Guest guest Posted July 28, 2002 Report Share Posted July 28, 2002 Greetings Everyone, I joined recently and I want to start making skin care poducts at home- partially because of health problems. Right now I'm a bit embarassed to say I'm a biologist by profession, but making a handcream seems beyond me : ) I have tons of questions. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of florasols, tinctures, oils, butters, waxes, clays, etc on the market. If anyone would like to help guide a green amatuer through the process and offer some of your experience I'd be very grateful. I don't like to waste a lot good organic ingredients, so if anyone can tell me by just looking at a recipe either yeah that's a good idea or no that won't work, it would be very helpful to me. Thanks, and have a beautiful day, Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2002 Report Share Posted July 28, 2002 Hi Rose, I'd be happy to help out. What do you have to work with? What are you wanting to make? All natural? I have been making lotions/creams for quite a while now and continue to formulate and play around with different emulsifiers etc. so might be able to give you some tips. Margaret Natural Indulgences LLC > " RedWineRedRoses " <redwineredroses > > > formulating lotions >Sun, 28 Jul 2002 05:14:50 -0700 > >Greetings Everyone, >I joined recently and I want to start making skin care poducts at home- >partially because of health problems. Right now I'm a bit embarassed to say >I'm a biologist by profession, but making a handcream seems beyond me : ) I >have tons of questions. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of >florasols, tinctures, oils, butters, waxes, clays, etc on the market. If >anyone would like to help guide a green amatuer through the process and >offer some of your experience I'd be very grateful. I don't like to waste a >lot good organic ingredients, so if anyone can tell me by just looking at a >recipe either yeah that's a good idea or no that won't work, it would be >very helpful to me. Thanks, and have a beautiful day, >Rose > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2002 Report Share Posted July 28, 2002 Rose, Just post to the list any recipe that you come up with and anyone here with the experience will gladly share their knowledge with you. Plus there are a lot of websites that might help you out: http://www.snowdriftfarms.comhttp://www.auntroma.com/new_page_5.htmhttp://www.lu\ xurylane.com/thelibrary/index.htm These have some recipes and basic instructions.....you probably have most of the info already :-) Cheryl--- On Sun 07/28, RedWineRedRoses & lt; redwineredroses & gt; wrote: RedWineRedRoses [ redwineredroses]To: : Sun, 28 Jul 2002 05:14:50 -0700Subject: formulating lotionsGreetings Everyone,I joined recently and I want to start making skin care poducts at home- partially because of health problems. Right now I'm a bit embarassed to say I'm a biologist by profession, but making a handcream seems beyond me : ) I have tons of questions. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of florasols, tinctures, oils, butters, waxes, clays, etc on the market. If anyone would like to help guide a green amatuer through the process and offer some of your experience I'd be very grateful. I don't like to waste a lot good organic ingredients, so if anyone can tell me by just looking at a recipe either yeah that's a good idea or no that won't work, it would be very helpful to me. Thanks, and have a beautiful day,Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 Hi Margaret, and Thank You! My dogs won't be suffering from an EFA deficiency any time soon, since they've enjoyed my last 3 batches of lotion (don't worry, all edible ingredients, LOL). I've been using plain granular lecithin as the only emulsifier but that hasn't worked, and I'm not sure why because it works so well in cooking. I asked a colleague who teaches chemistry. He said I had too much " thyme " on my " hands " . I told him I hoped he was a better teacher than comedian... I'm getting some beeswax right now. Also have two questions: Is shea butter hard to work with? I've read that it becomes grainy if not melted properly. The other question, is there any reason why you can't use pure almond extract as part of the water included? I see a lot of recipes use almond oil but I'm trying to avoid the high n-6 oils for this project. Thanks again, Rose - Margaret Helm-Duell Sunday, July 28, 2002 2:18 PM Re: formulating lotions Hi Rose, I'd be happy to help out. What do you have to work with? What are you wanting to make? All natural? I have been making lotions/creams for quite a while now and continue to formulate and play around with different emulsifiers etc. so might be able to give you some tips. Margaret Natural Indulgences LLC > " RedWineRedRoses " <redwineredroses > > > formulating lotions >Sun, 28 Jul 2002 05:14:50 -0700 > >Greetings Everyone, >I joined recently and I want to start making skin care poducts at home- >partially because of health problems. Right now I'm a bit embarassed to say >I'm a biologist by profession, but making a handcream seems beyond me : ) I >have tons of questions. