Recipes & Tips

All Natural Athletes Foot Soak

2 Tbs. Sea Salt

2 Tbs. Corn Starch

1 Tbs. Baking soda

1 Tsp. Kaolin Powder

4 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

Mix all powder together, add to warm water and mix well, add tea tree oil by the drops. I will let you know that tea tree is very strong in smell. It has antiseptic qualities.

My husband suffers from athletics' foot due to the fact he wear dress shoes and non absorbing socks each day. He has been to different doctors who prescribe all kinds of creams. This is the only thing that helps.

A note of caution, this will burn in the beginning if your have open sores but after the initial burning it is very soothing. After soaking dry feet very well and use an absorbent powder or corn starch, keeping your feet dry helps combat flair ups.

Bath Fizzes

Mix all the above together in a large bowl, after all has been mixed and any lumps are broken up. Fill up a spray bottle with witch hazel. Mist the mixture until it holds it shape in your hand when squeezed, do not be alarmed if you see fizzing this just means you have added a bit to much witch hazel. It will evaporate quickly and there is no need to worry. At this point you have the option of molding your mixture or making balls in your hand, pack them well (like making a snowball). Place on a piece of waxed paper and allow to dry. From 1 hr to 24 hours depending on the size you have made.

*Bath fizzes are so popular now they are loved by everyone, I make them for my daughter using baby powder fragrance oil and mineral oil. As long as you have baking soda and citric acid you can make these with dried herbs, spices and anything you like to add. I have made orange with orange peel, rose with rose petals. Let your creativity show.

Herbal Tea Bath

Combine all dried items in a bowl and mix well, spoon into either a muslin bag or coffee filter and close. Make a loop with a piece of satin ribbon if your using a coffee filter and hang under the water spout as you fill your tub, then let steep and release all the wonderful fragrance.

* I have made this and it is so nice, I let the bag dry and empty out the herbs then rinse it out and refill again. Any herbs can be substituted, depending on if you want a relaxing bath a rejuvenating bath or just your own personal preference.

Infused Oils

To infuse any oils, crush either dried or fresh flowers and herbs to release their scent. Fill the bottle with oil (olive, sunflower or almond oil) stir well. Cover the bottle opening with a piece of muslin and place in a sunny spot or warm place for 2 weeks.

Make sure to shake the bottle each day. After 2 weeks strain off the oil and refill the bottle with fresh herbs or flowers. Repeat until the oil smells strongly of the flowers or herbs.

*This can also be done with water, pour boiling water over a pot of filled with either flowers or herbs, cover with a lid and leave the mixture to infuse, strain off the herbs or flowers and repeat until your water is strongly scented.

 

 

Dyes and Colorants

Through much trial and error I have found that there are 2 very different colorants, one that is formulated for water and one that is for oils. Have you ever tried to color something only to have it go into little beads and not mix well? This means if your trying to color oil its a water base dye and visa versa.

Food colorant is safe to use but it is water based. This means it will not mix well with your oils. I carry both oil based and water based colorants and all are FDA approved, depending on what I am designing at the time, is the deciding factor on which colorant I will be using.

Natural dyes are wonderful but the color is not as intense as commercially made. So depending on what you are designing and how much will be water and how much will be oil is your main concern with colorants. I have also found that certain oils can possibly leave more of a film around your bath tub when used with bath powders and fizzies.

Jojoba is one of the best for using when creating bath powders due to the fact does not have a tendency to leave a film in your tub.

 

Skin Cream

1/4 cup Distilled Water

1/8 Tsp. borax Powder

3 Tbs. Beeswax

1/2 cup Mineral Oil

1 1/2 Tsp. Coconut Oil

12 drops of fragrance oil

Boil water in pan and add the borax powder, stirring until dissolved. Simmer while you go on to the next step.

In a separate pan over low heat, add the mineral oil, coconut oil and beeswax. Stir until the wax is dissolved. Pour the oils/beeswax mixture into a bowl and slowly add the heated water/borax mixture, while stirring with a whisk. Continue stirring until mixture is thick and white and has cooled to room temperature. Stir in desired fragrance oil. Spoon into jar and seal

 

Borax

Borax is a binder between oils and waters but something I have found with much research and alot of questioning is that borax that you buy in your local store. 20 Mule team borax works the same as ones you can buy from chemical companies. Do not buy the one with added bleach, just buy the normal borax. I have found alot of recipes that call for borax and the only way I could purchase it was in 5lb increments. Until I did some research and found out I could buy it from my grocery store and get the same effect.

I have listed borax on my dry good page due to the problems so many people are having finding it in there local stores.

