My Favorite Materials

Seaweed Clay Mask
Photo taken by: Kristine with Earth N Moon

As a soap, skincare, and cosmetics maker, I am constantly searching for new and exciting products to use in the recipes that pop into my head.


Right now, I am going to through a clay and salt phase where I am using Dead Sea Clay and Dead Sea Salt in a lot of my products. In combination, the clay and the salt are fabulous for skin when used in clay masks and soaps.

Seaweed Body & Facial Bar
Photo taken by: Kristine with Earth N Moon

I use them in my Seaweed Bars and my Seaweed Clay Mask. If you haven't tried a clay mask with seaweed, you are really missing out! These sold out at the last craft show I attended and I have gotten wonderful feedback from these. The clay masks and seaweed bars I make provide the pore-minimizing effect you want out of a traditional clay mask, but without drying your skin out. The Dead Sea Clay in the mask purifies skin by leaching toxins and excess oils making your skin feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and clean.

Other materials I have worked with and enjoy are essential oils and fragrance oils. Anything that smells good but the essential oils are great for all natural items since fragrances are synthetic. My favorite essential oil right now is Basil. I still love Hungarian Lavender for calming and soothing but the Basil smells magnificent with Lemon, Lavender, or by itself. It is amazing in herbal salves, lotions, and on it's own. It's used to help relieve bug bites as well as prevent them. I've also got some citronella too that I haven't used yet but I love the smell.

Fragrance oils can be tricky to use depending on if you're doing swirls and if they accelerate trace or discolor the soap. So, when you go to pick out a fragrance for your soap, make sure you look at these factors before you start making the soap.

I also love using different kinds of herbs in my soaps and skincare. A lot of the herbs I use in infusions come from shops with the most fragrant, fresh herbs that are certified organic. Some of them come straight from my garden. I do not use pesticides on my herbs.

I love to use all sorts of different ingredients and tweak my recipes!

Check out tomorrow's post when I show this week's item of the week!


Cheers!
Kristine