Soap Queen

Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more

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Home Spa: Gentle Gel Serum

Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Relieve tired eyes with a serum part of the Home Spa collection of tutorials. The ingredients in this formula were specifically selected for their skin-loving properties. For example, Carrot Seed Essential Oil, which some studies suggest provides a natural source free-radical-fighting antioxidants, is wonderful for mature skin. Additionally, the Evening Primrose Extract is extremely gentle and is often used to treat acne, eczema and  psoriasis. The Bulgarian Lavender provides an element of aromatherapy, and it’s all held together by a combination of nourishing oils and waxes. Finish off your creation with our vintage label design. Download the free PDF template here.

What You’ll Need:

1.5 oz. Chia Seed Oil

1.2 oz. Fractionated Coconut Oil

.24 oz. Evening Primrose Extract

1 tsp. Cera Bellina Wax

3 drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil

15 drops Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil

2 Droppers

Non-Stackable Clear Lip Butter Pots

Label Template

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

ONE: In a microwave safe container, combine the Chia Seed Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil and Evening Primrose Extract.

TWO: After the oils and extract have been thoroughly stirred together, add the Cera Bellina Wax. Place in the microwave on 30 second bursts until the wax is fully melted.

THREE: After the wax has been fully melted into the oils, add the Carrot Seed Essential Oil and Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil and mix well.

FOUR: Slowly pour the mixture into the lip balm tins. Pour until you reach the indented groove in the tins.

FIVE: Place the tins without their lids in the freezer for 30 minutes to an 1 hour. This step is essential or your gel won’t set up!

If you make this or any of our Home Spa Collection projects we’d love to see them! Share them on Instagram or on Facebook and be sure to add #homespa so we can find them.

Natural Baby Oil

Filed Under: Lotion

This recipe brilliant in its simplicity. The skin-loving combination of just three oils makes for a wonderfully-textured and amazingly not-too-greasy option for baby’s skin, plus the use of Oat extract takes the sensitivity of young skin into consideration. Try this oil on dry patches after a bath for maximum benefit.

Natural Baby Oil [Read more…]

Oatmeal Facial Scrub and Mask DIY

Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Here’s a quick and adaptable recipe for a gentle facial scrub and mask. It works great as a simple exfoliater, but for an added boost leave it on your skin as a mask to absorb oil and clean pores. Skin-loving ingredients and gentle oils make this scrub and mask a soothing addition to any skin care routine.

Oatmeal Facial Scrub and Mask Recipe

Recipe:

2 1/2 cups Oatmeal (NOT quick oats)

1/2 cup Bentonite Clay

2 Tablespoons Lemon Peel Powder

3 mL Oat Extract

3 mL Vitamin E Oil

Hungarian Lavender

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Egyptian Geranium Essential Oil

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

2 – 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jars

Aloe Vera Liquid or Chamomile Tea (for hydrating the mask)

OPTIONAL: Lavender Grade 1

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]

Fruit and Veggie Wash Soap

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’m a huge fan of fruits and veggies of all types! From green smoothies to kale salads, I rarely meet produce that I don’t like. And of course, for me using soap to clean my veggies goes together like…peas and carrots (pun intended!). You’ve probably already noticed that many of your soap making oils are also common oils used in food preparation, and many can be found in your kitchen. Common fixed oils like Coconut, Palm, and of course Olive Oil are food-grade and often used in cooking. Sodium Hydroxide is even used in food preparation. True story! Pretzels, bagels, and lutefisk all have preparation methods involving lye.  Sodium Lactate is also a food additive (FDA listing here). That being said, fixed oils from Bramble Berry aren’t meant for use in your food, because our warehouse isn’t certified for food storage and handling practices. But for a wash-off product like this fruit and veggie wash, the vegetable oils will do just fine!

Fruit and Veggie Wash Soap [Read more…]

Tutorial for Everything Balm

Filed Under: Lotion

On its own, this everything balm is excellent for many applications. Because the oils used in this recipe are all lip-safe, it makes a great lip balm as well (though, you’ll want to ensure any essential oils you use are lip safe as well if you go that route). Try it on your cuticles, or on stubborn winter dry patches (like elbows and knees) for intensive moisture. Check out the end of the tutorial for some of my favorite additives to kick the benefits up a notch!

Note: The 8 oz. Glass Bail Jars have been discontinued. The kit now comes with Tall 8 oz. Plastic Bail Jars.

Everything Balm

Recipe:

1.5 oz Beeswax

2 oz Cocoa Butter

5 oz Avocado Butter

8 oz Sunflower Oil

1 oz Tamanu Oil

6 mL Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil

2 mL Egyptian Geranium Essential Oil

2 8 oz Plastic Bail Jars

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

Add to Cart [Read more…]

The Art Of Natural Dye

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Anne-Marie Note: This is a guest blog post by Alesia Lau, one of our fantastic instructors and soapsters extraordinaire at Otion – The Soap Bar. Alesia loves to explore the world of color and in her job at Otion, she gets to play with color every day! Taking this class in Bellingham was a natural extension of her desire to learn more about natural colorant options for soap. I’m excited to see her work in some of these great ideas in her upcoming soapmaking experiments.

