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Aloe After Sun Lotion Bar Recipe for Natural Summer Skin Care

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May 15, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 3 Comments

This natural aloe after sun lotion bar recipe helps rescue sunburned skin. A vegan friendly moisturizer, this hard lotion bar is perfect for after sun summer skin care. Learn how to make your own easy aloe after sun lotion bars. Plus discover other natural sunburn remedies to try in a pinch.

Natural Summer Skin Care

I was badly sunburned at my son’s graduation not long ago. I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared. Although I did take a jean jacket with me in the expectation of cloudy skies, the weather turned out to be sunnier than expected. Of course, living in Southwestern VA, we go through all four seasons on a rotating basis, it seems, in both spring and fall. My shoulders bore the brunt of the burns, with my right shoulder – which was in direct sunlight – getting hit the worst.

Related: The Best Non-Toxic Sunscreens for Sunburn Prevention

After learning on the news some time back that many aloe vera gels actually have little to no aloe vera, I was at a loss as to what to buy. My regular go to for aloe is Mountain Rose Herbs. They sell genuine aloe vera gel with superior quality. Unfortunately, my sunburns needed love right away.

Luckily, my friend Cathy, has a giant aloe plant growing in her abode. So she gave me a giant stem of it to help relieve the pain. I also added a bit of lavender essential oil to the mix. Still, my right shoulder peeled two weeks later. Reminding me that I need to get my ass in gear and be better prepared the next go round.

What Are the Top Home Remedies for Sunburn Relief?

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is the most common home remedy for sunburn relief. I remember my mom plucking off an aloe leaf from the plant she grew whenever I got a sunburn growing up. Aloe gives skin an instant soothing sensation by reducing pain and skin inflammation. And, because it’s primarily water, it also helps to hydrate dry, sun damaged skin. (These benefits are also why I used aloe when formulating my aloe after sun lotion bar recipe!)

While most of us are familiar with using aloe vera for natural sunburn relief, it’s not the only home remedy that works. If you don’t have an aloe plant handy, you can try one of these other top sunburn relief remedies in a pinch.

Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Yes, this is the same stuff you use on your face to plump skin and hide fine lines and wrinkles. While it may not go the distance at relieving pain, it does a great job of hydrating skin. As a woman in my forties, I try to never go without a hyaluronic acid serum or cream. However, if this isn’t something you need or use on a regular basis, it’s easy to get sticker shock.

You can save money by making your own. This hyaluronic acid serum powder is competitively priced and allows you to make 50+ ounces of your own serum. Simply mix with cold water according to the package directions for a huge jar of your own homemade sunburn relief serum. You can even add a bit of aloe vera gel if desired!

Essential Oils

There are a number of essential oils that offer relief from the pain and inflammation of sunburns, with lavender essential oil being the most common. Gattefossé, who is known as the father of aromatherapy, first discovered the effects of lavender essential oil on burns when working in his lab. After badly burning his hand in the laboratory one day, he plunged his hand into the nearest liquid available to quench the pain. That liquid turned out to be lavender essential.

Gattefossé then recognized the natural skin care benefits of lavender oil after noticing how quickly his burn healed. This in turn started a fascination with essential oils that later gave him his namesake, the father of aromatherapy. As it happens, lavender essential oil possesses both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties help to hasten healing times by helping your body recover from burns faster.

Other beneficial essential oils for sunburns include peppermint, chamomile and eucalyptus. Peppermint essential oil has natural pain relieving and skin cooling properties that can offer instant sunburn relief when diluted in a lotion or carrier oil base. While chamomile has inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to hasten healing times and calm red irritated skin. Finally, like peppermint, eucalyptus essential oil also has a cooling effect on skin. This is, in addition to, its antibacterial, analgesic (pain killing) and anti-inflammatory skin care properties.

White or Apple Cider Vinegar

White vinegar is composed of acetic acid, a natural antiseptic. This will not only help prevent infection, it also helps relieve pain and inflammation. While the malic acid found in apple cider vinegar stimulates circulation to speed up the healing process. In addition, apple cider vinegar also helps skin maintain its pH levels which may help reduce peeling later on. Just be sure to dilute the vinegar in water first to avoid over drying skin.

