Soapy Hollow

Colorado legislation may derail small manufacturers

DeAnne — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:33:39 +0000

Recently a bill has been proposed in Colorado, the ‘Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act‘. Hearings on the bill begin in March. The bill would prohibit the sale of “…any personal care product that contains a chemical identified as causing cancer or reproductive toxicity.“ On the face of it, that sounds logical. I mean, who [...]

Creme to Powder eyeshadow formulation

DeAnne — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:21:52 +0000

Creme-to-Powder eyeshadow is a relative newcomer to the cosmetics market. It has the lasting power of previous generation’s creme shadows, but without the creasing and goopy feel. It’s a semi-solid shadow that can be applied using your finger or a foam applicator, but best results are achieved by using a brush. When [...]

More natural sanitizer formulas

DeAnne — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:28:11 +0000

Earlier I posted a formula for a quickie hand sanitizer, but a couple of folks have mentioned that they’re not too hip on the smell, or they would prefer a “spicier” or “fruity” note rather than a minty note. So, here’s a couple more formulas to keep you safe and sanitized during the cold and [...]

Risks from Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics

DeAnne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:00:23 +0000

The Cancer Prevention Coalition and Organic Consumers Association warn of major risks to health from the great majority of cosmetics and personal care products.

Cosmetic Ingredients S-Z

DeAnne — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:51:15 +0000

The final installment of a list and brief definition of commonly used ingredients in cosmetic formulations.

Ingredient listing

DeAnne — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:01:51 +0000

Sheesh, pulling all of this together has taking way longer, and taken up a whole lot more space than I’d anticipated. On the plus side…we’re almost through the list. Yay. Any updates will be on the Cosmetic Ingredient Page, rather than doing this list again. That said; if you have an ingredient that you’d like to [...]

Cosmetic Ingredients N-R

DeAnne — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:54:24 +0000

A continuation of a list and brief definition of commonly used ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Note: allergies may occur with the use of any chemical, essential oil, herb or spice. It is advisable to test a small area of the skin prior to using the product in the shower of bath. Many of these ingredients [...]

Cosmetics Ingredients I-M

DeAnne — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:03:29 +0000

Cosmetic Ingredients Consolidation

DeAnne — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:34:13 +0000

I’ve gotten a couple of requests, and just wanted to mention that I’ll be consolidating all of the cosmetic ingredients into one single page. Currently A-H is available at the Cosmetic Ingredients page, and I’ll be adding to it as I post more ingredients. Thanks to everyone who’s emailed or posted!

Cosmetic Ingredients F-H

DeAnne — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:25:34 +0000

Cosmetic Ingredients C thru E

DeAnne — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:58:15 +0000

Cosmetic Ingredients A thru B

DeAnne — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:51:55 +0000

A list and brief definition of commonly used ingredients in cosmetic formulations. Note: allergies may occur with the use of any chemical, essential oil, herb or spice. It is advisable to test a small area of the skin prior to using the product in the shower of bath. Many of these ingredients are [...]

Boys getting their glam on…

DeAnne — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:59:30 +0000

Boys Will Be Boys? – Cosmetics for men could be the next big trend. By Marshall Pearson – Assistant Editor – Happi Magazine Not long ago, the only men caught wearing eyeliner were a handful of rock stars and glam icons who used it to sell albums and promote a sexualized image. The rise of men’s cosmetics [...]

Organics gaining market share in EU

DeAnne — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:56:29 +0000

Sales of natural and organic cosmetics in Europe are continuing to grow despite the economic downturn, with revenues projected to increase 13% to €1.7bn this year, according to a new report by Organic Monitor. The 2009 edition of The European Natural Cosmetics Market has found that greater distribution and high consumer demand for ethical and natural [...]

Natural Preservatives

DeAnne — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:57:03 +0000

A preservative is essentially a chemical agent that will destroy or inhibit micro-organisms in finished formulations. There is ample scope for microbial contamination at the end user level. It is therefore important that the product be protected by a suitable preservative to ensure safety in use and adequate shelf life. Water activity and pH of the [...]

I are a winnah!

DeAnne — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:22:54 +0000

I submitted my “how to make bath bombs” to the Share Your Story contest on WhichBox.com…and I won! Yay! My prize, a new Wacom Bamboo just arrived. I plugged it in, and windows vista installed it without any issues. Igor is looking forward to playing with it. He says that since he had to [...]

Make your own sanitizer

DeAnne — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:38:09 +0000

With flu season coming, and H1N1 on the horizon, now is the time for hand washing and sanitizing. But sanitizers often leave your hands chapped and dry. Plus, they smell icky. But you can make your own, and modify the scent to please your own personal scent palate. This is an easy, non-emulsified sanitizer: Blend together: 2 cups [...]

