Only two simple ingredients are required to make these natural skin soothing aloe plantain cubes. Stash them in your freezer and pull out as needed for sunburn, minor scrapes, rashes and other skin irritations. Some links on this site are affiliate links; I only recommend products I personally use and enjoy. As an Amazon Associate, I…
This easy DIY lip balm recipe features dried chamomile flowers, for their skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Castor oil was also added since it gives lip balm a wonderful longer lasting feel and slightly glossy look. If you don’t have any on hand though, you can use more chamomile-infused oil in its place. This lip balm…
Chamomile is a lovely herbal flower, famous for calming upset tummies and gently inducing a sleepy state at bedtime. Something lesser known about it, is that it’s also a great ingredient choice to include in soothing skincare products. Today, we’re going to talk about how to include chamomile flowers in these super easy to make bath salts. (For…
Few things are more uplifting than getting a surprise package in the mail, letting you know that someone out there cares for you! I’ve always loved the idea of sending care packages and when my kids were younger, we’d ship them to shut-ins we knew of. Somehow though, I let myself get too busy-feeling to do…
This is a hand salve that I made for my mom, an avid quilter. Originally, I wanted to make her a quilt block soap to match, but that proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated, so I haven’t gotten that part quite yet! (Fun fact: My mom helped me start the quilt in…
This refreshing all-natural cucumber bath soak is super easy and fun to make! It requires just 4 ingredients: fresh cucumber, fresh mint, salt, and peppermint essential oil (optional). Fresh cucumbers and mint leaves combine with Epsom salt to create this lightly scented and refreshing bath soak made from locally sourced ingredients. The salt helps to rapidly…
Dandelion flowers, which are wonderful for treating rough, dry skin, are infused into skin-softening olive oil, then combined with bubbly coconut and nourishing sunflower oil to make this soap. This dandelion soap is perfect for scrubbing away dirt and grime from hands, making it a wonderful gift for the gardener or farmer in your life! It…
Aleppo Soap is an ancient Syrian soap recipe made from just olive oil, laurel berry fruit oil, water and lye. It’s reported to be beneficial for those with skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne and rashes. For more information about the rich history of Aleppo soap, check out this article from Montreal Gazette. True Aleppo soap…
Today’s the day! To celebrate the release of my book, 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home, I put together a little gift for you. I made a mini download that includes 5 brand new, bonus recipes that tie into the overarching theme of the book – things to make from the flowers and herbs that grow around you. Within…
Confused about using natural preservatives in homemade lotion? I was too, so I ran an experiment to see if I really needed them, and which ones really work. Have you ever felt confused and conflicted when you looked up information on preserving homemade lotions and creams? Me too. I want my products to be as…
Have you heard of the Soap Challenge Club? It’s a monthly challenge that you can join to learn new techniques and have fun with your soap making. (Plus, you can win some pretty great prizes!) I’ve been following Amy Warden’s Great Cakes Soapworks blog for a few months now and loved seeing how everyone interpreted the challenge…
This DIY Rose & Chamomile Gift Set would make the perfect handmade gift for the rose-lover in your life! It’s made up of: Rose & Chamomile Bath Salts Whipped Rose & Chamomile Hand Cream Rose & Chamomile Lip Balm The steps listed below are given in the most efficient order so that all three projects should only…
This luxurious face cream features jojoba oil infused with rose petals and helichrysum (immortelle) flowers, along with rosehip seed oil, shea butter and panax ginseng extract. It was designed especially for skin that’s mature and/or on the dry side. Ginseng Extract is a wonderful item that I discovered a few months ago, while browsing around Bramble…
Last January, I asked for your help in deciding which eBook topic I should write about next. The answer was pretty clear, as you can see by the screenshot below! In that very same month, an amazing thing happened. I received an email from a publishing company (Page Street Publishing) asking if I was interested in…
Every spring, I plant one or more pineapple sage plants in my garden. All summer long, I look forward to the flowers blooming since I have a million ideas for experimenting with them running through my head. In late late summer, they start blooming, I start trying out some ideas and then… cold weather and heavy frosts come along and my…
This pretty herbal soap features goldenrod infused oil and tea, plus a design imprint created by using a fondant mat. In September, I wrote a post on using goldenrod, and in it, I mentioned making goldenrod soap. So in this article, I’m going to show how I use two goldenrod infusions to make soap: a water…
This gentle unscented lotion is perfect for those with sensitive skin. I chose avocado oil and avocado butter for this recipe because of how useful they can be for smoothing rough skin. Avocado oil contains essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E, has been studied in a cream for psoriasis (source) and is also a great choice…
Lotion bars are of one of the best treatments around for repairing dry, calloused and sore hands! They also make great gifts for those who work or play hard with their hands. In our house, they’re invaluable for healing the damage that being a rock mason does to my husband’s hands. In this recipe, I combined 4…
This cooling creamy palm free cucumber soap recipe is naturally colored with powerful French green clay and is perfect for those with overheated, itchy, or sweaty skin! This cold process cucumber soap is a palm-free alternative to my original Cucumber Borage Soap. When creating this recipe, I started with my standard base of skin loving olive…
Learn how to make this skin soothing lotion – it’s perfect for smoothing over rough, dry, or flaky skin! Plantain (Plantago spp) is a beneficial green weed that commonly grows in yards and driveways. You can use the leaves to make a fantastic infused oil, that can be incorporated into salves, lotions, creams and soaps. It’s…
