Lotion Making Time

My bottle is empty!  

  

This bottle originally had some natural lotion in it that my daughter gave me. I pushed the plunger and put some in my hand, GAG! It was rancid! No lie!

I didn't tell her for a while because I didn't want her to feel bad. Instead I emptied the container, washed it extremely well, and made my own!

Alas, I just ran out, so here I go, it's lotion making time!

Lotion making isn't hard at all, the secret is having the right ingredients, if you live in a big city the chances are you can find a place that carries the stuff you need. If not, do what I do! Order online! See my links for suppliers!

Hand and Body Lotion-98% Natural

Sterilize First!

Before you begin make sure that you have a good sterile environment. Use gloves and a small amount of food safe bleach and water(1:4) to clean any bowls or pots you may use. I'm not a big fan on the use of bleach because the bleaches out there aren't pure sodium hypochlorite anymore. You can also use steam, peroxide and even high proof alcohol. Start as sterile as you can as a good precaution. Use glass, porcelain or stainless steel to mix in. If adding water make sure it's clean. Make sure whatever container you pour it into has been sterilized as well.

Get a good emulsifier!

I tried using beeswax & borax and couldn't get a good emulsification, I also tried beeswax and potassium sorbate, and I tried lecithin. I had too many problems! Oil is too precious to waste, so get yourself some emulsifying wax! Lotion making suppliers also carry:

• Palm Stearic (vegetable based Stearic Acid) and Cetearyl Alcohol (vegetable based emulsifying wax)
• Palm Stearic, Polysorbate 60, and Cetearyl Alcohol
• Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60 and Cetearyl Alcohol
• Sorbitan Monostearate, Polysorbate 60

Figure out which one you like the best. For me, I just use the ewax! :) Oh and a quick note, those wonderful stick blenders aren't so wonderful for lotion. They put too much air into the mixture, better to go with a slow hand mixer or stand mixer!

Preservatives? Absolutely!

You also must add some type of preservative to be safe. If you mix a lotion with no preservatives in it, you risk all types of infection-staff, yeast, fungi, bacteria, molds. It isn't worth it believe me! I'd also go with a newer type of preservative the Germaben, Germaben II, Phenonip, Methyparaben and other types such as Germall and LiquaPar Oil have been tested and found wanting, thus the upgrades. I personally use optiphen plus and have never had any issues. You can go to LotionCrafters online, Ingredients to Die For, Wholesale Supplies Plus or Camden Gray for good preservatives. I you seek you will find Citricide, Cosmocil CQ, Optiphen Plus or Geogard Ultra at low cost. A small bottle will last for many batches of lotion! Stay safe! You can honestly say you're making 98% natural hand lotion! :)

Natural preservatives are mostly antioxidants and will only last 3-6 months at best and they can still fail.  

They include: 

• Benzoin Powder (never more than  .25%)-can be a skin irritant
• Ceylon or Cassia Cinnamon-works best combined with Potassium Sorbate (add a dash to 1/4 teaspoon of each)
• Citric Acid-add to water after it is cooling, right before mixing oils .05-.3% This keeps the PH of the lotion lower.
• Geranium Essential Oil-1 drop per every 2 oz of lotion, add it during the final mixing stage right before bottling.
• Goldenseal, or Grapefruit Seed Extract-.5-1%-add it during the final mixing stage right before bottling.
• Green Tea Extracts-.5-3%-add it during the final mixing stage right before bottling.
• Rosemary Oil Extract-not the same as Rosemary Essential Oil, it is very thick and overpowering! - add at .1-.5% during the final mixing stage right before bottling.
• E T-50 Mixed Tocopherol Oil-add at .05-.5% -add it during the final mixing stage right before bottling.

It's your lotion so you decide what goes in it. Just be safe!

Thickeners and other add ins:

You can also use thickeners, stabilizers and all sorts of add ins like hydrolyzed silk, botanicals, oat protein, corn starch,arrow root-tried it, eh, I didn't see any difference, dimethicone, and on and on! I got lost looking at this stuff and went with NO add ins! LOL! Google it and you will see what I mean! You could spend a fortune and end up with a totally non-natural lotion! Pass! I can buy that in any store- ;)  Give me fresh goat milk or hemp milk and I'm good!

Okay we're all set!

Sharpen up your calculator, here is what I use for my lotions:

Ingredients: (use weight not volume)

• 30% of any type of oils (Shea, Coconut, Olive, Argan, Sesame, etc.)
• 60% liquid-can be tea, water, aloe vera, milks
• 8% Emulsifier (you can adjust this 5-8%)
• 2% Preservative

Directions:

