Best Natural Deodorant for Women with Sensitive Skin (Without Baking Soda!)

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January 8, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 7 Comments

On the hunt for the best natural deodorant for your sensitive skin? It can be super frustrating finding that perfect natural deodorant without baking soda that actually works. I know. I’ve literally tried a TON of them! Luckily, there’s a new brand in town that blows the competition out of the water. Not only, that, but my quest for the best natural deodorant is FINALLY (omg FINALLY!) over!

My quest for the best natural deodorant started just over 2 1/12 years ago. I have fibromyalgia. And if you have chronic pain, or know someone who does, you know that we prioritize our health like a rhino charging through the bush. We also don’t give up. Not ever.

Ditching aluminum based antiperspirants was part of this charge. Unfortunately, while there are a ridiculous amount of options for natural deodorants at this point in the game, they aren’t all what they’re cracked up to be. And, because I can’t use a natural deodorant with baking soda, my hunt to unravel the mystery as to the best natural deodorant without baking soda (that actually works) has been a years long guessing game of trying new products. I’ve even made many of my own natural deodorant recipes. (Which sadly, isn’t always possible when you have a busy lifestyle.) And I’ve even gone so far as to combine products. (Like when I found one deodorant that worked but caused irritation without a buffer layered under it.) Unfortunately, I never found the best of the best. That is, until now.

You’re probably thinking what I was thinking, no way. But here’s the thing. Natural deodorants are trending. And for so many great reasons! That means new companies are popping up all the time with new formulas. It’s also why you’ve likely never heard of this company. It’s brand new, but nevertheless amazing.

Why Should I Use A Natural Deodorant?

First, however, I really want to share with you the benefits of swapping out your antiperspirant for a natural deodorant. Along with the reasons you shouldn’t be using an aluminum laden antiperspirant in the first place!

To put it simply, our bodies are designed by nature to sweat. This includes our armpits. Using antiperspirants with aluminum clogs the pores located in our armpits. This in turn causes bacteria (ick!) and toxins (ew.) to get trapped in said pores. So while not sweating may seem like a good idea, over time it can lead to a whole host of other problems. The major differences I found when making the switch to a natural deodorant were that A.) I started to sweat less over time. And B.) My sweat didn’t smell like I’d been rotting all over the four corners of hell.

Natural deodorants don’t clog pores — a MAJOR benefit. Instead, they contain ingredients that naturally fight odor causing bacteria rather than just masking your otherworldly stench. These ingredients often include bacteria resistant carrier oils and/or essential oils. Sometimes these ingredients also include probiotics, prebiotics or minerals like zinc or magnesium.

$The best natural deodorant without baking soda for sensitive skin for women. On the hunt for the best natural deodorant for your sensitive skin? It can be super frustrating finding that perfect natural deodorant without baking soda that actually works. In addition to natural essential oils, these natural deodorants for sensitive skin contain fractionated coconut oil, arrowroot powder, beeswax, tapioca starch, mango butter and zinc, and are paraben free and aluminum free.$

What’s the Best Natural Deodorant for Sensitive Skin?

Like I said before, I’ve tried a ton of natural deodorants in search of the perfect one. I’ve written numerous blog posts that chronicle that journey, and I’ve even made my own. Because natural deodorant with baking soda gives me an itchy, angry, painful rash (regardless of the formulation) I’ve also had the bonus challenge of trying to find a natural deodorant without baking soda that actual works for more than two hours at a time. It really has been incredibly frustrating. And this journey definitely hasn’t been easy. There were a few times I almost considered switching back to an antiperspirant. But I’ve stuck it out, and more than two years later, I actually found the best natural deodorant for sensitive skin without baking soda. (Hooray!)

WildRoot Aluminum and Paraben Free Deodorant

My saving grace is — wait for it — WildRoot Natural Deodorant. Owned by the same company that launched the Simply Earth Monthly Essential Oil Recipe Box some time back (Score $40 off your 2nd order of ANYTHING btw with coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE when you sign up!) WildRoot deodorant is both alumunium free and paraben free. So it’s the perfect switch if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle. They offer two formulas — the regular version of their natural deodorant with baking soda and a sensitive formula without baking soda — both in a variety of natural fragrances scented with Simply Earth brand essential oils.

WildRoot Natural Deodorant Sensitive Skin Formula

I tried the WildRoot sensitive formula in two scents: Wildflower and Meadow. I love them both! The Wildflower natural deodorant is naturally scented with lavender and ylang ylang essentials oils. While the Meadow natural deodorant from WildRoot contains mandarin and lemongrass essential oils (and is technically unisex if there’s a special guy in your life.) In addition to essential oils, these deodorants also contain fractionated coconut oil (which is basically the same thing as MCT oil), arrowroot powder, beeswax, tapioca starch, mango butter and an easily absorbed form of zinc.

