This hair conditioner is made with a combination of carrot seed oil, carrot extract, and carrot essential oil. Carrot seed oil is known for its silky texture and carrot essential oil is known for its carotene and vitamin A content. Both ingredients leave hair feeling soft and moisturized.

Carrot essential oil does has a unique earthy smell. It’s not everybody’s favorite, but when mixed with Lavender Fine Essential Oil, the conditioner has an earthy, floral smell. Feel free to use any essential or fragrance oil you like in this recipe.

This conditioner has a thinner, more lightweight texture. If you prefer a thicker conditioner, decrease the water and increase the amount of cetearyl alcohol. The Ginger & Moringa Conditioner is a great example of a thicker, heavier conditioner. In general, this recipe may be better for finer hair that is easily weighed down.

What You Need:
Four 8 oz. Bail Jars
21 oz. Distilled Water (81%)
0.5 oz. DL-Panthenol (2%)
1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifier (7%)
1.3 oz. Carrot Seed Oil (5%)
0.5 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol (2%)
0.3 oz. Carrot Extract (1%)
0.2 oz. Lavender Fine Essential Oil (1%)
0.1 oz. Carrot Seed Essential Oil (<1%)
0.3 oz. Optiphen (1%)

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

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible. To be safe, bleach water all your utensils.

ONE: In a heat-safe container, combine 1.3 ounces of carrot seed oil, 0.3 ounces of carrot extract, 0.5 ounces of cetearyl alcohol, and 1.8 ounces of BTMS-50. Heat the mixture in the microwave on 30-60 second bursts until the waxes are fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.

TWO: In a separate large container, heat 21 ounces of distilled water in the microwave until it reaches about 160-170 ° F. Once the water reaches the correct temperature, some of it may evaporate. Remeasure and add more distilled water if necessary. Add 0.5 ounces of DL-Panthenol to the hot water and stir until dissolved.

THREE: Check the temperature of both containers. Each one should be about 160° F (the oils may be hotter). When they’re ready, tap your stick blender on the bottom of the bowl to release bubbles. Pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 2-3 minutes, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

FOUR: Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 140° F. Add 0.1 ounce of carrot essential oil, 0.2 ounces of Lavender Fine Essential Oil, 0.3 ounces of carrot extract, and 0.3 ounces of Optiphen. Stick blend for another 2-3 minutes to fully combine.

FIVE: Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cool, shut the jars and enjoy. To use, apply the conditioner to wet hair after shampooing. Wait 2-3 minutes and rinse off.

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Carrot Hair Conditioner Tutorial

This hair conditioner is made with a combination of carrot seed oil, carrot extract, and carrot essential oil.

Course Conditioner

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 jars

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Four 8 oz. Bail Jars
• 21 oz. Distilled Water 81%
• 0.5 oz. DL-Panthenol 2%
• 1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifier 7%
• 1.3 oz. Carrot Seed Oil 5%
• 0.5 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol 2%
• 0.3 oz. Carrot Extract 1%
• 0.2 oz. Lavender Fine Essential Oil 1%
• 0.1 oz. Carrot Seed Essential Oil <1%
• 0.3 oz. Optiphen 1%

Instructions

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible. To be safe, bleach water all your utensils.

• In a heat-safe container, combine 1.3 ounces of carrot seed oil, 0.3 ounces of carrot extract, 0.5 ounces of cetearyl alcohol, and 1.8 ounces of BTMS-50. Heat the mixture in the microwave on 30-60 second bursts until the waxes are fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.
• In a separate large container, heat 21 ounces of distilled water in the microwave until it reaches about 160-170 ° F. Once the water reaches the correct temperature, some of it may evaporate. Remeasure and add more distilled water if necessary. Add 0.5 ounces of DL-Panthenol to the hot water and stir until dissolved.
• Check the temperature of both containers. Each one should be about 160° F (the oils may be hotter). When they’re ready, tap your stick blender on the bottom of the bowl to release bubbles. Pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 2-3 minutes, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
• Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 140° F. Add 0.1 ounce of carrot essential oil, 0.2 ounces of Lavender Fine Essential Oil, 0.3 ounces of carrot extract, and 0.3 ounces of Optiphen. Stick blend for another 2-3 minutes to fully combine.
• Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cool, shut the jars and enjoy. To use, apply the conditioner to wet hair after shampooing. Wait 2-3 minutes and rinse off.

