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Essential Oil Roll On Perfume Recipes (Plus How to Make Your Favorite Scents Last Longer!)

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March 23, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 7 Comments

Making your own essential oil roll on perfume recipes is a fun way to explore new scents. And while making custom perfume blends can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Keep reading for some of my favorite perfume blends to use throughout the year. Plus learn how to use essential oil fixatives with your favorite fragrances to make your go to scents last even longer.

Natural Essential Oil Perfumes

To be honest, whenever I’ve tried to blend my own combinations of essential oils to create perfume it’s mostly failed. The whole base, middle, top note thing always throws me for a loop. So normally, I’ll buy natural fragrances online either through Etsy or a small artisan perfumery. I tend to fall for earthier fragrances when making a purchase, however I also love bright, fruity scents. The one scent blend I can’t tolerate, unfortunately, is anything with florals. So many florals give me a throbbing headache. (So I’m really not sorry that I never have to make tuberose scented soap again.) The same can be said for fake vanilla.

One of my favorite natural fragrances is Audition by Theater Potion. It contains a sensuous blend of chocolate and patchouli that I love. (And this from the girl who used to think patchouli smelled terrible.) It’s a wonderful mysterious scent with notes not just of chocolate and patchouli, but also coffee (another win!) tobacco, clary sage and cedar. Artfully crafted with a number of natural perfume fixatives (patchouli, cedar and clary sage) this natural fragrance lasts all day, much to my delight.

What are essential oil perfume fixatives?

While blending scents is not my strong suit, using a fixative in perfumery is much easier to understand. So what exactly is a perfume fixative?

Basically, perfume fixatives are materials incorporated into a perfume formulation to slow down the degradation of more volatile oils used in your perfumes. This results in fewer changes to the scent as you wear it. Used in trace amounts, natural essential oil fixatives not only help retain the scent of the perfume by slowing down evaporation rates, they also add their own unique scent note.

You’re likely familiar with perfumes that boast a strong scent straight out of the bottle. However, you’ve found that you’re soon disappointed when that scent fades away faster than expected. A natural perfume fixative can slow down the evaporation rate of more volatile essential oils and fragrances. So they linger longer for your enjoyment.

Which essential oils are fixatives?

If you’re wanting to avoid synthetic fragrances and perfumes, a fixative is essential in making your favorite scents last longer. But which essential oils are used as fixatives in natural perfumery? Following is a list of common plant extract and essential oil fixatives. (Don’t worry if it seems overwhelming! I actually have a simple trick for using a fixative with ANY essential oil roll on perfume – old or new!)

Ambrette Seed oil: Used for its lifting effect, this essential oil is best known for is sweet floral fragrance and musky wine like scent. Often used as a musk substitute, this natural essential oil fixative blends well with rose, neroli, sandalwood, clary sage, cypress, patchouli, oriental and other sophisticated scents. It is best used sparingly.

Amyris essential oil: A common fixative in perfumery, this essential oil is often used as an affordable alternative to sandalwood essential oil. It boasts a rich, warm woody aroma that blends well with a number of other essential oils. Amyris essential oil works best as a natural fixative in milder perfume formulations and blends well with cedarwood, citronella, conifer oils (like balsam fir or pine), cypress, frankincense, geranium, jasmine absolute, lavender, lemon, oakmoss, patchouli, sweet orange, tangerine, ho wood, rose absolute, vetiver, ylang ylang and sandalwood. (Learn more about amyris essential oil and discover recipes to try here.)

Angelica Root essential oil: Used sparingly, this essential oil is best used as a base note fixative. Its scent is sharp, green and herbaceous with peppery overtones and has robust staying power and diffusive qualities. You’ll find it blends well with patchouli, oakmoss, clary sage, vetiver and citrus blends.

Peru Balsam essential oil: A more commonly known essential oil, peru balsam is a wonderful fixative for floral essential oil based perfumes such as rose, heliotrope, magnolia, and lilac. It has a rich, balsamic, sweet vanilla-like undertone and adds a resinous note to a blend in perfumery. You’ll find that the soft aroma of peru balsam essential oil blends well with black pepper, ginger, jasmine, lavender, patchouli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang.

Atlas Cedarwood essential oil: Another common (and affordable!) essential oil, atlas cedarwood has a long history of use as incense and perfume. The wood was burned by the Greeks and Romans for its sweet tenacious, woody-balsamic scent with a warm camphor-like top note. This essential oil blends well with a number of essential oils bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, eucalyptus, jasmine, juniper, lavender, neroli, palmarosa, petitgrain, rosemary, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang ylang and other floral essential oils or bases.