I absolutely LOVE this deodorant. And without a doubt I can say it is the BEST natural deodorant without baking soda that I’ve ever tried. It’s just as effective at controlling odor as my antiperspirant was, but without the negative harmful side effects.

Ready to make a difference in your daily skin care routine? Check out WildRoot natural deodorant today!

For more great natural product, recipes and ideas from Soap Deli News, make sure to follow me on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram as well as on Blog Lovin’. You can also sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Shopping Tagged With: deodorant, deodorant stick, essential oils, health and wellness, healthy living, lifestyle, natural, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural skin care, sensitive skin, shopping

Whipped Body Butter Recipe: Natural Winter Skin Care for Dry Skin Relief

January 6, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Don’t let dry skin leave your skin a raw, itchy mess this winter. Nourish it naturally instead with this hydrating whipped body butter recipe! This recipe for whipped body butter is the perfect addition to your winter skin care routine for natural, dry skin relief. It’s also the perfect skin care recipe for your self care routine, and the second in a my series of self care recipes. Keep reading to learn how to make this rich, skin conditioning whipped body butter recipe scented with an all-natural lemon creme fragrance oil.

Tips for Hydrating Dry Skin this Winter

I’ve always had sensitive, and often eczema prone skin — ever since I was a child. Now that my skin is also in that delightful “maturing” stage, I have to use a moisturizer throughout the winter months. Otherwise I’m likely to scratch my skin raw. Of course, there are other steps I take as well, help my skin stay hydrated throughout the colder months.

Choose a rich body butter with natural ingredients, over lotions comprised primarily of water, to hydrate skin and help lock in moisture. (My whipped body butter recipe is an excellent choice!)
Avoid products with ingredients that can dry skin out further. These include perfumes, clays, charcoal, salicylic acid and certain essential oils, such as tea tree oil.
Drink more water to hydrate skin from the inside out. While it’s common advice to drink the equivalent of a half gallon of water a day, this isn’t necessarily true for everyone. The new rule of thumb is drink when you feel thirsty. So if winter leaves you feeling parched, reach for an extra bottle of water. Urine should be light yellow or clear if you’re staying properly hydrated.
Some websites recommend using petroleum jelly, or mineral oil, to lock in moisture. The problem with this is that it’s usually created from a petroleum by product. (Ew.) Plus, it doesn’t allow skin to breathe. If you really need a solid skin protectant, try natural skin care products with beeswax or lanolin instead. (My winter hand salve recipe is an easy recipe for winter skin care that uses one or both of these natural ingredients.)
Skip the hot showers and try warm baths instead. Not only is the cooler water is more gentle and skin, but you can add any number of skin soothing or moisturizing skin care products to your bath water. A long soak in an oatmeal or homemade milk bath is great at soothing dry, itchy skin. While bath melts naturally condition and help hydrate dry skin so if feels soft and nourished. (Be sure to try my natural aloe vera bath melts recipe for dry skin relief!)
Opt for a natural handcrafted soap formulated specifically for winter skin care. This Brazilian triple butter soap recipe for dry skin and eczema is my favorite for natural, winter skin care. It won’t strip skin of beneficial oils, and it’s unscented so it’s perfect for even the most sensitive skin.
Both gas and electric heat can strip moisture from the air. Using a humidifier in your home can reintroduce the moisture lost from these utilities when set at 60%.

Formulating The Best DIY Whipped Body Butter for Dry Skin Relief

Unlike other recipes for whipped body butter, my homemade whipped body butter recipe omits coconut oil, which can cause breakouts, and opts for a carrier oil more favorable to dry skin if you have issues with acne. Sweet almond oil is not only excellent for dry skin relief, it is also suitable for all skin types including maturing skin, sensitive skin, normal skin and even oily skin.

However, if you have a nut allergy, avocado oil or olive oil are both deeply nourishing oils for dry skin. Alternately, if you prefer a less greasy whipped body butter that absorbs more quickly, try a “dry” carrier oil, which has quicker absorption rates, such as rosehip seed oil — my favorite for mature skin! — avocado oil, camelina oil, grapeseed, safflower and sunflower oil.

(To learn more about carrier oils and their benefits in skin care, check out the book, Carrier Oils: A beginner’s guide to using over 40 carrier oils in bath and beauty recipes. You can read it for free with kindle unlimited.)

Additionally, unlike those simple 3-ingredient whipped body butter recipes, my whipped body recipe is emulsified. Formulated with the addition of a vegetable based emulsifying wax, my recipe for whipped body butter absorbs more quickly than traditional recipes. It also has a higher melting point. Not only is this helpful if need a rich moisturizer during warmer months, it also means your whipped butters hold their shape better than their predecessors. A plus if you’re making natural skin care recipes to sell online or at craft fairs.

Like an emulsified sugar scrub recipe, this does not mean my recipe for homemade whipped body butters contains water. It does not. Therefore, you skip the preservative for a winter skin care recipe that’s easy to execute.

