Homemade Soap Products - The Benefits of Using Natural Ingredients

You can make your own lye soap at home; it's not hard to do! All you have to do is combine fat with some sort of caustic agent, using water as your catalyst, and you have soap. 'Saponification' is the technical name for the chemical process between lye and fat.

And you won't need anything exotic to make your own soap; most of the ingredients you need may be as close as your grocery store. What will you need? For a basic soap, you only need water, lye, and some kind of fat and oil. For a more luxurious soap, you might want to add coloring dyes and scented fragrance oils.

You probably have water as close as your kitchen tap; some people prefer to use rainwater or distilled water in their soap. And what's lye, anyhow? It's chemical name is sodium hydroxide; it's a very strong base, so when you handle it. Make sure that you read the directions on the package of lye carefully, and following them scrupulously.

The first step is to dissolve the lye. Never pour the water into the lye; instead, pour the lye into the water. If half the water is ice, that's even better. Stir; as you stir, watch for the reaction. The lye can even boil the water; if this happens, stop stirring until the bubbling stops, and let the lye water cool down to room temperature.

So what about the oil? Just about any fat or oil can make soap, from plant oils to animal fats. Coconut oils will give a rich lather. Olive oil will yield fine, silky bubbles. If you use animal fat, make sure it' is clean, not rancid, has no salt, and is free of solid particles. You'll find tallow or lard will give you a denser soap.

When you batch starts to thicken, that's the time to add coloring and perfume oils. Pour the 'traced' soap into shape molds, and let it harden. It will have to 'cure' for one to three days, and then dry a bit longer before you can enjoy it.

Homemade, natural and specialty soaps are perfect truths for bath and body treatments. So if you are looking for a way to relieve your tension, forget about your bad day and just feel good, well treat yourself with some homemade soap products. They'll make your skin soft improve any skin conditions you have and help you connect with yourself.

Wheat Germ Oil - Making Homemade Soap

Wheat germ oil is extracted from the germ of the wheat kernel. It is dark amber in color with a thick consistency and has a heavy scent. When stored in a dark, cool and dry location its shelf life can be six to eight months. This natural oil is used in different ways.

Wheat germ oil can be used as a cooking oil, but it is often very expensive. It has been used in massage oil formulations to soothe, relax, and soften skin. It is, also, used in a variety of commercial and homemade skin care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, and more. Its benefits make it nourishing for skin.

Wheat germ oil contains the benefits of vitamin D, E and A. It soothes and softens dry, irritated, burned and sunburned skin. It promotes skin cell formation helping to heal scars and stretch marks. It helps to smooth rough, cracked and wrinkled skin, therefore contributes to diminishing the signs of aging. It contains antioxidants benefits and anti-inflammatory properties, as well. This natural oil is found in many eczema or psoriasis skin care products.

Lots of soap makers use wheat germ oil but this, natural, soap making oil should only be used at approximately ten percent in soap formulations. Most soap makers use it to, basically, add moisturizing and skin care nutrients to their handcrafted soap. It helps to soften, soothe and moisturize dry flaky skin, dry scaly skin, cracked skin and more. This natural oil should not be heated too much. It should be added in the soap making process, after the hard oils have melted. It is, usually, a good idea to use this soap making oil as a small percentage of base oils or as a super fatting nutrient at trace.

You can learn how to make soap different ways. You can take in-person classes or learn, at home, with an audio visual resource, such as a DVD. Either way can provide you with an abundance of soap making information! You can learn, easy, soap making instructions, find soap recipes, learn by doing with trial and error, find resources and more! There are different methods to making soap, such as hot process soap making, cold process soap making and re-batching. Use the method that is most comfortable for you, or use them all! You can have all of the information you will ever need to make homemade soap! Use a soap making kit, containing oils, molds and other materials to help you get started making soap.

You can make YOUR very own homemade soap and enjoy the, healthful, benefits of wheat germ oil, today!

pH Testing - 3 Ways to Test Your Homemade Natural Soap

The most important aspect about making your own natural soap is to get the chemistry right. Not enough lye will create a soft bar that may never cure or take a long time to cure. Too much lye will cause a caustic bar, which would remove any natural oils from your skin to possibly causing red skin, or even burning, from little pockets of lye water.