The post Carrot Hair Conditioner Tutorial appeared first on Soap Queen.

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils, and for good reason. It adds a relaxing floral scent to a variety of products, like this super easy Linen Spray. It has only three ingredients, including Lavender Fine Essential Oil. The Lavender and Honeyquat Lotion is made with Lavender Absolute 50%, which has a sweet smell reminiscent of honey. Sleep Time Bath Truffles, scented with Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil, are the perfect way to relax. Of course, you can’t forget handmade soap – the Lavender Kombucha recipe features a purple and white swirl and a finishing touch of lavender buds.

Clockwise, left: Lavender Kombucha Soap, Lavender Linen Spray, Lavender and Honeyquat Lotion, Lavender Sleep Time Bath Truffles

Lavender isn’t the only option for your handmade soap. The Turmeric Secret Swirl Soap is made with spicy ginger essential oil, which complements the warm color. To complement the black and white color palette in the Charcoal Beer Soap, we added a mix of cedarwood essential oil and fir needle essential oil. The Kokum Butter Cold Process Soap has a simple design, with ground pumpkin seeds for exfoliation and eucalyptus essential oil for a refreshing scent. If you’re a licorice fan, you’ll love the combination of anise essential oil and orange 10X essential oil in the Star Anise Melt and Pour Bars.

Clockwise, top left: Charcoal and Cedar Beer Soap, Kokum Butter Cold Process Soap, Star Anise Melt and Pour Bars, Turmeric Secret Swirl Soap

The Avocado Cold Process Soap is scented with spearmint essential oil, which gives the bars a sweet and minty scent. Its green hue comes from a mixture of fresh avocado puree, French green clay, and spirulina powder. Poppy seeds complete the simple and natural design.

If you want to feel energized, start your morning off with an essential oil scrub. The Cleansing Charcoal Facial Scrub is made with tea tree essential oil. The Turmeric and Ginger Body Scrub has sugar to help cleanse and exfoliate the skin. To put a little pep in your step, try the Invigorating Foot Soak. It’s made with peppermint essential oil.

Clockwise, top left: Invigorating Foot Soak, Turmeric and Ginger Body Scrub, Cleansing Charcoal Facial Scrub

After scrubbing the skin, follow up with Frankincense Body Balm. It’s made with moisturizing avocado oil and kokum butter, and scented with frankincense essential oil. The Ginger and Moringa Oil Conditioner will leave your hair feeling smooth and silky.

Left to right: Frankincense Essential Oil Body Balm, Ginger and Moringa Oil Conditioner

Looking for more essential oil inspiration? The #BrambleOn tag on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter is full of beautiful products made with a variety of scents. See a few of our favorites below.

Top row, left to right: muddymint, baabblysoap, l3osoaps
Middle row, left to right: thesoapmine, elegantsoapco, soapsbyhailey
Bottom row, left to right: owlnaturalsoaps, dalliancesoapcompany, nerdyfarmwife

The post Essential Oil Inspiration appeared first on Soap Queen.

Shop essential oils for hair care products

Moringa seed oil comes from the Moringa tree, also known as the Miracle Tree and the Tree of Life. It’s considered a super food because it’s made from seeds of the tree, which are packed with potassium, fiber, and magnesium. These amazing properties makes moringa seed oil a great addition to skin and hair products.

This Moringa & Ginger Hair Conditioner recipe contains 10% moringa oil to nourish the hair without weighing it down. Ginger essential oil adds a zesty scent and gives the conditioner a light cream color. Cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50 work to combine the oil and distilled water.

We tested this conditioner on several hair types including curly, dry, fine, and coarse hair. Everybody who tried it loved it. We used the conditioner normally after shampooing, leaving it on slightly longer than normal for extra conditioning. It can also be used as a deep-conditioning treatment, but it may be heavy to use as a leave-in conditioner.

What You Need:
Four Short 8 oz. Bail Jars
20 oz. Distilled Water (77%)
2.6 oz. Moringa Seed Oil (10%)
1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifer (7%)
0.9 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol (4%)
0.3 oz. Ginger Essential Oil (1%)
0.3 oz. Optiphen (1%)

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

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing them to dry. To b sage, dip all your utensils, mixing containers, stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come into contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible.

