How to Make Your Own Soap at Home

There are many reasons to make your own soap. It can save the family money. It ensures you know exactly what chemicals and ingredients are going into the product. Homemade soap can be a great gift for friends and family. Or it can be made simply because you are a craft individual. Whatever the reason, learning how to make soap is useful and fun.
The first way to make soap is by cold process. Cold process soap is made from oils, lye, and water. When combined at the right temperature, they harden into soap in a process called saponification.
Ingredients include 24 ounces of coconut oil, 38 ounces of vegetable shortening, 24 ounces of olive oil, 12 ounces of sodium hydroxide or lye, 32 ounces of spring or distilled water, and 4 ounces of your favourite essential oil. This could be lavender, rose, lemon, or peppermint.
Clear a space in the kitchen and spread a newspaper over a table to assemble the equipment. To start, you will need safety goggles and rubber gloves, a scale to weigh ingredients, a large stainless steel or enamel kettle (not aluminium or a non-stick kettle), glass or plastic wide mouthed pitcher, two-cup measuring cup, and plastic or wooden spoons.

Lemon For Beauty - plus 5 easy hair and facial recipes

If you've ever read my blog then you know I'm not going to send you to a department store to buy some lemon infused beauty product jam packed with chemicals. All you need to do is pick up a lemon while you're at the grocery store. Lemons aren't just good to squeeze in your tea; they're an amazing beauty all rounder.
Lemons have been used for hundreds of years on both skin and hair. The citrus acid in lemons act as an effective astringent by penetrating through pores to remove excess oils, dirt, dead skin cells and even blemishes, leaving you with a brighter complexion and healthier looking skin.
As a natural source of vitamin C, lemons are also used to even out skin tone and reduce the appearance age spots. As they are highly acidic, lemons work as an antiseptic that rids the skin of bacteria.
When it comes to hair, the acids in lemons are brilliant for cleansing both your scalp and hair to remove shampoo and oil build-up, and even reduce dandruff.
I often get comments on my skin and hair, and people often ask what I use. When I respond with "I make my own natural beauty products", people are surprised and want my secret recipes, so here are 5 of my favourite lemon infused skin and hair recipes. Enjoy!