If you’re looking for a last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, try these Heart Lotion Bars. They’re made with sweet almond oil, cocoa butter, and Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil. The bars are solid at room temperature, but melt on contact with the skin. They’re great for extra dry patches like elbows, knees, and hands.

The bars couldn’t be easier to make – simply melt together the beeswax and sweet almond oil, then add the cocoa butter wafers and stir. The natural scent of cocoa butter smells amazing with the Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil.

Heart Lotion Bars

What You Need:
6 Cavity Heart Silicone Mold
Pink Rose Petals
6.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
4.8 oz. White Beeswax
4.8 oz. Cocoa Butter Wafers
4 mL Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil
Dropper

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Heart Lotion Bars

Course Lotion Bars

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 lotion bars

Author Bramble Berry

Ingredients

• 6 Cavity Heart Silicone Mold
• Pink Rose Petals
• 6.4 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
• 4.8 oz. White Beeswax
• 4.8 oz. Cocoa Butter Wafers
• 4 mL Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil
• Dropper

Instructions

• In a heat-safe container, add 4.8 ounces of white beeswax and 6.4 ounces of sweet almond oil. Melt in the microwave using 60 second bursts.
• Add 4.8 ounces of cocoa butter wafers to the hot wax and oil mixture. Stir until the cocoa butter melts. If there are small pieces that won’t melt, place the container back in the microwave and heat using 10 second bursts.
• Add 4 mL of Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil and stir in thoroughly.
• Place a small pinch of rose petals into each mold cavity. Use a spoon to cover the petals with a bit of the oil mixture (this helps the petals stay in place). Allow to cool and harden for about 1 minute.
• Carefully pour the remaining oil mixture into each cavity. Place the mold in the freezer so it cools quickly. That helps prevent crystallization.
• Remove from the freezer after 30-60 minutes and enjoy!

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One of the little joys in life is opening a bag of cocoa butter – the chocolate scent is hard to beat. We made sure to savor that moment when creating these Cocoa Butter Bath Bombs, which are chock-full of goodness.

The base is a simple mixture of baking soda, citric acid, cocoa butter, and Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. The inspiration for the topping came from Kristie with Odyssey Soap. We added cocoa powder to the cocoa butter for a rich brown color. It’s scented with Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil, which has notes of cedarwood, coconut, and jasmine petals. When that mixture is drizzled on top of the bath bombs it looks just like melted chocolate.

Pink sea salt is quickly added on top while the cocoa butter is still warm. This project is a more advanced technique – the cocoa butter must be the perfect temperature and consistency in order to be drizzled. If the butter is too hot, it will absorb into the bath bomb. Too cold and it will not look smooth and may not stick. We experimented with adding baking soda to the melted cocoa butter to achieve a thicker texture, but found it didn’t make much of a difference.

The next day after making these bath bombs, we noticed that the long skinny drizzles of cocoa butter actually separated from the bath bomb as you can see below. To prevent this, spoon the cocoa butter on top while it’s nice and thick so it doesn’t drip down the sides.

We were concerned the Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil would bleed into the white bath bombs and discolor them so we added Vanilla Color Stabilizer to half of the cocoa butter mixture. It’s been about three weeks since we made these and so far there hasn’t been any discoloration in the mixture without stabilizer.

This is a nice large batch of bath bombs – it made about 26. If you don’t want to make quite that many, feel free to cut the recipe in half.

What You Need
About 25 Bath Bomb Mold & Package
64 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
32 oz. Citric Acid
8 oz. Cocoa Butter (mixture + topping)
0.8 oz. Polysorbate 80
With Hazel in Spray Bottle
0.9 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
4 mL Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil
1 tsp. Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
Coarse Pink Sea Salt

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ONE: In a large bowl, mix together 64 oz. of baking soda and 32 oz. of citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.

TWO: Add 4 ounces of the cocoa butter to a small heat-safe container and melt in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Add 0.8 oz. of polysorbate 80 and 0.9 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. Use a spoon to fully mix the ingredients together. The polysorbate 80 is there to help disperse the cocoa butter into the tub.

THREE: Add the butter mixture to the baking soda and citric acid. Use your hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.

FOUR: Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency is similar to wet sand that holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed.

FIVE: Fill the two halves of the molds, gently pressing the bath bomb mixture in each so they hold their shape. Mound a little extra mixture in the center of each half of the molds. Wipe away any powder that got in the seams of the mold, match the eyelets of each side up, and press together. To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center. Continue filling up the bath bomb molds until the mixture is gone.

SIX: Allow the bath bombs to dry and harden in the molds for 24 hours. Then, carefully remove them from the package. Melt 4 ounces of cocoa butter in a small heat-safe container using 30 second bursts. You don’t want the cocoa butter to get too hot or you’ll need to wait a few hours for it to cool. Add 1 tsp. of cocoa powder and 4 mL of Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil and stir them in completely.

We found a good temperature for the cocoa butter is about 75° F. Once it’s a thick yet pourable texture (as shown below) it’s ready to place on the top of the bath bombs. Be ready to work quickly. Just a few degrees can make the butter too thick. If it does become too thick, place the mixture back in the microwave for 3-5 seconds. It doesn’t need a lot of time to warm up.

SEVEN: Use a spoon to plop a dollop of the butter on top of each bath bomb. Sprinkle the pink sea salt immediately on the top before the cocoa butter cools and hardens. Allow the butter to fully cool and harden for several hours.
NOTE: You can see that the butter in the photo below is starting to get a little cool and thick – be ready to work quickly during this step!

These bath bombs are rather delicate, so they may not be the best option to ship. If giving them as a gift, wrap them very carefully. To use, add them to a very hot tub. The hotter the water, the better. All the cocoa butter in this recipe needs high heat to fully melt.

We dropped one of the bath bombs in our kitchen sink to give you an idea of how they melt in the tub. The cocoa butter pools slightly in the tub, but it can be broken up with your hands. We found the majority of the cocoa powder went down the sink and didn’t create a ring. But, do be careful when getting out of the tub. All that cocoa butter does make it rather slippery.

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DIY Cocoa Butter Bath Bombs

These bath bombs are a chocolate lover's dream.

Course Bath Bombs

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• About 25 Bath Bomb Mold & Package
• 64 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate Baking Soda
• 32 oz. Citric Acid
• 8 oz. Cocoa Butter mixture + topping
• 0.8 oz. Polysorbate 80
• With Hazel in Spray Bottle
• 0.9 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil
• 4 mL Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil
• 1 tsp. Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
• Coarse Pink Sea Salt

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together 64 oz. of baking soda and 32 oz. of citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powders through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.
• Add 4 ounces of the cocoa butter to a small heat-safe container and melt in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Add 0.8 oz. of polysorbate 80 and 0.9 oz. Pure Honey Fragrance Oil. Use a spoon to fully mix the ingredients together. The polysorbate 80 is there to help disperse the cocoa butter into the tub.
• Add the butter mixture to the baking soda and citric acid. Use your hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.
• Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency is similar to wet sand that holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed.
• Fill the two halves of the molds, gently pressing the bath bomb mixture in each so they hold their shape. Mound a little extra mixture in the center of each half of the molds. Wipe away any powder that got in the seams of the mold, match the eyelets of each side up, and press together. To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center. Continue filling up the bath bomb molds until the mixture is gone.
• Allow the bath bombs to dry and harden in the molds for 24 hours. Then, carefully remove them from the package. Melt 4 ounces of cocoa butter in a small heat-safe container using 30 second bursts. You don’t want the cocoa butter to get too hot or you’ll need to wait a few hours for it to cool. Add 1 tsp. of cocoa powder and 4 mL of Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil and stir them in completely. We found a good temperature for the cocoa butter is about 75° F. Once it’s a thick yet pourable texture (as shown below) it’s ready to place on the top of the bath bombs. Be ready to work quickly. Just a few degrees can make the butter too thick. If it does become too thick, place the mixture back in the microwave for 3-5 seconds. It doesn’t need a lot of time to warm up.
• Use a spoon to plop a dollop of the butter on top of each bath bomb. Sprinkle the pink sea salt immediately on the top before the cocoa butter cools and hardens. Allow the butter to fully cool and harden for several hours. These bath bombs are rather delicate, so they may not be the best option to ship. If giving them as a gift, wrap them very carefully. To use, add them to a very hot tub. The hotter the water, the better. All the cocoa butter in this recipe needs high heat to fully melt.

