DIY Shower Steamers

Shower steamers / shower bombs are *AWESOME*! 😄 put them in the bath tub corner out of direct water, and when water splashes it fizzing starts and fragrance explodes- your shower turns into an aromatherapy spa!

I like to whip up some shower steamers with new fragrance oils I get so that I know how much I like the scent before I turn it into a soap/candle/perfume/etc. Here's some messy pics of my work station (lol) and how I keep my steamers organized in a cute basket on my bathroom toilet.

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My Recipe: 2 parts baking soda, 1 part citric acid, 1/4 part cornstarch, 1/4part kaolin clay, fragrance, pinch of crushed menthol crystals

(I make small batches so for me "part"= tbsp)

The cornstarch and kaolin clay help hold the scent and make the steamer last longer. I think they're important ingredients but I've seen other crafters skip using them 🤷

Directions: Mix everything but add the citric acid in very last, and then lightly spray witch hazel and squeeze with your hands trying to make clumps. Repeat spray-squeeze until you get it clumping. You want to use as little witch hazel as possible!! When it starts clumping you press the mixture into your molds. 

Use a hard plastic mold- ice cube trays work, I like little plastic clam shells (like packaging for wax melts, I ordered mine from Maple Street Candle Company), or plastic candy/soap molds. Don't use silicone molds they're too soft. You can use tin muffin pans but the steamers are harder to remove and might break. You can use bath bomb molds and presses, too.

Let's talk about menthol crystals~

Using menthol crystals will help clear your sinuses, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. I don't use menthol with any food/sweet scents.

Also, a little menthol goes a long way!! LOL 

If you're using peppermint essential oil then there's menthol already in there, don't add menthol.

Epsom salts are not menthol crystals. I've seen other crafters online use Epsom salts instead of menthol crystals... But I have never tried it.

Let's talk about fragrance~

Only use skin safe fragrance oil or essential oil.

 Don't use alcohol-based fragrances.

Vanilla fragrances can turn your product a brownish color- beware!

If the fragrance oil you use is colored then it will dye your steamers that color. Consider that when deciding if you want to add additional colors (sometimes mixing colors gets ugly).

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Let's talk colors~

Don't use too much dye pigment or it can 

stain your tub!

Beware: when you mix in color pigment the color won't show up immediately- after the shower steamer dries in the mold the color darkens. So don't worry while you're mixing ingredients! You don't have to overdo the color!

I mostly use TKB micas. I've also used eyeshadow as pigment (hey, it's skin safe! haha), but I have not tried using food coloring. Dye isn't necessary for a shower steamer, it's optional. Unless color "brings you joy" then it's a waste of money.

Problem: they blew up in the molds 😂

If your shower steamers look like fluffy clouds then you made them too wet and the citric acid activated (use less witch hazel next time). It's ok, try  to press them back down and let them harden.

You do not have to trash them, they're still usable!

 They just won't fizz when water hits them- so it will give off scent but there's no fizz to push the scent into the air (use your hands to wave the scent around). 

If you have a shelf in your shower put the steamer there instead of side of the tub.

(review) Wholesale Supplies Plus: fragrance oils, soap making supplies

I purchased some bulk supplies from WSP

--they're rolling thru sales constantly, if you want something and it's not on sale just wait a week and it might go on sale (especially soap bases!)

--don't be fooled by "free shipping", the cost is built into each product's price. And you still get a $5.95 handling charge regardless.

--shipping is so slow!! takes like 2-4 weeks before they physically ship your package

--beware that WSP is buying up smaller companies like Rustic Escentuals, Just Scent, and Element Bath and Body... so yeah...

Here's something you might not expect: when you buy bulk melt&pour soap base, WSP seriously puts a blue garbage bag inside a box and pours the soap in to weight. You get a block of soap in a bag. And to use it you have to chop off pieces. It's tedious.

Tip: after you chop off the soap you need for your project, store the soap block in an air tight bucket or in a vacuum sealed bag (I bought them in a set of 8 for $20 at Walmart). Soap can loose moisture over time- you can still use it tho, just add a little glycerin when melting it down.

There's lots of soap bases to try out on WSP. I've never liked one enough to use on its own, you always want to add a moisturizer! The goats milk is ok but the 3 butters is really drying. (I suspect WSP might delete bad reviews on their website- or soap seller are lying trying to sabotage other sellers lol because no way is this soap "amazing!" And "sells out immediately, no extra oils added!")

The crystal clear soap base is really clear but it hardens fast and is difficult to work with. 

Going to try the baby buttermilk next...

When you order under 24lbs of soap base, your order comes in 2lb blocks- in the shittiest plastic packaging ever! They always arrive broken. So be prepared with some sort of air-tight container to put them in immediately. ((So Frustrating!))

The fragrance oils are good. I've rarely been disappointed with the scent. My favorite scent is "Water Orchid". However, sometimes they leak in shipping, I hate that. And the labels wear off which is bullshit 😡

They sell other additives and stuff in bulk, too. Look at this HUGE jug of hemp oil I bought 😂  I also bought 50lbs of citric acid to make bathbombs and shower steamers. 

(you can buy baking soda cheaper at Costco or Walmart)

(review) Serious Skincare C Extreme Results

Serious Skincare is a brand sold on HSN. The "face"/mascot is Jennifer Flavin Stallone (Sylvester's wife) and she's obviously had a lot of plastic surgery... So why should we trust her? LMAO 😂 Hey, I gave this crap a chance, I blindly tested it, and NO! 

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

C Extreme Results is a 2-step exfoliating kit.

Step 1: C Resurface / vitamin c & bicarbonate 
Step 2: C Potion / vitamin c action gel

Step 1 is gently exfoliating, didn't hurt... leave it on 3 minutes and it gets a little irritating...