Cistus essential oil: Also known as Labdanum, cistus essential oil is used in natural perfumery for its rich aroma. A naturally strong fixative, its warm, sweet, dry and rich herbaceous fragrance blends well with bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, cypress, frankincense, lavender, juniper, oakmoss, opopanax, patchouli, pine, sandalwood and vetiver.

Clary Sage essential oil: Clary sage has an extensive history in perfumery and works well as a fixative for perfumes of a more delicate bouquet. Its somewhat heavy scent is reminiscent of balsamic,tobacco, sweet hay and tea leaves. Used as a fixative for natural perfumes, clary sage adds a warm note to perfume oil blends. Additionally, you’ll find that clary sage blends well with bay, bergamot, black pepper, cardamom, cedarwood, chamomile, coriander, cypress, frankincense, geranium, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon balm, lime, mandarin, patchouli, petitgrain, pine, rose and sandalwood essential oils.

Green Cognac essential oil: A specialty oil for perfumers, cognac essential oil is produced from the wine precipitate known as ‘lees’ – the yeasty residue left at the bottom of oak barrels after the fermentation and aging of Cognac. It’s commonly used to add lift and fresh, fruity natural notes to men’s colognes and aftershave fragrances. However, it’s also a tenacious fixative. Used as a middle note in natural perfume formulations, cognac has a strong fruity yet green herbaceous odor and blends well with ambrette seed, bergamot, clary sage, coriander, neroli, galbanum, jasmine sambac, lavender, lotus pink absolute, rose maroc absolute, rose otto and ylang-ylang.

Frankincense essential oil: Frankincense, like cedarwood essential oil, has a long history of use in incense and other perfumery applications. This oil boasts a fresh, woody, spicy, balsamic fragrance with a citrus top note. When used with citrus blends, frankincense modifies the sweetness of the scent in a unique way. Commonly used in conjunction with heavier fragrances, this natural essential oil and fixative blends well with basil, black pepper, bergamot, galbanum, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, orange, melissa, neroli, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood and other spice oils.

Galbanum essential oil: Galbanum essential oil also has a long history of use as incense. While the resin may be burned, the oil is often used as a natural essential oil fixative in perfumes. A wonderful modifier with a fresh, woody, spicy and balsamic damp woods scent, this essential oil blends beautifully with lavender, oakmoss, fir, elemi, jasmine, liquidambar, frankincense, palmarosa, geranium, ginger, rose, verbena and ylang-ylang.

Myrrh essential oil: A common fixative in the fragrance industry, myrrh essential oil has a dry, creamy and resinous aroma. Think smoky woody or warm sweet balsamic with a slightly spicy medicinal odor. You’ll find that myrrh is an excellent fixative for heavy floral essential oil perfume blends. It’s especially nice when blende with violet, white rose, and lavender. However this essential oil also works well with frankincense, sandalwood, oakmoss, cypress, juniper, mandarin, geranium, patchouli, thyme, mints and spice oils.

Oakmoss absolute: Extracted from the lichen that grows on oak trees, oak moss has a heavy earthy, bark like aroma. Its tenacious fragrance has a high fixative value and blends well with most other oils to add body and rich natural undertones. However, this oil is particularly nice when mixed with anise, bay, bergamot, clary sage, eucalyptus, ginger, lavender, lime, orange, palmarosa, tea tree, vetiver or ylang ylang.

Orris Root essential oil: Orris root essential oil has an extensive history of use in perfumery dating back to the 1700s. Prior to that, however, the root was used by ancient Egyptians as a body spice, incense and perfume. Its delicate aroma boasts a sweet floral woody scent that blends well with carnation, cassie, cedarwood, bergamot, vetiver, cypress, geranium, mimosa, labdanum, clary sage, rose, violet and other floral based oils.

Patchouli essential oil: Best known as an incense and base note in perfumery, patchouli essential oil possesses a strong, rich earthy odor that is considered to improve with age. It can be used in oriental bouquets as well as natural blends that contain bergamot, black pepper, cassie, cedarwood, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, elemi, frankincense, galbanum, geranium, ginger, jasmine, labdanum, lavender, lemongrass, myrrh, neroli, oakmoss, orris, rose, rosewood, sandalwood or vetiver.

Sandalwood essential oil: Sandalwood also has a long history of usage in natural perfumery. However, as traditional Indian Sandalwood has been considered a vulnerable species since 1998 due to disease, fire and exploitation through illegal activity. Australian Sandalwood represents an ecologically responsible alternative to traditional Indian Sandalwood. Sandalwood essential oil is a base note with a soft, woody balsamic and extremely tenacious aroma. It blends well with violet note perfumes in addition to bergamot, black pepper, cassie, clove, geranium, jasmine, labdanum, lavender, myrrh, oakmoss, patchouli, rose, rosewood, tuberose, and vetiver.