Green or Black Tea

In addition to the naturally occurring antioxidants found in tea, tea also contains anti-inflammatory polyphenols that can help reduce swelling and inflammation. Therefore, tea is a great option for natural sunburn relief. Brew tea as you normally would, then refrigerate until it cools. Then simply soak a clean washcloth in cold tea, applying to the affected area for up to 15 minutes.

Baking Soda

Just like Mom used a baking soda paste for insect stings when you were little, you can also use a baking soda paste for sunburns. Like the tea, make a cold compress using baking soda and water. Then apply to sunburned skin for 15 minutes to help rebalance the PH of your skin.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is another wonderful home remedy for natural sunburn relief. Comprised of naturally occurring oils and tannins, witch hazel extract helps to reduce inflammation as well as draw skin tissue together to promote healing.

It’s not just a great option for a natural homemade toner, you can make an easy witch hazel after sun spray recipe as well. Simply add 12 drops each of lavender and peppermint essential oils to 2 oz. of witch hazel in a spray bottle. Then shake to combine.

Related: Uses for Witch Hazel Extract for Natural Skin Care

I recommend using a double distilled witch hazel with at least 83% witch hazel extract so there is no alcohol burn. Two brands to consider are Mountain Rose Herbs and T.N. Dickinson’s. Alternately, Thayers alcohol-free rose petal witch hazel with aloe vera also makes an inexpensive sunburn remedy that does double duty as a facial toner.

What Are the Benefits of Aloe Vera for Skin?

There are a number of reasons that aloe vera tops of the list for natural sunburn remedies. Aloe vera contains polysaccharides, a natural compound that encourages skin repair and the production of new cells, to promote healing. In addition, aloe also contains a natural analgesic, or pain reliever, called carboxypeptidase, that helps soothe the pain associated with sunburns. Further, compounds such as acemannan, help suppress inflammation. While aloe vera’s natural high water content, hydrates skin and locks in moisture.

Aloe After Sun Lotion for Summer Skin Care

With summer right around the corner, your chance of sunburns increase. Maybe you didn’t apply your sunscreen often enough or simply forgot and left it at home. When this happens, your skin needs extra love and attention – both to ease sunburn pain and moisturize skin. This natural aloe after sun lotion bar recipe helps rescue sunburned skin. A vegan friendly moisturizer, this solid hard lotion bar is made with aloe vera butter, calendula infused oil and a blend of essential oils that work in holistic harmony for the best after sun summer skin care.

Keep reading to learn how to make my homemade aloe after sun lotion bar recipe for your sunburns this summer. Infused with natural botanicals prized for their ability to promote healing, this natural aloe after sun lotion bar is the perfect choice for your summer skin care needs.

Aloe After Sun Lotion Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. carnauba wax
1.75 oz. aloe vera butter
1.5 oz. calendula infused oil (or dandelion infused oil)
.5 oz. raspberry seed oil
1 mL (about 20 drops) peppermint essential oil
2 mL (about 40 drops) lavender essential oil
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon mica pigment powder, or choice to suit

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the wax, aloe butter and carrier oils. Gently heat the ingredients in a double boiler, or using the double boiler method, until melted.

Remove the melted ingredients from heat.

Next, measure out each essential oils, using a graduated transfer pipette, and stir into the melted wax, butter and oils.

Now measure out the mica powder using a measuring spoon and stir into the melted ingredients for the aloe after sun lotion bars. (I used 1/4 teaspoon apple moss green mica for this project.)

Pour the lotion bars into your mold of choice.

I used the 4-cavity succulent mold from Brambleberry for two lotion bars weighing about 4.5 oz. each. However, you can use a similar silicone succulent mold of your choice. Alternately, you can also reuse empty single serving ice cream containers for round aloe after sun lotion bars.

Allow the aloe after sun lotion bars to cool and fully solidify at room temperature. (As carnauba wax is an extremely hard wax, I don’t recommend placing these in the refrigerator to call as it may cause your lotion bars to crack.)

