DIY Recipes

Lip Lil' Butter Bar - Scrub & Moisturizer February 25 2024, 0 Comments

I am in love with these mini butter bars! 

Growing up in Brazil, even in the big city, we did not have fancy ChapSticks, we had lipstick shaped cocoa butter - manteiga de cacau - and it worked great, so the other day, it was kinda dry in Florida and my lips were in need of some serious loving, I thought about our old cocoa butter ways and decided to add scrubbing to it.

I will leave modesty aside and say it was a genius idea and these bars work wonders! If you want to play it a little rough use scrubbing side, if you just want loving use the all butter side.

I did two layers of scrub so all the powder doesn't concentrate on one end which I think would become too crumbly, you can make smaller bars with just one scrubbing end.

Since it was a spur of the moment thing I used what I had around - an ice tray with a silicone bottom. Any small mold with a flat bottom will work, I think the tiny squares would look adorable, no flowers or shapes.

Ingredients:
Cocoa butter - 2 oz.
Cupuaçu butter - 1/2 oz.(if you live in a cold place you can add a 3/4 oz.)
Andiroba oil - 1/4 oz.
Fine quartz powder - 1 oz.

How to:
Melt butters and oil, for two layers of scrub, fill little molds up to half and add a little powder, the quartz being heavy will drop to the bottom, put in freezer until solid then add rest of butter/oil mix, then more powder. For just one layer of scrub fill the mold almost up to the top then add the quartz just once. Remember not to make a too thick layer of quartz.

You can mix a few drops of a good EO and sweeteners if you want to go fancy. For full summer heat it may need a little wax.

Enjoy!




Lil' Summer Skin Butter Bar April 29 2023, 0 Comments

This three ingredient little butter bar is awesome for Summer time, just keep them in the fridge and use one after outdoor time.

You just need to melt the wax in a double boiler, add the butter and then the oil - let them get hot together for better blending - pour the mix into your mold, wait until it solidifies and that is it! For little bars you can use little paper cups or these wax warmer liners, you can also make one big bar.

Ingredients:

Cupuacu butter - 2 parts.

Beeswax - 1 part or Candelilla wax (for a vegan version) - 1/2 part.

Buriti (or tucuma oil) - 1/2 part.

"Parts" can be anything - ounces, kilos, cups, just substitute the word "part" for the the measurement you are using.


Summer Skin & Hair Butter April 29 2023, 0 Comments

This three ingredient butter can be used for hair and skin, it is amazing for before and after tanning.

You just need to melt the butters in a double boiler and add the oil - if you are whipping it you can add the oil as the butters are cold and ready to whip, for a melt and pour you will need to add the oil into the hot butters - you can also use more oil.

Ingredients:

Cupuacu butter - 2 parts.

Murumuru butter - 2 parts.

Buriti (or tucuma oil) - 1/2 to 1 part.

"Parts" can be anything - ounces, kilos, cups, just substitute the word "part" for the the measurement you are using.


Formulating With The Red Oils April 29 2023, 0 Comments

All my red and orange oils are beta carotene rich - beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in plants - veggies, leaves and fruits - in the body, beta-carotene converts into vitamin A. Buriti and Tucuma oils are two of the richest natural sources of beta-carotene known. Beta-carotene is becoming an extremely popular skincare ingredient as the topical application of it  may have photoprotective and aging-well properties.

I get asked often what is the safe amount to add into formulations, these carrier oils can be used alone but the red pigment that makes them so important also makes them harder to use. They will turn light skin orange and stain clothing and everything else, so unless you have darker skin and hair and are wearing a bikini, I recommend blending them with lighter oils, at 25% they still look beautifully red but lose the staining power. 

Since the topical application of beta-carotene has shown to help with safe tanning (not enough SPF to skip sunscreen guys!) and during Summer we usually wear less clothing, these are two very popular Summer oils being widely used in tanning oils.

These oils can also be used to naturally and safely color soap, body bars, whipped butters, lip balms,  lotions and more.

 


Rainforest Chica Ojon Oil HP Hair Soap Bar April 12 2022, 0 Comments

I have many customers literally begging me to make more of the HP Ojon Shampoo Bar, I am not exaggerating - this is soap, not a solid shampoo.

So I am sharing the recipe and how to. If you are a beginner, contact me if you need help and research! If you are a business and want to sell it, go ahead, I just ask you to send me some good energy every time you sell one. 😁

This recipe yields about 2 lb. after cooking.

Text or WhatsApp Chica @9542742032

THE HARDWARE:

  • a scale that is a bit of high precision since for smaller bars you will need to get those numbers pretty accurately. In soap making, everything is measured by weight, even the liquids.

  • a food thermometer.

  • heat safe containers and spoons.

  • a crock-pot (for my personal soaps I use my own kitchen crock-pot, since the lye will be totally saponified by the end of the process I think it is safe, some people disagree).

