Honeysuckle Rose Salve Recipe
This salve captures the essence of two well-loved summer flowers – roses and honeysuckle. Roses are often used in skin care recipes for their cooling and anti-inflammatory properties. Honeysuckle flowers, while better known for treating flu and viruses internally, can also be used as a skin soothing component in skin care formulations. A touch of rose (or geranium) […]
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How to Make Dandelion Lotion Bars
I originally made these lotion bars for my husband. His primary job is as a rock mason and the mortar and rough stone often leaves his hands dry, cracked, and bleeding. At night, I put salve on them, and while that helped a lot, it just wasn’t enough. Lotion bars have a long history of […]
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Lavender Rose Balm Recipe {with calendula}
This lavender rose balm recipe was requested by newsletter subscriber Patti, especially for her mom who gets sore from sitting in a wheelchair. Patti’s mom loves lavender and roses so I combined the two scents together along with calendula in a balm designed to help soothe and heal chapped irritated skin. To get the creamy […]
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2 Gentle Homemade Lotion Recipes for Sensitive Skin
In my last blog post, I mentioned that I’d received several requests for gentle homemade lotion and soap recipes that would be suitable for extra sensitive skin, especially when it’s caused by cancer treatments. I shared some soap recipes in that article, and today will cover lotions. There are two different recipes options provided below, […]
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After Bath Sleepy Time Lotion Recipe {for kids, or all ages!}
This after bath sleepy time lotion recipe was requested by newsletter subscriber Bonnie who was seeking a simple non-greasy lotion or cream, not based on coconut oil, that could be used on a 2 1/2 year old after her bath. She also wanted it to be lightly scented with lavender or a blend of essential […]
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Lotion Bar Sticks for Pain Relief {Arthritis and Achy Muscles}
This recipe was inspired by newsletter subscriber Bonnie, who was seeking a lotion bar in a deodorant stick container for achy muscles and arthritic pain. It features a trio of herbs: cayenne – contains capsaicin which has been shown to offer relief from arthritic and other types of pain ginger – traditionally used to warm, […]
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7 Recipes & Remedies for Dry Chapped Lips
If you suffer from dry chapped lips, try these seven DIY recipes to help soothe, heal and protect. There are many oil, butter, herb and essential oil choices when it comes to making lip care products. If you’d like to further customize these recipes or swap out oils that you don’t have, be sure to […]
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DIY Eczema Cream with Colloidal Oatmeal
This DIY eczema cream recipe features: colloidal oatmeal – soothing, protective and anti-inflammatory (source, source, source) shea butter – emollient, anti-inflammatory (source) sunflower oil – shown to repair skin barrier, improves hydration (source, source) Eczema is a miserable condition that causes skin to be intensely itchy and inflamed. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the […]
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Green Gold Lotion Bars (+ printable labels)
A few weeks ago, I asked my newsletter subscribers for their input on projects that I can make and share throughout 2018. This recipe was inspired by Tree Lady Kay’s request for a lotion bar for some hardworking lawn maintenance men whose hands see all kinds of weather conditions, soil, water, concrete and more. In […]
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How to Package Bath Bombs for Gift Giving {+ label tutorial}
Bath bombs are loved by many and a popular gift to give, but figuring out how to package them can be a pain point. Below, are the methods I use to package both individual bath bombs and bath bomb gift boxes. I’ve also included a video tutorial on how to create personalized labels for your […]
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Grapefruit & Sweet Orange Hand Cream Recipe
Starting this month, and going forward into 2018, my goal is to get back to the “mad scientist mode” I enjoyed when my blog was younger. I’ve spent so much time on projects outside of the blog, that I kind of forgot the whole reason I do what I do. I love making products that […]
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Nourishing Rose Hand Cream {2 Versions}
Recently, a nurse I know asked if I could make her a hand cream. Because she has to wash her hands so frequently, they’d gotten really dry and cracked. She requested a rose or honeysuckle fragrance, but since it’s hard to naturally capture the scent of honeysuckle, I went with rose. Below are two versions […]
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How to Make Your Own Lip Balm Recipes
A Complete Guide to Make Your Own Lip Balm Recipes – Learn about which oils, butters, herbs & essential oils to use to design your own custom lip balms from scratch! If you look closely at the homemade lip balm recipes that I’ve shared to date, you’ll note that they have similar ratios of oils, beeswax, […]
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Flower Garden Bath Soak Blend
This beautiful soak, filled with colorful flowers and a pretty floral scent, is reminiscent of a walk through a flower garden on a lovely spring day. You can use any combination of dried flowers that you like. For this batch shown, I used cornflower, rose and calendula. (You can also find this recipe in my […]
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Sore Muscles Soak with Epsom Salt & Herbs
This bath helps relax tense, sore muscles, yet doesn’t leave you smelling of a medicinal vapor rub. The aroma will soothe frayed nerves, but won’t lull you to sleep. It’s useful to relieve soreness and aches and pains. It also smells fantastic and is just the thing to use next time you feel a little […]
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Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) Oil & Salve
This echinacea salve is made from the leaves & flowers of purple coneflower (Echinacea pupurea). It’s simple to make & handy to keep in your first aid kit or backpack while hiking and camping. In his excellent book, Making Plant Medicine, herbalist Richo Cech mentions that a salve made with dried echinacea flowers and leaves is […]
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Rose Petal Salve Recipe
This rose petal salve recipe is made with real rose petals along with rosehip seed oil, which has amazing benefits when applied to mature, sun-damaged, dry, or irritated skin. Today’s project is Rose Petal Salve! I like to enrich this salve with Rosehip Seed Oil which is well known for its anti-aging and skin healing […]
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Elderflower & Rosehip Salve
This salve features elder flowers, which are an old-fashioned remedy for softer, more evenly toned skin. Elder flowers are also traditionally used to heal scrapes, scratches and wounds, and as a treatment for dry skin. I like to include rosehip seed oil in this salve, for its well known effectiveness against scarring, wrinkles and signs of aging. The […]
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Dandelion Salve Recipe {for sore muscles & chapped skin}
Learn how to use common weeds growing in your backyard to make a dandelion salve that’s useful for sore muscles, achy and arthritic joints, and rough chapped skin. Dandelion salve is especially ideal for those who work outdoors and with their hands a lot! Dandelions are one of my favorite plants! They’re the epitome of […]
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