Once they’ve solidified, carefully remove the lotion bars from the mold.

Finally, wrap your aloe after sun lotion bars in foodservice film. Or store them in large tins when not in use.

More Aloe After Sun Relief Remedies

If you’re looking for more ideas for natural sunburn relief, then be sure to check out these other aloe infused sunburn remedies.

Love these natural summer skin care recipes? Be sure to pin this post with my aloe after sun lotion bar recipe for later! Also be sure to check out this post with 12 natural recipes for summer skin care.

Discover more DIY soap making ideas you can craft for handmade gifts by following me across your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me on Pinterest, Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up for my semi-weekly newsletter to stay in the loop.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: aloe vera, crafts, diy, home remedies, home remedy, moisturizing, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural remedy, natural skin care, solid lotion bar, solid lotion recipe, summer, summer skin care, vegan

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

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September 11, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon 1 Comment

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

The Best & Only Body Butter Recipe You’ll Ever Need (Without Shea Butter OR Coconut Oil!)

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

August 8, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon 13 Comments

This natural bacuri body butter recipe is the best and only body butter recipe you’ll ever need! Formulated to moisturize and nourish dry and maturing skin, this non-greasy bacuri body butter recipe is crafted using three simple ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon forest. Each of these unrefined, cold pressed ingredients possess unique anti-aging skin care properties. So skin looks and feels younger with every use.

Let’s talk about aging.

I was looking at my hands the other day and I thought, OMG. I have crepey skin! I mean, I guess it was bound to happen at some point. No one has yet to figure out how to stop the aging process. (And if someone ever does, I’d like to go back ten years and push the hold button there.)

I’ll admit I’ve been freaking out about this aging thing. My thirties were fine. I’ve always looked younger than I really am anyway. However, my forties are a different story. And with everyone using filters on their facebook and instagram selfies, it feels like we’re supposed to look young regardless of how many years pass. It’s no wonder that being bombarded with these expectations of youth that we begin to feel insecure as we age.

My forties have been more challenging for me than any other decade. So if you’re rounding that bend, please know that you definitely are not alone. I feel like I’ve been spending an insane amount of money on beauty products to try to gain that filtered photo look. And I’m still wrangling with my own inner voice to age gracefully. Unfortunately, I still haven’t found a way to reconcile how I look with how I feel I should look.

I can’t be the only one determined to start a savings account to have my chin (waddle?) sucked out when I hit my mid-50s. Which, incidentally, is how you get those high, defined cheekbones as you age. It all just starts to slide downward and pool under you chin.

I don’t have the answers to boost my self-esteem or yours at the moment. However, I do think it’s important to address aging. Aging happens to everyone. Yet, I think we often feel alone in how we address our own aging process. We struggle with it inwardly instead of joking about it with our inner circle. We try to hide every wrinkle and erase every age spot instead of embracing the new beauty we are becoming. And we are beautiful.

We women, we create life. We bring joy, passion and heart to the world. We love deeply. We live with intent. So what if our tits hang past our bellies and our butts go flat. We are capable of creating magic.

Still, crepey skin straight up sucks. Magical or not. And as our hands seem to be the telltale sign of a woman’s true age, I of course made a recipe for that. Chuckle if you must; my BFF does. But this stuff is the absolute best and only body butter recipe you’ll ever need.

The best AND ONLY body butter recipe you’ll ever need.

The secret to this amazing bacuri body butter recipe lies somewhere deep within the heart of the Brazilian Amazon forest. Crafted using three simple ingredients found in Brazil, this natural bacuri body butter recipe is, by nature, a magical product for maturing skin.

Bacuri butter, tucuma butter and brazil nut oil come together in my bacuri body butter recipe to form a nourishing, non-greasy body butter. While I don’t have the answer to the mystery about how these plants came to have so many beneficial skin care properties, what I can say, is that these ingredients have the perfect properties to soothe, nourish and condition aging skin. So not only does skin look youthful, plump and healthy, it also feels that way.

About the ingredients in my bacuri body butter recipe.

What is bacuri butter?