The post DIY Cocoa Butter Bath Bombs appeared first on Soap Queen.

The colors and textures of crystals provide endless inspiration. These Crystal Bath Bombs were created with geodes in mind. Fine grained Dead Sea Salt gives a crystal-like texture to each bath bomb. Then, various colors of mica are painted on the salt to give depth and interest.

Deodorized cocoa butter is added to the bath bomb mixture for structure and skin-loving properties. If you don’t have deodorized cocoa butter, regular cocoa butter will work as well. New Jade Fragrance Oil gives these bath bombs a sweet floral scent that’s perfect for the green color palette.

Because these bath bombs have plenty of oil and mica, polysorbate 80 is used. Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier that helps the cocoa butter disperse more evenly in the bath water rather than pooling on top. It also prevents the mica from clinging to the side of the tub. We found a minimal amount of color on the tub after using these bath bombs. But because mica likes to cling to residue, give your tub a quick wipe down before use.

This project requires some fine detail paint brushes. Painting the bath bombs does take a little practice, but don’t worry about the design being too perfect – have fun with it. As a finishing touch, Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter is sprayed on top using the new Powder Sprayer. The glitter really gives each bath bomb the perfect sparkly touch.

What You Need:
10 Bath Bomb Mold & Package
26 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)
13 oz. Citric Acid
Witch Hazel in a Spray Bottle
0.7 oz. Jade Fragrance Oil
3 oz. Deodorized Cocoa Butter
0.6 oz. Polysorbate 80
6 oz. Fine Grained Dead Sea Salt
Shamrock Green Mica
Super Pearly White Mica
Gold Sparkle Mica
Pewter Silver Mica
1/2 tsp. Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter
Powder Sprayer (filled with Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter)

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

ONE: Melt the cocoa butter in a small heat-safe container in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Because cocoa butter has a high melting point, be very careful when removing the container from the microwave – it will be very hot.

TWO: Add the polysorbate 80 and Jade Fragrance Oil to the melted cocoa butter. Stir to mix all the ingredients together.

THREE: In a separate large container, mix together the baking soda and citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powder through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.

FOUR: Add the oil mixture to the baking soda and citric acid. Use gloved hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. Set aside.

FIVE: In a separate bowl, add the fine grained Dead Sea salt, 1/2 tsp. Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter, and 1/4 tsp. Shamrock Green Mica. Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together.

SIX: Place some green salt into one half of the bath bomb mold. It should fill the mold about 1/3 of the way. Keep in mind that once the bath bomb is umolded, the salt will be dusted off the bath bomb to give the crystal shape. Don’t be afraid to use a deep layer of salt.

SEVEN: Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency for molding is similar to wet sand and holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed. Cover the salt with bath bomb mixture. Gently pack the bath bomb mixture into the mold, but leave some loose mixture on top.

EIGHT: Fill the other half of the bath bomb mold with mixture, packing in gently and leaving some loose mixture on the top. Overfilling each half slightly with loose mixture helps the two halves stick together. Wipe away any mixture that got in the seams of the mold, match the eyelets of each side up, and press together.  To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center.

NINE: Continue filling up each bath bomb with the salt mixture and bath bomb mixture. Once the molds are all filled, allow the bath bombs to dry and harden in the molds. For the best results, we recommend leaving the bath bombs in the mold overnight. The longer they dry, the more durable they will be.

TEN: Remove the bath bombs from the mold by pulling on both eyelets. Once unmolded, use your finger to gently brush away the extra salt. You’ll be left with a bath bomb with an indent.

ELEVEN: Remove all the bath bombs from the mold and remove the excess salt. If you like, you can save the salt for future projects. In separate containers, mix together 1/2 tsp. of Super Pearly White Mica, Shamrock Green Mica, Gold Sparkle Mica, and Pewter Silver Mica into about 1/2 Tbsp. of 99% isopropyl alcohol. The mica mixture should be thin but still saturated. As you paint, you’ll find your preference of mica paint texture. Add more mica or alcohol according to your preference throughout the painting process. Fill a small container with alcohol to rinse your brush and blend colors. Finally, fill the Powder Sprayer with Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter.

TWELVE: Starting with the Shamrock Green Mica, use a fine detail paint brush to apply the mica mixture to the deepest areas of the bath bombs. This gives them depth. Use the Shamrock Green Mica to also line the salt area of the bath bomb.

THIRTEEN: Use another paint brush to apply the white mica mixture to the highest points of the salt.

FOURTEEN: Apply the gold mica mixture to various points of the salt, and use a clean brush with alcohol to blend. A little white mica is also great for blending. Apply a thin line of gold mica to the outline of the salt for more definition. Remember, this is an art not a science. There is no right or wrong way to paint these bath bombs. The more you paint, the easier it gets.

FIFTEEN: Apply very thin lines of the silver mica to the deep areas of the salt and around the edges. A little silver goes a long way, so apply sparingly.

SIXTEEN: Spray the Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter to the top of the salt for a sparkly finishing touch. Allow the mica paint to thoroughly dry.

Once you’re ready to use, place the bath bomb into hot tub water and enjoy! These bath bombs are very delicate, so handle with care.

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DIY Crystal Bath Bombs

These unique bath bombs are inspired by geodes.

Course Bath Bombs

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 10 bath bombs

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 Bath Bomb Mold & Package
• 26 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate Baking Soda
• 13 oz. Citric Acid
• Witch Hazel in a Spray Bottle
• 0.7 oz. Jade Fragrance Oil
• 3 oz. Deodorized Cocoa Butter
• 0.6 oz. Polysorbate 80
• 6 oz. Fine Grained Dead Sea Salt
• Shamrock Green Mica
• Super Pearly White Mica
• Gold Sparkle Mica
• Pewter Silver Mica
• 1/2 tsp. Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter
• Powder Sprayer filled with Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter

