Bath melts should be smaller, since a little goes a long way when it floats on top of the bath water. Most of Lush’s are 1 ounce, and that is too much for a lot of people, especially those with compact bath tubs.

I’ve also seen a combination of bath bomb and semi-solid butter also described as bath melts. They have the bonus effect of fizzing slightly while the oils and waxes melt. See “Le Bath Melt” on Snowdrift Farm’s page here.

Anyway, no need for me to reinvent the wheel, especially since I’ve never actually made any bath melt or massage bar like products. Here are some links to basic bath melt recipes — the majority use cocoa butter and sweet almond oil, which you can probably find at your local health food store if you don’t want to wait to order online (though it’ll cost you.) Massage bars often use beeswax to make them harder.

As with bath bombs, the fun in making bath melts is elaborating on the basic recipe and creating your own versions — especially the appearance! You can have a lot of fun with different mold shapes and packaging.

Cute! Tub toads wrapped in hoppin’ green foil.

Bath melt with milk powder.

Nice looking recipe for tub truffles.

Massage bar with beeswax.

PS
Does anyone have a nice photo I can use? I didn’t want to use anyone’s picture without permission, and it would be great to showcase a member’s handiwork!

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The Aromatherapy Angle
According to several sources, the purpose of shower steamers is aromatherapy. You make them with essential oils, get them a little wet, and put them out of direct range of the shower spray. The steamy heat from the shower helps the essential oils circulate, creating an aromatherapy steam-room environment.

I thought that was pretty cool. There are few products that enhance the shower atmosphere — just the bath — and leveraging the humid heat is clever. I’ve done shower sprays with mint and eucalyptus, but I never thought to repurpose the bath bomb in this way.

How To Make ‘Em
I checked the ingredients on several sites, and they are exactly the same as a bath bomb: citric acid, baking soda, essential oils. Some have borax, possibly to alter the pH balance or make the tub easier to clean. All of them have to have good essential oils, of course, and some knowledge of aromatherapy is required.

As far as I can tell, you can just make a basic bath bomb with essential oils and call it a shower steamer. If I’m wrong about this, be sure to email me and let me know, but my research supports this conclusion.

If you don’t know how to make bath bombs, you can start by downloading my free Fast Guide, a 48-page instruction manual on bath bomb making.

Packaging
I didn’t want to steal anyone’s product photos, but if you search Google images for “shower steamer,” it’ll give you a good idea what other people are doing.

The format is either a small bomb size, such as the 2 ounce size, or half a 4 or 6 ounce bath bomb. They are usually wrapped in colored foil, rather like a Valentine’s Day chocolate, with a sticker holding it together.

As the shower steamers contain essential oils, they need to be stored in an airtight environment. The foil must provide a good air block, but I don’t see why the right clear bag would do the trick as well. I suspect the foil is also to distinguish it from a normal bath bomb, if the sellers provide both products.

To find the foil, search google for “confectionery foil,” or start here at Sugarcraft, where there are all kinds of good things for the creative bath bomber.

As a marketer, I do not like the look of many of these shower steamers because of the confusion with candy. For bath bombs, it makes sense — it’s bath candy — but the cognitive dissonance of cheap candy packaging + semi-poisonous essential oils + luxury spa experience? Not so good, in my opinion. I’d prefer a more natural look to go with the aromatherapy angle.

Cautions
I do not recommend using corn starch. It will make the steamer softer and possibly provide food for mold. People will leave the shower steamer out, and heat + moisture + air = uninvited growths. The chemical salts may help deter spores, but don’t count on it… there are some very hardy strains of mold out there. It’s their job.

I also do not recommend using clay, since it will leave a slushy residue as the steamer melts down. Not that there’s any reason to use clay, but since some people do use it in bath bombs, I thought I’d mention it.

