The Natural Beauty Workshop

Five Ways to Take Better Photos of Your Handmade Products

2013-05-14T14:58:43-04:00

A picture tells a thousand words, and according to great photographers, it can take thousands of clicks to land a good one. Whether you are snapping pictures to sell a product, share a tutorial, or simply show off your latest accomplishment, it's important to make sure the photo does its subject justice. Here are a handful of tips that we've picked up over the years here on The Natural Beauty Workshop.

Provide plenty of light. Quality light is absolutely essential to taking a good photograph. The best light is diffused natural sunlight. If a sunny window is unavailable, be sure to provide as much clear, artificial light as possible. If you can, try to use just one kind of bulb (incandescent, flourescent, or LED) to light the area. That will help keep the color being cast on your subject uniform and easier to balance.
Soft light is your friend. Direct light (whether it comes from a natural or artificial source) can cast harsh shadows and create washed out areas in your picture. It's important to diffuse light by placing something sheer between your subject and the light source. Try using sheer white fabric, tracing paper, or vellum to diffuse your light source. The right kind of shade can sometimes do this automatically. Think of your favorite room in the house on a perfect Spring morning. That's the beauty of diffused light!
Turn off your flash. Camera flashes cause harsh, direct light without any diffusion. Try turning off your flash, holding the camera extremely steady (a tripod would be ideal), and providing plenty of light from other sources instead. If you must use a flash, consider investing in a flash diffuser or a swoop. For more tips on diffusing your camera's flash, check out this blog post from Mary Makes Pretty.
Play with the light. Sometimes even the best quality light can leave shadows in places that take away from the beauty of your photograph. Try using a reflective surface, like a sheet of white paper or aluminum foil, to bounce and reflect the light surrounding your subject. By manipulating the available light, you can change the finished image dramatically.
Adjust your white balance. Almost all digital cameras come with an adjustable setting for something called "white balance". Often, this setting is accompanied by icons portraying different types of light, like lightbulbs, suns, and clouds. Different kinds of light can cast different colors on a photograph. Make sure to adjust the white balance setting to the kind of light your subject is in before taking your photos.

Here are some great examples of beautiful product photography from our Flickr Photo Group!

by The Soap Trail via Flickr

by Lawrence73 on Flickr

By Тонкая Материя via Flickr

by A Breath of French Air on Flickr

Ready to sell your handmade goodies? Check out our Artisan Directory on Beauty by the Batch! Our Artisan Directory connects makers of high quality handmade personal care products with new customers.

The Best Natural and Organic Ingredients for DIY Hair Care

2013-05-01T07:30:16-04:00

Vegetable Butters
These rich, creamy Butters can be used to moisturize and condition hair. They are especially effective when used in deep conditioning masks and treatments. Vegetable Butters are also great for soothing dry, itchy scalps. Vegetable Butters are great for use in cold processed shampoo bars too! Add one of these creamy butters to your shampoo formulations to provide extra conditioning properties.

Carrier Oils
There are a multitude of Carrier Oils that can be beneficial to hair care, but these are the cream of the crop. Carrier Oils can be used in their pure form as hair oil, or they can be worked into formulations such as pomades, conditioners, or even shampoos. Try blending several of your favorites together to create custom oil treatments, scalp massage blends, or hair serums.

Herbs
Dried Herbs can be infused into a variety of formulations to benefit the hair and scalp. To infuse, steep two tablespoons of Herbs in one cup of heated Carrier Oil or boiled water. Strain the solid ingredients from the liquids once they have cooled. The infused oil can be used in serums, balms, shampoos, or conditioners. Infused water can be blended with vinegar to make a cleansing rinse, or added to conditioners, soaps, or other water based recipes.

Other Ingredients
The following additives are great additions to your hair care formulations. Check each ingredient out to learn more about how they can be used in hair care.

Learn More
Want to learn more about making natural hair care products? Check out our previous blog post, Natural Hair Care, and take a look at our list of DIY recipes for natural hair care.

Purchase Ingredients
You can purchase all of the ingredients listed in this article online at www.FromNatureWithLove.com. Use discount code, NBWS4277 to save 7% off qualifying items in your online order!

Thai Bath Tea Recipe

2013-04-26T12:33:38-04:00

When salt, herbs, and delicate essential oils combine to conspire to infuse bath water with an amazing blend of scents and properties, you know you are experiencing a really great Bath Tea. Like any good tea, Bath Tea begins with a great collection of dried botanicals. Herbs, spice powders, dry flowers, and sea vegetables are all ideal ingredients for creating a special tea for the bath. Salt, Essential Oils, and other aromatics can be added as well, enhancing the benefit and allure of the recipe.

Our Thai Bath Tea recipe was inspired by the bright, fresh scent of crushed lemongrass, and the deep musky notes of jasmine. Spearmint, and Green Tea Powder help to amp up the green notes in the tea's aroma, while dense Kelp Powder, spicy Ginger Powder, and natural Sea Salt add circulatory benefits.