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of >florasols, tinctures, oils, butters, waxes, clays, etc on the market. If >anyone would like to help guide a green amatuer through the process and >offer some of your experience I'd be very grateful. I don't like to waste a >lot good organic ingredients, so if anyone can tell me by just looking at a >recipe either yeah that's a good idea or no that won't work, it would be >very helpful to me. Thanks, and have a beautiful day, >Rose > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 31, 2002 Report Share Posted July 31, 2002 Hi Rose, I have recently used liquid lecithin as my emulsifier and it worked very well for a thin lotion. I have also been working with glyceryl monostearate (glycerin & stearic acid) to form natural emulsions. Beeswax I have found makes a very heavy cream or lotion, and I use that with borax (you need to) to make my peppermint foot butter. Very rich and creamy. I tend to like a lighter blend for my face though. (not that you asked Shea butter in higher concentrations can become grainy but, I use it in almost everything I make. You can heat it at like 180 for 30 minutes and it should " pop " the fat granules that is the " grain " . If you keep the % down, it shouldn't be a problem at all. And different suppliers, grades, refinements etc... will all play a role in that. Are you trying for an almond scent? Sweet almond oil in formulations doesn't give any odor. However, if you used the extract it would. I have made a vanilla cream using extract as part of the water portion so using an extract can work. I would make sure it is without sugar though. Pretty much anytime you see a recipe calling for an oil, you can sub in whatever oil you'd like to use. Liquid for liquid and solid for a solid type deal. Happy Crafting! Margaret > " RedWineRedRoses " <redwineredroses > > >Re: formulating lotions >Wed, 31 Jul 2002 02:21:53 -0700 > >Hi Margaret, and Thank You! >My dogs won't be suffering from an EFA deficiency any time soon, since >they've enjoyed my last 3 batches of lotion (don't worry, all edible >ingredients, LOL). I've been using plain granular lecithin as the only >emulsifier but that hasn't worked, and I'm not sure why because it works so >well in cooking. I asked a colleague who teaches chemistry. He said I had >too much " thyme " on my " hands " . I told him I hoped he was a better teacher >than comedian... >I'm getting some beeswax right now. Also have two questions: Is shea butter >hard to work with? I've read that it becomes grainy if not melted properly. >The other question, is there any reason why you can't use pure almond >extract as part of the water included? I see a lot of recipes use almond >oil but I'm trying to avoid the high n-6 oils for this project. >Thanks again, >Rose _______________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2002 Report Share Posted August 2, 2002 Cheryl, Hi! I appreciate you sending those links. I read through each site and Wow that's a lot of practical information. I thought there ought to be something in between " mix together beeswax with lanolin " and the 6,000 page chemical index of cosmetics manufacturing... I found this recipe on Care2 http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/guides/212 and I chose these ingredients: 3 tbl. jojoba oil 1 tbl. shea butter 1 tbl. castor oil 3 tbl. coconut oil 3 tbl. distilled water 1 tbl. witch hazel 4 tbl. rosewater 2 teas. alpha lipoic acid 1 teas. grapefruit seed glycerite 1,500 mg. PABA So do you think that would come together ok? I want something very rich that has " staying power " along with some microbicidal activity. There are lots more herbs and nutrients I'd like to add but need to get a base perfected first. Should I add any glycerin or lecithin? Would kokum butter be a better choice with these oils than shea butter? Let me know what you think. I'm trying to use mostly certified organic and edible ingredients, but it's a little difficult because I'm chemically sensitive to some of the most common ingredients in natural formulas like aloe and lavender. Have A Beautiful Day! Rose - Cheryl Sunday, July 28, 2002 2:38 PM RE: formulating lotions Rose, Just post to the list any recipe that you come up with and anyone here with the experience will gladly share their knowledge with you. Plus there are a lot of websites that might help you out: http://www.snowdriftfarms.comhttp://www.auntroma.com/new_page_5.htmhttp://www.lu\ xurylane.com/thelibrary/index.htm These have some recipes and basic instructions.....you probably have most of the info already :-) Cheryl--- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2002 Report Share Posted August 2, 2002 Margaret, Hi! I was curious about almond extract because it's available cert org, its very shelf stable (doesn't grow germs) crystal clear and smells so nice. But I've never seen it included in a formula so I thought there might be a reason I didn't know about (except maybe the price, lol). What do you put in your foot butter??? Rose - " Margaret Helm-Duell " <naturalindulgences Wednesday, July 31, 2002 3:35 PM Re: formulating lotions > Hi Rose, > > I have recently used liquid lecithin as my emulsifier and it worked very > well for a thin lotion. I have also been working with glyceryl monostearate > (glycerin & stearic acid) to form natural emulsions. Beeswax I have found > makes a very heavy cream or lotion, and I use that with borax (you need to) > to make my peppermint foot butter. Very rich and creamy. I tend to like a > lighter blend for my face though. (not that you asked > > Shea butter in higher concentrations can become grainy but, I use it in > almost everything I make. You can heat it at like 180 for 30 minutes and it > should " pop " the fat granules that is the " grain " . If you keep the % down, > it shouldn't be a problem at all. And different suppliers, grades, > refinements etc... will all play a role in that. > > Are you trying for an almond scent? Sweet almond oil in formulations > doesn't give any odor. However, if you used the extract it would. I have > made a vanilla cream using extract as part of the water portion so using an > extract can work. I would make sure it is without sugar though. > > Pretty much anytime you see a recipe calling for an oil, you can sub in > whatever oil you'd like to use. Liquid for liquid and solid for a solid > type deal. > > Happy Crafting! > Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.