by Jan Berry
Candelilla Wax—a vegan alternative to beeswax, made from the leaves of a small shrub bearing the same name. You don’t need as much candelilla to harden a recipe. Instead, use a little over half as much as the amount of beeswax called for. For example, if a recipe calls for 5 grams of beeswax, try 3 grams of candelilla. Be aware that candelilla wax sometimes has a strong smell that carries through to the finished product. It also tends to make a shinier end product than beeswax.
Castile Soap—a mild and gentle all-purpose liquid soap that can be used in a variety of body, hair and cleaning recipes. You can find it in most health food stores and in many supermarkets.
Chlorella—a single-celled algae used as a nutritional supplement. For our purposes, it makes a great colorant to tint lip balm and soap a pale green.
Citric Acid—a natural crystalline powder that’s derived from the fermentation of fruit sugars. Pair it with baking soda in bath salt recipes to make a fun, fizzy reaction when they meet together in the bath water. Look for citric acid near the canning jars in local grocery or feed stores. You can also order it in bulk online for a much lower cost.
Clays—come in a variety of mineral-rich natural colors, including: kaolin (white and rose), bentonite (gray), French (green), Cambrian (blue) and Brazilian (yellow, purple, red and pink). Clays draw out and absorb oils and dirt, making them great for use in face masks, body powders and deodorants. They’re also excellent long-lasting colorants in soap and some cosmetics.
Emulsifying Wax NF—makes lotion-making a breeze. Emulsifying wax can be sourced from plants, animals or petroleum, so read product descriptions carefully. The “NF” part means that it’s National Formulary approved, or standardized, and is the type used to develop the recipes in this book. If you use a general emulsifying wax without the “NF” label, it may not work in quite the same way. See the Resources section in the back of this book for a recommended supplier of vegetable-sourced emulsifying wax.
Epsom Salt—often used in baths to relieve sore and achy muscles or as a scrub for exfoliation purposes. There’s also evidence suggesting that some of the magnesium and sulfate in Epsom salt is beneficially absorbed via the skin while bathing. Look for Epsom salt in the pharmacy section of your local grocery store.
Essential Oils—strong concentrated extracts distilled from flowers, herbs and other plants. It takes a massive amount of plant material to produce just a tiny bit of essential oil. Because of this high cost in plant life, essential oils can be quite expensive. They’re also deceptively powerful and can easily be overused. Essential oils are suggested in some recipes for fragrance or to complement a product’s effect, but this book takes the position that employing the benefits of a whole plant is generally preferable to using an extract.
Honey—a wondrous product from the beehive! Its antibacterial nature makes it a strong ally when fighting wounds and other skin afflictions that just won’t heal. It can be used directly, or infused with herbs, for a skin-softening face wash. Taken internally, it may help seasonal allergies, ulcers and a host of other minor ailments.
Neem Powder—derived from an evergreen tree, native to India. It’s an effective pesticide and insect repellant. Pregnant women should not use neem without consulting their midwife or health care provider first.
Oats—soothe rashes and skin inflammation. Most grocery stores carry both regular rolled oats and certified gluten-free oats for those with sensitivities.
Sea Salt—can usually be found in the baking section of most grocery stores. I usually buy coarse sea salt for scrubs and bath soaks and then grind it in an electric coffee grinder if a finer product is needed.
Stearic Acid—naturally derived from vegetable or animal fats, then further processed to make white waxy flakes that can be used to help thicken lotion and cream recipes. I find it especially helpful to stabilize creams made with beeswax but no emulsifier.
Sunflower Wax—another vegan option to use instead of beeswax. It has very firm holding power, which means you only need a fraction of it to replace beeswax in a recipe. It has no detectable odor and tends to leave finished projects a bright white unless tinted with a natural colorant.
Vegetable Glycerine—a clear, sweet liquid used to soften and moisturize skin. It’s also useful for making alcohol-free herbal tinctures. A small amount can be added to toners to keep them from being too drying, but if you add too much, your end result may be sticky.