Finally, while synthetic fragrances can irritate sensitive skin, there are natural fragrances you can try if fragrance is your thing. In keeping with the natural skin care theme for my whipped body butter recipe, I chose an all natural Lemon Creme fragrance oil from Nature’s Oil. Made using only natural ingredients, this fragrance is sweet, creamy! Think warm caramelized sugar and rich vanilla custard combined with fresh lemon zest.

Alternately you can also use your favorite essential oil blend for your skin type at .5% of the recipe weight. You can find an anti-aging essential oil blend, that’s also great for dry skin, via my natural exfoliating body polish recipe. (Psst. This is another fab recipes for both self care and winter skin care.)

Lemon Creme Whipped Body Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

6 oz. roasted cocoa butter wafers
6 oz. refined shea butter
1 oz. sweet almond oil, or other carrier oil of choice
1 oz. vegetable-based emulsifying wax
.15 oz. natural Lemon Creme fragrance oil, or .05 oz. essential oil(s)
3-5 drops non-GMO vitamin E oil

Tools for making homemade whipped body butter:

It’s pretty easy to make my whipped body butter recipe. However you will need a few tools to get the job done. These include the following:

digital kitchen scale
immersion blender with whisk attachment, or mixer of choice
large glass bowl
utensil for mixing
double boiler or microwave

Instructions:

To make this natural whipped body butter recipe, begin by using a digital to scale to weigh out the vegetable-based emulsifying wax, cocoa butter wafers and shea butter. Heat either in a double boiler, or at 30% powder in the microwave, until completely melted.

Once these ingredients for your whipped body butter recipe have melted, remove from heat. Combine in a large glass bowl. Then weigh out the sweet almond oil and fragrance oil, and stir into the melted butters and wax.

Follow with several drops of vitamin E oil and stir well, ensuring all the ingredients are evenly incorporated throughout the body butter mixture. (You may use either an immersion blender or a utensil of your choice for this step.)

Now place the body butter in your refrigerator to cool. You’ll remove the body butter from the refrigerator once it starts to look opaque.

After you’ve taken the body butter out of the refrigerator, you can now whip some air into it! Use the whisk attachment on an immersion blender for a more dense whipped body butter. For an extra fluffy, whipped body butter, try using either a hand blender or a KitchenAid stand mixer.

Whip the body butter to your desired fluffiness. However, be sure not to over whip your whipped body butter as the heat from mixing can cause it to deflate.

If your body butter doesn’t seem to be doing much, it could be it’s still a bit too warm. In this care, simply allow the body butter to cool for a little while longer, then try again. For faster cooling times, you can also place the body butter into the freezer for 5-10 minutes, as needed.

Finally, spoon your whipped body butter into containers of your choice. The number of containers you’ll need depends largely on how much air you whipped into your body butters. I used the whisk attachment on a my immersion blender for whipping and was able to fill 3-4 low profile 4 oz. jars. (I got my containers from SKS Bottle & Packaging.)

If desired, you can label your containers of whipped body butter to keep track of the contents, or to give them as homemade gifts.

Yield: 3-4 4 oz. jars

Whipped Body Butter Recipe with Essential Oils

Hydrate your dry skin with this natural whipped body butter recipe with essential oils for the perfect addition to your winter skin care routine for dry skin relief.

Active Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

6 oz. roasted cocoa butter wafers
6 oz. refined shea butter
1 oz. sweet almond oil
1 oz. emulsifying wax
05 oz. essential oil(s) of choice
3-5 drops non-GMO vitamin E oil

Tools

digital kitchen scale
stand mixer
large glass bowl
utensil for mixing
double boiler

Instructions

Weigh out the emulsifying wax, cocoa butter wafers and shea butter using a digital scale. Heat in a double boiler until melted.
Remove from heat and combine in a large glass bowl.
Weigh out the sweet almond oil and essential oils. Stir into the melted butters and wax.
Add the vitamin E oil and mix well using a utensil.
Place the body butter in the refrigerator to cool. Remove once it starts to look opaque.
Use a stand mixer to whip the body butter until fluffy. Then spoon into containers of choice.

Natural whipped body butter recipe with an all-natural lemon creme scented fragrance oil. Add this delightfully scented DIY whipped body butter with roasted cocoa butter, shea butter & a lemon fresh bakery scent to your natural skin care routine. The perfect natural DIY moisturizer for any natural beauty regimen, this non greasy body butter recipe is a must for dry skin relief. Plus tips on how to hydrate dry skin for soft, healthy looking skin. Get beautiful skin with these best beauty tips.

More Whipped Body Butter Recipes

Now that you’ve tried my lemon creme whipped body butter recipe, also be sure to check out my chocolate mint lip scrub recipe for relief of dry or chapped lips. It’s the first in this year’s series of self care posts. And be sure to download my free printable self care journal. It’s perfectly sized for your Happy Planner and it even comes with printable skin care recipe cards!

