These cute mini seashell soaps can be used as guest soaps, or packaged up for gifts or seaside wedding favors, but I especially like them as toppers for the Easy Beach Bars recipe, also found on this site. To make them, you’ll need: melt and pour soap base, mini seashell molds, rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol, and…
Here’s a easy henbit salve recipe that I created for my sore knee – it can be used for other aches and pains too! I have a finicky knee from years of unknowingly hyperextending it, plus doing knee lunges incorrectly. Every so often, it flares up as an aching stabby pain. Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) is…
This homemade magnesium lotion features stinging nettles (Urtica dioica), an herb that fights inflammation, plus cypress essential oil which gently warms and stimulates circulation – making it useful for those with sore muscles, restless legs, leg cramps, or arthritis. Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click on one and make a…
Convenient, condensed, and with a bonus free printable reference sheet, here’s how to grow 14 common garden vegetables, all in one handy place! Beans/Wax Beans Dry beans, fresh shell/shelly (also sometimes spelled as shellie) beans, wax beans, and green beans are all sown in the same conditions, as they are all Phaseolus vulgaris, otherwise known…
Today I’m excited to share a wonderful cold process turmeric face soap recipe with you! It’s straight from the pages of the gorgeous new soap book by Simi Khabra, of Muddy Mint Soap Co. I’ve long been a huge fan of Simi’s beautiful natural soap creations and am so excited about her book! Everything from…
Here’s a cold process soap recipe that combines beeswax and honey! When added in small amounts, beeswax helps harden your soap, makes your bars last longer, and can reduce soda ash. Honey boosts lather and helps soften and moisturize your skin. Together, they’re a winning combination! Related Articles: How to Use Beeswax in Soap Honey…
Here’s how to add beeswax to your homemade cold process soap recipes! Benefits of Beeswax in Soap Beeswax is a great natural additive for your handmade soaps. Not only does it add label appeal, but it: (Note: These benefits are for cold process and hot process. Unfortunately, beeswax doesn’t work so well in melt and…
Learn how to make this easy diagonal design melt and pour soap recipe using natural colorants and essential oils! This soap features a bottom layer of oatmeal soap base to mimic the desert sand and three vivid warm natural colorants that remind me of a beautiful sunrise. The cheerful citrus scent is a combination of…
Here’s how to make and use lavender tincture! You can use fresh or dried lavender flowers for this project. You’ll also need some 80 to 100 proof vodka, and a half pint or small jar with a lid. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a well-loved herb with anti-inflammatory and skin soothing properties. The flowers (and the…
These homemade lavender lotion bars are so helpful for rough hands or dry, cracked skin. They’re easy to throw together and make wonderful gifts too! I usually make lotion bars with equal parts of oil, butter and beeswax measured by volume, but have also included the corresponding weights in grams, for those who prefer to…
This honey and lavender sugar scrub gently exfoliates your skin, leaving it soft, silky and smooth. It’s especially wonderful to use on your feet, elbows and knees. It’s also easy to make! Some links on this site are affiliate links. That means if you click on one and make a purchase, I may earn a…
How to make a multi-purpose homemade salve using: lavender flowers, oil, beeswax, and lavender essential oil! Lavender salve is a handy remedy to keep around for: This salve is made in two parts. First you make a lavender infused oil, then you melt it with some beeswax to make the salve. Add a little essential…
How to make a gently calming rose glycerite – a natural remedy for nervousness, flushed/upset feelings, or PMS. It can also be used in natural skin care recipes! I’ve discussed various ways of preserving and using roses, but today, I want to highlight how to capture the physical and emotional benefits of the rose using…
Learn all about using rose kaolin clay for natural skin care, remedies, and soapmaking! Plus, you can grab a free printable Rose Clay “Cheat Sheet” for easy reference. Today, I’m trying out a new idea. My Plant Spotlight Printables (here’s an example Calendula Printable, if you haven’t seen one yet) are super popular, so I…
These cleansing shower bars contain mineral rich rose clay and scrubby bits of oatmeal. Though they contain melt and pour soap base, they have a low, creamy lather and are not really a soap, but more of a body scrub bar that you use in the shower. The drawing power of clay combined with the…
Rose lotion bars are easy to make and are fantastic at healing damaged skin. They also make wonderful gifts! To use, rub a lotion bar over your skin wherever it feels dry. They’re especially helpful for spot treating rough feet, knees, and elbows. To make this recipe, you’ll first need to make rose infused oil….
Here’s a recipe for violet leaf salve, which is especially useful for eczema, dry skin, and swollen lymph nodes. While violet flowers are almost gone where I live, the leaves will still flourish in shady spots around my house for months to come. There are about 78 species of wild violets found in North America, plus…
This is a set of printable tincture labels that my husband made for me, and I thought you might like them too! Scroll below and pick any and all that suit you. (No signup required, feel free to share with friends!) This year, I’ve been busy making ALL the tinctures since I didn’t get a…
Here are eight ways to use lilac flowers, plus a free printable reference sheet about growing and using lilacs. The common lilac that so many of us know and love can be used to make all sorts of wonderful natural remedies and skincare projects! Not just a pretty springtime flower, lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are also…
This delicious infused honey was inspired by a favorite recipe, Ginger Lemon Honey Tonic, that I originally shared on this site several years ago. One beautiful spring day when my lilacs were in full bloom, I wondered… what would happen if I used lilac flowers instead of ginger in the recipe? What happened was the…