Vanilla absolute: A staple in natural essential oil perfumery, vanilla absolute, this base note boasts a rich, sweet, balsamic and vanilla-like aroma. A staple in the fragrance industry, this natural fixative lends an unrivaled richness and depth to a variety of sweet-floral or heavy amber bases. Additionally, this absolute blends beautifully with sandalwood, vetiver, balsams and spice oils as well as cassie, lavandin and lavender for a unique addition to your essential oil roll on perfume recipes. (Tip: Benzoin resin oil is a cost effective replacement for vanilla in essential oil roll on perfume recipes.)

Vetiver essential oil: Vetiver has had a multitude of uses over the years. In addition to natural perfumery, this essential oil has also been used to scent fabric. While vetiver root is often woven into baskets, mats and window coverings. Its scent is best described as woody, earthy and heavy with sweet undertones. You’ll find that vetiver blends well with frankincense, patchouli, oakmoss, sandalwood, violet, ylang-ylang, galbanum, geranium, jasmine, lavender, clary sage, cassie and rose.

Violet Leaf absolute: This pleasant green absolute is widely used in the perfumery industry for its grassy cucumber-like scent. Its dry, strong, fresh green leaf odor has a subtle floral undertone. Even in when used in low concentrations it offers tremendous diffusion and adds elegance to certain floral blends such as hyacinth, muguet and high-class chypres. This natural plant extract blends beautifully with sandalwood, frankincense, lavender, rose, jasmine, tuberose, clary sage, cumin, basil and most citrus oils.

An easy way to start using fixatives with your natural essential oil roll on perfumes.

If you’re still gun shy about incorporating fixatives into your natural essential oil roll on perfume blends, don’t worry. You don’t have to come with your own recipes. Nor do you need to invest in expensive essential oils you may use only once or twice. There’s actually an easier, more affordable way to add a fixative to your existing stash of fragrances! How? By purchasing a pre-made natural perfume fixative.

Wild Veil Perfume sells an entire line of ready made perfume fixatives. They come in little tins like lip balms or salves, with a similar consistency. Formulated ahead of time so there’s no guesswork, you simply apply a perfume fixative to pulse points before adding your favorite essential oil roll on perfume or fragrance.

What is basically a primer for natural essential oil based perfume and colognes, Wild Veil Perfume’s creamy fixative compounds contain their own fragrance composed exclusively of base notes, in an organic emulsion of raw beeswax, cold pressed natural oils, and unrefined, raw butters. Available in an extensive variety of base notes, these fixatives not only slow down the evaporation rate of your favorite perfumes, they double as a moisturizer. Simply apply and wear them alone or in layers with your favorite essential oil roll on perfumes.

Essential Oil Roll On Perfume Recipes

Now that you know the secret to making your natural fragrances last longer, why not try a few essential oil roll on perfume recipes? Following are a few of my favorite essential oil roll on perfume recipes. To make your custom fragrances, simply add the essential oils directly to a 10 mL roller ball bottle. Then fill the remainder of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil. (Be sure to leave room at the top for the roller ball.) Shake and enjoy! (This essential oil mixing kit makes it easy to get started.)

Grapefruit Citrus Crush Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Ingredients:

10 drops grapefruit essential oil
5 drops lemongrass essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
1 drop frankincense essential oil

Pumpkin Spice Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Ingredients:

4 drops cinnamon essential oil
4 drops fresh ginger essential oil
4 drops nutmeg essential oil
3 drops clove bud essential oil
1 drop cardamom essential oil

Rose Blossom Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Ingredients:

6 drops rose absolute
4 drops Peru balsam essential oil
2 drop frankincense essential oil
2 drop sandalwood essential oil

Tropical Fruit Essential Oil Perfume Recipe

Ingredients:

4 drops mandarin essential oil
4 drops ylang ylang essential oil
2 drop fresh ginger essential oil
2 drop pink pepper essential oil

Lovely Lavender Essential Oil Roll on Perfume Recipe

Ingredients:

4 drops amyris essential oil
4 drops lavender essential oil
2 drop peppermint essential oil
2 drop juniper essential oil

Where to buy essential oil perfumes.

