How To: DIY Deodorant Without Baking Soda

There are scads of DIY deodorant recipes on the net - almost all of which use an ingredient that – more often than not – will cause irritation, rash, leathery skin, and worse. The culprit ingredient is unfortunately also the active ingredient – baking soda.

No matter what you call it, or which way you look at it, sodium bicarbonate just isn't made for prolonged direct contact with skin. A lot of people have unfortunately had to discover this the hard way.

Many of you have asked me for a DIY deodorant recipe with 'safe ingredients that are pronounceable' and tolerated by sensitive skin. How could I possibly say no to a challenge like that?

It took me a bit longer than expected – almost a year to be exact.

The Heart Wrencher: A True Life Story

I get all kinds of wonderful communications from readers. Many of them are from people who will ask me about ingredients or general skin care input, or more serious skin and hair care challenges. Some are from folks wanting to sign up as testers, and a few are from bloggers looking to review my products.

Today's post is about a particularly heart-wrenching letter.

Beautiful Cuticles - Here's How

This is what every woman wants, isn't it? Effortlessly perfect nails with perfect cuticles.

Cuticles are a pain. Really. Untended cuticles mess up the neat 'edge' around the nails and just look, well, untended. And why do cuticles seem to constantly need tending?

We're going to take care of that right now!

The Case of the Mystery INCI Ingredients

This is about a glitch, and glitches do happen. I was all ready to yell at this cosmetics company for making up ingredient names and not listing their ingredients properly, but as it turned out, there was no need for yelling.

Quite the contrary.

I'm Glad You Asked

My customers (and readers) ask me all kinds of questions. About ingredients, how products work, what's safe and what to avoid, how to DIY, where to find certain ingredients. I get questions on just about everything skincare-and-cosmetics related. It's great!

I love it when people ask questions. Maybe too much at times.

Milk and Honey Mask with Pink Clay

There are numerous possible fresh food ingredients that can be combined with clay to make an effective, at-home-spa mask. Here's my latest fave, with an ingredients list that is short, sweet, and (almost) good enough to eat: Milk, honey, macadamia nut oil and clay.

Any questions before we get started?

Using Citrus Fruits to Fight Age Spots

In the comments of this blog post on the ongoing case study on skin lightening, I got an interesting question from Foster. She wanted to know more about how test person 'C' had been experimenting with citrus fruits as a 'kitchen remedy' skin lightener.

I asked, and here is the answer.

Colin's Cosmetic Consultancy

One of my absolute gurus – Mr. Beauty Scientist himself – has decided to start offering his services as a Cosmetics Consultant for companies, start-ups and anyone else looking for expert advice and guidance on creating and producing cosmetics.

Colin Sanders offers help with formulating, testing, production, packaging, understanding and complying with regulations, marketing and pretty much everything else you may need to develop and launch your own line of cosmetics.

I know it won't be more than a moment before he is booked solid, so if you want to get your foot in the door, hurry over to Colin's Cosmetic Consultancy right here.

The Ultimate Mascara Quest - Batch 2

Here's batch 2 of the quest for the ultimate mascara. Now we're getting somewhere!

Skin Lightening with Vitamins - a Case Study Continues

Two years ago, I did a skin-lightening product by special request that was documented on this blog as a case study. One of the testers was 'Tester C' (picture above is from 'during the first phase' of the study in 2011).

Projects under Development

There are so many products and projects under development right now that I haven't had time to update the Products under Development page (embarrassed much?). But hey, I've totally got my time managed.. kind of.

Rikkes Recipe and the Dislocated Decimal

Rikke is a modern lady. She works, has an active social life, keeps up her house and garden, creates fabulous crocheted works of art, minds a blog, raises kids, and makes her own cosmetics. It's an impressive list of activities.

With a schedule like that, I'd say it's ok to make a little mistake once in a while.

She made one with a recent batch of lotion. As it turned out, this particular mistake was so interesting that she decided to share it with me - in detail. With Rikkes permission, it is now being shared with you.

Why Yellow EyeShadow is a Must Have

I just got hold of the most outrageous canary yellow pigment that begged and pleaded with me to be turned into a pressed eyeshadow. How could I say no? Here's my 2013 Spring-themed eyeshadow color palette.

Yellow eyeshadow?

Spring Chicken Yellow?

Yellow makes (caucasian) skin look sallow! (I hear you thinking)

And I agree.

However.

Yellow can be a very useful color on skin, so there is a method (well, actually, 2 methods) to this yellow madness, and I'm going to share them with you.

Make-up - Storing Mixed Pigments

Let's make cosmetics! Except..... how inspiring is this? Really? Well, sorry, but that just doesn't cut it any more. After too many years of working 'blind', I decided tit was time to do something about this sorry situation and find a better solution for my mixed pigments.