Skin Care Saturday: Plant-Based Ingredients - Our Secret Weapons

Since my quest for natural products started almost 10 years ago, I have learned a lot about chemical nasties in skin and hair care products, but I have also learned a ton about great natural ingredients that benefit the skin in different ways. This week I want to talk about some of the reasons we use the ingredients we do for our products. We will mainly discuss our most common ingredients used in our various soap.


1. Avocado oil
This is admittedly one of my favorite oils to use hands down. It is very conditioning to the skin and makes for a cream lather, or a nice feeling in stay-on products like our upcoming hair oil.

2. Castor oil
While this oil is known as an old-school oil used in home remedies etc, it is often a base oil for many soaps because of it's conditioning qualities and it's ability to create bubbles and a creamy lather.

3. Coconut oil
Considered a wonder oil from cooking to oil pulling, this is another staple oil in many recipes because of it's cleaning properties once it goes through the soaponification process. This is why it is usually not used at 100% in soaps unless they are for cleaning. Babassu oil performs the same way and is a great alternative to those with coconut oil of sustainable palm oil allergies. I have used Babassu in my last two shampoo bar formulations, and might use add it as a staple ingredient in many future products.

4. Shea butter
Ever since the moment I used a shea body butter ten years ago, I have been a permanent convert ever since. A couple of months ago I wrote an entire post just about shea butter. I use it in most products, not just because it conditions the skin, but it also because it doesn't clog pores. For me shea butter is like a miracle ingredient. You can use it for just about everything and people even cook with it in Africa!

5. Olive oil
Not only is olive oil an incredible cooking staple, it is a luxurious soap oil. It is one of the most conditioning oils and it also adds hardness to the soap as well. It is one of the few oils that can be used a 100% in soap without being drying or having an adverse affect. It adds an incredible creamy lather as well.

6. Coconut milk
Next to avocado oil and shea butter, coconut milk is in my top three favorite products. Over several months last year I ran several experiments to test whether or not goat's or coconut milk is superior. Coconut milk won hands down, while goat's milk actually left my skin itchy! I was really surprised given all of the raving about goat's milk. This was one of the final straws that had us commit to plant-based products only: clearly coconut milk produced a creamier, more conditioning bar.

8. Cocoa butter
I love cocoa butter (though not as much as shea butter!), especially the chocolate-smell (who can resist that?!?). Cocoa butter is a natural way to add hardness to soap (make it last longer) and adds creaminess and conditioning. I use it in small doses, as it can be expensive; but even small amounts can make a huge difference in a bar.

9. Other Ingredients
In the past we have also used palm oil, which is great for cleansing and conditioning, but given the ongoing issues with it, we would only use sustainable palm oil in the future after our current supply is depleted. We have made a commitment to plant-based materials that are vegan friendly in the last few months as we have drawn our conclusions that plant-based products are superior to animal-based products.

Visit our store to find all of our products with the mentioned skin-loving ingredients. We just added a bunch of mini-soap bars and a couple of sampler sets so you can try out different bars.

         


Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The Body Buffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Foodie Recipe: Cauliflower Pizza Crust and Homemade Tomato Sauce

 

I have been wanting to make cauliflower pizza crust for as long as I could remember. The closest I ever got to making it was when I purchased cauliflower for faux tater tots, but even then I was too busy making soap and working two jobs to get around to that either. After making cashew cream last week, I think it gave me the needed confidence to make the cauliflower crust. I was inspired by this recipe. The only thing I tweaked initially was doubling the recipe. What I would tweak for the future is reducing the amount of water I used. The bake time was more like 45 minutes before getting a truly golden brown crust (but my crust was more than 1/4 inch thick). Also, I made two pizzas. My boyfriend's had real cheese and lots of it, and that seemed to work better in terms of holding the crust together and making it sturdy enough to pick up. So the key to a sturdier crust is using less water and lots of cheese. My instructions includes toppings prep and homemade tomato sauce. I know in reality most people don't have three hours or so to devote to prepping dinner, so feel free to buy store-bought sauce and precut veggies to cut the time.

Tools
Food processor
Pot
Cookie sheet (greased and/or with a silicone liner)
Blender (or simply used food processor)
Pan

Crust Ingredients: (prep 30 minutes, cook time up to 45 minutes)

1 Large head of Cauliflower

3/4 cup of almond flour

1 1/2 Tbsp Dried Oregano

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2-1/4 cup water (1/2 cup for thicker crust, 1/4 cup for thinner crust)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add chia seeds to water and put in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Chop up the cauliflower florets then run them in the food processor 2-5 minutes until grainy. Put the mixture in a bowl
4. Mix cauliflower with almond flour, dried oregano, and salt and pepper.
5. Add chia seed mixture to bowl and mix everything by hand. Form mixture into a ball and place in the center of a greased cookie sheet.
6. Use your hands to carefully flattened out into a circle, oval, or square. Add a little ridge around the edge if desired. Make into the thickness desired (if you used less water = thicker crust up to 1/4 in)
7. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown for thinner crust. Bake up to 45 minutes for a thicker crust.




