Tags
aloe vera, castile soap, chamomile, cosmetics, gluten- free, homemade, jojoba, lavender, lemon zest, natural, olive oil, rose, sweet almond oil, vegan, vegetable glycerin, vegetarian, xanthan gum
So, i found a way to transform our lovely homemade cosmetics into more user- friendly/ even better products… introducing my good friend Xanthan Gum. Not just a staple for the gluten- free kitchen, oh no! Now a staple in the Green & Leithy apothecary. As many of you may know, Xanthan gum is utilised for its binding properties, what it does to our cosmetics is thicken the liquid. Therefore, you can use less and waste less, thus getting more action from each dose. I also tweaked the composition of each product and (apart from the hair conditioner) everything is just that much better. Thick, silky body wash, decadent, foamy shampoo, luxurious and nourishing hand wash- success! I’m still working on the conditioner as its still not as moisturising as i’d like but i have made a successful hair mask: Cacao Butter, Coconut Oil and Live Yoghurt. I’ve had a little go at filming and editing a wee video to accompany the recipe so you’ll hear more on that later.
A round- up of the finished products goes like this: Rosemary & Jojoba Hand wash, Lavender Silk Body Wash, Rosemary Oil & Lemon Zest Shampoo and Rose & Chamomile Conditioner.
Hand wash:
(Makes 1 bottle, re use an old one with pump dispenser)
- 80ml Pure Organic Liquid Castile Soap
- 1 teaspoon Jojoba Oil
- 1 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
- 100ml fresh Water
- Sprig of Dried Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon of Vegetable Glycerin (optional)
- Pop the rosemary into a clean bottle
- In a measuring jug, whisk the oil, water, soap and glycerin with a fork
- Add the gum and whisk quickly for 2 minutes until the lumps are gone
- Use a funnel to pour into your bottle
- Shake before use
Shampoo:
(Makes 1 bottle, i re used a glass Vinegar Bottle)
- 100ml Castile Soap
- 150ml fresh Water
- 50ml Aloe Vera Juice
- zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 teaspoon of Sweet Almond Oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
- Bash the rosemary in a pestle and mortar to release the oils, add to your bottle along with the lemon zest
- Whisk the water, oil, aloe juice and gum until smooth and foamy
- Funnel into your bottle (you may need to use the handle of a spoon to get everything through the funnel)
Body wash:
(Makes 1/2 a large bottle, re use a glass Olive Oil Bottle)
- 120ml Castile Soap
- 80ml Aloe Vera Juice
- 150ml fresh Water
- 2 teaspoons of Jojoba Oil
- 2 teaspoons of Xanthan Gum
- 1 tablespoon of Dried Lavender
- Pop the lavender into your clean bottle
- Whisk everything else together in a measuring jug until smooth
- Funnel into your body
- Shake before use
Conditioner:
(Make 1/2 a large bottle, I reused an old glass Gin Bottle)
- 200ml Aloe Vera Juice
- 30ml Olive Oil
- 100ml Water
- juice of 1/2 a Lemon
- 2 tablespoons of Sweet Almond Oil
- 1 teaspoon of Vegetable Glycerin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Xanthan Gum
- 1 tablespoon of dried Rose Petals
- 1 tablespoon of dried Chamomile Flowers
- Pop the flowers into your bottle
- Whisk all the liquids together, then add the gum and whisk for 3 minutes
- Funnel into your bottle
- Shake well before use