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Natural Eczema Treatment for Real Relief from Eczema & Dry Skin

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January 21, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon

If you’ve ever suffered from eczema then you understand how awful it can be. Finding relief from over-the-counter topical eczema treatments, however, can be a challenge. Often times, I’ve found, these products make my eczema worse. This natural eczema treatment is different.

Formulated using only natural ingredients known for their ability to help relieve inflammation, itching and dryness, my natural eczema relief balm offers real relief for your eczema or dry skin – with or without essential oils.

The struggle to find a natural eczema treatment that works.

You may remember my anti-aging serum recipe I shared two weeks ago. The carrier oils used in that serum are also incorporated into my natural eczema treatment. So if you’re looking for more ways to use those ingredients, this natural eczema relief balm is the perfect recipe!

While I’ve been lucky and haven’t struggled with eczema since eliminating most dairy products from my diet, not all of us are able to escape our eczema through diet alone. In fact, my dear friend Cathy, recently had her eczema flare up so badly, she ended up with open wounds from scratching. And, like most of us, she went through an array of over-the-counter eczema treatment products. None of which actually offered any relief from her symptoms. A few of them, in fact, actually made her skin burn. While others made the itching worse.

As I had plans to meet up with Cathy for Wine & Art Wednesday, I quickly threw together a natural eczema remedy for her irritated skin. My natural eczema relief balm worked fabulously on Cathy’s eczema. While the anti-aging serum (sans the essential oils) I also created the same day, did wonders for the eczema on her face.

Crafting a natural eczema relief balm recipe.

Since making my natural eczema treatment for Cathy, I’ve revised my natural eczema relief balm recipe three more times. The recipe I’m presenting you with today, is the result of those changes. This natural eczema remedy has the consistency of a rich, creamy beauty balm. It fully absorbs into skin after about a minute or so. In addition to soothing itchy and inflamed skin, it also moisturizes and protects skin while still allowing skin to breathe.

I formulated my natural eczema treatment with essential oils. However, if fragrances or essential oils irritate your eczema, you can simply omit them from my natural eczema relief balm recipe. The remainder of my eczema repair balm is made up of other primarily plant based, natural ingredients with the exception of lanolin and beeswax. These ingredients include skin conditioning shea butter and murumuru butter as well as rosehip seed, moringa seed and borage carrier oils. 100% vitamin E oil is also added for its ability to promote healing.

About the ingredients in my natural eczema treatment.

Every ingredient used for my natural eczema relief balm was chosen with care for its ability to remedy eczema. Following are details on the skin care benefits of some of these ingredients.

Borage Oil

Borage oil is one of the key ingredients in my natural eczema relief balm much like my anti-aging serum. It offers a variety of natural skin care benefits especially for those who suffer from acne, eczema, skin reddening and rosacea. This natural oil is suitable for even the most sensitive skin and is a superior moisturizer. A common treatment for dry skin and cradle cap, borage oil helps fight skin inflammation and dryness to promote skin health. (Learn more about borage oil here.)

Moringa Seed Oil

A nutrient dense carrier oil, moringa seed oil is another prize ingredient for my natural eczema treatment. Like borage oil, it has anti-inflammatory properties when used in skin care. While naturally occurring antioxidants help promote cellular turnover for healthy looking skin. Its incredible moisturizing properties help to hydrate maturing skin as well as ease the symptoms of eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis. (Discover more ways moringa seed oil is commonly used here.)

Murumuru Butter

Murumuru butter, similar to the carrier oils used in my natural eczema treatment, is also rich in essential fatty acids. It also contain pro-vitamin A. This makes this natural butter a popular product in anti-aging skin care formulations. In addition to its moisturizing properties, murumuru butter promotes moisture retention making it an especially useful addition when used for dry skin and eczema remedies. (Learn how to make a murumuru sugar scrub recipe for eczema and dry skin here.)

Manuka Essential oil

Manuka essential oil, like manuka honey, comes from the leaves of the popular New Zealand plant by the same name. This essential oil is non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing, making it suitable for all skin types. This also means it won’t irritate eczema prone skin. Like the other ingredients in my natural eczema relief balm recipe, this essential oil is also anti-inflammatory. It is commonly used to offer relief for itchy skin and dandruff, rashes and common skin diseases. (Learn more about manuka essential oil, and how to make a natural manuka deodorant recipe, here.)

