Natural Skin Care Archives - Create and Crochet

DIY Lotion Bar ~ Lavender Hearts

Patricia — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:19:55 +0000

Lotion bars are simply divine! This easy DIY Lavender Hearts Lotion Bar recipe is perfect for dry and mature skin. Use them on their own, with a bit of water to blend into the skin, or use them in addition to your regular body lotion for additional moisturizing. I love the small size heart shape mold that I used for this project because the bars are a perfect size!

I have another recipe for lotion bars which is slightly richer than this blend. I also added rose petals and lavender flowers to those bars, but I found the flowers, while very pretty and aromatic, were not very practical. The essential oil blend I use in that recipe is different as well, and that blend could be used in this recipe if desired.

The ingredients you will need for the Lavender Heart Lotion Bars are:

1/3 cup (80mls) Shea butter
1/4 cup (60mls) Beeswax (pellets, shaved or pieces)
1/4 cup (60mls) Coconut butter
1/8 cup (30mls) Jojoba oil
40 drops Lavender essential oil (or oils of your choice)
3 drops blue food coloring
5 drops red food coloring
Candy or soap mold

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Melt the shea butter, beeswax, and coconut butter together in a double boiler. I have an old pot and glass bowl that I use for this purpose because beeswax is nearly impossible to clean up completely. You can use the microwave to melt the ingredients together as well, but if the beeswax pieces are too large, they can explode. And let me tell you…that makes a real mess in the microwave!

Once those ingredients are nicely melted, you can add the jojoba oil and essential oil. Keep the mixture on the heat while doing this (I’m showing mine off the stove because the light was better for the photos).

A few other possibilities for the essential oil blends are:

As with any natural ingredients, it is important to test for allergies or sensitivities. Even though the ingredients are natural, they can still have adverse effects. Also if you are pregnant or have immune deficiencies, you want to make sure anything you use is safe for you!

Once you’ve melted all your ingredients together, you can then start to fill your mold. If your double boiler doesn’t have a pouring spout, then you may need to transfer the lotion to something like a pyrex measuring cup. Again, I have one dedicated to making candles and natural products because the beeswax can be so hard to clean.

You should have about 1/2 cup (125mls) of lotion, so fill your molds about 80% full and reserve about 1/8 cup (30mls) for the food coloring.

You may need to return the lotion to the hot water (just set the pouring container right in the water) to melt the lotion as it begins to harden. Add 3 drops of blue and 5 drops of red food coloring to the remaining lotion and blend in well. Fill the molds with the remaining lotion, right to the very top. The light-colored blend will have set slightly, so the two colors won’t mix together.

Let the mold sit for about two hours for the bars to set up nicely. Then you can put the mold in the fridge for another hour or so to make the bars nice and hard.

Remove the lavender heart lotion bars from the mold and celebrate how beautiful they are! I just love this mold with the pretty swirly pattern on top.

As mentioned before, lotion bars are suited for very dry or mature skin because they are quite rich and would be best used at bedtime. I wouldn’t use these bars directly on the face because of this, but they are perfect to use on the chin, neck, chest, elbows, knees, back of the hands and any other dry area on the body. The warmth of your hands will melt the bar enough to spread on your body, but you can add a bit of water on to your skin to help blend the lotion in as well.

Use just one bar at a time and store the remaining bars in an airtight container in the fridge. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Please share this post by clicking on the social share button and choosing an image from below to share! Leave a comment below as well.

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Bath Dissolves~Bath Bombs without Citric Acid

Patricia — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:22:42 +0000

Bath bombs are very lovely, however, the ingredient that creates all that fizzing can be irritating to the skin. Citric acid is the culprit, so I worked on creating a recipe without this ingredient. The result is a beautiful bath ‘dissolve’…a bath bomb without the boom (and without the irritation)!

The ingredients for these bath dissolves are very soothing and nurturing. Baking soda, in particular, is very good to use after you’ve had a bad day, been tangled up in some negative energy or if you’ve had some healing work done. It is great for cleansing negative energy. Both Epsom salts and Himalayan pink salt help to detox and relax the body and are good for sore muscles.

