Kelly Reno, of Victorian Essence, demonstrates how to make great bath and beauty products right at home. She begins with soaps, showing how to use espresso or powdered loofa to make exfoliating soap. Next, Reno moves on to making soaps that are almost good enough to eat, including a raspberry-and-cream combination. Finally, she demonstrates the technique for making layered soap, homemade conditioner, shower gel, and bubble bath.
Before You Start: Glycerin soap will melt like butter over low heat. Stir constantly while soap is mixing, and remove from heat the moment the soap has liquefied. Note: Do not let soap heat up more than 160-degrees.
You can use soap molds to form your soaps, or candy molds to create miniature guest soaps. A clean milk carton is great for making square soaps, or use a clean tuna can for a round soap.
Coffee and Cream Soap
This soap is for the coffee lovers in your life. It has a deep brown color and smells like fresh coffee when you use it.
Ingredients:
1 4oz. bar unscented glycerin soap
1 teaspoon ground espresso
1 teaspoon powdered milk
10 drops coffee fragrance oil
Steps:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the bar of glycerin soap until liquefied. Remove from heat and stir in ground espresso, powdered milk, and coffee fragance oil. Pour soap into a mold and let set for three hours or until hardened.
Lemon Loofah Soap
This delightful soap smells like fresh lemons, and when the powdered loofah is mixed in, it will make the soap a extra exfoliating. Loofah, a plant that grows much like the cucumber, can be dried, shredded, and added to soap.
Note: To make the powder, loofah can be cut up into tiny pieces using a pair of sharp scissors, or you can purchase it in powder form.
Ingredients:
1 4oz. bar unscented glycerin soap
1 teaspoon powdered loofah
15 drops lemon oil
1 drop red food coloring
Steps:
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt your bar of glycerin soap until liquefied. Remove from heat and stir in powdered loofah, lemon oil, and food coloring. Pour soap into a mold and let set for three hours, or until hardened.
Raspberry Oatmeal Soap
Ingredients:
1 4oz. bar unscented glycerin soap
1/3 cup dried oats
15 drops raspberry fragrance oil
1 drop red food coloring
Steps:
Place 1/3 cup oats in a food processor and grind until it becomes powdery. Set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt your bar of glycerin soap until liquefied. Remove from heat and stir in ground oats, raspberry fragrance oil, and food coloring. Pour soap into a mold and let set for three hours, or until hardened. This easy-to-make soap is great for the complexion.
Layered Soaps
This recipe creates two bars of luxurious layered soap. Use your two favorite fragrances to make your soap. Some of Kelly's favorite combinations are mango and strawberry, violet and musk, chocolate and orange, cinnamon and rose, and raspberry and peach.
Ingredients:
2 4oz. bars unscented glycerin soap
10 drops fragrance oil (your choice)
10 drops fragrance oil (your choice)
2 drops different colored food coloring (ex. 1 orange, 1 blue)
Steps:
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt one bar of glycerin soap until liquefied. Remove from heat and stir in one drop food coloring and 10 drops fragrance oil. Pour half of the mixture into two soap molds, filling each mold halfway. Wait twenty minutes. Melt your second bar of glycerin soap until liquefied. Remove from heat and stir in the other drop of food coloring and fragrance oil. Pour this second layer on top of the first layer (already in molds). Let soap set for three hours or until hardened. Your finished bars should come out half one color and half another.
Wild Cherry Bubble Bath
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unscented shampoo
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt - regular table salt is fine
15 drops cherry fragrance oil
2 drops red food coloring
Steps:
Pour unscented shampoo into a bowl and add water. Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt, and stir until mixture thickens. Add cherry fragrance oil and food coloring, and place in decorative bottle. To use, add one tablespoon to warm running bath water.
Note: To create your own custom scent, you may use any fragrance oil you choose in this recipe.
Shower Gel
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unscented shampoo
3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon salt - regular table salt is fine
15 drops lime fragrance oil
1 drop green food coloring
Steps:
Pour unscented shampoo into a bowl and add water. Stir gently until well mixed. Add salt and stir until mixture thickens. Add lime fragrance oil and food coloring. Pour mixture into decorative bottle.
- You may use any fragrance oil you choose in this recipe to create your own custom scent. Kids like bubblegum-scented shower gel.
- Add a teaspoon of powdered loofah to your shower gel for an exfoliating scrub.
Peppermint Hair ConditionerIngredients:
1/2 cup cholesterol-type conditioner - available at beauty supply shops and drug stores
3/4 cup water
15 drops peppermint essential oil
1 drop red food coloring (optional, for a pink color)
Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir until well blended. Pour into decorative bottle.
- For oily hair, add one tablespoon aloe vera gel to your conditioner. It will help moisturize without excess oil.
- For dry hair, add one tablespoon of corn oil to your conditioner.
Bath SpongeMaterials:
1 yard bridal illusion - fine fabric available in most fabric stores
1 yard satin ribbon
Steps:
Lay the fabric out on a flat surface and fold it in thirds as you would fold a letter. Starting at one end, scrunch the fabric together, working your way to the opposite end. Tie a knot around the center of the gathered fabric. Now, gather the two loose ends of the ribbon together, and tie into a second knot.
- Hang your sponge over the shower head or bath spout.
- Wash you sponge by hand using Woolite and let air dry.
)
)
)
)
)
