Happy Easter! Kaolin Bath Bombs Recipe

This recipe uses a fabulous British product - Cornish Kaolin Clay - and makes a ROCK hard bath bomb. Perfect for novelty bath bombs such as the massive Easter Egg shell pictured here.  

Colourful & calorie free, this was made using a cracked effect chocolate egg mould (you can now buy one here) which we filled leaving a hollowed out centre.  Doing so enabled us to "fill" the egg with 60mm bath bomb eggs.  The two halves were then simply tied together with curling ribbon so that the inner contents could be seen.

Using the clay appears to speed up the drying time and in turn helped with moulding such a large form.

In combination with Witch Hazel, this is a fairly easy recipe to use for all situations and one that you could adapt to make any kind of bath bomb fizzer.  

INGREDIENTS:

600g Sodium Bicarbonate
300g Citric Acid
50g Corn Flour
75g Kaolin Light BP Grade Clay
10ml Coconut Fragrance (any of your choice)
Acid Red water soluble powder colour
Witch Hazel spritz to bind 

METHOD:

Combine all of the dry ingredients thoroughly in a plastic or glass bowl kept for the purpose.
Add the tip of a teaspoon of powder colour and mix well. The colour will not be apparent until you add moisture, so don't be tempted to add too much.
Add your fragrance whilst mixing constantly with (gloved) hands
Spritz 5 or 6 sprays at a time with Witch hazel, repeating 6 or 8 times or until the mix holds together when pressed in the palm of your hand. The correct consistency is the same as is needed when making successful sandcastles - damp but not over wet.
Press into the mould with fingers, spreading evenly and leaving a hollow in the middle of the mould.
Set aside to dry for 15 minutes before removing carefully and allowing to dry completely (1 hour)

You can of course use the mix in any mould and adapt the colour and fragrance to suit.

Enjoy!



Hand Made Christmas - Solid Lotion Puds

Making a gorgeous gift doesn't come much easier than this...

This is the first item in our mini series that will help you on your way this Christmas.

If you (like we) are determined to have a hand made Christmas this eye catching lotion "pud" is a lovely place to begin.  

In fact, this little recipe will lend itself to use as a lotion bar, bath melt or massage bar.  Only the mould you use will make the difference.  The balance of butters and oils enables the finished product to melt on contact with skin or indeed warm bath water.  So take your pick, adapt the recipe just by choice of mould and make the most of this versatile combination of ingredients.

Using just Mango Butter, Cocoa Butter and your choice of vegetable base oil, this is a cost effective recipe. Whilst we've suggested the Essential Oils used here (which are a wonderful therapeutic combination with a gorgeous aroma), you can of course adapt these to your favourites or substitute a fragrance oil instead.  A great combination would be a designer similar fragrance and a sprinkle of glitter for a lotion bar perfect for the party season.

Ingredients

(to make 4 x 50g puds)

90g Mango Butter

50g Cocoa Butter

60ml Grape Seed or similar vegetable base oil

1ml Rose Wood Essential Oil

0.25ml Tangerine Essential Oil

0.25ml Mandarin Essential Oil

0.5ml Lavender Essential Oil

You will also need; 4 x holly toppers, pipettes, a suitable mould ( for the image above we used a medium paper souffle case) and a heat source.

Melt the butters beginning with the Cocoa butter and adding the Mango as the Cocoa begins to melt.  Use a low heat setting if using a microwave.  Alternatively use a bowl over hot water but please ensure no water or steam enters the bowl of ingredients.  You may also melt directly in a pan. In all cases, ensure that the butters are only heated to the point of "just" melting. Do not overheat and do not leave unattended.

When the butters are liquid, add the base oil.  Stir and allow to cool to the point of slightly thickening.  ( not for too long - you will still need to pour the mix!)

Add the essential oils and stir thoroughly. 

Pour a small amount into each of the cases first and then fill with the remaining mix (doing so should ensure there is no seepage from the cases - this is also why you should not pour at too high a temperature).

Refrigerate until completely cold.

Peel off the cases and insert the holly topper if using 

So that the aroma lasts, wrap in cello bags, cling film or store in an airtight container until required.

Suggestions

To make bath melts select a small souffle case - this will hold around 30g which is sufficient for a bath melt.

To make a massage bar use a plastic or silicone mould with a capacity of around 50-80g.  Cool completely before attempting to remove from the mould.