Bacuri butter is the most magical of all beauty butters. A highly emollient and moisturizing butter, this product is derived from the seeds of the fruit that grow on the Bacuri tree. Found in Northern Brazil, where the bacuri fruit is harvested in the wild, this dark brown solid butter is extracted from the seeds through the cold-pressed processing method.

Bacuri butter is a semi-solid with a melting point similar to shea butter. Therefore it makes a suitable substitution for shea butter in any homemade body butter recipes. Unlike shea butter, however, bacuri butter offers more in the way of anti-aging skin care benefits.

Bacuri butter is suitable for all skin types, including oily and sensitive skin. It doesn’t feel greasy. Instead, bacuri butter leaves skin feeling velvety smooth upon application. When used in anti-aging skin care formulations, bacuri butter lends the finished product its firming, moisturizing, astringent and soothing skin care properties. Additionally, bacuri butter promotes cellular turnover vital for younger looking skin. It also helps to stabilize skin’s elastin and boost collagen production.

Because bacuri butter has a pleasant, moderately strong natural scent, I chose to leave my natural bacuri body butter recipe unscented. So the natural sweet and earthy scent of bacuri butter shines through. (Learn more about bacuri butter here.)

What is tucuma butter?

Another amazing product sourced from the Brazilian Amazon Forest is tucuma butter. The hard butter in my natural bacuri body butter recipe, tucuma butter comes from the seed of the native Tucuma palm tree. Similar in composition to another Brazilian butter called Murumuru Butter, this butter is also a great ingredient for anti-aging products due to its moisture binding properties and chemical makeup.

Tucuma butter has a natural gloss and is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that help to combat the free radicals that lead to aging. It’s also rich in essential fatty acids which not only promote cell regeneration, but also help to protect and moisturize dry and maturing skin.

What is brazil nut oil?

Known as para-nut, castania and chestnuts of Brazil, brazil nuts are native to South America and are found primarily in the Brazilian Amazon forest. As the name implies, brazil nut oil is sourced from Brazil nuts and is prized for its emollient and moisturizing skin care properties.

Commonly used in the cosmetic industry as a key ingredient in anti-aging products, brazil nut oil also has anti-free radical and antioxidant properties. It contains 75% unsaturated fatty acids in addition to vitamins A and E. Brazil nut oil is also considered one of the best natural conditioners for damaged and dehydrated hair. (If you are allergic to tree nuts I recommend substituting the brazil nut oil with passion fruit oil in my bacuri body butter recipe.)

Natural Bacuri Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. unrefined bacuri butter
1.5 oz. unrefined tucuma butter
.5 oz. unrefined brazil nut oil

Instructions:

You will need a digital scale to make my natural bacuri body butter recipe. (I like this one as its both durable and suitable for a variety of skin care recipes including homemade soaps.)

Begin by weighing out each of the three ingredients and combine in a double boiler. Heat until melted, then mix well to combine.

Pour the melted body butter into two 2.3 oz. glass jars (like these from SKS Bottle & Packaging.)

Allow the bacuri body butter cool completely, then screw on the lids. Label as desired for personal use or gifting.

(It is important to note that this butter will only stay solid in a temperature controlled environment of 75°F or less. For warmer temps, I recommend adding .25 oz. of either beeswax or emulsifying wax and experiment from there for the perfect solution.)

If you like my natural bacuri body butter recipe, then also be sure to try my bacuri butter body balm recipe!

You can buy unrefined fair trade and sustainable ingredients for my bacuri body butter recipe online from Paris Fragrances.

For skin care recipes similar to my natural bacuri butter body butter recipe, be sure to follow Soap Deli News on Pinterest, G+, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Alternately, you can also subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Lifestyle Tagged With: anti-aging, bacuri butter, bath and body, body butter recipe, diy, gift idea, moisturizer, moisturizing, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural skincare, non-greasy, skin health, women over 40

All Natural Makeup Setting Spray to Keep Makeup in Place This Summer

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

June 25, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

This all natural makeup setting spray isn’t just your average makeup setting spray. It’s also a multi-purpose product that doubles as a hydration spray for summer skin. As such, my all natural makeup setting spray is the perfect multi-tasker.

