This spray is absolutely brilliant in the heat. It is literally air conditioning in a bottle. Before you go cracking jokes about how Canadians don’t know anything about heat, let me say that it was 40°C (104°F) the day I made and tested this spray, and while that isn’t exactly melt-the-soles-of-your-shoes kind of hot, most people would agree that it isn’t exactly parka weather.
One of my first memories of Australia was that moment when I first stepped out of the air conditioned airport. It was February, towards the end of their summer, and it was 37°C (99°F). I remember this because the air was the same temperature as my skin, and it was utterly divine. I don’t know if I’d ever been that warm before. It was love at first breeze.
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Despite my love of warm weather that has made more than one person wonder if I have a thyroid disorder, I realize not everyone shares my love of ambient and body temperature being one and the same. So, I made this spray. It’s pretty brilliant, and really is like air conditioning in a bottle. When I first gave it a try I spritzed my entire body with it before putting on my pyjamas. My bedroom was approximately 35°C (95°F) at the time, and I found myself covered in goosebumps, shivering under my down duvet. So, yeah—this stuff works!
All the essential oils!
Heat Wave Peppermint Spray (Air Conditioning in a Bottle)
10g | 0.35oz peppermint essential oil (USA / Canada)
10g | 0.35oz menthol essential oil or menthol crystalsTo emulsify
Equal volume of solubilizer/Polysorbate 20
or
1/4 tsp guar gum + 1 tsp Turkey red oil (also known as sulfated castor oil (USA / Canada))200mL | 6.76 fl oz aloe vera juice (not gel!) or water
250mL | 8 fl oz spray bottle
Broad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
If you are using menthol essential oil
Ensure the bottle of menthol essential oil is sealed and place it in a hot water bath to melt, as menthol essential oil is solid at room temperature. Once the menthol has melted, weigh the essential oils out into an empty 250mL/1 cup spray bottle, and top off with an equal amount of solubilizer or the Turkey Red Oil/guar gum. Swirl to combine. Add a small amount of aloe vera juice, seal the bottle, and shake gently to combine. Add the rest of the aloe vera juice and your preservative, seal, and shake gently to combine.If you are using menthol crystals
Measure the menthol crystals, peppermint essential oil (USA / Canada), and the liquid part of your emulsifier (either the solubilizer or the Turkey Red Oil [no guar gum, yet, though]) out into a glass jar and seal it, leaving the menthol crystals to dissolve. The reason we’re doing this in glass instead of plastic is so the essential oils don’t eat through the plastic while we wait for the menthol to dissolve (this has happened to me in the past with pure essential oils!). Once the menthol crystals have dissolved (this will take about half an hour), transfer the minty mixture to a 250mL/1 cup spray bottle. Add the guar gum (if you’re using Turkey Red oil—no need if you’re using solubilizer) and a small amount of aloe vera juice, seal the bottle, and shake gently to combine. Add the rest of the aloe vera juice and your preservative, seal, and shake gently to combine.To use, spritz on bare skin. If you cover your torso and your limbs, you will likely end up with goosebumps! I find this keeps me quite cool/cold for upwards of 20 minutes.
If you don’t want to use the solubilizer you can leave it out and just shake thoroughly before each use. That means the mixture will not emulsify at all and you’ll likely have troubles getting it to spritz evenly.
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I get so confused on the conversion … grams to oz was easy, but how many drops? Can you help me?
20 drops is approximately 1 gram, but this really only applies to water, and won’t be accurate beyond about 1g as a “drop” is not a standardized unit of measurement and varies greatly in size depending on the viscosity of the liquid, the size of the dropper, and other variables. I would really recommend using a scale for this (and for everything else, it makes measuring so easy!). You’d need about 1/3 oz (by weight, not fluid oz!) of each of the essential oils for this recipe 😉
thanks so much!!
~Tess
🙂
The spray sounds great! Matty is extremely happy with the room freshening spray I made for him. He gushes about it practically every time I talk to him 🙂
I make a lotion that is very refreshing in the Summer, especially when you’ve been out in the sun. It is very simple to make. Aloe Vera Gel, Chamomille Tea, Vitamin E Oil and peppermint essential oil.
I like to know what ingredients are in your ‘room freshening spray’. thanks.
It’s super easy beccause it’s just water and a bunch of essential oils, your fave ones that you find relaxing.