   





Tomato Sauce: (prep time 5 minutes, cook times 10 minutes)

2-3 tomatoes (pureed in blender or food processor)
1/4 cup fresh oregano
2-6 cloves of fresh garlic
1/2 small onion
1 tb olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup+ of other pureed veggies if desired (I added broccoli and eggplant to maximize my veggies)

1. Put oregano, garlic, and onions in the food processor until minced.

Tomato sauce

2. Heat pan with olive oil and add oregano/garlic/onions mixture. Saute until translucent.
3. Carefully pour in tomato puree (and other pureed veggies if desired) and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low until sauce reduces at least by half (or until it thickens to desired consistency.
4. Add salt an pepper to taste.
5. Once the crust is done, spread layer of sauce onto crust.





Toppings (all thinly sliced in food processor; prep time 10 minutes, cook time up to 7 minutes)
1/2 cup of mushrooms
1 bell pepper
1/4 cup of red onions
1-2 oz vegan pepperoni
6-8 oz of vegan cheese (the more you use, the more it will stay together)

1. Turn on the oven's broiler.
2. After crust is completed, and tomato sauce is added, add a layer of cheese. Try to layer the cheese so that there are no gaps (the least amount of gaps results in a pizza that holds together better).
3. Layer the veggies and pepperoni, then top with more cheese.
4. Put pizza under the broiler 3-7 minutes until cheese is melted to your liking.
5. Cut and enjoy!











Please tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter if you make this recipe!


See our other recipes:

• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto
• Food recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde
• Food recipe: DIY vegan protein powder
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut
• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream Sauce

Visit our store for skin treats! 

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The Body Buffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Skin Care Saturday: Three Things You Need to Know About Essential Oils

What is all of the buzz over essential oils? What are they? Are the they harmful or beneficial? Over the last few months I feel like there has been a surge in people using essential oils and selling them. I have been using them personally for years, but now I am starting to use them more in products, not just for their smell, but also for their aroma therapy benefits. I realize that I have a wealth of information after years and years of research and thought I would share it for those of you who aren't familiar with them or perhaps even use them already and aren't aware of their effects. Do to FDA regulations here in the states, I cannot state that the oils have any therapeutic uses. You can do a simple search online to find out what oils are used for different reason. I can offer somethings you must be aware of when using essential oils. Here are three things you should know.

1. Essential oils are very concentrated.
It takes approximately 60,000 roses to create a single ounce of rose essential oil, hence why it is so expensive. Essential oils are the result of distilling flowers and plants into a concentrated oil form. Depending on the plant or flower, depends on how much is needed to create it. Essential oils like lemon and orange much more economical to extract oil from, hence lower price. But concentration is not contingent upon the price point. Essential oils are meant to be used sparingly, often only a few drops in products that will stay on the skin. Even then, because it is so concentrated, it can cause adverse reactions, which brings me to my second point.

2. Essential oils can be potent to pets, children, pregnant/nursing women, and create or impact health issues.
Depending on the type essential oil, use, even in low concentrations can have adverse effects and can even be fatal depending on age, pregnancy, and if you have health issues. For example, rosemary is forbidden from use for women who are pregnant, as it is said to cause contractions to the uterus, resulting in a terminated pregnancy. This is why it is critical to do research before using any essential oil and to adhere to the usage rates. If your essential oil does not have any recommended usage rates nor listed side effects, you should contact the manufacturer. Some oils are permitted for pets, children, etc, but those also have usage rates that must be followed. Some sources will say all essential oils are safe for everyone in low doses, but I personally wouldn't take that risk with myself or my loved ones.

3. Essential oils can be effective via inhalation or application.
Essential oils can be used as simple aroma therapy or in skin care products. The same rules apply in terms of safety and usage. Make sure your have the appropriate usage rates. A daycare center in Idaho learned the hard way. When applying essential oils to the skin, NEVER apply them directly to the skin. ALWAYS use a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil, etc. Also, when using essential oils on skin, make sure it is will NOT cause photo sensitivity if it is a stay-on product like lotion or body oil. Photo sensitive essential oils can exponentially increase your chances of burning.

Once you have done your research and have found out which essential oils are suitable for you and/or those in your household, you will probably fall in love with them. My favorites include lemongrass because I feel so uplifted after smelling it, and rosemary because it blends well with other scents and you only need a little to leave a big impact. Check out some of our products that use essential oils below.