Instructions

• Melt the cocoa butter in a small heat-safe container in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Because cocoa butter has a high melting point, be very careful when removing the container from the microwave – it will be very hot.
• Add the polysorbate 80 and Jade Fragrance Oil to the melted cocoa butter. Stir to mix all the ingredients together.
• In a separate large container, mix together the baking soda and citric acid. To get rid of clumps in the mixture, you can push the powder through a sifter or break them up with your fingers. Citric acid has a tendency to take off nail polish, so wear gloves to protect your manicure. Thoroughly stir the ingredients together.
• Add the oil mixture to the baking soda and citric acid. Use gloved hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add the fine grained Dead Sea salt, 1/2 tsp. Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter, and 1/4 tsp. Shamrock Green Mica. Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together.
• Place some green salt into one half of the bath bomb mold. It should fill the mold about 1/3 of the way. Keep in mind that once the bath bomb is umolded, the salt will be dusted off the bath bomb to give the crystal shape. Don’t be afraid to use a deep layer of salt.
• Test the consistency of the bath bomb mixture. The perfect consistency for molding is similar to wet sand and holds its shape when squeezed. If it’s too dry, use one hand to spritz the mixture with witch hazel and one to mix. Continue spritzing until the mixture holds its shape when squeezed. Cover the salt with bath bomb mixture. Gently pack the bath bomb mixture into the mold, but leave some loose mixture on top.
• Fill the other half of the bath bomb mold with mixture, packing in gently and leaving some loose mixture on the top. Overfilling each half slightly with loose mixture helps the two halves stick together. Wipe away any mixture that got in the seams of the mold, match the eyelets of each side up, and press together. To avoid any imperfections on your bath bomb, make sure to direct pressure to the edges of the mold rather than the center.
• Continue filling up each bath bomb with the salt mixture and bath bomb mixture. Once the molds are all filled, allow the bath bombs to dry and harden in the molds. For the best results, we recommend leaving the bath bombs in the mold overnight. The longer they dry, the more durable they will be.
• Remove the bath bombs from the mold by pulling on both eyelets. Once unmolded, use your finger to gently brush away the extra salt. You’ll be left with a bath bomb with an indent.
• Remove all the bath bombs from the mold and remove the excess salt. If you like, you can save the salt for future projects. In separate containers, mix together 1/2 tsp. of Super Pearly White Mica, Shamrock Green Mica, Gold Sparkle Mica, and Pewter Silver Mica into about 1/2 Tbsp. of 99% isopropyl alcohol. The mica mixture should be thin but still saturated. As you paint, you’ll find your preference of mica paint texture. Add more mica or alcohol according to your preference throughout the painting process. Fill a small container with alcohol to rinse your brush and blend colors. Finally, fill the Powder Sprayer with Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter.
• Starting with the Shamrock Green Mica, use a fine detail paint brush to apply the mica mixture to the deepest areas of the bath bombs. This gives them depth. Use the Shamrock Green Mica to also line the salt area of the bath bomb.
• Use another paint brush to apply the white mica mixture to the highest points of the salt
• Apply the gold mica mixture to various points of the salt, and use a clean brush with alcohol to blend. A little white mica is also great for blending. Apply a thin line of gold mica to the outline of the salt for more definition. Remember, this is an art not a science. There is no right or wrong way to paint these bath bombs. The more you paint, the easier it gets.
• Apply very thin lines of the silver mica to the deep areas of the salt and around the edges. A little silver goes a long way, so apply sparingly.
• Spray the Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter to the top of the salt for a sparkly finishing touch. Allow the mica paint to thoroughly dry.
• Once you’re ready to use, place the bath bomb into hot tub water and enjoy! These bath bombs are very delicate, so handle with care.

The post DIY Crystal Bath Bombs appeared first on Soap Queen.

With St. Patrick’s Day a couple weeks away, I’ve been itching to make a rainbow-inspired project. Thus, Rainbow Bubbling Bath Truffles were born. The bars aren’t quite a bath bomb, bath melt, or bubble bar – they are a little bit of everything! The combination of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid creates a mild fizzing reaction. The addition of SLSA creates bubbles, while cocoa butter cubes and shea butter add moisture to the tub. The new Fruity Fusion Fragrance Oil gives the bath truffles a fruity scent, which smells delicious combined from the chocolatey smell from the cocoa butter. They smell a lot like chocolate covered gummies – yum!

When added to the tub, the bath truffles fall to the bottom because the butters make them quite heavy. Slowly, they start to fizz and disperse the skin-loving ingredients. If you want to activate the bubbles, hold the bar directly under the faucet once the tub is almost full. Break up small pieces of the bar in the running water. You can also place the bar into a fine mesh strainer and hold the strainer under the faucet to help activate the bubbles as well. The bubbles are modest because of the butter, but still cover the surface of the tub. If you’re looking for more bubbles, less fizz and less moisture in the tub, a more traditional solid bubble bar recipe (like the LoveSpell Solid Bubble Bath DIY) may be a better fit.

Typical solid bubble bath recipes can take a week or more to become firm. That’s because most of the moisture in solid bubble bath recipes comes from glycerin. One of the great things about this Bubbling Bath Truffle recipe is the bars harden within a few hours. The moisture in this recipe comes from shea and cocoa butter, rather than glycerin. Once the butters are completely cool, the bath truffles become firm. In our tests, this took about 3 hours. A small amount of glycerin makes the mixture slightly more moldable, and polysorbate 80 disperses the butters in the bath water.

While these bars are extremely vibrant thanks to micas, we found the colors don’t transfer on the tub. Polysorbate 80 prevents the colors from clumping up in the bath water. All the colors in this project can be found in the Rainbow Mica Sampler Pack. You can also use La Bomb Colorants. Oxides and pigments are not recommended. They are larger than micas, which make them harder to mix in and could transfer color to the tub or your skin.

Testing and Recipe Notes –

These bath truffles took several trial and error batches – four to be exact. The first batch was placed in the Heavy Duty Column Mold and allowed to harden in the mold for a few hours. The final bars were an even circular shape; little did we know it was beginner’s luck! The problem with that batch? It was so hard to get the log out of the mold. The mixture expanded, making the liner really difficult to slide out. The bars also didn’t create many bubbles in the tub.

They looked great, but were difficult to make and didn’t behave like we wanted them to. After we tweaked the recipe to create more bubbles, we ran into the problem of the bars sticking to the liner. They were still hard to remove from the mold. You can see the sad third batch of bath truffles below. They stuck to the liner, and were also crumbly when cut. The crumbles still worked well in the tub though!

When formulating a recipe, not every batch turns out perfectly! This recipe took four trials to find a recipe and method that worked well together. This batch stuck to the mold liner.

After testing, we decided to ditch the Heavy Duty Column Mold. While it did give the first batch an even, round shape, it just wasn’t working. It was extremely difficult to unmold the bars. It was also hard to find the perfect amount of time to leave the bars in the mold. If they were removed too soon, they were soft and stuck to the mold. If you wait too long, it was harder to umold and they were crumbly to cut. The compromise shown in this tutorial is using the liner to help shape the bars. Then, they are cut immediately while still soft.

If you want to substitute any ingredients in this recipe, it will change the texture of the dough. Changes to the recipe can affect how long you have to work with the dough, how firm the bars become, how easily the bars can be rolled and cut, how it behaves in the tub, etc. In general, I don’t recommend making substitutions for the dry and wet ingredients in this recipe. If you do want to tweak the recipe, consider making a smaller batch with one color to see how the changes affect the texture of the dough and results in the tub.

What You’ll Need:
Optional: Mold Liner (for Heavy Duty Column Mold)
25 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) (41%)
7 oz. Citric Acid (12%)
13 oz. SLSA (21%)
2.5 oz. Cream of Tartar (4%)
1 tsp. Fine Iridescent Glitter
6 oz. Shea Butter (10%)
4.5 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Cubes (7%)
1.5 oz. Liquid Glycerin (3%)
.5 oz. Polysorbate 80 (1%)
.6 oz. Fruity Fusion Fragrance Oil (1%)
Rainbow Mica Sampler Pack:
Raspberry Mica
Racing Stripe Orange Mica
Buttercup Mica
Kelly Green Mica
Caribbean Blue Mica
Queen’s Purple Mica

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

ONE: In a small heat-safe container, add the shea butter and cocoa butter cubes. Place the container in the microwave and melt the butters using 30-60 bursts. The cocoa butter takes a little while to melt. Be careful when removing it from the microwave, as it may be very hot.