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• My “Aphrodisiac Scents” report I did for members on Valentines Day 2009, covering what are reputed to be sensual fragrances, and what current research has to say about the scent-sex connection
• Really good and hard to find perfumery textbooks!
• Great sites for finding rare absolutes, CO2s, and essential oils at decent prices (still expensive, though, perfumery is not a cheap hobby)
• And more, as I find it

I assume that you have some experience in making perfume. If you are a total beginner, read some of the perfuming articles on this site.

Just fill out the form below, click the confirmation email, and you’ll be sent a link to the page, with the password.

This year, I noticed that the cookies were going awfully fast. First, there was the famous chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that seemed to vanish within 48 hours. Granted, my brothers are huge consumers of sweets, but that seemed fast, even for them.

Last night, I caught the Elf at it again, this time with dark molasses ginger cookies. “I have a secret,” he said. “I’m freezing half of each batch to save for Christmas Eve. That way, we’ll have all these different kinds of cookies, ready to bake.”

I thought that was awesome! And since it’s not too late to stock up, I thought I’d write this up so that you can do it, too.

Most of our recipes are either Ye Olde Family Recipes, or come from this awesome cookie book here, including the awesome molasses cookies:
Rosie’s Bakery Chocolate-Packed Jam-Filled Butter-Rich No-Holds-Barred Cookie Book
It’s out of print, but you can still find it used from other sellers, and totally worth tracking down. Our copy is very well used!

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Even with no experience, it was fairly simple to figure out.

I got started making ‘em myself because I worked in a bath & body boutique, and got totally hooked.  Unfortunately, the ones I liked best were expensive, such as Diptyque’s Baies, and pretty much all of Voluspa’s products (which aren’t too bad, but still a costly indulgence for someone fresh out of college with a BA in “General.”)

What do you know?  It was actually really easy to make a basic soy container candle just as good as the ones on the market.  The product itself is really basic — the rest is just packaging and “brand experience.”  There is some practice and technique involved, but the basic process is really easy: melt wax, insert fragrance, pour.

Get started making your own.  Free skill-share PDF!

So now, I am proud to offer my newest PDF, which is a FREE tutorial on how to hack up basic soy candle tea lights.  Yes, hack up — as in, quick and dirty, for the people who just want to try soy candle making without investing in a lot of materials.  You won’t make sellable-quality candles right off the bat, but you will get some high quality tea lights that are perfectly usable.

I chose tea lights because they’re cute, easy, and don’t take long to harden.  Instant gratification, right?  I think tea lights are the best way to get started, but if you want to make bigger candles, you can certainly jump in.  It’s the same process.

The tutorial is 17 pages, but most of them are photos. I cover a lot of topics very lightly:

1. What you need for ingredients and equipment
2. Prep and process
3. Cleanup and storage of your candles
4. What fragrances to start with, if you have no ideas
5. Friendly suppliers with low minimum orders and reasonable shipping
6. Special recommendations for seasonal scents (and what not to do…)

Can you also make jar candles or candle tins with this method?
In response to the most common question: you can easily adapt this tutorial to making candle tins, votive candles, or glass jar candles, but there are additional techniques involved. Feel free to experiment, though! You can use an old tin can or jelly jar to start, or reuse your old glass containers left over from your $65 Baies candle…  That’s what I did, and it worked out great.

How to download the instructions:
To get the instructions sent as an attachment, just fill out the form below to join the Soy Candle Members.  If I make any significant changes to the tutorial or find out some more good resources for candle making, I’ll send out an email to the members. I’ve already had requests for more information on making wax tarts (flameless candles), and I’m scouting out at least a good website on it.

Don’t worry — I only mail out when I have something to say.  Usually, this is about once every two weeks, if that, and the emails are pretty short.  But if you just want the PDF and don’t want to get email, you can always just unsubscribe from the membership list as soon as you get it.  No big deal.

