Teach Soap

I tried my hand at body butter this morning. I made a small batch, two four oz jars, my ingredients Shea Butter and what I thought was my almond oil was aloe vera gel...heavy sigh! haha! Am I still able to use this for myself within a couple weeks? I don't know what the yay's and nays of the gel are. Thanks!

Cassandra

Aloe gel is water based and will most likely separate over time. If this is just for yourself, put it in the fridge and use it up within a week.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks, yes, everything I make is for me or sister or mom. They aren't getting the aloe one though. To be honest, it feels so much better to me than the one with almond oil. It's very thick and somewhat hardened but doesn't feel one bit greasy.

If you want to play around with the aloe and butters, I would add an emulsifier like e-wax NF or Polawax and a preservative for longer shelf life.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks. I can't afford to get all the extras, so I just make enough to last me a couple days or so.

Thank you again for being so helpful and speedy with a reply!

Cassandra

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

If you can't afford all the extras, but decide at some point you want to try something of that kind, there are quite a few nice emulsifiers that double up as humectants (things that help the good stuff from the lotion to sink into your skin, rather than just stay on the surface). BTMS is quite good at providing conditioning and stabilising as well as emulsifying and costs £1.95 ($3.10) for 50 grams from my supplier in the UK. I usually wait till I'm ordering other things though, to save on postage!

Swift Crafty Monkey http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/ has some really good info on the different emulsifiers and things you can get. (Menu part way down on the right hand side)

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"The question is: does it work on stage? If it works on stage, does it fit the theory? If it works on stage, but doesn't fit the theory; throw out the theory." Bertolt Brecht

I actually love adding aloe vera in my creams. It does limit the shelf life, but it feels so wonderful! I love how refreshing it feels when I keep it in the fridge and only pull it out to apply it after my shower. The aloe really does amazing things to calm the skin and clear up any irritation.

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Essential oils are a vital part of smart .