As with even commercial synthetic fragrance blends, perfumes comes with a cost. And investing in the essential oils to make your own can get expensive fast unless you’re slowing growing your collection over time. If you’re not ready to dive into a huge investment, you can buy a wide array of essential oil artisan perfumes to fit your unique tastes. Following are some of my favorite essential oil perfumes from artisan perfumers.

The collection of essential oil perfumes from Two Bird Perch are perfect for anyone moving toward living a natural green lifestyle. I’m currently crushing on their “Quirky” essential oil roll on perfume. A natural blend of patchouli, bergamot and sweet orange, this blend can enhance mood, alleviate stress and promote happiness. You can discover this light, uplifting and unique scent for yourself by visiting their Etsy shop here.

Or try one of fifteen unique, natural fragrance blends from LVNEA. Their best selling natural perfume sampler is an affordable way to explore a wide array of natural scents. You may also be interested in the perfume sampler set from Barefoot Apothecary. For even more essential oil perfume options, visit my collection of favorite, natural artisan perfumeries and fragrances here.

For more natural bath and beauty recipes, follow Soap Deli News on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, diy, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, fragrance, natural alternative, perfume, perfume fixatives, perfume making, perfume oil, perfume recipe, perfumery, scent

Natural Skin Care Recipes for Bath & Beauty

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

March 21, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 28 Comments

Learn how to make your own non-toxic natural skin care recipes for everyday beauty! Three simple recipes for crafting a homemade coffee scrub, lip balm and foot soak. All with natural ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. Plus discover more homemade beauty recipes in the book, Spa Apothecary: Natural Bath & Beauty Recipes, by Stasie McArthur.

Making Natural Skin Care Recipes

I started making my own bath and body products not long after graduating from college. It started with a simple brown sugar scrub, much like the original they sold at Bath & Body Works at the mall. Melt and pour soaps soon followed. I made a lot of mistakes when starting out. Even on simple projects like melt and pour soap.

I once added too much cocoa butter to a soap base resulting in zero lather. I added dried lavender buds to another. They quickly turned brown and looked a lot like mouse poop. And while the internet is filled with a plethora of natural skin care recipes, access to reliable recipes and projects wasn’t quite the same as it is today.

I’ve found that doing your research for skin care or soap making projects beforehand can really make a difference. It saves you not just time, but money as well. After all, no one wants to make something just to have to chuck it in the waste bin.

Spa Apothecary: Natural Bath & Beauty Recipes

I’ve never really been one of those people that can afford a regular trip to the spa. So making my own spa worthy skin care products is the perfect substitute. Not only do I enjoy a quality spa experience at home, but I’m always learning something new.

If you’re ready to start your own beauty adventure, then be sure to check out Spa Apothecary: Natural Bath & Beauty Recipes. A natural skin care recipes book by Stasie McArthur, this book is the perfect introduction to making natural skin care products at home.

You can find most, if not all, of the ingredients you need for Stasie’s natural skin care recipes at your local grocery store or co-op. So you don’t have to fool with investing a lot of money in specialty ingredients you can only find online. Her recipes also make it easy to avoid costly beginner mistakes. You’ll discover not only how simple and affordable it is to unwind at home, but you’ll also learn a new craft. All without an expensive trip to the spa.

Ready to make your own natural skin care products but aren’t sure where to start? Then this book is perfect for you! Inside you’ll find a variety of natural skin care recipes to make at home in addition to helpful tips and information about the ingredients used. Plus, you’ll also discover little quips about the author’s life and friends along the way.

Natural Skin Care Recipes for Bath & Beauty

Keep reading to discover three natural skin care recipes from the book, Spa Apothecary. Then be sure to purchase a copy of Spa Apothecary to learn how you can make the switch to a healthy natural skin care routine!

Energizing Coffee Body Scrub Recipe

Yields 4 to 6 uses.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh ground coffee
1/2 cup sugar (raw, brown or white)
3/4 cup carrier oil (almond, coconut, jojoba or olive oil)
3 to 4 vitamin E softgels

Directions:

Combine the coffee, sugar and carrier oil in a large glass mixing bowl. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Next, puncture the vitamin E softgels (just like the supplements you take to support healthy hair and skin!) and mix into the coffee scrub.

Spoon the coffee scrub into a mason jar or similar container for storage.

To use simply massage onto damp skin, then rinse off.

Natural Lip Balm Recipe

Yields approximately 30 uses.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. organic shea butter
1 Tbsp. sweet almond oil
1/2 Tbsp. natural beeswax pellets
1/2 tsp. raw or manuka honey
1 tsp. organic pineapple extract for flavoring (optional)

Directions:

You’ll use the double boiler method to make this natural lip balm recipe. To do this, fill a pan with about two inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.