If you'd like a massage bar that doesn't melt quite so quickly, increase the Cocoa Butter by 20%

Top 5 Tips to Get the Best out of your Soap Moulds - Part 1 - Plastic Tray Moulds

 

Multi Purpose Moulds - the above were all made from the same mould

Some of you know that we now produce our own plastic tray moulds in house.  We've used this style of mould for many years, for Bath Bombs and Soaps as well as melts, shower bombs and the like.

Functional and long lasting, they are a great addition to the Bath & Body crafter's cupboard but as with anything functional, there are ways to get the best out of using them.

As our in house designed & made range grows, we are learning more and more about the do's and don't s and naturally wanted to share with you all.

1) Do not overheat. When using Melt & Pour soap base with your mould, remove the soap base from the heat source and allow a minute or two for the temperature to reduce. Usually, you will be adding colour and fragrance at this point and this time delay will suffice but if you've had to reheat your base, keep this tip in mind. If using melted oils and butters to create massage bars and melts, be especially mindful of the temperature. You must allow the oil/butter to cool before pouring.

2) Always wash your moulds in warm soapy water immediately after use. This is especially important when making bath bombs as the ingredients will weaken the moulds if left unwashed for extended periods of time

3) Do not dishwash or apply direct heat to the moulds. They are plastic and will warp or melt.

4) Take care when de moulding soap.  Most tray moulds will release bath bombs incredibly easily but with soap a number of factors can make de moulding tricky.  Fragrance and colours, additions and layers can all affect the soap itself and make it cling to the mould.  Chilling thoroughly will greatly assist removal of soaps, whatever base you use.  Ensure the soap has had at least 30 minutes in the fridge if it has intricate detail to the mould. You can speed this process by using the freezer but be aware that regularly doing so or leaving the mould for long periods in the freezer will shorten the life of the plastic making it brittle.  Now and then is fine though!

5) Look for the release of air when removing your soaps. Upturn your mould and apply gentle but firm pressure with your fingers/thumbs first in the middle of the soap and then around the sides. You should see the soap release and a pocket of air travel around the mould.  Delicate designs often obscure this so be patient and keep applying firm but gentle pressure until the soap is released.  Do not bend or bash (!) the mould or you will risk permanent damage.

What do you find most helpful when using your moulds? Please do comment below or why not join in the discussions on our Facebook page 
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#NatClean2012 Challenge - Week 5 - Lavender Carpet Freshener

This week's recipe is a really simple one, and our thanks go to Sam who recently reminded us about this fab recipe in a conversation on the Bathbomb.biz Ltd Facebook page.

Using just two natural ingredients you can create your own version of the commercially available carpet fresheners - without chemicals!

All you need is a quantity of Sodium Bicarbonate and some natural Lavender flowers.  Because you can make this ahead of time and keep some for later use, (and we recommend this because the aroma deepens over time) we would suggest that you find a suitable container just for the purpose.  Something like an old ice cream tub or a large coffee jar will be fine.

How much you make depends on the area of carpet you want to clean.  For an average sized rug you will need around 250g of Bicarbonate of Soda and a handful of Dried Lavender.

Simply mix the Bicarb with the Lavender and use immediately.  Sprinkle onto the carpet liberally - if you can leave it overnight so much the better.  If not, try to leave for a couple of hours and then vacuum up.  A definite plus is that your vacuum will also benefit from a Lavender aroma too!

If you don't like the idea of using Lavender flowers, or if you have a particularly light coloured carpet/rug then you can just use Bicarb on its own.

Alternatively add 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil per 250g of Bicarbonate.  Stir the oil through the bicarbonate and leave overnight.  Before use, stir the mix and crumble any lumps.

Again, if in any doubt about the effects on your carpet please do a small test.

We hope you have been finding these #NatClean2012 recipes useful.  If you, like Sam, would like to share a recipe that you've found to be useful, do get in touch.  You can comment here, email or catch up with us on Facebook.

Enjoy :)

Beautiful Bath Melts - More Credit Crunch Beauty

Beautiful Bath Melts

So pretty and so straightforward to make - yes really!  

Melts are an absolute delight for those of us who suffer from dry skin; the butters melt in the bath but will leave a film of skin loving goodness on the bather - just pat dry after bathing and you'll find that you don't need to moisturise.

