Adventures With The Sage

Instead of using one of the most common thickening agents, Stearic Acid, I decided to use Carnauba Wax. It has twice the stiffening power compared to Beeswax and is very similar to stearic acid in thickening. It is also a plant wax, meaning it is vegan friendly! Isn’t that wonderful? Before you ask, our Stearic Acid is plant derived as well.

I also used Hydrogenated Soybean Oil in this formulation. Hydrogenated Soybean Oil adds a smooth creamy feeling to the lotion. I find it also helps with glide. It makes it easier and smoother to apply the lotion.

I chose my favorite humectant to add moisture to this formulation. My favorite humectant is Hydrovance! I love it because it has longer moisturizing properties, it is light and it does not leave a residue. Can a humectant get any more perfect? I don’t know. It will have to go far to beat Hydrovance in my book!

I also decided to add two luxury oils to this lotion. The first oil is Shea Butter. It is smooth, creamy and almost buttery. It melts one the skin and makes a wonderful addition to massage butters and lip balms. If you like Shea Butter in these products, try it in lotions. You will be astounded!

The second luxury oil I added to the formulation was Argan Oil. This is perfect for lotions because it is a light oil which it doesn’t leave much residue. It is also excellent at penetrating the skin to create a better barrier giving you softer, smoother skin. Wow! Are you ready to make lotion now?

Recipe:

Weigh all ingredients except the Liquid Germall Plus and Creamy Chai Fragrance Oil into a microwave safe container. Heat in the microwave using short time bursts until everything is melted. Blend the ingredients to a smooth, creamy consistency using the immersion blender. Add the Liquid Germall Plus and Creamy Chai Fragrance Oil once the temperature drops to approximately 120° F in the mixing bucket. Stir gently until completely mixed. Pour into containers and allow to cool completely before labeling. Enjoy!

Room sprays are so simple. Deceptively so. We also don’t feature them very often. However, a recent email asking me about making room sprays has inspired me to make and write about room sprays. There is huge benefit to making your own room sprays. They can be any scent you desire! For example, I like to make smaller sizes not only because they travel well but I can also change when I feel like it!

To make a room spray, you only need three ingredients. First, you need a fragrance or essential oil. Please remember to adjust to strong scents like peppermint versus milder ones like vanilla. Second, you need water. Don’t worry. You read that right. You need water. Lastly you need Polysorbate. You can use either Polysorbate 80 or Polysorbate 20. Whatever you have on hand will work just fine.

Recipe:

I chose to measure directly into my bottle for simplified mixing and to create less clean up. However you can mix it outside of your final container if you should so desire. I just made enough to fill each bottle. However, if you want to fill several bottles or large bottles, feel free. If the math seems intimidating, just review Tonya’s notes. They help a lot!

Today I wanted to make a scrub that would exfoliate, wash off easily but leave enough oil on the skin so that it is conditioning. Think of a product that makes it easier to pamper your skin. Isn’t that great? Let’s go make a body scrub!

I used sugar as my exfoliant for this scrub. You can use many things like salt, luffa, pumice, ground oatmeal, etc. Sugar is readily available and easy to find. It is also an ingredient that is in most households to begin with.

I used Sunflower Oil as my oil of choice for this scrub. It is an oil that has a long shelf life. It is also a a more light-weight oil. So even when using it, users won’t be turned off by the texture of the scrub. It will also leave a light weight, conditioning feel to the skin.

I used Polysorbate 80 in this scrub to make the clean up easy. Do you remember the disaster I had with a tester of mine who struggled getting the scrub off! If you want a chuckle, it is a good post to go back and read. I have since learned easy removal of a scrub is a must!

Lastly, I chose Liquapar as my preservative. This preservative is designed for scrubs and other products that can and will have water introduced to them. Remember, preservatives are necessary because they keep the microbes at bay!

Recipe:

Weigh all of the ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to finished containers. Cap and label. Enjoy!

I had wanted to use Coconut Oil in this formulation but when I went rummaging through my cupboard for my Coconut Oil, I discovered a small crisis. I don’t have any Coconut Oil! Ack! How did that happen? Quick, call the fire brigade! (Just kidding.) However, until I remedy this crisis, I will just have to make soap with the oils I have on hand.Instead of using Coconut Oil, I decided to use Palm Oil. While it doesn’t create the big, bubbly lather that Coconut Oil does, it does create a nice dense, almost creamy lather. I love that really thick lather that just covers your hands.

I also used Hydrogenated Soybean Oil. It contributes hardness to the bar and assists with a dense, creamy lather. It also makes a smooth, hard white bar.

Another oil I used in this formulation was Olive Oil. I really enjoy using Olive Oil. Sometimes a pure Olive Oil soap can feel slimy to me but match it with other oils, I find it dreamy! It contributes dense lather and a conditioning sensation to the skin.