Now that you know a little more about the natural ingredients that went into my natural eczema treatment, let’s get started making it!

Natural Eczema Relief Balm Recipe

Ingredients:

3 oz. unrefined shea butter
1 oz. emulsifying wax
1.5 oz. murumuru butter
.75 oz. cosmetic beeswax
.5 oz. rosehip seed oil
.5 oz. borage oil
.5 oz. pharmaceutical grade lanolin
.25 oz. moringa seed oil
.05 oz. vitamin E oil
20 drops manuka essential oil
20 drops patchouli essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for this natural eczema treatment.

Begin by weighing out the shea butter, emulsifying wax, murumuru butter, lanolin and beeswax. Combine the ingredients in a double boiler and heat over medium low heat until all the ingredients have melted.

Turn off the heat. Then weigh out the rosehip seed oil, borage oil and moringa seed oil. Stir into the melted butters, waxes and lanolin. Now remove the ingredients from heat.

Add the vitamin E oil and essential oils. Stir to combine. Then pour into your containers of choice.

I used a combination of 2 oz. glass amber jars and 1 oz. white polypropylene thick wall plastic jars.

Allow your natural eczema relief balm to cool completely. Once it has solidified, screw the caps onto your containers.

Usage:

To use your natural eczema treatment, simply massage onto affected area as desired. Allow the balm to sink in. (This may take a minute or two.) Then reapply as needed throughout the day.

Wet wrap therapy for moderate to severe eczema.

For really bad eczema, I also recommend using this natural eczema relief balm in conjunction with wet wrap therapy. Wet wrap therapy is another natural eczema treatment for moderate to severe eczema.

Eczema wet wrap therapy creates a physical moist barrier for your skin. When used in conjunction with an eczema relief balm or cream, it helps the moisturizer penetrate skin more deeply. This natural eczema treatment can significantly improve your skin’s condition in as few as two days. Learn more about wet wrap therapy for your eczema, along with instructions, here.

More Natural Eczema Treatments

If you like my natural eczema relief balm recipe, then you may want to consider one of these other natural eczema treatments.

What’s your favorite natural eczema treatment? Share your success stories – or struggles with eczema – in the comments.

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Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: body balm recipe, borage oil, dry skin, dry skin balm, eczema, essential oils, healing balm recipe, home remedies, home remedy, lanolin, manuka essential oil, moringa oil, murumuru butter, natural remedy, natural skin care, rosehip seed oil, salve recipe, shea butter

Simple Plantain Salve Recipe in Natural Cocoa Mint

October 16, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

This simple plantain salve recipe is naturally scented with a lovely cocoa mint fragrance. Lovingly crafted with ingredients like roasted cocoa butter and plantain herbal oil, this natural herbal salve is a must for your herbal apothecary. Use this multi-functional, natural skin care product on eczema prone or dry skin, minor cuts and scratches or as a natural lip balm for seasonal winter skin care.

When I was a little girl I used to pick the leaves from weeds to make play salads for my parents. What I didn’t realize then was that those leaves I picked were actually edible! It wasn’t until many years later, long after I stopped making dirt pots and grass dolls, that I discovered that the weed I was so fond of, was actually an herb. That herb was plantain.

What is Plantain?

Plantain is a common broad-leaf herb commonly mistaken for a weed. This healthy, hardy plant can be found in backyards across North America and is nutritionally similar to dandelion leaves. Used medicinally by cultures around the world, plantain is a common herbal home remedy for both nutritional and topical skin care applications.

Nutritional Benefits of Plantain

Plantain leaves are best consumed while still young and tender. They have a nutty asparagus like taste that is delicious when pan fried or when added to salads. A naturally healthy herb, plantain leaves offer the following nutritional support (source):

Maintains healthy cholesterol levels
Can offer relief from irritable bowel syndrome
Calms irritation from constipation or diarrhea
Offers relief from hemorrhoids
Helps with indigestion and ulcers
Supports healthy kidneys and bladder function

You don’t have to eat plantain leaves to enjoy their nutritional benefits, however. You can also get herbal support through tinctures for cleansing & detox. Or enjoy a natural herbal tea made using organic dried plantain leaves.

