Recipes
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Lip Balm Recipe
2 oz almond oil 1 oz cocoa butter 1.5 oz shea butter 1 tsp scent 1.5 oz beeswaxMelt and mix ingredients in a double boiler. For scent, please use our edible flavors (the lip-safe fragrance oils); essential oils may also be used, but only 10-20 drops are necessary. To determine the final consistency of the lip balm, scoop some of the mixture onto a spoon and refrigerate for a few minutes, then test. If you want harder balm, add more cocoa butter or beeswax, and if you want softer balm, add more liquid oils. Pour into containers (many of our lip balm containers can be found on our dispensers page) and allow balm to cool and solidify. Especially in tubes, lip balm tends to shrink as it cools, so you can always top off the tubes with a second pour after about half an hour. -
Solid Deodorant Recipe
4 oz shea butter, coconut oil, or a mix of the two 2 oz baking soda 2 oz arrowroot powder essential oils (optional) – tea tree, lavender, rosemary, orange, or sage are good choicesSoften shea butter and coconut oil – heat them on the stove or in the microwave just until they stir together easily. Mix baking soda with arrowroot powder, then stir into shea/coconut mixture. Add essential oils if desired, blending thoroughly. Refrigerate to solidify. You can either refill your old washed-clean deodorant dispensers, or pour the deodorant into a tinted glass jar and apply with fingers with each use. -
Basic Bath Fizzes Recipe
Combine one part citric acid with two parts baking soda. Gradually spritz in some witch hazel using one hand, blending the mixture with the other hand, until the mixture is a thick, soft, slightly damp powder that clumps together. As soon as the blend holds its shape, it will start to solidify, so pack into the molds right away. Allow the fizzies to dry overnight. -
Deluxe Bath Fizzies Recipe
16 oz baking soda 8 oz arrowroot powder 2 oz sea salt 4 oz citric acid 2 oz almond oil 2 oz or 6 tbs of water 1 tbs fragranceMix dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine the oil, water, and fragrance in a separate container. Stir liquid ingredients into dry carefully. Pack into molds. Bath fizzes from this recipe will hold more intricate mold designs. -
Glycerine (Melt & Pour) Soap Recipe
1 lb glycerine soap base 1 tsp scent Colorant, herbs, stearic acid, or other desired additivesMelt the soap base down in either a microwave or a double boiler. Stir occasionally to ensure even heating, and only microwave your soap in 30 second intervals. Add your desired colors, scent, and other additives to the melted soap.Currently, we only carry clear glycerin soap base. However, you can add stearic acid to make your soap opaque. Only one tablespoon is required per pound of soap. When you add the stearic acid to the melted soap, the soap will continue to appear transparent–this is normal! Once the bar is solidified, it will be opaque.Pour the melted soap into your molds and let the soap harden. Usually, glycerin soap will come out of molds with no difficulty. If you do have trouble releasing the soap, place your molds in the freezer to encourage the soap to shrink, or run the mold under warm water. Glycerin soap will “sweat” naturally. The best packaging for your soaps is plastic wrap, as this will prevent the soap from attracting moisture from the air. -
Basic Soap Recipe
24 oz olive oil (or use any oil or mixture of oils) 24 oz coconut oil (or use lanolin, shea butter, or cocoa butter) 38 oz palm oil (or use palm kernel oil, animal fat, or vegetable shortening) 12 oz lye 32 oz distilled water 4 oz essential or fragrance oil1. While preheating the fats and oils, start your lye solution by mixing lye and water in a heatproof container. The chemical reaction that takes place will produce heat and fumes, so be sure to work in a well-ventilated area. 2. While the lye solution cools, Wweigh out the preheated fats and oils and mix together. Add any fragrance or essential oil toward the end of this process, as the longer it’s exposed to heat, the more scent will burn off. 3. Prepare your mold or molds. 4. When all ingredients are around 98 degrees F, pour your lye solution slowly into your mixture of oils and fats and stir steadily. As soon as tracing occurs (when the mixture thickens and you start to see the traces of stirring marks left in the mixture), pour into molds. 5. Keep undisturbed in a warm place for 24 hours. 6. Remove from mold, cut, and cure for 4 to 6 weeks.(This is a bare-bones soap recipe – if you’re a new soapmaker, we definitely recommend reading more about cold-process soapmaking before getting started! Our two favorite books are The Soapmaker’s Companion by Susan Miller Cavich and Basic Soap Making by Elizabeth Letcavage, and they’re usually available for reference or purchase in-store.) . -
Using Mica Colorants in Soap
For cold process soap, use at least 2 teaspoons per pound of soap. Mix 1 part mica with 2 parts carrier oil and blend thoroughly — a small plastic baggie is perfect for this, so you can work out all of the lumps with your fingertips. Add this mixture just after the soap reaches trace, so you’ll have time to fully blend everything.For melt-and-pour, use 1/2 teaspoon per pound of soap. There are several ways to incorporate the micas into M&P: 1. Add micas to the melted soap base and stir thoroughly (this may result in slightly speckled soap). 2. In a plastic baggie, blend micas with a small amount of carrier oil or vegetable glycerin, then add the mix to the melted M&P. 3. Make a color chip. Follow the instructions for option 2 above, but only mix your blend with a few ounces of soap base. Allow this to solidify for a few hours, and then you have a block of concentrated color — cut off pieces and melt into your soap. 4. Mix mica with alcohol, then pour the slurry into your soap. You can spritz the finished surface of the melt-and-pour soap with alcohol to pop air bubbles that have trapped mica. -
