Hey @Jasper_123
I did my second batch of scrub, a little fine tuning on the first lot, a bit more to go. Each time I do it I learn a bit more.
It really changes the way you view self-care, Im not going to be just buying what ever off the shelf but Ill be selecting the ingredients that go into what I use and can make products tailored just for me.
The next thing Im going to make is a pomade. It cost me $32 to buy 100g which will last around 4-6 weeks. If I spend $40 and buy the ingredients I can make over 400g of it. It will be a bit shinier than what I use now but hopefully not too bad. Over time I will find/develop a formula I really like but for a 75% saving a little extra shine and knowing I made it myself seems worth it.
After that I want to try making a shower gel or liquid soap, one aimed at tackling acne.
At the moment Im focused on learning about the ingredients. I researched where to buy from, I found a wholesaler who sells to the public. They are reputable, good range and pricing, fair bit of info on each ingredient and they have a heap of organic options as well, all with certifications etc. I have another couple places I can use as well but they will (at this stage) be the primary supplier.
Im using the info on the supplier site to make a list of ingredients Im likely to use or want to use, at least in the near future. Once I have a list Im going to research them more indepth. Ive started with a spreadsheet that lists the key features Im interested in and then I mark which features it holds.
Once I have the list all done I can cross reference it with the recipes I want to do and then I can work out the ingredients with the most uses. That way when I buy a group of ingredients I know I will be able to make the most number of receipes from them.
I want to research the ingredients, formulating, methods, how to mix different ingredients, etc. as much as I can before I start doing too much. Eventually I want to make my own formulations not just follow others recipes or modify them a little but there is so much to be aware of, just working without essential oils there is a lot to know but add essential oils and you have to know so much or you risk hurting yourself and others. It might all be natural, but it doesnt mean that its 100% safe with the purity of ingredients you're working with.
You might have guessed I have gone down a bit of a rabbit hole, its the most interest I have had in something for a really really long time, its almost a passion. At the end of all my main part of researching Im hoping to know if its something Im actually going to be passionate about. Ive kinda looked into things and Im considering doing a course to become a cosmetic chemist, become qualified in aromatherapy and qualifications in herbal medicine. Those three things would give me a great basis to make natural products. Im playing with the idea of creating my own line up but I want to include a line up of specific essential oil mixes for diffusing and cleaning supplies, along with body, face and hair care products. Im looking at different delivery methods, making things as reuseable as I can. Like with those disposable wipe things, face wipes and cleaning wipes. Ive found a dispenser that can be reused, so you would buy a glass bottle of the liquid cleaner and a roll of wipes. As much as I can will be recyclable. Most things will be in glass because of the essential oils but its recyclable.
I feel like there is a bit of passion brewing, which is really nice. Im playing with the idea of a complete career change debt collector to cosmetic chemist. Im seeing the huge benefit of natural products, like I looked at our laundry detergent and we use the sensitive kind because we have issues with the chemicals. I could make a natural laundry detergent, just as good as the store bought but without the chemicals but it would have an expiry date. They put so much into products like that, that they dont expire, any trace of natural ingredients are polluted. I could make something that doesnt have that and it would likely be better for me, for my skin. Im starting to sound like a weirdo but Im not going to get carried away, its just there are options other than store bought that puts us closer to nature and closer to ourselves.
The more I do this, read and learn the closer I feel connected with my own self-care and the more I want to expand it to different areas of my life. I mean what I wash my clothes in, wipe my face with, clean the benches with are all an extention of my self-care.