This is the recipe, which I got off pinterest:
Calming Room Spray
Fill a small, 2 – 4 ounce, spray bottle with distilled water and add 80 to 100 drops of essential oil.
For a calming effect use approximately 20 drops chamomile essential oil, 50 drops lavender essential oil, and 10 drops rosemary essential oil.
I find the chamomile tends to overwhelm the other smells, so it might be worthwhile to start with just 10 drops and increase until you are pleased with the fragrance.
I ended up putting in an EO blend called Happy Time. I would have put in Some Sandlewood Oil, but I told Matty that was the one oil that was the one that was off limits because it’s 35 dollars for 5 onces! I used 5 onces of sweet orange instead. Check out my pinterest boards at pinterest.com/ruthramaekers. I have a tonne of natural beauty boards. It you want more ideas, just enter Natural beauty into the pinterest search bar. Good luck!
Ruth
Thanks for sharing, Ruth—this sounds fantastic!
what can be substituted for the stabilizer? sounded like it is chemical based and I only want to use all natural and or organic products, thanks.
As per the recipe, you can just leave it out if you like 🙂
OOOh, your lotion and room sprays sound just fantastic! I loooove chamomile, and peppermint is so fantastic for summer 🙂 Yum!
Hi, I did not have the ingredient’s to make Marie’s, can you tell me how to make yours, pretty please? Very grateful and sweaty.
She supplied the recipe a comment or two down, just keep scrolling 🙂 Do be aware that hers is a room spray, though, not a body spray, and it’s not designed to be cooling 🙂
This works great down here in Texas too…
Glad to hear it! And I hope your shoes aren’t melting down there anymore 😛
Can I ask what sort of solubilizer you use in your recipes? I don’t have any experience with this. Thanks
It’s called Polysorbate 20, Jane—I’ve added a link in the ingredients list 🙂
Sweet! I have a big old bottle of Polysorbate 30 so I will definiately be making some of this spray for myself, and one pregnant friend (they get so hot in the summer) my sis who just told me she is 3 months along last week (so exited I am going to be an auntie) and my adorable friend Matty who I always call Mattymoo who raves about that homemade air freshener I made him every time I talk to him. Not surprisingly, it is about 1000 x more enjoyable to have around than that “Febreef” crap he bought at the dollar store. I have promised to make him some all natural bug spray so he doesn’t have to bathe in DEET when he joins the hubs on a two week camping/fishing trip at the end of July!
Awesome, Ruth! And major congrats on being an Auntie 😉 You’re going to be the awesomest auntie. And major uggggs for anything from the dollar store that’s supposed to be used on your body… that’s utterly terrifying!
what is solubilizer ?
Solubilizer is an oil-in-water emulsifier—there’s a link in the recipe that you can click to buy/learn more about it 🙂
I don’t have any Menthol essential oils.I do have Menthol Crystals would this work? If so how much do I need to use?
You should be able to, though I haven’t tried it. You will have to dissolve the crystals in the peppermint EO as they are not water soluble. I’d start with half the weight (5g) and go from there, since the crystals are so concentrated. Let me know how that works for you 🙂
Though I am from Sweden, I do have a problem with cold weather and love the heat. Especially when it is the same temp as my body. Most people think I am crazy, nice to see I am not alone 🙂 What is the solubilizer you use? Inci name? Love your blog, you have some great stuff here. Thanks
Great to meet a fellow tropical weather lover, Anna 😉 The solubilizer is called Polysorbate 20, I’ve included a link in the ingredients list now so you can check it out. Thanks for reading and enjoy any warm weather that comes your way 🙂
This sounds like a wonderful miracle spray!! Especially if you are suffering from terrible hot flushes with a heart beat that is going wacko! It’s going 123456…..per second… instead of 1…2…3…4…5!!
It is! I just love how quickly it cools me down, so I bet it would work brilliantly for you 🙂 Perhaps you can make some with your son for the summer?
Hi Marie,
What solubilizer do you use? This looks great! I’d like to try it 🙂
It’s called Polysorbate 20—I’ve added a link to it in the ingredients list 🙂 Have fun with it!
I just discovered your site from a Facebook post a friend shared. I have to tell you I love your site. I kinda went crazy pinning posts so I can try it all out. I love natural homemade products especially ones that use EOs so you got me hooked!
Awesome, Hayley! Thanks for all the pins 🙂 I really appreciate it! Have fun with all the DIY-ing you’ll be doing & thanks for reading.
