elegantnaturals

You will have problems with preservation if you use all coconut milk for the water portion. Try it at a percentage of the water portion, not more than 10%. Even then, you'll need to be scrupulous about cleaning your equipment and area, and heating/holding your water phase. As for preservative, I'd use Phenonip.

You'll need an emulsifier as well otherwise the oils will sit on top of the water and cling to the tub after the water drains.

Start your formulation by looking at this recipe from the Herbarie:

http://theherbarie.com/The-Herbaries-Butter-Cream-Bath-p-73.html

In addition, any kind of foaming is going to include a surfactant. The Herbarie caries a variety of natural-based surfactants including SCI Flakes.

Water

caprylic/capric triglyceride = Fractionated Coconut Oil

glycerin = humectant

C12-15 alkyl benzoate = emollient

glyceryl stearate = emulsifier and skin conditioner

isocetyl stearate =

myristyl myristate = emollient

fragrance = either this is a lot of fo or the following amounts are under 1-2%

hazel seed oil = light non-greasy oil for combo skins

cetearyl alcohol = thickener

polysorbate 60 = emulsifier

dimethicone = silicone/skin protectant

stearic acid = thickener/co-emulsifier

sweet almond oil = medium weight oil

polyacrylamide = Antistatic agent / Binding agent / Film former

shea butter = semi-solid butter

illipe butter = hard butter

honey extract = you can probably use regular honey or Honeyquat here

aloe barbadensis leaf juice = aloe juice not gel

panthenol (pro vitamin B5) = nutrient

sweet almond protein = not sure where to get this; haven't seen it at any supplier yet

hydrolyzed oat protein = protein (think Aveeno)

hydrolyzed silk = liquid silk is the best! (use at 1-2.5%)

tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E acetate) = helps with rancidity and extend oil shelf life

C13-14 isoparaffin = Emollient / Moisturiser / Solvent

ceteareth-20 = emulsifier

cetyl alcohol = stabilizer/emollient

carbomer = thickener

triethanolamine = increases ph of lotion

laureth-7 = emulsifier

BHT = antioxidant

trisodium EDTA = boosts the preservative system effectiveness

phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben = preservative

yellow 5, red 4, blue 1 = coloring

The minimum weights are fairly similar. What's the max weight you're looking for?

For the $40 range, I'd try the ProScale XC 500g. 500 grams is approximately 17 ounces and it's minimum measure is .01 grams

You may want to call Jenny at Lotioncrafter. She's incredibly helpful and will help you figure out the best choice for your needs. HTH

Was it a citric scent? I find that those will typically eat right through plastic. Reminds me of the time I pre-measured my citrus FO's into a plastic dixie cup. By the time I went to pour it into my lotion, it had eaten through the bottom and spread all over the counter. My entire kitchen and clothes smelled like citrus for weeks.

I typically use a max of 1% in leave on products unless the scent is really strong or manufacturer recommendation is lower. For wash off products like scrubs, I'll go up to 2%. For MP soap, its typically the same, between 1-2%. As I don't make CP soap, I can't advise on that point. HTH

I don't believe you can resell the pefurmer's alcohol itself. You can purchase it without a license and mix it up with other ingredients. But it takes a special license to manufacture and sell the actual alcohol. Snowdrift has a great section on what pefurmer's alcohol is and the laws regarding it.

In the right column, half way down the page:

http://snowdriftfarm.com/askthechemist.html

That being said, I've never used it. Sorry. Not that I have anything against alcohol, but I prefer oils.

I do know that most body mists and eo based perfumes don't "stick" because there is, typically, no fixative included in the recipe. Most, not all, fixatives are chemical based. Basically, a fixative will delay the evaporation of the perfume, making it last longer.

You can use glycerin, which should dissolve in pefurmer's alcohol. Other fixative's include benzoin (which is a sensitizer) and other resins.

On a side note, fragrance oils will probably last longer than eo's, which tend to evaporate at a very quick rate.

I've used rose clay, which is a rather pretty pink. I've also tried yellow kaolin. This makes it look like cookie dough. Add some dark chocolate chunks and you have cookie dough scrub! lol

Maybe the ingredients weren't completely mixed together? Sounds like the baking soda got clumpy.

