rose clay Archives - Soap Queen

DIY Rosehip Melt & Pour Soap

October 26, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Melt & Pour Soap

Rosehip powder is full of vitamin C, which makes it a popular additive for beauty recipes. Interestingly, it’s not the rosy color you’d imagine. Instead, rosehip powder is a mustard yellow hue that changes to burgundy in cold process and melt and pour soap.

This Rosehip Melt & Pour Soap contains both rosehip powder and rose clay. The combination creates a soft pink color with plenty of skin-loving properties. Poppy seeds add texture and exfoliation.

Rosehip powder is part of the new Exotic Naturals Collection, which includes a wide array of powders, oils and exfoliants. See all the new products here.

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Rose Clay Face Mask DIY

April 24, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Lotion

Rose clay is a naturally beautiful skincare ingredient. It adds a soft, rosy hue to this Rose Clay Face Mask. Rose clay has gentle oil-absorbing properties, making this mask suitable for both dry and oil skin types. Scented with rose absolute, this face mask is luxurious and pampering.

This face mask recipe was specifically designed with dry, mature skin in mind. Rosehip seed oil is rich in vitamin A and C, and intensely moisturizes without leaving a greasy feeling on the skin. Chamomile extract soothes dry skin, and is thought to be an anti-inflammatory. A downloadable label template gives a finished and polished look.

Rose absolute is extracted from rose petals, and gives the mask a soft, luxurious rose scent. It is a pricey essential oil, but you don’t need much at all. Just 1 mL of the oil is enough to elevate this mask to a truly pampering experience. If you don’t have dry or mature skin, there are three different variations of this mask recipe. This post will help you find which clay mask is right for your skin type.

Tumeric Clay Face Mask – normal, combination skin.
Lavender Clay Face Mask – dry, sensitive skin.
Sea Clay Face Mask – oil skin.

A few notes about recipe substitutions:

Polawax Emulsifying Wax is a highly reliable and strong emulsifier. It could be substituted for the generic version, Emulsifying Wax, if you prefer, although this recipe was not tested with Emulsifying Wax. Due to the clay in the recipe, we splurged and used Polawax Emulsifying Wax to avoid any chance of separation.
This recipe calls for avocado and rosehip seed oil. Other oils can be used instead if you prefer; we recommend staying with liquid oils that absorb easily into the skin. Changing the total amount of oil in the recipe will change the overall texture of the mask.
Because this recipe is essentially a lotion and contains a large amount of water, a preservative is necessary to prevent mold and bacterial growth. We chose Optiphen, but other water soluble preservatives will work. Learn more about preservatives here.
Increase the total amount of clay if you want it to be better suited for normal to oily skin types. Decreasing the amount of clay may create a thinner product with more moisturizing properties.
If you prefer to use different clays, feel free to swap them. Clays have different absorbing properties, which will affect how it feels on the skin. Learn which clay is right for your skin.
If you have very sensitive skin, fragrance and essential oils can be irritating. Omit from the recipe if you prefer. Or, you can sub out the essential oil for a different oil.

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DIY Rose Clay Milk Soap Bars

February 23, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Melt & Pour Soap

Goat milk is known for its skin-nourishing properties. In cold process soap, some soapers replace distilled water with goat milk to give soap extra creaminess. If you’d like to bring those properties to melt and pour soap, the Goat Milk Melt and Pour Base is made with a full 10% of liquid goat milk. For this recipe, the new Milk Soap Silicone Tray Mold really highlights the ingredients of the soap.

To help the details really pop, a small amount of Clear Melt and Pour Soap Base is mixed with rose clay and piped into the mold. The bars are scented with Dogwood and Ginger Blossom Fragrance Oil, which is a unique blend of floral, spice and citrus notes.

This project is suitable for beginners, but filling in the mold details can take a little bit of patience and a steady hand. The details in the mold were specially designed to be deep, which makes the process easier. A thermometer is recommended during this project. If the second layer of soap is poured into the mold while it’s still really hot, it can melt the details below.

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Rose Clay & Charcoal Soap Tutorial

January 6, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

After the holidays, I always feel the need for a bit of detoxing and rejuvenation. That desire to hit the reset button inspired this soap recipe, which contains rose clay and charcoal. Both are known for their oil-absorbing properties. Charcoal in particular binds to dirt and oil in the skin, bringing them to the surface. In these bars, charcoal is sprinkled in between layers to create rustic-looking stripes.

