We’re now open Saturdays from 9am – 1pm for the rest of the year!
I know there are a few of you from out of town, or that work during the week who can’t come in during our regular opening hours, so now that we’re open Saturday mornings it will be easier to get all your Christmas crafting supplies.
I hate when I have to make announcements like this, but unfortunately with the ever increasing freight costs I can no longer absorb the dangerous goods fee that the courier charges me for sending sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.
I regret to say that from today 08/10/15 we now have to pass on that surcharge to our customers. All orders containing lye will have a $7.50 dangerous goods surcharge added to the regular freight cost.
Also, due to strict packaging regulations lye can only be sent in 1kg buckets, which means if you order more than 1kg you will receive multiple 1kg buckets.
We only charge one $7.50 fee when you order up to 5kg of lye, so in order to save costs it might be a good idea to buy in larger quantities to save paying multiple surcharges over time.
Melt and pour soap is a fun and easy way to make your own soap. You don’t have to worry about wearing safety gear or using caustic soda like you do with cold process soap. It can be a fun project to do with kids or adults alike.
These little soaps are poured straight into our round clamshell moulds, so once they’re set you can just close them up and they’re all ready to sell or give away. There’s also the added bonus of not having to wash a soap mould!
The round clamshells are easy to make guest size soaps. If pink isn’t your thing, try any of our other micas in your favourite shade. You can see the difference in colour between the clear and white soap bases. Even though it’s the same mica, it looks different. So combining both soap bases is a nice effect.
What you’ll need
(makes one clamshell – 2 x 50 gram soaps)
50 grams Clear Melt & Pour Soap Base
50 grams White Melt & Pour Soap Base
3 mini scoops Pink Honeysuckle Mica
5ml Forbidden Fantasy Fragrance Oil
1 x Round Clamshell Mould
2 x Heat safe containers
Isopropyl Alcohol
Step One
Chop and melt the Clear Melt and Pour Base in a small heat safe container. Because you are melting such a small amount of soap, you can microwave for about 20 seconds at first, then stir and use 10 second bursts stirring in between to slowly melt without burning. Make sure you don’t heat above 60 degrees C, anything higher than that can cause the soap to burn. Once the melt and pour is melted, add 1 mini scoop of Pink Honeysuckle mica and stir to combine.
Add 2.5ml of the fragrance oil. If the soap begins to harden, pop it back into the microwave for 10 seconds.
Step Two
Chop and melt the White Melt and Pour Base in a small heat safe container. Because you are melting such a small amount of soap, you can microwave for about 20 seconds at first, then stir and use 10 second bursts stirring in between to slowly melt without burning. Make sure you don’t heat above 60 degrees C, anything higher than that can cause the soap to burn. Once the melt and pour is melted, add 2 mini scoops of Pink Honeysuckle mica and stir to combine.
Add 2.5ml of the fragrance oil. If the soap begins to harden, pop it back into the microwave for 10 seconds.
Step Three
Once both soap bases reach 50 degrees (approximately, a few degrees out either way won’t matter too much), pour both soaps into the clamshell at the same time, start at opposite ends of the circle and slowly move the jugs around while you’re pouring – kind of like how a barista makes fancy coffee. The trick is to make sure your soap isn’t too hot otherwise the clear and white soaps will just blend together.
Repeat for the second soap in the clamshell. If you’ve found the soap has started to harden just pop back in the microwave for 5 seconds.
Step Four
Once your moulds are full, spritz with isopropyl to get rid of any bubbles and leave to harden. This normally takes a few hours. You can speed things up by putting the soap in the fridge. Don’t close the clamshell up yet though as you don’t want to trap any steam as the soap cools.
Once your soap has cooled completely. Close up the clamshell and you’re ready to go! To use simply press down on the back of the clamshell and the soap will pop right out.
We’re excited to announce we’re now offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $175.
Just in time for all your Christmas projects! Happy shopping 🙂
When essential oils are made through steam distillation it involves a process of steaming the plant material, cooling the steam, then eventually extracting the oil from the condensed steam. Hydrosol is the left over steam (distilled water).
