Attar of Rose & Shea Butter Cream

Yesterday, for some odd reason, I decided that I needed/wanted to make some hand cream. I had had the ingredients spread out on the counter for a week & decided that I need to get to making the cream or pack the stuff away again. I wanted to try one of Vicki Welsh's recipes. She is the damsel that got me started on this soap-making, cream & lotion gorging delightful way some time ago. I have been interested in making crams & lotions for years, but it was Vicki's was soap recipes that got me back on track. Now it just seems normal to make these products for myself rather than go & buy them. I like richer creams- especially for my weary hands - than seem to be generally available , at least for anything less than a small fortune. I like Vicki's recipes because she has made them before - so I know they will work for me too. Vicki has simple directions on her website. If you follow them I don't think you can make a mistake!

Shea Butter Cream
(makes approx 10 ounces)

* .1 oz Citric Acid (yes, that's 1/10 of an ounce)
* .4 oz Glycerin or Hydrovance
* .35 oz Stearic Acid
* .35 oz Emulsifying Wax or Conditioning Emulsifyer
* 2 oz Shea Butter
* 6.7 oz (up to 8 oz for a thinner cream) Distilled Water (Distilled is important)
* Optional: .1 oz Allantoin

All of Vicki's recipes are hypo-allergenic and, since I wanted slight scent for this cream in place of the distilled water I used a floral Rose hydrosol & then I added pure Attar of Rose oil when I added the allantoin. My cream has a very soft, very light rose scent and, thanks thanks to a bit of alkanet root the color is a very pale pink. It's a perfect cream - light and fluffy, deeply healing and penetrating with no oily feel. Thanks to Vicki for her recipes and for getting back on the creams and lotions track!

I also made some some hand sanitizer yesterday to keep on hand in the office especially. It is similar to Purell but a bit less thick. Simply mix 2/3 cup of 90% alcohol with a generous thrid of a cup of aloe vera gel (next time I plan to use aloe vera gelly instead) and a scent of your choice. Mix and pour into squeeze or pump bottles. At first I was overpowered by the scent of the alcohol and was not at all impressed. Over night however, the scent that I had added became better integrated and now the scent of alcohol is very minimal. The aloe keeps the alcohol from being too drying on your skin - though a bit of luscious Attar of Rose and Shea Butter hand cream afterwards is really nice!

Soap Making: The Aftermath

Well, here are the soapy results of the mad scientist get up from yesterday! After 24 hours the "loaf" was ready to be cut. I did not have anything that really made a good mold - so I used a milk carton & a mini loaf pan for the "overflow". I think, if I continue, I need to get a decent mold. I just want simple, rectangular, square or round bars. These bars still need 2-3 weeks to cure which, as I understand it from soap guru Vicki, both hardens the bars as well as produce a milder (less alkaline) bar. I used a scrap of the soap & it worked just fine - a little low on lather perhaps - but I think that improves with time as well- and I also had rubber gloves on when I tried it. This is all so mysterious - I have so much to learn ! The last picture (below) is the hand cream. It's dark because of the natural beeswax I used in it. I had to re-batch it because it separated. It is now a bit more stiff that I would like, but it works really well & it has enough beeswax in it that it really protects my hands.

Not to worry, I have not given up my fiber fanaticism for the world of soap suds. I HAVE been working on other things too! Aunties quilt is almost done (and it is a B-I-G queen size), my latest knitting project is progressing well, I have been keeping up with my paints - and mucking about with bits & pieces of fiber &fabric for an art quilt. More on all of these soon.

The Scary Side of Making Soap

Tell me I wouldn't frighten a person in a dark alley!

Yesterday I made my first batch of soap using one of Vicki W's recipes. I was paranoid about using lye - so really took safety seriously; double glasses, double gloves & a face mask. I think it will turn out well....but have to wait two or three weeks to really know. I almost did not buy a good scale, but am very glad I did. I think it would be more than difficult to get correct measurements without it. Plus, now I can weigh things for shipping more accurately. Such a deal! The soap sure looked creamy & nice when I poured it.

I also made a small batch of hand cream - my hands love a thick cream made with beeswax. Creams are pretty easy to make, although I seem to get a separation issue with many recipes that use any amount of water. Ignorance on my part I am certain. I plan to remedy with some more research. I think it has to do with temperature. Next, I'll have to try some lotions. Soap making is something I had been wanting to try for years, but for some reason I thought it was far too complicated. I am so grateful that Vicki shared three of her wonderful soap bars with me so that I could try them. Now,if mine comes out, I'll be on my way. To where & to what I'm not sure - but on my way somewhere with soap - and that's good thing !