ONE: Pour the distilled water into a heat-safe container. Heat in the microwave until it is about about 160–180° F.

TWO: In a separate heat-safe container, combine the moringa seed oil, cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50. Heat the container in the microwave using 30–60 second bursts until the waxes have fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.

THREE: Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be about 160°–180° F. Once they are the correct temperatures, pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 60–90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release any bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your conditioner.

FOUR: Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 130–140° F. Add the ginger essential oil. Stick blend until completely combined.

FIVE: Once the mixture falls below 120° F, add the Optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60–90 seconds until everything is completely mixed.

SIX: Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise, condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cooled, shut the jars and enjoy!

Print

DIY Ginger & Moringa Oil Hair Conditioner

This hair conditioner is mage with moringa seed oil and ginger essential oil. It's great for a wide variety of hair types!

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Soap Queen

Ingredients

• Four Short 8 oz. Bail Jars
• 20 oz. Distilled Water
• 2.6 oz. Moringa Seed Oil
• 1.8 oz. BTMS-50 Conditioning Emulsifer
• 0.9 oz. Cetearyl Alcohol
• 0.3 oz. Ginger Essential Oil
• 0.3 oz. Optiphen

Instructions

Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing them to dry. To b sage, dip all your utensils, mixing containers, stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come into contact with your lotion. Your products must be as free of germs, bacteria, and microbes as possible.

• Pour the distilled water into a heat-safe container. Heat in the microwave until it is about about 160–180° F.
• In a separate heat-safe container, combine the moringa seed oil, cetearyl alcohol and BTMS-50. Heat the container in the microwave using 30–60 second bursts until the waxes have fully melted and the mixture is about 180° F.
• Check the temperatures of both containers. Each container should be about 160°–180° F. Once they are the correct temperatures, pour the oils and wax into the water and begin pulsing the stick blender. Blend the mixture for 60–90 seconds, making sure the oil and water phases are fully emulsified. Be careful to “burp” your stick blender by tamping it on the bottom of the container to release any bubbles — you don’t want bubbles trapped in your conditioner.
• Continue stick blending until the temperature drops to about 130–140° F. Add the ginger essential oil. Stick blend until completely combined.
• Once the mixture falls below 120° F, add the Optiphen. Using the stick blender, mix for an additional 60–90 seconds until everything is completely mixed.
• Pour the mixture into jars. Let the jars sit overnight without the lids on (otherwise, condensation can form inside the jars). Once the mixture is completely cooled, shut the jars and enjoy!

The post DIY Ginger & Moringa Oil Hair Conditioner appeared first on Soap Queen.

When moringa seed oil first arrived at the Bramble Berry warehouse, we were so excited to test it out. We love the unique earthy scent and how soft our skin feels after application. After more research, it became clear moringa has so much more to offer.

The trees are incredibly resilient. They grow quickly and thrive in hot, dry climates like Nicaragua, where the oil we carry is from. It tolerates a variety of soil conditions, it’s resistant to drought and many types of insects, and it grows year-round. That means it provides resources to areas without easy access to expensive irrigation techniques, according to this Wikipedia post.

Those resources are what really set the tree apart. Moringa is also known as the Miracle Tree and the Tree of Life because every part of it can be used in some way. It’s considered superfood because the leaves are packed with vitamins A, B, and C, manganese, and protein, and the seeds contain potassium, fiber, and magnesium. That’s some serious nutritional value. The tree is also used for medicinal purposes in many parts of the world.

The oil harvested from the tree is packed full of goodness as well. The seed oil is yellow and has a distinct “green” smell. The scent is subtle in finished recipes, especially with added fragrance or essential oil. Because it’s a dry oil, it absorbs into the skin quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. The consistency and absorption remind us of jojoba oil, or a slightly heavier avocado oil. So why add it to your handmade creations? It’s extremely moisturizing for the skin, hair, and nails. It’s a stable oil with a shelf life of about one to two years. Most importantly, every time you use it you’re supporting a tree that has helped thousands, whether as a filling meal, a sustainable source of nutrition, or a hydrating addition to lotion. Learn how to work with it below.

