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At the time I first created this homemade chamomile soap recipe, we had a brand new great-nephew to fuss over, so I wanted to come up with a gentle bar soap just for him, for times when soap is needed.
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I love this beautiful soap with a candy-cane swirl. Scented with peppermint essential oil, it is perfect for Christmas gift-giving. The instructions for making this natural, homemade candy cane soap come from Kelly Cable’s new book, The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners (and is used with the author’s permission).
I’ve been making soap for many years, but I’ve rarely gone beyond the basics. Kelly’s new book inspires me to be more experimental and artistic in my soap making. This candy cane soap was the first I’ve tried using color in my soap, and I love it!Continue Reading
You’ve worked in the garden all day; you’re hot and tired. You need pampering and you need to relax.
You spent an amazing day hiking in the woods, but you realize that the rock on which you rested was surrounded by poison ivy.
Or maybe your little one’s skin is dry and irritated. Herb-infused homemade soap is just the help you need.
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I’ve been making soap for a few years, but have shied away from writing a post on how to make soap 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 some 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.Continue Reading
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. Homemade shampoo bars to the rescue!
You’ve heard of lard, the rendered fat of pig, but what about tallow? Tallow is derived from the fat of cows or sheep, and is rendered much the same way as lard.Continue Reading