The great thing about soap making is that there are so many different things you can add to your recipes! One of my favorite things to add to my cleaning soaps is citric acid. There are a number of reasons you may want to explore adding citric acid to a soap recipe as well.
Adjusting pH: Citric acid helps balance the pH of the soap. When dissolved in water and combined with sodium hydroxide (for bar soap) or potassium hydroxide (for liquid soap), it becomes sodium citrate. This helps maintain the soap’s pH level.
Water Softening: Citric acid acts as a chelating agent, which means it binds to metal ions in water. By preventing these ions from interfering with the soap, it reduces soap scum and improves lather.
Enhancing Lather: Adding citric acid can lead to a soap with better lathering properties. It contributes to a bubbly and creamy lather, making your soap more enjoyable to use.
I love adding citric acid to my dish bars for these very reasons!
How To Use Citric Acid in Soap
Because the citric acid does essentially eat away at your sodium hydroxide, you do need to make some adjustments to your recipe calculations. It’s not hard, it is just a bit of math.
You want to usually use 1-2% of your oil weight. Every 1g of Citric Acid consumes 0.624g of lye, so you will need to add the extra lye back into your recipe in order to keep your super fat the same.
As an example: If you are using 1000g total oils in your recipe and want to add 2% citric acid (1000 x 0.02) = 20g citric acid. Therefore, 20g citric acid (2% of oils). 20g x 0.624 = 12.48g of extra sodium hydroxide is needed.
An easy rule of thumb is:
10g citric acid neutralizes 8g of KOH
10g citric acid neutralized 6g of NaOH
When adding citric acid into your soap recipe, you will want to dissolve it into your distilled water FIRST, then add your sodium hydroxide after it has been completely dissolved.
Once you have your basic calculations, you are ready to get started with adding citric Acid to your soaps! Want to see how we make our DIY Dish Soap Bars? Check out our YouTube Channel!
A homemade sunscreen can be a good alternative to the chemical based store bought lotions, but it is important to remember that they are not all created equal. Now, because the FDA has very strict regulations on SPF claims, most homemade sunscreens will not state the SPF value. If you make and sell an All Natural Sunscreen, it is important to never make claims on what the SPF value is.
The ingredients used to make my Homemade Sunscreen With Beef Tallow Recipe all have their own SPF ratings, but it is important to remember that when adding these ingredients together that 1+1 will not always equal 2 on a SPF scale. I use a Non Nano Zinc oxide in my recipe which is generally a 6-11 SPF. The more you add to your recipe, the little extra you can get on protection.
The base of my recipe is Beef Tallow that is from cattle grown on our property. We also add in a few other oils that have a good amount of SPF as well.
When it comes to fragrance, it is important to choose an essential oil that is not photo-toxic, these particular oils can cause sun burns.
These oils include, but are not limited to:
Grapefruit
Bergamot
Bitter Orange
Fig Leaf
Lemon Vebena
Cold Pressed Lime
I like to add Raspberry Seed Oil because it protects agains UVA & UVB rays. It generally has a rating between 28 and 50 for UVA and up tp 8 for UVB. We also add Carrot Seed Oil not only for its natural SPF but because of its antioxidants as well. Carrot Seed Oil rates around 35 to 40 SPF.
Now to make this Homemade Sunscreen Recipe with Beef Tallow you will need the following:
Since recently sustaining a pretty major injury, I have started to lean more and more on all natural remedies to manage my pain and my nerve problems. As I am typing this, I am 4 months post emergency neck surgery and officially off of any and all medications to help manage my pain. One of the biggest helps for the pain has been my DIY Pain Relief Essential Oil Balm. It is my go to in the evening after a long day.
Essential Oils for Pain Relief
There are thousands of different essential oils and infused oils that you can use to help aid in pain relief. They all attack the pain differently and treat different types of pain as well. Since I use pain balm primarily on my neck and shoulders I choose oils that would work great for that.
Since I am not a huge fan of floral scents, I did stay away from oils like rose & lavender. But some of my all time favorites to use are the following:
Bergamot: Helps to reduce neuropathic pain
Ginger: Helps with pain relief, can help block pain receptors, reduces inflammation.
Frankincense: Reduces inflammation and aids in pain relief, good for arthritis.
Peppermint and Wintergreen are also great for pain, but I do not add them to this balm. I actually use them in a different pain balm meant for cooling. I like to use that one after my physical therapy sessions.
Infused Oils for Pain Relief
On top of using the essential oils, I also infused a mix of castor and olive oil in a jar filled with Cheyenne peppers, turmeric & ginger. These ingredients also help with the relaxation and pain relief of muscles. I also include infused oil with Yarrow which helps with pain and inflammation.
Like I have mentioned, there are a ton of essential oils and infused oils you can use. Just make sure to do your research and choose ones that will work for what you need them for.