Tiger Stripe “Hanger” Swirl Tutorial

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Have you checked out Bramble Berry’s brand new Brazilian clays yet? These natural colorants work excellently in cold process soap and are available in an amazing range of colors. They’re even available in a sample pack so you can test them out before purchasing a larger size!  To keep with the natural elements of the clays, I used a delightfully herbal essential oil blend for fragrance.

To create a two-color tiger stripe effect, I modified Bramble Berry’s 2 pound Wood Loaf mold. If you have some cardboard lying around from holiday packaging, here’s your chance to reuse it for some soapy goodness. We’re keeping it green on Soap Queen!

Tiger Stripe Hanger Swirl [Read more…]

Cuticle Salve Recipe

Filed Under: Lotion

I’m totally loving the weather right now – windy, rainy, and super cold, perfect weather for an active toddler who would love nothing more than to be outside. Woo hoo! Puddles! Honestly though, I love the fact that the cold weather has created an opportunity for me to develop this all-natural cuticle salve recipe. See what I did there? See how I turned that around? #SilverLining. Ahem. Bring it on winter!

Cuticle Salve [Read more…]

Making Bath Truffles on Soap Queen TV

Filed Under: Bath Fizzies

Learn to make luxurious and fun bath truffles! What’s a bath truffle? It’s like a bath fizzy with lots of moisturizing oils and butters that you crumble into your bath for a home spa experience. In this episode, I use cocoa butter and shea butter for that luxurious touch. Bath truffles are a great project for beginner and advanced crafters alike. They are easy to customize with fragrance and essential oils of your preference.

This video includes two recipes. The first is a natural mix using Kaolin Clay and Lavender Essential Oil. The second recipe is a Sweet Bubbly Bar using a blend of Chocolate and Vanilla fragrances. Both bath truffle recipes smell amazing, and feel great in the tub. Do be careful when getting out of the tub; the extra butters in this recipe can make the bottom of the tub a little bit slippery! To help the butters in this recipe disperse better in the tub, you can add a bit of polysorbate 80. Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier and helps prevent large pools of oil and butter in bath water.  [Read more…]

Naturally Colored Eye Candy

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

These soaps are all made using the cold process technique and colored with natural colorants (think Activated Charcoal, Alkanet, Annatto Seed, Calendula, Maddar Root, Paprika, Spirulina, etc). Can you believe some of these designs? I was totally blown away with the quality of entries in this particular Make it Monday contest.  To see the name behind the soaps and some of the natural colorants used, check out the Make It Monday Facebook Album. And be sure to check out the winners of the contest here.  Of course, everyone is a winner in my book! So cliche to say, I know, but it’s true! Some of these soaps are seriously jaw dropping.

[Read more…]

Sun Print Soaps by Simona

Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

Simona from Bramble Berry marketing did a darling melt and pour project that turned out way too cute to not share with everyone. Thanks Simona! And check out her other guest post on Cocoa Powder (yum). Enjoy! -Anne-Marie

This soap evokes childhood memories of summer art projects. One of my favorites, a treat, was using Sun Print paper. Depending on how much paper we had, we’d spend hours collecting and doing practice arrangements – you have to be quick with the set up to achieve the “best” print. We’d run around the house and yard to gather various plants, feathers, keys and other fun and funky shaped objects. A patch of driveway would be selected and we’d layout our sheet, arranging our found objects just so on the paper. After carefully setting the glass onto the arrangement we’d anxiously watch and wait for the blue to turn to white. Then we’d run to the hose to “process” our masterpiece, watching the white turn back to blue where our objects were not.

If you have never made a layered soap before, please watch the Basic Layers episode on Soap Queen TV to  brush up on the basics before tackling this project.

What You’ll Need:
Organic Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
Shea Melt & Pour Soap Base
Non-Bleeding Teal
Activated Charcoal
Liquid Glycerin
Tangerine Essential Oil
Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Lavender 40/42 Essential Oil
Cedarwood Essential Oil
12 bar square silicone mold

Buy everything you need with the click of a button!

[Read more…]

How to Make Perfume Video

Filed Under: Lotion

Learn how to custom blend your own perfume on Soap Queen TV. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to blend fragrance oils to create your very own unique scent. Then I’ll share my recipes for an all natural solid and a luxurious, floral spray perfume.

To make the Solid Perfume you will need:

 

To make the Spray Perfume you will need:

 

#Natural Colorants Winners!

Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’m excited to share the winners of the #Natural Colorants Cold Process Challenge. We had an amazing turnout and at last count, there were over 145 entries! There were so many incredible soaps that I just had to feature more than four this time. Check out these inspiring (and all-naturally colored) soaps!

[Read more…]