Frankincense and Myrrh Soap: How to use Frankincense resin in your homemade soap

Frankincense and Myrrh, two ancient resins still used today that bring to mind the costly gifts given to the Christ child some 2,000 years ago.  

 I have long wanted to use these in a homemade soap recipe.

This particular soap I made has fragrance oil and essential oils in it.

You can use Frankincense resin, also known as tears, in your homemade soap.

Here's how:

1) freeze your Frankincense tears over night

2) grind them into a powder in a coffee bean grinder or other electric type grinder

3) you can now use this powder directly in your soap batter, or dissolve it in hot water 

Frankincense is used in wrinkle creams, lotions, emulsifying scrubs, and ointments as it rejuvenates the skin, perking up older skin, as an astringent for younger acne prone skin, and a calming, soothing effect overall.

FYI:  Frankincense will dissolve in water or alcohol.  Hot water dissolves it quicker.  A higher grade of Frankincense will still be a bit gummy in the center and opaque in color.

Soothing Bath Fizzy Bomb

Updated 9/6/16  Feeling the need to relax, I got out the ingredients to make a new bath fizzy bomb recipe.  I wanted a soothing, skin softening fizzy bomb.. Here's what I came up with.....

First I chose a warm and cozy-up fragrance, Black Raspberry Vanilla. Perfect.  

Then I chose my ingredients:  Citric acid which is an organic acid from citrus fruits that neutralizes the trace metals in water making it S O F T !

Then baking soda which is known to soften skin naturally as well as soothe. Love it. It is the combination of the citric acid and baking soda which causes the lovely fizzing in a bath bomb.

Corn starch which is another natural skin soother, and makes the water just a bit creamy.

Epsom salts another lovely skin soother and muscle relaxer that packs a magnesium punch!

Just a small amount of grapeseed oil was added to bring extra moisturizing, not greasy at all.

HOW:

Whatever size batch you choose to make, keep the citric acid and baking soda at a 1 : 2 ratio. Meaning if you use 1 cup citric acid, you need to use 2 cups baking soda. To that I add 1/2 cup corn starch. Blend dry portion well.
The liquid portion is .3 oz water, .3 oz witchazel, 1.3 oz grapeseed oil, .4 oz fragrance (optional)
Combine all your liquids and drizzle into your dry mix as you stir with a whisk.
A pastry cutter works good too. Mixture should be the consistency of damp sand
and hold together after squeezing it in the palm of your hand.
Put mixture into your mold, and pat down. Pop it gently out and allow to dry overnight. You can sprinkle dried rose petals in the bottom of the mold before adding mixture for a home spa feel!

If you make bath fizzy bombs, try this variation, you'll love it.  If you'd rather not make these goodies yourself, you can purchase them in my Etsy shop.

Tea Tree and Orange Soap acne and blemish recipe

Today I am sharing my Tea Tree and Orange blemish bar recipe that I created for my teens. It is a Hot Process homemade soap recipe that is made in a crock pot, cooked the old fashioned way.

100% natural soap that can be used on the face without fear of drying. There is a certain amount of toning, astringent here, but not the sort of drying out that actually causes the oil glands to produce more oil, hence the cycle of breakouts.  Filled with skin loving and nourishing as well as healing oils, butters and essential oils. All the natural glycerin is left in homemade soap, leaving in the natural moisturizing benefits. Commercial soaps remove this natural wonder, leaving you with a bar of detergent.  Now, I'll tell you why I made this formula....

First the recipe: 
7.8 oz  olive oil (best oil for your base in a soap recipe. Hardens bar. Mild, gentle cleanser.) (30.8%)
6.5 oz  lard  ( hardens the bar and is very moisturizing, does NOT clog pores ) (25.6%)
5 oz  coconut oil  ( hardens bar, boosts lather ) (19.7 %)
1.5 oz  avocado butter ( Top notch moisturizer. On a scale of 1-10, it is a 9 ) (5.9 %)
1.5 oz  castor oil ( fabulous skin conditioner, boosts bubbles ) (5.9 %)
1  oz beeswax  ( antioxidant, antibacterial, holds in moisture, protects and softens skin) (3.9 %)
1  oz grapeseed oil (nice conditioner, has the ability to absorb quickly pulling other oils under the skin)
1  oz canola oil (hardens the bar better than sunflower oil, does not clog pores, stretches your olive oil)

8.35 oz distilled water
3.35 oz lye  (superfatted at 6% using Brambleberry's lye calc)

NOTE: my olive oil was infused with fresh rosemary, here's how to do it, it's not hard.

2 tsp Bentonite clay     ( An effective healing clay, with a fine velveteen feel. Odorless.  Absorbs
      and removes toxins and impurities. )

1 oz    (or less .5 oz )   Tea Tree essential oil also known as melaleuka oil, a powerful antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal oil that has the awesome ability to kill the bacteria that cause acne development. You can actually dab Tea Tree directly on a blemish.

 .5 oz   Orange essential oil  is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, helps promote healthy, smooth skin as
  well as helps with acne and dermatitis. Improves skin tone and texture. Vitamin C is great for your    skin. Refreshing, uplifting scent!

Total oil weight:  25.3 oz
Yields:  37 oz of soap

Ok, our heavy hitters here are our Avocado butter, beeswax, Tea Tree and Orange oils. Along with the rosemary infused olive oil. If you don't want to make the infused oil, you can use Rosemary essential oil, just switch out a little of the Tea Tree for it.  Keep the total essential oils around 1.5 oz.

I mixed the Bentonite clay in a little of the oil, using a small frothing wisk to get out all clumps, and added it back to the melted oils. I then Hot Processed as normal. I added my lovely essential oils after the cook. I hot processed this specifically so I could add my essential oils in after the cook, after the lye had been neutralized to ensure full benefits of the oils.  This is a very aromatic bar, quite strong. 

This quality of a specialty blemish bar in any store would be quite pricey.  If you make it yourself you save money, and get a superb quality of natural goodness for your skin. Unbeatable.  So, if you have not Hot Processed soap yet, and been thinking about it, give it a try!

Here is a link to a tutorial I made on making Hot Processed crock pot soap, using only 3 oils. It is a great, bubbly, moisturizing recipe that I think you will love! 

Note:  You should always run a  recipe through a lye calculator before making it, or if you change a recipe in any way, please run your new recipe through a lye calculator before proceeding.  I use Bramble Berry's lye calc.

This is my personal soap recipe I use for my family. Not meant to diagnose or treat any skin ailment, I am not FDA approved! ha!

Any questions ?  Just leave a comment.  Enjoy !  Let me know if you make this wholesome bar!

      Anna 

 This post shared with:

The Clever Chicks Blog Hop at the Chickenchick.com

Wise Woman Link Up at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Teach Me Tuesdays at the Growing Home blog

Frugally Sustainable at Frugal Days, Sustainable ways

Natural Living Link up at Jill's Home Remedies