If you're planning a wedding, these make gorgeous favours.  A single melt can be tied into a small cellophane bag and finished with a piece of curling ribbon. They look fabulous and don't cost the earth.

To make them successfully, you want a mixture that sets up well in the little cases or moulds but that will gently melt into warm running water.

Here is a recipe that will achieve exactly that.  This one makes around 20-25 petit four size melts.  If you want to make more or less simply multiply the amounts up equally.

INGREDIENTS 

Cocoa Butter 100g

Shea Butter      50g

50ml Base oil - vegetable such as Sweet Almond, Grape Seed or even a richer oil such as Wheat Germ/Calendula/Evening Primrose etc

Optional: 2 - 4ml Fragrance or Essential Oil Concentrate

(Use the lower amount where possible; for goods for resale this recipe could be classed as a leave on product due to the fact that the rich butters and oils will adhere to the skin even after bathing.  Pay particular attention to the nature of any Essential Oils you may wish to use.)

25 petit four size paper cases

or

10-15 small paper souffle cases

or 

Small cavity size moulds of your choice

Rose Buds, other dried (plain) flowers/seeds, cosmetic glitters

A teaspoon of Jojoba Beads - coloured - a simple way to add a hint of colour to your melts

METHOD

Cocoa Butter will take the most amount of time to melt.  Break it into small chunks if possible and microwave on half heat for 20-30 seconds at a time, taking care not to overheat.

When the Cocoa Butter is "just" melted, add the Shea Butter. Stir, and return to the microwave for just enough time to melt the Shea.  

Add the Base Oil (and Jojoba Beads if using) and stir, add (optional) fragrance or essentials, stir thoroughly 

If the mix is setting up, return very briefly to the microwave

Pour into your cases/moulds.

EXTRAS

If you want to add a standing rose bud as seen in our pictures, pop your poured melts in the fridge until slightly cloudy but not completely set.  Remove and holding the bud by the flower insert the stalk into the partially hardened melt.  If the melt is at the right stage, this will result in the bud standing up.

Follow the advice above to sprinkle with glitter as this is best done before the melt has completely set but not too soon otherwise they will sink to the bottom.

Bear in mind that whatever is on or in the melts will end up firmly planted on your skin.  A single Rose Bud can be captured... a mountain of glitter cannot :D (ah but for me that's the best bit - getting out the bath all of a twinkle!)

Enjoy! 

PS We supply a kit to make Melts that you can find here 

Welcome to our second Spotlight Feature, your chance to meet some enterprising folk who've successfully turned a hobby/passion into a business.

This month we're saying hello to Chloe... founder of Cheeky Suds

Tell us a bit about you and your business

Hi, I am Chloe and I am the owner of Cheeky Suds which is a handmade novelty soaps, bath and beauty products company based in London. Although I live in London I am originally from Manchester – Northern lass! 

All of my products are handmade by me and currently include novelty soaps, body scrubs, body butters, bath salts, foot soaks, bath creamers, bath melts, bath soufflés, and solid lotion/massage bars.

 Lollipop Soaps!

Most of my products are vegan friendly or can be made vegan upon request and nothing has been tested on animals. My soap products are made using a Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) - free soap base. SLS is known to irritate skin if used in large quantities. As Cheeky Suds products do not contain SLS, they are considered to be suitable for people with sensitive skin.

Novelty Transfer Soaps

How long have you been running your business?

I started the business in April 2011, purely as an online business, but I now also sell at Camden Lock Market in Camden, London and also offer children’s parties either in your home or at your chosen venue.  Children enjoy being able to make natural lip balms, soaps and body treats for themselves.

Bath Bomb Cup Cakes

What inspired you to start creating your own Bath & Body Products?

I have three years’ experience working in sales and as a Recruitment Consultant and nearly eleven years’ experience working within Criminal Justice. My previous work experience was quite stressful and I decided that I wanted a total career change and also that I wanted to do something creative. This alongside my love of cosmetics led me to set up Cheeky Suds.

Chocolate Body Scrubs

What are the best bits about your business?

I get bored easily if I am not mentally stimulated or trying new challenges so I love the fact that there are so many different beauty products I can make and I can experiment with design, scents, textures and ingredients. It's also a great feeling when people say that my products both look good and work well for them. It's like baking a cake or cooking a good meal (I also love food so couldn't resist mentioning it) that people enjoy! It's good to know that my efforts are appreciated and it motivates me to keep doing more.

