We asked our Facebook and Twitter communities to share their favorite discoveries for handmade skin care, hair care, and soap making over the past year. We wanted to know what techniques and ingredients were your very favorites. Here's what we found out.
Regine said, "I learned to make cream soap and salt soap. Love it."
Cream and Salt Soaps are two variations of conventional cold processed soaps. Cream Soap is often made by whipping a cold or hot process soap that contains a few special additives. Salt Soap or Salt Bars are cold process or hot process soaps that have salt added to them at trace. These super hard bars are exfoliating, and so pretty!
Meredith said, "Thanks to your article on milk baths, I finally made some using some yogurt and honey powder, and they sold right away. Everyone is loving them."
Milk Baths are a favorite of mine. They are so easy to make, and they make bath water feel so soft and luxurious. What a treat!
@AshantiGirl said, "invested in "the tank" and a bigger pot to make soap. Also discovered that org. argan + unrefined cocoabutter = awesome shampoo ;)"
Argan Oil is so fantastic for hair care. It's chock full of stuff that your hair will love, such as omega 6 & 9, vitamin E, phenols, carotene, and squalene!
@BathingNymph said, "Adding honey at trace in hot process soap. It starts to burn, and you have to be careful, but it creates a wonderful scent."
That sounds absolutely delicious! I can almost smell the honey caramelizing in the soap pot!
Rain said, "I was actually brave enough to start experimenting with not just scents and colors in recipes like have since I started but I actually have been messing with different oils and waxes (which could come out awfully or actually work nicely)."
Way to go! Experimenting is the best way to flex your creative muscles when it comes to handmade bath & body. Keep up the good work, and don't be afraid to give new ingredients a try.
Delisa said, " I started putting my cp soap in the oven after pouring into the mold."
That's a great trick! Moving from cold process to hot process soap making is so neat, definitely something that every soap maker should try.
@WMCraver said, "Making and using my own lotions and soap. Shea Butter."
I remember making my first lotion. It was such a thrill to see the oil and water come together into a whipped bowl of fluffy cream. Shea butter is great for making creams, lotions, and soaps!
It sounds like it has been a very creative year for Natural Beauty Workshop readers and our customers at From Nature With Love. You can see some of the amazing projects our Flickr Photo Group contributors have made this year, (and in previous years) by checking out the slideshow above.
We've been busy too! In the past year, we've added tons of new and exciting ingredients to our product line. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Egg Oil: This cholesterol enriched oil can actually reinforce hair and skin!
- New Rainforest Oils, Buiriti Oil, and Pracaxi Oil
- Plum Kernel Oil: This skin nourishing oil has the most delightfully fruity aroma.
- Our Newest Fragrance Oils!
- Two great new books for our online bookstore: Beauty Masks and Scrubs & Soapmaking The Natural Way
We published a ton of cool new recipes here on The Natural Beauty Workshop in 2011. Here they are again!
- Coconut Sugar Scrub
- Creamy Rice & Coconut Scrub
- Fun & Fruity Facial Masks
- Rosemary & Honey Conditioning Hair Spray
- Herbal Scalp Massage Bars
- Laundry Soap by Life Soap Simple
- Warming Massage Bar
- Handmade Perfume Oils
- Chamomile Face Wash
- Milk Baths
- Deep Cleansing Mud Masque
- Bath Bombs
- Ocean Breeze Bath Bombs
- Mango Lassi Skin Smoothing Scrub
- Everyday Facial Cleansers
We even posted a few fun craft projects! Remember these?
We also launched our new & improved Instructor Program on FNWL, which includes our amazing Instructor Directory, making it easy for teachers and students to engage one other. Botanical Origins, our newest web site also launched this year, offering environmentally responsible home goods and sustainable products for bath & body! In addition to all that, we made two Natural Beauty Workshop videos showing you how to make two of our most popular Body Care Craft Kits! Check out our YouTube Channel to view our past videos and to subscribe for new ones.
We can't wait to see what you all come up with in 2012. From all of us at From Nature With Love, and The Natural BeautyWorkshop, Happy New Year!
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