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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
Want to make your own recipe? Check out the Soap Calculator that I use.
What more soaping recipes? Check out our soaping section!
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!
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!
The one thing I love the most about raising goats is their milk. Not only is great for making my Drunkin Goat Milk Soap, but it is great in other DIY beauty products as well! You can use it to make Goat Milk Bath Bombs or even this beautiful Goat Milk Lotion Recipe!
Even if you do not have goat milk on hand, this Goat Milk Lotion Recipe can be converted into just regular lotion by omitting the goat milk and just use distilled water for the entire recipe.
You will need some things for this lotion that you would normally not need for regular soap making. But, they are fairly inexpensive and easy to find online.
One of the biggest things to remember when making any lotion is that you NEED A PRESERVATIVE! There is just no getting around it, lotion is majority water, which means it is a great place for mold and fungus to thrive. So, having a good preservative is very important.
Also, in order to make sure that your preservative can really do its job, a little prep work must be done. Everything that you use, from the bottles you store your lotion, the utensils and bowls, and your work surface, all need to be cleaned well. I wipe my work surface down with a bleach-water solution and I also dip everything I will be using in a 5% bleach water solution and let them air dry on a clean, sanitized area.
Equipment
Ingredients
Check out the video below to learn how to make goat milk lotion at home!
I prefer a chocolate melter to melt my waxes and butter, but you could also use a double boiler, or melt them in the microwave. You can also pick up all of the ingredients you need from Whole Sale Supplies Plus, or Bramble Berry.
Want more fun DIY Beauty Product recipes? Check out our other soaping posts! Want even more? Check out our YouTube Channel!
How to Make Goat Milk Lotion with Free Goat Milk Lotion Recipe
Check out the video below to see how to make this gorgeous goat milk lotion recipe!