Selling at Camden Market allows me to meet lots of different people from all over the world and the other stall holders are nice too – it’s important to meet new people now that I am no longer in an office environment. I like having my own business as it enables me to be my own boss and that means I have full control over what I do and make all of my own decisions.

Lip Balms & Butters

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to continue to expand my product lines and reach even more people. I want Cheeky Suds to become a place where you can purchase products to suit all of your beauty needs. I also plan to do more craft fairs and deliver some workshops. In the future I would like to open a Cheeky Suds abroad, somewhere with sun, sea, sand, cocktails and maybe a few (hunky) masseurs to demonstrate how to use my products would be nice!

Whipped Shea Body Butter

What advice would you give to anyone considering starting up?

A couple of wise (and maybe a tad cheesy) quotes are 'You've got to be in to win it,' and 'You only get out what you put in.' I would say that you have to be prepared to work hard and never give up.

The first time I made a sale I was ecstatic and the feeling only gets better from there onwards. There will be times when you feel that it is difficult or you want to give up but you have to keep pushing through these barriers and keep going.

I think that if it is something you are passionate about and really want to do it you should go for it. There is no harm in trying and you never know how well you might do.

Watermelon Soap Lolly (Soapsicle!)

What’s been the most valuable resource for you and your business?

The most valuable resource for me has been the internet. I get the majority of my supplies online and a vast amount of my ideas, inspiration and tips come from there. Online soap making/beauty forums are excellent as I get to communicate with people from all over the world who do the same things as me. I have also received good advice from suppliers such as Bathbomb.biz and from various books.

Doughnut Soaps

Finally, can you tell us about Social Networking and your business?

I am involved in Social Networking on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogging but I have to admit that since being busier I have not had as much time to keep up to date with it all (naughty naughty).  But it is definitely worth working at as you get to meet great people whilst driving more traffic to your website. I think it is an essential tool for anyone that is serious about starting up their own business.

Thanks Chloe, it's been lovely to hear more about you and your business. 

If you'd like to contact Chloe you will find her on

Facebook www.facebook.com/cheekysuds 

And over on her website www.cheekysuds.co.uk

For general (and free!) advice on Cosmetic Regulations, selling your products and sourcing ingredients why not pop over to www.bathbomb.biz









Simple Scrubs

Our feet work hard and it's easy to forget to care for them.  Today's simple recipe is for a reviving Peppermint Foot Scrub that's so easy to make and a real treat to use, there's no reason you shouldn't pamper your feet daily.

Ingredients

50g Pumice Grains
50ml Wheatgerm Oil
50ml Grape Seed or Sweet Almond Oil
0.5 - 1ml Peppermint Essential Oil

Optional

Chromium Oxide Green Pigment (Hydrated) - fabulous colour for this particular scrub, a kind of blueish green that works well with the Peppermint theme.

Method

Use a separate bowl for this recipe; it should be one you're happy to keep for your beauty crafting only.

Combine all ingredients thoroughly - begin with the pumice and pigment if using and then add base oils and Essential Oil stirring for several minutes to combine.

Decant into suitable containers.  Deli pots or PET jars with lids for example.

This recipe will make around 3 x 50ml scrubs.

There's no preservative in this recipe; it's a tricky thing to preserve an oil rich product against water borne bacteria as a result many presevatives are ineffective in this respect.  Hence the making of small batches and using them fresh - a 50ml pot will be used in a couple of weeks in this house. 

Avoid introducing water to the pot and your product will be fine. Similarly if you're not using the product it will keep for many months undisturbed.  When using, don't sit in the bath and put a wet hand into the pot to scoop some out - try a spoon or spatula instead.

A great gift idea with some small Peppermint Bath Fizzers as well?

Fabulous Sugar Scrubs - Beauty on a Budget

I think I've gone Sugar Scrub mad.