It not only keeps your makeup in place all summer long, it also hydrates and moisturizes parched, dry skin. Plus it’s perfect for soothing painful summer sunburns.

Keep reading to learn how to make your own all natural makeup setting spray. Plus download the free printable labels for your own finished product.

About the (Not So) Secret Ingredient in my All Natural Makeup Setting Spray

Formulated with just four simple, natural ingredients my all natural makeup spray contains a combination of organic witch hazel extract, aloe vera gel, organic vegetable glycerin and my (not so) secret ingredient – certified organic rose hydrosol from Mountain Rose Herbs. Mountain Rose Herbs organic rose hydrosol is expertly crafted by their own distiller from handpicked petals of Rosa damascena using water-steam distillation.

Suitable for a variety of cosmetic uses, this rose hydrosol spray is what also makes my all natural makeup setting spray an indulgent hydrating body spray! Additionally, you’ll find that rose hydrosol is also suitable for all skin types. This includes those with sensitive or mature skin.

Therefore you can use this product for more than just my all natural makeup setting spray. It can also be used as a luxurious addition to your own homemade face mask recipes. Or try it in your homemade toner recipes as well!

By combining the other natural ingredients in my all natural makeup setting spray with rose hydrosol rather than distilled water, you’re creating a multi-tasking natural beauty product that’s perfect for summer.

Get My All Natural Makeup Setting Spray Recipe

You’ll find that my all natural makeup setting spray not only keeps makeup in place despite the summer heat and humidity, it also soothes, revitalizes, hydrates and tones skin. So not only will you save money by making your own makeup setting spray, you’ll also be crafting a natural beauty product that cares for skin all summer long.

You can find the recipe for making my all natural makeup setting spray and learn how to make your own via my guest post at The Nourished Life blog. Once you’ve made this amazing summer inspired, natural beauty for yourself, be sure to come back to Soap Deli News for the free printable labels.

D ownload and print my natural makeup setting spray labels here.

For more great natural beauty recipes like this one, be sure to check out my other DIY bath and body recipes right here on Soap Deli News blog. You can also find more of my recipes at The Nourished Life blog here.

Alternately, I also share a wonderful collection of my own homemade soap recipes and bath and beauty DIY’s along with other great recipes from around on the web on my Pinterest boards. So be sure to follow my boards for more great beauty recipes and ideas for summer.

Discover More Natural Summer Beauty Recipes.

Discover more summer skin care recipes from Soap Deli News blog by following me on all of your favorite social media platforms. You can find me on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin’, and Instagram. Or you can simply subscribe to Soap Deli News via email for future updates, DIY projects and recipes.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: after sun, beauty diy, cosmetics, diy, hydrosol, makeup, moisturizer, moisturizing, natural beauty, natural skin care, setting spray, skin care, summer, sunburn, toner

Natural Shaving Soap Recipe for an Eco-friendly Shave

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

February 25, 2018 By Rebecca D. Dillon

Many modern day shaving creams don’t deliver a close shave like traditional shaving soaps. Even worse, their aerosol based packaging is bad for the environment. Making the switch to a homemade shaving soap is a more environmentally friendly choice. My natural shaving soap recipe is not only a great green alternative, but it’s also budget conscience so you save money in the long run over purchasing a commercial product.

Shaving soaps have been around since the 1800’s and, of course, were exclusively used by men. However, as conventions changed and women began shaving as well, we were eventually introduced to shaving creams.

Why Use a Homemade Shaving Soap?

While traditional shaving soaps are still used by a smaller part of the population, they are making a comeback. And with good reason. Not only do shaving soaps allow for increased hydration and a closer shave, they are also more environmentally friendly than shaving cream. So if you’re ready to start making greener changes to your lifestyle, homemade shaving soaps are an easy adjustment and a great way to make a small, but cumulative difference.

In addition to reducing packaging and aerosols, my natural shaving soap recipe is eco-friendly in another way. Because this natural shaving soap recipe is palm free, it doesn’t contribute to the deforestation of the rainforests. In addition to the environmental effects this has on the earth, it also threatens the habitats of endangered animals like orangutans and Sumatran tigers.