Looks like an emulsified scrub to me. Basically, its lotion/cream without the water portion but with added scrubbies.

Here is a basic recipe to get you started. You can tweak to your hearts content.

50-60% oils

15-20% butters

5-10 % ewax

5-10% stearic acid

1% Phenonip

1-2% fo (if using eo's, use 1%)

Alternatively, you can use 5% Polawax and 2% BTMS. Or add in some cetyl alcohol or cetearyl alcohol for the stearic acid. Since this is a wash off product, I'd stick with the less expensive stearic acid.

Add sugars at ounce for ounce of scrub mix. So if you make 16 oz of mix, use 16 oz of sugar. If you are using other types of scrubbies, add per manufacturer's suggestion (or to your own taste).

HTH

In addition to that, unless you have a nut free home, you cannot guarantee that the product won't have any nut products in it. So, like Carebear said, just make sure to label carefully (which you need to do anyway!)

It looks like chocolate pudding with caramel cubes on top. Gads, where's my choco stash? After seeing your soap I'm craving big time! Great looking soaps!

If you want to use just eo, then go ahead and use lemongrass/peppermint mixture. This is a great hit with those who like balms for dry skin.

If you are going to use fo, then try for something clean like a water scent, spa style scent, or cucumber type scent.

HTH

When using the FCO, does the mix with cyclo/fo become cloudy?

Thanks all! I kept a bottle of it and I loves me some shimmeries! lol And it really smells like summertime in a bottle. Gotta love that CocoBeach Baby from FOH. I just realized I didn't put the scent name on the bottle. Dangit!

Heya, Michi! :wave: Your MIL is right up the road from me! Did she go to the dam for 4th of July?

Thanks! I love making bath bombs. I've only had one batch go bad on me (my very first one) and the rest have been pretty easy. Now that I have said that all the batches I make are going to explode on me! lol

What's wrong with eggs? The meringue powder does have eggs in it but it is hardly the only ingredient. If I don't have to worry about sugar in my bath water, why should I freak out about eggs? Heck, egg whites are great for your skin!

I make bath bombs (pretty good ones, actually) so I guess I can no longer be called the Duchess of de Bath Bomb anymore. *sigh*

There are a couple of recipes that I use, but these ones were created using the following recipe:

Dry Ingredients

l teas. dendritic salt

1 c bkg soda

1/2 cup citric acid

1/2 cup SkinFlow 100 (I used Natrasorb Bath and split it 2:1 with a clay)

1/4 c. powdered buttermilk, or non-fat milk or powdered milk substitute

Liquid Ingredients

1 tsp FO or to taste

1 1/4 Tablespoons fractionated coconut oil

1 1/4 tablespoons glycerin USP

1/2 teaspoon silk protein

1/2 teaspoon polysorbate 20

They take a while to dry (about a week) but the end up being rock hard. You can find the original recipe at http://snowdriftfarm.com/roserecipes.html (scroll down to RoseMilk Tublets).

How foamy does the soapnut powder get?

No worries! I tried leaving my bath bombs in their ornaments but I ended up taking them out too early and little bits were left on the plastic. *sigh* They still work though.

Mine has mango butter and squalane (among others). Are you trying for a real glossy look or a matte look?

Although I don't live outside the USA, I have ordered from Moonglow and thought the shipping was fair. You may want to contact her to see if she can give you a better deal on the shipping. That seems way too high to me. She does very good customer service.

From what I've read, soapnuts are very effective cleaners. You can buy them whole (heck, even Safeway down my street carries it!) and grind it into a powder using a coffee grinder. The more surface area the better to release the saponins from the shell. Also, using warm water will release more saponins.

Lavida, did you get the soapnut shells and grind them up or did you use the extract? I'm wondering how much you would need as a percentage of the total recipe (face care, hair care, etc). TIA

Jaybyrd,

If rice can keep the salt in my saltshaker from clumping in humid weather, than I assume it can do the same for bath bombs. That's actually a clever idea! Do you find, though, that the rice makes indentations in your bombs?

Great tip!

Sorry about posting so late. I just got back from a conference. That sheet is actually an apple holder that I snagged from my local grocer. They were just going to throw it away! I figure if it can keep apples in place...