Hydrosols are like essential oils but in far less of a concentration. Hydrosols can be used externally in skin care products, taken as a tonic or combined in a drink. They also make lovely additions to food such as Rose water.
What’s the difference between a hydrosol and infused water?
Hydrosol is produced from the steam that forms when distilling plant materials such as flowers and herbs. Hydrosols are not as concentrated as essential oils, so they tend to be more gentle on the skin. Infused water is simply soaking leaves, fruit, or flowers of a plant or herb in water. It becomes more tea-like if you boil the material in water.
What you’ll need:
Roses from the yard are preferable, but since it’s winter and I don’t know anyone with winter roses, I bought mine from Flora & Flames
Distilled water
A pot with a lid
A bowl
Ice
Step One:
Make sure your roses are nice and clean. Add them to the pot and cover with distilled water. I used approximately 100 grams of rose petals (around 30 roses) and 1 litre of water. These measurements don’t have to be exact, just make sure you have enough water to cover the roses.
Step Two:
Clear a space in the middle of the pot and place your bowl inside, this will catch all the hydrosol as it condenses.
Step Three:
Place the lid on the pot upside down and turn the heat on medium to low. You don’t want to boil the roses, just get a gentle simmer.
Step Four:
As the water starts to warm up, you will begin to see steam on the lid. Once you see steam, place a sealed bag about half full of ice onto the lid. This will cool the steam as it hits the pot lid making the hydrosol drip into the bowl below. The ice will begin to melt in the bag, so you will need to replace the ice periodically. A steady production of condensation should be collecting on the lid and dripping into the bowl in the pot. However long you decide to allow it to distill, will determine how much hydrosol you’ll collect. I allowed my batch to cook for about an hour, draining melted ice and replacing with new, as needed. You’ll know you’re done when the hydrosol no longer smells strongly of roses. If you continue collecting steam after this point you’re just diluting your existing hydrosol with plain water.
Step Five:
Pour the hydrosol into a bottle and keep in the fridge. It will last up to three months if kept properly in the fridge.
I used my rose water in a face mist. Just pour it into a bottle with a mister cap and spritz onto your face for a nice refreshing pick me up!
What is a Surfactant?
Surfactant is short for “surface active agent”. It’s molecular structure, in simple terms, is made up of a head and tail. The head is water loving and the tail is oil loving. Which basically means it’s an emulsifier – something that brings oil and water together.
Surfactants are also detergents, they foam and lather up to remove oil and dirt from your skin or clothes. Most surfactants are considered “mild cleansers”.
There are four different classes of surfactants, which is why you see multiple surfactants used in one recipe, as they bring different properties to the formulation, a well balanced recipe will always include at least two different surfactants.
Anionic
These bring lots of lather and foam, but they can also be irritating which is why you need to add other ingredients for mildness. Anionic surfactants have a negatively charged water-loving head. They’re the most commonly used surfactants due to their ability to create high foaming, bubbling and high cleansing products such as shampoo, body wash and bubble bath. Anionic surfactants include :
Amphoteric
These add mildness and viscosity, but they’re less foaming than the anionic which is why you normally see amphoteric and anionic surfactants together in recipes. Amphoteric surfactants can be either positive or negatively charged depending on the pH of your finished product. Amphoteric surfactants include :
Non-Ionic
These have no foaming capabilities which is why they’re not commonly used as the main surfactant. They’re great for using as emulsifiers, but can slightly reduce the foam from other surfactants. They are a gentle cleanser and have the capability to be used as an emollient, softening the skin. Non-Ionic surfactants include :
Cationic
These are generally found in conditioning ingredients. Cationic surfactants have a positively charged water-loving head, which means they are the opposite of anionic surfactants. Because of their positive charge cationic surfactants have lot’s of skin nourishing benefits. They will reduce the foaming of your recipe so are generally only used in small quantities (around 1-3%) in recipes like conditioner where foaming is not necessary. Cationic surfactants include :
In summary, an anionic surfactant will offer good bubbles, foam, and lather but might be a little harsh. So we add an amphoteric surfactant to the recipe to make it milder and thicker. I like to add a cationic surfactant to my hair products to offer some conditioning at about 2 to 3% maximum, and I’d include a non-ionic surfactant if I had a large amount of oil I wanted to emulsify.