  • a stick blender.

  • a mold (a milk or juice box will work, just turn it sideways and cut one side. No need to line). This recipe is pretty thick, individual molds may not work well. Loaves are better.

  • protective gear if needed - gloves, glasses, mask, an apron.

THE INGREDIENTS:

  • sodium hydroxide (lye) - 3.11 oz. for a small amount check out this site.

  • fragrance - depending on it - EO or fragrance oils - you will need about 0.5 oz. to 1 oz. I prefer not to use scents, if you do, I prefer to add it last. Research the scent you are using as it can change the appearance of your soap.

  • distilled water - 8.36 oz.

 

I am going to present you my steps, If you are a newbie I recommend you research around a bit further, if you are an experienced soap maker you probably have your own style. Keep in mind: I am not an experienced soap maker, I just know what works best for my own recipes.

1. Weigh every item perfectly beforehand separately, you don't want to mess up while mixing oils, no way back from there.

2. Mix lye and water. ALWAYS ADD LYE TO WATER, not the other way around. Make sure it is in an open area, I do wear a mask while doing it. Stir hanging back so you don’t inhale the fumes. Use a safe container as it will reach extremely high temperatures, up to 200 °F.  The mixture will appear cloudy at first, after a couple of minutes it will go clear.

3. I melt the butters in the crockpot, once butters are melted add the oils let them heat up a bit together and turn off crock pot. Mix all the fats BUT the Ojon Oil.

4. Keep an eye on the temperature of both mixes - lye water and fats, do not mix them while they are above 100 °F - 38 °C as it may create a volcano - it has happened to me and it wasn't fun.

5. Once they reach the right temperature, pour lye mix into fat mix and use your stick blender, mix manually turning the blender on and off, this recipe reaches trace pretty quickly, trace is when the mix looks thicker and even, like pudding. The difference between me and a bunch of other soap makers is: once I reach trace I put the lid on the crockpot and don't touch the soap again. Most soap makes will tell you to keep mixing... I only mix if something looks will go wrong, like rising too much. The soap will go through stages, in about 60 to 90 minutes the soap will look what people say mashed potatoes or Vaseline - mine always look glossy. 

6. You can use a PH strip to see if the saponification process has finished, a pH of 8-10 means the soap is ready. I use my tongue, if you feel a zap it isn't ready, I do NOT recommend this process as I have burned my tongue a few times and I do NOT want to be sued for trying to be nice and give a recipe away.

7. Transfer the mix into another container as if it stays in crockpot it will dry too much, you need a spatula to get the entire mix out of the crockpot. Pour the Ojon oil into the mix and start mixing with a spoon vigorously. Once the mix looks all orange and mixed you add your scent and mix some more, after all mixed you can spoon the mix into your mold. If you take too long to go through this process the mix may get too hard.

8. Unlike some other soap makers, I put my mold in the fridge for a couple of hours, then take out to a dry place. The soap is usually ready to be unmolded and cut within 6 to 12 hours. 

This is what mine looked like after cutting:

     

Photo 1 - What trace looks like. ATTENTION: this is a different recipe with buriti into the recipe, your basic Ojon recipe will be cream colored, until later on when you mix the Ojon Oil.

Photo 2 - Saponification starting. I do NOT mix at all, the process takes care of itself in a small recipe. I only mix if something is going wrong.

Photo 3 - That recipe was completely saponified. I transferred it to another recipient and mixed my superfat.

This is what your mix will look like after mixing the Ojon Oil, you will need to spoon it into the molds. The color will be like this or lighter depending on my batch of Ojon.

 

 

 

 

  

Make sure you are prepared and have researched, ask me questions BEFORE you make the mistakes please.

GOOD LUCK!

One Love!

Take a look at these site that SoapCal suggests, most of them suggest the mixing. 
Detailed instructions for making HP soap at these sites.
candletech.com
chickensintheroad.com
HP Soap Making – General Questions


DIY WITH PEQUI OIL! February 21 2022, 0 Comments

Pequi is an incredible oil, in northern Brazil it is used for skin, hair, internal maladies and cooking. It solidifies easily if the temperatures are a bit bit cooler than Amazon rainforest temperatures. Pequi has a beautiful orange color and very strong, sweet, fruity scent.

Pequi Hair Butter

This butter can be used as a treatment mask, pre-shampoo and even as leave-in if used in very small amount.

Melt butters, add oil, when the mix is cools down and is semi solid you can start whipping, it will also work well not whipped. I usually pop my mixes in the fridge for a little bit. 


    Pequi Body Butter

    Melt butters, add oil, when the mix is cools down and is semi solid you can start whipping, it will also work well not whipped. I usually pop my mixes in the fridge for a little bit.  

    Pequi Oil/Butter Bar

    Melt the wax, add butters, after they are all melted add oil and allow it to melt for a while mixing well with the other ingredients, pour in molds, let it cool down and solidify at room temperature, if your place is too warm you can pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. You can change the amount of beeswax to adjust the hardness of the product to your weather.