Below is the recipe as well as a list of additional items you’ll need to make these lovely bath dissolves. If you want the mixture to have more of a pink hue, you can use the Himalayan pink salt only.

1 cup (250mls) baking soda
1/4 cup (62.5mls) fine salt
- I used 1/8 cup (31.25mls) each of fine Epsom salt and pink Himalayan salt
1/4 cup (62.5mls) corn starch
5 tsp (25mls) distilled water
5 tsp (25mls) pure witch hazel
30 to 40 drops essential oil (see below for different blends)
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
spray bottle with distilled water and witch hazel (optional)
Soap or cookie mold (I recommend a rigid mold, I tried a silicone mold and it didn’t hold the shape of the mixture very well) or bath bomb mold

For this recipe, I used lavender essential oil, but you could use any blend you like. Here are a few ideas. As with all natural ingredients, make sure to test for sensitivities or allergies. Even natural products can cause an unwanted reaction.

20 drops lavender, 5 drops rose geranium, 5 drops rose absolute
22 drops lavender, 5 drops vetiver, 3 drops patchouli
15 drops lavender, 5 drops clary sage, 5 drops cedarwood, 5 drops ylang-ylang
10 drops frankincense, 8 drops peppermint, 8 drops sweet orange, 4 drops lime
10 drops frankincense, 7 drops lavender, 7 drops rose geranium, 6 drops ylang-ylang

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together, then mix the water and witch hazel together (don’t add the essential oils yet). Using a spoon, gradually add the liquid, mixing well between each addition.

Continue to add the liquid until the mixture begins to hold together. At this point, you can add the essential oils and mix them in.

Using the spray bottle, mist the mixture to evenly distribute moisture until you can form a ball as shown below. If you don’t have a spray bottle, add the liquid just a little bit at a time until you get the desired consistency.

Roll the mixture into balls or press firmly into a soap mold. Let dry completely, for at least 24 hours.

Once the bath dissolves have dried, you can remove them from the mold. This can be a bit tricky and you have to be very gentle.

I found the square shapes in the mold didn’t do as well as the round shapes. The corners crumbled on a couple of them.

You can see that in the image below, especially the bigger mold shape with the leaf in the middle. In retrospect, I would just use the round shapes or form the mixture into balls.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I have created a video to go along with this, and you can check that out below. Happy creating!

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DIY Sugar Scrubs~3 Blends!

Patricia — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 19:24:01 +0000

Sugar scrubs are so easy to make and are wonderful to use! Because they are so easy to make, I’ve included three different blends; Lavender & Chamomile, Rosemary & Mint, and Coffee & Vanilla. They would make perfect gifts, and the aromas are so scrumptious, you may want to eat them!

Sugar scrubs work so well to exfoliate and nourish the skin. Just apply them to your body in the bath or shower, work into the skin and then rinse off. Use your choice of scrub once or twice a week.

While all these blends are made from natural ingredients, it is important to check for allergies and sensitivities.

The first sugar scrub blend is Lavender and Chamomile. This blend is perfect to use on the face and all over the body. It is very gentle and soothing.

You will need the following ingredients:

Add the essential oils to the jojoba oil and blend well with the sugar. Store your sugar scrub in a pretty jar…it’s that easy!

The next blend is Rosemary and Mint Sugar Scrub. For this blend, I first suggested to use either rosemary-infused olive oil or add rosemary essential oil to the olive oil. I find I prefer the regular olive oil with the rosemary essential oil This blend is wonderful for the whole body, but is especially nice for the feet!

You will need the following ingredients:

Blend the essential oils into the olive oil and add to the sugar. Mix well and store it in a pretty container.

In the video, I suggest using rosemary-infused olive oil, but I don’t actually recommend that now. Just use olive oil with rosemary essential oil.

The last blend is a Coffee and Vanilla Sugar Scrub. This blend works very well for exfoliating. It is a bit stronger than the other two blends and may not be suited for sensitive skin, especially on the face. With a touch of vanilla extract, this scrub smells so good…you may want to eat it!