I don’t even bother pinning or adding to my recipe program anymore. I just come here. Pretty much only here for my crafting needs. If Marie ever hangs up her blog, I’ll be devastated.
😀 Thanks!
Menthol essential oil… like eucalyptus? I know many oils are mentholated, does it matter which is used?
Nope, there is actually such a thing as straight-up menthol essential oil, which is pure menthol derived from peppermint EO. That’s what I’m talking about 🙂 My supplier doesn’t seem to carry it anymore (sad!), but you could use menthol crystals instead. I’d start with about half the amount and work your way up from there as I believe they are more concentrated than the EO.
Aren’t you concerned with the ethylene oxide in the polysorbate 20?? It is a known carcinogen…?
As per the recipe, you are welcome to leave it out if you like 🙂 The ethylene oxide is more of a contamination concern than anything, and given that I use a high quality supplier, and I use it in small amounts, I’m not overly fussed about it.
Is there something to use in place of the Polysorbate 20 or can it be left out? It is rated as a 3 on the Skin Deep EWG site and I try not to use anything other than a 1 or 2 rating.
As per the recipe, you can leave it out if you like 🙂
Hi Marie,
I’d like to avoid Polysorbate… Can this be made without it? Or can we use something else instead?
Thanks!
As per the recipe, you can leave it out if you like 🙂
Do you make and sell this?
I don’t, sorry—I’ve barely got enough time to make & write about it 😛 Maybe someday, though!
I am horribly allergic to aloe vera. Would water work just as well?
Absolutely! You could also use peppermint tea 🙂
The link that you gave for the solubilizer does not deliver to the US. Do you have a link for The States?
At the top left corner it says you are at the Canadian store…just click the arrow and you can go to the USA store.
Thank You =)
Thanks, Chris!
Just visit their American store 🙂 They also have a UK and an Australian store!
By equal volume do you mean equal to the two oils. That is what u am thinking but want to be sure. I live in southeast New Mexico with temps of 109 and i am sure this will make everyone i know happy
Yes, Ruthie, equal to the two essential oils 🙂 Have fun with the spray, it’s sure a hit here (when it’s warmer than 10°C, at least…)!
Is there anything you could use to replace the solubilizer?
As noted in the recipe, you can just leave it out and shake before use 🙂
This sounds very refreshing but I would not use the solubilizer as it is not safe and may be carcinogenic.
http://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-polysorbate-20-it-may-be-contaminated-with-carcinogenic-14-dioxane
As per the recipe, you are welcome to leave it out if you like 🙂 The ethylene oxide is more of a contamination concern than anything, and given that I use a high quality supplier, and I use it in small amounts, I’m not overly fussed about it.
What is solubilizer? Where can you find it
It’s an oil-in-water emulsifier—there’s a link in the entry 🙂
Can you use organic coconut oil fractionated cold pressed in the place of the emulsifier?
Thank you~ Barbara
Barbara—As far as I know, no form of coconut oil has any emulsifying properties, so definitely not. Coconut oil, fractionated or not, would be about as useful here as any other oil. If you don’t mind me asking—why did you ask specifically about fractionated coconut oil?
This spray sounds so wonderful, I intend to make it for my mother who is super sensitive to the heat, but I would much rather use a more natural emulsifier. I’ve been thinking about using Lecithin, does that sound like a good idea? I’m not very experienced with such things, so I figured I’d collect some opinions first lol
You can just leave the solubilizer out if you like, and then shake thoroughly before each use. I’ve never worked with lecithin before, but it’s on my shopping list, so I can’t advise about it yet.
Add me to your list of people who love the heat! Winter in Saskatchewan is far too long. I bet this spray would work great for menopause hot flashes. I just found your site from a link on Facebook. You have so many great ideas here.
Greetings, prairie neighbor! All our winters are way too long here in Canada (in my opinion, at least… Victoria might be ok). Thanks for reading 😀
Can you replace something with the solubilizer or just not use it? Curious about that.
Hi Lara—As noted in the recipe, you can leave it out if you want 🙂
Does this work on hot flashes?
I couldn’t say as I’ve never had one, but a lot of ladies here have said it sounds very promising for them! Try it and let me know?