Pain Relief Essential Oil Balm Recipe
I use the same basic recipe as our homemade Calendula Balm. If you would like to make a softer balm or salve, reduce the amount of bees wax used.
Equipment
Double Boiler or Candy Melter
Ingredients
1 Cup Bees Wax, Melted
1/4 Cup Shea Butter
1/4 Cup Calendula Infused Olive Oil
2 tbsp Shea Butter
2 tbsp Vitamin E
2 tsp Fragrance Oil of Choice
Instructions
Melt Bees Wax in a double boiler or candy melter
Combine all other oils and stir to combine
Add fragrance oil and stir well
Transfer to a sealable container and allow to cool
Check out our Youtube Video below to see it being made and learn more about this amazing balm!
Pine Tar soap is a staple in our home. It has so many great benefits that it is worth keeping a few bars around all of the time. It is one of the few soaps that I make on a regular occasion because it is such a popular soap at our Farmer’s Market.
Before we get into the benefits of pine tar soap, let’s talk a little about what pine tar is and where to find it. Pine tar is an all-natural resource. It comes from burning pine trees and has been used for hundreds if not, thousands of years. It is well known for its natural antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Now, you don’t have to go out and burn down your pine trees to get your hands on Pine tar, most farm supply stores carry it in stock, and you can usually find it in the horse section. If you do not have a farm supply near you, you can always pick it up online. Just make sure it says that is 100% Pine Tar.
Now, be warned, Pine tar can be STICKY! I mean it is thick and hard to work with. If you using it in soap, I find warming it up a bit helps to keep it more viscous.
Pine Tar Soap Benefits
Alright, so now that we know what it is and where to find it. Let’s talk about the great benefits of Pine Tar. As mentioned above, pine tar is a great natural antibacterial and anti-fungal. Pine Tar properties are passed down to the soaps that you add it to. Pine tar soap has been used to help treat skin conditions for years. So, it is great to help soothe eczema and psoriasis as well as treat dry, itchy skin. It can help ease skin irritations from bug bites, and Pine Tar soap is great to use as a treatment for poison ivy.
Between summer bug bites and dry, itchy winter skin. We keep Pine Tar Soap on hand year-round at our house. Want to learn how to make it yourself? Check out the video below.
My Pine Tar Soap Recipe:
The best thing about Pine Tar is that it can be added to pretty much any soap recipe. I have found that around 12% usage is the perfect amount, but you can always add or subtract the amount based on your needs.
I super fat at 5% and use a 35% water solution.
Olive Oil – 30%
Coconut Oil – 30%
Pine Tar – 12%
Castor Oil – 10%
Cocoa Butter – 10%
Shea Butter – 8%
Want to make your own recipe? Check out the Soap Calculator that I use.
The Holidays are officially here, which means I am in gift making mode! There is just something special about a good homemade gift! Especially when it is made well and with care. While I love making cold process soaps, lotions, and candles. I wanted to make something special for the men on my holiday shopping list. So, this year I made them all Homemade Shaving Soap. It is great for shaving, and I even love to use it in the shower to shave my legs. It just has a nice, rich creamy lather that other cold process soaps just do not have.
With Winter right around the corner, I am starting to prepare for the dry, cold months. While I love using my Homemade Goat Milk Lotion, it isn’t my favorite to keep in my purse and carry with me everywhere. That is why I absolutely love making lotion sticks and homemade lip balm!
How to Make Lotion Sticks & Homemade Lip Balm
This recipe is super simple to make, and it is also great to give as gifts for the holidays! I use the same exact recipe base for my lotion sticks as I do for my homemade lip balm, so it makes it easy to make large batches if needed.
Most of the ingredients can be found at your local store, but if you are from a small town like me, you can also grab them on Amazon too!
You can also substitute the kinds of butter and oils with other ones if you prefer as well! You do not need any special equipment, or even containers either. A simple jar with a sealable lid will work fine for this recipe. I opted to use lip balm and lotion stick containers for mine, but that is because I generally give these out to neighbors and as a free gift at the farmer’s markets where I sell.
They are relatively cheap, especially the lip balm containers since you can usually get around 50 for under $10!
The only special equipment I used is my Wilton Chocolate melter. I use it for only melting my waxes and oils, and it has never been used for food. If you don’t have one or don’t want one, you can simply melt your oils, butter, and waxes using a double boiler or microwave. I do caution though if you opt to use the microwave, do not add your shea butter and heat is short 15 second bursts. If your shea butter gets too hot, it will turn grainy, and no one wants a grainy lip or lotion bar. Instead, wait until everything else is melted and use the heat of those oils and butters to gently melt the shea butter!
Want to learn exactly how I made these super simple Lotion Sticks & Homemade Lip Balms? Check out the video below!
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more DIY Soaps and Beauty Product Tutorials!
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