Skin Care Benefits of Plantain

In addition to nutritional support, plantain leaves are also lovely when infused in a carrier oil for topical skin care applications. There are a number of natural skin care products that would benefit from the inclusion of plantain herbal oil. These products include after sun moisturizers, burn relief balms, creams or lotions for eczema or dry skin, and anti-itch salves for insect and spider bites.

Dr. Christopher’s Stings and Bites, for example, is a top selling plantain ointment. It’s crafted with natural herb constituents like plantain leaf, extra virgin olive oil and beeswax to reduce and relieve the pain, swelling and itching caused by insect stings and bites.

Due to plantain’s herbal skin care properties, it’s often used as a key ingredient for the following topical skin care applications to promote skin health:

Minor burns and sunburns
Minor cuts, scratches and lesions
Rashes and skin inflammation
Psoriasis and eczema
Dry or chapped skin or lips

To learn more about medicinal plants and herbs, be sure to check out the book, Making Plant Medicine, by Richo Chec.

Formulating An Herbal Plantain Salve Recipe

Mountain Rose Herbs has a new roasted cocoa butter available that I really wanted to try. So I was really pleased when it arrived at my doorstep last week. This stuff smells amazing. I love that it’s suited for both food and cosmetic use.

As it smells so wonderful, however, I really wanted to create a product that would highlight the natural scent of the roasted cocoa butter. I also knew I wanted something to create a natural skin care product that would be suitable for seasonal skin care and gift giving. Therefore, in the end, I opted for crafting a simple plantain salve recipe with a cocoa mint scent.

I love the simplicity of my natural plantain salve recipe. It’s formulated using just five simple ingredients – roasted cocoa butter, plantain herbal oil, beeswax, rosehip seed oil and peppermint essential oil. The cocoa mint scent, of course, is naturally derived from the inclusion of the organic peppermint essential oil and roasted cocoa butter.

Roasted Cocoa Butter

The roasted cocoa butter wafers from Mountain Rose Herbs aren’t deodorized. Therefore they retain their natural cocoa scent. Expeller pressed from the roasted seeds of the cocoa tree, these cocoa butter wafers are naturally rich in vitamin E. They can be combined with cocoa powder to make chocolate, but also make a nice addition to recipes for lip balms, body butters, homemade soaps and salves.

Plantain Herbal Oil

While plantain herbal oil is easy to make, you can also enjoy the convenience of buying pre-made plantain herbal oil. This is especially helpful if you’re wanting to make natural skin care products using plantain herbal oil right away. Or if plantain is out of season throughout the cold winter months.

I used plantain herbal oil from Mountain Rose Herbs for my simple plantain salve recipe. An emollient oil formulated using solar infused plantain olive oil and vitamin E, this herbal plantain oil is especially nourishing for dry hands and skin. Crafted with certified organic Plantago major leaves, this natural herbal oil is perfect for gardeners, wild harvesters, climbers – or anyone else who works with their hands frequently. I also like to use this herbal oil, as is, on my dog’s minor cuts and irritation for a simple and safe natural remedy for his skin.

Rosehip Seed Oil

As I have both maturing skin, as well as skin that tends to dry out more in the winter, I also used rosehip seed oil for my plantain salve recipe. While this may shorten the shelf life of your salve somewhat, I highly recommend this unique carrier oil for its essential fatty acids. Popular in natural anti-aging skin care recipes, rosehip seed oil offers marvelous hydration for dry skin and a quick absorption rate. It can also be used solo as a natural daily facial cleanser or hydrating oil.

Beeswax

A key ingredient in homemade salve recipes, beeswax gives this plantain salve recipe its thick, rich texture. It also acts as a natural skin protectant while still allowing skin to breathe. In addition to its skin protectant properties, beeswax is also a humectant (meaning it attracts water to hydrate skin) and helps to temporarily reduce and soothe itching.

The beeswax pastilles from Mountain Rose Herbs have a deep, golden color and aroma. Globally sourced from less-developed countries like South America and Africa, their beeswax helps sustain the local economy of these areas while using traditional (less-modern) processing techniques.