Hi! I just made some but I used eucalyptus essential oil instead of peppermint (thought I had some, but didn’t). It is doing a pretty good job of cooling me off. I live in south Louisiana, where you walk out of the door first thing in the morning and begin to sweat immediately! So hot flashes, high temperature, and high humidity really takes a toll on the female body! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Awesome, I’m glad to hear it! If you ever want more of a cooling boost, try it with the peppermint essential oil—I’ve never noticed eucalyptus oil has much of a a topical cooling effect, especially compared to peppermint.
Also, your hot weather sounds incredible! It’s supposed to be summer here as well and I don’t think we cracked 20°C (68°F) today 🙁 Boooooo.
I googled polysorbate 20 as I was not familiar with it. Not sure if it is something we would want to use on our skin. I make various room sprays and body sprays without a solubilizer and as long as I give the product a good shake, everything mixes well. Cuts down in the price as well!
Yup, you can definitely leave it out if you like. It rates a 3 on Skin Deep, and most of the concerns are with contamination, so considering I get mine from a reputable supplier and don’t use much of it, I’m not all that worried about it.
Where can I get the solubizer?
Click the link in the ingredients list 🙂
can you substitute the mint oils? just wondering if you could use spearmint or wintergreen for a different scent? I work in home care and some homes are just ridiculously HOT…they like it that way
I like the spearmint scent as well as wintergreen…just wondering if only the peppermint gives it the cooling sensation?
thanks
Hi Brenda! Only peppermint and menthol essential oils contain enough menthol to provide the cooling sensation, but you can add some other essential oils to change the scent if you like 🙂
I ended up with a lovely lime colored cream. I had to change your measurements into teaspoons and cups. So this is what I did.
2 teaspoons of peppermint oil
2 teaspoons of Menthol oil
4 teaspoons of solubilizer
1 cup of Aloe
Can you tell me what I did wrong.
Hi Annette! Since nothing in my recipe is a) green or b) a thickener, it sounds like you used the bright green aloe gel from the drug store, not aloe vera juice 😛 Aloe vera juice is the same consistency as water, making the end result a spray. No big deal, though—you just have a lovely cooling cream now 🙂
Also, FYI, 1 cup is 250mL, not 200mL, but in this case it probably won’t make that big of a difference—the cooling effect might just be a bit weaker.
That’s exactly what I did. But I think this would work perfect on cooling my sons sunburn =) or maybe I will just try adding water.
Thanks!!
Yeah, it’ll still work perfectly—it’s just a cosmetic change 🙂 He may prefer the green cream!
Adding water worked. Now I have a cream and a spray and both work!!!!!
Awesome! I’m thrilled to hear it 🙂 Something else you can try in the future is using peppermint tea for the liquid 🙂
Earlier in the comments, you said that menthol and peppermint were the only oils mentholated enough to maximize the cooling effect. I haven’t been able to find menthol oil (and I’d prefer not to order online if I don’t have to) and peppermint oil is pretty expensive in comparison to other mints. Would I be able to simply add more of a lesser mentholated oil like spearmint or wintergreen mint to get a similar effect? Whatever your answer, thank you so much for posting this recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Hey Kate—So, I did some research and some testing. First off, I got a friend and we dropped a drop or two of each spearmint, eucalyptus, and camphor essential oils on our arms. And waited. And we couldn’t feel anything. We also did a drop of peppermint for control purposes, and that was the only one that gave any cooling sensation.
As for my research—peppermint EO contains ~40% menthol—that’s what gives the cooling sensation. I couldn’t find any sources that said spearmint had any (read here and here). So, from that I would say you wouldn’t get any cooling effect with either of those oils, regardless of how much you added (given that putting them straight on my skin yielded no sensation). Sorry! That’s probably why peppermint is on the pricier side. That said, if you get it from the right place, it can be totally affordable. I just bought 500mL of it from New Directions Aromatics for ~$35 (considering a teaspoon of rose essential oil is $100, that’s pretty good in the grand scheme of things)!
Awesome! Love your blog. Add me to your mailing list!!
Added! You should have a confirmation e-mail waiting for you in your inbox.
I saw your spray recipe on Confessions of a Crafty Witch. I can’t wait to try out this spray. And thanks for posting links for the ingredients. Hope it helps with the humidity I’m currently dealing with. Oh to be back in California!
I’m glad you found me, Mickey—I hope you’ll come back 🙂 Have you made the spray yet?
