ADDITIVES
Almond Meal – is made from finely ground blanched almond kernels, it acts to absorb excess oil from the skin and to help unclog pores.
Aloe Vera gel – is a substance extracted from the aloe plant. Because of it’s healing properties, it is used widely to heal burns and skin abrasions.
Anise oil – is believed to be a fish attractant and therefore may beneficial in a recipe for for the avid fisherman.
Apricots – are high in vitamin and mineral salts, they can be used in soap recipes as fresh or dried and have wonderful skin softening properties.
Avocados – are a high fat fruit with their a rich creamy texture. Their high vitamin and mineral content lends itself to their long history of use in cosmetics
Benzoin – is a resin. It is used in it’s powdered form and acts as a fixative for fragrances in soaps.
Borax – is a mineral that is also used in many cosmetic applications. Because of it’s high sodium content, it acts to disinfect the skin and aids in softening it as well. Caution should be used in the quantity that you use in a recipe as the high sodium content can react with the Lye and curdle the recipe. Unless you have experience using it, it is best to find a tested recipe that already included the Borax.
Bran – is the crushed husk of any grain. It is a great additive to facial soaps especially because of it’s mild abrasive action.
Buttermilk – is beneficial in recipes because it will significantly soften the consistency of a bar. So, used with other ingredients that create a really hard bar, it brings a welcome balance.
Calendula flowers – have traditionally been used in cosmetic applications because of their skin softening properties. Often added to facial soap recipes, they are very soothing to sensitive and dry skins. Note that only the petal are used, the rest of the flower should be discarded or used for some other purpose.
Carrots – are traditionally used because of their high vitamin content, especially that of Vitamin A and E. Their bright orange color also adds an interesting dimension to any soap recipe it’s added to.
Chamomile flowers – most widely recognized for their calming properties in teas, also has a slightly astringent quality when used topically. Caution should be used in the case of pollen allergies
Cinnamon – is a great additive for men’s soap preparations. It adds a pleasant spicy aroma and gives a rich brown color to the soap as well as making a more stable lather. Also known for its antiseptic properties, it has many benefits to the skin. Additionally, it is mildly abrasive, so it has gentle exfoliant properties.
French Clay – Widely known for its characteristics of drawing out and absorbing oils from the skin, is a terrific additive for someone with oily skin, but it can be drying to normal skin so it should be used with caution in most soap preparations. It is available in several colors and can therefore be used as a mild colorant in recipes that it is added to.
Cloves – another great additive for men’s soaps, they can be added either ground or in essential oil form. They have a terrific antiseptic quality, but are potentially a skin irritant, so use sparingly.
Coffee – has traditionally been used to absorb kitchen odors, like fishy smells, from the skin. It makes a great kitchen soap adding deodorant properties and a rich brown color, but it can also be added to a fisherman’s soap recipe to help rid unwanted smells after a long day on the lake. Use unbrewed coffee grounds for best results.
Cornmeal – It’s mildly abrasive properties and ability to absorb oils make cornmeal good for unclogging pores and gently exfoliating the skin.
Cucumbers – liquefied it has mild astringent and cleansing properties.
Ginger – used in it’s ground form, it creates a gently warming sensation on skin contact, but should be used sparingly as it can be a skin irritant
buy cialis online cute-n-tiny.com Numerous relationships have been crushed due to this reason. We are pfizer viagra online cute-n-tiny.com using medicines to avoid this extra deposit of glucose in the blood. Their use eliminates the use of anti-side at the end cialis 25mg of the course. The study found that this inhibitor prevents heart from changing shape cialis online online purchasing that in patients suffering from left ventricular hypertrophy.
Honey – is an excellent emollient. It will soften a soap recipe, so it is best used to balance out oils and additives that create a harder bar.
Kelp – used in powdered form, it is rich in vitamins, minerals and iodine. It add an earthly green color to soap and gives a slippery, creamy feel to the finished soap.
Kiwis – rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, mineral salts and proteins, Kiwis have been long regarded for their medicinal uses.
Lavender flowers – add scent and dimension to a soap recipe. They can be used whole or ground, but should be used in their dried form.
Lemon – can be used as zest for color and texture or as juice substituting partial liquid amounts in a recipe. The juice is a mild astringent and the high levels of Vitamin C in the peels have an antibacterial effect.
Milk (cow or goat, fresh or powdered) – has been used through out history as a natural cleanser. It works well added to a hard bar recipe as anything dairy will soften the bar.
Nutmeg – used in it’s powdered form. It as a spicy fragrance and slight color to a soap recipe.
Oatmeal – known for it’s emollient and skin soothing properties as well as mild exfoliating properties make it a great addition to soap recipes. Rolled oats are the oat of choice even though quick oats can be used, they will cause the soap to set up very fast because of the absorption of any free liquid in the recipe. I suggest putting them in a food processor or coffee grinder to make a course meal before adding them to the soap after trace.
Pumice – is ground volcanic rock. It should only be used in soap in a finely ground form and not for facial bars. Because is it a powerful abrasive, it makes a great additive to a Gardener’s of Mechanic’s Soap.. It varies in color from white to black and as such can add an interesting color dimension to a soap.
Rosemary leaves – are generally used in powdered form in soap recipes, but can be added as whole leaves for an interesting visual texture to the finished bar. Rosemary is very fragrant and mildly astringent. Rosemary oil is thought to have an affect on raising blood pressure, so should be used cautiously.
Rose water – made from commercial rose oil, it adds a mild fragrance to soap. It is also an emollient and adds skin softening properties.
Sage – usually used in it’s powdered form has astringent and antibacterial properties.
Sand – is a powerful abrasive, so it should only be used in hand or foot cleansing bars. It is a terrific additive to a Gardener’s or Mechanic’s Soap. Fine can is much more suitable for use in soap making that a course sand.
Strawberries – With their high levels of Citric, Tartaric, salicylic and ascorbic acids (Vitamin C) strawberries are often touted for their skin tightening and whitening properties. I suggest using fresh strawberries, frozen ones will produce too much liquid.
Sweet birch oil – used historically to sooth skin afflictions such as Psoriasis and Eczema.
Tea tree oil – is widely know for its anti-fungal properties, but also has antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-viral (used on warts) properties.
Wheat germ – is the inner germ o f the wheat kernel. It is a mild abrasive and an excellent emollient, so it is often used in facial soaps.
Witch hazel – is a mildly astringent and beneficial in tightening pores.