I have always used phenolphthalein, (pronounced: fee no fah thay leen) a liquid that smells like nail polish remover. It usually comes in a dropper bottle, is inexpensive, and you simply allow a drop on the top of your soap. If it turns bright pink right away, then there is a high ph problem with your soap. If it turns pinkish after a new minutes, then this would be usual as the soap is still caustic and not fully neutralized. But if it has no color at all, this will indicate a pH normal bar - perfect.

I tried the litmus papers but preferred my phenolphthalein. Although many soapmakers swear by these. These test strips need you to wet a bar of the soap till there is some bubbles and place the strip on the bubbly part of the bar. After a few hundred bars of soap, you will have an expert eye and be able to tell by looking if there may be a problem. But in the beginning, I would test every slab.

The pH scale ranges from 1 - 14, and the aim for your soap will be between 6 - 10. Generally the numbers you will want for a mild soap would be 5 - 8. For a stronger hand soap, aim for 8 - 10, and for grating later for laundry, you'll want a reading of 10 - 12. Some soaps that test high initially will have lower pH levels later, so put it aside and retest in a couple of weeks. If you are using phenolphthalein, then the color you would be looking for would be clear for a mild soap, light pink for a hand soap, and dark pink for a laundry soap.

Some people use little electronic pH testers. They are considered more accurate and need to be buffered, or calibrated, before using. This method is also the most expensive.

Every so often, when not mixed properly, lye water will come to the top of the soap slab and look like harmless water or oil. This water is extremely caustic, be very careful when moving the slab around in the mold that none of this drips.

Herbal Soaps - Homemade Soaps For Your Family

One of the best reasons to buy herbal soaps, is to get away from all of the chemical additives that damage your skin. The main reason the chemical additives are bad is that they dry out your skin, but for many people, including children, they often lead to rashes and other skin irritation problems. The main reasons for this is that commercial soap companies are using synthetic additives in their soap, and at the same time they are removing the glycerin from their product. This is one of the main reasons herbal soaps that are homemade are becoming more popular every day.

One thing that all consumers should do is look at the labels of the soaps they are buying, and look at the unhealthy ingredients that these companies are using. They attempt to give consumers the allusion that the soaps are beneficial and healthy, but in reality they are not. They have become very adept at cleverly deceiving the public.

Herbal soaps that are completely natural will over time restore your skin from dried out, to moist and healthy looking. It is important to make sure that the homemade soap you use is as natural as possible, and uses only natural ingredients.

Soaps that have been made using natural vegetable oils, such as olive oil or essential oils, date back to old Muslim times when chemists used natural ingredients, and when it comes to soapmaking, not much has changed since then.

Arabian soaps were colored and scented and were both liquid and solid soap. In more modern days soaps have been made mixing animal fats with lye. This leads to the question of, "is lye safe". The answer is yes, it's very safe. When you mix lye with your other ingredients there is a chemical reaction that changes the lye into a mild and pure form of soap.

There are many herbal soaps on the market. One of my favorites is Neem soap. This is a wonderful herb that helps to expel excess sugar from your body; one of the prime reasons for many skin disorders.

Neem also helps to restrain viruses from multiplying, as it binds to your skin cells. It prevents viral growth and this makes it a wonderful germicidal soap. It also has properties that are anti fungal, as well as antibacterial, and is one of the most recommended soaps for those who suffer with acne. Great for teenagers, and a great way to get them started off on the right foot when it comes to natural soaps.

Another wonderful soap is one that is made using turmeric. This has been traditionally used in medical practices for centuries, and is felt to be very effective in treating infections and boils. It's a wonderful soap for people who are diabetic. It helps to prevent bacteria in the skin as well as restoring skin to a natural luster.

Last but not least, one of my all time favorites is Sandalwood. It has a wonderful deep fragrance, most often used in aromatherapy, but it is also famous for making your skin feel lustrous, smooth and unblemished. I highly recommend this herbal soap for an overall feeling of well being.

Although you will find that herbal soaps are slightly more expensive than store bought soaps, the price difference is not that much, and when you take into consideration the benefits you get for those few extra pennies it is more than worth it.

Soaps such as lavender give you such a great relaxing feeling and rosemary mint soap gives you a great pick me up that it's hard to resist not treating yourself to these inexpensive luxuries. The little extra that you pay a month for a herbal soap is more than worth it.