Or try one of these other, amazing homemade whipped body butter recipes for dry skin care this winter.

If you like my lemon creme whipped body butter recipe, then be sure to pin it for later! Then, for more winter skin care recipes for dry skin relief, be sure to follow Soap Deli News. You can follow me now on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Or find me on Blog Lovin’. Or sign up to receive an email whenever I share a new post!

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: bath and beauty, beauty diy, beauty hacks, beauty tips, body butter, body butter recipe, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural skin care, self care, vegan, whipped body butter, winter, winter skin care

Homemade Lip Scrub in Chocolate Mint for Natural Winter Skin Care

January 2, 2020 By Rebecca D. Dillon 10 Comments

Using natural products is an important part of my everyday beauty regimen. This homemade lip scrub recipe in chocolate mint is an easy way to keep with the theme of natural winter skin care. Plus it’s also the perfect addition to your self care routine for the New Year. Read on to learn how to make a homemade lip scrub as an easy addition to your natural beauty routine. And learn about my goals I’ve set for the New Year.

Setting Self Care Goals for the New Year

I recently saw a quote that said “What if the only resolution you made for the New Year is to love yourself more?” This year, I totally agree. In years past I’ve either set no New Year resolutions at all. Or I had some pretty lame ones. A recently memory hop on Facebook reminded me that I once made a resolution to stop calling boys in their twenties twelve when they’d hit on me in social settings. While at the time I felt like that was me trying to be a kinder person to strangers, it actually taught me a very important lesson. Changing bad habits is hard. However, it’s also totally worth it.

So this year, I’m going into the New Year with resolutions to break my most unhealthy habits. In fact, these goals are so important to me that I started them a full two weeks early.

Between losing my grandmother earlier this year when her organs started shutting down due to heart failure, and my dad undergoing three heart surgeries for blocked arteries, heart health has moved to the top of my list for health priorities. This means not just cutting sugar, but also other foods that cause inflammation including red meat, chicken and pork. I also gave up alcohol. (All of these things support not just heart health, but also help reduce the occurence of my fibromyalgia flare ups.)

I’d been heading in the direction of giving up these things since the end of summer. By the time December hit, I’d lost 20 lbs. and gone down two pants sizes. Not only do I look better, but I FEEL better. So I’ve also added on push ups (I’m up to sets of six toe push ups followed by twelve knee push ups) to my weekly routine for strength, and I’m trying to stay more active. Sometimes this just means lots of dancing. Other days it’s simply getting out and walking. I can’t wait for the weather to take a turn though, because I’m so ready to start hiking again. I feel strong and healthy. And my mental health, along with my physical health, has improved as well. So I really feel like I have all over body wellness.

Some of the most important things I’ve learned as I struggled to overcome PTSD and depression aren’t just related to diet and exercise however. They are also about mindset. These accomplishments include:

Saying no and not feeling guilty about it.
Setting boundaries and walking away from drama as well as toxic people and relationships.
Learning to let go of my anger.
Finding healthy ways to reduce stress.
Accepting life as life happens so I’m better able to adapt to change. (A must as a blogger as algorithms are constantly changing!)
Journaling to help break bad habits.
Accepting the limitations of my body and not pushing myself to do more to my own detriment.

What’s great about all of these things is that they all relate back to self care. Thus emphasizing the importance it plays in our daily lives. It’s one of the reasons why I created a free printable self care journal for you (my lovely readers!) to use in the New Year.

Of course, outwardly caring for bodies is also an important part of self care. It’s why I included printable skin care and face mask recipe cards as part of my printable self care journal. So you can use the following homemade lip scrub recipe as one of your journal recipes. Or customize it to make it your own!

Homemade Lip Scrub for Natural Winter Skin Care

My homemade lip scrub, while an easy 5-minute project for weekly self care, is also a must for your natural, winter skin care routine. Naturally scented with cocoa absolute and peppermint essential oil, this homemade lip scrub recipe exfoliates to remove dead skin cells and hydrates skin to help prevent chapped lips.

Homemade lip scrubs are also a great way to restore dry lips as a result of using long lasting lipsticks and stains. (You can also try my tinted lip whip recipe for healthy looking lips.)

Use this natural lip scrub recipe once weekly to nourish dry, winter lips so they remain soft and supple throughout the season.

Chocolate Mint Homemade Lip Scrub Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 oz. avocado butter
1.5 oz. granulated sugar
12 drops cocoa absolute
12 drops peppermint essential oil

Instructions:

Using a digital scale, weigh out the refined shea butter. Heat the shea butter in either a double boiler, or at 30% power in a microwave, until melted.

Carefully remove the melted shea butter from heat. Then, using a graduated transfer pipette or dropper, add the cocoa absolute and peppermint essential oil. Stir to combine.

