These cheerful little sunflower soaps are palm-free and naturally colored with lemon peel powder. I scented mine with a bright blend of mostly citrus essential oils, but feel free to use other scents in their place, or leave them completely unscented. Because I have lots of sunflowers blooming now, I incorporated some into this batch. You don’t have to include the flowers in your soap, but if you’d like to, there are two ways to go about … Continue reading
Today, I have the great pleasure of sharing this lovely recipe created by one of my favorite bloggers, JES from the Pilgrims & Strangers on Earth blog. It features: lemon-infused oil coconut oil beeswax and honey The directions are excerpted (with permission) from her wonderful new ebook that’s filled to the brim with creative ideas for using fruit peels! 100+ DIY Projects to Make With Fruit Scraps An Old Fashioned “Waste Not, Want Not” Recipe and Resource Book I love this bit … Continue reading
This lotion features a quartet of essential oils selected to help calm nerves and uplift the mood. I also incorporated a bit of magnesium oil into the recipe, since it’s such an important mineral to support our nervous system; we all could use more magnesium in our life! If you don’t want to include the magnesium oil, if it’s out of your budget, or you find it too drying for your skin type, feel free to use more distilled water … Continue reading
This simple herbal syrup recipe combines calming herbs with raw honey, creating a tasty and effective dose of natural stress relief. It features: Lemon Balm – which acts as a mild sedative, helps calm nerves & improves mood (two interesting studies HERE and HERE) St. John’s Wort* – a proven antidepressant and mood lifter, also helps with chronic pain & nerve damage (multiple studies to explore HERE) Ashwagandha – an adaptogen, when taken over time can help calm nervousness … Continue reading
Roses are one of my absolute favorite flowers to make things with! Besides being enjoyable to look at and smell, their cooling, soothing, anti-inflammatory and mild astringent properties make them ideal ingredients in many body care products and herbal remedies. In this blog post, I’ve gathered 10 pretty project ideas you can make, but if you’re looking for even more creative ideas, be sure to check out my newly updated eBook, Things to Make With Roses. It includes 40 … Continue reading
Plantain is a common leafy green weed found all over the world. If you have a yard or have visited a park before, you’ve likely spotted or stepped on plantain! Like most things deemed as “weeds”, plantain offers an array of good-for-you benefits. According to Richo Cech, author of my well-loved and oft-used copy of Making Plant Medicine, plantain is specific for treating skin problems such as acne or eczema. It’s also antiseptic and astringent and is the … Continue reading
This simple natural soap tutorial was created for those seeking an uncomplicated basic recipe, making it perfect for beginning soap makers and those with multiple skin sensitivities. It features: lots of olive oil, for its gentle, skin-conditioning properties coconut oil (or babassu oil – if allergic), to add hardness and bubbles castor oil, to help promote a better lather For this project, I used a small 4-inch silicone loaf mold that yields 4 bars of soap, so it’s … Continue reading
