Category: Pagan Crafting

Light Herbal Moisturizer

This will tighten, nurture, and moisturize sensitive or oily skin.

1     cup milk

3     tablespoons lavender or violet flowers

Heat, but do not boil, the milk and lavender or violet flowers. Cover, remove from heat, and steep 30 minutes before straining. Apply lightly to sensitive skin.

Herbal Toner

Here’s a recipe for a simple toner to be used within 3 days

For sensitive and mature skin:

1/2     cup rose, lavender, or Calendula water infusion*

1         teaspoon vegetable glycerine

1/2     cup witch hazel

For oily skin:

1/2     cup sage leaves, or

1/2     cup lemon balm, lemon grass, and lemon verbena, or

1/2      cup rosemary

1           teaspoon vegetable glycerine

1/2       cup witch hazel

*For an infusion, steep 2 tablespoons fresh herb for a combination of herbs (to equal 2 tablespoons) in half a cup of boiled water in a covered glass or porcelain container for 10 minutes. Strain before using.

For sensitive and mature skin, combine rose water, lavender water, or Calendula water as an infusion with vegetable glycerin and witch hazel. Apply with a cotton ball. For oily skin, infuse any of the herbs in half a cup of boiled water for 10 minutes and strain. Add glycerine and witch hazel. Refrigerate after using. After the toner dries and sets, apply a moisturizing cream or lemon.

Sunshine Brew Glycerin Body Soap

4    cups melt and pour glycerin soap base

2    tablespoons sunshine brew

Ground sunshine brew herbs (dried)

Yellow soap dye (optional, but if you do not use dye for this recipe, your

soap will appear a faint, murky yellow-green)

Soap molds or square Pyrex dish

4    vitamin E gel capsules

Grind sunshine herbs into a finer mixture-especially the ginger, this should be powdered. Follow soap-melting instructions as given on the package. Once soap has melted, with ladle, transfer soap to your Pyrex measuring cup. (If you melted the soap in the cup in the microwave, transfer won’t be necessary.) Whisk in desired amount of color and scent by following instructions given with those products. Add the two tablespoons of sunshine brews, and whisk. Add desired amount of herbs. Some individuals like very few herbs in their soaps, where others like a more generous amount–just remember that herbals can clog your drain if they are too large or you use too much. Break vitamin E gel capsules and add the liquid to your soap mixture. Vitamin E will help to preserve the chamomile. Makes approximately ten 6-ounce soaps.

Body-Safe Dried Herbs for Soaps

There are a large number of body-safe dried herbs that you can include in your soaps, although some of them such as chamomile, sage, and teas, will blend over time. This doesn’t hurt the soap but may make your soaps unsightly. Adding 1/4 teaspoon of vitamin E to each pound of your soap mixture will help to retard this process by preserving the herb. Although some individuals add rose petals to their soaps, others don’t recommend it because rose petals have a tendency to turn black over time. Her’s a list of herbs you can include in your magickal soaps!

  • Allspice

  • Almond

  • Barley

  • Basil

  • Bergamot

  • Bladderwrack (sea kelp)

  • Brown sugar

  • Calendula (marigold)

  • Cardamom

  • Chamomile

  • Chocolate

  • Cinnamon (just a bit!)

  • Coffee

  • Coriander

  • Cornmeal (for garden and deep grime removal soaps)

  • Dill

  • Eucalyptus

  • Ginger

  • Ginseng

  • Green tea

  • Juniper berries

  • Lemongrass

  • Lemon peel

  • Lemon verbena

  • Lime peel

  • Mints

  • Neem

  • Nutmeg

  • Oatmeal

  • Oregano

  • Patchouli

  • Rose hips (purchase only those sold for health and beauty products)

  • Rosemary (finely ground)

  • Safflower

  • Sage

  • Thyme

  • Note: Take special care when making soaps for allergy-sensitive individuals. Ingredients like almonds, cinnamon, and honey may have adverse effects on some individuals.

 

Basic Melt-and-Pour Making Instruction

In soap making, timing is essential. If you whisk too long, then your soap will begin to get in the measuring cup to the point where you won’t be able to pour it. If this occurs, it must be re-melted before pouring. Re-melting soap with fragrance can destroy the integrity of the aroma. Expect to make a few mistakes when first learning to make your own soaps; however, you will quickly get the feel of this super-simple process! Goat’s milk, coconut and shea butter bases do not have good suspension and require that you whisk your formulas until they thicken but are still warm enough to pour.

