This lavender day cream was one of the projects in the Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation, which I’m studying with Formula Botanica.
Lavender day cream ready for stability testing.
I want to see how the cream performs under different conditions. One pot will stay in my soap room, as a control specimen. It’s reasonably cool in there, with no big temperature fluctuations. One pot will go in the fridge, and the third will go in my insanely hot car. I’ll monitor the three pots over the course of a couple of week, and note any changes or observations.
Will it grow mould? If it does, I know that the preservative I’ve used isn’t suitable, or is insufficient. Will the cream separate, or split? If it does, I know that there’s an issue with the emulsifier. Or, will it just generally “go weird” in some way? If that happens, I need to do more research into the ingredients, and how they interact with each other.
Of course, maybe none of those things will happen, and the cream will be fine, in which case I know that I’m heading in the right direction, and all I need to work on is the fragrance. In this cream I used an organic lavender hydrosol. Unfortunately it smells horrible. š«
I confess, I used to be a bit of a hand cream addict. In fact, it was this that got me started making soap, indirectly. I used to use cheapo liquid soap and then follow it up with loads of cream, because my hands were so dry. I tried soap making just for something to do, really, and it was only when I started using the soap, and realised I didnāt need so much hand cream, that the obsession was born. These days, I rarely use any at all, but there is the odd time when I use it.
With all this enforced time at home, I decided to look through the ingredients Iāve hoarded carefully chosen, to see what I could make. I bought some ingredients for trying creams and lotions a while back, and thought it would be a good time to have a go.
Lotions (as Iāll refer to them ā meaning all types of hand / face / foot / body / night / day creams) are generally made from oils and water, emulsifier (to make the oil and water be friends), preservatives (to make sure harmful bacteria canāt grow in it), and sometimes other ingredients to enhance the feel of the lotion on skin, and normally some kind of fragrance. What makes a lighter, quickly absorbed moisturiser different from a thicker cream suitable for night time, or for very dry skin, is simply the choice of oils used, and the amount of water added.
My first attempt included rice bran oil and shea butter as the oil component, as thatās what I happened to have available. Rice bran oil is considered a medium weight oil, so it probably wouldnāt be ideal if you wanted a really light, quickly absorbed cream, but as itās my first try (and I donāt have much else thatās suitable) I went with it. Next time I order ingredients, Iāll order something lighter, and then try again ā if I keep the rest of the recipe the same, it will be interesting to compare. Shea butter is obviously much thicker, being solid at room temperature, but is loaded with Vitamin E and anti-oxidants, and helps reinforce the skinās moisture barrier, which is what gets damaged by harsh handwashing products. For fragrance, I added an almond scent. Not everyoneās cup of tea, I know, but Iām making it for me, so I can please myself š
The actual making of the product was surprisingly easy. I fashioned a sort of double-boiler out of a saucepan and some clean jam jars, as the oils and water need to be heated to the same temperature. The oils and emulsifier went in the larger jar, and the water went in the smaller one. Once the oils were melted, I kept the temperature above 70Ā°C for twenty minutes, to kill off any nasties that might be lurking. Then the water gets poured into the oils, I mix, and the emulsifier works its magic. The other ingredients (preservative, fragrance etc) are heat-sensitive, so I had to wait for the mixture to cool before I could add those. If the mixture was too hot, it could compromise the effectiveness of the preservative, and the fragrance would simply evaporate. A bit of mixing and cooling, and once it was at room temperature I put it into a pump bottle, and hey presto! I made lotion!
I was able to test the lotion as soon as it was cool. So, to review my own product: It leaves a slightly greasy feeling for a minute or two after using. Initially I thought it might be too much as a hand cream, but it goes after a minute, and leaves the hands feeling really nice. If your hands are very dry, it might be perfect. I tried it on my face too, and whilst for me itās too greasy for daytime, it was good as a night cream. It was also nice as a foot cream, applied last thing at night. Baby soft feet by the morning!
My plan is to try a few more batches with different oils, and see what I like best. The testing and refining process is a long one, as I want to see how this performs over time. I want to see how it looks, feels and smells, when it has been sitting on my bedside table for a couple of months, or when I’ve left it in my bag straight over a radiator – in short, test it in real-life situations. So I canāt say when this will be ready for putting into production, but I enjoyed the process and am looking forward to making more. I’m really pleased with how it came out.
At time of writing, the Isle of Man has two confirmed cases
of Coronavirus / Covid-19. Social distancing is encouraged, as the best way to
minimise the spread of the virus.
To be honest, social distancing looks a lot like normal life
for me ā staying at home, not seeing people, communicating via social media and
text message. Not a problem. Iām an introvert, I like being at home, I like my
own company. If anything, Iām more likely to suffer from the lack of alone
time. I work from home anyway, so being stuck in the house does not prevent me
from working.
