Teach Soap

Hi! I know I haven't been on in a long time but I've been really busy. I currently have my business shut down as I have just not had the time for it. I just found out we have a third little bundle on the way which was a total surprise. I'm looking for help on making kind of like a gooey salve for the belly (want to get ahead of the stretch marks BEFORE they begin LOL). I haven't had time to get into the kitchen to even play around with recipes so I'm looking for a bit of help. I'm going with ingredients that I have on hand in the house I'm just trying to figure out good percentages. I want to use shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, liquid oils and some beeswax. Any help would be appreciated. I haven't made anything in so long besides soap my brain seems to be having problems creating recipes. Thanks!



Or maybe something along the lines of a thick but creamy balm.

I don't know about a salve but my friend swore by the avocado body butter from soapqueen. I made it as is and she loved it. Said it prevented any new stretch marks from showing (she started using it after she was already showing). Her husband loved to rub it on her belly and talk to the baby at the same time. It was their bonding time. <3 that!

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Haven

Thanks but I actually already have something similar to that. Lol I kinda want something that doesn't melt as easily. I was thinking somewhere along lines of something like 40% Shea, 10% to 15% cocoa butter, 10%-15% beeswax, and maybe 30%-40% liquid oils with some coconut oil somewhere in there. I want to infuse the liquid oils and coconut oils with the lavender and calendula I have left. Whip my Shea butter without melting it, melt down the beeswax and cocoa butter and whip the liquid oils, cocoa butter, and beeswax in. My problem is I don't know if that will be too soft or to hard and I don't have a lot of ingredients left over to due a bunch of testing and not really any money to order more if needed. Something that is thick and creamy but not so hard that I have to really dig it out of a jar. Something that is relatively easy to scoop out.

I also wanted to add a tiny bit of colloidal oatmeal and I have a little bit of a couple of different liquid extracts that I was thinking of using as well. I believe I have some oat, aloe, dulse, mallow, and maybe some chamomile extracts. I just haven't decided what I want to use yet.

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

Thanks Irena! I did not know that colloidal oatmeal was water based. I figured since it was just a super fine powder that it could be whipped in. I have not used it before and was just thinking of picking some up locally. All of my extracts are oil based though. It's not that I don't want want to keep it simple I'm just trying to use up some of the ingredients I have on hand since I don't really make stuff to often anymore and want to use them do they don't go bad.

Hi Toni! Congratulations!
I know all about those surprise bundles of joy...mine will be turning 18 in December.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Yay for babies! So happy for you!!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Thanks guys! It was quite a shock at first but we're very happy now! According to my Dr. He thinks my iud fell out since they can't seem to find it in any ultrasound scans. He realized it was missing when I went in for my yearly exam. He did an ultrasound to try to find it and during the ultrasound he was like I'm not finding your iud but I did find a baby! As if the moment I am due April 25th. I have my oils infusing now with the lavender and calendula. (I LOVE these two herbs infused together. They smell amazing!!) I'm only gonna due a 4-hour heat infusion because I'm impatient. I think I've got a recipe I've settled in that I will make and then try to adjust from there. I will let you know how it turns out and post pics later.

So didn't go quite as planned. I was infusing my herbs on the stove and dozed off on the couch (stupid pregnancy exhaustion!) Can anyone guess what happened? The water ran out in my double boiler and my herbs and oil burnt. That was the last of my calendula. Luckily I was able to order more off the vender sale Facebook page and I get it in a couple days. I'll admit it. I cried. Accidents happen but this one happen to suck.

Ack! I hate when stuff burns

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

That was really bad luck.... or maybe it was good luck that nothing caught on fire! Maybe next time you should try putting it all in a small crock pot? Hope your able to finish your salve soon.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I never even thought of a crockpot. Thanks for the idea. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future. Unfortunately after doing some research it turns out my crockpot gets to hot even on the low setting. I should be getting in my calendula tomorrow so either tomorrow or Sat I'm going to infuse again and I'm just going set the timer on my oven and one on my phone to keep on top of it this time.

When I use a crock pot to infuse oils, I place my oils and material in a quart jar, and fill the crock pot with water. I watch the temp and turn the crock off if it gets hot and then back on.

So, how did you soft salve come out?