TWO: Add the Fruity Fusion Fragrance Oil, polysorbate 80 and glycerin to the melted butters. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate. Set aside.

THREE: Place a fine mesh sifter over a large container. Add the baking soda, citric acid, cream of tartar and Fine Iridescent Glitter. Pour the ingredients through the sifter to get rid of chunks. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together. Very carefully, add the SLSA to the large container (do not put it through the sifter). I recommend adding the SLSA very last. SLSA is extremely fine and powdery and can become airborne very easily. You may want to wear a mask during this step to avoid breathing in any SLSA. It is irritating if you breathe it in. Once all the ingredients have been added, slowly mix together the dry ingredients using a whisk.

FOUR: Add about 1/3 of the melted butter mixture. I recommend adding the liquid ingredients to the powder when the liquids are about 180 ° F. This is quite hot, so I recommend using gloves to mix the liquid ingredients into the powder. The hotter the liquid ingredients are when added, the softer the final “dough” will be. Adding the liquid when it’s hot reduces the need to microwave it later. Use your hands to incorporate the liquid and powder ingredients together. If you prefer, you could also use a stand or hand mixer for this step, but I prefer using my hands.

FIVE: Continue adding the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together until fully incorporated. The final texture will be very similar to bread dough – soft, workable and slightly sticky. The texture of the mixture depends on the temperature of the butters. The warmer the dough, the softer it will be. We found a dough temperature of about 85-100 ° F is a great moldable texture. If your dough is cooler than that, place the entire mixture into the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm it.

SIX: You will have about 60 ounces of mixture. Split the batch into 7 equal containers; each container should have about 8.5 ounces. I recommend weighing all the containers to make sure you have an equal amount, but you could eyeball it if you prefer.

SEVEN: To each container, add the following amounts of mica. If you prefer more pastel colors, use less. Add more mica if you prefer more vibrant colors. Use your hands to mix in the mica thoroughly until there are no streaks of color. I recommend mixing from lightest to darkest to avoid muddling the colors. You may want to change gloves when moving from warm to cool colors.

• Red/Pink: 1/8 tsp. Raspberry Mica
• Orange: 1/4 tsp. Racing Stripe Orange Mica
• Yellow: 1/4 tsp. Buttercup Mica
• Green: 1/8 tsp. Kelly Green Mica
• Blue: 1/8 tsp. Caribbean Blue Mica
• Purple: 1/4 tsp. Queen’s Purple Mica
• White: No colorant

EIGHT: Once all the colors are mixed, it’s time to mold! Clean off your counter space to mold the mixture and create a log shape. Depending on your counter material, you may want to place a sheet of parchment or wax paper down to prevent the dough from sticking. Sprinkle your work surface with a bit of baking soda to prevent sticking. Working with the red/pink dough first, begin to form a long, flat dough shape. Place it on your work surface.

NINE: Continue making long, flat log shapes with the orange, yellow, green, blue and purple colors. Place each color on top of the last, and use your hands to gently press the colors together and form an even shape. Finally, place the uncolored portion of the mixture on top of the purple.

TEN: Use your hands to press the colors together into one log. The log should be about 12″. If you’d like your bars to be smaller, you can stretch the log into a longer shape, or create a shorter shape for bigger bars.

ELEVEN: If you’d like the colors to have a little more movement, very carefully twist the log. While twisting, be sure to press the log together to avoid large cracks or tears. This can be a little tricky, so feel free to skip it if you’re concerned with your log falling apart.

TWELVE: To help get a more even, circular shape, place the log into the liner for the Heavy Duty Column Mold. Squeeze the liner closed to create more condensed, even bars. This step can be skipped if you are happy with the shape created with rolling the log on the counter.

THIRTEEN: If you have not done so already, cover your surface with parchment or freezer paper. Carefully remove the log from the liner and use a sharp knife to cut the log into bars. Do so very gently, as the bottom of the bars may want to crumble a bit. If this happens, use your hands to reshape any crumbles. Rolling the log after each cut helps maintain a more even circular shape.

FOURTEEN: Very carefully place each bar face down on the parchment or freezer paper. Use your hands to reform any bars if needed. As the butters in the bath truffles cool, they become hard. It takes about 3-4 hours for the bars to become firm depending on your room temperature. It can be hard to wait, but be patient!

Once you’re ready to use the bath truffles, place them in the tub for a slow fizzing reaction with a small amount of foamy bubbles. If you want to “activate” more bubbles, hold the bar directly under the running bath faucet while breaking off small amounts of the bar.

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DIY Rainbow Bubbling Bath Truffles

These Bubbling Rainbow Bath Truffles fizz, create bubbles and add moisture to the tub!

Course Bath Bomb/Bath Truffle

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Optional: Mold Liner for Heavy Duty Column Mold
• 25 oz. Sodium Bicarbonate Baking Soda (41%)
• 7 oz. Citric Acid 12%
• 13 oz. SLSA 21%
• 2.5 oz. Cream of Tartar 4%
• 1 tsp. Fine Iridescent Glitter
• 6 oz. Shea Butter 10%
• 4.5 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Cubes 7%
• 1.5 oz. Liquid Glycerin 3%
• .5 oz. Polysorbate 80 1%
• .6 oz. Fruity Fusion Fragrance Oil 1%
• Rainbow Mica Sampler Pack:
• Raspberry Mica
• Racing Stripe Orange Mica
• Buttercup Mica
• Kelly Green Mica
• Caribbean Blue Mica
• Queen’s Purple Mica

Instructions

• In a small heat-safe container, add the shea butter and cocoa butter cubes. Place the container in the microwave and melt the butters using 30-60 bursts. The cocoa butter takes a little while to melt. Be careful when removing it from the microwave, as it may be very hot.
• Add the Fruity Fusion Fragrance Oil, Polysorbate 80 and glycerin to the melted butters. Use a spoon to thoroughly incorporate. Set aside.
• Place a fine mesh sifter over a large container. Add the baking soda, citric acid, cream of tartar and Fine Iridescent Glitter. Pour the ingredients through the sifter to get rid of chunks. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients together. Very carefully, add the SLSA to the large container (do not put it through the sifter). I recommend adding the SLSA very last. SLSA is extremely fine and powdery and can become airborne very easily. You may want to wear a mask during this step to avoid breathing in any SLSA. It is irritating if you breathe it in. Once all the ingredients have been added, slowly mix together the dry ingredients using a whisk.
• Add about 1/3 of the melted butter mixture. I recommend adding the liquid ingredients to the powder when the liquids are about 180 ° F. This is quite hot, so I recommend using gloves to mix the liquid ingredients into the powder. The hotter the liquid ingredients are when added, the softer the final "dough" will be. Adding the liquid when it's hot reduces the need to microwave it later. Use your hands to incorporate the liquid and powder ingredients together. If you prefer, you could also use a stand or hand mixer for this step, but I prefer using my hands.
• Continue adding the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix together until fully incorporated. The final texture will be very similar to bread dough - soft, workable and slightly sticky. The texture of the mixture depends on the temperature of the butters. The warmer the dough, the softer it will be. We found a dough temperature of about 85-100 ° F is a great moldable texture. If your dough is cooler than that, place the entire mixture into the microwave for 10-20 seconds to warm it.
• You will have about 60 ounces of mixture. Split the batch into 7 equal containers; each container should have about 8.5 ounces. I recommend weighing all the containers to make sure you have an equal amount, but you could eyeball it if you prefer.
• To each container, add the following amounts of mica. If you prefer more pastel colors, use less. Add more mica if you prefer more vibrant colors. Use your hands to mix in the mica thoroughly until there are no streaks of color. I recommend mixing from lightest to darkest to avoid muddling the colors. You may want to change gloves when moving from warm to cool colors.

