SweetAsPie Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hello Everyone,I've been on the board for a little, but havent had the chance to make anything. But Im ready in 08. I want to start off making body butters, lotions and soaps. Now I need your help. I need a few "simple" recipes to start off. Anyone have any suggestions to get me started? I would really appreciate your help. I want to start getting ready for mothers day. One other question, can someone tell what is the difference between body buffer and body butters? Thank you again for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Welcome to the addictive world of B&B! Body buffer sounds like a scrub to me. Body butter would be a thick moisturizer, usually only oils/butters and no water, though there are emulsified body butters, which are basically very thick creams.I'd say go with some anhydrous (waterless) products first to get the hang of (and get hooked to) making stuff. Water-free means you don't have to worry about preservatives, though for products that have a high chance of being introduced to water (like scrubs - people tend to use them in the shower and dip wet hands into the jar), you might want to put in a teeny bit of preservative just in case.You could try these:Whipped sheaLip balmsBody buttersLotion barsAfter bath oilDry oil spraysBath oilsBath salts/milk bathsBath bombsFacial serumsA quick lip balm recipe:1oz beeswax2oz butter (shea, mango, avocado, coffee..)3oz oil (castor! castor! rice bran, olive, sunflower, jojoba, macadamia...)1tsp flavor or (edible) essential oils (sweet orange, peppermint, eucalyptus...)some vitamin E if you likeYou can adjust this to a consistency you like. Castor gives great glide and a nice shine to lips, you don't need much Other than that, maybe some whipped shea...60-80% shea (or mango) butter20-40% oil (rice bran, jojoba, macadamia, avocado, etc...)1-3% (of total, adjust accordingly) fragrance/essential oilsDifferent oils will have different skin feels, so it's best to research some then experiment!Bath salts are really, really easy.3 cups of chunky salt1 cup of epsom salt1/2 cup of dried herbs1 tsp eo/fo1 cup ground oatmealMix it all up, and you're good to go! I like pink himalaya salt with lavender buds. Makes a pretty effect You can also add a little liquid colorant. A nice teal color with peppermint leaves, 1-2 menthol crystals and peppermint eo also makes a pretty cooling foot soak. Note though, a little menthol goes a LONG way!I also once made a nice, simple chocolate facial masque:1 part cocoa powder2 parts pastel pink or rose clay1 part honey powderThis smells absolutely delicious, though be careful not to get any on clothing! To use, simply mix 1-2 tsp with liquid of choice - water, milk, yogurt, hydrosols, aloe juice, etc (though you could add milk powder straight into the mix, I'm usually too lazy to go down to the kitchen to get fresh milk). Slather on skin, sit back, relax for 15 minutes and rinse carefully once done. Soft, soft skin!Here's one for a nice body oil:4 oz macadamia nut oil4 oz rice bran oil1 oz jojoba oil1 oz avocado oilUnscented, this has a pleasant nutty aroma, but you can add 1-3% eo/fo if you like. It's got a nice silky texture and absorbs quite quickly. If you want it even lighter, drop the rbo to 2oz and up both mac and jojoba by 1oz each. You can also substitute different oils and see what you like. A little cyclomethicone can also help if you feel it's too greasy. If you're using oils with short shelf lives, you might want to add a little vitamin E or rosemary oil extract (ROE).For a light moisturizing body spray, try...60% cyclomethicone38% fractionated coconut oil (or some other light oil)2% fragranceFor a linen or room spray, forego the oil so you won't risk staining Another simple option would be a salt/sugar scrub, just run a quick search, you'll find tons of scrub recipes!You can tweak all them recipes to what you like... and a search will reveal lots more out there! Hope this helps though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 there are many recipes available out there. check out the list at herbal soaps by jr... http://recipes.herbalsoapsbyrj.com/tutorials/body-butters.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetAsPie Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Oh my ladies you have just made my day. I appreciate all your help. Im really excited about making my first body butter and other products... Wish me luck and thanks again for all your help. I ready to get started now... Except for the fact that now Im confused about all the measurings.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 buy a digital scale - you will need to work in weights (except for bath bomb recipes for some reason) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazycacti Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 some of these recipes look great-i should have asked the same question a while ago-i may attemptSilly question about the lip balm-heat like soap and then just pour into tube or tub and let cool?I am a chapstick addict! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jadryga Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 some of these recipes look great-i should have asked the same question a while ago-i may attemptSilly question about the lip balm-heat like soap and then just pour into tube or tub and let cool?I am a chapstick addict!Melt everything, take off heat, add flavor oil or coloring, then pour into lip balm tubes/tubs. For lip balm tubes, try not to fill all the way to the top first, cos as it cools there will be a little sink hole from the shrinkage. After the sink hole forms, you top up a little bit to get a nice, smooth top.There are many ways to fill. The cheapest would be to just use pipettes, but it takes a while to get the hang of it, and if you're not fast, the balm will cool and clog up the pipette. The fastest and easiest would be to get a lip balm tray, so you can pour up to 50 at once!Here's a step-by-step tutorial to lip balm making, with pictures, and good hints and tips:http://soapersworkshop.blogspot.com/2007/10/lip-balm-picture-tutorial.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetAsPie Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Great tips... Thank you... Are the digital scales reasonable and do I have to go to a specialty store to purchase one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottoncandy Posted January 18, 2008 Share Posted January 18, 2008 I too, am still fairly new, about 1 yr. I have a small digital scale that came from Wal-Mart. So far, so good. It will weigh in both ounces and grams. It also has the tare. It wasn't very expensive, around 40-45 dollars I think. Would also like to welcome you to this very addictive world. :yay: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gippersmom Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 I'm going to try some of these too. I am so excited! I already made my first sugar scrub, but I used the wrong preservative, guess I'll have to leave it in the fridge..lol. Anyway, I have a scale, but it goes to .5 grams...that stinks...how would you handle this, other than the obvious, of course, get a new scale (I ordered one, but apparently it has to come from waaay across the country and I won't have it til Monday) I know...I'm impatient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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