Peppermint Essential Oil

A sweet, candy-like scented peppermint, the organic peppermint oil from Mountain Rose Herbs helps bump my simple plantain salve recipe into peppermint patty like status. This naturally steam distilled, certified organic essential oil has a fresh, very minty, hot, herbaceous fragrance with a vegetative back note. Perfect for all types of recipes including cleaning sprays, perfumes, aroma mists and natural skin care, this is a truly aromatic essential oil.

Peppermint essential oils is commonly included in natural skincare recipes and homemade salves and balms for topical pain relief, its anti-itch properties and the cooling sensation. It also supports circulation and can calm acne inflammation.

Ready to learn how to make a plantain salve? You’ll find my simple and easy plantain salve recipe below.

Simple Plantain Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1 oz. roasted cocoa butter
1 oz. plantain herbal oil
1 oz. beeswax
.5 oz. rosehip seed oil
20 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for my plantain salve recipe. In addition you’ll also need a one or two cup heat safe glass measuring cup (such as Pyrex) and a utensil to stir your salve. I typically use a fork. You’ll also need containers for your plantain herbal salve. I used 1 oz. metal tins with rolled edge covers.

Once you’ve gathered the ingredients and supplies you’ll need, you’re ready to begin.

Start by weighing out the roasted cocoa butter wafers and beeswax. Combine in a heat safe glass container. Then heat either on the stove top using the double boiler method or in your microwave at 30% power until halfway melted.

Next, weigh out the rosehip seed oil and the plantain herbal oil. Add these ingredients to the same container as the cocoa butter and beeswax. Continue gently heating the ingredients until all of the ingredients for the plantain salve recipe have completely melted.

Once melted, remove the plantain salve mixture from heat and stir to combine. Then stir in 20 drops of organic peppermint essential oils.

Now pour your plantain herbal salve evenly into five 1 oz. tins. Allow the salve to cool completely then pop on the lids and it’s ready to go.

To use, simply apply to affected area as desired and massage in. You can also keep my plantain salve tucked inside your purse to use a natural cocoa mint lip balm throughout the year.

If desired, you can decorate the lids of your tins. I used nature stickers from Art By Sharell to decorate the lids of my plantain salve containers. However, washi tape also makes a fun addition and makes a simple, yet pretty package decorating idea.

Should you wish to sell the products you make from my plantain salve recipe, there is important information that you need to know if you live in the United States. Not only do you need to follow all FDA guidelines for labeling your products, you’ll also need to refrain from making any medical claims in regards to said product. It can all be very confusing. However, Marie Gale has a great book, titled Soap and Cosmetic Labeling, that can help steer you in the right direction.

More Ways to Use Plantain Herbal Oil

If you love my simple plantain salve recipe as much as I do, then I encourage you to give these other natural skin care recipes a try. Each one is made using plantain herbal oil for nourishing natural skin care that you can make and gift.

For more great natural skin care and herbal salve recipes, as well as updates from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me across all of your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’ and Instagram. Alternately, you can also subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

This article is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment or medical advice and is provided for informational purposes only. Information on products mentioned are based on my own personal experience and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Please consult a physician prior to making any changes that may impact your health.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Holiday DIY, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: balm, beauty balm, body balm recipe, clean, cocoa butter, dry skin balm, dry skin recipe, eczema, essential oils, gift idea, healing balm recipe, healing salve, herbal oil infusion, herbal salve recipe, holiday gift, lip balm recipe, natural alternative, natural remedy, natural skin care, plantain, rosehip seed oil, salve recipe, stocking stuffers

Best Natural Sugar Scrub Recipe with Murumuru Butter for Dry, Maturing or Eczema Prone Skin

September 11, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

I love sugar scrubs. Not only do they exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and promote smooth, glowing skin, they’re also incredibly easy to make. A gentler alternative to sea salt scrubs, this best natural sugar scrub recipe with murumuru butter is formulated to moisturize dry, maturing and eczema prone skin.

Keeping It Natural with Essential Oils

Rather than use a fragrance oil for this sugar scrub recipe, I chose to scent mine with essential oils to keep this product entirely natural. With a variety essential oil blends on the market to choose from, including a fall inspired pumpkin spice essential oil blend, you can create, use and gift this best natural sugar scrub recipe year round.

