A Quiet Cleanser

If you have been following me and my work for a while, you are probably already aware of my love of minimalism. My approach to almost every formula is to pare back as far as possible without sacrificing function.

Sometimes it takes more effort than one might imagine to create the perfect ‘less-is-more’ formula, but that’s what makes it such interesting work.

Above is an example of a very ‘quiet’ and simple cleanser that does an effective job without causing a fuss. Developed for sensitive skin, tested, and approved.

Afterburn Lip Balm

When I tested this lip balm with my own handcrafted chili-infused oil for the first time, I expected to feel like my lips were on fire, but there was no immediate heat.

Instead, it crept up quite slowly and increased in strength until there was no question in my mind: this lip balm was destined to be named Afterburn.

This lip balm is 100% plant-based - even the color - which is the result of a combination of oils infused with Turkish Paprika and Chili Peppers.

Are you signed up for my newsletter? Cool, cuz then you can look forward to an adaptable balm formula with chili-infused oil. Want to sign up? Excellent! Visit this page to join the upcoming chili-balm fun!

Herbal Magic

The inherent power and benefits of botanicals never ceases to amaze me. If one were inclined to dismiss the science of it all, one might be tempted to call it herbal magic.

Pictured: rooibos ready to become part of an infusion that will become part of a skincare product for a special person with sensitive skin and a love of all things botanical.

That description fits all of my clients come to think of it.

The glass wand is a handcrafted stirring rod from a talented glass artist in the UK.

Coffee Scrub Ingredients

Coffee beans can quickly become a great addition to an exfoliating scrub by simply grinding the roasted (unused) beans and adding them to your body scrub.

Pair the grounds with salt, sugar or another dissolving exfoliating ingredient to keep staining at a minimum.

Pictured here: a paste of coffee grounds and sweet almond oil. This is the remains of an infusion I made to make a decadently scented coffee and brown sugar exfoliating body scrub as an extra little gift for a steady client.

Do you formulate with food? What are your favorite ingredients?

pH and Color

Here’s a fun little demonstration of how a change in pH can make a difference to certain ingredients.

A handcrafted blueberry glycerite was added to a surfactant and the pH change was instantly evident in that the color changed from a bright pink to a blue-grey.

Those little pink spots are the glycerite before the surfactant was added to the mix. The blueberries were added to demonstrate the natural color of blueberries.

Dirt for Cleansing

This may look like a bit of a dirt on my hand, but what you are seeing is a cleanser under development that is being tested.

One might wonder how it could be possible to cleanse anything with what looks like dirt, but there are clays and botanicals that can do just that.

The advantages of using a cleanser of this type can be

• a gentler cleanse (ideal for sensitive skin)

• sustainable use of materials

• a 100% green and planet-friendly product

If you know your clays, you’ve probably already guessed rhassoul is an ingredient in this product. If you’re interested in reading a bit of rhassoul’s cleansing abilities, please visit this post at LisaLiseBlog.