I wanted to use a luxury oil in this recipe. I decided on Shea Butter. Shea Butter is one of my favorite luxury oils for soap. I personally think it adds a creaminess and conditioning that is dreamy. Are you ready to make soap now? Let’s go!

Recipe:

Weigh all of the oils into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Add the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to form a lye solution. Allow the oils and the lye to cool to a lower temperature. We do not want to have the soap overheat and volcano. Mix the oils and lye solution and blend until trace is achieved. Add the fragrance oil at this point. Stir well. Pour into a mold and allow to sit for 24 hours. Cut the soap. Allow the soap to cure. Longer curing time will result in a harder bar. Enjoy!

Notes: This finished soap had a much denser lather than what I am used to. It was definitely a lot of fun though. This is a perfect soap for felting wool around. If you are curious, check out my post on Wool Wrapped Soap here! They are such fun projects to do!

Today I wanted to make a lip gloss that is creamy, a little more viscous but still light on the lips. This can present a bit of a challenge. A light feeling lip gloss that won’t go running everywhere is not easy. Oils and waxes that make a product more viscous tend to be heavier weight oils. Take Castor Oil for example. It is a heavy weight oil that provides viscosity and glide. It is also one of my favorite oils for lip products. However, because I am presenting myself with a challenge, I will not be using Castor Oil. I will approach formulating a lip gloss in a completely new method for me. Are you intrigued? I hope so! Come join me in the kitchen for a fabulous and very different lip gloss.

First I started with Beeswax. At a low percentage, beeswax can contribute to the viscosity without making the finished product feel heavy or more importantly, waxy.

I also used Aloe Butter. Aloe Butter lends itself nicely to this formulation challenge. It is solid at room temperature but melts on the skin. This means it helps with keeping the viscosity of the product prior to use but once applied, applies itself to a light emollient feeling.

High Melt Point Shea kept this formulation from feeling too light. While I am looking for a light lip gloss, I didn’t want this to feel like a lip oil. I wanted it to have a little substance to it. It also helps give an enjoyable, lasting creaminess.

Next I used Vitamin E Acetate. Vitamin E Acetate is an anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants helps prevent your oils from turning rancid. Have you ever dug a lip stick out of the bottom of a drawer or purse, applied it then promptly thrown it away because it tastes bad? This is because the oils have oxidized. Nasty, right?

Next I used Macadamia Nut Oil. This oil is a light to medium weight oil. Macadamia Nut Oil is great because it is lighter but has a nice glossy finish. It is also wonderful for label appeal because it is consider more of an exotic oil.

Cherry Seed Oil is a nice, light weight oil. Cherry Seed Oil is high in oleic acid. It is also very good for combating dry, itchy skin. Can you think of a better light weight oil for lip balm?! It is perfect.

This just leaves Orchid Extract and Champagne Flavor Oil in this formulation. Orchid Extract is a wonderful booster. Extracts take a good product and make them great! I chose Champagne Flavor Oil because I felt this formulation was a light luxury lip gloss. However, feel free to use any flavor oil of your choice. If you use an essential oil or other flavor oil be sure to adjust the percentage as needed. Not all flavors are used at the same rate!

The finished lip gloss is mildly fluid but not very. It would slowly roll down a vertical pane of glass. For this reason, it would be best to put this formulation into a lip brush or pen. It would only work in a roller bottle if it is constantly warm. However in the winter months, it would be frustrating to use.

Recipe:

Weigh everything except Champagne Flavor Oil and Vitamin E Acetate in a microwave safe container. Heat everything gently until it is crystal clear. Add the Champagne Flavor Oil and Vitamin E Acetate. Stir well. Cool slightly. You don’t want to put a superheated lip gloss into containers. Pour into containers and allow to cool completely. Label and enjoy!

Notes: I don’t know about you but I am in love with the color of this finished soap. It looks like autumn leaves or pumpkin pie. It definitely has a rich auburn color. It does not change the color of the lather or the color of the water. If you use a washcloth to make lather, it will color the wash cloth but the color rinses right out. No scrubbing required.

I didn’t notice any odors in the finished bar of soap. This means you can use any fragrance or essential oil without any interference from the soap. Isn’t that wonderful?!

I came up with a small list of fragrances I personally want to use with Annatto Seed Powder. I am think of fragrances along the lines of Pumpkin Pie, Oak Leaves and Acorns, Autumn Afternoon, Spiced Fig and even Apple Jack! What are some scents this botanical inspires you to use?