Now mix together the shea butter, sweet almond oil, beeswax pellets and honey in a small glass jar. Gently place the jar into the pan of water, gently stirring the ingredients as they melt.

Once melted, mix again to ensure all ingredients are evenly combined. Then remove from heat and stir in the flavoring.

Finally, pour the lip balm into large lip balm pots such as metal tins or low profile jars. Once your lip balm has cooled and is fully solidify, it’s ready to be used.

Homemade Foot Soak Recipe

Yields a single use.

Ingredients:

1 cup Epsom salt
1/4 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
1/4 cup raw honey
Juice from 1 lime
Lime pieces

Directions:

Add the Epsom salt, baking soda and water to a foot basin.

Then stir in the honey, lime juice and lime pieces.

Soak your feet in the bath soak for 20-30 minutes, then remove and pat dry.

Discover More Natural Skin Care Recipes

Ready to get your feet wet and start making your own natural skin care recipes? Then check out Stasie McArthur’s book, Spa Apothecary: Natural Bath & Beauty Recipes, to get started today!

For more natural skin care recipes and project ideas, you can follow Soap Deli News on Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, bath tutorial, beauty book, body scrub recipe, book review, coffee body scrub, diy, easy, foot soak, health and wellness, how to make lip balm, lip balm recipe, natural beauty, natural skin care

How to Make Hand Milled Soap (With A Charcoal & Anise Soap Recipe from Amanda Gail Aaron)

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

March 4, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 51 Comments

Making hand milled soap is an easy way to learn how to make soap for beginners. Keep reading to learn how to make hand milled soap with an easy charcoal & anise soap recipe from Amanda Gail Aaron’s new book, The Complete Guide to Natural Soap Making.

New Natural Soap Making Book

Is soap making a new hobby you’ve been wanting to explore? Have you made soap before but want to learn other soap making techniques? Learn a variety of soap making methods and explore easy to follow soap recipes and tutorials in Amanda Gail’s new book, The Complete Guide to Natural Soap Making.

As we discover in Amanda Gail’s new book, there are many different ways to make soap. New and beginning soapmakers will learn how to craft natural homemade soaps using five different soap making techniques. These natural soap making methods include:

Hand Milled Soap Making
Melt and Pour Soap Making
Liquid Soap Making
Hot Process Soap Making
Cold Process Soap Making

In addition to comprehensive, easy to follow soap making tutorials, Amanda’s book also contains numerous natural soap recipes. Each of these recipes enable you to explore all of the soap making methods mentioned, then further build on that knowledge. In addition, you’ll also gain insight on essential soap making equipment and ingredients you need to get started. The book also contains insider soap design tricks and soap making techniques that will further guarantee your success.

Regardless of your preferred soap making method, you’ll find that soap making quickly becomes an addictive hobby. Therefore it won’t be long until you’re not only supplying natural soaps for your family, but for friends and coworkers too! You’ll also begin to build the foundation for achieving not just your soap making goals, but for starting a business to sell your natural soaps.

What Is Hand Milled Soap?

Two of the easiest ways for beginners to get started in soap making are through melt and pour soap making and hand milled soap making. While most of you are likely familiar with making melt and pour soap using a glycerin soap base, you may be less familiar with how to make hand milled soap.

If you’re looking for an easy (and affordable) way to learn how to make soap for beginners, then I highly recommend you learn how to make hand milled soap. You’ll find, that if you’re already a fan of handmade soaps, making hand milled soap is a great way to use up leftover soap slivers. It also allows you to customize your natural soaps with ingredients that offer additional benefits for your skin type.

Hand milled soaps are created by rebatching unscented (or leftover) soaps on the stovetop or in an oven. This is done to add scent and color, conditioning skin care ingredients or to salvage a botched cold process soap batch. Typically one makes hand milled soap by grating an existing soap bar, then mixing it will milk or water. Once the soap melts, other ingredients can be added to customize the fragrance, color or other properties of the soap.

Hand milling soap is an easy way to learn how to make custom natural soaps. The process is easier than making soap completely from scratch in which you combine lye and soap making fats. It’s also a safer process for anyone who has pets or small children in the home.

How to Make Hand Milled Soap

I hope that you’re as excited as I was the first time I learned how to make hand milled soap. Amanda was gracious enough to share her charcoal & anise hand milled soap recipe from her new book, which you can find below.

Anise & Charcoal Natural Soap Recipe

This stark black hand milled soap is naturally scented with anise, peppermint and lavender essential oils. Formulated with an easy to use hand milled soap base, this homemade soap recipe also contains activated charcoal. The addition of charcoal makes this hand milled soap perfect for acne prone skin, as charcoal works to draw out impurities, oils and toxins from skin.