Cold Process & Melt and Pour Soap
You can use moringa seed oil in cold process soap up to 15%. It will give your bars the hydrating properties mentioned above. Because it’s a soft oil (liquid at room temperature), it will make your soap softer and more moisturizing. It’s ideal for intricate designs, as it won’t speed up trace. Learn more about formulating a recipe for intricate designs in this post. As for melt and pour, we don’t recommend adding extra oil. It can make the bases oily or soft and inhibit lather. If you do add moringa seed oil, use no more than 1 teaspoon per pound of melt and pour soap.

Lotion & Conditioner
If you’re in the market for a hydrating lotion or conditioner, you can use moringa seed oil as the only oil in the batch. That would be about 23% or more, depending on your recipe. You can also pair it with another liquid oil like argan to get the beneficial properties of both. If you like a lotion or conditioner that’s a bit thicker, adding a butter like avocado or shea would be a good option. Learn more about making lotion in this post. Look out for a luxurious conditioner made with moringa next week.

This Ginger and Moringa Oil Conditioner recipe will be on the blog soon.

Balms
A traditional body or lip balm formula is 1:1:1 wax, butter, and oil. Moringa seed oil can be used at 5% and up. It pairs nicely with beeswax or candelilla wax. As for butter, the sky is the limit. Cocoa, mango, or kokum butter are great options. Before you get started on your balm, pop a few spoons in the freezer. When you dip the cold spoons into the melted balm, it hardens instantly so you can check the texture. This is called The Spoon Trick. If the balm is too soft or too firm, you can adjust from there. Learn more about formulating balms in this post.

Body Butter
Moringa seed oil adds a soft, spreadable texture to your body butter recipes. You can use it at 5% or more and pair it with any butter you like. The All About Butter post has more information on options for your recipe.

Scrubs
Because moringa seed oil absorbs quickly and moisturizes the skin, it’s a great option for scrubs. You can use it at 5-100% in your recipe with the exfoliant of your choice. You can also add potassium cocoate or liquid soap if you prefer a more cleansing scrub. You can add moringa to the DIY Turmeric and Ginger Body Scrub for extra hydration. The recipe is made with turmeric powder and ginger essential oil, which are also new additions to the Bramble Berry line.

Moringa seed oil would feel fantastic in the DIY Turmeric and Ginger Body Scrub.

Bath Bombs
Oil and butter wet bath bombs, which helps them hold their shape. They also moisturize the skin. You can add about 0.5 oz. of moringa seed oil per 1.5 cups of fizzy mixture to start. If you want the bath bombs wetter, you can add more from there. Get more tips in the Bath Bomb Questions and Answers post.

The post How to Use Moringa Seed Oil appeared first on Soap Queen.

LabColors can be used to dye light or blonde hair; learn how in this blog post!

In the LabColor Hair Color Tutorial, the Stephenson Organic Hair Conditioner Base diluted the LabColor slightly and made it easier to apply. If you prefer to create your own hair care products, the How to Make Shampoo and Conditioner video on Soap Queen TV shows you how. This video is an oldie but a goodie (made in 2010!), making it a great #ThrowbackThursday. The video first demonstrates how to customize a shampoo base, then how to create a conditioner from scratch.

The process of creating homemade conditioner is similar to making a lotion. Conditioner also includes many of the same ingredients as lotion, such as distilled water, oils, BTMS-50 and Optiphen. The How to Create Homemade Lotion Recipes post goes over the basic ingredients of emulsified products and how to use them.

If you like the idea of creating your own shampoo rather than using a base, the Argan Oil Shampoo is great for dry hair. The addition of carrot and nettle extract give the shampoo great hair-loving properties. If you prefer a different type of extract, feel free to customize the recipe to meet your particular hair needs. Learn more about extracts in this Sunday Night Spotlight.

You can also create solid shampoo bars with the cold process soaping technique. In the Sudsy Shampoo Bar recipe, citric acid is used to lower the pH and make the bars gentle for the hair. The Invigorating Shampoo Bars have zesty Tea Tree Essential Oil to make your hair smell amazing.

