Experimenting with this new medium has been sooo much fun .. Playing with colours, layers, embeds, & curling techniques .. It's just so easy, and gives so much instant gratification that I think I have a new addiction! Though sadly, I only have enough for maybe 2 bars left :(
Above is Hemp Base to which I added Manuka Honey & some finely ground Oats, Mica in the bottom layer as well as DS's Buttermilk & Honey FO ..
And this is the Organic Clear base to which I added various colourants, Sea Salt & Chamomile for a bit of exfoliant and interest, and scented with BB's Sea Moss ..
After making and testing these and more out in the shower, I decided to move on to the oh so popular and cute Individual Sugar Scrub Cubes .. My very good soaping friend Patti who's blog you can read here: (Soap, Soup and Everything In Between) had sent me some a while back and I thought they were a really neat and fun idea .. Thanks Patti, you totally inspired me!
I decided to make three batches, each with different yet complimentary colour & fragrance, as well as a different carrier oil to test how that effects the finished texture both for storage & during use, and of course skin feel .. I also experimented with adding the colour in different ways; mixed into the fragrance, directly into the sugar, or with a little Glycerin ..
And this is why I'm so glad I took some quick pics during the process - I could have sworn and have it written down in my notes that I used Macadamia oil in the Pink batch I'm making here .. But that's clearly Safflower oil in the bottle & on my scale!
Pink - Safflower Oil & scented with TCS's Caramel Apple
Green - Sweet Almond Oil infused with Vanilla Beans & scented with Lime
Yellow - Virgin Coconut Oil & scented with BB's Pineapple Cilantro
To be honest I still prefer my emulsified scrub, but these are great for traveling and obviously make great gifts .. So I do want to tweak them to perfection, and already have some ideas of how to improve them (eg: use a different exfoliant) .. But first I'd like to know what others think as I know I like a LOT more scratch in my scrubs than the average person does .. So Tanya & Patti (I'm fairly confident you will both read this) would you be ever so kind as to agree to test these for me ??
Funny that you should say you're glad you took photos...I made lotion last night and made some modifications and for the life of me cannot remember what I did! Don't care, it's in the garbage! LOL! We can get very focused on creating and forget the notes!
ReplyDeleteThe scrubbies and soaps look wonderful. Of course I will try the scrubs. I can't wait. As you know I'm a HUGE fan of your emulsified scrub. So much so I'm hanging onto a tiny bit of it just to look at it and smell it. Love it!
Also, thanks for the plug...you are so sweet. I just got 3 new followers. Now I just need to get posting.
{{hugs}}
Milla (aka Patti, but Milla just sounds so much cooler)
Me too, thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the sea salt and chamomile soapy ~ sooo pretty ~ and your scrub cubes look positive edible! <3
A guys question: What are these used for? Besides the fact that they are incredibly attractive, what do they do better than a soap?
ReplyDeleteIt's not a matter of being 'better than a soap', they serve different purposes .. Soap is for cleansing (washing away surface dirt & excess skin oils), while a scrub is used to exfoliate (remove rough/dead skin, & unblock pores etc) ..
ReplyDeleteThe ones I've made here have a lot more free oil than soap, to help moisturize the newly exposed skin .. And the M&P base helps to remove 'excess' oil so you don't end up with a slippery (dangerous) shower or bath surface .. Like any good scrub it takes a fine balancing act to get the formula to where it leaves the oils/butter or what-have-you where you want it, and not where you don't ;)
ps: thanks for reading my blog, and taking the time to comment!