Yep! Made some last night. Where were you when I had hot flashes? Hot and humid today and I didn’t turn on the air conditioner once. I do have to get myself a better spray bottle but this will work for now. Can’t wait to try it out when I go to bed. I don’t mind the heat. Actually, since I come from California I find the heat wonderful after the cold winters up here. It’s the humidity that kills me. With this jewel of a spray I just might survive. Thanks for sharing your recipe. It’s a keeper in my book. I’ll be back lots for new ideas.
That’s awesome, Mickey! I love hearing when people make my recipes and (even better) when they work for them! Woo! Where do you live? I know Eastern Canada and the UK have been getting some heat for the last few days—I’m jealous, it barely cracks 25°C here these days. Sigh. Must move to Australia! 😛
I live in Saskatchewan right now. It hit around 100*F (I think that’s around 38*C) here today. My kind of weather minus the 78% humidity. Seems to be cooling off this evening so I might not be trying out the spray tonight. Time will tell. Where are you located?
I’m in Calgary, AB, so we’re practically neighbors! It’s generally super dry here, so I always have lip balm, lotion, and body butter on hand for my poor, parched skin.
Hi,
do you sell this product already made?
Hi Linda! Sadly I don’t have the time to run a shop and sell these things pre-made—stay tuned, though, it might happen someday!
Can this be made without the menthol oil?
Tabitha—Math time! Ok… so. Peppermint essential oil is approximately 40% menthol, and menthol EO is 100% (I’m assuming here, I can’t find any sources… but it makes sense to me!). So, that means this recipe has 14g of menthol in it with 10g of each oil. So, if you want to use more peppermint EO to make up for the loss of the menthol EO, you will need to add 10 more grams of menthol. A bit of cross multiplication gives us this formula: 10 x 100 /40 = 25g. So, you’d need to add another 25g of peppermint essential oil, for a total of 35g peppermint essential oil to replace the missing menthol from the menthol EO. I’m a bit worried that a concentration of EOs that high (nearly 20%) might be irritating here, but I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. Have fun!
I made it today without the menthol, added a bit more peppermint oil to make up for the absence of the menthol. Works great. I put it on the back of my neck, it’s wonderful. 🙂
Awesome, I’m thrilled to hear it, Tabitha 🙂 How much extra peppermint did you end up adding?
Do you sell your products online anywhere? It’s been 107 for the high here in El Paso, Texas lately(the city is actually in a state of emergency) and I’m dieing! I can’t find anything like this elsewhere and I really think it could help me, but I’m crap at making body products
Hi Alex! Sorry, but I don’t sell my products anywhere. This one is SUPER easy to make though, I promise 🙂 If you can make cereal, you can make this!
I have aloe vera gel. Could I mix that, rather than juice, with the essential oils and put in a pump bottle?
Hi Bonnie! Don’t do that, it won’t mist 🙂 Just use water if you don’t have the aloe juice.
Yes, but what if I put it in a pump, rather than a spray bottle? Thanks!
That might be a better option—no promises, though, I haven’t tried it myself 🙂
I still had some that I made with aloe gel from last year and it is excellent for taking the itch out of bug bites =)
Thanks, Marie, and thanks, Annette, for the replies – much appreciated!
🙂
Cool!
WOW, this is such a great idea. What preservative would you recommend?
Hi Megan! I didn’t put a preservative in this, and it hasn’t shown any signs of spoilage other than the menthol losing a bit of its kick. Anything broad spectrum and water soluble will work, but I tend to avoid ’em where they don’t seem to be needed. If you keep this in the fridge and keep it sealed up in a clean spray bottle it should do quite well without 🙂
Hi Marie,
On Sunday I mowed our back meadow (technically our back yard, but it’s huge!) & neglected to put on sunscreen. Wound up with one heck of a sunburn on my shoulders & arms. Whipped up a batch of this using aloe juice, peppermint eo, & menthol crystals. I did have to crush the crystals smaller so the would dissolve faster tho. This works wonderfully for sunburn relief :).
Ouch! I’m so glad this helped, though 🙂 It’s even better if you keep it in the fridge 😉
Turkey Red Oil—what can be subbed for this? I don’t have this or anything like it. Says it’s sulfuric acid castor oil
As noted in the recipe your other alternative would be solubilizer—there’s a link in the ingredient list for more info.