Part IV Natural antibioticals

DeAnne — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:16:18 +0000

Neem oil and Neem leaf extract [INCI: Melia azadirachta] The neem tree is traditionally labelled The Village Pharmacy because of its multifaceted healing properties. These range from immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects to antimicrobial and pesticidal attributes. The leaves and seeds of neem yield limonoids with wide biological applications. These have antibacterial, antiviral, insect repellant, anti-protozoal and [...]

Part III Natural antimicrobials – Turmeric Oil

DeAnne — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:46:27 +0000

Turmeric oil [INCI: Curcuma longa] Turmeric oil is obtained by steam distillation or solvent extraction of the powdered rhizome of species of the genus Curcuma (family: Zingiberaceae). Of these species, Curcuma longa is the most well known. Curcuma longa yields 0.3-7.2% (usually 4-5%) of turmeric oil following steam distillation. The chief constituents of the essential [...]

Part II: A focus on natural antimicrobials

DeAnne — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:59:34 +0000

Kaempferia galanga [INCI: Kaempferia galanga root extract] Kaempferia is a genus in the Zingiberaceae family found in southern & southeastern Asia. These gingers grow from small globular rhizomes which grow fleshy roots. Most are low growing with colorfully marked foliage. Flowers either emerge in the spring just prior to the foliage or with the foliage [...]

A focus on natural antimicrobials

DeAnne — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 16:13:01 +0000

The need to control microbial activity is inherent in two major facets of personal care. The first area is that of antimicrobial care where the product helps to retard the growth of topical pathogens or eliminates them. The second is in the area of preservatives that retard the growth of microbes in product formulations. Recently there [...]

Call for Papers: Edited Volume on Neuroscience and Feminism

DeAnne — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:01:29 +0000

Call for Papers: With the recent advances in imaging and genetic technologies, the last decade has witnessed an explosion of work on human cognitive and affective functioning. Among some of the more publicized work is that on sex differences. Basing research on neuroscience lends studies particular credibility in the public mind, with the result that traditional [...]

Essential Oils for Summer Hair Repair

DeAnne — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:11:14 +0000

When one keeps an Igor, one will find that one spends an inordinate amount of time outside under the burning rays of the DayStar, and often submerged in water saturated with either salt or chlorine. None of these are terribly good for one’s hair. However, repairing the damage is pretty simple. Here’s the formula for the [...]

Cherry Cheesecake

DeAnne — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:26:35 +0000

The store had bing cherries on sale, and we brought a couple pounds home, only to find that they needed to be used asap. So…what better use for cherries than cheesecake! Everyone loves a good cheesecake. Heck, folks love a bad cheesecake, but a good one is even better. When making cheesecake, I use a [...]

Making yummy soft pretzels

DeAnne — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:57:33 +0000

Igor and I just finished making soft pretzels from a recipe that we adapted from Alton Brown. I only wish I could figure out how to make Vista work with my real camera, as this pocket camera doesn’t take great shots. But, the pretzels were fantastic, and the recipe was easy enough that Igor (who [...]

Testing eye gel formulation

DeAnne — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:34:43 +0000

Cecropia obtusa Bark Extract is known for its capacity to reduce cellulite, which also results from restricted blood flow and stagnation of lymphatic fluids (congestion of connective tissue and accumulation of toxins) and there are indications that it activates the lipolysis (elimination of fat). The theory behind formulations such as these is that eye bags [...]

New Page with How To instructions

DeAnne — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:56:13 +0000

I’ve put a permanent page, available at the top of the left navigation and the top of the page, that will list all the “How To” projects that I’m moving from instructables back to here. So far, the following How To projects are available: Bath and body projects: How to make bath bombs How to [...]

How to Make Bath Bombs (Instructable that was moved)

DeAnne — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:49:55 +0000

As I’ve noted before, Instructables has changed their business model, reducing access to content to non-paid visitors. Since all of my work was published under a Creative Commons non-commercial license, I’ve removed it from Instructables and am republishing it here, so the content stays free. Keeping in mind folks with data stream limits, I’ve used [...]

Instructables institutes a pay for content model

DeAnne — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:01:21 +0000

Because Instructables.com has newly decided to cripple the accounts of non-paying “Pro” members,I have pulled my instructables, and replaced them with a “of this I do not approve” notice. I published under a a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License, -, and I cannot allow my content to be co-opted and put behind [...]

crème de caviar pour le visage

DeAnne — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:23:32 +0000

Working on testing formulations with some new to the market biological actives. This one is a decadently rich night cream that contains Laboratoires Serobiologiques actives. Complex Caviar: extracted elements of fish roe and caviar combined with oligo-peptides from actin and fucus vesiculosus extract. Phytocoothetm: canola phytosterols with moisturizing and skin barrier strengthening effect. Arganyltm: flavonoids extracted from [...]