I am massively worried about the ongoing economic effects of
Covid-19. Everywhere I turn, there are people worrying about how theyāll make
ends meet. The TT has been cancelled this year, and thatās a huge proportion of
the Islandās income. Many visitors book their travel and accommodation a full year
ahead, so the Islandās B&Bs and guesthouses would have already had lots of
bookings in place ā theyāre all cancelled now. There is also the TT Homestay
scheme, where homeowners can rent out spare bedrooms for the duration of the TT,
which is a very welcome boost to peopleās income. Thatās all cancelled too. Whilst
pubs, bars and restaurants havenāt officially been told to close, many are
doing. Childminders are unable to take children, meaning their parents canāt
work. Tradesmen canāt go into peopleās homes. I was told yesterday that a local
department store (what weād consider ābigā in Island terms) has laid off 20
staff. I just canāt even imagine how terrifying it must be to lose your job at
a time like this. Everyone is just thinking āWhat on Earth are we going to do?ā
I am in the fortunate, and possibly unique position of knowing exactly what Iām going to do. Iām going to make soap. And when Iāve done that, and wrapped it, and labelled it, and sent it out to the shops who can get it to the people who need it, Iāll make some more. By coincidence, I had just taken delivery of a large order of ingredients, when the virus arrived in the UK, so when Iām worrying about my friends and family, Iāll make soap. When Iām concerned about our finances, Iāll make soap. When Iām scared, Iāll make soap. And when Iām thankful that I can, in some teeny, tiny way, do something that might help, Iāll make soap. Itās all I can think of to do.
I’m planning on introducing shampoo bars to my range, and I need your opinions on containers. Round or not round? Tin or re-useable plastic? Push-on lid, or screw cap?
Any other considerations? I’d be very grateful for your input, either in the comments below, or on the facebook thread.
Normality is gradually returning, the kids will soon be back at school, and I can get busy making soap again. January is normally quiet, and I’m looking forward to testing new recipes, fragrances, and trying new products.
That strange twilight zone between Christmas and New Year, when you have no clue what day it is, and youāre subsisting on bizarre combinations of snack foods, actually ended up being quite productive, for me. In a sitting-down-and-not-moving-much sort of way. I started reading about shaving soap, and found an absolute goldmine of information, so spent a huge amount of time researching different ingredients, and the qualities they bring.
Vintage Old Spice shaving mug
My experience of mensā shaving accoutrements was quite limited. My dad used to have an Old Spice shaving mug like this one, and a brush, but mostly used an electric shaver. My grandad liked a wet shave every day, I remember him answering the door fully lathered up, but I donāt recall what else he used. Other shavers in my life over the years have used a can of shave gel and whatever branded multi-blade razor was available from the supermarket. My husband just lathers up whatever soap is in the bathroom, and shaves with that ā currently my Enchanted Isle soap. Not really connoiseurs, any of them.
I knew that there are people out there who are really serious about the whole thing, collecting favourite brushes, bowls, mugs, etc, but really, I had absolutely no idea of the true scale of the thing, and how much time, effort, and consideration goes into it! Vintage razors, blade preferences, Silvertip badger hair brushes, straight razorsā¦ Iād never heard of a kamisori – a Japanese razor not intended for use by oneself but designed to be used by a barber to shave someone else. (It looks terrifying.)
Shaving brush and scuttle
Some like to lather up the soap in their hands, some directly on the face, others like to collect some soap on a brush and then lather it up in a scuttle: a special bowl or mug which keeps the lather warm, ready for multiple passes with the razor. Ā Of course, if you regularly shave your face, youāll probably know all this, and have your own preferred tools and techniques, but to me, itās all new, and quite fascinating!
I bought my husband some āfancyā shaving soap a while back, and I thought Iād go and lather it up, and see what it looked and felt like. I did that, and to be honest, I was underwhelmed, considering what Iād paid for it! So I went on YouTube, to see if I could find some reviews for this particular soap. Seriously, I never anticipated that one day Iād be searching for YouTube videos of men shaving. But I did find one, and the man got a really good lather from the same soap, but he spent aaaaaages swirling the brush round, lathering it up. I realised Iād been doing it wrong. Iām not sure Iād have the patience, to be honest. But then I used it to shave my legs, and, I canāt lie, they felt amazing afterwards!
Anyway, after my somewhat sedentary period of reading and researching (and finishing up the remaining snackery), I canāt wait to get started making shaving soap! Iāll be trialling a couple of recipes, and will take pics and compare when theyāre ready.
Tell me about your shaving preferences? Extra points if you include pics of your favourite tools! Comment below, or head over to facebook and comment on the thread there.
