Today I am going to share with you how you can make your own aromatherapy soap and shower gels...the benefit of making your own is that you can tailor it to match your herbal needs. So grab your coffee, sit back and enjoy!
~Peace~
Handcrafted Soap And Shower Gels
Choosing Your Base Products
Glycerin Base~Pure glycerin, which forms the base of most soaps, can be bought at aromatherapy suppliers or beauty stores. Some supermarkets sell pure glycerin soap.
Aloe Vera~As well as soaps, you can make effective gels to tone your skin. Aloe vera is a good un-fragranced base - use in a ratio of 4 tbsp to 10 drops.
Exfoliating Scrubs~To benefit from exfoliation as well as cleaning, add a few rosemary or poppy seeds, a vanilla pod or cornmeal.
Wheatgerm Oil~This is a good ingredient for soaps as it's rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps keep the skin in good condition.
Commercial Soaps~It's perfectly possible to add a few drops of oil to ready-made soaps and gels too. Simply substitute them for the specialist products mentioned in the recipes.
Bathing Water~Essential oils can be added directly to your bath water or dissolved first in vegetable oil or even full-fat milk. Add 7 to 10 drops and make sure that they are well dispersed by giving them a good swish around.
Oils To Use
- Chamomile
- Tea tree
- Sandalwood
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Neroli
- Cypress
- Rosemary
- Lemon
- Lemongrass
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Bergamot
- Peppermint
- Grapefruit
- Sandalwood
- Lavender
- Geranium
- Rose
- Wheatgerm
- Ylang Ylang
- Chamomile
Recipes
1. Your first step in making your own aromatherapy soap is to buy a tub of glycerin soap base from a specialist supplier - if you can't find one, a bar of pure glycerin soap will do.
3. Melt 8oz of glycerin in a nonstick pan over a very low heat until liquidized.
4. Mix in 30-40 drops of your chosen essential oils, plus any herbs or flowers you desire, then pour into a container to set (a small margarine tub is a good substitute if you can't find a mold)
5. After an hour, the soap should have set and is ready to use. You can cut it into smaller bars if you need to, and give some to friends as gifts.
Aromatherapy soaps often don't produce as much of a lather as store-bought ones, but don't let this deter you. Foam may feel nice, but its effects in helping you to keep clean are actually minimal. By making your own soaps you know exactly what ingredients you are using on your skin.
Feel free to experiment with added herbs and flower, these make wonderful, thoughtful gifts for family and friends.
Cleansing Gels
- 10 drops peppermint
- 4 drops Tea tree
- 4 tbsp aloe vera
Gel For Sunburn And Blisters
- 15 drops lavender oil
- 4 tbsp aloe vera
Exfoliating Soaps
- 20 drops lavender
- 10 drops rose
- 2 tsp cornmeal
- 8oz glycerin base