Learn more about the use of palm oil in soapmaking.

Ingredients that I do include in my homemade shaving soap recipe are lanolin and neem oil. I use lanolin for its moisturizing properties. Not only does lanolin prevent skin from drying out with repeated shavings, it also lends to a rich, creamy lather that helps prevent knicks and razor burn.

Learn more about the benefits of lanolin in skin care.

Neem oil on the other hand helps to promote skin health and speed up healing times should irritation or knicks occur.

Learn about the skin care benefits of neem oil.

Ready to give my natural shaving soap a try to see the difference it can make for your skin? Find my cold process soap recipe and instructions below!

Natural Shaving Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

.8 oz. castor oil (5%)
4.8 oz. refined coconut oil (30%)
.8 oz. lanolin (5%)
6.4 oz. pomace olive oil (40%)
1.6 oz. shea butter (10%)
1.6 oz. neem oil (10%)

4.8 fl. oz. distilled water
2.15 oz. lye/sodium hydroxide

1 oz. patchouli essential oil
.5 oz. lavender essential oil

Instructions:

You’ll need to take safety precautions when making my natural shaving soap recipe. This includes wearing proper eye protection and gloves as well as long sleeves. Additionally, you should use only heat safe containers. None of your containers or your utensils used for soapmaking should be aluminum as when aluminum comes into contact with lye it produces a toxic gas.

My natural shaving soap recipe is made using the cold process soapmaking method. If you’ve never made cold process soap, be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make cold process soap. If this recipe then seems a little daunting to you, then I encourage you to start with a beginner’s cold process soap recipe.

Begin by preparing your lye solution. To do this, measure out the distilled water in fluid ounces into a heat safe, non-aluminum container. Then, in a separate container, use a digital scale to weigh out the lye. Pour the lye into the container of water then mix until all of the lye has dissolved. Set aside.

Next, weigh out the carrier oils, lanolin and shea butter and combine in a separate heat safe container or stainless steel pot. Heat either in the microwave (for non-metal containers) at 50% power or over medium-low to medium heat on the stove top. Alternately you may also use a crockpot. Once melted remove the soapmaking oils from heat and set aside to cool.

While you are waiting for the lye-water and the soapmaking oils for this natural shaving soap recipe to cool, weigh out the (optional) essential oils and set aside.

When both the aloe-lye mixture and the soapmaking oils have cooled to around 90°-95°F, you’re ready to make soap!

Pour the lye-water into the soapmaking oils then mix with an immersion blender until the soap reaches a light trace. Add the essential oils, then continue mixing until the essential oils are fully incorporated into the soap batter.

Then, once the soap has again reached a light to medium trace, pour the soap into a round silicone soap mold of your choice. Cover the mold with plastic cling wrap or parchment paper if desired, then set aside in a safe location where it won’t be disturbed.

Your natural shaving soap should be ready to unmold 24-48 hours later. Once removed from the mold, allow your shaving soaps to cure for 4-6 weeks prior to use.

More Natural Soap Recipes

If you like my natural shaving soap recipe, then you may also enjoy some of my other natural – and palm free! – cold process soap recipes that focus on promoting skin health. Here are some of my favorites.

Alternately, you may also want try my homemade shaving cream recipe with skin soothing witch hazel. I created this natural shaving cream recipe as a guest post for The Nourished Life blog. You can learn how to make it here.

Discover more from Soap Deli News!

To be informed of future soapmaking recipes and projects, be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all of your favorite social media platforms! You can find me on Pinterest, G+, Tumblr, 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: Lifestyle, Soapmaking Tagged With: cold process soap recipe, cold process soapmaking, crafts, diy, eco-friendly, green, lanolin, moisturizing, neem oil, palm free soap, shaving soap, skin care, soap tutorial, soapmaking

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All Natural Makeup Setting Spray to Keep Makeup in Place This Summer

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Natural Shaving Soap Recipe

Ingredients:

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D ownload and print my natural makeup setting spray labels here.