Adventures With The Sage

First, I started this formulation with Beeswax. Beeswax gives this butter staying power. It also creates a barrier on the skin allowing it to keep from drying out. This is important, especially when dealing with damaged skin.

I also used High Melt Point Shea Butter. Because this is an anhydrous mixture, I didn’t want to deal with fractionation issues but I still wanted the creamy luxury of Shea Butter. I love it when High Melt Point Shea Butter comes to the rescue!

I used Aloe Butter because it has a lower melt point. This meant it helps with the spreadability of the butter without needing a lot of work or pressure. This is helpful when dealing with damaged skin because you don’t want to increase the pain. A butter that is easily applied will always be preferred to one that takes some effort.

Sea Buckthorn Oil rather takes the spotlight in this formulation. Not only does it give this butter its stunning color, but Sea Buckthorn Oil also is reputed to have incredible regenerative properties. Reputed or not, that sounds good to me!

I added a variety of extracts for a little boost. Boosters are wonderful and the great thing is you can use whatever extracts you have and on hand or the ones you prefer. Extracts open a huge new world in the world of lotions, creams, butters, lip balms, lip glosses and even massage oils! Try some today!

I also used some Lanolin in this butter. Lanolin is an excellent choice because it an excellent moisturizer. Lanolin is great at keeping water where it belongs, out of sheep’s wool and in your skin. It is also a fantastic skin protectant. If you haven’t added Lanolin to your cupboard, I promise you will want to. It does so much and it is also creamy! Try it!

Cherry Oil also made its way into this formulation. It is a lightweight oil so it prevents this butter from feeling too oily or greasy. It also helps counteract dry skin and itchy and rough sensation that comes with it.

I also used Black Currant Oil. Black Currant Oil is high in fatty acids that help the skin repair itself. Just what we are looking for to put in this recipe! Are you ready to go make a hand butter?

Recipe:

Weigh all of the ingredients except the extracts into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Stir and allow it to cool slightly. Add the extracts. Stir occasionally as the mixture continues to cool. Once it has cooled sufficiently, transfer to containers of your desired size. I used 20 mL jars. Enjoy!

Virgin Coconut Oil is a dream to work with! It has wonderful odor and flavor. It also melts near body temperature making any lip balms just glide smoothly onto the lips.

I also used Palm Kernel Oil in the recipe. I like Palm Kernel Oil because it is white and it also fills my need for a brittle oil in the lip balm formulation. An added bonus is how economical it is to add to a formulation. You don’t need to break the bank on your soaps, lotions and other toiletries. You can have amazing products without having to pay through-the-roof prices. 

Castor Oil gives lip products a smooth creaminess and long lasting power. Castor Oil also gives lip products their smooth glide, which is so common it has become a signature.

Lastly, I used Cherry Seed Oil in this formulation because of how light it is. It will not feel heavy or greasy. Perfect for an intro to summer!

Recipe:

Weigh everything except the Coconut Flavor Oil and the Silver Mica in a microwave safe container. Heat everything gently until it is crystal clear. If it does not get hot enough to completely melt the Soy Wax, it could fractionate. If unsure, try the plate test before putting into containers. Add the Coconut Flavor Oil and the Silver Mica. Stir well. Pour into containers and allow to cool. Label and enjoy!

The Plate Test: The plate test allows you to try your lip balm to see if it has the perfect flavor, color and texture prior to filling your containers. I consider this test invaluable because it prevents failed batches, even those that have failed due to fractionation. You can catch it prior to filling your containers, preventing the entire project from needing to be scrapped. Whew! Isn’t that wonderful?

To use the plate test method have a porcelain, glass or ceramic plate on hand. I use one that is at room temperature. This gives you the most accurate texture information versus  using a plate that has been in the freezer. A plate that was in the freezer will actually promote the balm feeling more brittle than it really is. Take a few drops of your lip balm solution and drizzle them onto your plate. Allow them to set up. This should take no more than about 15 to 30 seconds. Rub your finger on the cooled lip balm. You can then rub it on your lips.

Is the taste right? How about the texture? If it is just right, you can fill your containers. If not, check your notes. Did it get hot enough? What is in your formulation? Did everything get added? Remember, if you are struggling with fractionation just stop and let the lip balm set up. Call or email us and we can review your formulation and process. Don’t fill the containers with lip balm that isn’t quite right. Remember, we are only an email or phone call away. We can help!

As tribute to the fact that I had planned a coconut scented soap, I wanted to use coconut oil. However I had one of the biggest tragedies a soaper can ever run across. I was out of coconut oil! I could not believe it! I have never had that happen before. I was so distraught that I had considered holding off on making this soap but I decided that in light of this tragedy, I definitely needed to bring some sunshine fun to me.

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 assist with 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 again dense, creamy lather. It also makes a smooth, hard white bar. I know that our Coconut Fragrance Oil discolors to a tan to light brown color so I wanted to keep it as smooth and as light as possible.

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 and I find it dreamy! It creates a 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 perfect for this get-away-in-a-bar of Coconut soap. 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. 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!

I also used Beeswax in this cuticle cream. Beeswax is also used as a thickener but it also gives a cream drag. I wanted this to be more of a heavy duty cuticle cream that isn’t going anywhere. Beeswax helps me achieve that.

The star of this formulation is our Virgin Coconut Oil. This contributes much of our scent as well as a smooth velvetiness that makes this so nice and desirable.

I chose Hydrovance as the humectant for the cuticle cream. Hydrovance is one of the most effective humectants. It has a major bonus of leaving very little residue, especially when compared to the long time favored glycerin.