      Pequi Vegan Lip Balm

      Melt the candelilla wax, add butters, after they are all melted add oil and allow it to melt for a while mixing well with the other ingredients, pour in containers, let it cool down and solidify, if your place is too warm you can pop them in the fridge for a few minutes. You can change the amount of wax to adjust the recipe for your weather. If you want to use beeswax, use double of the candelilla wax. This lip balm came up perfect, between the pequi and cocoa it smells amazing.

       

      I hope you enjoy these recipes! If you have any questions text or WhatsApp me at 954-2742032.

      Chrys


        Brazilian Clay For CP Soaps February 04 2022, 0 Comments

        My soaps were never classically beautiful. So in order to showcase my beautiful, sustainable, fair trade Brazilian clay, I commissioned soaps from a customer who is a spectacular soap maker.

        Her recipe is very light made with clear/white oils/butters and uses 1 teaspoon of clay per 16 oz. of fats. She adds the clay to the lye water. 

        The amount of clay can be increased but watch out for false trace if you decide for a much higher amount of clay. The clay can also be mixed to the fats before adding the lye water or even at trace, the final color doesn't change much.

        Clay ages well in soaps, with the color not changing much with time.

         


        Ideas For HP Soaps And Shampoo Bars. February 03 2022, 0 Comments

        This is one of my recipes for a small batch HP soap, I superfat 2% in recipe and add 5% of a chosen fat AFTER cooking, remember that it is 5% of the volume of fats in this case 5% of 22 oz. This recipe is already very conditioning and light on cleansing, but if you want to up the superfat a little, it will take well, mostly for dry skin or hair. My HP soaps looked very rustic and that is the look I went for but they were very gentle and therapeutic.

        Soap superfatted with Bacuri, great for dry skin and hyperpigmentation.

        Soap superfatted with Acai Oil, amazing for face and aging skin.

        Soap superfatted with Buriti Oil, rich in beta carotene.

        Scrubbing soap superfatted with Anditoba Oil with andiroba dry extract. I added about 1 1/2 tablespoon of dry extract for that recipe, you can add a bit more or less.

        Shampoo Bar superfatted with Pequi and Ojon Oils. I upped the superfat to 7% after cooking. Really oily, heavy shampoo bar for dry, thick hair or occasional use for other hair types.

        Shampoo Bar superfatted with Ucuuba butter. I upped the superfat to 7% after cooking. Great bar for scalp heath..

        Brazilian Black Clay HP Soap superfatted with Bacuri, 2 teaspoons of clay added for each 1 lb of fats, I added the clay in the superfat oil unlike my CP soaps on which I add the clay to the lye water.

        Brazilian Yellow Clay HP Soap superfatted with Pracaxi Oil, 1 to 2 teaspoons of clay added for each 1 lb of fats, I added the clay in the superfat oil unlike my CP soaps when I add it to lye water.

        So with my recipe you can come up with countless different soaps with different colors and purposes. If you want to make a larger batch or lower your cost you can use less exotic ingredients for the main recipe and use my amazing oils and butters for superfatting. I rarely add scents to my HP soaps but when I do I add it after cooking.

        For any further questions text or WhatsApp me at 9542742032


        A Series About Brazilian Clay. September 03 2021, 0 Comments


        Butter Bars - Winter Issues Bar and Aging Well Acai Bar November 27 2020, 0 Comments

        "Lotion Bar"  or a "Butter Bar" is a mix of your favorite butters and oils made harder (higher melting point) by a wax.

        The end result is a solid bar that you apply on your skin much like a surfer puts wax on her board.

        I recommend adjusting the recipe for colder or hotter places, I keep my place at about 77 degrees and these bars apply well, the acai bar is a bit softer as I wanted since it will go on the sensitive skin of your chest and neck.

        For a mold you can use waxed paper cups, silicone soap molds or even use wax paper to line a wood or glass mold. Since these were made on a whim, I used the only thing I had home - Solo shot cups, far from ideal but they worked.

        I use "parts" for my recipe to make it easier for you to make it any size you want, just follow the proportions.

        You will need:

        • Medium sized pan. 

        • Very clean glass jar (or a double boiler if you have those, just remember, wax is a pain to clean.)

        • Mold.

        • A clean rag or kitchen towel.

          Winter Skin Issues Bar

          Aging-well Neck And Chest Acai Bar 

          How to Make:
          Melt wax first, after it is all melted add butters and then after the mix is liquid add oil, check if the oil have hardened the wax, if it does, melt for a bit longer, if not take out of the heat.

          JAR WILL BE HOT! Dry the jar well so no water gets in your bar and pour melted contents into your mold. Bars should be hard in no time, if you live in a hot place pop them in the fridge for a few minutes.
          I hope you enjoy it!

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