Soap Queen

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DIY Crystal Bath Bombs

Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Bath Fizzies

Crystal Bath Bomb Tutorial

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.

Crystal Bath Bombs

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.

DIY Crystal Bath Bombs

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.

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How to Make Rosehip Seed Bath Salts

Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

How to Make Rosehip Seed Bath Salts

A hot bath is the perfect way to relax and unwind – especially during the winter months. There are a variety of “bath additives,” like bath bombs, bath oils, bubble bars and bath salts. In terms of DIY, bath salts are one of the easiest to make. Simply adding plain salt (such as Epsom salt or Dead Sea salt) straight to the tub is great for the skin. But, taking the time to add a few simple ingredients to the salts creates an extra luxurious experience.

This Rosehip Seed Bath Salt recipe is made with fine grained Dead Sea salt. Bramble Berry’s Dead Sea salt comes from Israel via the Dead Sea, where many people travel to soak in its water. Dead Sea salt contains a large amount of magnesium, potassium, bromides and chloride which feel great on the skin. If you prefer a difference type of salt, feel free to swap it. Learn more about various salt options here.

Rosehip seed oil adds vitamins A and C, and gives your bath water moisturizing properties. Rosehip seed oil is considered a “dry oil,” which means it soaks easily into the skin. A touch of evening primrose extract is also added, which is wonderful for dry and mature skin. Polysorbate 80 disperses the oil throughout the bath water and prevents it from pooling on top. Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil adds a light rosy scent. Rose petals and a touch of Rose Gold Mica dress up the salts, but can be omitted if you prefer.

How to Make Rosehip Seed Bath Salts

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DIY Soaking Salt & Scrub Wedding Favors

Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

Create your own customized bath salts for wedding favors. They are quick and easy to make, and can also be used as a scrub. Post includes a free printable!

If you have a lot of wedding favors to create, the task can seem a bit daunting. I recommend keeping the project simple to avoid unwanted stress. When you need to make a lot of individual favors, soaking salts are a great option. Simply mix the salts with colorant, fragrance and a small amount of oil to create adorable gifts. Best of all, you can make them well ahead of time or days before if need be.

For this project, I created ten jars at once using two different scent and color combinations to make five jars of each. One combination features Sweet Pea Fragrance Oil and Rose Gold Mica for a feminine option. The other combination uses King’s Gold Mica and Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil for a more unisex or masculine choice. These soaking salts can also be used as a body scrub by applying it to damp skin rather than adding the salts to bath water.

Create your own customized bath salts for wedding favors. They are quick and easy to make, and can also be used as a scrub. Post includes a free printable!

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Cleansing Orange Spice Salt Scrub

Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

This Orange Spice Salt Scrub smells amazing and is made with olive oil and dead sea salt.
Being Nordic, one of my favorite Christmas treats are pepparkakor, a traditionally Swedish ginger cookie. They are made with a combination of spices and orange zest, and are traditionally served on St. Lucia Day. You might be familiar with Anna’s Thins found in grocery stores and IKEA…those are pepparkakor cookies. =) I was inspired by the flavors of this delicious cookie to create this Cleansing Orange Spice Salt Scrub. It’s super easy to make and smells just beyond yummy.

This Orange Spice Salt Scrub smells amazing and is made with olive oil and dead sea salt.

The base of this scrub is made from fine grained Dead Sea salt, Stephenson Liquid Soap Concentrate Base and a little bit of olive oil. The liquid soap base gives the scrub a nice thick texture and lathers slightly when applied to the skin. It’s definitely a more exfoliating scrub, so I would recommend it for your hands, feet and legs. If you prefer gentler exfoliation, simply swap the Dead Sea salt for granulated sugar or a finer grained exfoliant. Read more about exfoliant options here. In addition to orange peel and Racing Stripe Orange Mica, I added a bit of ground cinnamon to the scrub for appearance. Because cinnamon can be a skin irritant, you may want to omit it if you have very sensitive skin or are allergic to cinnamon.

As a bonus, you can save $10 off any Stephenson purchase of $20 or more with the coupon code: SAVETEN. Browse through Stephenson products here.

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Sunday Night Spotlight: Salts

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Sunday Night Spotlight Salts
Salts are a versatile ingredient for bath and body products. They can be used to remove dead skin in soap and scrubs, or in the bath tub for a soothing soak. There are a wide variety of salts, including dendritic salt, dead sea salt, pink sea salt and epsom salt. Each salt has slightly different properties. Wondering which salt is right for your project? Read on to learn more about salts and how to use them.

One of the most common types of salt is Epsom salt. Interestingly, Epsom salt is not actually a salt as all! Epsom salt is made of hydrated magnesium sulfate. Magnesium and sulfate are known for their hydrating properties, making Epsom salt a popular choice for bath salts. Epsom salt soaks are commonly used to sooth sore muscles and soothe irritated skin. Epsom salt crystals come in various sizes. Bramble Berry’s Epsom salt is extra fine textured, making it a good options for body scrubs and soaks.

Epsom Salt
If you’re looking for a way to use Epsom salt in the tub, the Winter Salt Soak combines Epsom with baking soda and citric acid to create a fizzy effect. It also features a blend of essential oils that is great for sore muscles. If you’re looking for a refreshing soak option, the Minty Layered Bath Salts leave skin feeling peppermint-y and fresh. Epsom salt is also used in the Margarita Epsom Salt Scrub to create a hydrating and tropical body scrub. If you prefer a dry scrub, the Sea Clay Dry Salt Scrub combines Epsom salt, sea clay and baking soda for an oil absorbing effect.

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