As I have fibromyalgia, my favorite essential oil blend to use in my natural sugar scrub recipe is Spark Naturals Amend +. This potent warming essential oil blend is the perfect choice for athletes or for anyone suffering from acute muscle or joint pain. Formulated using a blend of Birch, Rosemary, Marjoram, Frankincense, Black Pepper, Peppermint, Basil, Cedarwood, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Roman Chamomile, and Sandalwood, this natural proprietary essential oil blend supports muscle and joint pain relief.

Natural Ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest

I’ve also been experimenting a lot lately with natural products and exotic ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon forest. Therefore, I chose to incorporate one such ingredient into this natural sugar scrub recipe. And for good reason. The quality and skin care benefits of these sustainably source ingredients has just been amazing. So, as it was when I first fell into soapmaking, I have become addicted to these new found beauty butters and carrier oils.

For this particular natural sugar scrub recipe, I chose to use murumuru butter.

What Is Murumuru Butter?

Murumuru is a funny little word. It’s also a very hairy tree! The Astrocaryum murumuru tree is a palm tree native to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. One of the most dominant trees in the region, the murumuru tree yields nutritious edible fruits essential to the local food economy. In addition, the seeds and the wood from these trees also play an important economic role. Hammocks are constructed from the fibers of the murumuru tree, while the seed pods are used to make naturally colored black rings. The seeds themselves yield highly emollient and moisturizing murumuru butter which is commonly used to soften and protect hair.

Mumumuru butter is naturally glossy. It’s also film-forming. This gives this butter the ability to protect both skin and hair in a similar way as silicone. It is rich in lauric, myristic, and oleic acids, which makes murumuru butter less prone to rancidity. While this butter not only nourishes and strengthens hair, it also helps to maintain curls. As murumuru butter won’t clog pores, it’s also wonderful option for dry skin. Due to its amazing beauty benefits, murumuru butter is commonly found in commercial creams, lipsticks, soaps and deodorants at a usage rate of up to 8%.

Natural Sugar Scrub Recipe with Murumuru Butter

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. unrefined murumuru butter
1.5 oz. organic virgin coconut oil
.5 oz. emulsifying wax
10 oz. white granulated sugar
2 mL essential oil or essential oil blend, of choice

Instructions:

You’ll need a digital scale to weigh out the ingredients for this natural sugar scrub recipe. Begin by weighing out the murumuru butter, virgin coconut oil and emulsifying wax. Combine the ingredients in a double boiler, then gently heat until melted. Stir to combine. Then remove from heat.

(If you are allergic to coconut oil, or prefer not to use coconut oil for your own personal reasons, you may substitute it with another carrier oil of your choice. To learn more about the properties and benefits of carrier oils in skin care, I recommend the book, Carrier Oils: A Beginner’s Guide to Using Over 40 Carrier Oils in Bath and Beauty Recipes, by Cari Dunn.)

While the murumuru butter, coconut oil and emulsifying wax are melting, weigh out the granulated sugar. Set aside.

Allow the melted butter, oil and wax mixture to cool slightly. Then using a graduated transfer pipette, add 2 mL of your preferred essential oil, or essential oil blend, to the liquid ingredients. (Keep reading for easy essential oil blend recipes to try!) Stir well to combine.

Now combine the liquid ingredients for this natural sugar scrub recipe with the dry sugar. Using a fork, mix the wet and dry ingredients together until all of the sugar is evenly coated. Then spoon the sugar scrub evenly into thick walled PET amber jars of your choice. (I sourced my jars from SKS Bottle & Packaging here.) This natural sugar scrub recipe with murumuru butter yields enough product to fill the equivalent of three 4 oz. jars.

Easy Seasonal Essential Oil Blend Recipes

For fall I love this natural pumpkin essential oil blend. Or, if you prefer to create your own pumpkin spice essential oil blend, simply combine 2 parts cinnamon essential oil, 2 parts ginger essential oil, 2 parts nutmeg essential oil, 1.5 parts clove essential oil and .5 parts cardamom essential oil.

In the winter, I enjoy using straight peppermint essential oil. However you can also blend equal parts spearmint and peppermint essential oils for a refreshing winter mint blend.

