Scrub instructions

[ebarnes]

When making your scrubs do you mix the FO w/the sugar then add the oils or do you pour the oils (already mixed with F/O) over the sugar? I ask b/c when mixing the FO w/sugar the sugar seems to expand or become puffy. I guess it depends on perference.

[TheQueen]

I mix all the butters, oils and other ingredients together, mix well, add the FO and preservative, mix extremely well, then add the sugar TO the melted oils, etc. last of all and mix well with my stick blender.

[gippersmom]

Hi, I'm kinda new at this stuff...I was wondering what temp the oils have to be at before you add the sugar, and on another thread I thought I read where some people were beating their oils and stuff to make it whipped?? Then do they add the sugar?? Sorry, I'm confused, because I was reading about scrubs, and I think I got mixed up into lotions too...lol. Then you let it sit, but do you stir it occasionally? Thanks for your help!

[TheQueen]

After the solid butters have melted, I put the container in a large tub filled with ice cubes, add the liquid oils and stick blend the dickens outta them. After they begin to thicken (and have cooled, of course) I take them out of the ice bath and add polysorbate 20, preservative and FO. Sugar goes in last of all so the butters/oils are relatively cool at that point. I usually pour immediately into my containers and let it set up, which takes a few hours, so don't panic if it's still a bit runny for a while.

I do NOT bother to whip anything other than blending with the stick blender until everything is mixed very very well. I hear of so many that whip theirs and then once in the container they fall flat. Don't have an explanation for that, but my thinking is "why bother?"

HTH

[gippersmom]

Thanks queen! That is exactly how I did it! (Whew!) I was starting to wonder if it was supposed to be looking like grits or cream of wheat....or was it supposed to be more slushy. Now I am a little concerned, cause I read that it does tend to harden or stiffen a bit....I hope I didn't put to much sugar in it, because I know I put the same weight of sugar, that I had in liquids. It actually was not runny at all, it looked kinda like cake frosting, and when I got finished adding the sugar, and the FO, OMG, it smelled good enough to eat! I had to yell at my kids, "THIS has POISON in it...it is NOT food!!" Wonder if poly 20 will kill ya? OMG...I just realized, you said all the things I put in my recipe....I didn't have cetyl so I upped the stearic and added poly20. I used germall plus because that was all I had for a preservative...everything else will be here on Friday...along with my new scale that isn't retarded like the one I have now that weighs to the .5 gram...sheesh..that was interesting.

Anyway, Queen, you are such a lifesaver! I have been so distraght over trying any of this new stuff...and I joined a forum where, well, let's just say, I Felt like I showed up in daisy duke shorts for cocktails on the whitehouse lawn...I was really afraid to ask for help, because I saw so many people just shredding others who asked for help. Anyway, I am glad I came here....you have been soooooo helpful, I wish people could nominate each other for badges or something, cause I'd nominate you for being so nice and a big help!

[TheQueen]

I, too, use the same weight sugar as butters/oils, etc. and it will be quite firm in the jars. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE SUGAR SCRUBS. My favorite FO for sugar scrub is Pink Sugar, it just seems to fit it perfectly. I think I know the forum of which you speak. Rhymes with "fish?" While there is truly a wealth of information there, more times than not questions are met with contempt and derision. In my deluded little pea brain the whole point in having a forum of any kind is to ask questions and be given answers to those question so that the members, be they newbies or old pros may be edified.

Please don't be afraid to ask questions and never be afraid to try something new. Worst that can happen? You'll have to start over. But you know what? Even when you mess up it's probably usable for yourself. Just keep plugging away, making small batches of whatever it is, keep careful notes, and most important of all, just plain HAVE FUN.

But, OMG, please don't tell anyone I was nice and just totally RUIN my reputation!!!!!

[gippersmom]

So if the sugar scrub will be quite firm in the jar, will it be scoopable by hand? Or will I need a chisel? And is it safe for me to jar it up now? I noticed that somewhere, someone said to cover it, but not put a lid on it...now how do I do that?