Recipe:

Weigh all of the oils into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Add the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to form a lye solution. Allow the oils and the lye to cool to a lower temperature. We do not want to have the soap overheat and volcano. Mix the oils and lye solution and blend until trace is achieved. Add the botanical at this point. Stir in well. Pour into a mold and allow to sit for 24 hours. Cut the soap. Allow the soap to cure. Longer curing time will result in a harder bar. Enjoy!

Notes: I will admit. I was not expecting a change to occur between the plain alkanet powder soap and its milk soap counterpart. However, I am surprised and tickled pink to tell you that there is a difference in the color. The milk soap is a lighter, more purple-blue color. The plain soap is much darker and more blue in color.

I did not notice any strange or funky odors coming through the soap. It smells like an unscented milk soap. Milk soaps do have an odor to them but I find it really hard to explain. It is a kind of mildly sweet, clean odor. For those of you who use or make milk soaps, how would you describe the odor? I am at a loss here!

I am thrilled about the color difference! I can’t wait for Christmas to come around again because I want to make this soap with our Mulberry Fragrance Oil. I also have Woodberry,, Crystal Blue, Tassi Lavender and Ocean Rain on my list of soaps to make with Alkanet Powder. What fragrances does this color inspire you to use?

Recipe:

Weigh all of the oils into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Add the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to form a lye solution. Allow the oils and the lye to cool to a lower temperature. We do not want to have the soap overheat and volcano. Mix the oils and lye solution and blend until trace is achieved. Add the botanical and milk at this point. Stir well. Pour into a mold and allow to sit for 24 hours. Cut the soap. Allow the soap to cure. Longer curing time will result in a harder bar. Enjoy!

Note: Milk soaps can get very hot. Please plan for this by soaping at a little bit of a lower temperature and/or pouring into a shallow mold. We recommend soaping somewhere between 110° F and 130°F. Adjust due to the weather and temperature of your work room. In summer, soap on the lower end of that spectrum. Shallow molds also help by allowing the excess heat to dump into the air. This will prevent the milk sugars from interrupting the saponification reaction.

Notes: I must admit, I was surprised at how bold the color was with only 1 teaspoon of alkanet powder. I noticed there was not any staining of the skin during use. I was really worried that this soap would at least stain a wash cloth. Good news! It doesn’t! The lather is white although the water does have a mild blue tint from the soap.

I didn’t notice any strange odors coming through. It smelled like a plain bar of unscented soap. I am in love with the color though. I do want to use it at a lower usage rate and see how much that changes the color of the soap and if it still colors the soap with a nice blue without being quite so intense. I plan on doing that at a later date down the road. How does that sound? Would you make it with a lower percentage of alkanet or would you keep it the same?

I am really excited to make this soap with fragrance oils now. I am thinking bold fruity scents like Juicy Grape, Red Grape and Blueberry and Huckleberry. What fragrances oils do you want to pair with this beautiful and bold coloring botanical?

Recipe:

Weigh all of the oils into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Add the Sodium Hydroxide to the water to form a lye solution. Allow the oils and the lye to cool to a lower temperature. We do not want to have the soap overheat and volcano. Mix the oils and lye solution and blend until trace is achieved. Add the botanical at this point. Stir well. Pour into a mold and allow to sit for 24 hours. Cut the soap. Allow the soap to cure. Longer curing time will result in a harder bar. Enjoy!

6 oz Palm Kernel Oil
5 oz Coconut Oil
4 oz Olive Oil
1 oz Shea Butter, Regular

2.45 oz lye

This will put this recipe at 6% excess fat.

For this recipe, I will need to use 6 oz water or if I am doing a milk soap, 3 oz water and 3 oz milk. Weigh your oils. Mix your lye into your water and set aside to cool a little. Heat your gently until they are liquid. I heat it a little bit at a time and stir it frequently to avoid superheating my oils. When both my oils and lye solution are about 130°F I will add my lye solution to my oils and start to mix. As soon as I reach a light trace, I will add my botanical. I will use 1 teaspoon of botanical for each batch of soap. If making a milk soap, add your milk at this time. (If you so desire, this is the time when you would add a fragrance or essential oil. I will not be adding any so I can see if any odors come through from the botanicals.) Stir in well. Pour into mold and allow to sit for 24 hours. Remove from mold and cut. Allow your soap to cure. Longer curing time will result in a harder bar.

If this seems confusing, don’t worry. I will cover this with every batch of soap. I will also include my notes and thoughts I have about mixing the soap, odor and final colors. It will be a great series!

I can’t wait to get started! If you want to join me for this adventure, make sure you have all of the supplies on hand! I promise you won’t want to miss out on this!

Here is a quick reminder of all of the botanicals we will be using. Alkanet Root Powder, Annatto Seed Powder, Kelp Powder, Madder Root Powder, Olive Leaf Powder, Orange Peel Powder, Paprika Powder, Safflower Powder and Spirulina Powder. See you in the blog kitchen!