Which botanicals should you start with for your bath products? Well that depends on your product line, scents, and desired benefits. If you need a starting point for including botanicals in your products, there are a few flowers and herbs that are versatile and well known for their qualities that are suggested for inclusion in your repertoire.Lavender Buds – This is a gentle flower packed with a lot of scent. It is very popular with bathers.
Rose Buds or Petals – This is another popular flower with a lovely scent enjoyed by many.
Calendula (Marigolds) – This is a gentle golden flower. It resists browning in cold-processed soaps.
Seeds – Select a seed of choice to use for exfoliating soaps and scrubs. These include poppy, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, apricot and more. These are too rough to use in facial products.
Oatmeal – This grain makes a great exfoliant and is used in many gentle products including facial care.
Chamomile – A gentle flower, also popular with bathers.
Orange Peel Powder – This is a gentle exfoliant, which can also add color to products. Its fresh scent is attractive to bathers, and it can be used in facial products.
Kelp Powder – Another great exfoliant packed full of minerals. It can be used in facial products.
The list can go on and on, but this is a good start. Since my own products are loaded with botanicals, I tend to stock many dried herbs and flowers, including bladderwrack, stinging nettle, mint and spearmint leaves, heather, jasmine, meadowsweet, green tea, and more. It’s fun to experiment, but only use botanicals that are safe for the skin.
Natural, handmade bath and body products
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