I couldn't agree with you more on the purpose of forums. I also belong to another group that is strictly email updates...I really like it, I have gotten so used to that little group of people, they are all very helpful too, that I had forgotten all about how some people can behave on those huge forums :tiptoe: (and you guessed right, BTW) I did find a bunch of helpful info, but what good does it do me if I am made to feel like I "stole" it? At any rate, I sure like it here. And don't worry, your secret's safe with me, I won't tell anyone that you're nice....

[TheQueen]

Yes, you can go ahead and jar it up while runny; keep it covered but don't put on the lids--the scrub will "sweat" from the residual heat and you don't want that water in the scrub. I just lay some paper towels over it so schmutzes don't get in it, especially while it's still soft. You can put the lids on when it's firmed up and cool, I usually wait until the next day. It will be quite firm in the jar but scoopable with your fingers. Being so firm it will hold up better when you massage your skin with it.

Hmmmm, cute little chisels attached with raffia? Hmmmmmm. I'm likin' that idea . . .

[gippersmom]

Okay, I put it in the jar last night, and I thought at that point I noticed a little separation, but I guess it was just my paranoia kicking in because when I woke up this morning and looked at it, it looked fine (it has the look of homemade german chocolate cake frosting, with the coconut, but no coconut, BEFORE the sugar melts...lol) It sure smells good enough to eat...wonder what poly 20 does to your insides??lol...along with germall and FO...doesn't sound so yummy to me anymore. I stirred it quite often throughout the night and it didn't get hard at all. IT really resembles this stuff the kids get that looks like beads in goo, maybe floam....my son was working on his truck last night so when he came in greasy, I gave him homemade mechanic soap, and then gave him a wad of the sugar scrub to follow up with and he couldn't believe how soft it made his skin! So Queen, your name says it all in my book

The only thing I am wondering, is should I have used all turbinado sugar? Because I did (I have a 50# bag of it my friend gave me...she said, "ewww..this stuff stinks" lol...and I said, "oh it might not be any good, let me take it to my friend who has pigs.... lol, that's what I call my kids all the time) Will it be more/less abrasive by using all turb.? How long should I wait for it to grow things or separate before I can give some to my mom and SIL?

I can't believe I was so scared about making this! It really helped that you shared your ideas with me! Thanks again!

[TheQueen]

Oh, you're too funny! I don't think it will be too scrubby for BODY use if you use all turbinado, but do understand that white sugar will make it look and feel very different since the grains are much finer (that is what I use--all white--but am thinking of a combination of white/turbinado). I don't think I would use a turbinado based scrub on my face because it is a bit more abrasive, but, oh boy would it be great on the rest of me. And I'll bet it is beautiful with turbinado.

You know, when I first decided to make my scrub I waited for nearly a month before assembling all the ingredients and taking the plunge. Then wondered why in the world I had waited so long--it was so simple. And I waited even longer before making lotion. Fear of the unknown, I guess, as I had NEVER done anything like this ever before. But I soon learned, my dear, that it is NOT rocket science. If you can follow a recipe you can do this. Others have graciously shared their knowledge with me and I am happy to pass along what little bit I know to others. Even though I am trying to build a small business with my b&b stuff, I don't believe in keeping the information to myself. After all, there truly is nothing new under the sun. If anyone wants my formulations, hey, they can have 'em. Besides that, I might change it up the next time anyway. So there! :rolleyes2

Please keep us posted on how you're progressing--I LOVE to hear these stories, trials, errors and best of all, the successes.

[gippersmom]

Oh Queen, IYou are so right about sharing knowledge. I would rather be known as "the girl who gave us that recipe" than the "girl who is rude and won't even answer a question"...BTW, I did run into a nice person on that other place...so I guess it isn't sodom and Gommorrah after all...lol..

