Salt Archives - Page 2 of 2

Last Minute Project for Mom!

May 5, 2011 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Hand-Milled Rose/Lilac Salt Bar for Mother’s Day

I woke up this morning and realized that Mother’s Day is Sunday and I hadn’t made any soap for the occasion! Yikes! I needed to come up with something. So here is what I made…

Ingredients for Hand-Milled Rose/Lilac Salt Bar

28 oz shredded soap (rebatch)

2 cups salt (or your favorite scrubby ingredient)

1 tablespoon Walnut Shells

2 ml Fuchsia LabColor

.5 ml Canary LabColor

.5 oz Lilac Fragrance Oil

.5 oz Baby Rose Fragrance Oil

Individual cavity molds. I really liked using a silicone muffin pan.

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Baked Dendritic Bath Salts. So Relaxing!

April 21, 2011 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Mmmmmm…… A hot bath with soothing salt and delicate fragrance sounds really good right now. So here’s an easy and fool-proof method for making bath salts.

Dendritic Salt has a greater surface area than other salts which means the fragrance (or essential) oils and color stick better and with more OOMPH! Many crafters add Dendritic Salt to their Sea Salt formulations for the non-clumping capabilities. But this isn’t just any bath salt recipe…this is a baked bath salt recipe. We’re baking in the colorant and fragrance oil leaving a smooth, dry and clump free texture. People are going to ask you how you got such a nice consistency with such a fine salt. Shhhh…it’s our little secret!

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DIY Soapy Confetti: Soapylove E-Zine

April 6, 2011 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Feast your eyes on a few of the projects in the new Soapylove E-Zine for Spring 2011.

Get the newest edition here!

Soap Sprinkles: Make your own!

Salty Stripes: Using salt in melt and pour.

Bottle Soaps: You won’t believe how Debbie created this technique!

In other (off topic yet amazing) news, check the Bella Lucce Blog to win a trip to Miami to attend the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference! Yes, you read that correctly. Lela from Bella Lucce is throwing one heck of a contest to win some sunny skies and soapy inspiration. Read the contest details here!

Shopping. Planning. Shopping.

October 13, 2010 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

We’re hard at work planning our Summer 2011 line. Our Spring 2011 line has been determined (thanks S.O.A.P. panel!) and will be announced soon. One of the ways I work to plan future seasons is by reading a ton of magazines, walking the mall (color trend, scent trends, bottle shapes and sizes all play into that) and buying from a bunch of different vendors to see what they are making (what they’re trending towards, are they making traditional products with a twist, what colors seem to be hot, what new ingredients have caught their eye). So, lucky me, it’s part of my quarterly job to seek out cool bath and body products to buy and yes, use.

My first purchase yesterday was from Angel Face Botanicals out of Portland, Oregon.

Citrus & Lavender Organic Soap

Milk & Honey Effervescent Spa Crystals

Pineapple Papaya Skin Mask

Honey Jasmine Natural Perfume

Then I went over to Nature’s Art and grabbed some all natural toothpaste that I had my eye on. And, since you can’t just buy one thing, I tossed a couple other things into my cart.

Cream Cheese Body Frosting

Natural Tooth Soap

Saltworks Soap Skin Treatment

I also ordered from LUSH to see what’s going on in their trendy world (I am looking forward to trying their solid conditioner). I can’t wait to use the products, be inspired and get some new Shout-Out to Soapmakers Interviews up and running for you to read and get energized by.

Salty Pricing

July 21, 2010 Filed Under: Business Musings

As requested on the Teach Soap Forum, I put together a generic price breakdown for my bath salts recipe. It will only cost you $4.66 to make 6 bags of fabulously scented, colored and perfectly packaged bath salts! And you could save even more money by buying in larger, bulk sizes!

My Bath Salt Recipe

3 Cups Medium Dead Sea Salt

2 ml diluted Blue Mix Labcolor

10 ml of Yuzu Fragrance Oil
Yields 6 bags of bath Salts

Get everything you need to make this recipe
by clicking on the “Buy It Now” icon below.

Price Break Down

Medium Dead Sea Salt- $2.50 per lb (10 lb size)

LabColor- $0.01 per diluted ml (10 ml)

Fragrance Oil- $1.57 per oz (1 lb size)

Cellophane Bags- $0.01 per bag (box of 1000 online)

Waterproof Labels- $0.10 per label (10 sheets, 10-12 labels per sheet)

Recipe Grand Total $4.66

(that’s just $0.77 per 1/2 cup bag of salt)

To make this entire recipe, it will only cost you $4.66 in materials. And remember that my recipe makes 6 bags of bath salts so divide the total by 6 and it’s only costing you $0.77 per bag of scented, colored and packaged bath salts! Keep in mind that I’m not factoring in my time and effort. You’ll have to decide that on your own. How long does it take you to make these and how much is your time worth? Do you have the equipment to whip out a huge batch? Or are you limited to smaller, individual batches? Answer these questions to add on the final costs to your products. After itemizing your recipe and finding out the exact amount it’s costing you (down to the penny), you can make an informed decision about what price to charge, how much you can afford to spend on packaging and what sort of promotions you can run with this high margin item.

