oil, click here. Ginseng extract comes from the ginseng root, which is commonly used for homeopathic treatments. The addition of cera bellina wax gives this serum a soft and easily-spreadable gel texture. To apply, use your finger to gently pat the serum around the eye area…a little goes a long way! I recommend applying this serum at night before bed.

What You’ll Need:
1.2 oz. Argan Oil
.7 oz. Jojoba Oil
.2 oz (10 mL) Ginseng Extract
.2 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
.2 Vitamin E Oil
10 Slidey Lip Tins

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

4.5 from 2 reviews

Argan & Ginseng Gel Eye Serum on Soap Queen TV

Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

This Argan and Ginseng Eye Serum is gentle and skin loving!

Author: Soap Queen

Recipe type: Eye serum

Serves: 10 tins

Ingredients

1.2 oz. Argan Oil
.7 oz. Jojoba Oil
.2 oz (10 mL) Ginseng Extract
.2 oz. Cera Bellina Wax
.2 Vitamin E Oil
10 Slidey Lip Tins

Instructions

In a disinfected heat safe container, add the argan oil, jojoba oil and cera bellina wax.
Melt the mixture in the microwave on 30-second bursts until it's fully melted. Be careful when removing the container, as it will be hot.
Add the vitamin E oil and ginseng extract to the mixture and stir until they're fully incorporated.
Carefully and slowly pour the mixture into the Slidey Lip Tins. Let them fully cool and enjoy!

Herb Infused Bath Oil

June 2, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

After a long day, nothing is quite as relaxing as a hot bath. This Herb Infused Bath Oil can be added directly into your bath water to create a moisturizing and calming bath experience. Comprised of argan oil, avocado and infused sweet almond, this combination of oils is full of vitamins E, B1, B2 and A. Before combining the bath oils, the sweet almond oil is infused with calendula and chamomile herb to impart extra skin-loving properties into the oil.

Infusing oils is easy and fun. To make this infused sweet almond oil, check out the How to Infuse Oils with a Crock-Pot. If you don’t have a slow cooker handy, you can also infuse your oils with a double boiler, or by using the cold infusion method.

In addition to the skin-loving oils, this recipe contains a small amount of polysorbate 80. The polysorbate 80 helps the oils combine with the water. Below is an example of how oil behaves with and without polysorbate 80. On the left is plain avocado oil. On the right is avocado oil with polysorbate. You will notice that the addition of polysorbate makes the water murky, but the oil is dispersed evenly throughout the water. To help the oil disperse through the bath water even more, pour the oil under the faucet as the bath fills up. When you get out, make sure you have solid footing and a good handhold. That same oil that is so lovely on the skin makes the tub slippery.

What You’ll Need:
8 oz. Chamomile & Calendula Infused Sweet Almond Oil (learn how to make it here)
3 oz. Argan Oil
5 oz. Avocado Oil
.6 oz. Polysorbate 80
1 oz. Vanilla Oak Fragrance Oil
Two 8 oz. Bottles with Pump Cap
Optional: 8 Tbs. Chamomile Herb + 8 Tbs. Calendula Petals

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

ONE: In a container, add all the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
NOTE: The sweet almond oil needs to be infused with the chamomile and calendula before mixing. You can find the instructions for infusing your sweet almond oil here.

TWO: Slowly and carefully, pour the oil mixture into the bottles. Screw on the cap and enjoy! To use, add the oil directly into your bath water. To help the oil mix into the water more thoroughly, pour the oil under the faucet while the bath tub fills up. This recipe is pure oil so your tub will be oily when you get out so take care in exiting the tub.

NOTE: Because this recipe does not contain water, it does not need a preservative. If you’d like to learn more about how to use preservatives in your products, click here.

Do you have a favorite product to add to your bath? I love bath fizzies!

Herb Infused Bath Oil

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

This combination of oils leaves skin feeling smooth and soft!

Author: Soap Queen

Serves: Two 8 oz. Bottles

Ingredients

8 oz. Chamomile & Calendula Infused Sweet Almond Oil
3 oz. Argan Oil
5 oz. Avocado Oil
.6 oz. Polysorbate 80
1 oz. Vanilla Oak Fragrance Oil
Two 8 oz. Bottles with Pump Cap

Instructions

In a container, add all the ingredients and mix well with a spoon.
Slowly and carefully, pour the oil mixture into the bottles. Screw on the cap and enjoy! To use, add the oil directly into your bath water. To help the oil mix into the water more thoroughly, pour the oil under the faucet while the bath tub fills up.

Nourishing Nail Polish Formula

March 31, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Nail polish is an easy way to add color and personality to your look. Nail art has recently flourished, and there are now more nail polish options than ever before. While nail polish is fun, it can take a toll on your nails. This Nourishing Nail Polish Formula contains skin-loving argan oil to help care for your nails while adding color. Mixing the colorant in the oil before adding it to the Suspending Nail Polish Base also makes the blending process easier.