Finally, weigh out the granulated sugar. Pour the sugar into the melted shea butter and mix well, until all of the sugar is evenly incorporated throughout the sugar.

Now simply package your chocolate mint, homemade lip scrub as desired using either small containers or jars or lip balm tubes. (The containers I used for my homemade lip scrub recipe are from SKS Bottle & Packaging.)

To use, gently massage your homemade lip scrub onto wet lips in a circular motion using either your finger or a soft toothbrush. Allow to set for one minute before rinsing off. Then follow with your favorite natural lip balm. Two homemade lip balm recipes you can make include my Chocolate Mint Lip Balm Recipe and my Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe with Lanolin.

More Homemade Lip Scrub Recipes

If you like my homemade lip scrub recipe in chocolate mint, then you may also enjoy some of these other homemade lip scrub recipes for winter skin care.

Love the idea of using a homemade lip scrub for your natural beauty routine but aren’t quite ready to make your own? You can buy homemade lip scrubs from a number of artisans on Etsy here. Or browse my curated collection of makeup, beauty & natural skin care products.

For more great self care ideas as well as winter skin care recipes, be sure to follow Soap Deli News. You can follow me now on facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Or find me on Blog Lovin’. To receive an email whenever I share a new post, sign up via feedburner here.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle Tagged With: bath and beauty, body scrub recipe, essential oil recipes, essential oils, home remedy, lip scrub, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural remedy, natural skin care, self care, skin care recipes, sugar scrub, sugar scrub recipe, winter skin care

How to Make Homemade Shampoo & Conditioner with Essential Oils Customized for Your Hair Type

December 18, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 8 Comments

Ever wondered how to make homemade shampoo? Unsure about getting started? Now there’s an easy way to learn how to make homemade shampoo and conditioner with essential oils customized for your hair type! Learn about the different types of homemade shampoos, why they do or don’t work, plus how to create your own custom essential oil blends for your homemade shampoo and conditioner that fit your ever changing hair care needs.

Can I Make Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner?

One of the many not so fun parts of getting older and hitting perimenopause is that your hair changes. Couple that with seasonal changes from summer to winter, and my hair needs change often. (This is one of the many reasons I use henna to keep my hair looking healthy and voluminous regardless of external elements.)

I’m a DIY-er, so I’m used to having custom skin care and hair care products. Not only do I know what ingredients I’m using for my natural beauty routine, but I’m also able to avoid ingredients that I know irritate my skin or scalp. So when Mountain Rose Herbs recently released a line of natural, PH balanced shampoo and conditioner bases, I was super psyched! Now I can customize my own homemade shampoo and conditioner as my hair care needs change, without changing my core products. So there’s no uncomfortable adjustment period. And my hair always looks and feels shiny and healthy.

Even though I’m a hard core into DIY beauty — I have a lot of ingredients on hand to prove it! — I don’t make my own homemade shampoo and conditioner. Both of these hair care products are a bit more challenging than I have the time for. And it’s not a small investment to buy many of the ingredients I’d need. Not to mention, there’s the issue of formulating the perfect product. While I may learn how to make homemade shampoo that’s perfect for winter hair care, I’d then need to come up with an entirely different recipe for summer. And for those of you who formulate your own products, you know just how exhausting that can be.

Now I can buy pre-made shampoo and conditioner bases from Mountain Rose Herbs to customize for my hair care needs. By combining these bases with essential oil blends based on my current hair type, I can easily create the perfect hair care products in a matter of minutes. And as my hair care needs change, I can in turn change out the essential oils I use with each batch. So it’s easy and painless to switch up my hair care products with each new season if necessary.

Should I Make Homemade Shampoo & Conditioner from Scratch?

You’ve likely seen a number of different homemade shampoo recipes. They include making liquid shampoo from scratch — much in the same way you would make liquid soap using fats and potassium hydroxide — making shampoo using a ready-made liquid Castile soap base (such as these examples here), making a solid shampoo bar using the cold process soap making method, and more recently creating syndet shampoo bars using synthetic detergents.

The “no poo” version of shampoo that uses a Castile base, or the cold process soap making method, doesn’t work for most people. It also requires an adjustment period, which unfortunately can make it rather traumatic to say, look in the mirror. Or go out into public. This is in part because the PH of Castile soap just doesn’t work for hair. As such, it is advised to follow your shampoo with apple cider vinegar rinse to remedy the PH imbalance. Unfortunately, many of us who have tried this method, have learned that it can damage hair over time.

The other option for homemade shampoo are syndet shampoo bars. These shampoo bars are popular as they are deemed an eco-friendly, zero waste alternative to traditional bottled shampoo. Like most commercial shampoos, syndet bars are made using a combination of synthetic detergents. They actually do work, however, and without an adjustment period. In fact I’ve tried several and found them very similar to traditional shampoo. However, finding the right combination of ingredients and making sure they are gentle enough for your scalp, can be tricky. (Some of the ones I tried gave me an itchy scalp.) And the ingredients to make your own, quite frankly, are expensive.