Herbal Soaps are a very popular soap to make at home and soap making is becoming more popular every day. For more information on homemade herbal soaps visit our website Soap Making Made Easy.

Aloe Vera Juice Benefits - Natural Homemade Lotion and More

Aloe vera juice comes from the aloe vera plant, a short stemmed or stemless plant. This plant grows in regions that are dry and barren, with little rain or support for vegetation, such as: northern Africa, the Canary islands and the Cape Verde islands.

There have been many conflicting scientific studies regarding this plant. It is well known for its use as an herbal type of medicine. The juice from this plant is used in a variety of ways. It can be found in cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, sunscreens, soaps, face tissues and other household products.

Topical aloe vera juice benefits include:

- Anti-bacterial & anti-fungal agent
- Improves skin regeneration
- Soothes sunburns
- Reduces redness
- Reduces itching
- Helps improve eczema & psoriasis
- Softens skin
- Helpful for acne
- Reverses scarring
- Strengthens joint muscles
- Improves joint flexibility & movement
- Alleviates pain & inflammation of arthritis
- Rich in vitamins C, B12 and E

This juice can be found in many homemade skin care products including natural: homemade soap, homemade lotion, homemade face cream, homemade shampoo and much more. It helps to soften and soothe many different skin types such as: dry itchy skin, dry flaky skin, sensitive skin, sunburns and more. It can improve skin regeneration helping with wrinkles, acne or scarring. It can help a variety of scalp problems or scalp conditions. It helps alleviate pain and inflammation from arthritis, sore muscles and joints. There are a large variety of benefits offered in natural homemade skin care products. You can improve multiple skin care needs with the benefits of aloe vera juice.

This juice can, also, be used internally. Consult your physician before using aloe vera juice for any medicinal purposes, due to possible side effects. More of its benefits include:

- Detoxifies body
- Cleanses colon
- Detoxifies blood stream
- Aids in healing ulcers
- Helps digestive tract work smoothly
- Improves circulation
- Provides overall feeling of energy and health

With all of these benefits, no wonder this juice is so popular! Discover aloe vera juice and the benefits it can provide!

Natural Homemade Cleaning Products

Natural homemade cleaning products will save you money and help the environment, how can you refuse to saving money and helping the environment? Your not a horrible person if you use commercial cleaners but taking the time to look at alternative cleaners should be high considered. Some of use may be very sensitive to the chemicals in commercial cleaning products. If you are you know how difficult it can be breathing in those fumes. Natural homemade cleaning products would be ideal for you and really anyone who wants to help the environment out too.

The best natural homemade cleaning products include, water, baking soda, white vinegar, citrus solvent, lemon juice, Borax, and liquid soap. You will protect your family and pets if you use these natural cleaning products on a regular basis. If u mix and match these natural products you will have cleaners that will keep your house smelling good and looking even better. There seems to always be a catch to something when it seems to good to be true right? This isn't one of those times because these products are safe and will clean your home, no side effects, no nothing.

I use natural cleaning products almost everyday because something always need to be done around the house so I know from experience they work. It gives me the sense of accomplishment because I know I'm helping my family, the environment, and my home buy using them. Natural homemade cleaning products really are fantastic and I will continue to use them.

Make Your Own Natural Homemade Beauty Recipes on the Cheap

There are a number of home recipes that you can make to treat your skin, and the best part of all is that they will come from ingredients that you may already have within your kitchen cabinets.

One of the main benefits to making natural homemade beauty recipes is that they will provide you with a healthy alternative to many of the over-the-counter products that are full of harmful chemical ingredients. It is important to be mindful of what you put on your skin since it is the largest living and breathing organ in your body. Another advantage to using these types of homemade products is that you will save money and also help the environment. Many commercial cosmetics companies use chemical or detergent ingredients, and when they are rinsed from your skin, they can become toxic to the Earth's water supply.

Some handy items to use from your kitchen for natural homemade beauty recipes are bananas, oatmeal, honey, olive oil, mayonnaise, yogurt, and Epsom salts. These are just a few examples of helpful ingredients from your kitchen that can be used for hair or skin care! Perhaps two of the most common ingredients to have at your disposal for these natural recipes are natural soap bars and beeswax. These natural waxes can be purchased at health food store locations, and if you are allergic to bees, there are also vegetable-based waxes as an alternative.