Here's a good one for ya, I stumbled upon a wonderful way to keep from having to line molds, by making a "reuseable, washable liner". I shared it on another forum, and I figured tons of people would like the idea, but I was kinda shocked that only a few were really interested! I posted where to buy the stuff, and even posted pictures of mine...but it seemed that only a few really wanted to know how to do it! Isn't that wierd? I can't tell you how many people I have talked to that their number one complaint about soap making is their hatred for lining molds with freezer paper! (I haven't lined a mold with paper in 4 months)

I am soooo grateful for those who have shared, because they are the ones that make forums successful. I too am trying to build a small business so that I can support my addiction (soap making...lol) and as for sharing formulas, I would never want someone to give me their secret formula, unless of course they insisted (lol) I personally enjoy taking a basic foundation and tailoring it to my needs, (once I get through throwing up over the stress of doing something new..lol). I usually make it once as directed, get the process down, and then change one thing, make it again...until I finally get to the point where I think it is perfect.

On a funny note...I took some of the scrub over to my mom (she lives next door) and it was in an unlabeled mason jar...I told her, it ISN'T food! I explained it to her...then left..then I called her back and said "you might want to put a label on it what it is, so dad doesn't go in after dinner and think it's apple butter and eat it"...lol.

Ooooh...I got some supplies today! What can I do with.....

cyclomethicone, tocopher something or other(vit e)lol, dimethicone, hydrovance, and isopropyl myristat???? (I gotta stop surfing the net late at night)

[TheQueen]

"I personally enjoy taking a basic foundation and tailoring it to my needs, (once I get through throwing up over the stress of doing something new..lol). I usually make it once as directed, get the process down, and then change one thing, make it again...until I finally get to the point where I think it is perfect"

This is exactly what I do when I come across something that I like (most of the time without the throwing up LOL). The scrub recipe I use was great as originally put together by someone else (and graciously shared with me), but I didn't have all the ingredients so I used what I had, changed some of the percentages and now consider it my OWN recipe. In your late-night internet wanderings go look at Lotion Crafters , The Herbarie, and others that I can't remember off the top of my head. They'll have good ideas for you. You can use the cyclo to make a lovely body spray. I use cyclo, sweet almond oil and fragrance oil to make a great silky spray. Am still tweaking the percentages but basically I use 95% cyclo, 2.5% swo, and 2.5% FO. The FO percentage depends upon the FO you use as some are much more pungent than others.

The majority of folks at that other not-to-be-named forum are probably just like you and me and are willing to help but the few that seem to be the loudest and rudest kinda ruin it for the rest. And don't think your post was unheeded--I suspect there are tons of members that look but don't post their responses. So you may have actually helped far more than you realize than just the few who actually responded. I'm not much of a soaper and will be giving my mold and cutter to my daughter to add to her soaping repertoire. She's a stay-at-home-mom so she has more time to do the FUN stuff than I do since I have to get my fat butt outta the house every day and go to my job. I'm retiring in just under three years (1,047 days to be exact) and I can hardly wait!!!!

[gippersmom]

I have been to lotioncrafters, I bought my scale from them (it hasn't come yet, but will be here monday) Yeah, here's another good laugh for you..when I am making my sugar scrub and I took my percentages I am measuring out my stuff with my crappy little digital quisinart scale, and I needed (example) 42 grams of something...well I hit 40 then it went to 45, and I said, well I must have put too big a chunk on so I Took it off and went back down to 40....I looked at the scale, of course, it goes to the .5 gram....sigh...so I had to spend more time back at the calculator trying to tweak my stinking recipe to be divisible by 5...lol....that was fun. Now I know why everyone said to get a good scale that goes to the .01 gram. I know I won't be trying lotions until that scale gets here. When the scale comes, I think my phenonip is coming with it....I guess I went a little crazy with that late night ordering, I think I ordered preservatives and emulsifiers from every place that was listed on the forums..lol.

I am one of those kind of people, that is kind of like a gnat....you can swat at me, but you ain't gonna get rid of me that easy! (I am working on trying to become something other than a "wax drip" lol....lol...Isn't it funny how I can have such a tough shell about some things, but then I am such a chicken about trying new things.... (Perfect example, when I needed new glasses, I got a two for one deal, so I picked out a pair of glasses exactly like my old ones...and then I picked out the same exact pair for my sunglasses...lol...not kidding, I didn't even know it!) I guess I hate change.