The rose clay in this recipe is dispersed in distilled water rather than oil to help compensate for the absorption properties. Learn more about working with clays in your products. The clay, along with Rosehip Jasmine Fragrance Oil, will cause the trace to become thick rather quickly. For this design that’s totally okay. These bars are meant to have a natural and rustic look to them, so you don’t need to worry about the layers being straight or the top being smooth. These bars really play up the thick texture!

After a few washes, the rose petals will fall off. But, I think they are totally worth it – they really are the cherry on top! Of course if you want to skip them, feel free. When it’s time to cut the bars, the rose petals can get caught under the knife and create drag marks. I threw caution to the wind and used the Multi-Bar Cutter. That created drag marks on about half the bars. But, I think they actually contribute to the “natural” look and feel. Depending on your preference, cut the bars on the side to avoid the drag marks, or embrace them by cutting straight down.

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How to Use Clay in Bath & Beauty Projects

January 4, 2017 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

Clay is a versatile ingredient for a wide variety of bath and beauty projects. It’s probably most well known for clay face masks, but can also be used in cold process soap and scrubs. It adds color and various oil absorbing properties. If you’d like to add clay to your homemade beauty projects, find out which clay is right for your skin. Then, learn how to add it to various projects below.

Clay in Cold Process Soap
Because of their ability to absorb liquid, including oil, clays are a popular additive for soap created for oily skin. If you’d like to add clay to your soap projects, keep those properties in mind; clay also absorbs moisture in soap. To compensate for the moisture clay absorbs, disperse it in distilled water (rather than oil) for cold process soap recipes. The usage rate is 1 tablespoon distilled water per teaspoon of clay. In general, a usage rate of about 1 teaspoon of clay per pound of soap is a great place to start for cold process soap recipes. Feel free to use more if you’d like, just keep in mind clays also speed up trace. The more you use, the faster your soap will become thick. Learn more about trace here. Check out the recipes below for inspiration.

The French green clay used in the Avocado + Spearmint Cold Process Soap helps give it a soft green color.

Lavender & Lemongrass Hot Process Soap – contains green zeolite clay
Brine and Rose Clay Cold Process Soap – contains rose clay
Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars – contain rose clay
Natural Colorant Taiwan Swirl – contains dark red Brazilian clay
Honey Bee Soap – contains yellow silt clay, purple Brazilian clay and dark red Brazilian clay
Avocado + Spearmint Cold Process Soap – contains French green clay
Waves of the Sea Cold Process Soap – contains sea clay

Clay in Melt and Pour
Clays are great for melt and pour soap as well. To help avoid clumps, disperse the clay in 99% isopropyl alcohol at a rate of 1 tablespoon alcohol to 1 teaspoon clay. They give soap great color and absorption properties. Unlike cold process soap, you don’t need to worry about it thickening the “trace” of melt and pour, but don’t use too much. Adding too much clay to melt and pour soap can make it more difficult to work with. One teaspoon of clay per pound of melt and pour soap is a great place to start. Continue adding clay to the melt and pour until you reach your desired effect.

A combination of spirulina powder and green zeolite clay create a soft green color in the Star Anise Melt & Pour Bars.

Star Anise Melt & Pour Bars – contain green zeolite clay
Minty Clay Melt & Pour Bars – contain green zeolite clay
Tea Tree & Rosemary Cleansing Bar – contains green zeolite clay
Charcoal & Rose Clay Spa Bar – contains rose clay
Melt & Pour Clay Tutorial – contains yellow, dark red and purple Brazilian clays

Clay in Scrubs
Clays make a wonderful addition to body and face scrubs. This is especially true if the scrub is designed for oily skin, as clays pull oil from the skin. Because clays are fine grained, they usually don’t add much exfoliation to scrubs. But, they are fantastic additives for color and oil absorption. If your scrub is dry (does not contain any water or oil), simply add and mix the clay in with the other dry ingredients. If you’re mixing the clay into oil, keep in mind the clay can fall to the bottom of the oil and may need to be mixed up before use. In emulsified scrubs, dispersing the clay in a small amount of water or oil in your recipe can help avoid chunks, but is not completely necessary.

In the Sea Clay Dry Salt Scrub, a combination of sea clay, baking soda, salts and poppy seeds make a scrubby paste when mixed with water.

