Ginger Infusion

This is a bit of an experiment: infusing fresh ginger in raw honey. It may prove to be a fabulous facial cleanser (or - judging from the scent - might end up in my tea or drizzled over my yoghurt).

Infusing different herbs into honey is something I have been exploring much of the past 12 months, and I am finding it as addictive as infusing herbs in glycerin, vinegar, alcohol, and oil.

I think we are going to be needing some additional jars around here.

Waxing Poetic about Hair Wax

I have had an off and on relationship with hair wax for years and it seems to be directly connected with the length of my hair at any given time.

My hair has a tendency to lie down flat and my desire is generally to get it to stand up (why do we always seem to want the exact opposite of what he have when it comes to hair?)

So, when my hair is shorter (as it normally is during summer months), I will make (and use) hair wax..

Here is a peek at my most recent batch. The formula includes some of my favorite oils for hair (argan, broccoli seed) and has been performing quite well- providing just enough body and not leaving a greasy or sticky feeling.

Plant based make-up

It feels like I just barely got started developing plant-based make-up, but looking back over my notes reveals this has been ongoing for almost 5 years.

Plant colorants are quite demanding to work with and can be incredibly tricky, but offer benefits I’d love to incorporate.

So, while the work of cracking the code of plant-color-stability continues, I thought I’d share this recent batch of foundation and blush sticks with you.

Progress?

Yes indeed.

More work ahead?

Yes indeed.

More to come…

From Balm to Ointment

This soothing balm is so soft and unctuous, some might call it an ointment. Depending on how the ingredients are proportioned, this products can be made super soft (as shown here) or solid enough to be poured into tubes.

I developed this formula for the course: Essential Formulation, oil-based products and aqueous sprays that is open for enrollment at Tisserand Institute until June 30th.

If you’re interested in learning more (and signing up), please visit this information page at Tisserand Institute

Naturally Flavored Lip Balm

If you like making infused oils, you can use the oils to create all natural flavors for your lip balms. Pictured is a small collection I made to test a few ideas - all with handcrafted flavors. The light colored balms include vanilla-infused oil and a dash of plum oil for extra richness. The green balms are a mix of pepper and mint (see what I did there?) for a surprisingly spicy-fresh flavor, and the bright orange balms have both their color and flavor from the chili-infused oil that delivers a warming after-burn.

Learn how to make vanilla-infused oil on the main blog. There’s also a chili-infused oil how to on the main blog as well.

Do you have any favorite herbs you use to create flavors for your lip balms?

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.