For this recipe, I use argan oil, but any lightweight liquid oil would work. Sweet almond oil, chia seed oil, green tea seed oil, avocado oil or hazelnut oil would all be great choices. While slightly more oil could be added to the mixture, adding too much can prevent the polish from drying. If you’d like to add more oil, make a small test batch first to make sure the polish dries and hardens. This technique also works with other colors. The Radiant Plum Colorant used in this tutorial gives a gorgeous vibrant purple hue.

Keep in mind that nail polish base is extremely flammable; do not make or store your polish near an open flame. Because nail polish can be hard to clean, you may want to cover your counter space with newspaper in case of a spill. If you prefer to mix the polish, oils and colorants in a separate container before pouring it into the bottle, use a nail polish-safe, disposable container.
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12 Days of Christmas: Peppermint Pucker Lip Scrub

November 19, 2014 Filed Under: Lip Products

While the holiday season is full of cheer, it can also be tough on your lips. Blowing wind, cold temperatures, rain and snow can cause chapping or dryness. This Peppermint Pucker Lip Scrub lightly exfoliates, allowing lip balm to soak in better. This results in more hydrated, happy lips!

Red Jojoba Beads and sugar add gentle exfoliation and beautiful holiday color while avocado oil leaves a smooth and silky feeling on your lips. Mint Julep Flavor Oil adds a nice fresh kick to the scrub. And because this scrub is made with Nourish Lip Balm Base, it’s easy and quick to throw together as a last-minute handmade holiday gift.

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Argan & Sandalwood Vanilla Lotion Bar

October 21, 2014 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

The cold months take a toll on the skin, making moisturizing products a crucial step in winter skincare routines. When skin becomes dry and needs extra TLC, lotion bars made from luxurious oils are a fantastic option. Created with argan oil, mango butter and cocoa butter, these Argan and Sandalwood Vanilla Lotion Bars defend skin from the elements.

Argan oil, mango butter and cocoa butter are all amazing ingredients for the skin. Argan oil absorbs quickly and is full of vitamin E and essential fatty acids. Mango and cocoa butters are both rich, solid butters, and help to create a barrier to protect skin.

Scented with Sandalwood Vanilla Fragrance Oil, these lotion bars leave a warm, creamy and slightly spicy scent on the skin (don’t use too much, or it can smell a littler perfume-y). The Batik Dome Flexible Mold results in an intricate design, and releases the bars easily. Simply apply the bar directly to the skin, and massage in to help absorb.

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Sizzling Summer Hair Round Up

June 28, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

It’s officially summertime, and if you’re anything like that Bramble Berry team, that means spending lots of time at the beach (believe it or not, even the chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest warm up enough for some swimming this last week!). Or, if you’re like me and Chris, you’re spending lots of time outdoors (hiking and triathlons).

Summer sun can be tough on your hair, so that’s why we’re rounding up our Sizzling Summer Hair series. Featuring nourishing ingredients such as Argan Oil, Nettle Extract and Carrot Seed Essential Oil, this is a collection of tutorials that will keep your hair healthy year ’round.

The Sizzling Summer Hair collection includes four tutorials: Argan Oil Shampoo, Conditioner, Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray and Hot Oil Treatment.

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Facebook Photo of the Week (June 21st ~ June 27th)

June 27, 2014 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

This week, we shared a collection of recipes designed to keep your hair silky and smooth. The Argan Oil Shampoo Tutorial uses hair loving ingredients like Nettle and Carrot Extract to nourish hair during hot summer months. To complete the routine, the Leave-In Argan Oil Conditioner Tutorial is incredibly moisturizing and great for de-tangling.

If going to the beach everyday this summer is not a possibility, you can easily recreate the texture of beach-hair with the Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray. Simply spray dry hair and “scrunch” to help define curls, and make your hair more manageable when creating up-dos. If you’re tired of the traditional pony-tail, included in this post is a simple hair tutorial that’s great for beating summer heat.

The warm weather has certainly inspired use of bright color palettes and fruity scents. The soap created for an upcoming Soap Queen TV short is a perfect example! On the other hand, our Facebook Photo of the Week from Shana of Bathvs features a classic color combination of black and white, resulting in a soap that is perfect for all seasons.

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Argan Oil Shampoo Recipe

June 24, 2014 Filed Under: Lotion

Sunshine, ocean water and hotter temperatures are great for lifting your mood, but unfortunately they can be less than ideal for your locks. To help you achieve healthy, summer-ready hair, we’re rolling out a series of tutorials this week to rejuvenate and refresh your mane.

This Argan Oil shampoo is particularly loving to your hair and scalp. Argan Oil has long been used as an additive to hair products because of its high content of Vitamin E and essential fatty acids. The addition of Nettle and Carrot Extract provide some extra strand-nourishing power.

Check out the other tutorials in this series: Argan Oil Conditioner and Pink Sea Salt Beach Spray

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