Humblebee & Me‘s tenth birthday was last week, and it’s got me thinking about all the things I’ve learned about making and formulating since I started making things over a decade ago. Today I thought I’d look at eight of the most common mistakes beginners make—mistakes I made, and mistakes I hear about from Bees around the world—and share resources and tips to help you avoid them 😊
Today’s creation is an ultra-crunchy, five-ingredient Kombo Shea Butter Balm. I decided to call it a “butter balm” because it’s got the skin feel of a body butter, but an in-the-tin feel that’s much closer to that of a balm. It’s a rich brown colour thanks to molasses-y kombo butter, and is richly perfect for cooler fall days. Making this butter balm is a simple melt-trace-pour. Let’s get started!
Welcome to the Q&A follow-up post for my Super Simple Natural Lotion formulation! Today I’m tackling some of the questions I got about this formulation that were not answered in the original blog post or video. Can you add goat milk powder? How about using a different preservative? Keep reading to find out!
Happy tenth birthday, Humblebee & Me! I can hardly believe it’s been a decade since I launched Humblebee & Me. Back in 2011 Humblebee & Me was just a way to share the things I was making with friends and family—how I bound a book, the recipe for the cookies I brought to the office, and of course, how I made lip balm, lotion, and soap. As the years passed I focussed more and more on formulating, phasing out posts on other topics, and then in April 2016 I was laid off and decided to try and make Humblebee & Me my full-time job. Since then I have launched the Humblebee & Me YouTube channel (and seen it grow to 100k+ subscribers!), travelled internationally to attend and speak at conferences, and hosted Humblebee & Me meet-ups from Tasmania to Toronto to Prague to Portland. I’ve earned two formulation diplomas from Formula Botanica and learned so, so much. It’s been an amazing decade, and I’m so excited to see what the next decade brings. Thank you so much for all of your support ❤️
Welcome to part 2 of Ten DIY Ingredients for Beginner Formulators! In part 1 we covered five anhydrous ingredients that will allow you to create all kinds of awesome anhydrous products—balms, whipped body butters, lip balm, and more. Today we’re adding five more ingredients that will further broaden your list of concoction possibilities to include lotions, creams, and some cleansers!
If you’ve been wanting to make an all-natural lotion but haven’t been sure where to start—start here! You’ll need just six ingredients to make this Super Simple Natural Lotion. It’s a lightweight, pumpable, moisturizing lotion that makes a great hand and body lotion. This post is mostly about the ingredients and formulation structure, while the partner video is more about how to make it and technique tips and tricks. Please make sure you’re checking out both parts for the best possible learning experience 😄 Let’s dive in!
Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care is now available at booksellers all over the world!