  Red/Pink: 1/8 tsp. Raspberry Mica

  Orange: 1/4 tsp. Racing Stripe Orange Mica

  Yellow: 1/4 tsp. Buttercup Mica

  Green: 1/8 tsp. Kelly Green Mica

  Blue: 1/8 tsp. Caribbean Blue Mica

  Purple: 1/4 tsp. Queen’s Purple Mica

  White: No colorant
• Once all the colors are mixed, it's time to mold! Clean off your counter space to mold the mixture and create a log shape. Depending on your counter material, you may want to place a sheet of parchment or wax paper down to prevent the dough from sticking. Sprinkle your work surface with a bit of baking soda to prevent sticking. Working with the red/pink dough first, begin to form a long, flat dough shape. Place it on your work surface.
• Continue making long, flat log shapes with the orange, yellow, green, blue and purple colors. Place each color on top of the last and use your hands to gently press the colors together, and form an even shape. Finally, place the uncolored portion of the mixture on top of the purple.
• Use your hands to press the colors together into one log. The log should be about 12". If you'd like your bars to be smaller, you can stretch the log into a longer shape, or create a shorter shape for bigger bars.
• If you’d like the colors to have a little more movement, very carefully twist the log. While twisting, be sure to press the log together to avoid large cracks or tears. This can be a little tricky, so feel free to skip it if you’re concerned with your log falling apart.
• To help get a more even, circular shape, place the log into the liner for the Heavy Duty Column Mold. Squeeze the liner closed to create more condensed, even bars. This step can be skipped if you are happy with the shape created with rolling the log on the counter.
• If you have not done so already, cover your surface with parchment or freezer paper. Carefully remove the log from the liner, and use a sharp knife to cut the log into bars. Do so very gently, as the bottom of the bars may want to crumble a bit. If this happens, use your hands to reshape any crumbles. We found rolling the log after each cut helped maintain a more circular shape.
• Very carefully place each bar face down on the parchment or freezer paper. Use your hands to reform any bars if needed. As the butters in the bath truffles cool, they become hard. It takes about 3-4 hours for the bars to become firm depending on your room temperature. It can be hard to wait, but be patient!
• Once you're ready to use the bath truffles, place them in the tub for a slow fizzing reaction with a small amount of foamy bubbles. If you want to "activate" more bubbles, hold the bar directly under the running bath faucet while breaking off small amounts of the bar.

The post DIY Rainbow Bubbling Bath Truffles appeared first on Soap Queen.

Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat extracted from the cocoa bean. It naturally has a warm, chocolatey aroma and a firm, brittle texture. Learn more about cocoa butter here. I was inspired by the decadent properties of cocoa butter to create this body mousse. Melted cocoa butter chunks and jojoba oil are whipped together with avocado butter to create a smooth and fluffy consistency. The mousse melts on contact with the skin, making it easy to spread over dry areas like elbows or hands. It’s an extremely unique and decadent texture!

The new Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil gives the body mousse a sophisticated and cozy scent. I specifically chose the cocoa butter chunks because they have a rich chocolate aroma. They smell amazing with the Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil. If you don’t have this particular type of cocoa butter on hand, any kind will work. If it’s deodorized cocoa butter, the final product will not smell quite as strong.

What You’ll Need:
Three Tall 8 oz. Bail Jars
8 oz. Avocado Butter
3 oz. Cocoa Butter Chunks
2 oz. Jojoba Oil
6 mL Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil
Dropper

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

ONE: Add the jojoba oil and cocoa butter into a small, heat-safe container. Melt in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Cocoa butter has a high melting point, so be careful when removing the container from the microwave. It will be very hot.

TWO: Once the mixture is melted, add the Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil and mix in completely. Set aside to cool.

THREE: In a separate large container, add the avocado butter. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the butter until it’s completely smooth. Note: You are not melting the Avocado butter, just whipping it up at room temperature.

FOUR: Slowly add small amounts of the melted cocoa butter and jojoba oil to the avocado butter, and whip after each addition.

FIVE: Continue adding the melted mixture and whipping together. I recommend to add the cocoa butter mixture in no less than four parts. If too much of the melted butter is added at once, it will completely melt the avocado butter. As you whip the mixture it will begin to thin and become more smooth.

SIX: Continue whipping for several minutes. Use a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl if necessary.
NOTE ABOUT PRESERVATIVES: This product does not contain water, and does not require a preservative. But if you’re selling this product or would like to be on the extra safe side, add an oil soluble preservative like Optiphen at a usage rate of .5-1% .

SEVEN: As the mixture cools, it will thicken and become more “fluffy.” The mixture shown below has returned to room temperature (about 70° F). It’s a much thicker consistency than the butter shown in step six, which was about 90° F.

EIGHT: Place the butter into bail jars or other containers and enjoy! Store this product in a cool place, or it may melt and lose some of the fluffy consistency. If you live in an extremely hot climate, you may want to store the butter in the fridge until ready to use. Enjoy!

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Cocoa Butter Cashmere Body Mousse DIY

This Cocoa Butter Cashmere Body Mousse is made with skin-loving ingredients, and has a light yet butter-y consistency.

Course Body Butter

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Three Tall 8 oz. Bail Jars
• 8 oz. Avocado Butter
• 3 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Chunks
• 2 oz. Jojoba Oil
• 6 mL Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil
• Dropper

Instructions

• Add the jojoba oil and cocoa butter into a small, heat-safe container. Melt in the microwave using 30-60 second bursts. Cocoa butter has a high melting point, so be careful when removing the container from the microwave. It will be very hot.
• Once the mixture is melted, add the Cocoa Butter Cashmere Fragrance Oil and mix in completely. Set aside to cool.
• In a separate large container, add the avocado butter. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the butter until it's completely smooth.
• Slowly add small amounts of the melted cocoa butter and jojoba oil to the avocado butter, and whip after each addition.
• Continue adding the melted mixture and whipping together. I recommend to add the butter in no less than four parts. If too much of the butter is added at once, it will completely melt the avocado butter. As you whip the mixture it will begin to thin and become more smooth.
• Continue whipping for several minutes. Use a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl if necessary.
• As the mixture cools, it will thicken and become more “fluffy.” The mixture shown below has returned to room temperature (about 70° F). As you can see, it’s a much thicker consistency than the butter shown in step six, which was about 90° F.
• Place the butter into bail jars or other containers and enjoy! Store this product in a cool place, or it may melt and lose some of the fluffy consistency.

The post Cocoa Butter Cashmere Body Mousse DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

Orange lipstick has been popular for the past few years, especially during summer. It’s a surprisingly flattering hue for a wide variety of skin tones. These lip tints are made with the vibrant Sunset Orange Mica. It gives a light orange tint that can be built up to a more vibrant color. Scroll down to see the swatches!

The tints are made with coconut oil, organic cocoa butter cubes, white beeswax and avocado oil. It’s a firm texture that glides easily on the lips. I added Pineapple Flavor Oil for a light scent, and a touch of Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil. The pineapple notes smell amazing combined with the chocolatey scent from the cocoa butter cubes.

Below, you can see how the balm looks on several skin tones. This swatch was built up a few times for a more vibrant color. If you prefer a softer color, you can use a lighter application. I used the Lip Balm Pouring Tray in this tutorial because the recipe creates a lot of balm. Rather than pouring the mixture into each tube one by one, the Lip Balm Pouring Tray makes it easy to fill up plenty of tubes at a time. You can see the tray in action in this Making Lip Balm video.

