These relaxing DIY lavender bath bombs get their pretty natural color from purple Brazilian clay and delightful scent from pure lavender essential oil. The shea (or mango) butter helps to hold the bath bomb together, without the need for a lot of added witch hazel. If shea or mango butter isn’t available, a mixture of 1/2 oz cocoa butter plus 1/2 oz of your favorite oil could work equally well. If you like this recipe, … Continue reading
These natural homemade dog shampoo bars feature neem oil, which is especially helpful at repelling fleas and treating a variety of skin complaints. Since neem has a fairly strong aroma, I also included some lavender essential oil to help mellow the scent and to add a calming note to bath times. After washing your dog with a shampoo bar, follow with a diluted apple cider vinegar rinse (1 part vinegar to 1 to 2 parts … Continue reading
Have a dog with bad breath? Try this DIY doggie breath freshener treat recipe, made with all natural ingredients that are good for your pup! We love to spoil our pets, but our little dachshund’s tummy can’t handle most commercial dog treats. And, let’s face it. “Dog breath” didn’t become a commonly used insult for no good reason. She was in need of a treat to satisfy her snacking urges and a bit of breath … Continue reading
Supercharge your Epsom salt bath with this natural detox bath recipe featuring charcoal infused sea salt, baking soda, and bentonite clay. A natural detox bath is an amazing way to cleanse your skin and refreshen your body. While there are many different recipes that you can follow, this is my favorite one – adapted from the book Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair by Dina Falconi. These types of baths work well if taken right before … Continue reading
While my Natural Soapmaking Ebook Collection continues to be a best seller, I’ve also received a lot of requests from readers wanting to purchase individual items from the set. This weekend, I dug into my online shopping cart system, made some tweaks and changes, and finally made that happen! If you’ve ever wanted to just purchase one ebook at a time from me, then you’re at the right place. Each item is listed separately below, … Continue reading
Jewelweed is an excellent natural remedy for poison ivy, poison oak, bug bites, and general itchy skin conditions. If you’re fortunate to have any growing around you, be sure to harvest some now to preserve for year ’round use! Lately there’s been an increase in reader interest and questions about jewelweed, so I took a quick video clip of how I make “jewelweed juice” to share here on my site. In addition, you’ll also learn … Continue reading
Learn how to adjust for and add lanolin to soap recipes, plus guidelines for using it. Kimberly asked a great question the other day, about how to include lanolin in a soap recipe she’d recently made. She also wanted to try including it in my Dandelion Scrub Bar recipe, but wasn’t sure what changes to make. I thought it might be helpful to type up my answer here, in case anyone else has the same … Continue reading
Lavender flowers are only around for a short time, but there are plenty of uses for lavender leaves! Learn how to harvest, dry & use them in DIY projects. First though, you may wonder – what are the health benefits of lavender leaves? While the leaves haven’t been studied as specifically or extensively as the flowers, “Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) flowers, leaves and oil contain linaloyl acetate, linalool, perillyl alcohol, 1,8 cineole (eucalyptol), and at least … Continue reading