Or, easy essential oil blends for spring or summer include equal parts lavender and peppermint, equal parts lavender and lemon essential oils or equal parts lemongrass and peppermint essential oils. I also really love blending equal parts of lemongrass and basil essential oils as well as equal parts patchouli and peppermint.

If you’re new to essential oils, an easy way to get started is with the book, Essential Oils Natural Remedies: The Complete A-Z Reference of Essential Oils for Health and Healing. Or try the book, Aromatherapy for Beginners: The Complete Guide to Getting Started with Essential Oils, for over 150 essential oil recipe ideas and blends.

If you prefer a fragrance oil over using essential oils, the pomegranate noir fragrance oil from Paris Fragrances is a great scent choice as it complements the natural fragrance of the unrefined virgin coconut oil. Simply use up to .15 oz. of this fragrance oil by weight in lieu of the 2 mL of essential oil called for in my natural sugar scrub recipe.

More Fabulous Natural Skin Care Recipes

If you enjoyed my natural sugar scrub recipe with murumuru butter, then be sure to check out these other natural skin care recipes that use exotic butters as key ingredients.

Shop for Natural Skin Care Products

If you’re interested in purchasing handmade skin care products online, be sure to shop from my curated collections of natural makeup, beauty and skin care as well as natural home remedies on Etsy.

I’m particularly impressed with the new Amazon Rainforest Collection of natural skin care products from Angelina’s Naturals. Her Everything Salve for Hives & Bug Bites is carefully crafted with a combination of bacuri and ucuuba butters along with a several other prized butters and carrier oils.

I also like this handmade, natural leave-in murumuru hair conditioner from Naturista Skin Care.

If you’d like to receive notification of new articles from Soap Deli News blog, be sure to follow me across all of your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on G+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’ and Instagram. Or, alternately, you can also subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: bacuri butter, bath and beauty, bath and body, body scrub recipe, eczema, gift idea, moisturizing, murumuru butter, natural alternative, natural skin care, sugar scrub, sugar scrub recipe

Aloe Vera Soap Recipe with Neem Oil

February 15, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

If you commonly turn to aloe vera to soothe and moisturize your skin, then add this soap recipe to your weekend to do list now! Formulated using natural ingredients, my cold process aloe vera soap recipe uses aloe vera gel in place of water for its natural skin care benefits.

If you read my recipe for making aloe vera bath melts, then you’ll recall that in Ayurvedic medicine aloe vera is used to tackle skin issues like eczema and psoriasis. Additionally, in part due to its anti-inflammatory properties, aloe vera also helps to promote healing, moisturize and soothe dry skin and can even aid in the prevention of acne.

Like aloe, neem oil, is also prized for its anti-inflammatory properties. When used in natural skin care products, neem oil addresses skin conditions such as eczema, acne, ringworm, cold sores, psoriasis, warts, infected burn wounds and slow-healing skin ulcers. It has also been shown to help control various skin infections.

While the natural nutty garlic like scent of neem oil is not typically one someone might enjoy, the amount of neem oil used in my aloe vera soap recipe is easily masked with the inclusion of either an essential oil or a fragrance oil in the recipe.

Aloe Vera Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

.8 oz. castor oil (5%)
4 oz. refined coconut oil (25%)
1.6 oz. neem oil (10%)
4.8 oz. pomace olive oil (30%)
3.2 oz. safflower oil (20%)
1.6 oz. (fractionated) shea nut oil (10%)

5.25 oz. aloe vera gel
2.2 oz. sodium hydroxide/lye

.5 oz. essential oil (or 1 oz. fragrance oil) of choice
1 teaspoon apple moss green mica, optional

Soap Notes:

Safety first! Before you begin make sure to take all necessary safety precautions when working with lye. This includes wearing eye protection and gloves. Additionally, you should use only heat safe containers. None of your containers or your utensils should be aluminum.

My aloe vera soap recipe is made using the cold process soapmaking method. If you’ve never made cold process soap, you can learn how it’s made via my cold process soapmaking tutorial. If you’ve never made cold process soap or worked with lye, I don’t recommend my aloe vera soap recipe as your first recipe. Instead, start with a beginner’s soap recipe like this one.