Thai Bath Tea
Makes enough to fill six Large Tea Bags

Ingredients

1/2 cup Sea Salt, Medium
1/16 ounce Jasmine Sambac Attar*
1/4 cup dried Lemongrass
1/4 cup dried Jasmine Flowers
1/4 cup dried Spearmint
1/8 cup Kelp Powder
1/8 cup Green Tea Powder
1/8 cup Ginger Powder

*Jasmine Fragrance Oil or Jasmine Absolute may be substituted for the Attar.

Directions

Combine the Sea Salt and Jasmine Motia Attar in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine, making sure that all of the Attar has absorbed into the salt.
Add the dried herbs, flowers, tea, and sea vegetables to the salt mixture and stir well.
Heat an iron to a medium/high setting. Fill each bag with about two tablespoons of the tea mixture.
Carefully press the tea bags closed, then seal them with the hot iron. The iron will need to be pressed onto the edge of the bag for 3 - 5 seconds in order to seal it completely. Allow the edges to cool before testing their adhesion.

Usage & Packaging

Our Heat Sealable Tea Bags are perfect for creating single portions of Bath Tea. Though their stark white appearance is decidedly minimalist in nature, they can easily be dressed up to make them more interesting. For example, we used a rubber stamp with non-toxic ink to embellish our tea bags with a sweet pair of swallows. Bath Teas should be stored in airtight containers when not in use. Our Small Cello Bags are perfect for packaging a batch of Bath Tea Bags. Try securing your packages of Bath Tea with ribbon or stuffing them in colorful paper envelopes.

To use, simply drop one tea bag in a warm bath. The ingredients inside will infuse with the hot bath water. To intensify the tea, steep the tea bag in two cups of boiled water for ten minutes. Add the infused water to the bath a few minutes before getting in. Be sure to test the water for safe temperature before getting in the bath.

Ingredients

You can purchase the ingredients for this recipe online at www.FromNatureWithLove.com. Use discount code, NBWS4277 to save 7% off qualifying items in your online order!

Featured Ingredients from our Spring Sale!

2013-04-17T10:29:00-04:00

Our Spring Sale features a large selection of ingredients, perfect for skin care, hair care, soap making, and massage! These items are on sale for a limited time only, so be sure to visit From Nature With Love soon to take advantage. Need some inspiration on what to buy, or what to make with all of these gorgeous ingredients? Don't sweat it. We've got you covered.

Save an extra 7% on qualifying non-sale items with discount code NBWS4277!

Jasmine Absolute (30% Off)
Jasmine Auriculatum Absolute has a beautiful, rich, floral aroma that is irresistible. Jasmine Absolute is used to treat depression, insomnia, nervous tension and infertility. Its aroma is soothing and calming and can bring about a restful state to those who are suffering from emotional trauma. Jasmine absolute is said to act as an aphrodisiac. Dilute Jasmine Auriculatum Absolute in jojoba and use the diluted blend to fragrance your most special and most sensual formulations.

Recipes Using Jasmine Absolute

Roman Chamomile, Rosemary Verbenone, and Clary Sage Hydrosols (Up to 60% Off)
Hydrosols are created during the steam distillation of essential oils. After the steaming process is over, the water that is left behind contains many beneficial properties of the plant. These waters also carry their own unique aroma, often very different from that of the essential oil, but still reminiscent of the plant that they both originated from. The aromas of hydrosols can be so different, in fact, that many people are completely caught off guard when they first encounter a hydrosol.

Recipes Using Hydrosols

Oatmeal, Rolled Coarse (25% Off)
Oatmeal has naturally occurring gluten in the form of avenin protein, not the gliadin protein contained in wheat gluten. The coarse grain of rolled oats makes it useful in soaps, scrubs, facials and cleansing grains. Combine rolled oats with other ingredients such as milk powder, powdered herbs, honey powder, ground nut meals and clays. Our coarse Oatmeal looks beautiful when added to clear or tinted soaps.

Recipes Using Oatmeal

Rose Attar (50% Off) & Rose Absolute (30% Off)
With our Rose Attar and Rose Absolute both on sale, it's the perfect time to whip up a batch of something decadent. The rich, delicate aroma of rose lends beauty to almost any formulation.

Recipes Using Rose:

Working With Recipes: Converting Parts or Percentages to Different Units of Measure

2013-04-03T10:48:00-04:00

Recipes come in a lot of different forms. Most of the time, recipes are listed with specific units of measure. For example, a lip balm recipe might call for the following ingredients:

3 ounce Shea Butter
3 ounce Sweet Almond Oil
3 ounce Beeswax
3/4 ounce Flavor Oil

Other times, recipes are given in ratios, listing each component as a part or a percentage. In that case, the lip balm recipe might look like this:

1 part Shea Butter
1 part Sweet Almond Oil
1 part Beeswax
.25 part Flavor Oil

Or, it could look like this:

31% Shea Butter
31% Sweet Almond Oil
31% Beeswax
7% Flavor Oil

The advantage of listing a recipe in parts or percentages is that it can be re-calculated to make any quantity you choose. The disadvantage is that you'll need to do a little math in order to convert the equation into a usable recipe. Here's how to do that.