New Video Release: Emulsified Scrub

March 31, 2010 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

How to Make Emulsified Scrub Online Video: Only $5.95

Scrub, Lotion, Soap all in ONE!

This online video tutorial is all about how to make an emulsified scrub. Clocking in at over 7 minutes, this is a longer, more detailed version of SoapQueen.TV than you’ve seen before. In this video, Anne-Marie shows how to make a unique scrub using our fine grain dead sea salt although you could easily use sugar as a substitute.

What’s an Emulsified scrub? It’s like a lotion, liquid soap, and body scrub all in one! No more oily scrubs that leak in transit and leave a film in your tub when you make this innovative recipe. In addition, you will receive a PDF of the label designs you see pictured with the full INCI listing printed out. One page for salt and a separate page for sugar, so you can choose whichever exfoliant you prefer. Just download, print on label stock, trim down to size, and apply to our 4 ounce plastic jars.

When you purchase this video and your payment is processed (usually takes 24 hours) you will receive an email with a link to the PDF of the label design and a password to unlock the online video tutorial.

2009 Christmas Kits: Candles

November 25, 2009 Filed Under: Home Crafts

Have you heard about our 2009 Christmas Kits? They’re this years simple solution for making coordinated gift ensembles! Choose from two different fragrance combinations (sweet or spice) to make candles, lotions and salt scrubs for your friends, family and co-workers. If you missed the blog yesterday, I posted a salt scrub recipe that you can make with this kit! Check it out.

Here’s how to make your easy candles…

In a double boiler, melt 16 oz of White Beeswax. Once fully melted, turn off the burner, add 1 ounce of Fragrance Oil and mix well. Then, carefully fill each candle tin with wax (we suggest slowly pouring from your pot or using a ladle). Once you’ve filled your candle tins, place a candle wick in the center of each tin. Let the candles cool for 4-6 hours. Then trim the wicks to ½ inch, apply the neatly labeled lid, and present your creation to a worthy recipient!

Variation: If you want your candles to be a color other than ivory white, check out all of the candle colorants here. Get one of those colors plus the kit and you’ve got yourself a variation. Or, pick up an ounce of a great blender to give yourself even more options for the perfect stocking stuffer. What blends with Clementine Cupcake or Chipotle Caramel? Dark Rich Chocolate, T urkish Mocha, Arabian Spice, Blackberry Spice, Christmas Spice, Orange Spice, Orange Mocha or Pumpkin Spice are all great blenders! And Mandarin Myrrh & Wassail can both easily blend with Berry Wine, Chocolate Espresso, Dark Rich Chocolate, Rise ‘n’ Shine, Amber, Black Tea or Black Amber & Lavender.

Tip: If you’re having problems with leaning wicks, dip the base of the wick in the melted wax and center on the bottom of the tin. Then place 2 pencils horizontally on the tin, on each side of the wick. This will give the wick a little support as you pour the wax and the candle cools. For more helpful candle making tips, check out Soap Queen TV’s episode on Holiday Travel Candles.

Quick Stocking Stuffers: Salt Scrub Recipes

November 24, 2009 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

Our Stocking Stuffer Kits are this year’s simple solution for making coordinated gift ensembles! Choose from two different fragrance combinations – sweet or spicy – to make candles, lotions and salt scrubs for your friends, family and co-workers. It’s a great gift giving solution in a last minute pinch.

You can purchase the kit of just get the individual ingredients. Below are 2 of my favorite basic recipes.

More liquid recipe blend:
4 tbs. Sweet Almond Oil

4 oz. Dead Sea Salt
2 ml Fragrance Oil

Dryer recipe blend:
2 tbs. Sweet Almond Oil
4 oz. Dead Sea Salt
2 ml Fragrance Oil

In a small mixing bowl, combine your Dead Sea Salt, Sweet Almond Oil and Fragrance Oil. Once fully mixed together, use a spoon to fill up a 4 ounce plastic container. Screw on the lid and add your label (templates for the design above are included with the kit). Really, that’s all there is to it! Feel free to use your imagination and create your own recipe!

Looking for something spicy and sophisticated? Try the Mandarin & Myrrh with Wassail kit. If you have a sweet tooth (like me), then the Clementine Cupcake with Chipotle Caramel is the kit for you. Either kit will be a winner for the 2009 Holidays!