I specifically used this apple moss green mica powder from Brambleberry in my aloe vera soap recipe. However, you can use any cold process soap stable mica powder of your choice based on the color you’d like you soap to be. For the scent, I used a rose quartz fragrance oil also from Brambleberry, which does cause some acceleration in cold process soap.

I superfatted the oils in my aloe vera soap recipe at 6%. The additional fat from the aloe vera gel is not included in that total. This recipe yields six hard, skin conditioning aloe vera soap bars when using this rectangle silicone mold.

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the aloe vera gel into a heat safe container. (I recommend starting with chilled aloe vera gel.) Then, in a separate container, weigh out the lye. Pour the lye into the aloe vera gel and mix well. Keep mixing until all of the lye has dissolved, then set aside to cool.

Next, weigh out the soapmaking oils and combine in a stainless steel pot or heat safe container. Heat on the stove top or at reduced power in a microwave or crock pot until melted. Remove from heat, then set aside to cool. When both the aloe-lye mixture and the soapmaking oils have cooled to around 90°-95°F, you’re ready to make soap!

If you are using mica powder to color your soap, measure out the mica powder and mix into the cooled oils using an immersion blender. Then weigh the essential or fragrance oil and stir into the oils as well. (As the fragrance oil I used accelerates trace, I chose to add the fragrance oil prior to adding the aloe-lye mixture. However, you can add your chosen fragrance or essential oil at light trace if desired.)

Now pour the aloe-lye into the soapmaking oils and mix with an immersion blender until you reach trace.

Once your soap has traced, pour the soap batter into the cavities of your silicone mold. Cover the mold with plastic cling wrap if desired, then set aside in a safe location where it won’t be disturbed.

Your aloe vera soap bars should be ready to unmold the next day. If not, give them another day before unmolding.

Once you’ve unmolded your soap bars, set them aside in a dry location for a minimum of four weeks to cure. Then wrap and label as desired for personal use of gifting.

More Natural Skin Care Recipes

If you love my aloe vera soap recipe then you may also enjoy these other natural skin care and homemade soap recipes.

Or discover more recipes for natural skin care products and homemade soaps by following my boards on Pinterest.

Want to Sell Your Homemade Products?

If you’d like to sell any of the homemade products you make from my natural skin care and soap recipes, you’ll need to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) when making your products. You’ll find that the book, Good Manufacturing Practices for Soap and Cosmetic Handcrafters by Marie Gale, is a valuable resource if you’re just getting started making your own homemade soaps, skin care products and cosmetics.

In addition to GMP, you’ll also need to follow FDA guidelines for labeling your products. If you’re unsure about the rules and regulations regarding labeling cosmetics, the book, Soap and Cosmetic Labeling: How to Follow the Rules and Regs Explained in Plain English by Marie Gale, spells out everything you need to know to legally label your handcrafted products.

Naturally Clean Your Home Not Just Your Skin

Hunting for more affordable, convenient and natural ways to clean your home? Check out Grove Collaborative! I recently became a Grove Collaborative member and have been super impressed with not just their natural products selections and prices, but their A+ service and shipping times as well. And I love how the products they sell help to make it easier for families to make the switch to healthy, non-toxic home and personal care products.

Don’t Miss A Single Post!

Be sure to follow me across all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram as well as subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Also, don’t forget. If you make homemade soaps or bath & body products I’d love to see them! Simply add the hashtag #soapdelishowoff to your instagram posts!

Filed Under: Soapmaking Tagged With: aloe vera, bath and body, cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, eczema, natural, natural soap, neem oil, palm free soap, skin care, soap tutorial, soapmaking, sunburn

Aloe Vera Bath Melts Recipe with Epsom Salt for Problem Skin

November 12, 2017 By Rebecca D. Dillon

If you suffer from dry or problem skin that’s easily irritated by commercial solutions, this aloe vera bath melts recipe is a great natural alternative! Not only are these DIY bath melts quick and easy to make, but they’re also a great homemade gift idea for friends and family.

Aloe vera, a versatile plant hailed as a magical skin saver, has a long history of use in skin care products. It has the ability to promote healing, soothe and moisturize dry skin, fight dandruff and even promote hair growth.

