Alright hive: if you make homemade lotions, lip balm, makeup, etc. -- chime in, please?

[Halftime Hope]

I'm trying to get away from xenoestrogens and all kinds of trashy chemicals, and clean up everything that goes on my face and body.  So  much of what is out there in more natural products comes in plastics--oh, my!

 

Recipes, anyone?  And if you have a line of makeup you like that doesn't come in plastics, do tell!

 

Thank you!

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Most of the oils and such will come in plastic because the containers are so big it would increase the prices significantly.

 

Essential oils ought to come in dark colored glass. It is usually brown or blue IME.

 

For balms I usually go

 

1 part wax (such as beeswax or Candelilla Wax)

1 part butter (shea butter, mango butter, cocoa butter)

1 part oil (sweet almond, olive oil, coconut oil)

 

If you are just getting started you can get kits or all natural bases from soapmaking supply companies. It can help you try it out without feeling overwhelmed. 

 

I like this one

 

http://www.brambleberry.com/

 

ETA: You can find kits at places like Michael's, AC Moore, or Hobby Lobby but they will be MUCH lower quality than those purchased from a specialty store online.

[Guest]

Recipe for non-petrochemical skin goop.  Texture is a little firmer than Vaseline.  You can make it less firm by reducing the amount of beeswax.  

 

1 oz beeswax, melted.  (This turns out to be about 2 TBSP once it is melted but it is easier to measure as a solid.)

12 TBSP safflower oil

6 TBSP olive oil, which includes table-grade olive oil, caledula in olive oil, and a splash of Vitamin E oil and in my case a drip of Holy Oil. 

Essential oils to scent or to treat specific conditions.  Do your own research.

 

I use a small pan specifically for this purpose, as this stuff is hard to clean up.  I got a small Farberware chocolatier at a local discount store, which works great as it has a pouring lip.  It was about $13.  I use bamboo skewers to stir the mixture, and I put the pan on a flat griddle so it is super stable.  Put foil on the griddle so it doesn't get messed up by drips of the goop mixture.  

 

Melt the beeswax on a low heat and add the oils.  Put the essential oils into the receiving container.  

 

When the beeswax in the oils is all melted, pour into ceramic or metal containers.  I use a couple of Corningware bowls that people usually use to make creme brulees and that sort of thing.  They have "tupperware" type lids.  I also have some small tins that I saved from when I bought this stuff; they are nice for travel.  

 

If you really get into doing this and use a lot of the salve, I recommend getting a silicone "cupcake" kind of pan, but one that has small rather than large molds.  I melt a bunch of beeswax all at once and make 18-36 beeswax pastilles by pouring the melted wax into the silicone pan.  The pan I got amounts to 2 pastilles per recipe.  It cut the time to make the salve in less than half.  

 

If you don't know where to get beeswax, you can look online for bulk providers or art stores (artists use it in encaustic painting).  I myself get the beeswax from a monastery which makes candles.  I get the candles in bulk and melt them down.  It may sound silly, but their candles are cheaper than bulk wax.  http://www.monastery....org/?p=candles  This is how the monks support themselves, so it does good in that way, too.  

 

Most of the time, I get the stubs from the candles we burn in church (beeswax only) and so that supply is largely free for me.  Even if I have to purchase the candles, the goop is still less than half the cost of purchasing it.  

 

I also have a recipe that includes cocoa butter, which I like better, but it turns out I am allergic to cocoa butter.  

 

1 oz beeswax

1 oz cocoa butter

14 oz safflower and/or olive oil, which includes olive oil with calendula in it and Vitamin E oil (a drip of it)

Essential oils as preferred or needed.  

[Desert Strawberry]

I like Burt's Bees.

 

I have friends who make bath products to sell locally at farmer's markets, boutiques, and events. Check out your local options. 

 

I buy single ingredients, like cocoa butter, Shea butter, olive oil, rose water, African Black soap and use those straight. No mixing, easy. 

 

There are a few recipes for facial masks, scrubs and things that are very simple, two or three kitchen ingredients, on my blog, Cajun Strawberry. The link is in my siggie. 

[Slartibartfast]

I like Burt's Bees.

 

I have friends who make bath products to sell locally at farmer's markets, boutiques, and events. Check out your local options. 

 

I buy single ingredients, like cocoa butter, Shea butter, olive oil, rose water, African Black soap and use those straight. No mixing, easy. 

 

There are a few recipes for facial masks, scrubs and things that are very simple, two or three kitchen ingredients, on my blog, Cajun Strawberry. The link is in my siggie. 

 

I like African Black Soap but the real deal can be hard to find sometimes.

 

I find it works really well for keratosis pilaris 

[Desert Strawberry]

I like African Black Soap but the real deal can be hard to find sometimes.

 

I find it works really well for keratosis pilaris 

Yes, there are a lot of blends. I buy mine from African vendors, straight from Ghana, a full round if I can get it. It's the best for my hair. Also wonderful for babies. Moisturizing and doesn't burn their eyes.

 

I will have to try it on our keratosis. I have it and two of my kids inherited it. Both red heads. My ed haired brother also had it. I wonder if there's a link. 

[Slartibartfast]

Yes, there are a lot of blends. I buy mine from African vendors, straight from Ghana, a full round if I can get it. It's the best for my hair. Also wonderful for babies. Moisturizing and doesn't burn their eyes.

 

I will have to try it on our keratosis. I have it and two of my kids inherited it. Both red heads. My ed haired brother also had it. I wonder if there's a link. 

 

 

It is often passed along with some genetic conditions but it is really common. I think a lot of people have it.

[prairiewindmomma]

Amazon sells beeswax and organic cocoa butter by the pound. There are lots of lovely recipes on pinterest or you might look at some herbal medicine books. Making lipbalm is a gateway experience to branching out to wound salve, etc.

[lailasmum]

I've made this recipe lip balm and it's great http://happymoneysaver.com/burts-bees-lip-balm-recipe/

[Jenrae]

I like African Black Soap but the real deal can be hard to find sometimes.

 

I find it works really well for keratosis pilaris

Interesting thread! I've been thinking about making lotions as well.

 

I've never heard of African Black soap! Can you share a link to where you purchase it? Two family members suffer from this and would LOVE relief.

 

Thanks!