It's no longer possible for me to feel like I've had a bath or shower if I haven't

SCRUBBED

So when I came across this article by Anna Sassen, Editor at UK Handmade featuring recipes from Emma Heathcote-James, founder of the Little Soap Company, I had to share it with you



LIFESTYLE: Credit Crunch Proof Beauty Recipes: Face and Body Scrubs



Whats the big deal then? Well for me, the summer (yes it's here!) is a time when I really do fall out with my skin. I've sensitive skin with a tendency to (sometimes extreme) dryness and that presents an exfoliation issue - or at least it did in the dim and distant past when I used commercial products - that frequently ended in irritation and tears.

These days I understand that whilst I do indeed need to slough off rough bits, it's important to nourish your skin as you do so. (do this from the inside too. drink water. lots.)

So a Body Scrub is the perfect solution. Basically an exfoliator (more often than not plain and simple sugar) combined with a Base Oil (frequently Sweet Almond), a scrub will encourage away old tired and dead skin cells (sugar) whilst at the same time nourishing and moisturising (oil) the gorgeous glowing skin that's left.

The Cotswolds based Little Soap Company supply natural soaps and toiletries to retailers such as Waitrose, The National Trust and other independant retailers as well as having an online shop. You may also like to know that they run Cold Process Soap Making workshops too.

Enjoy!

Top Ten Tips for Making Bath Bombs

1) Select your Citric Acid carefully; Super fine granules (table salt size) are best. Powder is too volatile, whilst coarse granules have a lumpy appearance and may "bobble" as your bath bombs dry out.

2) Be fussy about your Bicarb! Fine food grade Sodium Bicarbonate is best. Technical grade may contain unwanted impurities and granular varieties will result in a coarse looking bath bomb.

3) Want smooth bath bombs? Use Cornflour (Cornstarch) as 10-15% of your dry ingredient content. Cornflour also helps control the fizzing reaction between the ingredients as you are mixing.

4) Dry Ingredients = food grade.   Some of the ingredients such as Bicarb, Citric & Cornflour can be sourced in food stores.

5)Wet ingredients = cosmetic/toiletry grade. Fragrance, colours, etc should be purchased as cosmetic/toiletry grade.  Essential oils should be pure or blended with base oils.

6) Don't use water. Really, don't. Using water to bind your mix causes fizzing & expansion in the mixing process. Fact. Result = stressful and unattractive mad panic to get the mix to stick and mould without turning into a fizzing flop. (You can do it - but why?!) Vegetable Base Oils (Sweet almond, Grape Seed etc) or Witch hazel work well. Witch Hazel speeds the drying time so that your bath bombs can be safely handled/removed from their moulds within minutes.(depending upon the size of the mould) 

7) Spray your "wet" ingredients onto the mix. If using Witch Hazel to bind, always spritz from a fine mist "finger" spray. Oil can be "dripped" into your mix or sprayed on with the aid of a trigger type spray (the sort you get on a Febreeze bottle). Spraying helps distribute the oil more evenly and therefore there is less risk of some premature fizzing in the bowl.

8) Wear gloves and mix with your hands. You will learn to detect the correct consistency for making the perfect bath bombs, but believe me you will get there faster by using your hands as opposed to a spoon. Simply spray or pour with one hand whilst mixing with the other.

9) Ensure your moulds or containers are dry. Keep them away from the bowl when mixing/spritzing to avoid wetting them accidentally.  Sound obvious? Hmmm well we've been there.  Wet moulds = stuck & stranded creations! If this happens and you cannot remove your bath bomb - run the whole mould under the tap - it's preferrable to breaking the mould.  Alternatively, I've taken an entire-mould-stranded-but-otherwise-perfect bath bomb into the bath before. (Waste not want not as my Gramma said.) 

10) Don't over wet your mix; aim to achieve the same consistency that is needed to make really good sandcastles.  Damp enough to hold together but not sloppy. You can always add more moisture but if you've overdone it, it's almost impossible to recover your mix and adding more dry ingredient rarely helps.

11) Avoid steamy kitchens! Set your creations aside to dry in a damp free atmosphere.  If you've cooked a roast, rustled up some bath bombs and set them aside in your kitchen you may find when you return to admire them later that they've developed "bobbles". This is simply the damp in the air and can be avoided.

We hope these have been useful tips...We'd love to hear your experiences, so please do comment below :)


PS... ok so there are 11 top tips. Things don't always go to plan.... a bit like making bath bombs! Perhaps the best things in life are meant to be a little harder to achieve?  Philosophy aside, if you'd like a few more free recipes, hints and tips - why not sign up to our newsletter?