As you already know, I have 'made' items for many, many years. However, I have never made pampering products; soap, salt scrubs, handcream, face packs, foot creams, bath bombs etc. So when I saw that my local college, Beauchamp Community College, was offering a 3 lesson course at a super cheap price of only £13 (including materials) I jumped at the chance.
Monday, was the first session. Our Tutor Julie, seems to be a little like me, can do everything knit, sew, bake and make pamper products. There are five of us in the group. I was expecting many more, and we had to team up. My partner is Rachel http://rachel-honeypotcakes.blogspot.com/ supplies cakes to cafe's and deli's in and around Leicester. She works from home and it was great to be able to chat with her about baking.
Anyway, I digress, back to the course. Our first make was bath salts. So easy, just what it says on the jar, salt, bicarbonate of soda, epsom salts and a choice of lavender, camomile or summer berries to give it that additional aromatic essence.
I may have to update this recipe as the recipe booklet was still being printed:
Recipe:
5 teaspoons of rock salt/flakes (any type of salt will do but aesthetically a combination of rock & flakes looks best.
3 teaspoons of epsom salts (soothes aching muscles)
5 teaspoons of salt
5 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda (gives you the fizzzzzzzzzzzz in your water)
Mix well to combine ingredients
Add an aromatic of your choice (I choose Summer Berries)
Mix well to make sure the aromatic is mix throughout your salt mix.
Now for the difficult bit. You can use any old jars. Julie had bought some spare ones. We then painted the lids with acrylic paint, sprinkled a bit of glitter on the top, cut out a leaf label and attached with some ribbon, rafia or string. So simple yet so effective. These salts have a long shelf life so no problem with making them for a Christmas Gift.
Satisfactory points:
Easy to obtain ingredients
Simple to make
Salt is an antibacterial agent
Unsatisfactory points:
Not many people take a bath so who do you give it to?
As we had a little time left at the end of the evening, Julie gave us the opportunity for a bit of self pampering. We made a small quanity of handcream.
Recipe
1 small teaspoon of Aqueous cream (very cheap and available at most Chemists)
2 drops of an essential oil (we had a choice of lavender or jasmine)
Julie then demonstrated how to apply the handcream therapeutically via a handmassage. Then it was our turn to give a hand massage to each other. Very warming and it works. Lovely soft hands.
Satisfactory points:
Easily obtainable ingredients
Warming, relaxing hand massage
Unsatisfactory points:
Cream has to be made at point of use.
Overall, a good experience and a relaxing evening. Pity there weren't more people there.
Next week: Face Pack, Foot Balm.
