(no subject)
Conditioner!
Conditioner, like lotion, is an emulsion -- it has both oil and water, along with an agent to mix them together. So my recipe goes:
Oil Phase: 1 tsp shea butter, 1/2 tsp jojoba oil. 1/8 tsp lecithin powder (the emulsifier) added after it's gone liquid.
Water Phase: 1/2 TBS aloe vera, 1/2 TBS water. 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in this.
I also added 1/8 tsp vitamin e oil and 1/8 tsp hydrolyzed wheat protein to it, and ten drops of lavender essential oil (mostly for smell). I added the vit e to the oil phase, but I think all three of those are supposed to added at the end.
I heated them in two Pyrex measuring cups as double boilers. Once they'd gotten to about 150*F (candy thermometer is handy) and I'd mixed in everything I was going to, I poured the water phase into the oil, and whisked furiously. It got yellowish and thicker and goopy-looking. Not all of the water went in to the emulsion, so obviously a 2:1 water:oil ratio is not right. Next time I think I will try 3:2. It is sort of thin, as conditioners go, and obviously has water banging around the bottom of the bottle, but came out quite well for my first-ever emulsion!
I am going to try this out in the shower today, and then make a larger batch with tinkerings based on how it seems to work out. Obviously there will be less water, but if it's too greasy, I'll cut down on the shea butter, or the vitamin e if it's that particular icky residue (the only one that stayed in the measuring cup after a rinse with hot soapy water...yuk). I had worked out my vit e, lecithin, and protein amounts based on a batch size about twice this, but then I looked at my four-ounce bottle and figured out just how much that would be, of an untested recipe, and made it smaller. So those will be adjusted accordingly.
I feel so crafty!
Edit: The silly stuff seems to be separating (grrrr) but it shakes back together. Must do more research.
Conditioner, like lotion, is an emulsion -- it has both oil and water, along with an agent to mix them together. So my recipe goes:
Oil Phase: 1 tsp shea butter, 1/2 tsp jojoba oil. 1/8 tsp lecithin powder (the emulsifier) added after it's gone liquid.
Water Phase: 1/2 TBS aloe vera, 1/2 TBS water. 1/2 tsp citric acid dissolved in this.
I also added 1/8 tsp vitamin e oil and 1/8 tsp hydrolyzed wheat protein to it, and ten drops of lavender essential oil (mostly for smell). I added the vit e to the oil phase, but I think all three of those are supposed to added at the end.
I heated them in two Pyrex measuring cups as double boilers. Once they'd gotten to about 150*F (candy thermometer is handy) and I'd mixed in everything I was going to, I poured the water phase into the oil, and whisked furiously. It got yellowish and thicker and goopy-looking. Not all of the water went in to the emulsion, so obviously a 2:1 water:oil ratio is not right. Next time I think I will try 3:2. It is sort of thin, as conditioners go, and obviously has water banging around the bottom of the bottle, but came out quite well for my first-ever emulsion!
I am going to try this out in the shower today, and then make a larger batch with tinkerings based on how it seems to work out. Obviously there will be less water, but if it's too greasy, I'll cut down on the shea butter, or the vitamin e if it's that particular icky residue (the only one that stayed in the measuring cup after a rinse with hot soapy water...yuk). I had worked out my vit e, lecithin, and protein amounts based on a batch size about twice this, but then I looked at my four-ounce bottle and figured out just how much that would be, of an untested recipe, and made it smaller. So those will be adjusted accordingly.
I feel so crafty!
Edit: The silly stuff seems to be separating (grrrr) but it shakes back together. Must do more research.