Walnut Facial Scrub for Men – contains kaolin clay
Sea Clay Dry Salt Scrub – contains sea clay
Rose Clay Sugar Scrub – contains rose clay

Clay in Bath Bombs
Clays can be added to bath bombs. Just keep in mind that clays are essentially dirt. If too much clay is added to the fizzy, it can leave a residue on the skin or the tub. Clays are great for giving bath bombs color, and can also help them hold their shape. In particular, kaolin clay is a popular clay choice due to the fine texture and neutral color. Kaolin clay can add structure and sturdiness to bath bombs. This help them hold their shape when unmolded, and is a popular additive for large bath bombs.

Because clays absorb, they can lead to a dry and crumbly bath bomb, so be careful to not use too much. This is especially true if you live in a very dry climate. A good place to start is about 1 tablespoon of kaolin clay per cup of bath bomb mixture. Add the clay to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly prior to adding liquid ingredients to make the mixing process easier.

Pink Brazilian clay and purple Brazilian clay give the Lavender & Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy stripes of color.

Mini Heart Bath Bombs – contain pink Brazilian clay
Lavender & Clay Mondo Bath Fizzy – contains purple and pink Brazilian clays

Clay in Face Masks and Other Products
Because clay is so good at absorbing oil, it’s commonly used in products formulated for oily skin. A popular clay beauty product is clay face masks. The masks can be “dry,” meaning water is added to the powder to make a paste and applied to the skin. Clays can also be mixed with oil for a more hydrating experience, or emulsified for a lotion-like texture. If you’re designing a clay mask, find out which one is best suited for your skin here. For some clay mask recipe ideas, check out the Soap Queen TV video below.

Clays are a commonly used in shaving soaps and cream. In particular, bentonite clay is a great addition to shaving soap as it gives the soap a nice “slip,” which helps the razor glide across the skin more easily. Kaolin clay is sometimes used in cosmetic products like eye shadow and blush recipes, as it has a very fine and powdery texture. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend using clay in lotion products, as it would leave skin feeling dry. In addition, clays may not be the best choice for lip products meant to hydrate.

Shaving Soap Tutorial – contains bentonite clay
Easy Whipped Shaving Soap Recipe – contains bentonite clay
Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask – contains rose clay and kaolin clay
Rose Clay Foot Mask – contains rose clay and kaolin clay
Oatmeal Facial Scrub & Mask – contains bentonite clay

What’s your favorite way to incorporate clay into your handmade beauty projects?

Which Clay is Right for Your Skin?

January 2, 2017 Filed Under: Tips & Tricks

When searching for effective skincare ingredients, the ground may not be the first place that comes to mind. But, clays (which are essentially types of dirt) are well known for their amazing cleansing and purifying properties. Natural clays have been used on the skin for centuries, and continue to be a popular ingredient in products today.

In general, clays are soft, fine-grained mineral substances. There are different types of clay which vary in composition depending on the origin. While the properties of each clay varies, they are most commonly used in skincare because of their absorption properties. When applied, clay pulls oil from the skin, leaving it balanced and clean.

Depending on your skin type, one clay may be better suited for your skin than another. For example, kaolin clay is a fine-grained clay with mild absorption properties, which makes it better for dry to normal skin. On the other hand, French green clay and bentonite clay have stronger absorption properties, making them a good fit for oily skin.

In general, clays are best for normal to oily skin types because they absorb moisture. If you have extremely dry skin, products containing clay can leave your skin feeling a little uncomfortable. Drier skins can still use clay products. But, it’s important to choose a milder clay. If you’re formulating skincare recipes and would like to include clay, learn which is best suited for your skin type below.

*A note about medical claims and clays – If you do a little research online about clay and skincare, you’ll find a lot of medical claims. According to the web, clays treat acne, reduce scars, treat psoriasis, regenerate skin tissue, draw out toxins from the skin and more. While it’s true that clay is great for the skin, if you sell products that include clay, you cannot claim that your product treats any skin condition. This would classify your product as a drug, which requires testing and approval from the FDA. Learn more about cosmetic vs. drug claims here. In the descriptions of each clay below, I specifically left medical claims out. While you cannot claim the products you sell treat the skin, these medical claims may affect which clay you choose and use for personal use.

Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is created from volcanic ash. The U.S. is the top producer of bentonite clay, with much of the production happening in Wyoming. In bath and beauty products, bentonite clay gives products a nice “slip.” This texture is great for shaving soaps, as it helps the razor glide over the skin. It has strong oil absorbing properties, and is able to absorb more than its mass in water. This makes bentonite clay a great choice for very oily skin.