Following is Amanda’s recipe for charcoal & anise soap (from her book) along with her instructions on how to make hand milled soap. This recipe yields four hand milled soap bars, each weighing approximately 113 grams. It can be made from start to completion in about an hour. You can use pre-bought soap shreds for this recipe. Alternately, you can also grate your own soap from bars of unscented cold or hot process soap.

Equipment Needed:

Digital scale
Glass container
1 (16-ounce) heatproof glass measuring cup
Silicone spatulas
Measuring spoons
Oval silicone mold (with at least 4 cavities)

Ingredients:

450 grams unscented and uncolored soap shreds
1/2 tablespoon charcoal powder
1 tablespoon dried rose petals
4 grams lavender essential oil
4 grams anise essential oil
2 grams peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

Start by prepping the essential oils for this soap. Do this by weighing out each of the three essential oils called for in the recipe. Then blend together in glass container and set aside.

Now wet the soap shreds.

Heat the moistened soap shreds until they become translucent and resemble mashed potatoes.

Once melted, remove the soap from heat.

Working quickly add the prepared essential oil fragrance blend. Then mix in the essential oils and the charcoal powder until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Now divide the rose petals among each mold cavity.

Quickly spoon the the soap into each mold cavity, covering the rose petals. Then use a spatula to smooth the soap down.

Once the soap has hardened, remove it from the mold.

Allow the finished hand milled soap bars to cure for two weeks prior to use.

To use, massage onto wet facial skin. Allow the soap to sit on your face, as you would a mask, for about one minute. Then rinse off and pat dry.

Get Your Soap Making Book

You can purchase The Complete Guide to Natural Soap Making to try all of Amanda’s recipes here!

To discover more natural soap recipes, sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter! You can also follow me on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: activated charcoal, anti-acne, bath and body, book, book review, crafts, diy, easy, essential oils, face care, facial soap, hand milled soap, hand milled soap recipe, hand milled soapmaking, natural soap, rose, soap tutorial, soapmaking, soapmaking books

DIY Glitter Galaxy Unicorn Soap

I may receive compensation from links on this site. See my disclosure policy.

February 20, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

We can all use a little more magic in our lives. Bring some of that magic into your shower with this DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap. Made with a ridiculous amount of eco-glitter, this unicorn soap recipe offers a fun spin on galaxy soaps. And, because it’s made using melt and pour soap base, anyone can tackle this project as a fun weekend DIY.

Sometimes you don’t FEEL like a unicorn.

It’s easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of emotional turmoil, that we are all magical creatures. Since sneaking into my forties, my life has been wrought with its fair share of chaos. Not only is this (middle?) age thing a tough pill to swallow, it’s also brought with it an array of unexpected side effects. Wrinkles, thinning skin, weight gain – and this crazy thing called perimenopause.

I don’t remember my mom ever going through the change before the change. She had a hysterectomy (due to an abnormally heavy menstrual cycle) when I was in high school. So perimenopause – or even menopause – was not a subject that ever came up in those mother daughter talks. Recently I did garner a discussion with her on the topic. As it turned out, my mother started hormone therapy at some point surround her hysterectomy. “Because I was bitchy all the time. Don’t you remember?” “I mean, no? You’re my mother. It’s your job to be occasionally bitchy.”

Sadly, my mother’s need to always be pleasant and helpful resulted in FIFTEEN years of prescription hormone pills. (Made from horse urine, mind you.) That’s ten years longer than is recommended. Of course, her doctor assured her she’d be fine. She wasn’t.

My mother ended up with cervical cancer.

Luckily, surgery seemed to handle the unfortunate consequence of being over-prescribed hormones. Chemo, thankfully, was decided against due to the high probability of toxicity at her age. And later genetic testing put her at almost zero risk of developing other cancers later in life.

The sheer fact, however, that my mother took a prescription to tamper her mood – up to the point it gave her cancer – has stuck with me. Are we, as women, not supposed to be angry? Because there are days I am outraged over so many things. And when women are angry, men say we’re crazy. But we aren’t crazy. We’re coping with life while there’s a war raging inside us.

Recently I learned that it’s NORMAL for perimenopause to cause difficulty sleeping, irritability, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, irregular periods, mood swings, anxiety and depression. In addition, it can also cause RAGE. And for those of us who had severe PMS growing up, in addition to prior episodes of depression or other mental health problems, perimenopause rage is COMMON. And the science backs it up. (Source.)