What are some basic surfactants to get you started?
In my workshop I always have a few different surfactants on hand, they’re the ones I use in several different recipes – my go to surfactants!
SLSa (Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate)
This comes in a very fine powder form (the powder is so fine it’s actually a good idea to wear a mask when using it so you don’t inhale too much powder.) It’s a mild cleanser and provides tons of bubbles and long lasting foam which is why you see it in all my bubble bath recipes – like my foaming bath truffle recipe. SLSa is derived from coconut and palm oils which means it’s 100% of natural origin, unlike SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), which is produced in a lab by combining lauryl alcohol (from petroleum or coconut oil) with sulfur trioxide gas or chlorosulfuric acid.
I’d say this is an essential ingredient for anyone who wants to formulate their own body products. It has good foaming properties, with good flash foam, lather and bubbles. It helps to reduce the harshness of other surfactants. It’s also a good anti-static for hair which is great for someone like me who has a serious problem with frizz! It’s not a great cleanser, but that’s why we use it in combination with other surfactants.
This comes in pellet or flake form and has a waxy texture. Emulsifying wax offers emulsification (combines oil and water) with the addition of emolliency so your lotions will have a bit of slip and glide. Used in recipes around 3-6%. A must have for making things like lotions, creams and other recipes with a high water content.
Well it seems winter has well and truly arrived this week! Luckily here in Tauranga we usually don’t get hit with the worst of the weather, but I really feel for those of you in more southerly areas. My Mum lives in Christchurch and she sent a picture of the first snow fall this morning, brrr!
It’s the perfect time of year for a nice warm relaxing soak in the tub. Crumble one of these foaming bath truffles under the water when running the bath and enjoy a lovely fragrant and moisturising bath. These are different to regular “bath bombs” as they don’t contain any citric acid to give it a fizz, but they will foam and bubble giving you a more luxurious feeling.
(makes 8)
What you’ll need
75 grams Baking Soda
45 grams SLSa
15 grams Cream of Tartar
8 grams Cocoa Butter
5 grams Glycerin
3 grams Cocomidopropyl Betaine
4 mini scoops Roussillion Mica
3ml Ylang & Amber Fragrance
Mixing bowls
Scales
Step One:
Add Baking Soda, SLSa, Cream of Tartar and Mica to the mixing bowl. Mix well, making sure to get rid of all the tiny lumps. I like to use my hands to rub the mixture together so it’s a nice fine texture with no lumps.
Step Two
Add the Cocoa Butter to a separate mixing bowl and heat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until melted. Be careful not to overheat the butter. Once melted add the Glycerin, Cocomidopropyl Betaine and Fragrance. The add the wet ingredients to the dry.
Step Three
Mix the ingredients together until completely combined (I use my hands to mix) and the mixture holds together when squeezed. If your mixture seems a little crumbly, spritz with a little witch hazel or add more glycerin until you get the right texture.
Step Four
Spoon the mixture into the mould and press firmly so it’s tightly packed. Set aside to harden. I left mine for about four hours, but you may need longer depending on the weather conditions.
Step Five
Once the truffles have hardened, gently press the back of each cavity. The truffles should slide right out easily. If they don’t come out easily they may not be hard enough yet.
Set aside to continue drying for about 24 hours then package up. I’ve used a cute bail jar to keep mine nice and dry when storing in the bathroom.
Remember these aren’t bath fizzies, so you need to crumble them under the running water to ensure they melt completely releasing all the skin softening ingredients.