Homemade conditioners don’t have the same issues as homemade shampoo as there aren’t PH issues to contend with. However, making conditioner from scratch is similar to making homemade lotions. It’s basically an emulsion with a water phase, oil phase, mixing phase and a cool down phase. Basically, it’s an involved recipe that requires basic to intermediate knowledge of the process. Therefore, for most people, it’s likely not practical to make one or two bottles for home use.

While there are recipes for homemade conditioners that don’t require an emulsion, like this one from Life-n-Reflection, I’ve found these tend to work better as a hair mask rather than daily conditioning. If you have healthy or oily hair, the lack of an emulsion can make this type of conditioner more difficult to rinse out. Therefore, you’d want to use a conditioner made up of primarily butters and oils once per month or as needed.

So yes, while you can learn how to make homemade shampoo and conditioner from scratch at home, it can be an expensive investment. It costs not just money, but it can also take a lot of time finding that perfect formulation.

(If you decide you do want to make homemade shampoo bars from scratch, you can try my ginger and lime shampoo bar or sea salt shampoo bar. Alternately, you can also learn more about syndet solid shampoo bars plus discover a number of syndet solid shampoo bar recipes here.)

Why Can’t I Add Additives to Any Shampoo or Conditioner?

You may be tempted to grab a bottle of shampoo or conditioner off the shelf and add your own additives, but please don’t do this.

Shampoos and conditioners are made with water, so they have a preservative. The preservative the manufacturer uses is specific to the ingredients used in the product and the amount of ingredients in the products. Therefore, if you add ingredients to a shampoo or conditioner off the shelf, you can break the base. There might not be enough preservative in the formula. And as such, this can cause bacteria, mold or fungus to grow. I’m sure you don’t want to wash your hair with microbes! (Just because you can’t see something growing doesn’t mean it isn’t there.)

Adding additional ingredients can also break the emulsion. Emulsifiers help combine the water base ingredients with the oil based ingredients in a recipe. If you add more ingredients to a store bought shampoo and conditioner, it’s possible you may break the delicate emulsion. This then leads to the product separating.

How to Make Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner for Your Hair Type

Making Shampoo & Conditioner Using Hair Care Bases

Learning how to make homemade shampoo and conditioner customized for your hair type, however, doesn’t have to be a challenge. In fact, it’s simple to create custom, homemade shampoo and conditioner for your everyday hair care routine using the new shampoo and conditioner bases from Mountain Rose Herbs. Just add essential oils based on your hair type to their natural hair care bases and you’re good to go! Ready to get started?

Mountain Rose Herbs Shampoo Base

The Mountain Rose Herbs shampoo base is fragrance free. You can add up to 2 percent essential oils (as shampoo is a wash off product.) This means that you can add 0.32 ounces or 9.5 mL essential oils to the entire bottle. Adding the essential oils is easy. You don’t even have to heat the base! Just add the essential oils and stir.

I really love this particular shampoo base. The shampoo base has no parabens, alcohol, sulfates, or phthalates. It doesn’t have harsh surfactants either. Rather it’s made from a base of organic hydrosols that won’t strip hair. While, like syndet shampoo bars, its lather and sudsing power comes from gentle sugar and glucose-derived surfactants. Therefore, unlike some natural shampoos don’t lather well, this one does.

Mountain Rose Herbs Conditioner Base

After you wash your hair, condition it with the Mountain Rose Herbs conditioner base. Like the shampoo base, their conditioner base is also fragrance free and can be customized by adding your desired essential oils. It’s a lightweight hair conditioner, so it won’t weigh down hair. You can even use it as a leave-in conditioner if your hair is dry.

As with the shampoo base from Mountain Rose Herbs, you can add up to 2 percent essential oils to this base. Or rather 0.32 ounces or 9.5 mL essential oils per 16 ounces bottle.

Best Essential Oils for Custom Homemade Shampoo and Conditioner

Now that you know how easy it is to make homemade shampoo using the shampoo and conditioner bases from Mountain Rose Herbs, you’re probably wondering what essential oils you should use for your hair type. Following are the best essential oils for customizing your homemade shampoo and conditioner.

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is great for your hair and scalp. It’s antimicrobial and antibacterial, so it can kill germs on the scalp that can cause dandruff and itching. Lavender is also said to promote hair growth.

Lavender blends well with most other essential oils, so you can use it by itself or mixed with other oils.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil is a great oil to promote hair growth. It has menthol in it, so it feels tingly when you use it on your skin. This also helps boost circulation, which can then encourage hair growth.

Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary essential oil is one of my favorite essential oils for hair. It’s said to help hair grow faster and increase hair thickness because it promotes cellular turnover on your scalp.

Try mixing peppermint and rosemary for a wonderfully invigorating scent.