 

Cold Processed Soap Making

I truly enjoy making soap, its wonderful to be able to create your own fragrance and add your own herbs and flowers. I also like the idea that just about anything can be your mold. I have used PVC piping, Wooden Boxes even Cardboard boxes.

All oils are interchangeable depending on what your searching for as an end result. The only thing to always make sure is to use a lye calculator to find out the exact amount of lye you will need.

My stick blender is a true saving grace, allowing me to make soap and have it trace in under 30 minutes.

If the fear of lye is what's stopping you from trying your hand at making soap. I had the same fear but after my first batch and with the proper precautions taken I am glad I finally decided to try it.

I still only make soap when my husband is home to watch our daughter and make sure the pets are not under foot. But with my rubber gloves on, a window open I mix my lye and have only had one time that I did get the volcano effect due to the fact I mixed the lye into warm water. Always use cold water because lye will create its own heat so this just made it boil alot faster. I keep all my utensils labels and out of the way even my mixing spoon. Although they do say you can wash with warm soap water and use again I just have a batch for soap making.

 

 

Fragrance Oils/ Essential Oils

I have many favorites of both types of oils, depending on what I am creating will decide which I use. I also use essential oils when I want a truly all natural product. That also means I will use only natural colorants no dyes.

The one thing I have found out the hard way is that some fragrance oils and essential oils will discolor when added to lye. Sometimes you can get a very nice color but other times, well *YUCK* is the only way I can describe some of the colors I have gotten. Sweet Balsam will turn your soap a pretty pinky/orange color.

Mango fragrance oils will turn a brown color. Sometimes you are able to change the colors by adding dyes but other times it just makes some really different colors. It does not effect your soap in any other way. I have not had a single fo or eo cause my cp soap to seize.

With all M&P the fo and eo did nothing to the color it still remained clear or white.

 

 

 

Raspberry Lip Balm

2Tbsp Petroleum Jelly

1 Tsp. Beeswax

2-4 drops of raspberry flavoring

Sweetener is desired

In a small pan, heat petroleum jelly and add the beeswax. Stirring until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the raspberry flavoring oil and any sweetener if desired. Pour into small screw top container.

I have received numerous e mails from wonderful people wanting to start out in cp. soaps. I will give a quick run down of just how easy this is to do. There are a few things you will need, some are very necessary other just make things easier.

Cold Process Soap Making

Always Weigh out everything, do not use a measuring cup to see if you have 8 ounces use a scale. Use proper precautions when mixing your lye. Lye is caustic and yes it will burn you. Never take any chances with your lye and water. ALWAYS add your lye to your water and do so very slowly, avoid splashing and use gloves and goggles. Stir slowly as you add your lye and try to do it near an open window or exhaust fan. . NEVER add water to lye.

How do you tell when your soap has reached trace, it looks like cooked pudding, when I lift my stick blender it will leave a trail that will slowly go back into the mixture. I have reached trace sometimes to quickly and then the worst thing that happens is I have to plop the soap into the mold. Bang it repeatedly on a hard surface will release any trapped air pockets.

After you have put your soap in your mold cover it with either with what ever you are using as a liner or clear wrap, this helps with the white that will form on top of your soap while it is insulated. Always insulate your soap, use an old blanket or towel. Leave your soap to cool, if you go back and feel the mold you will feel just how hot the mold is getting this is totally normal. Nothing to worry about. Leave your soap in the mold for 12-24 hours until it is firm enough to take out of the mold and cut, again USE your gloves. Place your soap in a spot undisturbed for the rest of the curing period, go back every couple of days and turn your bars so it dries evenly.

Making soap is great fun, and not difficult. I always stress use proper precaution and just use your good judgment. The above is a basic guide to help you get started. If you remember the little things you will be making one batch after another. I was warned Soap Making is Addicting, that it is. My house never has less then 12 pounds of soap at a time curing.

Most of all have fun, enjoy yourself and the end result is something to be very proud of. Trial and Error is one of the best ways to learn. If in doubt please ask, no question is silly.

 

Please enjoy these tips and recipes, copy them, print them out and try them. But Please DO NOT borrow them for your own web site. I have personally designed each recipe you see. My soap recipes I designed with the help of a wonderful lye calculator that is available on line, I choose which oils I want to use and what end result I am searching for.

Our business is family owned and operated, if you would like to see the people that help make Mystify Your Sense's a success, please to click the link below to view our whole family. A few key people are missing but they will be added shortly. I want to thank each and everyone of our customers for making Mystify Your Sense's such a success in a very short time. I also need to thank one more person for being my greatest support, the love of my life, my husband Larry who without his help, love and support we couldn't have grown so rapidly.

The Family behind Mystify Your Senses

 

Mystify Your Sense s

77 Adriatic Ave.

Waretown NJ 08758