Following on from my post about why Caffeine is so wonderful I thought I’d share the recipe for my very first attempt at incorporating powdered caffeine into a cream. I have to say it’s turned out A-MA-ZING! I’m not sure if it’s because of the caffeine powder, or because of the oils and butters, but either way it’s my new favourite body cream. It’s left my skin feeling nice and soft and smooth and best of all it’s non greasy!
If you’ve never made lotion before I’d recommend you read this post first to get a general idea of lotion making.
What you’ll need:
(makes 200 grams)
Water Phase
124 grams Distilled Water
4 grams Glycerine
8 grams Caffeine Powder
Oil Phase
16 grams Cocoa Butter
14 grams Organic Coconut Oil
20 grams Apricot Kernel Oil
10 grams Emulsifying Wax
Cool down Phase
1 gram Germaben II
2 grams Vanilla Creme & Cocoa Butter Fragrance
Tools & Equipment:
Double boiler
Thermometer
Two heat proof mixing jugs
Stick blender (or LOTS of elbow grease)
Scales
3 Cosmetic jars
Step One:
Weigh all your water phase ingredients into a heat proof container and place in the double boiler.
Step Two:
Weigh all your oil phase ingredients into a second heat proof container and place in the double boiler.
Step Three:
Heat the oil and water until they reach a temperature of 70C and hold for 20 minutes. This ensures any bacteria and other badies will be heated out of your mixture. During this time the caffeine powder will dissolve into the water so it becomes clear.
Step Four:
After 20 minutes of “heat and hold” combine the oil and water phases and mix with the stick blender, pulsing gently on low for 2-3 minutes. This is the stage that your lotion is emulsifying. The lotion will be a white watery texture. This is completely normal and it will turn into a creamy lotion consistency as it cools. Once your lotion has emulsified set aside for 10 minutes or so to cool, mix with the stick blender every few minutes.
Step Five:
Once the temperature reaches below 45C add your cool down phase ingredients and mix well.
Step Six:
Once the cream has cooled to room temperature spoon or pipe into jars then enjoy!
Caffeine powder is one of those ingredients that have enjoyed a rapid “rise to fame” over the last couple of years. It is not only an ingredient in a growing number of food and beverages, it’s also being used by some of the leading brands of make up and skin care companies.
There have been several studies which have highlighted some potential benefits from including caffeine powder in our cosmetic formulations, these include:
There are many claims throughout the cosmetic industry. People are always looking for the next “miracle cure” to wrinkles, scars, blemishes… (and the list could go on.) In my experience there is nothing on earth that can “cure” us of a natural ageing process, but if I find a healthy, affordable ingredient like caffeine powder that could potentially help to slow things down even the tiniest bit, then what’s the harm in using it?
Stay tuned for my first recipe using caffeine powder!
Lip balm is something that I’m never without. I have two lip balms in my hand bag (I have two so that it’s quicker for me to find lip balm in amongst the rest of the junk in there!) , one on my desk, one on my coffee table and one on my night stand. I literally have five lip balms on the go at once, not to mention all my lip glosses. I really, really hate having dry lips!
Luckily for me lip balm is super easy to make so I never have to run out!
What you’ll need:
10 grams Beeswax, finely chopped
15 grams Cocoa butter
10 grams Organic coconut oil
15 grams Castor oil
5 grams Sweet almond oil
4 mini scoops of Merlot mica
3 grams Vanilla flavour oil (I chose vanilla because it’s my favourite, but feel free to substitute for yours!)
Step One: Add the beeswax to a heat safe container and melt in the microwave for two minutes. Check to see if it beeswax has melted, if not put in the microwave for a further 30 seconds. Keep melting in 30 seconds bursts if needed.
Step Two: Add the cocoa butter and organic coconut oil. Melt in microwave in 30 second bursts until liquid.
Step Three: Add the castor and sweet almond oils and mix well. Melt in microwave in 15 second bursts if the base starts to solidify.
Step Four: Add mica and flavour oil. Mix well
{ Sorry no photo for this step, it was too blurry! }
Step Five: Pour into lip balm pots or slider tins, wait to set then smear liberally all over your lips!