When we, as women, transition into perimenopause, we also experience (unfamiliar) changes in estrogen. These estrogen changes then directly affect the serotonin levels in our brains. As I’m sure you’re aware, serotonin is a chemical in our brains that regulates mood. When it’s up, we feel happy and elated. Yet when it’s down, we are sad, irritable and depressed. As our estrogen fluctuates throughout this period known as perimenopause, it throws off our estrogen-serotonin balance. This in turn causes a decline in our emotions. So we feel sad. We cry for no reason. Or we’re just really really angry. (Source.)

So, yes. I’ve had quite a few days, especially when those days are coupled with chronic pain, where I feel like I’m going mad. Some days I feel like giving up. I cry over songs and television shows. Other days I’m just pissed at the whole world. (And yes, my ex-husband in particular.) Days that I forget, yes, I am still as magical as a unicorn, even if I don’t feel like it.

Making my glitter galaxy unicorn soap, then seeing it when I take my shower in the mornings, reminds me I am more than just how I feel in that single moment. And in the end, I’ll survive whatever comes my way. (And so will you!)

Glitter Galaxy Unicorn Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

13.5 oz. white melt and pour soap base
5.7 oz. clear melt and pour soap base
.2 oz. fragrance oil, of choice
purple mica or soap colorant, to suit
eco-friendly biodegradable cosmetic glitter, to suit

Materials & Tools:

Rainbows & Unicorns Silicone Unicorn Mold
Digital scale
Glass Pyrex measuring cups
Utensils, for stirring
Spray bottle with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol

Instructions:

I used the same awesome unicorn mold for my DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap as my super sparkly DIY unicorn air fresheners I made for Galentine’s Day. So if you already have this mold, you’re all set. Otherwise, you get this mold in two days via Amazon. Or you can simply adjust the recipe to fit inside an existing unicorn mold you already have. (Just fill one of the mold cavities with soap base, weigh once it’s hardened, then go from there.)

Begin by weighing out 13.5 oz. of white melt and pour soap base. Cut the base into chunks, then combine in a large glass Pyrex measuring cup. Heat in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each heating, until melted. Once melted, mix in your choice of skin safe purple soap colorant as recommended by the manufacturer. Then stir in .15 oz. fragrance oil. (I used this vanilla free Pomegranate Noir fragrance oil.)

Now pour the melted soap base into each of the six cavities of your unicorn mold. (Each cavity should be around 3/4th of the way full.) Then spritz the top of the soap with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to remove any air bubbles.

Set the mold aside and allow the soap to fully harden.

Once the base for your unicorn soap has set up, you’re ready to move on to the next step. Weigh out 5.7 oz. of clear melt and pour soap base. Cut into chunks, then combine in a glass Pyrex measuring cup. Heat the clear soap base in the same manner as the white soap base. Then, once melted, weigh out and stir in .05 oz. fragrance oil.

Now dust spritz the top of the soap in your mold with isopropyl alcohol. Dust with glitter as desired.

Spritz with alcohol once more, then gently pour about half of the clear melted soap base into the unicorn mold. Dust the soap with additional glitter, then pour the rest of soap base into the mold. Spray the top of the soap with alcohol to remove any air bubbles.

Next, use a utensil to lift the glitter up into the clear base as it cools to create a layering effect. While still fluid, spray the top of the unicorn soap once more with isopropyl alcohol. Then dust with a final layer of glitter.

Once the glitter galaxy unicorn soaps have solidified fully, remove the soaps from the mold.

Then wrap each unicorn soap tightly in foodservice film until ready to use.

More Unicorn Soap & Beauty Recipes

If you like my DIY glitter galaxy unicorn soap, then you may also like some of my other unicorn bath & beauty recipes.

For more homemade soap recipes, as well as natural beauty and skin recipes, be sure to sign up for my semi-weekly email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest, twitter, facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: bath and body, bath tutorial, crafts, diy, easy, glitter, melt and pour soap recipe, melt and pour soapmaking, perimenopause, soap tutorial, unicorn

How to Make Rainbow Bar Embeds for Hidden Rainbow Bath Bombs

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February 14, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 10 Comments

Have you ever wondered exactly how DIY-ers get their homemade bath bombs to explode with a rainbow of colors? Ready to take your homemade bath bombs to the next step? This tutorial walks you through the steps on how to make rainbow bar embeds for hidden rainbow bath bombs. So you’ll be able to create the colorful, show worthy bath bombs you love!