To make this blend, you will need:

1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp ground coffee
2 tbsp coconut oil-melted (about 1/4 cup dry)
2 tbsp jojoba oil (not shown)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Simply melt the coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove and mix with the jojoba oil and vanilla extract. Then add the wet blend to the sugar and coffee and mix well. The aroma of this blend is so scrumptious! You can store in a pretty container and use it for yourself or give it as a gift.

WARNING: The oils used in these body scrub recipes can increase the danger of slipping in the bathtub or shower. Use extreme caution if using these products in the mentioned circumstances.

I have also created a video if you want to check that out!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial…I am always grateful when people share my work, so please do! If you liked this tutorial, you may also like these ones too.

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DIY Moisturizing Lotion Bars

Patricia — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 00:34:17 +0000

Make your own DIY moisturizing lotion bars with the fragrance of lavender and rose! Have you ever considered what commercial body lotions contain as far as ingredients? This is something to think about because our skin easily absorbs any substances it comes in contact with. Here is a clue…they contain chemicals…lots of chemicals, and many of them are considered toxic to the human body!

Some of the most harmful ingredients include Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), DMDM Hydantoin, Parabens, Retinyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine and the one that causes me the most grief… Synthetic Fragrance and Perfume. If you want to learn more about these ingredients you can read this article here.

So, my question is…why would anyone want to put chemicals all over their body, when there are so many natural and healthy options available? There are many choices on the market these days and one of my favorite natural skincare companies is Sea Wench Naturals. I am not affiliated with this company at all, I just love their products!

But what is even better, is that it has never been easier to make your own natural body and home care products! Today I have a simple recipe for DIY Body Lotion Bars with lavender and rose. It can be made with just four ingredients, but there are a few options as well.

This recipe is for a small batch of lotion bars and you can double or triple the quantities to make as much as you like. Once all the dry ingredients are melted and blended together, the volume equals about 3.5 oz (100mls). The ingredients you will need are:

1/4 cup (60mls) beeswax
1/4 cup (60mls) coconut butter
1/4 cup (60mls) shea butter
2 tsp (10mls) jojoba oil
20 drops essential oil (optional)
dried flowers (Update: I no longer recommend adding dried flower. As pretty as they look, they are not practical in a lotion bar)

You can use any blend of essential oils you like, but the coconut butter and beeswax give this recipe a nice aroma on their own, so it isn’t even necessary! I love essential oils, so I used 10 drops of lavender oil, 8 drops of geranium oil and 2 drops of rose absolute oil. This makes a lovely blend!

As far as supplies go, you will want to use old pots and utensils. Beeswax is impossible to clean off completely, so you may want to dedicate these items to DIY projects. Silicone molds can be super fun to use for the lotion bars because there are so many pretty options. I just used some containers I saved from take-out sushi. Plastic ice-cube trays would work as well. The supplies you will need are:

Double boiler (I used an old pot and pyrex bowl from the thrift store)
Container with a spout (if the double boiler doesn’t have that)
Stirring tools
Silicone or plastic molds for bars.

Add the beeswax, coconut butter and shea butter to the top container of the double boiler. Put some water in the bottom pot and bring to medium heat. Melt the ingredients together. Add the jojoba oil and essential oils and blend together very well.

Prepare the molds and add some crushed dried flowers if you like. I added lavender and rose petals. On a practical note…while this looks very pretty, the flowers do rub off on to the skin when you use the bars.

Quickly pour the melted lotion into the molds. It will set up very fast, so you may have to return the blend to the pot to liquify it again. Once you have filled the molds, do not move them! Let them sit undisturbed until they have set up completely (about 2 hours).

Once they have set up, you can pop them out of the molds and they are ready to use! You can store the unused bars in the fridge, especially in warmer climates. It is that simple!

I absolutely love these lotion bars, but what I didn’t expect was…that my husband loves them too! They are quite rich (which is awesome for my dry skin) and I find it helpful to run the palms of my hands under some warm water after applying the lotion bar to help it melt and absorb into my hands. The difference between a lotion bar and lotion is the water, so it makes sense to add a little bit.

I hope you give this recipe a try…I think you will love it!

