CLEANLINESS MATTERS

Cleanliness is so important! I can't stress enough how important it is to make sure your equipment and workspace are clean and sanitized before starting to use the kits.

If you don’t, harmful germs, bacteria, mold and fungus could get into your products and cause serious infections. 

The simplest way to sanitize your workspace is to put some surgical spirit on a clean cloth and wipe down your kitchen counters. To sanitize bottles and jars, put some surgical spirit in a spray bottle and spray them inside and out. Pour the surgical spirit out and let them air-dry. Spray any utensils you’re going to use and let them air-dry. 

Last but not least, wash your hands thoroughly before you start and while making the kits.

DISTILLED WATER

It is important to use distilled water when making up the kits. Spring water and purified water are not the same as distilled water.

Some chemists stock distilled water or you can order it on Amazon. If you want to make your own, you can find instructions on the internet.

EQUIPMENT TIPS 

+ Mix your ingredients in glass or stainless steel containers.

+ Never use wood or plastic utensils as they can harbor bacteria. 

+ Hand-held mixers are useful for blending creams and conditioners. 

+ Good digital kitchen scales are helpful for measuring ingredients accurately (but are not essential). 

WORKING WITH HEAT

For some of the kits, ingredients should be heated to at least 71°C/160°F and must be handled with great care. Heating too much or too little could mean that emulsifiers don’t dissolve properly. It’s important to use a sugar thermometer to measure the temperature of the ingredients accurately.

Be very careful not to spill any oil when heating. Hot oil can cause severe burns and oil is flammable at high temperatures.

When making recipes that require ingredients to be heated, use heat-resistant containers such as glass beakers. They will not break or melt. Always handle hot beakers very carefully. When removing beakers from hot water, always use an oven glove or tongs so you don’t burn yourself. 

ESSENTIAL OILS DURING PREGNANCY

Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy. If you are pregnant and considering using essential oils, check with your doctor first to make sure they are safe.