Bed time can be a bit of an *ahem*… challenge if you have kids. This is especially the case if you have a kiddo who’s afraid of monsters. While telling your little one there are no monsters can help, you can also help them spray the monsters away!
Dry Shampoo Tutorial
While nothing beats a hot and relaxing shower, some days it’s hard to find the time. For those hectic days, dry shampoo is a quick way to freshen up dirty hair. The combination of arrowroot powder, talc powder and tapioca powder create an oil absorbing powerhouse that leaves hair feeling refreshed. Simply apply the powder directly to your roots, and use your hands to work in the powder. Scented with Relaxing Fragrance Oil, this dry shampoo smells of vanilla, lavender and musk.
Because the powder is white, dry shampoo can leave a slight powdery color in darker hair. You can add mica color to the powder to darken the powder, but this can make the powder quite messy and may color your scalp. If you’d like to experiment with color in your dry shampoo, we recommend adding 1/2 tsp. of mica colorant to the powder and working up from there. When adding color, the powder will still look white. To test the color, spread the powder on the back of your hand to see the true color. In our tests, oxides did not mix in as well as mica colorants and were very streaky.
Oat Oil Cleansers for Dry & Oily Skin
When I first heard of oil cleansers, I was a little skeptical. It seems so strange to “wash” your face with oils. But after lots of research and testing, I now use them in my skin care routine. Cleansing with oil leaves my skin feeling clean and extremely soft. If you’re unfamiliar with oil cleansers, I’ll give you the scoop.
Skin produces sebum from glands called the sebaceous glands. Sebum is an oily, waxy matter that is crucial to healthy skin. It protects the skin from bacteria and helps maintain a balance of water within the skin. Too much sebum can lead to breakouts, and not enough sebum can cause dry skin. Sometimes, when the skin is stripped of sebum from harsh cleansers, the skin can go into sebum-production overdrive. The excess sebum can lead to whiteheads, blackheads and acne. The idea behind oil cleansing is that it dissolves and washes away the sebum produced naturally by your skin, and replaces it with new “clean” oil. This leaves skin balanced, and does not cause skin to overproduce sebum.
Oils have different cleansing properties depending on the oil’s makeup of fatty acids. Because of this, the oils you choose for your oil cleanser will be depend on your skin type. The two important fatty acids to consider are linoleic acid and oleic acid. Skin prone to breakouts produces sebum that has a high oleic acid content. To help balance the skin, oily skin prone to breakouts should use oils with a higher amount of linoleic acid. These oils include castor, hemp seed oil and sunflower oil. On the flip side, dry mature skin may prefer oils high in oleic acid such as argan oil, avocado oil and sweet almond oil.
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Fizzy Toilet Fresheners
Let’s be honest – cleaning the bathroom isn’t very fun. It’s hard to keep your bathroom sparkling clean when you’re busy with other important tasks (like soaping, of course!) These Fizzy Toilet Fresheners are a great way to freshen your bathroom in between cleanings.
The combination of sodium bicarbonate and citric acid help fight stains. Once the freshener hits the water, it starts to fizz and release a fresh and clean scent from Lemon Essential Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil, 2nd Distillation. You can store them in an airtight container, like the Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jar, and use them whenever your bathroom needs a pick me up.
These fizzies are great for freshening your toilet, but are not intended for use in the bathtub. Because they are strongly scented to mask bathroom odors, the excess amounts of essential oil can cause skin irritation.
Silky Coconut Milk Face Mask
With the weather warming up, now is a great time to give your facial skin a little TLC. This Silky Coconut Milk Face Mask is made with coconut milk powder, colloidal oatmeal and kaolin clay to create a product that is incredibly gentle. The coconut milk powder is full of vitamins, and gives the mask a lovely coconut scent. Kaolin clay adds a silky feeling, while colloidal oatmeal adds a touch of exfoliation. A combination of vitamin E oil and Evening Primrose Extract give the mask moisturizing and soothing properties.