I decided to use Optiphen as my preservative for this particular cream. When making creams and lotions, my favorite preservatives are Optiphen and Liquid Germall Plus. Often it just depends on what is handy or how much percentage of my formulation I want taken up by my preservative.

Recipe:

Weigh all ingredients except the Optiphen and Coconut 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 Optiphen and Coconut 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!

Next I used Macadamia Nut Oil. This is a light to medium weight oil. Popular in massages, it adds nice glide without feeling overwhelmingly heavy.

At this point, I still needed something a little more solid to keep it from leaking all over the place. Cocoa Butter is a perfect choice, especially considering it will melt on the skin! I chose to use Deodorized Cocoa Butter so it would not interfere with any flavors I might choose to use.

My formulation was still to high in liquid oils so I added Beeswax. This does two major things in this formulation. First, it keeps it viscous enough to stay in the pen and second, once applied, it gives a protective coating to the lips. This makes it perfect for dry and/or cracked lips.

Lastly, I used Vitamin E Acetate. Vitamin E Acetate is an anti-oxident. It prevents your oils from oxidizing or in the case of a lip product, tasting funny. Vitamin E Acetate is a wonderful product to use, particularly if you are using oils with a shorter shelf life.

Recipe:

Weigh everything except Coconut Flavor Oil and Vitamin E Acetate in a microwave safe container. Heat everything gently until it is crystal clear. Add the Coconut 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!

This lip scrub highlights our Green Tea Butter beautifully! I think this lovely butter is under-recognized and under-appreciated. I think the Green Tea Butter is a wonderful addition to your cupboard. Try some. I am sure you will get raving reviews!

I used Cherry Oil because it is light. When using a lip scrub, you don’t want the residue to feel heavy and greasy. This oil is perfect for a lip scrub application!

Peach Kernel Oil is also a very light oil. Another great to to help combat a heavy, greasy feeling. A must have in any cupboard!

I used Vanilla Oleoresin to flavor the sugar prior to making this recipe. I used Vanilla Oleoresin because it has strong flavor compared to the Natural Vanilla Oil. However, because it is a water soluble product you must mix it well into the sugar and let it dry prior to use. The good news it that you use so little vanilla oleoresin, it doesn’t take very long for it to dry.

I also used High Melt Point Shea Butter to make this lip scrub a little stiffer and creamier. Just make sure you have this mixed well as this recipe does not get heated.

Recipe:

Weigh out sugar into a container or bag. I recommend a bag because it makes it easier to mix. Dip the end of a toothpick into the Vanilla Oleoresin. Transfer the Vanilla Oleoresin to the sugar. Mix until the sugar is a golden brown color with no dark specks. In a separate container, weigh your oils. I also used a bag because I do not have a small food processor. I find a bag one of the fastest and cleanest ways to mix a lot of things. Once everything has been fully mixed, transfer to containers. Enjoy!

Note: Q.S. means quantity sufficient. You do not need much Vanilla Oleoresin. This recipe needs so little that we can’t measure it! So we use Q.S. to say use as much as you need to achieve the right color, flavor, etc.

I wanted to make a body butter that was a little different from what I view to be traditional body butter. For me, traditional body butter are thick. This one isn’t. In the jar, it is actually semi-fluid. In ways, it reminds me of yogurt while in the jar. However, get it on the skin and it acts totally different.

Once in contact with the skin, it acts like a liquid body oil. The change is bit startling but fun. This is something that any massage therapist would delight in working with! Mmn. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Schedule a little personal time with this body butter. You will enjoy every second of it!

If you know or are a massage therapist, there is an advantage to this recipe. You will be able to put it in a bottle with a pump for ease of use. No need to worry about fumbling with a jar with slick hands. Try it and tell me what you think. I want to know!

To keep this body butter in a semi solid state, I used Beeswax, Macadamia Butter and High Melt Point Shea Butter. The Beeswax helps create a barrier for the skin however, the percentage is low enough that it doesn’t feel heavy, waxy or greasy. The Macadamia Butter gives a nice creamy feel as well as nice glide. The High Melt Point Shea Butter helps keep this butter in a semi solid state while preventing any potential fractionation that might occur. Plus you get the luxury of Shea Butter!

For my liquid oils, I used Rice Bran Oil and Peach Kernel Oil. Rice Bran is a light to medium weight oil that is perfect for massage oils. Peach Kernel Oil is much lighter. It helped combat the heaviness that would come from the solid oils and waxes. These oils helped keep the lightness to this butter as well as give it its surprise element of melting upon contact of the skin.

I used a variety of extracts for extra goodies. You can use any extracts you may have on hand or if you don;t have any in your cupboard yet, I would suggest using a little more Peach Kernel Oil.

I consider Vitamin E Acetate to be irreplaceable in the this recipe. Vitamin E Acetate is an antioxidant. It helped prevent the oxidation of your oils. Have you ever had any oils that are really old and have a funny odor to them? Or even a lip stick taste funny as keeping it for a while? This is due to the oils oxidizing. Vitamin E Acetate helps prevent that giving your products a longer shelf life. Yay!

Recipe:

Weigh all of the ingredients except the Coffee Oil, Vitamin E Acetate and extracts into a microwave safe container. Heat gently until liquid. Stir and allow it to cool slightly. Add the Coffee Oil, Vitamin E Acetate and extracts. Stir occasionally as the mixture continues to cool. Once it has cooled completely, transfer to containers of your desired size. I used 20 mL jars. You can use jars, lotion pumps or even treatment pumps if you would like. Enjoy!