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…
Traditional castile soap is a gentle mild soap made with 100% olive oil, with a low creamy lather. By adding a small amount of castor oil to the recipe, we boost the bubbles while still retaining the mildness that makes castile perfect for those with super sensitive skin. I chose chamomile for this recipe because…
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,…
A few years back, I wrote a blog post about Selling Handmade Products, where I covered some of the most frequently asked questions I received on the topic. In it, I mentioned that I’d personally stopped selling handmade items because blogging was more profitable and less labor intensive, which resulted in a lot of emails…
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…
Here are over 10 creative ways to use calendula flowers for skin care and health! I’ve also included a free printable reference sheet about growing and using calendula flowers. Just scroll down and click on the thumbnail to open. (No email signup required.) Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an easy to grow herb whose flowers are…
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…
This fall favorite soap is made with real pumpkin puree and features a spiced layer that’s deliciously scented with coffee, cinnamon and clove essential oils, and highlighted by two contrasting pencil lines made of cocoa powder. It’s a brand new addition to my Soapmaking Success e-course, but was so well received by local friends and…
Before you can begin making soap at home, you need to gather some specific pieces of essential equipment. Below, I’ve assembled a list of must-have tools for soapmaking, followed by a couple of extras that are also useful to have on hand. 1. Scale This doesn’t have to be super expensive. Check the kitchen supplies…
After my new book, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, came out, I started getting a lot of questions asking where I bought the variety of molds used to make the soaps in the book. So this week, I rounded up a list of 15+ soap molds that I’ve personally purchased, used, and found to be both…
These honey caramels were inspired by a jug of freshly pressed apple cider from our local orchard. I loosely based them on a family favorite honey cream caramels recipe, but instead of using heavy cream, I used half as much apple cider. They were so delicious that they were eaten up within 24 hours! If…
This soap recipe was inspired by a trip to my local apple orchard on a beautiful fall day. It features freshly pressed apple cider (unsweetened apple juice could work well too), along with the subtle warm spicy scent of essential oils. While the scent of the apple cider won’t make it through to the final…
This vinegar based liniment, or rub, can help relieve some of the pesky itchiness that chiggers and mosquitoes can inflict. Roses are included for their anti-inflammatory properties, plantain for its skin-soothing benefits and yarrow for its antiseptic action. Vinegar and witch hazel act as the solvents that extract and carry the benefits onto your skin….
This echinacea salve is made from the leaves & flowers of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). 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…
Have a bunch of lavender from your garden, local farmer’s market, or a trip to a lavender farm, but not sure what to do with it? Here are 10 useful and pretty things that you can make with lavender so you can continue to enjoy it for months to come! I’ve also included a FREE Lavender…
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…
Enjoy these 10 practical ways to use fresh mint from your garden + a free printable reference sheet! Mint is easy to grow and helps cool, relieve pain, indigestion, headache & sore muscles. While peppermint (Mentha piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) are most commonly used, if you have other types of mint such as orange,…
Are you interested in selling handmade products but aren’t sure where to start? Check out these frequently asked questions to get the answers you’re looking for! I frequently get asked about how I got started making and selling handmade products. Today, I’ll answer some of the specific questions on this topic that I’ve received over time….
This herbal shampoo bar recipe combines the simple goodness of chamomile tea with nourishing honey to create a wonderful lathering experience for your hair. (Directions are included for both hot process and cold process soap methods.) Fresh chamomile from my garden, along with a jar of honey from our beehives inspired this herbal shampoo bar…
This classic gentle soap contains finely ground oatmeal and nourishing honey. Its creamy mildness makes it perfect for everyday use by those with sensitive skin. Hot Process Oatmeal Honey Soap Oils, liquid and lye should all be measured by weight. You must use an accurate scale to make soap. Notes & Substitution Ideas: *Yield of…