Enter your name and email here:

I happen to love the “green stuff,” but my brother had already claimed green beans. So I decided to branch out and make brussels sprouts. I’m one of those rare people who didn’t hate them as a kid; in fact, I love cooked greens and will take them over salad anytime. Since there are some haters in the crowd, I didn’t want to make just any old brussels sprouts… I chose a recipe that yielded delicious, buttery, creamy brussels sprouts.

Delicious and freakin’ easy: just cook ‘em in cream!
Basically, you take 1/2 stick of butter and brown your quartered sprouts in it for about 5 minutes. Then, you pour in a cup of cream and slowly simmer the sprouts in it — about 30 minutes.
I let it boil, of course, having a 2 year old getting in the way of culinary finesse, but it still turned out great. My dish was among the first to get eaten. I will certainly be making this again in the very near future, if only for my mom and I.

Here’s the link to the original recipe, with full instructions and guidelines.
And here’s an eHow video on how to prepare brussels sprouts — very, very useful!

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Even organic essential oils have an impact.

How can they not?  They’re still grown on farms.  Any human activity on the planet will have some kind of effect, and thinking that using organic and natural products don’t have an impact is not realistic.  It will still have an impact, but one that may not be as harmful.  “Wild crafted” essential oils are those made from non-farmed natural sources, but there are concerns that this practice will endanger plants, as no cultivation efforts will replace them.

I’m not an expert on aromatherapy or essential oils, other than using them for their scent properties, but here is a more in-depth look at this issue from someone more knowledgeable.

Synthetic musks.

One of the biggest questions is the effect of synthetic musks.  Natural musks, which have to be cruelly harvested from animals, have been banned since the 60′s, so the only other alternatives are expensive musk-like plants, which can get close but lack that animal quality, or lab-made fragrance.

Musks are used in just about everything scented, and there are a lot of synthetic musks in drinking water, lakes and streams, fish, human blood, breast milk, and other disquieting places.  No one knows if musks are carcinogenic in humans or not, or if they are a real threat to the environment, but it is well worth thinking about.

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Synthetic-Musk-Risks24mar99.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_musk

Phthalates & Children

One of the recent concerns is children’s exposure to phthalates — present not just in fragrance, but many other products.  Children absorb more than adults, and the potential consequences are disturbind.  Phthalates may disrupt endocrine function, especially in boys, and lead to lower fertility in adulthood.  Phthalates in fragrance is the tip of the iceberg, but many baby products, such as powders, lotions, and shampoos, do contain it.

I have never advocated the use of any of these products, and when people ask me how to make them, I say, “Don’t.”  Scented products are fun to use, but you just never know when it comes to children.  Use plain, unscented products with minimal preservatives and no fragrance in leave-on products such as baby powder and lotion — not even essential oils.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/phthalates-47020418

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NEWSCIENCE/oncompounds/phthalates/phthalates.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate#Health_effects

I have a son (now 2) and, while I do take potential risks seriously, I cannot stand articles such as, “What’s Turning Our Boys Into Girls?”  Such pieces of “journalism” only make the problem seem ridiculous because of the unsoundness of the writing!  Please beware of people looking to turn this into sensational news pieces, but do look for reasonable information to help you make up your own mind.

Plus, plastic is not excellent!  Who likes to use cheap, disposable junk?  Most of the plastic I have is either recycled or vintage, like my son’s toys.

What threat do you pose as an individual “manufacturer?”

The worst offenders aren’t scented bath and body product and perfume, but the more common stuff used in greater quantities — laundry detergent, especially dryer sheets, cleaning products, hair care products, dish detergent, and things like that.  Those are always heavily scented, often to cover up the bad odors of other ingredients.

If you’re concerned about the environmental and health effects of making personal care products, but you don’t want to completely stop your hobby, consider changing to all-unscented household products, such as your kitchen and bathroom sprays, laundry products, and dish soaps.

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Higher quality and convenience, with lower cost, waste and fuss.