What You’ll Need:
30 Clear Lip Balm Tubes
2 heaping Tbs. Sunset Orange Mica
1.2 oz. Coconut Oil
1.2 oz. White Beeswax
1 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Cubes
.8 oz. Avocado Oil
3 mL Pineapple Flavor Oil
3 mL Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil
Droppers
Optional: Lip Balm Pouring Tray, White Spatula & Heat Gun

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

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PREP TRAY: If using the Lip Balm Pouring Tray, insert the lip balm tubes into the bottom of the tray. Concentrate all the lip balm tubes into one end. This makes it easy to scrape the lip balm into the cavities if needed. Place a few lip balm tubes at the opposite end to stabilize the tray. To see this tray in action, check out this lip balm video on Soap Queen TV.

ONE: In a small, heat-safe container, add the coconut oil, cocoa butter cubes, white beeswax and avocado oil. Place in the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. Beeswax has a high melting point and takes quite a long time to melt. Be careful – because of the high melting point, the heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot.

TWO: Once everything is completely melted, add the Pineapple Flavor Oil and the Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil and stir to combine.

THREE: Add the Sunset Orange Mica, and stir to combine. Make sure to get rid of any clumps.

FOUR: Once the mixture is completely blended and smooth, begin pouring it into the tubes. If using the tray, don’t worry too much if some of the lip balm doesn’t make it into a tube. It can be scraped off the tray and used later! If necessary, remelt the lip balm in the microwave using 10-20 second bursts.

FIVE: Once all the balm has been poured, allow it to harden for several minutes in the tray. Then, scrape off any lip balm from the tray that did not go into a tube with the white spatula. You can also use a kitchen knife or soap cutter. Place the leftover balm back into the container, remelt and pour it into any empty or partially full lip balm tube.

SIX: If you’d like to give the balms a nice smooth top, turn the heat gun on low and melt the top of the balms for just a second or two. This will also help get rid of the little “dots” in the center of the balms. Allow the lip balms to fully cool and harden, at least 3 hours. Once fully cooled, pull the tubes straight down from the tray. Pulling the tubes out at an angle will damage the top of the balm. If you’re a perfectionist, you can slice the top off the balm and melt the top with the heat gun to make it nice and smooth, as shown in this video.

Once the balm has cooled, put the caps on and enjoy. If you’re selling this lip balm, check out this post to learn how to correctly label it. We have found this balm has held up well in temperatures around 75 ° F. If you live in an extremely hot climate, store the lip balm in a cool place to prevent it from melting in the tube.

Keep sharing your orange photos on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and tag them with #SoaptheRainbow for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate! Check the Bramble Berry Instagram account to see the past winners. 

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Orange Sunburst Lip Balm DIY

This lip tint creates a vibrant orange color, that feels amazing on the lips.

Course Lip Balm

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Clear Lip Balm Tubes
• 2 heaping Tbs. Sunset Orange Mica
• 1.2 oz. Coconut Oil
• 1.2 oz. White Beeswax
• 1 oz. Organic Cocoa Butter Cubes
• .8 oz. Avocado Oil
• 3 mL Pineapple Flavor Oil
• 3 mL Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil
• Droppers
• Optional: Lip Balm Pouring Tray & White Spatula

Instructions

PREP TRAY: If using the Lip Balm Pouring Tray, insert the lip balm tubes into the bottom of the tray. Concentrate all the lip balm tubes into one end. This makes it easy to scrape the lip balm into the cavities if needed. Place a few lip balm tubes at the opposite end to stabilize the tray. To see this tray in action, check out this lip balm video on Soap Queen TV.

• In a small, heat-safe container, add the coconut oil, cocoa butter cubes, white beeswax and avocado oil. Place in the microwave and melt using 30-60 second bursts. Beeswax has a high melting point, and takes quite a long time to melt. Be careful – because of the high melting point, the heat-safe container can melt or explode in the microwave if it gets too hot.
• Once everything is completely melted, add the Pineapple Flavor Oil and the Lip Smacking Sweet Flavor Oil and stir to combine.
• Add the Sunset Orange Mica, and stir to combine. Make sure to get rid of any clumps.
• Once the mixture is completely blended and smooth, begin pouring it into the tubes. If using the tray, don’t worry too much if some of the lip balm doesn’t make it into a tube. It can be scraped off the tray and used later! If necessary, remelt the lip balm in the microwave using 10-20 second bursts.
• Once all the balm has been poured, allow it to harden for several minutes in the tray. Then, scrape off any lip balm from the tray that did not go into a tube with the white spatula. You can also use a kitchen knife or soap cutter. Place the leftover balm back into the container, remelt and pour it into any empty, or partially full lip balm tube.
• SIX: If you'd like to give the balms a nice smooth top, turn the heat gun on low and melt the top of the balms for just a second or two. This will also help get rid of the little "dots" in the center of the balms. Allow the lip balms to fully cool and harden, at least 3 hours. Once fully cooled, pull the tubes straight down from the tray. Pulling the tubes out at an angle will damage the top of the balm. If you're a perfectionist, you can slice the top off the balm and melt the top with the heat gun to make it nice and smooth.
• Once the balm has cooled, put the caps on and enjoy. If you're selling this lip balm, check out this post to learn how to correctly label it. We have found this balm has held up well in temperatures around 75 ° F. If you live in an extremely hot climate, store the lip balm in a cool place to prevent it from melting in the tube.

The post Summer Sunburst Lip Tint DIY appeared first on Soap Queen.

Summer is the perfect time to try bright makeup colors. If the idea of bright cosmetics makes you feel a little intimated, sheer lip colors are one way to try the look without committing fully. This Neon Pink Lip Tint has a sheer yet buildable color. Use your fingers or a brush to apply a thin layer for a tint of color, or apply more with a lip makeup brush for a more bold look.

I designed this recipe to be simple and easy to make. Avocado oil and cocoa butter are added to moisturize lips, while beeswax gives the tint a solid texture. The tint gets its hot pink hue from Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant. It’s mixed with some of the avocado oil using a Mini White Plastic Mixer. This helps get rid of any clumps and mix in smoothly.

What You’ll Need:
10 Non-Stackable Clear Lip Butter Pots
6 Tbs. Avocado Oil
2 Tbs. Cocoa Butter Pastilles
2 tsp. White Beeswax
2 Tbs. Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant
Optional: Mini White Plastic Mixer

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

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ONE: In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Then, add the Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant and mix the two together until completely smooth. Use the Mini White Plastic Mixer to help remove clumps.

TWO: In a separate heat-safe container, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of avocado oil. Add the white beeswax and cocoa butter pastilles. Then, add the pink colorant mixture and stir together.

THREE: Place the container into the microwave, and heat on 30 second bursts. Continue to microwave until the cocoa butter and beeswax are completely melted. Be careful when removing the container, as it may be very hot. Stir to fully incorporate the ingredients together.

FOUR: Continue to stir the mixture until it cools slightly (several minutes). Carefully pour the mixture into the lip butter pots and allow to fully cool. Use your fingers or a lip brush to apply. Enjoy!

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Neon Pink Lip Tint Tutorial

This hot pink lip tint is simple to make, and creates a sheer yet buildable color.

