First thoughts on making shaving cream and final thoughts on shaving cream

FIRST THOUGHTS:
Here is the recipe I used (with accompanying instructions)
*with my notes


Natural IngredientsA homemade recipe consists of a few essential ingredients. Everything should be easily found at a natural market, such as a Whole Foods store.

Four tablespoons of an essential fatty acid-rich oil. Sweet almond, jojoba, and apricot all work really well. *I used grape-seed oil*

Two tablespoons of a natural skin nourisher and moisturizer, such as shea butter, cocoa butter, or beeswax.

*I decided to add a few drops of vitamin E since it is so fab for skin*

One and one-half cup of water; use a distilled or filtered water for the purest source.

One teaspoon of baking soda, which acts to soften and protect the skin.

Four tablespoons of castile soap. Castile soap is vegetable oil-based, usually from olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil. It can be found in liquid form, which is easier to use for this shaving cream recipe; in bar form, simply grate the soap. Dr. Bronner's is probably the most popular manufacturer of this eco-friendly, natural product.

One-half cup of either aloe vera gel or honey, this ingredient is optional, but really beneficial for people with sensitive skin. 

Essential oils, again, they are an optional, natural aromatic. For men's shaving cream, use three drops of pine essential oil and three drops of bergamot; for women's shaving cream, use three drops each of rose essential oil, and lavender. *I used lemongrass essential oil (I had purchased previously for homemade body spray) b/c it is a "relaxer" and unisex scent*

Instructions
How to make shaving cream? First heat the oil and skin nourisher over a double boiler at a low heat. Stir until the mixture is clear, then pour into a large bowl and let cool. In another pan, heat the water, then add the baking soda, and castile soap, stirring until completely diluted. Add the aloe vera gel or honey to this solution and stir. Pour the soap mixture into the bowl with the now room-temperature oil and skin nourisher. Add essential oils if desired. Blend everything very well with a hand mixer, or throw into the blender. For best results, blend for two minutes, stop, and then blend again for another two minutes. *Beware, blending causes this mixture to foam and increase in amount considerably. I strongly recommend letting the blended mixture "settle"- letting the foam die down, before transferring to container(s)*


Store the cream in an airtight container in a dry, cool location. This natural cream can be stored for about three months; none of the ingredients are perishable but oils such as sweet almond and apricot have a limited shelf life. This is a great opportunity to reuse old jelly jars or pickle jars. Wash well with soap and warm water to get rid of any odor residues. Not only is this homemade shaving cream wonderful for personal use, but also makes a great eco-friendly gift for someone else.

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Grapeseed Oil, Castile Soap, Shea butter, honey, vitamin E and lemongrass essential Oil

Parts and Price
Organic Shea Butter (if chosen): $7.99
Organic Grapeseed oil (if chosen): $3.99
Organic Castile Soap: $3.99
Essential Oil of your choice: (prices vary considerably depending on oil chosen and size of oil)
Raw Honey: (prices vary considerably depending on size of raw honey)
Total: approx $16 (assuming you have none of these ingredients on hand previously) 


The Process: Easy enough. I just mixed ingredients (as described above) in two separate jars, then soaked in a hot water bath (boil water in a larger bowl, then place a smaller bowl inside that bowl for mixing. Just make sure no water from the larger bowl gets in your mixing bowl!) while stirring. Once your two mixtures have cooled, combine and blend. I chose to do this in a blender and, as I mentioned before, it foamed and expanded considerably. If you wait a few minutes the solution dies down and becomes much easier to handle.


Complaints: Again, if you don't have any of these ingredients at your house already, it's an investment. Luckily ALL of the ingredients easily serve multiple purposes and have several uses, so I don't see any money "wasted." Due to how many products I have made from home now, each product is becoming much less of an investment for me. Also, the more knowledgeable you become about each ingredient the more you learn what can be substituted for what and what can be left out, etc. Other than price, I was alarmed at how thin the mixture is. I would hesitate to call this a shaving "cream" but more of a shaving "serum" or "liquid." It is a bit watery which can make for harder application.


Compliments: Easy to make and ingredients were easy to find. Also, although the solution is thin, it feels AMAZING when used. I don't think I will even need to use lotion on my legs the days that I shave because this is so ridiculously moisturizing. My Husband used it on his face and loved it. It feels (and smells) very light and refreshing. It serves its purpose (protecting your skin from the razor) while having an added bonus of actually being good for your skin. One batch of this made enough for my Husband and I to each have 1 full jar.

My Final Thoughts:
Cons- Up front price you have to pay if you don't own any of the ingredients, how thin the mixture is.


