This creamy Almond Oat Soap came with a rather baffling (and completely unexpected!) mystery! When I sliced it after leaving it to saponify for a day I was delighted to find it was a completely different colour than I expected. Not just a bit darker or lighter (or grey-er, as can happen with saponification), but a totally different colour! One of my awesome patrons solved the mystery—keep reading to find out what happened, and why!
Today I’m sharing a formulation for an all-natural Rose & Tea Ultra-Light Conditioning Hair Balm. This hair balm was one of my final projects for my Formula Botanica Diploma in Organic Haircare Formulation (I shared the other one back in January; you can check it out here!). It’s a creamy, silky balm that’s surprisingly lightweight and smells softly of roses and vanilla. It’s a brilliant way to add a bit of conditioning richness to your hair care routine!
Over the years I have received a lot of requests for a Sol de Janeiro Brazillian Bum Bum Cream DIY. I found a 2018 request from Nichole and a 2020 request from Leslie in my records, and I’m pretty darn sure there have been others that have been lost in the shuffle of email accounts and computers over the years. This DIY version doesn’t strive to be a straight dupe, but it does smell the same (yum!) and is very much in the spirit of the store-bought product. I hope you like it!
Today I’m sharing my last formulation of 2020—a Midwinter Conditioning Beard Balm. Beard balms are usually made up of carrier oils thickened with some sort of wax to create a firm balm. This formulation features argan oil, jojoba oil, and a small amount of beeswax—plus something a bit different for extra softness and all-around loveliness. The finished beard balm has an indulgently rich, almost ointment-y consistency and leaves beards feeling softer and more manageable. Let’s dive in!
There was really no way I could do a Cocoa Coconut theme and not do a lip balm. Cocoa Coconut practically begs to be lip-balm-ized! Since we’re in the midst of ultra-dry wintery weather right now, I opted to make this a Cocoa Coconut Sticky Lip Balm because when it is super dry and my lips are chapped and angry, sticky lip balm is what works. Its thick, tacky consistency means it stays on your lips, trapping in moisture and giving the delicate skin there a chance to heal. While I love a slippy, glossy lip balm, they just don’t offer the same level of winter protection as a sticky lip balm. If you suffer from extra dry lips in the winter, I highly recommend giving this DIY a try!
If you’ve been interested in making a solid conditioner bar, but have been intimidated by the long ingredient lists on the formulations I’ve shared in the past, this post is for you! These beautiful Cocoa Coconut Simple Conditioner Bars are made from just six ingredients and are as easy to make as a body butter bar. Simply melt, pour, chill, and unmould and you’ll have yourself some beautiful blocks of richly conditioning goodness!
Make it Up: The Essential Guide to DIY Makeup and Skin Care is now available at booksellers all over the world!