Now, though, it’s a different story.  I’m more environmentally and value conscious, and while the appeal of Starbucks hasn’t completely worn off, I much prefer to do it myself.  The sparkling magic of the ready-made commercial brand got replaced with the romance of bespoke craftsmanship — by making my own peppermint mochas at home, I get exactly what I want, exactly when I want it, with nothing but the best ingredients.

Here’s what you need to do it yourself:

• Regular coffee — either single or double-strength
• Milk of your choice
• Cocoa powder
• Mint syrup
• Optional: whipped cream, sprinkles, candy cane, or chocolate stick
• The secret ingredients: dash of salt, and drop of good vanilla

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an espresso maker.  For a cappuccino, it would be a different story, but this is a mint mocha.  You’re adding so much stuff that it doesn’t matter that much.  I used to work in an Italian-style cafe as a barista, and I know from customer feedback that people like mint mochas because it’s like a peppermint hot chocolate with a hint of coffee!

So, you can use regular coffee made in your coffee maker, as I do, or “double strength” coffee — just use half the water.  If you do like a stronger coffee flavor, you can even use instant coffee.  It tastes great in these kinds of drinks!

Then, use the highest quality of milk — organic milk, even — heated on your stove, with real cocoa powder (not Hershey’s, but Green & Black or other high grade) and mint syrup.  Torani is usually available in liquor stores or places like World Market.  Whisk it to make sure there are no cocoa lumps.

This will get you a good-tasting drink, but to really taste like the pro stuff, you need two additional ingredients: a dash of salt, and a drop of vanilla.

Why the salt and vanilla?

As my chef brother could tell you, these are both flavor enhancers.  Few people will actually notice them, but they will create a more harmonious blend — a lot like adding musk and vanilla to perfumes in small quantities.  When I make my hot chocolate with salt and vanilla for my mom, a hot chocolate connoisseur, she even admits it’s better than Starbucks.

Finish it off.

What’s a holiday drink without the whipped cream, sprinkles, candy cane, or chocolate stick?  While you can use those canned whipped creams like Reddi-Whip, you can also get a reusable pro setup with a whipped cream dispenser and nitrous cartridges.  I like to make my own because they’re more eco-friendly, and because the premade stuff is always too sweet for me.

Sprinkles may seem like overkill for making your drink at home, but it’s the finishing touches that add the magic.  It’s simple to keep a stainless sprinkle jar full of red sugar, cocoa, chocolate, or whatever you like on top.

Remember, it’s a treat, so don’t skimp.

One additional tip — don’t use skim milk unless you really like it.  It’s a treat, not a diet drink, and the higher-fat milk will make your mint mocha much more enjoyable.  In Starbucks and many other coffee bars, the default milk is whole! The richness of the milk is a major factor in the enjoyment of commercially-prepared coffee drinks.

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Although most commercial body mists and room sprays use alcohol, many people with dry skin don’t like alcohol’s drying effects. You can make stable room and body sprays with the use of an emulsifier called Polysorbate 20. Here is a quick overview of this useful home bath and body ingredient.

What Is Polysorbate 20 (Poly 20)?

Poly 20 is a thick liquid that will make oil and water mix. It’s an emulsifier; that’s its job. It basically acts as a kind of glue between the water and your fragrance or essential oils so that they don’t separate.

How much do you need?

Start with as much Polysorbate 20 as fragrance oil or essential oil. If you have one teaspoon of essential oil, you’ll probably need at least a teaspoon of Poly20. It’s not unusual to need 3-4 times as much Poly 20 as fragrance. As you probably know, different fragrance oils have different densities, so the heavier ones, like patchouli or vetiver, may require more Poly 20.

How do you use the Polysorbate 20?

It’s easy! Mix the Poly 20 and fragrance oil together first, then add your water.

Does the mixing order matter?

I wondered this myself, so in the name of science, I did everything exactly wrong. I filled my bottle with water, then glopped in some dense essential oil. The oil sunk to the bottom, of course, and I shook it to temporary emulsion. Then, I squirted in some Poly 20, guessing at the amount, and shook it up. The result was cloudy, but stable. The spray did not separate at all.

