A couple of weeks back, I wrote about oil cleansing. I had intended to make a cleansing balm at that time, but it never happened. Let’s make it today!
Filled jars; you can see the ingredient separation in the first jar.
Cleansing balm is an oil cleanser that has more hard oils, so it is not liquid. It is more the consistency of a salve.
I’ll include Babassu Oil for moisturizing and astringent properties, Castor Oil to dissolve excess sebum and carry it away from the skin when it is rinsed, Squalane Butter for its naturally moisturizing and lubricating properties, Aloe Butter, Handcrafted Shea Butter, refreshing Mint Essential Oil, Lemon Balm Extract to promote vibrant skin, and Liquid Silk like a cherry on top!
Making this with me? If you are, be sure to read the Notes section first to learn what I learned! Hint: There is an additive that didn’t play well with all the other ingredients, catching me by surprise. See if you can figure out which additive gave me problems.
What You’ll Need
SuppliesBabassu Oil |
EquipmentScale |
Formula55.5% Babassu Oil |
100-gram Test Batch55.5 grams Babassu Oil |
Instructions
Weigh oils and butters into a microwave-safe container. Heat gently using short time bursts until all oils are melted. You can do this in a double boiler if desired.
Once the oils are liquid, check the temperature. You want to wait until the mixture has cooled to at least 120ºF before adding the rest of the ingredients.
When the mixture has fallen below 120ºF, stir in essential oil, extract, and Liquid Silk.
Pour into low profile jars or tins and allow the balm to harden before adding lids.
 Oils before melting. |
 After stirring in additives. |
Notes
Hmmm, as I was mixing up the test batch, I made an important discovery. Our Liquid Silk is a water-based product, so it did not want to mix with the melted oils. Drat!
There are two ways to remedy this. First, you could use an emulsifier to get the small amount of Liquid Silk to blend with the oils. I’d use Sunflower Lecithin. Or you could just omit the Liquid Silk and still have a nice product.
I’m going to let this harden and give it a test use anyway. I expect the Liquid Silk to sink to the bottom of the cooled balm.
Check back tomorrow for an update on how I solved my water-in-oil dilemma. For educational purposes, I’ll try reformulating this cleansing balm with an emulsifier to see if I can make it work with the Liquid Silk. I’ll also add a preservative just to be on the safe side.