Brazilian Clay (Natural, Dark Red, Pink, Purple, Yellow)
Brazilian clays are a type of kaolin clay, and come in a wide variety of vibrant hues. The’re naturally colored and do not contain any dyes or pigments. The various shades are achieved by variations in the minerals found in the soil in the different regions of Brazil. Bramble Berry carries five different natural clays — Natural Brazilian, Purple, Yellow, Pink, and Dark Red. Brazilian clays have an “average” amount of absorption, making them a suitable additive for a wide variety of skin types.

French Green Clay
This clay comes from France and is known for its terrific oil absorbing properties. It has a fine texture and is commonly used for color and and oil absorption in facial masks. The light green color comes from decomposed plant matter and iron oxides. It’s best suited for oily skin types.

Green Zeolite Clay
Zeolites are microporous minerals that form when volcanic rocks and ash react with alkaline groundwater. Green zeolite clay has a slightly larger texture than most clays, as well as great absorption properties. Because of the larger texture, it also has very gentle exfoliating properties. It’s best suited for normal to oily skin types.

Kaolin Clay
Kaolin clay is a very fine powdered clay, and can come in a variety of colors. The most common color of kaolin clay is off-white. The fine texture makes it easy to incorporate into a wide variety of projects. This includes eye shadows and cosmetics, as well as soap, bath bombs and more. It is a gentle clay, with less liquid absorbing abilities than most. This makes it suitable for more sensitive and dry skin.

Rose Clay
Rose clay is considered a type of kaolin (kaolinite) clay. It has a fine texture like kaolin, and is suitable for dry skin. The clay is a light to medium pink shade, which comes from a naturally occurring iron oxide. In some projects, it can take on a deep red color or an orange hue. Rose clay makes a fantastic soap additive for both color and gentle oil absorbing properties.

Sea Clay
A dark green clay, sea clay originates from mud laid under the sea millions of years ago. It has a dark green, grayish color. It is commonly used in facial masks to cleanse the skin. It is suitable for normal to oily skin types.

Dry Skin/Normal Skin – Rose Clay, Kaolin Clay, Brazilian Clay (Natural, Dark Red, Pink, Purple, Yellow)

Normal/Oily Skin – Sea Clay, Green Zeolite Clay, French Green Clay, Bentonite Clay, Brazilian Clay (Natural, Dark Red, Pink, Purple, Yellow)

Do you have a favorite type of clay for your projects? Personally, I have combination skin that leans towards oily so I gravitate toward sea and green zeolite clay. But in soap, I love rose clay and purple Brazilian clay for the gorgeous colors. Be on the lookout for some clay inspired recipes next week!

Brine and Rose Clay Cold Process Soap (Soleseife Soap)

February 11, 2016 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

A typical cold process salt bar involves adding salt crystals at trace. These are wonderful bars, but they tend to be crumbly and may not last as long, as the salt dissolves with use. Soleseife (or brine soap) is the German name for soap made with salt water. Brine soap is a fantastic alternative to the standard salt bar. The salt is dissolved into the lye water leaving a smooth-textured, creamy white, extremely hard bar of soap. Salt does decrease lather – but this can be counteracted with a high percentage of coconut oil in your recipe. Just be sure to use a high superfat so it does not become drying.

This recipe was actually the inspiration behind the Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars. Using a similar design of an in-the-pot swirl with rose clay, these bars look similar but feel drastically different. It’s amazing how using salt water rather than adding salt at trace changes the look and feel. If you’re looking for a small amount of exfoliation, I would recommend adding salt at trace like in the Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars. If you like a smooth feel, brine soap is the way to go. Both techniques produce an extremely creamy lather.
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Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars DIY

December 22, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

2016 will be here soon, can you believe it? To say this year has flown by would be an understatement! If you’re a soapmaker you’re already thinking about cold process soap projects 4-6 weeks ahead. That timeline puts us right around Valentine’s Day, making this the ideal time to start making things inspired by love. These Lavender and Rose Pink Salt Bars are filled with ingredients that scream love: rose clay, Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil, pink sea salt and of course, a cute heart shaped mold.

If you’ve never heard of salt bars before, they are a very unique project. Interestingly, adding salt to cold process soap does not create a super scratchy bar. Instead, the salt creates a creamy and mild lather with very light exfoliation. The pink Himalayan salt used this recipe is well known for its stimulating and soothing properties. Of course the fact that it’s pink is a bonus as well. =) These bars are scented with luxurious Hungarian Lavender Essential Oil and colored with rose clay. These bars are perfect if you prefer natural cold process soap. If you’re looking for more salt bar recipes, check out the Pretty in Pink: Salty Cold Process Tutorial.