Note: I personally wanted a lip balm with just the natural flavours from the coconut oil and cocoa butter, so I poured the base into one slider tin before adding the mica and flavour to the rest of the recipe.
My Mum doesn’t like us spending money on her. Especially for Mother’s Day. But it’s always nice to do something, even if it’s something small. It’s the thought that counts after all.
Mum loves nuts; who doesn’t right!? So I figured it would be nice to give her something that doesn’t cost a lot, but that shows I went to a little effort. Plus hand making gifts has to score brownie points over my other two sisters (the sibling rivalry never seems to diminish even now we’re all in our 30’s!)
Our mason jars are a great container to store these delicious nuts, and they make a nice looking gift too.
Ingredients:
500 grams of mixed nuts – I used cashew, peanut, almond, walnut and pecan
25 grams butter
1Tbsp honey
1Tbsp sugar
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp salt
Step One:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Add all your nuts to a greaseproof tray.
Step Two:
Add the butter and honey to a pan and cook on a medium heat until fully melted.
Step Three:
Pour the buttery honey over the nuts and toss until all the nuts are covered.
Step Four:
Bake the nuts in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until the nuts have browned, stirring every 2 – 3 minutes. You’ll want to keep a fairly close eye on the oven as the nuts can burn in an instant!
Step Five:
Remove nuts from the oven and stir making sure the nuts don’t stick together. Once they’ve cooled slightly sprinkle over the salt, sugar and cinnamon. You can add more or less depending on your personal preference. Put the try of nuts in the freezer, this helps them keep them loose instead of sticking together.
Once the nuts have completely cooled scoop them into your jar and enjoy!
This recipe makes enough to fill one and a half 8oz mason jars which means Mum gets the mason jar and I get all the leftovers… purely for quality control purposes of course!
P.S – Mum received these today, and when she called to thank me she asked if I had actually made them myself! She thought I’d just repackaged some bought nuts and tried to pass them off as home made – the cheek of it! She tried a few when she first opened the jar and said there definitely wouldn’t be any left by Mother’s Day! So that’s a big tick for success!
Dad’s complaining now that he didn’t get to try any before I sent them away so I’m sure I’ll be making more again… looks like I’ve got Father’s Day already sorted.
For my first project I thought I’d tackle something simple, yet still useful.
I have loads of ribbons, they’re all dumped in a basket just waiting to tangle with each other. With my nifty mason jar ribbon holder they’re now safely stored in a tangle free zone.
My inspiration came from a post I found on ‘A Casarella
My finished product definitely doesn’t look as cute, or tidy as hers, and I don’t have one of those fancy flower cut out lids, but it does the trick!
What you’ll need:
Mason Jar
130mm bolt with washer and nut
Tools & Equipment:
Hammer
Nail
Power drill & various drill bits
Metal file
Step One:
Take a non permanent marker and draw four lines crossing each other to establish where to drill the centre and ribbon holes.
Step Two:
Take your hammer and nail and gently tap the nail until it pierces the lid. Be very gentle as it doesn’t take much to get through the thin metal lid.
Step Three:
Use a small drill bit to drill a pilot hole through each of the nail holes, I used a 4 size drill bit for this step – this will make it much easier for the big drill bit to cut through the metal without warping the lid. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this step!
Step Four:
Use the larger drill bit to drill the full size holes, I used a 8.5 size drill bit for this step. After drilling you may have some sharp edges – I did and I found out the hard way how sharp they actually are! Use a round metal file to get rid of these.
Step Five:
Thread your spools of ribbon onto the bolt and feed the end of the ribbon through one of the holes in the lid. Once you have all your ribbon on the bolt, slide the bolt through the centre hole in the lid and secure with a washer and nut. Viola, you’re done!
I’m wondering if there might be a problem with the ribbons getting caught up with each other, but so far so good! It’s not the prettiest thing but you could definitely decorate the jar to jazz it up a bit if you felt like it.
I’ll be working on my next project this weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day…. stay tuned!
