Lavender and Honey Soap

My newest tea purchase was pretty much the opposite of what the box promised.

boring, unfortunately

Lies

Not only did this stuff taste more like plain old boring hot water than honey lavender calmness, I managed to lose my fancy thermos on the day I took this to school. Losing a thermos and being sent to 4 different offices before you find the lost and found, only to find that they haven’t found your lost thing ≠ stress relief.

Still, honey lavender sounds like a pretty delicious combination. Not wanting my box of boring tea to go to waste, I used a a little to make some soap.

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Soothing and Healing Eczema Balm

Once upon a time, I was a very little girl with eczema. My mom took me to the doctor, who told her that she shouldn’t let me sleep with socks on. I now realize that the no sock rule was instituted because socks would make me too hot and I would sweat all the moisture out of my tiny, eczema-covered, raisin-y body. However at the time I was sure that sleeping with socks on would cause my toes to grow together and I’d be stuck with two flippers for feet.

I think I was about 9 when I finally realized that my fear of webbed toes was entirely unfounded.

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All this is to say: I’ve had eczema since I was a wee lass. It miraculously cleared up when I was about 17 and I had 7 glorious, eczema-free years before it came back with a vengeance when I moved to New York.

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Lavender Salve

Happy exam season, students of the parts of the world that still operate school according to an agrarian calendar! You know you what need? A little something to help you breathe. This salve does just that. It’s got lavender in it, which is nice and calming. And since it’s a salve, just the act of rubbing it into your skin can is like a tiny massage.

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Oatmeal and Lavender Soap

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5.5 oz coconut oil Coconut oil gives your soap moisture, big bubbles and a harder bar. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s or Costco, but it’s pretty trendy right now so you can find it just about anywhere.
8 oz olive oil Olive oil gives a dense creamy lather and a soft bar.
4 oz water Water is used to dissolve the lye. It will evaporate as the bar sets.
1.97 oz lye You already know what lye does, but you might not know where to buy it. Check the drain-unclogging chemicals sold at at Lowe’s or Home Depot. As long as it’s 100% sodium hydroxide, you’re good to go.
1/4 t honey Honey is a natural humectant and will keep your skin soft. It won’t dissolve into your soap, so don’t add too much or you’ll end up with honey bubbles and oozy soap.
5 drops lavender essential oil Lavender oil is calming and helps keep itching from dry skin at a minimum.
1 t shea butter Shea butter is incredibly moisturizing. If you don’t want to buy any, you can add a teaspoon of any oil or butter.
1 T oats Oatmeal soothes dry skin and scrubs off dead skin. Grind it up fine (I used my magic bullet because I’m fancy) so that it doesn’t clog your drain.