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• 10 Non-Stackable Clear Lip Butter Pots
• 6 Tbs. Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbs. Cocoa Butter Pastilles
• 2 tsp. White Beeswax
• 2 Tbs. Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant
• Optional: Mini White Plastic Mixer

Instructions

• In a small container, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Then, add the Fired Up Fuchsia Colorant and mix the two together until completely smooth. Use the Mini White Plastic Mixer to help remove clumps.
• In a separate heat-safe container, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of avocado oil. Add the white beeswax and cocoa butter pastilles. Then, add the pink colorant mixture and stir together.
• Place the container into the microwave, and heat on 30 second bursts. Continue to microwave until the cocoa butter and beeswax are completely melted. Be careful when removing the container, as it may be very hot. Stir to fully incorporate the ingredients together.
• Continue to stir the mixture until it cools slightly (several minutes). Carefully pour the mixture into the lip butter pots and allow to fully cool. Use your fingers or a lip brush to apply. Enjoy!

The post Neon Pink Lip Tint Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Before we look at the different kinds of butters, let’s talk about what butters have in common. Butters come from various natural sources, such as fruit trees and kernels. Some butters, such as coffee butter, are a blend of hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen to liquid oils to turn them into a solid. In general, butters are extremely skin loving and add a luxurious feel to products. In cold process soap, butters can contribute to the firmness of the bar. But, using too much butter can inhibit lather, or cause the soap to crack. In general, I like to use butters around 10%-15% or less in my recipes. To read more about various soap making oils and butters, click here.

Some butters are soft and spreadable, while others are hard and brittle. In my opinion, the softest butters are avocado butter and coffee butter. They are soft, spreadable and melt on contact with the skin. Shea butter is slightly firmer, but still soft and spreadable. The two harder butters are mango butter and cocoa butter. Both are more brittle, and need to be chopped rather than scooped. Cocoa butter is much firmer than mango, and is great for adding firmness to cold process soap. Do you have a favorite butter?

Avocado Butter

Avocado butter has a very soft and spreadable consistency. It’s manufactured from the fruit of the avocado tree, which normally grows in sub-tropical regions. Avocado butter is solid at room temperature, but melts when it comes in contact with skin. Its smooth texture and low melting point makes it easy to spread and whip, making it a great option for soft balms and whipped body butters.

In cold process soap, I recommend using avocado butter up to 12.5% of your recipe (though I tend to use it at more of a 3-5% rate max). Avocado butter will contribute slightly to the firmness of the final bar of soap, but because it’s not an extremely firm butter it does not firm the soap like coconut oil, palm oil, wax or cocoa butter. It also isn’t going to contribute much to lather which is why my preference is to use it at a lower usage rate. It has a shelf life of about 3 years. Check out the recipes below that contain avocado butter for project ideas!

Top left, clockwise: Emerald Swirl Cold Process Tutorial, Moisturizing Heel Balm, How to Make Whipped Body Butter on Soap Queen TV, Whipped Amber Bronzing Butter

Cocoa Butter (Cocoa Butter Chunks, Cocoa Butter Pastilles & Deodorized Cocoa Butter)

Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat with a creamy, chocolatey scent. It has a firm and hard texture and can be used to harden soap, lip balm, body butters and more. Cocoa butter has a melting point of approximately 95.0–97.7 °F, and a shelf life of about 1 to 2 years. At room temperature, cocoa butter is extremely hard and brittle, similar to a wax texture. It does not melt on contact with the skin.

Naturally, cocoa butter has a rich aroma, but a majority of this can be removed via steam. This process results in deodorized cocoa butter, which has a lighter smell and color. I love using cocoa butter in my cold process soap when I want to add firmness in addition to skin-loving properties. In particular, it’s a great choice when you’re making a palm-free recipe. It does not contribute much to lather so I recommend using cocoa butter around 15% or less in your cold process recipes. A higher percentage can cause the soap to crack, or feel brittle or waxy. It’s also great when formulating a firm lip product or balm.

Due to its fatty acid profile, it’s best to temper cocoa butter to avoid crystallization when making anything but soap. When the fats in cocoa butter melt and solidify at different temperatures, the fatty acids can from large clumps. This leads the final product to feel grainy. Click here to read more about tempering your butters. Check out the tutorials below featuring cocoa butter.

Top left, clockwise: Bramble Baby Belly Butter, Espresso Shot Cold Process Tutorial, Queen of Hearts Cold Process Soap, Vanilla Latte Lip Balm

Coffee Butter

Coffee butter is a soft and smooth butter. It is similar in texture to avocado butter. It has a soft brown color and a rich coffee scent. It’s a blend of hydrogenated vegetable oil and coffee seed oil. It naturally contains .5%-1% caffeine. Coffee butter has a melting point of about 104° F.

Because it’s nice and soft, it’s great for whipped butters. When using coffee butter in your skin care recipes, keep in mind that the natural smell will end up in the final product. If you love all things coffee, this is good news! I used coffee butter in both the Coffee Butter Foot Creme and and the Whipped Coffee Butter Tutorial. The butter adds a soft scent in these recipes, and contributes to a soft and smooth texture. I love the whipped texture of coffee butter so much, I also used it in the Pumpkin Spice Latte Sugar Scrub Soap Queen TV video below.

In cold process soap, I recommend using coffee butter around 3-6% of your recipe. Because of its soft texture, it does not add very much firmness or lathering properties to your recipe. Instead, it adds skin-loving conditioning properties. Coffee butter has a shelf life of about about 1 year.

Mango Butter

Mango butter has a firmer texture than shea, avocado and coffee butters, but is softer than cocoa butter. It is extracted from the fruit kernels of the mango tree, and begins to melt upon contact with the skin. Most mango butter on the market is refined and deodorized to remove scent and color. It has a melting point of about 86° F, and a shelf life of about 1 year.

The medium texture (not too soft, not too hard) makes it a go-to choice for many crafters. In soap, I recommend using it at 15% or less of the total oils in your cold process recipe. When too much is used, it can cause the soap to crack or become brittle. Mango butter contributes a small amount of firmness to soap, but not nearly as much as cocoa butter.

Due to the slightly firm texture of mango butter, I prefer to add it to products in melted form. It’s not the best butter choice if you’d like to whip the butter; I recommend melting it first and whipping it as it cools. Check out the recipes below for mango butter ideas!

Top left, clockwise: Mango Avocado Balmy Salve, Butterfly Swirl Soap Tutorial, Lime in the Coconut Milk Cold Process Tutorial, Rainbow Jojoba Bead Sugar Scrub

 Shea Butter

Last but certainly not least is shea butter. Shea butter is obtained by cold pressing the seeds of the karite tree. The shea butter found at Bramble Berry is ultra-refined for a neutral smell and pale color. Shea butter has a softer texture than cocoa and mango butter, but is slightly firmer than avocado and coffee butter. It has a shelf life of about 1 year, and a melting point of about 90° F.

This skin-loving butter is usually used at 15% or less of the total oils in your cold process recipes. It contributes a bit to bar hardness and conditioning properties but does not help with lather. The soft texture makes it great for creating whipped body butters, as shown in the Easy Whipped Shea Butter. It’s also fantastic in lotion and lotion bars. Check out the tutorials below for projects using shea butter.

Top left, clockwise: Argan & Shea Lotion, Loofah Cold Process Soap Tutorial, Easy Whipped Shea Butter, Lotion Bar Love

If you’re looking for more resources and information on using butters in your products, check out the blog posts below! What is your favorite butter? If I had to choose…I think I’d go with Shea Butter. =)

Free Beginner’s Guide to Soapmaking: Common Soapmaking Oils
Soaping in the Summer Heat
Sunday Night Spotlight: Cocoa Butter
Sunday Night Spotlight: Shea Butter
How to Create Lip Product Recipes
All About the Trace

The post All About Butters in Bath & Beauty Products appeared first on Soap Queen.