This will be my third summer using this (well, my own mix inspired by this) and I want to thank you. I live in New England, I hate in-house AC, and with this spray I have not been uncomfortable in the summer heat. I add a little cucumber juice to differentiate it in the fridge from my bug spray, and a tsp of vodka so nothing will grow because of the duke juice. The vodka also helps, as it’s a quick evaporation to start the cooling.
Thanks again, I appreciate your blog. 🙂
Hi Jill! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 I’m so thrilled you love this spray! It’s definitely a favourite of mine as well, and really fun to bring to hot summer events to share with people 🙂
Can you substitute menthol crystals for the menthol eo? If so, how much would you recommend?
You should be able to, though I haven’t tried it. You will have to dissolve the crystals in the peppermint EO as they are not water soluble. You should be able to use them at a 1:1 sub by weight.
i used Silky Scent 100% pure Menthol for this recipe. I just made the spray and the spray bottle I used would not hold the full recipe. The leftover cooling spray want to solidify.
Did I do something wrong?
Hi Connie! How big was your bottle? Do you do everything by weight? What emulsifier did you use? Did the crystals dissolve?
This sounds wonderful! I am selling at a Farmers Market on Saturdays and it has been miserably HOT! Plan to make this Friday to try this weekend.
Question:
I don’t have Poly-20, but do have Polysorbate-80. Are they interchangeable in use and proportion?
I plan to use the Menthol Crystals, melted into the Peppermint EO, since that is what I have.
Thank you for this awesome recipe. I have loved every one of your DIY recipes so far! And I love your experiments too 🙂
Here’s a great article on the two from an actual chemist 🙂
Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me!
Hi! I just looked on the saffire blue and New Directions website for the menthol essential oil, and neither one carries it (one of them asked me if I was looking for “mental” essential oil LOL). Do you know where I can get some, or what I can do instead? Thanks
I end up getting mine from amazon, from a suppler called silky scents or something like that.
Thanks – I’ll look into that
🙂
Thanks!
Hi Barb! Look for the crystals instead. You will have to dissolve the crystals in the peppermint EO as they are not water soluble. You should be able to use them at a 1:1 sub by weight.
Cost is a concern. Is there an alternative oil to the turkey red oil?
As noted in the recipe, you can also use solubilizer 🙂
Can i use the menthol instead of the eo oil?
The menthol what? Can you clarify?
Does this need to be in a glass or tin/aluminum bottle? I noticed that your air conditioning in a tin should be in one of these types of containers due to the menthol.
Hey Amy! This concoction is much more diluted than the tin version, so it shouldn’t be a problem (my original was in its plastic bottle for a good two years without any visible degradation of the bottle). You certainly could use glass if you wanted to 🙂
Marie — I have polysorbate on hand already. So in reading the recipe, you add 10g each of menthol and peppermint Eos and then 20g of the polysorbate? Add a little aloe vera juice and shake and then top off spray bottle with more aloe juice? Am I reading that correctly?
Yup!
Sounds too easy! Thanks!
I am new to your fantastic site, you are truly one talented girl…. You know so much, I want to thank you for helping me find a cure for hot flashes, a not so great time in my life right now…. Keep inspiring us all with your knowledge, we all thank you.
Thanks so much, Therese! Happy to help and I hope those hot flashes fade away soon 🙂
Hi Marie, I have everything except menthol EO, can I replace it with menthol crystals from new directions. I probably read it hear already, but just need your expertise. Thanks
You should be able to, though I haven’t tried it. You will have to dissolve the crystals in the peppermint EO as they are not water soluble, and I think a 1:1 swap by weight should work as the menthol EO tends to solidify into crystals when left somewhere cool, so I’m assuming the potency level is similar 🙂
Could polysorbate 20 or 80 in place of the turkey oil?
You can use solubilizer/polysorbate 20 or TRO—see the recipe for amounts and instructions 🙂
Hi Marie, I can’t get enough of your great recipes, I’m having fun being a mad scientist.
I am new to this lotion,balm and butters… I have a few questions if I may, what is TRO and I order from New Directions, and for the life of me I can’t find Emulsimulse, the complete emulifsying wax you use. There are different emulifsying waxes and I am not sure which one to use. I don’t want to buy a lot of products unless I’m going to use them all the time. Also what is polysorbate 20 used for? I’m looking forward for your new book, cheers from Ontario
Hey Therese! TRO = Turkey Red oil/sulfated castor oil—there’s a link in the ingredients list 🙂 Here’s an experiment I did on three different complete e-waxes that I’d recommend, and I’d also add BTMS-50 to that list. Emulsimulse has several different names, including ritamulse, so be sure to check the INCI from your supplier as that won’t change 🙂 (I’ve listed the INCIs for all the waxes here.)