Wow, you are so lucky to be retiring in 3 years!! Are you going to still make lotions and potions, or are you gonna travel, or just sit around drinking mint julips and get fat? lol... Maybe you should get one of those little counter things, that says, only 1,046 days left...My parents have been retired for 15 years, and they do more than I Do!! lol. I just hope I look as good as they do, and can drive, and move around as good as they can when I am that age! (I guess first I better hope I get to be their age!lol)

[TheQueen]

"Wow, you are so lucky to be retiring in 3 years!! Are you going to still make lotions and potions, or are you gonna travel, or just sit around drinking mint julips and get fat? lol... Maybe you should get one of those little counter things, that says, only 1,046 days left...My parents have been retired for 15 years, and they do more than I Do!! lol. I just hope I look as good as they do, and can drive, and move around as good as they can when I am that age! (I guess first I better hope I get to be their age!lol)"

I have one of those countdown calendars on my computer both at home and at work! Sad, but true. As far as what to do after retirement, the fat part is already accomplished, but I'm thinking the mint julep thing is a winner. Thank you for suggesting it! I do plan to do even more with the B&B thing so hopefully my little business will continue to grow. I leave my business cards simply everywhere--on the table at whatever lunch spot I happen to be in, even slipped a couple of them next to the cash register at the nursery we went to this morning LOL. I give them out by the handfuls to everyone I see and it's beginning to pay off. A woman I know is wholesaling my sugar scrub from me so that's a nice little aspect of this business. Anyhoo, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

[gippersmom]

I was thinking of another thing to add to your pre-retirement repertoire, working on a "rich southern accent" lol....You know, learn how to talk like the girls did in Steel Magnolias....it almost sounds like a cross between Rich South and Martha's Vineyard...lol (Maybe you could do that while sipping the juleps!) I just got a mental picture of you sitting on a front porch, with your feet up, sipping juleps, and listening to a record that is saying "Ah paaahhked thuh caaaah in thuh hawbuhhhh"

I put up business cards everywhere too! Funny! My husband says I'm "pimping" myself...lol. I hope it goes really well for you...I was thinking about another lady somewhere else who posted pictures of her craft show tent and set up...she had these really cute shelves, so I emailed her this nice email and asked her if she would mind telling me where she got them, because I felt that imitation was the nicest form of flattery, not to mention the fact that I live in Florida and she lives in somewhere waaay up North where it's probably still snowing...lol. She never answered. Oh well. It was only a shelf for Pete's sake, not her grandma's secret recipe for removing toe jam! Anyway, I figured out my own thing, you know, necessity is the mother of all invention, and I must say, I have a very cute little setup. I am a little bit of a freak about things coordinating and matching perfectly...I think I put as much thought into what fabrics to use for my table cloths as I did which oils to use in my sensitive skin soap!

I have a report card on the scrub. Of course, I love it, so does my daughter, 2 friends came over and they loved it, my son's GF came with one of her friends (who licked it, even though I said, don't eat it) you see, you can tell people, and they just don't believe you, like when Suave came out with that strawberry shampoo (yeah, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth) I didn't believe something could smell so good and not taste equally as good...it didn't take but one little lick to figure out I was wrong on that one! Anyway, everyone loves it...but my mom says, it is too dry. I'm trying to attach a picture so you can see how it turned out....I told my mom I didn't want it to be runny and drip through my fingers, but maybe I did make it too stiff?? Maybe I should try less sugar in a few and see how that works.

Tomorrow I get the rest of my supplies, and my new scale, so I Will be back in the lab...lol...will let you know how it goes.

[TheQueen]

Hey, Ah've got that southehn accent thang down too as Ah live in Tennessee! And I can tell you this--I AM ALL ABOUT PIMPING MY BUSINESS. Thanks for posting the pic of your scrub--I was right, it IS beautiful. However, I'm a bit confused why your Mom would say it was drying. For heaven's sake it's all oils and sugar essentially. I like my scrub to be rather stiff because it holds up better when you massage it into damp skin. And no, I don't want it running through my fingers either. Just make smaller batches and see what consistency you like best. After all, even the rejects will be mahvelous!