Vinegar—a common astringent and acidic liquid that can be used in hair and body care, home remedies and natural cleaning recipes. For skin, hair and health applications, use a high-quality apple cider vinegar. For household use, common plain white vinegar will be fine.
Washing Soda—made from sodium carbonate and can be found in the laundry section of many grocery stores. It’s used in homemade laundry detergent recipes to more thoroughly clean clothes.
Witch Hazel—an anti-inflammatory and astringent that tones and tightens skin. It’s particularly well suited to treating varicose veins, hemorrhoids, bruises and rashes, such as those caused by poison ivy. Look for witch hazel in the pharmacy section of your local grocery store, near the rubbing alcohol.
Substitution Tips
You’ll get the best results from the recipes in this book if you follow the ingredient list and directions carefully. Sometimes though, allergies, individual preferences or ingredient availability makes that impossible to do. At other times, you may want to put your own personal spin on a recipe and use it merely as a jumping-off point for a completely new creation you have in mind. While the following tips should help with substitutions, be aware that it may take several tries and some experimentation to get an adapted recipe to turn out right.
If a recipe calls for a type of oil that you don’t have available, try substituting one with similar properties. For example, hemp seed oil is a rich, nutritious oil that’s good for your skin. Avocado shares many of the same benefits and characteristics and will usually make a fine substitute for hemp. If you don’t have either one available to you, though, perhaps try some olive oil instead. It might not always work in the exact same way, but almost any liquid oil can be substituted for another. If, for some reason, it doesn’t work out, make a note of it and use your newfound knowledge to make an even better product next time!
Shea and mango butter have a similar texture and can usually be interchanged. Kokum and cocoa butters are both very hard and can often be substituted for each other. You might not always need as much of a hard butter as you would a soft butter. So, if you have a recipe that calls for 50 grams of shea butter, you may only need 40 grams, or less, of cocoa butter to replace it. Start by adding a small amount and see how it does. You can always add more of something if needed.
Since coconut oil melts readily above 76°F (24°C) and instantly as it comes in contact with warm skin, I tend to categorize it with liquid oils. If you need to substitute something for it in soap, the best option is babassu oil. In lip balms, lotions and salves, use babassu or a liquid oil, such as sunflower or olive.
Vegans and those who need to avoid beeswax can substitute candelilla or sunflower wax instead. Keep in mind, however, that these are not direct one-to-one substitutions. It only takes a little over half as much candelilla wax to firm and bind a product as it does beeswax. You need even less sunflower wax, about one-quarter as much. This is a rough formula to use as a starting guideline; individual recipes that you’re converting will still need a bit of experimenting to get right:
10 GRAMS BEESWAX = 5 TO 7 GRAMS CANDELILLA WAX = 2 TO 4 GRAMS SUNFLOWER WAX
Ingredient quality, texture and other such properties tend to vary quite a bit between suppliers and even within batches of the same product. As you become more familiar with how an ingredient acts and feels in the recipes that you try, you’ll build an inner awareness of when something needs adjusting, and will hopefully become more comfortable trying out bolder substitutions.
Preservatives, Antioxidants & Shelf Life
One of the great benefits of ma
king your own natural care products is the ability to avoid synthetic ingredients and preservatives that are potentially harmful to your health. The tradeoff, of course, is that handmade products will not have the longevity that their store-bought counterparts do.
SHELF LIFE
The shelf life of the recipes in this book will vary widely, based on the freshness of the ingredients that you start with, the cleanliness of your equipment, how and where the product is stored and whether or not it contains water-based ingredients.
Items that have no water in them, such as lip balm, salves, balms, lotion bars, bath salts and bath scrubs will have a longer shelf life than lotions and creams containing water. Some oils, such as grapeseed, have a relatively short shelf life of six months. Any product containing that oil will have a shortened shelf life to match. Conversely, jojoba is very stable and can stay fresh for three to five years. Combined with just beeswax, it makes a product that could quite likely last for at least half a decade.