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass essential oil is an excellent natural dandruff treatment. Most people get relief in about a week when they use it in their shampoo. For best results, make sure you massage the shampoo on your scalp.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Cedarwood essential oil can help balance the oil glands in your scalp, so it’s a good option for oily scalp or oily hair. It’s also naturally antibacterial and antifungal and said to promote hair growth and prevent loss.

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary sage essential oil isn’t a popular essential oil for hair care, but it is similar to lavender essential oil and also contains linalyl acetate, which promotes hair growth. Clary sage can also help make hair stronger.

Thyme Essential Oil

Thyme essential oil is often found in shampoos and conditioners, but it can stimulate the scalp and prevent hair loss while encouraging new hair growth.

Thyme essential oil is a strong oil. If you do use it, mix it with other oils or use it in a 0.5 percent dilution if you’re using it by itself.

Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Ylang ylang essential oil is great for dry scalps. Don’t use this one if you have an oily scalp or oily hair because it encourages sebum production. Because it helps promote oil production, it can reduce breakage and improve the texture of your hair.

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Tea tree essential oil is commonly used in shampoos. It’s antibacterial and antimicrobial. It can help unclog hair follicles to promote hair growth. This is a great oil to use if you have dandruff or an oily scalp.

Tea tree essential oil can cause irritation. If you use it, blend it with another oil or use it at a 0.5 percent dilution.

Chamomile Essential Oil

Chamomile essential oil is a mild oil, so it’s often used to soothe irritated skin. Use chamomile for fine or normal hair. It also conditions the hair and is a good oil to use if you have an irritated scalp from psoriasis.

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil can help balance oil production, so it is a great choice for oily hair. It also helps make hair shiny.

Homemade Shampoo Essential Oil Blends for Hair

Following are four easy essential oil blends you can use in your homemade shampoo and conditioner. You can use these essential oils alone or in a blend. If I’m making a blend, I blend the oils in an empty essential oil bottle, label it and measure from there.

Promote Hair Growth

1 part cedarwood
1 part rosemary
1 part clary sage

Dry or Damaged Hair

1 part clary sage
1 part lavender
1 part rosemary
1 part tea tree oil

Shiny Hair Blend

3 parts rosemary
2 parts lavender
2 parts peppermint

Oily Hair Blend

3 parts peppermint
2 parts lemon
1 part lavender

More Homemade Hair Care Recipes

Of course, there’s more to hair care than just a great homemade shampoo and conditioner. Following are some of my favorite other homemade hair care recipes for making your own DIY hair masks, detangling sprays and even dry shampoo!

I hope you loved discovering an easy new way to make homemade shampoo with essential oils! If you like my post on how to make homemade shampoo, then be sure to pin this hair care guide to Pinterest to refer back to later.

For more great hair care recipes as well as DIY bath and beauty recipes, be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all your favorite social media platforms. You can find and follow me now via Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter, pinterest and instagram. Or sign up via feedburner to receive an email every time I share a new post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes Tagged With: bath and beauty, essential oil blend, essential oil recipes, essential oils, hair, hair care, hair conditioner, hair recipe, natural beauty, shampoo, shampoo recipe

Hand Salve Recipe for Winter Skin Care with Essential Oils & Beeswax

December 15, 2019 By Rebecca D. Dillon 4 Comments

Learn how to protect, hydrate and soothe dry hands with this simple, homemade winter hand salve recipe. It’s made beeswax, coconut oil and natural peppermint and pine essential oils. These ingredients then all come together to create a natural product that’s perfect for your winter skin care routine.

Winter Is Hard On Hands: Care for Them Naturally

As I’ve aged, my hands have aged as well. While the rest of me can still pass for at least a decade younger, my hands are definitely the one true sign that I’m older than I look. And with winter weather drying out my skin worse than usual, I really have to pay extra attention to them. Add to that the extra hand washings to avoid getting winter colds or flu, and there are days my hands actually look crepey. It’s pretty freaky. I’m not a fan. So in addition to drinking extra water this winter, I’m also slathering on moisturizer and hand creams like there’s no tomorrow.

However, sometimes my hands need a LOT more than what traditional moisturizers can offer. So in addition to using a skin softening hand scrub, I also reach for a winter hand salve to care for winter skin care. This year, I made my own natural hand salve recipe with both beeswax and natural essential oils to add to my winter skin care routine. (You can find this winter hand salve recipe below.)

Why Use Beeswax as an Ingredient in a Hand Salve?

I love how easy it is to make this winter hand salve recipe. It’s also pretty great that I don’t have to use this salve on just my hands. This homemade hand salve is also perfect for feet, cracked heels, dry elbows and pretty much anywhere else skin needs a little extra love. If you’re skin is really bad off, you can easily beef up this simple, homemade hand salve recipe by adding a small amount of lanolin to the formulation. (I tell you how further down!)