Top: Sudsy Shampoo Bar recipe, Bottom: Invigorating Shampoo Bars

If you don’t have the time to wash your hair, dry shampoo is a fantastic option. Simply shake the powder into your roots to absorb excess oils. Making your own dry shampoo is incredibly easy. Learn how in this Dry Shampoo Tutorial. The shampoo can be customized with fragrance and color. We used Relaxing Fragrance Oil, which is a luscious blend of lavender, pine and vanilla.

Dry shampoo is a great option for busy mornings when showering is not possible.

Love the idea of brightly colored hair, but need something a little less permanent? The Hair Chalk Recipe and Application Tutorial shows you how to create hair chalk that can be customized to any color you’d like. The hair chalk works great on both light and dark colored hair. This makes it a great option for brunettes who don’t want to bleach their hair to achieve rainbow locks.

Have you ever made shampoo, conditioner, or other hair products before? I love treating my hair to homemade hair care products. 

The post Hair Recipe Roundup + #ThrowbackThursday Video! appeared first on Soap Queen.

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.

You may notice that several ingredients were key in these tutorials. This is why we picked them for these recipes.

Argan Oil: Argan Oil was an anchoring ingredient in many of these projects. Because of its high antioxidant content and ease of absorption, it’s popular in hair products and lotions. You can learn more about Argan Oil here. Argan Oil was used in the Shampoo, Conditioner and Hot Oil Treatment.

Carrot Extract: Who knew the extract could be just as good for you as the vegetable itself? Carrot Extract is high in vitamins A and E, and it’s often used as a conditioning agent in hair products. It’s also great for skin care products at a 1 – 5% usage rate. Carrot Extract was used in the  Shampoo, Conditioner and Hot Oil Treatment.

Potassium Cocoate: This was the secret weapon in the Argan Oil Shampoo recipe. Potassium Cocoate is similar to a liquid soap made with 100% coconut oil. It has excellent cleansing properties, and works well in shampoos, scrubs and liquid soaps. Potassium Cocoate was used in the Argan Oil Shampoo.

Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil: This tropical fragrance is reminiscent of an exotic beach vacation. With notes of lemongrass and sweet coconut, it’s a refreshing twist on traditionally sugary summer scents. Coconut Lemongrass was used in the Shampoo and Conditioner.

Aside from tutorials, we also introduced a fun hair style to finish off the beach look. Our social media maven Amanda demonstrates how to style your hair into this cute beachy twist using only bobby pins and a head band.

For another fun summer look, consider “painting” your hair with chalk. Hair chalking is popular because it’s an easy, low-commitment way to temporarily add pops of color to your hair. See our tutorial here.

Surf’s up! Welcome to summer, everyone =)

The post Sizzling Summer Hair Round Up appeared first on Soap Queen.

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

What You’ll Need:

5.8 oz. distilled water

0.6 oz. BTMS-50

0.4 oz. Argan Oil

0.4 oz. Cyclomethicone

0.3 oz. Polysorbate 80

0.2 oz. DL-Panthenol

0.2 oz. Optiphen ND

0.2 oz. Coconut Lemongrass Fragrance Oil

0.1 oz. Carrot Extract

Two 4 oz. Brushed Aluminum Bottle with Spray Top

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

EQUIPMENT PREP: Disinfect your utensils by dipping them in a 5% bleach water solution and allowing to dry. This includes mixing containers, your stick blender, and any spoons or spatulas that may come in contact with your lotion. Your products must be absolutely 100% free of germs, bacteria, microbes or anything so be safe and bleach water all your utensils.

ONE: Measure the distilled water into a disinfected heatsafe container. Heat the water in the microwave on 1 minute bursts until it reaches 150 degrees F.

TWO: In a second disinfected container, combine and heat the BTMS-50, Argan Oil, Cyclomethicone and Polysorbate 80. Heat until the mixture reaches 150 degrees F.

THREE: Add the heated water to the melted oils. Emulsify the mixture with a stick blender for 30 – 60 seconds.

FOUR: When the mixture cools to 140 degrees F or below, add the DL-Panthenol, Optiphen ND, fragrance oil and Carrot extract. Stick blend for 10 – 15 seconds or mix in with a wire whisk.

FIVE: Pour into bottles and leave uncovered overnight.

Your conditioner is ready to use!

The post Sizzling Summer Hair: Leave-In Argan Oil Conditioner appeared first on Soap Queen.