Pros- Easy to make, it REALLY works. Also, every ingredient is natural, chemical free, and beneficial to skin health. No hard to pronounce ingredients. Next time you're in the shower, grab your can of shaving cream and see how many ingredients it has + how many of them you know. I checked the back of mine and got to ingredient #2 before having no clue what was in it. All of these unnecessary ingredients going onto your skin and into your pores. Also, if you go the organic route (purchasing organic shaving cream to eliminate some unwanted chemicals) you will see that they run anywhere from $7-$20+ dollars for smaller portions than you're accustomed to. 


Overall- This product is an investment, but because of how much it will get used, I can justify it. I also love how nourishing it is to the skin. 

Bottom line, it works.

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Tea Tree Oil

CLICK HERE to learn more about tea tree oil. Thought this would be interesting to learn about since it is a key ingredient in the deodorant we made!

It has begun! I've made my first products!!

As promised, I have made my first two products (listed in the post below titled "The First Products I will be making..."). I will continue using them for the next 2 weeks and report back on my final opinion. I was going to begin 1/15 but I had a big fat free day today and couldn't resist! Thinking about making one? Here is my experience...

If you haven't, try rubbing a tomato on your face while taking a picture.
This is something they don't teach you in school :)

1st The Tomato. (1 organic locally grown tomato= $1.79)
So this obviously isn't something I had to make, but it was a tip I listed in the post "The First Products I will be making..." and figured if I was suggesting it, I ought to try it! All you do is slice a ripe Tomato down the middle, rub it all over your face/neck, let it set for 5 minutes, then rinse with water.

I LOVED it! I had a slight moment of panic as I was lathering the tomato over every nook and cranny of my face. I was feeling so free, fresh, and happy as I felt the cool tomato juice soothing my skin, when unfortunately, in the midst of this, I was suddenly interrupted by a vivid memory of my Mother telling me that I was ridiculously allergic to tomatoes as a child. She informed me that the smallest taste of Ketchup would cause me to break out into a flaming red rash all over my face. Needless to say, my blissful moment of tomato lovin passed and I sat dreading what I may have just done to myself. Luckily, no rash (yet!) Instead my skin was left feeling tingly, clean, and firm! This is definitely going to be a repeat offense. I sliced the used part of the tomato off and stored the rest for another blissfully tomatoefied moment later this week.

OK, now to the good stuff!

Lemon squeeze. Before Straining.

Fennel Cleanser
Parts and Price:
(all found and purchased at Whole Foods)
1 organic locally grown lemon = $0.99
1 spice container of fennel seeds= $3.99
1 small spice container of Thyme= $1.99
Total: about $7-$8 with tax
(Price of jar not included. CLICK HERE to view different containers and estimate cost)

The Process: This was as easy to make as boiling a pot of water, because that's all you have to do! I ran into a few complications, but those were from a lack of planning ahead and not difficulty. I found that I have no strainer small enough to separate liquid from herbs, and no herb grinder to crush the Fennel seeds. I wondered later if you can buy them crushed? I ended up getting the job done, but aforementioned tools would have made it 10x quicker and easier!

Complaints: The smell of Fennel Seeds. It overpowered my little kitchen (granted, I had to dump the whole jar out and crush them) but I think it's safe to say I wont be searching for a Fennel seed perfume anytime soon. Luckily, once made and jarred, it has a very subtle lemon scent, but that's about it! My other complaint would just be that it didn't make a whole lot. If I decide to make it again I will most likely double the ingredients.

Compliments: Besides being fairly inexpensive and easy to make, it feels really good on your skin! You have to keep the mixture in the refrigerator, but the cool thin liquid feels amazing on your face. My skin after use feels surprisingly tight and soft. The tightness I was anticipating, but the softness surprised me.

Performance: I can't say too much about how it performs yet, because I've only used it once, but I'm excited to try it these next couple weeks instead of my usual face wash. *I will update my final thoughts on performance in two weeks*

What the Green Tea Came in

Green Tea Toner
Parts and Price:
Powdered Green Tea= approx. $1 (Whole foods has huge jars of powdered Tea. The one I chose was a/b $20 a lb and I took 2 teaspoons. I am merely a beauty products maker, so I will leave the math to those who choose!)
Water= $free.99
(Price of jar not included. CLICK HERE to view different containers and estimate cost)

The Process: Again, too easy! Just boil tea in water for 10 minutes, and ding! You've got a facial toner.

Complaints: Not trying this one until tomorrow am, but it is in a clear container and I have already noticed it separates... not sure how that will affect performance? Again, would probably double recipe if making again.

Compliments: Easy to make, as cheap as cheap gets.

Performance: Can't say yet, stay posted!

That's the Fennel on the left and Green Tea on the right.
Now I just have to make some cute little labels!

Well, that's what I've got for now! I must say, pouring my first products into their precious little containers and feeling the freshness of the Earth's products on my skin has got me more than a little excited about the projects to come, yippee!


Have you made, or will you be making one of these products? Questions, comments, or concerns about any of this? Let us know! Comment below or e-mail me at naturallynourishing@gmail.com