Converting Parts to Percentages

Convert the recipe into equally sized whole parts. Determine the smallest increment in your recipe, then divide the other parts by that increment. For example, our recipe calls for 0.25 parts of Flavor Oil, so I need to divide each whole part in the recipe by 0.25. After that, my recipe would look like this: 4 parts Shea Butter, 4 parts Sweet Almond Butter, 4 parts Beeswax, 1 part Flavor Oil.
Convert the parts into fractions. Add the total number of parts in your recipe together. That number will be your denominator, the bottom number of each fraction. In our recipe, that number would be 13. The number of parts is each ingredient's numerator. Assign each ingredient it's numerator and denominator. After that, our recipe would look like this: 4/13 Shea Butter, 4/13 Sweet Almond Oil, 4/13 Beeswax, 1/13 Flavor Oil.
Convert the fractions into percentages. Next, you'll need to change those fractions into numbers that you can work with more easily. Here is a formula to help you do that. ( Divide the numerator of the fraction by the denominator (e.g. 4 ÷ 13=0.3076) Multiply by 100 (Move the decimal point two places to the right) (e.g. 0.3076*100 = 30.76) Round the answer to the desired precision. Follow the answer with the % sign (e.g. 31%) After that, our recipe will look like: 31% Shea Butter, 31% Sweet Almond Oil, 31% Beeswax, 7% Flavor Oil.

Converting Percentages to Different Units of Measure

Choose a unit of measure to work with. Metric units, such as grams or milliliters work best, as they are easier to do math with. You can always convert them back to English units at the end of the process. Visit our Conversions and Measurements Page for reference.
Decide the desired size of your batch. For this example, let's choose a ten ounce batch. That is equal to 283 grams.
Determine the percentage of each portion of the recipe. Here is a formula that will help you do that: Multiply the number by the percent (e.g. 283 * 31 = 8773) Divide the answer by 100 (Move decimal point two places to the left) (e.g. 8773/100 = 87.73) Round to the desired precision (e.g. 87.73 rounded to the nearest whole number = 88)
Finalize the recipe. In our example, we've determined that 88 grams equals 31%, and 21 grams equals 7% of a ten ounce batch of lip balm. Now our recipe will look like this: 88 grams Shea Butter, 88 grams Sweet Almond Oil, 88 grams Beeswax, 20 grams Flavor Oil.

Converting Existing Recipes Using This Technique
You can also use these equations to change the quantities of recipes that are already set up for a particular quantity. To do this, you'll first need to break down the recipe into equal parts, like you would with a recipe listed in parts. For example, we could take the lip balm recipe above, and convert it into grams. From there, we can break it down into a percentage and calculate a new quantity.

88 grams Shea Butter
88 grams Sweet Almond Oil
88 grams Beeswax
20 grams Flavor Oil

Convert the recipe into fractions. Just like before, we will add up the parts, and use that number as the denominator of each fraction. The number of parts specific to each ingredient will the the numerator on each fraction. In this recipe, that would be: 88/284 Shea Butter, 88/284 Sweet Almond Oil, 88/284 Beeswax, 20/284 Flavor Oil.
Convert the fractions into percentages. Next, you'll need to change those fractions into numbers that you can work with more easily. Here is a formula to help you do that. (Divide the numerator of the fraction by the denominator (e.g. 88 ÷ 284=0.3098) Multiply by 100 (Move the decimal point two places to the right) (e.g. 0.3098*100 = 30.98) Round the answer to the desired precision. Follow the answer with the % sign (e.g. 31%) After that, our recipe will look like: 31% Shea Butter, 31% Sweet Almond Oil, 31% Beeswax, 7% Flavor Oil.
Decide the desired size of your batch. For this example, let's choose a 16 ounce batch. That is equal to 454 grams.
Determine the percentage of each portion of the recipe. Here is a formula that will help you do that: Multiply the number by the percent (e.g. 454 * 31 = 14074) Divide the answer by 100 (Move decimal point two places to the left) (e.g. 14074/100 = 140.74) Round to the desired precision (e.g. 140.74 rounded to the nearest whole number = 141)
Finalize the recipe. In our example, we've determined that 141 grams equals 31%, and 32 grams equals 7% of a sixteen ounce batch of lip balm. Now our recipe will look like this: 141 grams Shea Butter, 141 grams Sweet Almond Oil, 141 grams Beeswax, 32 grams Flavor Oil.

Keep in mind that when you change the quantity of a recipe by a large proportion that it may not behave exactly the same. Tiny increments can add up, so while a ratio works in a tiny batch, it might fail in a large one. Convert with caution!