Olive oil is a beneficial ingredient for homemade beauty recipes because it provides a number of skin and hair care benefits. It can be used to deeply hydrate severely dry skin on the knees, feet, and elbows. It can also be added to a warm bath to soften your skin from head to toe, or even to massage into the hair to treat dry scalp.

To make a quick natural exfoliating treatment with olive oil, mix together olive oil with two times the ratio of brown sugar to make a paste. Use this exfoliating paste before taking a shower by gently massaging it into the surface of the skin, and then rinse well. This simple treatment would remove all dead skin cells and provide a fresh glow to the skin tone.

If you have bananas available, you can use them to moisturize severely dry skin. Start out by mashing a banana until it has a paste consistency, and then smooth it onto your face and hands and allow it to stay for 10 minutes. Rinse completely, and then apply olive oil directly after to treat severe dryness and damage to the skin.

These are just a few examples of everyday items that you can use at home to save you money in your beauty treatments! From there, you can also create herbal bath soaks, natural body scrubs, and even facial cleansers. This is your opportunity to not only treat your skin, but to also use healthy ingredients to improve the tone of your complexion!

Homemade Soap - Goat Milk Soap Felted With Alpaca Wool

Are you looking for a very unique homemade soap? Discover a homemade natural goats milk soap felted with Alpaca wool! This natural soap offers more than multiple skin care benefits, it is a lightweight, natural, soft, and silky scrubbie too!

What is natural goats milk soap? It is a homemade soap made with natural ingredients. You will not find this soap in any commercial department or discount store. It is handmade by a soap maker. It contains mild and gentle, skin friendly, non-irritating ingredients. It is a naturally moisturizing soap. Skin will not be left dry, flaky, super tight or looking dull. This homemade soap reveals the underlying natural beauty of skin. It is so mild and gentle, it can even be used on the face! Goats milk soap can be scented or, Au Natural, unscented with no added fragrances.

Why is goats milk soap better than commercial brands? Commercial soaps can contain chemicals that are too harsh or harmful for skin. They can disrupt the natural pH balance of skin. It may take many hours before the skin's pH balance is returned to normal. Commercial soaps can leave your skin feeling dry and looking dull. Their harsh chemicals can cause havoc on the skin including redness, swelling, allergic reactions, rashes, and more. Natural goats milk soap maintains the normal pH balance of the skin. It leaves the skin's acid mantle intact. It is a non-irritating, skin friendly, soap. Lots of acne sufferers have had great success using this natural skin care product. Some consider it better than homemade acne remedies. It provides multiple skin care benefits. It is healthful and nourishing for skin. People with dry skin, dry itchy skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, acne and more notice a difference between natural goats milk soap and commercial soap the very first time they use it!

The Alpaca felted goats milk soap is truly unique! You will not find this kind of soap on everyone's shower shelf! This homemade soap has, prestigious, Alpaca wool felted right to it. Alpaca wool is very soft like cashmere and lighter than sheep's wool. It does not have a prickly feeling like sheep's wool. It is strong and very fine. Alpaca wool is hypoallergenic. It will not irritate skin and does not contain harmful toxins. It is soft and gentle, enough, to use on baby skin as well as adults. Alpaca wool is used in many types of clothing including sweaters, cardigans, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, baby clothes and more. It is used in bedspreads, pillows, throws, blankets, stuffed animals, toys and more. Alpaca wool is recognized as a luxurious, prestigious, wool.

If you are looking for a, truly, unique skin care product, then you should try Alpaca felted goats milk soap. It is like no other skin care product you will ever come across. It is a cleansing, moisturizing soap and soft scrubbie all rolled into one! This homemade soap makes great, unique, gifts! Alpaca felted goats milk soap is a very unique, skin nourishing, natural, homemade soap! It is the best bar soap around!

Use Natural Liquid Castile Soap for Safe and Wonderful Homemade Shampoos

Many of us look forward to shampooing our hair with visions of beautiful, shiny, bouncy hair as portrayed by the shampoos commercials we have become so familiar with. Little do we realize that the very shampoos that are giving us that lustrous look may at the same time be endangering our health. Fortunately, with just a bit of effort and liquid castile soap, we can easily make safe and natural shampoos at home that also give us wonderful results.

