Learn how to make homemade elderberry syrup using fresh (or dried) elderberries and honey. (Updated for 2021, since I’ve reduced water amounts and cooking time since my original recipe in 2015.) 😊 Over the past few weeks, we’ve been harvesting from our elder bushes, making lots of goodies, including tincture, oxymel, and salve. Check out my article…
Turn sunny yellow flowers such as calendula, sunflowers, chamomile, and/or dandelions into skin soothing sunshine lotion bars! These sunny lotion bars are infused with a combination of sunflower, calendula, dandelion, and chamomile flowers and the tiniest pinch of turmeric. They’re perfect for rubbing over dry hands, feet, knees, elbows, or other dry spots. The recipe…
This homemade cold process natural shave soap recipe features castor oil and rich butters to make a bubbly, creamy, moisturizing bar! While I have recipes for making dual lye shave soap on my site, some have asked for a simpler shave soap recipe that uses just one type of lye, so I was excited to…
Infuse Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa) flowers and leaves in oil, then combine with shea butter, to make a super-healing hand butter for dry, chapped, or achy hands. Smooth this rich butter over dry, sore hands at night and wake up to softer skin! Featured Ingredients Shea (or Mango) Butter – protects and smooths chapped or…
For this recipe, I gathered bee balm flowers and leaves, dried them, then made an oil infusion and a tea. I also had some additional bee balm infused honey on hand (it’s a good herbal remedy for sore throats), so added that to the mix as well. Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), also called wild bergamot, is…
Learn how to make old-fashioned-style pine tar soap with melt and pour soap base; no handling of lye required! Old-fashioned pine tar soap (and pine tar salve) is often used by those with difficult to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and other dry, itchy, flaky skin conditions. While I have a recipe for…
Covered in itchy insect bites? This article is filled with all natural remedies and things to make for bug bite relief! It’s summer time which means lots of outdoor fun in the sun, but also – pesky bug bites! I’ve tried all sorts of natural ways to get bug bites to stop itching over the…
This cold process herbal soap recipe features an infusion of yarrow – an herb that’s excellent at calming irritated and itchy skin. It’s naturally colored with French green clay, palm free, and vegan! When yarrow flowers are at their peak, and there’s plenty for me and the pollinators to share, I like to gather some…
This melt and pour soap is 100% naturally colored with sunflower petals! Sunflowers are often added to body care products for their skin-conditioning properties, but they also add a gorgeous natural yellow color that will last for many months. If you’re new to infusing melt and pour soap with fresh herbs and flowers, this is…
St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a pretty yellow flowering plant that’s considered a noxious weed in several states, but is well-loved by herbalists! Besides using it for tinctures and liniments (like this herbal liniment for varicose veins & muscle pains), it’s also wonderful to infuse into oil for salves and lotions. If you don’t…
Learn to make an all-natural witch hazel + herbal liniment can be used for varicose veins, muscle pains, strains, and aches. This recipe was kindly shared by Dawn Combs, author of the book, Heal Local. It’s a great book centered around 20 homegrown or regionally sourced herbs that you can use to build a complete…
Learn tips and tricks to help you stamp soap of all kinds: cold process, hot process, and melt and pour! Using a decorative stamp is an easy way to personalize an otherwise plain bar of soap. However, there’s a little bit of learning curve when you start stamping, so these tips and tricks should help!…
Soap on a rope is an easy and fun way to dress up an otherwise plain soap. It makes a great gift too! The examples shown in the photos are made using chaparral herb infused soap base, from my Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soap print book, but you could use this same idea with…
Learn how to make an effective natural deodorant using magnesium hydroxide powder and flower-infused coconut oil. If you check out the label of your favorite natural deodorant, you’ll most likely notice magnesium hydroxide in the ingredients list. Magnesium hydroxide is a mineral used in natural deodorants to neutralize body odor and is the star of…
Learn how to make charcoal pencil lines in melt and pour soap. (It’s easy!) Charcoal pencil lines are a design technique used to create a striking line of separation between layers of soap. While they might look tricky, they’re actually quite easy to make! (Want to make pencil lines in cold process soap instead? Check…
These simple but effective facial cleansing grains feature rolled oats, dried lavender flowers, and a small amount of gentle clay. Cleansing grains are ultra simple blends of ground herbs, flowers, grains, and other goodies that are beneficial for your skin. This recipe highlights the soothing nature of oats along with the calming properties of lavender,…
This salve recipe combines anti-inflammatory turmeric with pain relieving menthol to create an effective salve that can be rubbed into sore or achy joints, backs, feet, or wherever you have pain that’s relieved by a deep cooling sensation. Today I’m delighted to share a recipe that my daughter created! For many months, we’ve been working…
In this article, you’ll learn how to make three herbal salves featuring mullein infused oil: Basic Mullein Salve – for dry, chapped, or cracked skin Mullein First Aid Salve – for minor scrapes, scratches Mullein Chest Rub – for respiratory support Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is an herbal weed you’ve likely seen growing on roadsides…
Learn why and how to use honey or agave nectar in soap, how much to use, and tips on using them. Plus, there are recipes for you to explore! Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture, and it helps to soften rough or damaged skin. In soapmaking, honey also has the…
Learn how to resize soap recipes to fit your soap mold; includes step by step details plus helpful screenshots. Most of my recipes are sized to fit a Crafter’s Choice 1501 silicone mold, or a homemade wooden version of similar size. What if you have a larger or smaller mold, but want to make one…