Generally, though, you can assume that lip balm, salves, lotion bars and so forth have an estimated shelf life of around 6 to 9 months, or possibly longer. Storing your creations in direct sunlight or high heat will cause the quality to deteriorate much more quickly.
ANTIOXIDANTS
Oil-based products won’t mold or grow bacteria, but they will turn rancid. You’ll know they’re well past that point when they start smelling unpleasant and like old oil. While you can add antioxidants to slow down rancidity, you won’t be able to completely stop it. Two popular antioxidants include vitamin E and rosemary extract.
Vitamin E is fairly easy to find in gelcaps or liquid form. While it’s also terrific for skin care and minimizing scars, try adding the contents of one gel cap or around 1% to lip balms, salves and other such recipes to help lengthen shelf life.
Rosemary Extract is a CO2 extract of rosemary, not to be confused with the essential oil. It helps to protect oils from rancidity. You only need an amount as small as 0.1% of the recipe to be effective. To best protect its potency, don’t melt it with waxes and butters; wait until hot mixtures have cooled slightly before adding. Rosemary extract can also be added to bottles of more fragile oils such as hemp, rosehip and grapeseed to help them last longer in storage. Shelf life is around five years, making this ingredient a good long-term investment.
While vitamin E and rosemary extract will help slow down oxidation of oils, they won’t kill germs, so are not considered preservatives.
PRESERVATIVES
Water-Based Items, such as lotions and creams, can provide the right environment for mold and bacteria to grow. When making these, use the utmost care in keeping everything meticulously clean. Sanitize your mixing utensils and jars by running them through your dishwasher if it has a sanitize cycle, or put them in boiling water for ten minutes.
Herbal Tea Infusions are more likely to shorten your lotion’s or cream’s lifespan, which is why I often like to use herb or flower-infused oil instead.
If you choose not to use a preservative in a handmade lotion or cream, make a small batch at a time, store it in your refrigerator and use it up within two weeks. This will work fine for personal use, but when gifting or selling a product, you’ll want it to last longer than that.
Thanks to consumer demand, a handful of companies have made some exciting developments by creating preservatives that are derived from natural sources such as elderberry, aspen, fermented radishes and probiotics. While they’re still being tested by individuals, and some may be milder-acting than their synthetic counterparts, it’s a promising step for those who want to be as natural as possible but still offer a safe, quality product to the public.
SOME NATURE-DERIVED PRESERVATIVES TO CONSIDER
Natapres is an EcoCert-approved liquid preservative that’s derived from radish root ferment filtrate, honeysuckle and aspen bark. Stir 2 to 3 grams into the lotion or cream recipes in this book, once they’ve cooled to under 122°F (50°C). Extra can be added, at a rate of 3% to 10%, for antiacne benefits. (For example, if all of the ingredients in your recipe add up to weigh 100 grams, you could use 3 to 10 grams of this nature-derived preservative for added antiacne benefits.)
Leucidal Liquid SF is derived from a lactobacillus ferment and is REACH compliant and salicylate free. Stir 4 grams into the lotion or cream recipes in this book, once they’ve cooled down to under 104°F (40°C).
Phytocide Aspen Bark is a water-soluble powder that has no- to low-irritation potential. It’s GMO free, REACH compliant and can also be used as a skin-conditioning agent. Stir 2 to 3 grams (1 to 1½ tsp) into the lotion or cream recipes in this book, once they’ve cooled to under 140°F (60°C).
Some handmade cosmetic crafters will feel more comfortable using a stronger synthetic preservative in their creations, and that is certainly fine too. Consider the thought that a handmade lotion containing 1% of a synthetic preservative is still a more wholesome option than most store-bought products containing multiple types of synthetics and unpronounceable chemicals. The final decision on whether to use synthetic, natural or no preservatives in your creations is an individual one for each reader to make.
See the Resources section in the back of this book for information on where to buy antioxidants and preservatives.
Equipment You’ll Need
You don’t need a lot of fancy, costly equipment to get started making your own natural products. Much of what’s required is probably already in your kitchen or can be found locally.
