Teach Soap

Has anyone used extracts in their body butters - almond, peppermint, lemon, vanilla?

Are these still considered natural fragrances?

Are they drying?

If you mean the kind of extracts used for cooking, normally in a alcohol base ? I would not suggest it ,alcohol is drying to the skin you would be much better off to use a flower or herbal extract meant for cosmetic formulations. check out the extract catagory on Brambleberry website and read up on the differences betwen the two.

I just bought a bunch of fruit and flower extracts to use in my lotions. Can't wait to experiment.

_________________
www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

Some extracts are alcohol or water based so they would not work with butters.

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

Soapbuddy, I have powdered extracts that I'm trying to figure out how to use. Have you formulated anything using them?

_________________
www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

For powdered extracts, I'd just infuse them in oil and then strain the powder out after infusion.

_________________
Genny

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

It's ok if they don't lend any fragrance. I just want to use the darn things since I bought them for no real purpose. Lol

_________________
www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

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

Watcha got? If you didn't want to use them in a lotion specifically and just want to use them up while still enjoying their various properties you could do a facial mask or scrub with them. I make some cleansing grains this way for myself using rice powder, ground oats, honey powder and powdered GM. Calendula, Chamomile, etc. work really good mixed into that base. I have made one one with hibiscus and noni fruit powder that is awesome. Just put your mixed dry ingredients in jar and scoop them out when you want to use them. Mix with water or your favorite oil, even yogurt if your feeling adventurous and use to gently exfoliate. Rinse it off immediately or let it sit like a mask for 10 minutes and rinse. Fun.

You could also use them for bath teas or mixed into bath truffles for extra goodness in the tub if your into that kind of stuff. I'm guessing you bought them because you like the properties they have and just haven't figured out how exactly to use them. Thought I'd toss out a few more ideas.

Great ideas wildchick! I have strawberry, mango, pineapple (bromelain) and chamomile. I think I meant to use them in my fruit smoothie scrubs (label appeal and whatnot.). I'll probably just end up using them myself in masks.

_________________
www.facebook.com/Semplice-Naturals

For bromelain (the main proteolytic enzyme in pineapple), its optimum pH range,based on what I found online, is about 3.5-4 at the low end and 7.5 to 8 at the high end. This means it actually prefers a weakly acidic pH. This makes sense, since pineapple contains organic acids. This might play a role if you are using a preservative like Suttocide, which has a high pH and turns weak acids peach in lotions and creams.

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

Some extracts act as indicators. For instance, I use an extract of green tea - it is made by vacuum evaporation. I use it in a hand cream at 0.2% only. Before neutralising it (the last step in production) while the pH is quite acidic (about 3.5) the tea colours the cream a faint yellow. But as soon as I bring the pH to 6.0, the colour changes to a pink very close to skin tone.