With the state of the current political climate here in Virginia – THREE scandals! How is that even possible? – I’ve turned to watching funny dog videos on the internet for comic relief. I also completely purged my friends list on facebook. A purge that seemed to be the best recourse, not just to escape unpleasant political events, but also to avoid the daily negativity, drama and downright mean comments people often leave. My friends list is now comprised of just ten people. Those who I am closest with and that mean the most to me.

What remained after the purge however was a surprise. Suddenly I’m now seeing all the pages of inspirational small businesses that I’d forgotten about. Along with a plethora of soapmaking groups that hadn’t shown up in my feed for a very long time. That purge was also how I discovered how to make rainbow embeds for hidden rainbow bath bombs.

This rainbow bar embed recipe (and photos) come courtesy of Clerissa Jakubowski. Not only was she gracious enough to share her recipe in one of the soapmaking groups I’m part of, she also gave me permission to share that same rainbow bar embed recipe with my readers. I won’t lie, her kindness made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And she helped remind me that there are still truly wonderful people in the world. People who actually want to help others without expecting anything in return. I hope you’ll show your thanks to Clerissa by giving her a follow on instagram. Or by supporting her future endeavors.

Rainbow Bar Embed Recipe (for Hidden Rainbow Bath Bombs)

Ingredients (for each color):

125 grams baking soda
125 grams citric acid
1.25 mL distilled water (measured with a graduated transfer pipette)
0.25grams EZ color
1.25 grams almond or coconut oil
1.25 grams cream of tartar
1.25 grams vegetable glycerin
1.25 grams SLSA, optional

Notes:

The SLSA has NOT been tested in this recipe yet. She was curious to see if it would result in a slower release with more foam. So if you try it before Clerissa has a chance, I’d love for you to share your results in the comments. Additionally all measurements are by weight, with the distilled water being the only exception.

Clerissa also recommends inviting friends over to help with the embeds for your hidden rainbow bath bombs. They can mix each color batch at the same time as one another to prevent premature drying. Alternately, you should wrap each color mixture for the rainbow bar embeds in plastic film wrap as they are made so they don’t dry out before going into the mold.

Instructions:

#1. Using a scale, weigh out the baking soda and cream of tartar. Sift the baking soda and cream of tartar into a bowl. Set aside.

#2. In a separate container, thoroughly mix the EZ color with water.

#3. Now combine the glycerin and the oil of your choice together in another container. Mix to combine, then add the oil and glycerin mixture to the EZ color. Mix well.

#4. Add the EZ color mixture to the container with the baking soda. Then mix thoroughly to bring the color out.

#5. Allow the baking soda and EZ color mixture to dry.

#6. Once the baking soda mixture has dried, weigh out the citric acid and add it to the baking soda. (You’ll want to wear a face mask or respirator for this step. Additionally, if you’d like to include SLSA in your recipe, you would also add the SLSA at the same time as the citric acid.)

#7. Now spritz the mixture twice with 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Mix thoroughly, then conduct a drop test. If the clump doesn’t hold together when dropped, then repeat the process until it does.

#8. Place the embed mixture for your hidden rainbow bath bombs.

How to Make Rainbow Bar Embeds

To create the rainbow bar embeds for your hidden rainbow bath bombs, you’ll need to make five batches of the above recipe – one for each color. Here’s how it’s done.

#1. Mix five color embeds (red, yellow, green, blue and purple) in separate bowls, using a different bowl for each color.

#2. Once the colors are ready to go into the mold, layer each color in order (red, yellow, green, blue and purple) in your mold on top of one another. (Neesa recommends using a silicone loaf mold.)

# 3. Allow the rainbow bar embeds for your hidden rainbow bath bombs to dry for 30 minutes.

#4. Very carefully unmold your rainbow bar embed. Then cut the bar into slices. Be careful not to squish the bars.

#5. Now cut the slices you just made in half. Then cut them in half again so you get four rainbow bar embeds per slice.

#6. Allow the rainbow bar embeds to dry overnight. At that time, they are ready to be incorporated into your hidden rainbow bath bomb recipes! To do this, simply place an embed inside of your bath bombs when you are packing them into the mold.

Homemade Bath Bomb Recipes

Following you’ll find a few homemade bath bomb recipes you make. Try one of your rainbow bar embeds inside to create fun hidden rainbow bath bombs!

Not quite ready to make your own hidden rainbow bath bombs? Shop from these handmade artisans instead.

For more homemade bath bomb recipes, as well as natural beauty and skin recipes, be sure to sign up for my semi-weekly email newsletter. You can also follow me on Pinterest, twitter, facebook and instagram.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: bath and body, bath bomb recipe, bath bombs, bath tutorial, crafts, diy, embeds, rainbow, unicorn bath bomb