To use, scoop a small amount of the powder and mix with either water or oil to make a paste. If you have oily skin, mix this recipe with a bit of warm water for an oil-absorbing mask. If you have dry skin, mix the mask with a lightweight oil or thin lotion to add moisture. Argan oil, avocado oil, sweet almond oil or any other moisturizing oil would work well. Apply the mask to clean skin, and allow to sit on the skin for 3-5 minutes. Wash off, and apply moisturizer.
Soft & Creamy Blush Sticks
No makeup routine is complete without a touch of color on your cheeks. It adds a beautiful tint that makes your skin look bright and vibrant. While most blushes are in powder form, the Creamy Blush Sticks are full of skin-loving oils and waxes to add some moisture to your cheeks.
The cera bellina wax adds a smooth texture and shiny finish to the blush sticks, while cylomethicone helps them glide on smoothly. The combination of green tea seed oil and jojoba oil absorb quickly, leaving your cheeks moisturized and non-greasy. There are two shades to choose from – pink and coral – and both look great on a wide variety of skin tones. You can also customize a perfect shade for your skin. The sticks add a sheer tint, but the color can also be built up for a more dramatic shade. Scroll down to the bottom to see swatches of both colors.
Mystic Mermaid Eye Shadow + Application Tutorial
Basic eye shadow colors, like brown and gray, are great for everyday use. But every now and then, it’s nice to switch it up and try out new colors. This Mystic Mermaid Eye Shadow adds bold color and a subtle shimmer to your eyelids. They’re a perfect way to add some variety to your everyday look, or to create a glam look for a night out. This tutorial shows you how to create four mermaid inspired eye shadow tones. Scroll to the bottom for a demonstration on how to apply these shades!
The white eye shadow has a bit of shimmer from Super Pearly White Mica, which adds interest to your base color. It also works as a highlighting shade. The purple, blue and teal colors are great for shadows and contouring. You can also switch up the colors for a unique look each time. Dipping your makeup brush in a little water intensifies the color, giving you more color options.
If you have never made mineral makeup before, it’s incredibly easy! To learn more, check out this Mineral Makeup Soap Queen TV Episode. Make sure when you are creating eye shadow that you use eye safe colorants; colorants not approved for the eye area can cause extreme irritation. Click here for a list of eye shadow safe micas and colorants.
Rainbow Jojoba Bead Sugar Scrub
Jojoba beads are perfect for scrubs. Along with adding gentle exfoliation to your recipe, they also add a gorgeous color. The Fresh Rain Sugar Scrub gets its blue hue from Ocean Blue Jojoba Beads. Using different colors and layering them creates a fun rainbow effect in this Rainbow Jojoba Bead Sugar Scrub.
The Rainbow Jojoba Bead Scrub uses five different colors of jojoba beads. Sugar adds more scrubbiness to the recipe, which gets rid of dead skin and helps your moisturizer absorb. Spring Meadow Fragrance Oil adds a scent that is reminiscent of a bouquet of fresh flowers. Potassium cocoate gives the scrub lather and leaves your skin feeling non-greasy. Potassium cocoate is the potassium salt of coconut fatty acid. It’s an all natural liquid surfactant made from 100% whole coconut oil and potassium hydroxide. It works great in scrubs, shampoos and liquid soaps.
This scrub works great for your body. It is also gentle enough to use on your face. The scrub is strongly scented, so you may want to use less fragrance if you use this scrub for your face.
Orange Creamsicle Bath Truffle
Bath truffles are a great way to add skin-loving oils to your bath water and your body. Bath truffles are made with more oils or butter than the typical bath bomb, but still produce plenty of fizz. Made with shea oil, cocoa butter and Creamsicle Cybilla Fragrance Oil, these Orange Creamsicle Bath Truffles smell absolutely delicious. Inspired by a classic creamsicle ice cream treat, they are easy to make and fun to use. They do pack a powerful punch of skin-loving oils which can (and does) leave your tub oily so be careful when exiting the tub!