In Ayurvedic medicine aloe vera is also used to tackle skin issues like eczema and psoriasis. And, because aloe vera also possesses anti-inflammatory, astringent, antibacterial and antiseptic properties, it’s equally great at fighting and preventing acne.

Love the idea of using aloe vera in your skin care products but don’t like baths? You can also use these aloe vera bath melts as solid salt scrub cubes. Simply massage a cube onto damp skin in the shower and enjoy the benefits of the aloe in addition to exfoliation from the salts! Check out my recipe below to get started.

Aloe Vera Bath Melts Recipe

Ingredients:

4 oz. cocoa butter
2 oz. safflower oil
2 oz. Epsom salt
10.5 oz. fine sea salt
1.25 oz. aloe vera leaf powder
.25 oz. polysorbate 80 (optional)
.15 oz. fragrance oil (of choice, optional)
1 teaspoon majestic green mica (optional)
1/4 teaspoon gold mica (optional)
cornflowers, to suit

Instructions:

I’ve included the option for using colorants in these aloe vera bath melts for those of you who love colored bathwater. It’s a great option if you love bath bombs but bath bombs don’t exactly love you.

For all natural aloe vera bath melts, simply omit the optional ingredients. This recipe yields fourteen bath melts when you use the mold indicated for this project.

Begin by using a digital scale to weigh out the cocoa butter and safflower oil. Combine in a large glass Pyrex measuring cup or glass bowl then heat at 30% power in the microwave until the cocoa butter has melted. (Alternately you can also use a double boiler.)

Remove from heat then weigh out and stir in the safflower oil, polysorbate 80 and fragrance oil. (You can also use an essential oil of your choice at half the amount or omit the fragrance entirely.)

In a separate container, weigh out the combine the Epsom salt, fine sea salt and aloe vera leaf powder. Then, if desired, use a measuring spoon to measure out and add the mica. Mix well with a fork until all the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Then place the container with your aloe vera bath melts mixture in the refrigerator. Once the mixture starts to thicken and the salt stays suspended when stirred, remove from the refrigerator.

Now place a small amount of cornflowers into fourteen of the fifteen cavities of mini BPA silicone ice cube mold.

Next, pour the bath melts mixture into the mold cavities with the cornflowers. Then place the mold inside your refrigerator until your aloe vera bath melts harden.

Once your bath melts have solidified remove them from the mold and package as desired. To use simply add to warm, running bath water and enjoy!

I used packaging from SKS Bottle & Packaging. Pictured are their Amber PET Heavy Wall 8 oz. Plastic Jar and 16 oz. Clear Glass Mason Jar with an Antique Pewter Lid. (However the 25 oz. jar actually works better for this specific product as you can easily fit more bath melts inside.)

All that’s left is to decorate or label your container(s) as desired for personal use or gifting!

Wondering how else you can use cornflowers?

Cornflowers have a long history of use in herbal skin care. It’s natural pigment – flavonoids known as anthocyanins – possess antioxidant properties that are believed to promote healing. In addition cornflowers also contain biotin as well as possess antifungal, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Cornflowers’ toning and cooling properties make it especially beneficial when used in beauty applications to soothe tired, itchy or puffy eyes. It’s also used in cosmetic applications to firm both mature and crepey skin. As such, these properties make cornflowers especially suited for facial masks. (Learn more about cornflowers at Herb & Hedgerow.)

To create a cornflower anti-inflammatory mask infuse 2 Tablespoons of cornflowers in 3.5 oz. of boiling water. Strain, then allow the water to cool.

Next, combine 3 Tablespoons of cornflower infused water with 2 Tablespoons white kaolin (cosmetic) clay and 1 Tablespoon colloidal oatmeal. Mix well then apply even to a freshly washed face. Rinse off after ten minutes and pat dry.

If you like my aloe vera bath melts recipe, then you may also enjoy my recipes for making mini bundt cake solid salt scrubs, coffee & black tea under eye cream and an anti-aging night cream with rosehip seed oil and coconut water. Or check out my DIY Bath & Body Pinterest board for more great skin care recipes.

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Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Homemade Gift Ideas Tagged With: aloe vera, anti-acne, bath melts, bath tutorial, beauty, crafts, diy, dry skin, eczema, gift idea, moisturizer, skin care