Step 2 "activates" and dissolves the Step 1- it makes the Step 1 foamy and hurts your face, by 1 minute it feels like you rubbed glass into your face.

After rinsing off my face feels like it's been pounded with a meat tenderizer. No good! 

NEVER USE SODIUM BICARBONATE (BAKING SODA) ON YOUR FACE!!
HOW did this crap get 4 stars on HSN.com?! I think they're deleting bad reviews!

(haul) The ORDINARY face products

[I will update this post with reviews as I use the products, stay tuned...]

Haul from Ordinaries.com: Hyaluronic Acid 2%, Vitamin C 23%, Azeliac Acid 10%, Caffeine 5%, Moisturizing Factors

Shipping: took almost 2 weeks from the day I paid until the day my package arrived

Customer service: email help was slow... responded back to me in a week...

Facebook&Instagram responded quickly but their responses directed me to email them for help lol

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5   ($6.80)

"This formula uses three forms of HA with varying molecular weights, as well as an HA crosspolymer, to offer multi-depth hydration and visible plumping without drawing water out of the skin solely to improve temporary surface hydration."
Apply a few drops before creams.

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%   ($5.80)
Water-free, silicon-free, stable suspension.
Apply at morning or bedtime. Expect a strong tingling sensation.
"L-Ascorbic Acid has been shown to reverse multiple signs of skin ageing while brightening the skin"
Review: does not absorb easily into my skin

Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%   ($7.90)
 "It brightens the skin tone while visibly improving the evenness of skin texture and reducing the look of blemishes."
REVIEW: apparently azelaic acid is really good for rosacea- and yes it's working for me! It decreased my inflammation and redness in one day. And I really loved how it dried to a silky, powdery finish on my skin. I read online: it reduces bacteria on the skin (this is how it's helping my rosacea), and works to keep pores open and unclogged (stopping acne), treats flakey skin (exfoliates), and reduces hyperpigmentation (skin brightening). I can vouch for it reducing bacteria+redness, but it did not clear out any blackheads from my nose. This product has dimethicone in it and I think that's contributing to the clogged pores (grrrr)...so I'm debating on repurchasing.

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG   ($6.70)
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) comes from green tea leaves- captures free radicals, detoxifies, prevents aging, reduces inflammation.
helps reduce looks of puffiness and of dark circles in the eye contour; may also reduce the appearance of cellulite
Will not reduce permanent puffiness caused from fat deposits.
Will not help with dark undereye circles caused by hollow sub-dermal tissue.
Apply morning and night.
REVIEW: I've been using this at night and my eyes have been looking damn good! Minimized bags. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA   ($5.80)

"It contains 11 amino acids, phospholipids, alpha/beta/gamma fatty acids, triglycerides, sterols and sterol esters, glycerin, ceramide precursors, urea, saccharides, sodium PCA and hyaluronic acid."
Apply after serums.
I Googled the ingredients to figure out which were the 11 amino acids and what they do:
Arginine- speeds healing of skin damage
Alanine- building block of protein
Aspartic Acid- involved in building skin cell DNA
Glycine- helps prevent muscle and tissue breakdown
Histidine- antioxidant
Isoleucine- helps heal and repair muscle tissue
Proline- improves appearance of fine lines
Phenylalanine- building block of protein
Serine- important in formation of cell membranes
Threonine- important in formation of collagen and elastin
Valine- important for muscular and tissue strength

Vitamin C + Shampoo = Remove Hair Dye ?

I've read online that using Vitamin C can strip dye out of your hair, a gentle bleach alternative... but is it true?

Background Info: I have dark blonde hair. I bleached streaks in the front, dyed them pink & blue 2 weeks ago.

(Dyes I used were Punky Colours "Flamingo Pink" and Special Effects "Electric Blue")

I know regular bleaching + blue dye = green hair so I'm looking for a different way to strip the color out.

People on the internet claim this Vitamin C method works... but SPOILER: I tried it, they're liars!!

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Method #1: (this is the "helpful hack" going around multiple websites... don't do this!)

 

crush up at least 15 vitamin c tablets, then add a squirt of shampoo and stir it up frothy

(I'm only using it on my streaks, if you're using it on your whole head use A LOT MORE Vitamin C)

lather the mixture into your hair and let sit 1-2hours before rinsing

(wear a shower cap because this gets drippy)

I did this to the dyed streaks in my hair TWICE! that's 4 hours total! and NOTHING changed!

Look at this AFTER pic of my hair, do you see how bright those colors still are? No difference!!

I can't believe I wasted 4 hours of my life doing this crap! *ugly cry*

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

  Method#2:  (aka "how to turn blue hair into a really pretty lavender/silver hair" unintentionally)

50/50 ratio of pure Vitamn C crystals + purple shampoo, let soak 1-2 hours

Bluebonnet Vitamin C crystals, about $10 from Whole Foods or Sprouts

(we're going balls-to-the-wall here! this is pure l-ascorbic acid, doesn't get any stronger than this)

Sally Beauty Supply: Generic Brand "Shimmer Lights" purple shampoo

(works as a toner so the blue hair doesn't turn green or aqua as it fades/strips out, that's ugly!)

I would call this a 25% success. The blue hair faded to a *lighter* pretty silver/lavender color now.

Not exactly what I wanted.... grrrrr.... but pretty enough to keep for a while, yay :-)

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*Final conclusions*: Vitamin C is NOT a great substitute for bleach!!

HEAVY concentrations of Vitamin C can only slightly fade dyed hair.

So don't waste your time or money on this failed life "hack". Use bleach & 20 vol developer instead.