Basic Melt-and-Pour Soap-Making Instructions

  • Heat your soap base as indicated by manufacturer. (Be careful not to overheat or you will destroy the integrity of the soap based.)

  • Add color per manufacturer’s instruction.

  • Add fragrance or essential oils per manufacturer’s instructions. Hint: For every pound of soap use three teaspoons of fragrance (this does not apply for essential oils).

  • Add herbs.

  • Add any other inclusions-water for handmilled, jojoba carrier or other oils; vitamin E (a preservative), etc.

  • Whisk mixture until it begins to thicken.

  • Pour into molds.

  • Spritz each soap while still warm with alcohol to remove bubbles.

  • Allow to cool completely in mold.

  • Remove from mold.

  • Air-dry (length of time depends on what type of base you are using). Glycerin can be packaged after one hour.

Witchy Soap Making

Making your own soap with empowered herbs can be an extremely rewarding and magickal experience. The recipes that follow rely on melt-and-pour soap bases that can be purchased at your local craft store or online. This type of easy carrier allows you to make lots of fragrant soap in a single afternoon and can be a great magickal project practice with a circle of friends or your children (as long as you monitor the hot soap and you do the pouring). When shopping for a glycerin soap base, look for formulas that permit good suspension of herbs, as most herbs will sink to the bottom of the mold unless the soap is poured just at the moment of setting (which can be tricky). Here are the general supplies you will need for all of the recipes.

  • Soap cauldron (can be purchased at local craft store) or microwave (if soap directions say you can use this)

  • Desired fragrance (sweet scents help to instill good feelings and harmony within the body)

  • Small plastic baggies or shrink-wrap system for packaging after soap has cooled

  • Sharp, smooth-blade knife (for cutting soap base into small, 1-inch blocks)

  • Pyrex measuring cup (4-cup size)Wire whisk (only to be used for soap)

  • Droppers (for adding scent and color)

  • Rubbing alcohol in spritzer bottle (removes bubbles from the poured soap)

  • Ladle (if using a soap cauldron)

  • Mortar and pestle or spice grinder

  • Soap molds ( you can also use silicone muffin molds)

  • X-Acto knife ( for trimming soaps if you over-poured the mold)

  • Wire curing rack ( for handmilled soaps)

 

Magick Stress Eraser Mix

Simple. It erases stress magickally. If stress is a challenge for you,  it might be a good idea good to keep a travel mister of this is your purse or  at your desk!

Ingredients:

Bach Rescue Remedy

Essential oil of lavender

Rose water in a mister

Put 4 drops of Rescue Remedy, 6 drops of lavender, and r drops of peppermint in the mister. Shake. Hold the bottle in both hands, and empower it with your intention to erase stress and create a peaceful uplifting and serene atmosphere

Visualize very bright white light filling the bottle.

Tranquil Home Sachet

Tranquil Home Sachet

This is a sachet to bring about peace in the home, it is an excellent one to give to anyone who has just moved house.

3 parts jasmine flowers

3 parts rose petal

3 parts rosemary

1 part lavender

1 part bay

The Real Witches’ Kitchen

Kate West

Herbal Moisturizer

Here is a handy-dandy moisturizer that you can make at home:

1     tablespoons herbal infusion (rose, lavender, marigold mint)

1     teaspoon honey

1     tablespoon vegetable glycerine or 2 tablespoons cocoa butter

A few drops essential oil (any kind), optional

To an herbal infusion, add honey and vegetable glycerin or cocoa butter. You can add a few drops of essential oil of your choice. Choose a herb that appeals to your senses and that you find pleasing.

Herbal Mask

Apply the following herbal mask and allow it to set for 10 minutes.

1     tablespoon comfrey leaves, chopped

1      tablespoon chamomile, chopped

1/2  cup boiled water

3     tablespoons yogurt or powdered oatmeal (grind in a blender or coffee grinder).

Infuse comfrey leaves and chamomile in boiled water. Cover and steep 10 minutes before straining. Add to yogurt  or oatmeal and apply liberally on your face and neck. Lie down and cover your eyes with a cotton ball dipped in the leftover infusion (put on relaxing, soft music as you wait for it to set). Rinse and apply an herbal toner.