Psst: The Bramble Berry newsletter went out today! If you didn’t get it, let me know and I’ll forward you my copy. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the specials or the free label template.

Sea Salt Foot Scrub For Mom

May 2, 2009 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

Ingredients
2.5 oz – 3 oz. Dead Sea Salt (fine grained or medium)
2 Tbsp. Purple Jojoba Beads
1 oz. Golden Jojoba Oil
1 oz. Sweet Almond Oil
2 drops Vitamin E Oil
2-3 drops Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil
2-3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (2nd distill)
4 oz tin or container

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together and package it in a cute container (we used a 4 oz tin). Really, that’s all you do! Remember that you can use any fragrance oil combination that you want. I’m partial to our creation though. It’s minty, sweet and refreshing.

Directions: After soaking feet in the Fizzy Foot Soak, rub a generous amount of the sea salt scrub on your feet and ankles (or your Mom’s feet!). Apply more pressure for a deeper exfoliation. The smaller grain provides an even, smooth exfoliation and the medium grain salt is a rougher, shorter scrub. Rinse off with hot water. Pat dry. Hold tight and wait for tomorrow’s recipe on making a foot balm.

Want to use our labels? Print them here.

Home Spa Experience for Mom

April 29, 2009 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Mom already has a birdhouse made of popsicle sticks! This year, give her something pampering. Let your Mom kick off her shoes and relax with a home spa experience including a handmade Fizzing Foot Soak, a Sea Salt Foot Scrub and a Luxurious Foot Balm. Her toes will be rejuvenated and flawless just in time for spring!Get creative and make your own labels or cheat a little and use ours (we won’t tell). Print the labels here.

Stay tuned. Recipes to follow.

Simple Easter Scrub

April 7, 2009 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Soaks & Scrubs

Need a special little gift to give your Easter dinner hostess or for a special friend? I’ve created this adorable salt scrub with an Easter twist. Best of all? It’s fast and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups fine grain dead sea salt
3 tablespoons lotion base
3 tablespoons soap concentrate base
1 1/2 tablespoons Vitamin E oil
1 ounce Jojoba oil
2 ounce Sweet Almond oil
3 teaspoons Jojoba beads
1/4 oz. lettuce fragrance oil

Shredded loofah and Emerald Green labcolor to sprinkle on the top.

4 ounce tin container with clear top

Instructions:

So easy! Just mix everything except the loofah and Emerald Green labcolor together.

Spoon into your container.

To make the grass green loofah: Put some diluted labcolor (suggest 10 ml of Labcolor in 3 ounces of water) and the loofah in a seal top baggie and then mush them around until they are as green as you like. Ideally, you’ll want just enough liquid to color the loofah without making it sopping wet.

For an extra special touch, make some of our play dough soap and roll into little egg shapes. Next roll the little eggs in some iridescent shredded glitter and scatter across the top of the scrub.

PS – Did you recognize our little happy erasers in the scrub up top? Get your own Easter Bunnies here.

Salty Mariner Blends – A’Hoy!

April 4, 2009 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Salty Mariner is one of those fragrances that you either immediately love or … you just don’t get it. There’s not a whole lot of waffling involved. It’s primarily an ozoney fragrance, meant to make you reminisce about the sea, waves and salt. But, if it’s not your fave or you just downright aren’t a fan of smelling like oceany sea brine, I’ve designed some blends to make it palatable even for the most discerning fragrance snob. I hope you enjoy them and the fragrance when you try it.

1 part Dark Rich Chocolate
1 part Cinnamon Sugar
1 part Salty Mariner

1 part Salty Mariner
1 part Cybilla Coconut

1 part Grapefruit Lily
1 part Salty Mariner

1 part Salty Mariner
1 part Sweetgrass

1 part Salty Mariner
1 part Tahitian Vanilla

And now, I’m off to Otion to teach an overflowing, full Cold Process I class. It should be a delight.

Bella Lucce – Free stuff!

June 26, 2007 Filed Under: Personal Ramblings

Bella Lucce, one of my favorite scrub vendors (try their Chianti & Grapeseed Crush) is offering their sampler box for free! Check out the details here.

I just bought the sampler box and a full size of the Chianti Scrub two weeks ago. I am jealous of anyone that takes advantage of the offer and saves the $20. It’s a generous deal at the normal price and an outta-sight bargain at the shipping-only price.

Salt, salt and oh, more salt

March 18, 2007 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Just when you thought that we couldn’t have enough salt (2 types of Dead Sea Salt, Bali Reef Salt and Pacific Sea Salt), we’ve added yet another salt – Organic Salt from New Zealand. We’ve watched the organic market grow and it shows no signs of stopping, so we’re dipping our feet into the water with our organic essential oils and trying out the organic salt. If sales of these two lines stay strong, we’ll consider some organic oils for cooking and soap.