1. Melt/warm your oils and ewax and bring to 170 degrees C in a clean glass, porcelain or stainless steel pot. Hold for 20 minutes.
2. Heat your liquid solution 170 degrees C, if using tea let it cool to this temp. Use a thermometer if in doubt! Hold for 20 minutes. (I use a point and aim digital thermometer from Harbor Freight)
3. Pour your oils into glass mixing bowl or stainless steel pot ( I have a great set from Harbor Freight), set your mixer at a low speed and slowly pour the hot liquid in. I use a drill and paint stirrer.  (you can also use a blender)
4. Continue mixing for a few minutes. Take breaks and keep mixing until the lotion cools enough to add  your preservative. You should see a nice thin lotion. Keep covered in between to keep it from losing too much liquid through evaporation.
5.  Add in your preservatives (your preserverative will have a temperature its safe to add-I use Phenoxyethanol/ Caprylyl Glycol/ Sorbic Acid which is safe to add at 140 degrees). Stir manually to get any air bubbles out of the mixture.
6. Once the mixture has cooled enough for your bottles (my bottles handle 120 degrees without problem), measure out your portions, add your fragrance oils and pour it into your bottles. I use plastic measuring cups to add the fragrance and pour from. It will thicken more as it finishes cooling. Watch for separation and shake bottles if necessary.

Usually good for 1-1.5 years from make date.

My hands and body are happy again! Yay! 

There is an eye make up remover I make that works great too. It contains:

• aloe vera 
• witch hazel 
• a tiny amount of sesame oil (it is lighter than most oils)

Fill bottle 45 % with aloe, 45% witch hazel and 10% sesame oil.

To use: shake vigorously and put a few drops on a cotton ball. Use on closed eyelid to remove waterproof mascara or lips to remove 24 hour lipstick. Wash face as usual.

It works great on my waterproof mascara.  I use very little oil in the mix because there are little bugs that eat oil called mites. Most people have them. Google eyelash bugs it if you don't believe me! If I can find an ingredient that works that isn't an oil I will use it! Wipe away make-up, then you can wash your face as usual with your all natural soap! If you don't have some go visit my Ebay or Etsy store for a good soap! :)



See ya soon!


Marla
MJR Soaps


Update: I started using Norwex in 2014 and have no need for any type of make up remover! They have microfiber make up remover wash cloths that work excellent! I use the cloth and then wash my face as usual. I can go soap free too if I want but I like how my skin feels using my aloe hibiscus soap! Check out Norwex-it's still fairly new to the USA.

Ahh Pumpkin-it must be fall!

Yes it's that time again! Pumpkin soap time! Here is a loaf of Pumpkin Spice Flax Milk Soap. 24 hours from the time I put it together until I removed it from the refrigerator!

And here are a few bars after they were cut a few minutes later, very pretty 

and boy does it smell good in here!

So much to do! I'm uploading a video on how I made this soap, it will be on my You Tube channel once it is finished.It was fun and I can hardly wait to try it our! October is right around the corner-yippee!

Hope you're having an awesome day!

Marla

MJR Soaps

Pumpkin Spice Flax Milk Video

Oh and if you'd love to have some go here: Etsy Flax Milk Soap Listing

Lining Soap Molds

Taking the horror out of lining a soap mold

When I first started making soap I used Parmalat Milk boxes because they are the perfect size and shape for the perfect size bar of soap-they even release the soap because the inside of the box has a nice lining. They make adorable soaps!  The problem is they only did 5-6 bars of soap at a time.

So I asked my talented husband if he could make me some "cool" soap molds that fold down. I showed him some online that were over $100. He said, "Okay, I can do that and for a whole lot less money".

 I was so excited when he made them!! Then came the horror, the unthinkable! 

How do I put soap in them and get the soap out? What do I use to line them with? I had no idea!

First I tried Vaseline on the sides and bottom because I'd read that mineral products do not saponify during the gel phase. This is what happened:

As you can see I had some trouble with that one! My husband had to help me get the sides to "unstick" The soap still was pretty though!

Coconut Chocolate Swirl

Next I tried parchment paper, the soap released but ended up with vertical lines along the bottom where the wood grain came through the parchment paper!
I tried

• plastic bags-eek!
•  plastic wrap-too hard to get perfect on the sides!
•  fiberglass-stuck!
•  hard plastic-stuck!
•  rubber-stuck!
•  Laminate-stuck!
•  Silicone-stuck!
• Freezer Paper-works but it has to be measured and cut very precise
• Parchment Paper-works but leaves lines, also has to be measured and cut very precise

 All of them had problems of one kind or another. Lining the "cool new molds" became my nightmare! More than once I ended up messing it us and starting over and over. I got some freezer paper and used a ruler and tried really hard to get it cut just right. Often I ended up wasting paper because one little corner was cut wrong. It made me depressed and just the thought of lining a mold got me tenser than a banjo string!

I started putting a piece of freezer paper on the bottom, and a piece on each side. I figured out I could wrap the ends with plastic wrap and that worked out great. It wasn't ideal, the soap would get around the seams, or the soap wouldn't have good edges. Making soap is my way to relax, it's something I truly enjoy but the lining issue was stealing all my peace and fun! 

Then one day, I had a IDEA!

  "why not just lay it across the middle?" 

It worked! And I could do it in a few minutes with no measuring, with just a few folds it was done! The paper was now under the end pieces and flush against the plastic wrapped ends. I still had some leaks on thinner pours but Marty, my husband, saw me struggle with the mess and took care of the problem! He kidnapped the molds that were leaking and glued some silicone rubber onto the bottoms. Now when I tighten the wing nuts it has a secure seal with NO MORE LEAKS! Yay! Here's a couple videos that show how I learned to line the molds:

Making soap became fun again now that the set up for the molds could be dealt with quickly and easily.