Why This Hand Salve Works

Beeswax offers a number of natural skin care benefits. These natural properties make beeswax a popular addition to skin care products.

Cosmetic & Skin Care Benefits of Beeswax

Hydrating
Skin Softening
Non-Comedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores)
Soothing
Collagen Enhancing (due to Vitamin A content)
Protective
Skin Smoothing
Strengthening
Regenerative

In addition to the skin care benefits of beeswax, it also has medicinal properties that help support skin health. Specifically, beeswax is also anti-allergenic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral.

Information on the Benefits of Beeswax in a Hand Salve

Produced by the worker bees in honey hives, beeswax can is well known for its ability to promote healing and often skin. Beeswax also has naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory skin care properties. As such, it’s an often used ingredient in skin care products for dry or problem skin. Additionally, as beeswax is also rich in vitamin A, it is also able to support cell reconstruction and health.

As a humectant, beeswax helps to lock in moisture to soothe dry skin. So skin is not only better hydrated, it also feels and looks softer. By locking in moisture, beeswax also adds a level of skin protection against external irritants. So dry hands have time to recuperate from the ravages of winter elements and dry skin. I also love that beeswax eases some of the symptoms of dry skin such as itchiness and redness. (The itching it the worst, right?!)

Skin Care Benefits of Pine Essential Oil

According to Healthline, pine essential oil has been used for centuries in traditional medicines — including natural skin care applications. Like tea tree oil, pine essential oil also has antimicrobial properties. Fortunately, its smells SOOOooo much better than tea tree oil. Therefore it’s a great natural alternative if you ever need to make substitutions to your recipes in the future.

In addition, pine essential oil, like beeswax, also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with both irritating skin conditions, such as eczema or acne, as well as soothe pain caused by arthritis or muscle pain.

Skin Care Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil

Like pine essential oil, peppermint essential oil also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore it able to offer relief from muscle pain or headaches. Additionally, peppermint essential oil has been shown to also soothe itching in part to its natural cooling sensation from its natural menthol content. Plus, it smells amazing!

Ready to make a homemade hand salve recipe for your winter skin care routine? Below is the recipe from the December Simply Earth Essential Oil Recipe Box for making a natural, essential oil peppermint & pine salve. (Also be sure to check out their DIY coffee body scrub with mandarin essential oil, also part of the December essential oil recipe box. Want your own box? Be sure to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to score a $40 off coupon good on your next purchase. Get it now.)

Peppermint & Pine Hand Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil
1.5 teaspoons beeswax
7 drops Scotch Pine essential oil
7 drops Peppermint essential oil

Hand Salve Optional Additions & Substitutions:

You can both soften this hand salve recipe and add an additional layer of skin protection by adding lanolin to the recipe. Simply add 1.5 teaspoons of lanolin in addition to the other hand salve ingredients.

If you’d like to make this hand salve recipe vegan, then simply swap out the beeswax with one teaspoon candelilla wax. (You’ll use less of this plant-based, vegan wax as it has a higher melting point than beeswax.)

Instructions:

Measure out the beeswax and coconut oil. Then combine the ingredients in a double boiler and heat until melted. (If you’re using lanolin, then you would also add it at this time.)

Once melted, remove from heat. Add the essential oils and stir to combine.

Finally, pour the melted hand salve into a 2 oz. tin. Allow to cool and harden completely. Then screw on the lid and label as desired for personal use or gifting.

If you like this easy hand salve recipe, be sure to pin it to Pinterest for later. You can also sign up with Simply Earth to receive a monthly essential oil recipe box, with projects just like this one! Sign up here and don’t forget to use coupon code: SOAPDELIFREE to get a $40 coupon good on your next order. (You can seriously use this coupon code on ANYTHING. Even that diffuser you’ve been eyeing, essential oils you missed out on or additional ingredients you’ve run out of.)

More Winter Skin Care Recipes with Beeswax

Want more ideas for your natural, winter skin care routine? Try one of these other great recipes from Soap Deli News.

Peppermint Lip Balm Recipe with Lanolin
Natural Beeswax Lip Tint Recipe with Lanolin
Snowflake Hard Lotion Bar Recipe
Cranberry Chutney Lotion Bar Recipe
Simple Plantain Salve Recipe for Natural Skin Care
Lanolin Salve Recipe for Dry, Damaged Skin

If you’re ready to discover more great, natural skin care recipes, then be sure to follow Soap Deli News across all your favorite social media platforms. Find and follow Soap Deli News blog now via Blog Lovin‘, facebook, twitter and instagram. Or sign up via feedburner to receive an email every time I share a new post.

Filed Under: Bath & Beauty Recipes, Health & Wellness Tagged With: bath and beauty, bath and body, diy, dry hands, easy, essential oil recipes, essential oils, home remedies, home remedy, lanolin, natural alternative, natural beauty, natural remedy, salve recipe, simply earth, skin care recipes, skin nourishing salve, winter, winter skin care