The most common chemical compounds in shampoos are the same ones that are commonly used in commercial detergents: straight-chain alkyl benzene sulfonates. Benzene is a chemical that is responsible for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), oftentimes the precursors to leukemia and many types of cancers.

Another dangerous ingredient found in shampoos is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, which has also been linked to cancer, affects the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and reproductive system. Formaldehyde can cause rashes, hives, and dermatitis and long term exposure can result in asthma and bronchitis. It can also cause permanent lung damage. Should shampoos containing formaldehyde come into contact with the eyes, the result can be corneal damage and, in extreme cases, even blindness.

Other common shampoo ingredients are citric acid, tetrasodium EDTA, cocamide, DEA, MEA, or TEA, Peg-5 cocamide, ammonium chloride, ammonium lauryl sulfate, glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate.

Even shampoos advertising herbs as ingredients contain these harmful ingredients. Sadly, baby shampoo that has been trusted for generations also contains many of these harmful chemicals.

However, we can take charge of our health and avoid the risky ingredients in commercial shampoos by making our own shampoos. Homemade shampoos are easy to make and safe. They also help the environment and they are cost effective. Additionally, these shampoos can be customized for individual hair care needs such as dandruff, dry or oily skin, added sheen, luster, bounce, and highlights. All of the following recipes use castile soap - a natural soap made from olive oil that dates back to the 16th century.

Basic Shampoo

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap
1/2 teaspoon sunflower or other light vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix the ingredients well, store in a bottle and then use as you would any shampoo. Be sure to rinse well after shampooing.

Shampoos for Dandruff and Dry, Itchy Scalp

Ingredients:

6 oz Liquid castile Soap
5 drops tea tree essential oil
1/2 teaspoon jojoba oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Oily Scalp

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
5 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Dry, Color Treated Hair

Ingredients:

6 ounces liquid Castile soap
1/2 teaspoon avocado oil
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions:

Same as above.

Shampoo for Enhancing Blonde Hair

Ingredients:

3 ounces liquid Castile soap
4 chamomile tea bags
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

Shampoos to Enhance Dark Hair

Ingredients:

3 oz liquid Castile soap
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon rosemary
2 black tea bags
1/2 teaspoon Olive oil

Directions:

Steep the tea and water in a covered pan for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Mix with remaining ingredients then bottle.

These are just a sample of what you can do making your own shampoos. You can remain in charge of your health, while enjoying healthy and beautiful hair.

Rose Hip Oil - Making Homemade Soap

Rose hip oil is extracted from the seeds of a rose bush, grown wild in the southern Andes. It contains the benefits of vitamin E, A (retinol) and C. It is high in omega 3 and omega 6 linoleic acids. It has antioxidants benefits and is slightly astringent. It is commonly used in skin care products.

Rose hip oil has helped a variety of skin conditions including: dermatitis, acne, eczema, sunburns, brittle nails, scars, mature skin and wrinkles. It slows the skin's aging process by assisting cell regeneration and promoting the increase of collagen and elastin levels. Results vary with reduced wrinkles, faded scars, firmer, smoother and youthful looking skin. Its slightly astringent properties help, tighten and tone the skin, helping to provide a youthful appearance.

Rose hip oil is used in a variety of commercial and homemade skin care formulations: soaps, lotions, creams, and more. It is a suitable choice for products intended for the regeneration of new skin cells, maturing or damaged skin. It is commonly used at a ratio of up to approximately ten percent in soap formulations. This natural oil is a great, healthful, choice for many homemade skin care products! It is a popular and versatile natural oil!

There are different ways to learn how to make soap. You can take in-person classes or learn, at home, with an audio visual resource, such as a DVD. Either way can provide you with an abundance of soap making information! Learn with, easy, soap making instructions, find soap recipes, learn by doing with trial and error, find resources and more! There are different soap making methods, such as hot process soap making, cold process soap making and re-batching. Use the method you are most comfortable with or just use them all! You can find all of the information you will ever need to make homemade soap!

Use a soap making kit, containing oils, molds and other materials to help you get started making soap. So, get started, you can make YOUR homemade soap and enjoy the multiple, healthful, benefits of natural rose hip oil, today!