This Whipped Amber Bronzing Butter is sure to become a summer beauty staple. It’s fluffy, moisturizing *and* sparkly – basically, a trifecta of awesome. First avocado and coffee butters are whipped until smooth. Melted cocoa butter is incorporated, along with a warm and sophisticated scent blend of Amber and Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oil. Once whipped, the butters have a mousse-like texture that spreads easily and absorbs quickly. Tapioca powder is added to help cut the oily feel on the skin.

This whipped body butter contains Copper Sparkle Mica for a slight tint. The amount in the recipe below is great for fair skin, but if you’d like more color feel free to add more! See the bottom of the post for an example of the color. Because it is made of butters, it does have the possibility to melt in high temperatures. I recommend keeping this butter in a cool, dark place and if you ship your products mail order, don’t ship during the summer unless you’re shipping with cool packs. This recipe does not contain any water, which means it does not need a preservative. Click here to learn more about preservatives for bath and beauty products.

What You’ll Need:
Three 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jars
6 oz. Avocado Butter
6 oz. Coffee Butter
4 oz. Cocoa Butter
8 mL Amber Fragrance Oil
3 mL Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oil
2 Tbs. Tapioca Powder
4 tsp. Copper Sparkle Mica

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

ONE: In a heat safe container, add the cocoa butter and melt in the microwave using 1 minute bursts until the butter is liquid. Make sure your container can withstand high heat, as cocoa butter melts around 100 degrees F. Once melted, set aside to cool. Be careful when removing from the microwave, the container will be very hot. If you are working with large chunks of cocoa butter, cut it into small pieces for easier melting.

TWO: In a large mixing bowl, add the avocado and coffee butters. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the butters together until completely smooth. Scrape the edges of the bowl to ensure the entire mixture is incorporated. Continue to whip the mixture on medium for several minutes to ensure a smooth texture.

THREE: Check the temperature of your cocoa butter. You want it to be around 120 degrees or below. Very slowly, add about 1/4 of the melted cocoa butter, and whip until fully incorporated.

FOUR: Continue adding small amounts of the melted cocoa butter to the mixture, whipping between each addition until all the cocoa butter has been added. Whip the mixture for several minutes to ensure the butters are fully mixed and completely smooth.

FIVE: Add the Amber and Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oils. Whip for several seconds to fully mix in the fragrances. You can see that as the butter cools, it becomes lighter in color.

SIX: Add the tapioca powder, and use a spatula to incorporate. Once it has been mixed in, whip with the hand mixer to further blend in the powder.


SEVEN: Add the Copper Sparkle Mica, and use the hand mixer to blend in until completely incorporated. Test the color on your skin. If you prefer a deeper color, add more Copper Sparkle Mica into the mixture 1 teaspoon at a time until you are happy with the color. Transfer the body butter into jars and seal.


Store the body butter in a dry, cool place. As the body butter cools, it tends to take on a foamy, lightweight texture similar to mousse. This body butter may begin to melt when exposed to high temperatures (90 ° F or above). Below is an example of what the butter looks like on fair skin. Once worked into the skin and blended, the color lightens. I’ve been wearing it on my legs as a faux-nylon and it gives such a nice shimmer and a hint of color.

What is your go-to recipe for body butter? This might be my new favorite!

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Whipped Amber Bronzing Butter

Made with a combination of butters, this Whipped Amber Bronzing Butter leaves a slight tint on the skin.

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Three 8 oz. Bail Jars
• 6 oz. Avocado Butter
• 6 oz. Coffee Butter
• 4 oz. Cocoa Butter
• 8 mL Amber Fragrance Oil
• 3 mL Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oil
• 2 Tbs. Tapioca Powder
• 4 tsp. Copper Sparkle Mica

Instructions

• In a heat safe container, add the cocoa butter and melt in the microwave using 1 minute bursts until the butter is liquid. Make sure your container can withstand high heat, as cocoa butter melts around 100 degrees F. Once melted, set aside to cool. If you are working with large chunks of cocoa butter, cut it into small pieces for easier melting.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the avocado and coffee butters. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to whip the butters together until completely smooth. Scrap the edges of the bowl to ensure the entire mixture is incorporated. Continue to whip the mixture on medium to ensure a smooth texture.
• Check the temperature of your cocoa butter. You want it to be around 120 degrees or below. Very slowly, add about 1/4 of the melted cocoa butter, and whip until fully incorporated.
• Continue adding small amounts of the cocoa butter to the mixture, whipping between each addition until all the cocoa butter has been added. Continue to whip the mixture for several minutes to ensure the butters are fully mixed and completely smooth.
• Add the Amber and Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oils. Whip for several seconds to fully mix in the fragrances.
• Add the tapioca powder, and use a spatula to incorporate. Once it has been mixed in, whip with the hand mixer to further blend in the powder.
• Add the Copper Sparkle Mica, and use the hand mixer to blend in until completely incorporated. Test the color on your skin. If you prefer a deeper color, add more Copper Sparkle Mica into the mixture 1 teaspoon at a time until you are happy with the color. Transfer the body butter into jars, and seal.

The post Whipped Amber Bronzing Body Butter appeared first on Soap Queen.

Clays are known for their absorption properties and ability to add color to soapy projects. The Minty Clay Melt and Pour Bars uses activated charcoal, green zeolite clay and spirulina powder to create contrast. Poppy seeds add gentle exfoliation to the bars, and peppermint and rosemary essential oils add a fresh scent.

Clays also add color and design to cold process projects. Sea clay, Hydrated Chrome Green and an in the pot swirl create a fluid look in the Sea Clay Swirl Cold Process Soap. Scented with Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil and topped with Pink Sea Salt, Medium, the soap is a natural beauty. If you’d like to see the in the pot swirl in action, check out this Soap Queen TV video.

Along with soap, clay is used for a wide variety of projects including scrubs. The Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask on Soap Queen TV uses a mixture of rose clay and kaolin clay. Made with argan and meadowfoam oil, the mask moisturizes your face while the walnut shells and clays gently exfoliate. Best of all, it’s quick and easy to make.

Another versatile ingredient is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a hard vegetable fat with a chocolatey aroma. It has great moisturizing properties, and is used in everything from soap to body butters. Click through to read more about the ingredient and see several tutorials using it in the Sunday Night Spotlight: Cocoa Butter.

Cocoa butter and clay are great to use in bath and beauty projects. If you’re planning to sell your products, it’s important to label them. Current FDA regulations require a home address on labels, which can be a personal safety issue for home crafters. A Citizen Petition was filed to allow PO Box addresses on the label. While that petition was denied, the FDA said the street address may be omitted from the label if the business name is listed in a current telephone or city directory, including online directories. Read more in the Update: PO Box Label Petition.

It’s amazing what home crafters can create. Check out these adorable melt and pour ducky soaps from this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week winner, The Fragrant Bath Boutique.

The melt and pour soaps feature green and white layers, soap scraps and of course, adorable rubber duckies. If you’d like to add some cute ducks to your soap, click through the Easter Ducky Soap Tutorial. You can also embed the ducks, as seen in the Embedded Ducky Soap Tutorial.

Above (clockwise, top left) are The Fragrant Bath Boutique’s pink and white soap, embedded fish soap, yellow and white soap and lavender bath bombs. If you’d like to make some mondo bath bombs, click through the Tiger Stripe Bath Bomb Tutorial. Add a little sparkle to your bath bombs in the Sparkle Power Bath Bomb Tutorial.

Find The Fragrant Bath Boutique
On Facebook

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

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