Polysorbate 20 is an emulsifier used to disperse small amounts of oil in large amounts of water (like in a toner or a room spray), and it’s also a mild surfactant. In many applications it’s interchangeable for TRO, except in ones where you don’t want to add any extra oil to a formulation as TRO is still an oil, while Polysorbate 20 is not (like in a hair mist, since hair usually gets very greasy with very little oil, or a pillow mist where you don’t want to oil up your bed sheets!).
Hope that helps! Happy DIYing and thanks for reading 🙂
Bravo Marie for this wonderful idea! I made some today and found it a bit too strong for my skin. Can it be diluted somewhat and still have a cooling effect. The scent is very potent for daytime use,so I have been told! I don’t want to offend anyone but my hot flashes can do that on their own! Many of you can relate to that. Anyway, I would appreciate your feedback as to diluting this recipe so it isn’t stinging my skin. Thanks, Marie. I love your recipes:)
Hey Wendy! You can dilute it with the addition of extra water. I’d recommend adding it slowly and testing as you go, as it is much easier to add more water than remove it 🙂 And be sure to take notes so you can make it the way you want it the first time when you need a refill! Happy making 🙂
Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask if you’re concerned with using Poly20 ;p
I just want to know where you got that awesome little funnel with the handle on it (the one you were using on the YouTube video of this recipe)?
And…I don’t know why, but I was hesitant to make this until I saw the video of it. Saw it. Made it. Tested on our Hawaii vacation. Worked GREAT on 90+ degree days! THANK YOU!
Hey Kristie! The funnel is one of these ones 🙂 It’s part of a hadny-dandy set!
Thanks so much for watching and DIYing with me 🙂
Hi. I made this using TRO and guaranteed gum. Used water instead of juice. It doesn’t spray out but rather squirts. I used lucid all as the preservative. Think that could be problem? Thanks for all you do.
It sounds like you might’ve used more guar gum than the spritzer can handle, or you might be using a squirter top instead of a mister top.
Also, none of the Leucidal preservatives are particularly good at, well, preserving 🙁 You can read this for more information!
Hi Marie! I just ordered poly 20 so I can try this recipe! Question: I live in the Caribbean and menthol crystals are sold at pharmacies. They are used to alleviate congestion by dissolving in hot water and then inhaling the vapors. I keep seeing you say menthol crystals are not water soluble so I’m wondering if there are different grades….
Hey Candy! The solubility really shouldn’t be different (unless the crystals are not pure and have an added emulsifer), but it’s not at all surprising that they would melt in hot water—they just won’t dissolve into it. Chances are the liquid menthol is floating on top 🙂
Hi Marie, I love this spray but have a quick question. I made it using distilled water in place of the aloe juice just because I didn’t have any on hand, I added the Poly 20, then I added liquid Germall Plus at 0.5%. It has been a couple months since I made it and I noticed that it has settled into white liquid at the top, and clear liquid at the bottom. Is this OK? Did I do something wrong?
Hey Jacquie! That sounds fine to me—I’ve never found poly 20 to make a super stable emulsion, it’ll usually separate out if left alone for more than a couple weeks. Nothing a quick shake won’t fix 🙂
Thank you so much, Marie! I really love it and plan to put some in some mini spritzers to take on a cruise in February. I will be the envy of all my friends… until I give them one their own.
Awesome! I wish I’d gotten more chances to use mine this summer, ours was such a chilly one 😛
For this recipe step-by-step, how much Germall would I use? I’m getting completely lost, but in following this recipe and an 8-oz bottle, can you tell exactly how much preservative to use in practical terms? Thank you!
I made a modified (% form) version of this recipe today and I’m pretty darned happy with the results, especially with a fan running! It takes about five minutes to kick in, so before you decide it’s not strong enough, wait it out!!!
5% peppermint EO (I used Bulk Apothecary’s Japan peppermint because it’s very high in menthol)
2% menthol crystals
3% cyclomethicone (trying to reduce stickiness from the polysorbate)
10% polysorbate 20
0.5% aloe 200x
0.5% Liquid Germall Plus
79% distilled water