Adding salt to cold process soap inhibits lather. To combat this, a higher amount of coconut oil is used in this recipe than normal. Usually, I recommend using around 25-33% coconut oil in a recipe. To help boost the lather, I used 50% coconut oil. Some soapers go all the way up to 100% coconut oil when using salt in their soap. Don’t worry, they still feel great on the skin. In addition, salt bars are usually cut as soon as the soap is hard enough which can be as little as a few hours. The salt makes the soap harden up super quick! If you wait too long, the salt bars can be very crumbly once you cut into them. Because this project uses individual cavity molds, you don’t need to worry about cutting the bars.

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Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask on Soap Queen TV

January 14, 2015 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Easy to make and fun to use, clay masks are the perfect way to give facial skin extra TLC. In this Soap Queen TV short video, Anne-Marie shows you how to make a clay mask that moisturizes and exfoliates. Made with luxurious argan and meadowfoam oil, this mask gives the skin essential nutrients such as vitamin E. As you wash the mask off, the walnut shells and clays gently exfoliate away dry, flaky skin.

This mask has a thick, spreadable texture. If you prefer a thinner mask, you can add slightly more oil. When removing the mask, use a gentle cleanser to thoroughly rinse off the clay. Because of the vibrant red color, the clay does have the possibility to stain washcloths. Using a cleanser and hands works just fine when removing the mask.

What You’ll Need:
2.4 oz. Rose Clay
.7 oz Kaolin Clay
.3 oz Walnut Shells
1.4 oz Argan Oil
1.2 oz. Meadowfoam Oil
.1 Evening Primrose Extract
1.8 mL Phenonip
4 oz. Jar with White Twist Cap

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

4.8 from 6 reviews

Rose Clay Exfoliating Mask on Soap Queen TV

Made with moisturizing oils and skin loving clays, this facial mask moisturizes and exfoliates.

Recipe type: Face Products

Serves: One 4 oz. Jar

Ingredients

2.4 oz Rose Clay
.7 oz Kaolin Clay
.3 oz Walnut Shells
1.4 oz Argan Oil
1.2 oz Meadowfoam Oil
.1 oz Evening Primrose Extract
1.8 mL Phenonip
One 4 oz. Jar with White Twist Cap

Instructions

In a large bowl, add rose clay, kaolin clay and walnut shells. Stir to combine.
Add the argan, meadowfoam oil, phenonip and evening primrose extract and stir to combine. The mixture will be quite thick, but keep stirring!
Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, place the mixture into the jar and enjoy!

Clay Recipe Roundup

January 6, 2015 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

With a wide selection and skin-loving properties, clays make a great addition to bath and beauty projects. Clays can add color to a project and oil-absorbing properties, making it a versatile additive. Brazilian clays are a popular variety, and come in multiple colors, including pink, purple, dark red, yellow and natural. Other popular choices include sea clay, rose clay, kaolin clay and bentonite clay.

The Brazilian Clay Sampler pack is a great way to try out a variety of clays!

In cold process soap, clays are a fantastic natural colorant option. In the Waves of the Sea Cold Process, sea clay adds a smoky green layer that looks great against the deep blue. Dark red Brazilian clay is used in both the Honey Bee Cold Process and the Natural Colorant Taiwan Swirl, resulting in various shades of pink.
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Rose Clay Foot Mask

June 12, 2014 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

The third step in our pampering home pedicure series is applying this thick, moisturizing foot mask. Featuring rose clay and kaolin clay, this mask purifies and detoxifies the skin as the avocado extract and vitamin E oil moisturize and nourish. For a step-by-step how to guide on giving yourself a home pedicure, check out the free PDF guide. The cute labels for the jars are also available as a free PDF item!

This project is part of the Happy Feet Home Pedicure series. See all the projects here: Moisturizing Heel Balm, Cranberry Seed Foot Scrub, Invigorating Foot Soak and Summer Shimmer Nail Polish.
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Sunday Night Spotlight: Natural Colorants

December 29, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. ”
― Oscar Wilde

The first thing anyone sees about your soap creation is its color and shape. The thing that will intrigue a customer and get them to pick up a bar of soap is not the scent; it’s the color. From LabColors, to micas, color blocks for melt and pour and pigments, there are many options for coloring your soap. If you prefer to use natural ingredients in your soap, you can still achieve vibrant, beautiful colors using natural colorants. Natural products that impart color include clays as well as herbs and botanicals.

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