I think we're just the bee's knees!!! Here, have another mint julep . . .

[gippersmom]

Hi Queen! Actually my mom said the mixture was dry, not that it was drying. She felt it should be a little more liquidy, constency-wise. (Don't know how she came up with this idea, as she has never used a sugar scrub) I should have just told her, no it is supposed to be that way so it does't fall through your fingers. LOL. I am going to take your advice and just make smaller batches, OR make a large batch, and then add various levels of sugar to them....that way, she can choose from #1, #2 or #3 jar as to the consistency she prefers. IT could be that after they cooled all the way down, they did stiffen a bit more. I'm not giving up, will be in the test kitchen again today! I can't believe this is the happiest I have ever been that it is Monday! Packages!! Yaah!

[TheQueen]

Actually my mom said the mixture was dry, not that it was drying. quote]

Oops, my bad. Totally misread that, didn't I? Too many mint juleps I suppose. However, she is right that it appears to be kinda "dry," until you scoop it out and then it's simply fabulous. In addition to trying all turbinado in a sugar scrub, I'm going to formulate a coffee scrub using liquid soap that a friend makes. I'll let you know how that turns out. Isn't this just the most fun EVER?

[Dana Mae]

i have nothing to add except that i am immensely enjoying this thread! I just love this forum ...you peeps are marvelous!

dana

[ebarnes]

can someone answer my question please

[kandlekrazy]

can someone answer my question please

I do believe Queen answered it in her answer to another member.

After the solid butters have melted, I put the container in a large tub filled with ice cubes, add the liquid oils and stick blend the dickens outta them. After they begin to thicken (and have cooled, of course) I take them out of the ice bath and add polysorbate 20, preservative and FO. Sugar goes in last of all so the butters/oils are relatively cool at that point. I usually pour immediately into my containers and let it set up, which takes a few hours, so don't panic if it's still a bit runny for a while.

I do NOT bother to whip anything other than blending with the stick blender until everything is mixed very very well. I hear of so many that whip theirs and then once in the container they fall flat. Don't have an explanation for that, but my thinking is "why bother?"

[TheQueen]

can someone answer my question please

I mix all the butters, oils and other ingredients together, mix well, add the FO and preservative, mix extremely well, then add the sugar TO the melted oils, etc. last of all and mix well with my stick blender.

I guess you missed this--it was directly under your original post.

[TheQueen]

i have nothing to add except that i am immensely enjoying this thread! I just love this forum ...you peeps are marvelous!

dana

Why, thank you! This is truly what a forum is all about--the free exchange of ideas and having a really good time while doing it!!! Pass the mint juleps . . . :highfive:

[gippersmom]

Queen, you better slow down on those juleps, isn't that your third one? As usual I agree with you on the forum! I love it too! I've already learned a lot not just from this thread, but from other threads as well (like how to keep your tent from blowing away at shows) I had my own idea, but learned there actually might be a better idea than mine, can you imagine?? LOL..

[TheQueen]

Queen, you better slow down on those juleps, isn't that your third one? As usual I agree with you on the forum! I love it too! I've already learned a lot not just from this thread, but from other threads as well (like how to keep your tent from blowing away at shows) I had my own idea, but learned there actually might be a better idea than mine, can you imagine?? LOL..

Now if someone will just tell me how to keep our tent from blowing away at the beach! :undecided First time it happened we found it about a hundred yards down the beach in a fenced construction area. We left it. Or keep it from being STOLEN. Yes, stolen. Right out from under us practically. Last summer my daughter woke me up early early on our last full day at the beach to show me that our tent was gone. I'm sure it was the rowdies in our hotel. Gone, I tell you. Too many mint juleps, I guess . . .:spit:

Oh, my Darling, never ever admit someone has a better idea than yours. Just smile and say "That's nice."