Natural hair conditioner This conditioner formulation contains jojoba oil and grape seed oil, rich in omega 6 and vitamin E. It has excellent detangling and wet combing properties. I have found it wonderful for conditioning the dry ends of my hair. (Makes 1kg) Step 1 775g water 90g conditioner pellets Step 2 40g organic jojoba oil 30g organic grape seed oil 30g organic avocado oil 40g glycerin 10g vanilla essential oil 5g Geogard 221 Method Gently heat Step 1 ingredients in a pot until the pellets have melted. Blend off and on until cool and starting to thicken. Add Part B ingredients and continue blending until thick. Pour into containers.

Papaya peel-off face mask This orange-coloured face mask is designed to be used in exfoliating and regenerating treatments. It's made with high-quality alginate which makes a very solid gel. The mask contains papaya extracts, a fruit known for its richness in papain, a proteolytic enzyme which digests proteins and eliminates dead cells on the upper layer of the horned skin. Papain has a regenerative effect. It contains precursors for arginine and proline, two amino acids known for their stimulating action in cell renewal. Papaya is rich in carotenoids known for their strong antioxidant and immunostimulating properties, which make it a good ingredient to fight skin ageing.

Household cleaner Wonderful for scrubbing bathrooms and kitchens. I love it. It's a great replacement for products like Jif. 240g baking soda 75g borax 50g  liquid soap 50g warm water 2T vinegar 1T lemon essential oil Mix the dry ingredients, add the rest and stir until combined.

Cardboard tubes Finally arrived! They look gorgeous too.

Grapefruit seed extract

We get quite a few inquiries for grapefruit seed extract (sometimes sold under its trade name Citricidal) from customers wanting to use it as a natural preservative.
 
We used to sell it years ago, but then we started to hear disturbing details about it. We no longer stock it.
 
The marketers of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) have done a great job of promoting it as a natural broad-spectrum preservative.
But, it’s not that simple.
It is, in fact, a very highly processed product which is chemically modified.
 
Be sure to read the two links below, the authors of which do a much better job of explaining the processes than I would.
 
http://chemicaloftheday.squarespace.com/most-controversial/2010/1/27/the-truth-about-grapefruit-seed-extract.html
 
http://www.hebebotanicals.co.nz/grapefruit-seed-extract-gse-let-the-buyer-beware/
 

Oatmeal, lemon & honey CP soap 250g water 115g sodium hydroxide 230g coconut oil 230g sunflower oil 100g palm oil organic 100g pomace oilve oil 50g castor oil 50g shea butter 50g oatmeal 30g lemon verbena FO 30g honey Instructions for CP soap are online under Resources.

Chest and nasal relief balm   A great balm to ease chest and nasal congestion. Makes 100g. 55g olive oil 15g beeswax 10g menthol crystals 11g camphor essential oil 8g eucalyptus blue gum essential oil 1. Gently heat the olive oil and beeswax until the beeswax is melted. Take off the heat. 2. Add the menthol crystals and stir until dissolved. 3. Add the camphor and eucalyptus essential oils and stir until blended. 4. Pour into containers. NB: The essential oils and menthol used are volatile oils and will reach their flashpoint if heated. At their flashpoint the oils will flash flame. SO DON'T HEAT THEM PLEASE.

Shea and coconut oil butter Makes 200g 120g shea butter 76g coconut oil In a saucepan, cut the shea butter into small pieces, add the coconut oil and melt just a little. Whip 10 mins with a beater you would use to whip cream with. Not a stick blender. You need to get air into the mixture to fluff it up. Spoon into containers.

Lavender & chamomile nappy balm Makes 100g 40g kawakawa infused oil 20g shea butter, wildcrafted 20g calendula infused oil 10g coconut oil, organic virgin 10g NZ beeswax few drops lavender and chamomile essential oils (optional) Method Melt everything (except the essential oils) together gently in a pot. Take off the heat and add the essential oils. Stir. Pour into a container and leave to set.

Cool safety glasses   A MUST for soapmaking! Tired of the same old boring safety glasses? I certainly am after 15 years of wearing them. Two colours: pink and green/black.   Chelsea, to the right, is making a fine job of modelling them.

Toothpaste 2T coconut oil 1.5T baking soda 20d spearmint essential oil Melt the coconut oil, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir on and off while it is solidifying so the baking soda doesn’t sink to the bottom. This recipe fits in a 50ml pot. Use a spoon (or something other than your toothbrush) to put some of the paste on to your brush. The brush will very likely contain water which will introduce mould to the paste.

Making round CP soap Round soaps make a nice change. I really like the feel of them in my hands. An easy way to make them is in a cardboard tube. Toilet rolls are useful for small guest-size soaps. Seal one end of the tube with baking paper or plastic held on with a rubber band. Stand the tube upright and pour the soap in as usual. Cover with towels/blankets as best you can. After 24 hours, rip off the cardboard and cut the soap. If the cardboard is difficult to get off, dip the log of soap in water. The recipe I used for this soap: Savon Sauvage 230g coconut oil 230g organic palm oil 230g rapeseed oil 230g water 104g sodium hydroxide 5g each of the following essential oils: cassia cumin clove bud petitgrain lavender white thyme Instructions for making this CP soap can be found on our website.

Whipped shea butter 120g shea butter 76g coconut oil Soften the shea butter and coconut oil, but don't melt. Whisk for at least 10 minutes. A stick blender won't work as it doesn't whip the ingredients. Adding a fragrance is optional. A few drops is all that is needed. Spoon into a pot.

Green goddess clay mask 1 tablespoon green clay 1 drop chamomile essential oil In a small bowl, mix the clay with just enough water to form a paste. Add 1 drop of chamomile essential oil and mix. Using your fingers, spread the paste over your face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes then wash off with water.

Bentonite clay mask 1 tablespoon bentonite clay 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar In a small bowl, mix the clay and the apple cider vinegar to form a paste. Using your fingers, spread the paste over your face and neck. Leave it on for 15 minutes then wash off with water.