When you’re ready to use, place the bath truffle into the bath and allow to melt and fizz in the tub. The oil and butter will soon appear in the tub water, giving the skin hydration and moisture. Because of the extra oil, bath truffles do make the tub slippery, so be careful when stepping out of the tub. I also keep a washcloth nearby so I can wipe down the tub (really, it is *that* luxuriously moisturizing) after I’m done bathing to clean it up right then and there. If you’d like another recipe for bath truffles, check out this Soap Queen TV video.
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Rosy Red Lip Gloss Recipe
Inspired by romantic red roses, this Rosy Red Lip Gloss gives lips a natural rosy hue. This lip product is glossy and feels soft on the lips. It’s made with a combination of castor oil, jojoba oil and cera bellina wax. Merlot Sparkle Mica and Rose Pearl Mica give the gloss a shimmery red color that’s flattering for a wide variety of skin tones. Scented with Passionfruit Rose Fragrance and Flavor Oil, the gloss smells as rosy as it looks!
Pink Clay & Primrose Hand-Milled Soap
Hand-milled soap is a fantastic option for crafters who prefer not to work with lye, but still love the look and feel of cold process soap. Hand-milling (also called rebatching) involves melting down pre-made cold process soap and adding a small amount of extra liquid. If you’d like to see this process in action, check out this How to Make Rebatch Soap video on Soap Queen TV.
For this recipe, rose water is used with pink Brazilian clay to give a light rosy hue. Topped with rose petals and scented with Ylang Ylang III essential oil, this Pink Clay & Primrose Hand-Milled Soap project is wonderfully feminine. This project would make a great gift for Valentine’s Day! These downloadable labels make packaging and giving to loved ones easy.
Wax Sealed Valentines
With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, now is the time to start creating gifts for your loved ones. Handwritten valentines are an excellent way to show love and appreciation; I’m a firm believer in the power of a well written card! This year, make your love note one to remember with a dramatic wax seal.
Sealant wax is commonly comprised of beeswax and resin to create an incredibly hard, sticky wax. Without resin, this combination of waxes is not as hard and brittle as traditional sealant wax, but it’s perfect for adding a decorative touch to your letters.
Sea Clay Dry Salt Scrub
When skin feels dry or flaky, it’s time to create a scrub! This dry scrub uses a combination of gentle baking soda, extra fine Epsom salt, fine grained dead sea salt and poppy seeds to create a scrub that gives plenty exfoliation. Sea clay adds a touch of gentle scrub, as well as color and oil-absorbing properties. A pinch of Aqua Pearl Mica is added for color and a bit of shimmer.
Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask on Soap Queen TV
Easy to make and fun to use, clay masks are the perfect way to give facial skin extra TLC. In this Soap Queen TV short video, Anne-Marie shows you how to make a clay mask that moisturizes and exfoliates. Made with luxurious argan and meadowfoam oil, this mask gives the skin essential nutrients such as vitamin E. As you wash the mask off, the walnut shells and clays gently exfoliate away dry, flaky skin.
What You’ll Need:
2.4 oz. Rose Clay
.7 oz Kaolin Clay
.3 oz Walnut Shells
1.4 oz Argan Oil
1.2 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
.1 Evening Primrose Extract
1.8 mL Phenonip
4 oz. Jar with White Twist Cap
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask on Soap Queen TV
Made with moisturizing oils and skin loving clays, this facial mask moisturizes and exfoliates.
Recipe type: Face Products
Serves: One 4 oz. Jar
Ingredients
- 2.4 oz Rose Clay
- .7 oz Kaolin Clay
- .3 oz Walnut Shells
- 1.4 oz Argan Oil
- 1.2 oz Meadowfoam Oil
- .1 oz Evening Primrose Extract
- 1.8 mL Phenonip
- One 4 oz. Jar with White Twist Cap
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add rose clay, kaolin clay and walnut shells. Stir to combine.
- Add the argan, meadowfoam oil, phenonip and evening primrose extract and stir to combine. The mixture will be quite thick, but keep stirring!
- Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, place the mixture into the jar and enjoy!
