Build Bath & Shower

When making choices to support a healthier lifestyle, many individuals overlook the safety of their beauty and/or personal care products . But they shouldn’t: Not only is skin your largest organ, but what is applied to the skin is absorbed by the body (if you’re suspect, just think about the efficacy of transdermal birth control or nicotine patches). As a professional with 15 years of experience as a makeup artist and 10 years of experience in naturals specifically, I have developed an expertise in which products, ingredients, and methods are best. So if you’re taking the time—and spending the money—to buy healthier, organic food, it’s about time you understand what you’re putting on your skin. An introduction to clean and natural beauty. In order to understand the context, here’s some clean beauty 101 : The personal care industry (meaning things like lipstick, shampoo, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste) is completely unregulated in the United States. In layman’s terms, this means ther...

You might have seen bottles of shampoo and conditioner labelled as sulphate- and paraben-free, but what does this actually mean when it comes to what we put on our hair?  What are sulphates?  Most of us will have shower gels, soaps, shampoos and cleaning products in our bathroom and kitchen cupboards that contain synthetic detergents. The likes of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), ammonium lareth sulphate and myreth sulphate. These are synthetic, inexpensive detergents that are very effective at removing dirt and also help provide that soapy lather we’ve come to expect when we wash our hair.  In some cases, they can dry out hair, irritate sensitive skin and make eczema worse , so some brands choose to use gentler alternatives .  Typically, sulphate-free products might not lather as much as others containing synthetic foaming agents , so those with finer locks may find they need to give hair two washes.  What are parabens?  Parabens are preservatives used...

We spend a fortune every year buying products to transform our baths into something extra special, however most of those products are packed full of toxic chemicals. So here at Homemade Home Ideas , we scoured the web to find the best natural alternatives out there. Make your bath a decadent treat and turn it into a spa experience in your own home with these easy natural recipes which will help soothe skin and relieve tension. Homemade Lavender Bath Salts  – These wonderful bath salts will not only relieve and release tension in your body and help you relax but they will also give you a fizzing spa experience in the comfort of your own home. DIY Bath Melts – Leave your skin silky smooth with these fantastic bath melts which will turn your bath into a luxurious experience you’ll love. Detox Bath Recipe – Not only will this simple recipe help you relieve stress in the bath but it will also draw out any toxins which will help you fight...

Hot summer days mean tank tops, shorts, swimsuits, sandals and generally a lot more of your skin showing than it normally would at other times of the year. While wearing less clothing helps to keep you cool, it often means more skincare problems for many of us. As you get ready to head outdoors to enjoy the weather this season, win the bare skin battle by being prepared to prevent and treat every type of irritation, abrasion and bite that may come your way. Sunburn The most common and, to be perfectly honest, most preventable summer skin problem is sunburn. Even though we all know we need to wear sunscreen every single day , many of us blow it off until it’s too late and we’re rocking the lobster look. Not only does allowing yourself to get sunburnt increase your risk of skin cancer, but on a very superficial level, sun damage totally ages you. Aging gracefully is fabulous, aging prematurely is not. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the use of a daily moisturizer wit...

Avg. Reading Time: 5 min Homebrewers are driven by the desire to make new recipes. Usually when we recreate an old recipe, we try to improve on past mistakes or change ingredients to make a better product. This is the one beer recipe I’ve made more than once thanks to it’s quality. I present to you my award-winning Top of the Morning Cream Ale ! That’s no exaggeration. My cream ale was a Silver Medalist at the 2016 Dominion Cup in the Cream/Kolsch/Blonde category. As an extract brewer with only two years of experience, I didn’t think that I could get that far in Virginia’s largest homebrew competition . No matter the ingredients or their sources, some of the finest beers can fall into place through intuitive research. This is the ideal Southern summertime beer . The recipe emerged when my local homebrew club chose cream ale for one of our earliest in-house competitions. Cream ales are underappreciated in the craft beer world because they are in the same BJCP category as American l...

Properly storing your soapy creations extends the amount of time the product looks and feels its best. For cold process soap , proper storage includes plenty of air flow. On the other hand, melt and pour soap should be wrapped immediately. Improper storage can promote dreaded orange spots , faded colors and glycerin dew . Luckily, it’s easy to prevent these problems with a little know-how. How products should be stored largely depends on what the product is made of, and the shelf life of the ingredients. For nearly all bath and beauty products , it’s best to store them in a dry and cool place. Excessive moisture in the air can promote DOS (read more about DOS here) and cause bath bombs to prematurely fizz. Extreme heat can cause melt and pour (or even cold process) soap to melt, and the texture of lotions and balms to change. If placed in direct sunlight, soapy colors and fragrances may fade. If you live in a hot climate, find the coolest and darkest area of your home to store your...