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DIY Natural Dryer Sheets

Patricia — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 02:36:46 +0000

Making your own natural dryer sheets couldn’t be easier! But most importantly, this natural alternative to commercial dryer sheets is so much healthier for you, your family and the environment! Your clothing and bedding (which is in contact with your skin 24 hours a day) will no longer be saturated in synthetic chemicals….yaaaaa! This recipe will help to soften your clothes and reduce static electricity.

Making the choice to use more eco-friendly laundry products is to be celebrated! And I am assuming that because you are interested in this topic, you have already made this conscious choice. However, you may be interested in a blog post I wrote called “Are Commercial Laundry Products Making You Sick?” It is an informative read.

To make these dryer sheets, all you need is a glass jar with a tight lid, some cotton cloths (I used 12), vinegar, and your favorite essential oils. I don’t recommend using a plastic container as the essential oils can absorb into the plastic and make the container go sort of cloudy. (Note: don’t store the glass jar on top of your washer or dryer)

If you don’t have ready-made cloths, you can cut your own from cotton fabric. You can just use pinking shears, or finish the edges with a zig-zag or serged hem. I cut mine 10″ x 10″ (or 25cm x 25cm) with pinking shears. Fold the cloths in half and then roll them up as shown below. You can re-use these same cloths over and over.

Add 1/2 cup vinegar to the glass jar and 20 drops of essential oil. I used 15 drops of lavender, 3 drops of cedarwood and 2 drops of vetiver. I like to use base notes such as cedarwood and vetiver because their fragrance has more staying power. Other base notes are patchouli, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and frankincense. Lavender is a middle note, so it’s scent is pretty stable.

Next, just swirl the vinegar around to blend in the oil and then add your rolled up cloths with the cut edge down into the jar. Put on the lid and you are done!

The vinegar will absorb into the cloths and they will be ready to use within an hour or so. Use one sheet with each dryer load and then just fold it up and set it aside when the load is done. Once you’ve used up all your sheets, simply make a new batch of vinegar and essential oil and roll up the cloths again and put them in the jar. They do not need to be washed in between batches.

Drying your cotton and natural fibers separate from any synthetic items will help to reduce static in your clothes. It is the synthetic fibers that cause the most issues with static electricity.

You may also want to use wool dryer balls as they help to reduce static and increase the drying time. I love, love, love these dryer balls from Splat & Co. I am not affiliated with them, I just love what they do! In addition to solid and variegated color balls, they also make these wonderful patterns of animals. They are so much fun!

I don’t have any children, but my husband and I still have so much fun with these guys. We have the fat little chicken, the bad dog, and the silly cow. They are always getting into trouble and often play hide and seek.

I also made a video tutorial to go along with this blog post, you can check it out below. Enjoy this recipe and I am so grateful you are interested in using more natural alternatives in your home!

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DIY Bath Salts

Patricia — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 00:49:05 +0000

There is nothing more soothing and nurturing than a long soak in a nice warm bath infused with healing salts, beautiful flowers, and aromatic oils! Making your own blend of baths salts is super easy.

This recipe uses a blend of Epson salt and pink Himalayan salt. Both these salts have wonderful healing properties. Epson salt is magnesium sulfate and helps to relax sore muscles and relieve pain and tension.

Himalayan salt has detoxification properties when used in the bath. It is naturally rich in over 80 nourishing and skin-replenishing minerals. It cleanses the skin and helps cleanse the body energetically. Bathing in pink bath salt is healing for the mind and body.

I use essential oils of lavender, geranium and rose absolute. Lavender is very relaxing and helps with stress, headaches, PMS and anxiety.

Rose geranium is wonderful for relaxing the mind and helps with emotional stability and improves the mood.

Rose oil has the same relaxing and healing properties as lavender and rose geranium, and also helps to re-hydrate and heal the skin. It reduces signs of aging, improves circulation and helps to sharpen the memory.

For this recipe, you will need:

Blend all the dry ingredients together, then add the drops, stirring well between each blend.

Store in an airtight jar and allow the bath salts to cure for a few days before using. This helps the oils soften and blend together nicely for a wonderful fragrance.

Use any amount desired in your bath or package up in a pretty jar to give as a gift! Enjoy

Tip: You may want to use a muslin bag or tea bag for you bath salts, otherwise the rose and lavender petals will need to be rinsed off your body after the bath.

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