Have you had a bad lining day? Cheer up! You will figure out the answer. :)

Take care and God Bless!

Marla
MJR Soaps

• 
  

Neroli Orange Flax Milk Soap and Citrus Melon Hemp Milk

Using a webcam is new to me....

Just wanted to show you the pretty new soaps I made.  Both are milk soaps, the one I cut in the video is Flax Milk soap with Neroli-which is from the Bitter Orange Tree and Orange Oil from the peels of regular oranges. It smells very sweet light and fruity! The other is more Hemp Milk Soap scented with Grapefruit Ginger and Cucumber Melon. I shorten the name to Citrus Melon. It also smells sweet and light and fruity! My shop smells wonderful. Yum! :)  Both of these are so mild and gentle on the skin. My husband broke out before he started using my soaps, I put him on the Hemp milk several months ago and his skin looks the best it has in years! I asked him what he thought and I got the typical male response, "Well I don't know, it cleans good and seems like it works". That is as close to praise as he gets I think! ;)  Ha ha!

It's been about 24 hours since I made them. They are nice and firm and smell wonderful.  Next time I will record making the soap, I'm still new at doing it myself so please be patient with me, ha ha! I'm sure I'll get better at it!

Bless you! Enjoy the film.

Making some soaps for the fall season

Hello!

Well the Ebay idea has taken off! I went ahead and opened a store with them and am selling a whole lot more regularly and even have some repeat business coming in! :) There is nothing more exciting than when my phone goes "cha-ching" and I know I just sold some soap! I've been keeping my mail lady busy that's for sure! Thanks to a box manufacturer in Louisville and Endicia, I can pack, weigh, print and ship right from home. Endicia has saved me lots of postage and I love that I don't have to have the shipping price on the shipping label.

Today I made more Citrus Melon Hemp Milk soap as I'm down to 4 bars and it is selling well. It is such a skin healthy soap for eczema types of problems, I have had lots of great feedback on the Hemp Milk soaps! My husband is still using it every day and his skin looks really good! For a while he kept breaking out and having odd skin patches here and there but since he started using the Hemp milk soap it's all gone!

As for me, I trade off on the various soaps I have-I love them all! My favorites are hard for me to say because I genuinely love all the different soaps! :) My skin is aging very well, it stays soft and moist. Using home made soap and Argan oil has made the difference for me.

I have been wanting to make some flax soap and today I did it! It was just as easy as making hemp milk soap. No problem! Using coconut, olive, sweet almond, safflower, shea butter and a 1 oz of castor oil to be assured of good bubbles! A very rich nourishing, moisturizing soap. This soap has Neroli and Orange Oil in it along with some peach soap colorant, a pale orange color. Smells absolutely divine! As always, I can hardly wait for it to cure so I can try it! Sometimes I feel worse than a kid in a candy store whose favorite candy won't be in for a month! At least I get to smell it and peek at it while I wait...:)

Flax is good for so many things! Skin, hair, hormones etc. Full of Omega 3's and Lignans to help the hormones in a positive way. I regularly add ground flax seed to my morning Nutribullet. Maybe I should drink flax milk too? I've read many positive reports about it. I'll let you know if I go for it! (At present I drink Almond Milk.)

More goat milk soaps will need to be made as my Apple Cinnamon GM is nearly gone. I adore that soap! Smells so nice and feels so good on the skin! I'm definitely hooked on Milk Soaps of all types!

My Calendula soap is not a milk soap but it too has found a following so I will need to make more of that soon too. It is fantastic for itchy skin and for insect bites! I've used it a lot this summer.. And the Sea Soap  (Kelp Soap) is running low and that is on my to do list as well. I'm happy to be busy and making soap again! Making soap is fun, and always brings me peace. Go figure? Ha ha!

Anyone ever heard of pumpkin vanilla? I'm going to try to find or make a scent like that for the fall season. Pumpkin soap for sure. Last time I made it a hot processed style-it looked like pumpkin bread! Smelled like it too! This time I may make a tiger stripe or layer pumpkin with another color and smell. Still thinking.
I also have lots of fresh basil in my garden and want to make some type of basil soap. Maybe basil extract or basil infused oil. Still thinking. I also have fresh Thyme and am thinking how to use that as well.

Each month I make a tiny container of coconut oil and baking soda to brush my teeth with. I add various things at times. Last month I tried clove oil, the month before that vanilla extract, this month I decided to put a few drops of lemon and vanilla extracts. It smells so nice! The day after I made it something unusual happened-it turned pinkish purple! It still smells nice and works great on my teeth but it is now a plum color! I used Wilton extracts-clear ones. The month I put vanilla in I used ordinary brown vanilla and it never turned any colors. Isn't that odd? Some kind of chemical reaction happening, my teeth have never looked whiter though so I will use it and next month try something else.

Well time for me to get some supper going. Take care and God Bless!

Marla
MJR Soaps