Foaming Bath Oil Recipe
4 oz liquid glycerin soap base 1 tbs vegetable glycerin 4 oz castor oil 4 oz apricot oil 20 drops essential oilMix ingredients well, and pour into container. The oils will separate into three layers after settling. -
Bubble Bath Recipe
16 oz liquid glycerin soap base 2 oz vegetable glycerin 1 1/2 tsp sugar 1/8 oz scent 7 drops FD & C dyeMix well until sugar is dissolved; heat is not necessary. Pour into containers. -
Lotion Bar Recipe
4 oz almond oil 4 oz coconut oil 4 oz cocoa butter 4 oz beeswaxMelt and mix ingredients, then pour into containers. -
Solid Perfume Recipe
1 tsp jojoba or avocado oil 20 drops essential oil 1/2 tsp beeswaxMelt and mix ingredients in a double boiler, then pour into a compact or lip balm container. -
Massage Candle Recipe
2 oz soy wax 1 oz aloe vera oil 1 oz shea butter 1/4 oz essential oil Cotton-core wicksSet up wick in candle container (tin, jar, etc). Melt soy wax and oils together on a double boiler. Add scent and stir gently. Allow liquid to cool slightly, and then pour into containers. Trim wick to ¼ inch, and allow to harden overnight. When using, light the candle to melt wax and burn for approximately fifteen minutes to let the wax pool. Extinguish the flame. The oil is now ready for use. -
Easy Tooth Powder Recipe
1/2 oz orris root powder 1 oz activated charcoal 1/2 oz calcium carbonate 1/2 oz powdered peppermint leaf 10 drops peppermint oilBlend all dry ingredients, then add drops of peppermint oil. Put in an air-tight container. Enjoy! -
Deluxe Tooth Powder Recipe
1 & 1/2 tbsp calcium carbonate 3 tbsp Bentonite clay 3/4 tsp activated charcoal 1 & 1/2 tsp finely ground himalayan sea salt 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp myrrh powderOPTITONAL: 1 & 1/2 tsp powdered peppermint leaf OR 5-10 drops peppermint essential oil OR 5 drops clove essential oil OR 5 drops cinnamon essential oil OR 1 & ½ tsp finely ground cinnamonBlend all dry ingredients, then add drops of essential oil, if using. Put in an air-tight container. Enjoy! -
Simple Sunblock Recipe
8 oz sesame oil 1 oz beeswax 1 oz titanium dioxideMelt wax, and blend the wax and titanium dioxide in with the sesame oil. Sesame oil is said to contain natural UV protection, but it is the titanium dioxide which makes this recipe into sunscreen. The sun protection in this recipe is about SPF 15. -
Reed Diffuser Recipe
Two parts dipropylene glycol One part ethyl alcohol, Everclear, vodka, or other alcohol One part scentMix ingredients and pour in container. Place reeds in container, and allow scent to wick overnight. Turn reeds over the next day. Flip reeds as needed to release scent. -
Room Spray Recipe
Three parts ethyl alcohol, Everclear, vodka, or other unscented alcohol One part scentMix ingredients and pour in container. (This recipe works especially well in our 4oz glass bottles with spray tops!) -
Incense Recipe
Blank incense sticks (or cones) Two parts dipropylene glycol One part scentBlend essential and/or fragrance oils with the dipropylene glycol. The dipropylene glycol will act as a solvent to allow the fragrance to fully absorb into your incense blanks. Be sure to completely submerge the cone or the combustible portion of the incense stick in the mixture. Allow the incense sticks or cones to soak in the fragrance mixture for at least 24 hours to maximize scent.After soaking, remove the sticks or cones and allow them to dry for at least 48 hours. You can hang sticks to dry, or lay them out on paper towels or old newspapers. Please do not attempt to dry your incense by sticking it in the oven–oils are combustible! Your incense sticks will be ready for burning in about three days.You can save any remaining fragrance mixture to soak more incense in the future. Store it in an airtight jar made of amber or cobalt glass to ensure that the fragrance is preserved. -
Yoga Mat Spray Cleaner Recipe
2 oz witch hazel 2 oz distilled water 20 drops essential oil (lavender and tea tree are great for fighting germs and odors)Mix ingredients together, then pour into a 4 oz glass or plastic spray bottle (tinted is best to preserve the essential oils). To use: thoroughly spritz the surface of your mat, then wipe it with a damp cloth and repeat on the other side. Air dry for 5 to 10 minutes. (Extra-funky yoga mat? Add an ounce of white vinegar to the mix, and add an extra 20 drops of tea tree for a antibacterial, antifungal boost.) -
Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
32 oz water 16 oz grated bar soap 16 oz borax 16 oz washing sodaBring water to a boil and stir in grated soap. Keep on low heat until soap is melted. Pour soap water into a large (2+ gallon) container and add the borax and washing soda, stirring until dissolved.Heat 2 gallons of water until quite warm, then add the concentrate to the water, stirring until mixed. You can add 5-7 drops of essential oil per gallon once the mixture is cool. Cover container and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir before each use, as detergent will gel. -
Powdered Laundry Detergent Recipe
2 c finely grated bar soap 1 c washing soda 1 c boraxMix well and store in airtight container. Use 2 tablespoons for each load of laundry.