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LearningAndYearning

Basic Soap Making

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Basic Soap Making - Soap making requires care, but is a simple and straight-forward process. This post on basic soap making is a simple primer to get you started.

I’ve been making soap for a few years, but have shied away from posting about it because I do not ever make anything more than the most basic recipe. My main reason for soap making is that I am sensitive to most scents in soaps, including essential oils. And a scent-free soap like Ivory dries my skin because they remove the glycerine from it, and it’s made from tallow from factory-farmed cows. No thank you.

I’m making soap today and I thought, “if I can do this, anyone can do it.” And so I’m sharing, not because I’m advanced in the art of soap making, but to encourage you to give it a try.Continue Reading

DIY Shampoo Bars

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If you can make homemade soap, then you can make shampoo bars. They are rich and creamy, smell wonderful, and best of all, they are good for your hair!

I’m sure you’ve heard of the no-poo method of shampooing – wash with baking soda and water, rinse with apple cider vinegar. I’ve heard that for some people it takes an adjustment period where their hair is greasy, but I tried it for a month and it worked perfectly, right from the start.

But, oh, I admit it. I really missed suds.Continue Reading

15 Homemade Beauty Products (with Essential Oils)

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Finding natural products that work well isn't always easy. Often, I prefer homemade beauty products to store-bought, and I like the price tag better as well!

For me, clean eating came first. It took me a little longer to realize that what I put on my skin and hair has the potential to be just as harmful as what I put in my mouth.

Finding natural products that work well hasn’t been super easy. Surprisingly, I prefer many homemade recipes to store-bought, and I like the price tag better as well.

I love adding a small amount of essential oils to my homemade beauty products, too. Many of them have properties that help with wrinkles and aging skin, they smell wonderful, and can be relaxing, or even stimulating, depending on which you choose.Continue Reading

Make Your Own Tinted Lip Gloss

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All natural alkanet root will impart a lovely ruby glow to your homemade tinted lip gloss. The recipe is simple!

Once in a while I get this urge to get my craft on. Ya’ know what I mean? But I don’t need cutesy stuff for my house, and I’m not so much into knitting and crocheting ’cause I’m just not good at it. But making tinted lip gloss and hard lotion bars, yeah, that will do it for me.

More importantly, though, I like to make some of my own personal care items because I like knowing that I’m using quality ingredients on my skin.

So my lips need moisture once in a while, and my vanity likes a little color. This tinted lip gloss fits the bill. The powdered alkanet root imparts a ruby red color to the gloss, but on my lips, the color is subtle and quite beautiful. Just perfect for me.Continue Reading

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