Hand Mixer—The lotions, creams and body butters in this book were developed using an inexpensive hand mixer. While you should be able to use a stand mixer just as well, you may end up with differing results if you use an immersion or standard blender.
Electric Coffee Grinder or Mortar and Pestle—For some recipes, dried herbs and flowers need to be powdered or coarsely ground. An inexpensive electric coffee grinder or the more traditional mortar and pestle will do the job nicely.
Fine Mesh Strainers—These are handy for sifting powdered herbs or straining infused oils and teas. I like to keep two on hand when making things, one for dry ingredients and one for liquids.
Glass Canning Jars—Canning jars are pretty much indispensable in my mind! They’re tough, designed to withstand heat and have handy measurement markings on the side. The smallest 4-ounce (125-ml) jars are perfectly sized for storing lotions, salves and such. Half-pint (250 ml) and pint (500-ml) jars can be used for infusing oils, steeping teas and storing herbs.
Digital Scale—While you can measure ingredients by volume, it’s not always as reliable as measuring by weight. For the most consistent results, a digital scale is recommended. You can find a good one for a reasonable price at your local big-box store, usually in the kitchen tools area. I realize that not everyone has the ability to buy one right away, so I’ve included some recipes that can be measured by volume as well as weight. If you plan on making soap, however, a digital scale is a requirement because the lye and oils must be measured precisely to ensure a balanced bar of soap.
Double Boiler or a Makeshift One—A double boiler, or makeshift substitute, is important to use when heating beeswax and other oils. It utilizes more of an indirect, gentle heat that’s less likely to damage your ingredients or cause a fire hazard.
If you don’t own a double boiler, though, don’t rush out to buy one. You can create your own instead. To do so, place the contents you want to heat or melt in a canning jar or other heatproof container. An unlined empty soup or other tin can will work too and may be helpful if you’re dealing with something particularly messy or hard to clean up. Set the jar or can down into a saucepan that has 1 or 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water in it. Place the pan over the burner and heat for the recommended time or until your ingredients are sufficiently melted.
Mixing Bowl, Measuring Cups, Etc.—You’ll also need a variety of mixing bowls, measuring utensils and things to stir with. While you could use the items you keep on hand for regular baking and such, it’s sometimes hard t
o clean all of the wax residue or essential oil scents out. I like to have one glass mixing bowl, a spatula and a set of measuring cups and spoons just for my projects. That way if I use a strong essential oil when mixing up a lotion one afternoon, I don’t risk my mashed potatoes smelling like it at dinner that night!
Small Food Processor—I have a mini food processor that I got as a gift over 16 years ago and in spite of constant use, it’s still going strong. This handy tool is perfect for chopping fresh herbs and blending small amounts of ingredients together.
How to Make Blocks of Beeswax Easier to Use
While you can purchase convenient beeswax pastilles online, most local beeswax will come in a 1-pound (450-g) or other large-sized block form. If you’ve ever tried grating a block of beeswax, you know it can be quite the frustrating workout!
To make measuring it a lot easier, place the beeswax block in a large tin can or heatproof glass pitcher. A can will make cleanup a breeze since it’s disposable, while the pitcher will have the convenience of a spout that will make pouring the wax much easier.
Set the can or pitcher down into a large pot that has several inches of water in the bottom. You don’t want to melt beeswax over direct heat, since that’s a fire hazard, which is why we do it indirectly with a makeshift double boiler.
Place the pan over a low burner and melt the beeswax. This will take a long time, possibly around an hour. Keep an eye on things and check frequently that the water doesn’t evaporate.
While the beeswax is melting, spread parchment paper out over several cookie sheets. You can also use freezer paper, shiny side up. Make sure the pieces are pressed very flat or your melted dots of beeswax will puddle together.
Once melted, remove from heat and pour tiny beeswax drops over the parchment paper, then allow them to cool. They won’t be perfectly sized like commercial pastilles, but they’ll be much easier to use than a bulky block.