Will my room or body spray still be cloudy?

Yes. Emulsions are always cloudy, just like milk, salad dressing and mayonnaise. If that bothers you, you can try adding some ethyl alcohol to clarify your spray. In my experience, however, the only way to get a truly clear body spray is to use alcohol to dissolve the fragrance oil, and distilled water.

Making Gardenia scented water spray from the Bath and Body Book.

You can also just put your sprays in a brushed aluminum bottle, like Burt’s Bees.

Poly 20 and fragrance oil will make your spray thicker, but if you figure 5% fragrance and 10% Poly 20, 85% will still be water. So it will only be a little thicker than normal water, and you probably won’t notice.

Is Polysorbate 20 natural? Toxic in any way?

Well… Poly 20 is derived from coconut oil, but I wouldn’t call it straight from the earth! It takes a lot of processing to get from coconut oil to Poly 20.

That doesn’t mean it’s harsh or harmful. It’s used in all kinds of personal care products. If you, like, rub it into your eyes, it will probably irritate them. So I don’t recommend doing that!

Is Poly 20 called anything else?

Yes. It’s also called Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, Liposorb, and Tween 20.

Will I need Poly20 with other water-based products?

You may, depending on the water content. In general, bath and body products use .5% to 5% fragrance, which is not a lot. You might be able to get away with not using Poly20. If you’re making a liquid soap or surfactant-based product (like shower gel or shampoo), you probably won’t need it. The soap and surfactants will emulsify the fragrance or essential oil on their own.

But always test first. Let your products stand 24 – 48 hours and check for separation. If you see any layers, chances are that your oil has separated. Repeat your test batch with Poly 20 added.

What is Dead Sea salt, anyway?

As you probably know, Dead Sea salt comes from the Dead Sea in Israel, and the Dead Sea has been a therapeutic site for thousands of years. Pliny the Elder, in the first century A.D., wrote about the healing waters of the Dead Sea.

So, Dead Sea salt is what is left after the water evaporates, and it is a highly potent combination of minerals. It usually is coarser than table salt and not perfectly white (if it is perfectly white, then it’s been refined, and you don’t want that!) With Dead Sea salt, you can recreate the healing waters in your own bathtub.

High mineral content of salt may have health benefits.

What does Dead Sea salt do that other bath salts don’t? It has many more minerals than Epsom salt or regular sea salt, though those are mineral-rich as well. In addition to sodium chloride, Dead Sea salt contains magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and bromium, which are said to promote tissue healing, relieve muscle cramps, balance body fluid levels, and increase circulation.

Dead Sea salt may help with many skin problems.

There have been a few clinical studies (you know, the scientific method with controls and variables) that showed that Dead Sea salt helps certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis. All I know is that my own skin got really soft and didn’t dry out as a result of many Dead Sea salt baths. And it certainly helped my muscles recover from hard workout sessions! It has been recommended by doctors for eczema, psoriasis, and other skin disorders; whether or not it really works for those is another story. Your best bet is to get a small amount and see if Dead Sea salt works for you.

Ideal temperature for your mineral bath

By the way, don’t make the bath water too hot! It should be tepid, otherwise your pores will close off and you won’t be able to absorb the minerals. The best bath temperature for Dead Sea salt is only a few degrees above body temperature. It should feel warm, but not hot.

Where to find Dead Sea Salt.

Unless you live near a spa supplier, your best bet is to buy Dead Sea salt online, in bulk, even though the shipping will cost some. You can buy it from Whole Paycheck Foods, but it is really expensive, like $6 per pound, when in bulk it’s $2 – $3 per pound. Since you need 1 or 2 cups of Dead Sea salt to make a good bath, it’s totally worth it to buy 5 – 50 pounds at a time. I recommend a company called Saltworks; they have a lot of good information and a great sales staff who really know their stuff!