Lemongrass Delight


Orange-Cranberry Sunshine

Autumn Sky


Mauve in Manayunk


Beer Shampoo Bar



Bees on Bainbridge



Key Lime Pie


Rose Clay Strawberries 'n Cream Facial Bar



Roses on Roosevelt



Dog Shampoo Bar





Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The Body Buffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pasta

For years I have been reading about how to make a cream sauce using cashews, but I just have never gotten around to trying it, mainly because I can make it using a plant-based milk with a little flour for thickening. Because my vegan friend was visiting me for dinner, I thought I would try a new recipe using cashews. True to my nature, I almost never follow a recipe exactly, so I adapted a recipe from Nadia the Good Food Cook. The results were impressive. I was able to achieve a very thick cream without needed flour or another thickener. And it was delicious (partly due to how much garlic I added). I loved it so much I had foodie day dreams about eating it right up to lunchtime today. Here is my not-so-precise recipe.

Tools

Food processor

Pot

Strainer

Knife

Cutting Board

Ingredients

Cream sauce:

8.5 oz can of cashews, soaked for at least 6 hours and drained (or boil 10-15 minutes)

4-10 cloves of garlic (10 cloves is really strong, so add however many to your preference)

1/2 Onion diced

1 tb Olive Oil

1/4 cup Soy Sauce or Teriyaki Sauce (I used Teriyaki and it didn't have a sweet taste)

1/4 cup Almond Milk (or any other plant-based milk)

2 tb lemon juice

3/4 water

1/4 cup of fresh basil

1/2 of fresh, minced spinach (optional)

Pasta & Mushrooms:

8-oz whole wheat pasta

Four cups of water with 1 tb Salt

1 tb of salt

1.5 pounds white button mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1/4 cup Soy Sauce or Teriyaki Sauce
Additional salt + pepper to taste

Soaked cashews.

Directions

Cream sauce:

1. Saute 1/4 onion with 2-4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic in the olive oil just until softened.

2. Put mixture into food processor along with drained cashews. Add remaining garlic, almond milk, lemon juice, water, basil, and spinach and blend until you have a thick, pourable sauce. Add more almond milk if necessary.

Pasta:
1. Put four cups of water into pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add salt and pasta and cook to desired firmness.
3. Save 1/2 water from the pot and drain the rest of the water from the pasta using the strainer.

Mushrooms:

1. Saute mushrooms in olive oil until they shrink and turn brown.

2. Add teriyaki sauce. Add cream sauce to mushrooms. Add 1/2 cup of water from pasta and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Pour sauce over cooked pasta. 

4. Enjoy!

Please let us know if you try this recipe. Tag us in pictures on social media.

See our other recipes:

• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto
• Food recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde
• Food recipe: DIY vegan protein powder
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of The Body Buffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Skin Care Saturday: How to Detox Your Hair

Since undergrad I have been passionate about natural hair care, but it wasn't until 2006 that I finally worked up the courage to grow out my hair for a couple of months before chopping all of the chemically frazzled hair from my head. My hair dresser didn't even want to do it. The thing about me is that I usually don't make quick decisions that effect my life in a major way at the drop of the hat. If I make a major decision, I have usually done my research, weighed my options, and mulled over the possibilities. Natural hair care was no different.

Although I had mentally prepared myself for the journey, I didn't realize how difficult it would be in terms of finding products that weren't laced in suffacants, sulfates, parabens, petroleum based products, and other chemicals I couldn't pronounce. That's where my soapmaking and skin products-making adventure began. It has taken years of research and experimenting to develop quality products that are effective to use on natural hair. Back then there were only forums available: very few blog posts and other resources that are now readily available. Now the plethora of information available can be overwhelming at times. I am still learning more and more about how chemicals effect every aspect of our lives, and I am still in the process of switching over all of my household and beauty products as I find ones that are effective and safe. Thankfully I have the ability to make them from scratch and now I am sharing them with the world.

Before you embark on any natural journey, it is really important to know what you are getting into. If you are thinking about natural hair care, here are some useful tips on getting started.

1. Be fully committed.
I don't just mean mentally, I also mean product-wise. You have to be ready to say good-bye to all of your chemically laced products, especially those with silicone. Commercial shampoos, conditioners, and other products are loaded with silicone to make your hair "feel" nice. What they are actually doing is loading up your hair as a chemical layer of protection so that if you try switching to anything else you will end up with a gunky hot mess. Check for silicone by looking for anything with "one" under the ingredients (also dimenthiconol is one of them). Which brings me to tip number two.

2. Go through a detox transitional period.
As with any detox, there is always a period of transition where things don't feel right. You will be frustrated, you will be pushed to your wits end but stick with it. A simple detox is avoiding all silicone, using dry shampoo, washing your hair less frequently, and using an apple cider vinegar rinses (2-4 tablespoons to 16 ounces of water) coupled with baking soda masks to get all of the gunk out of your hair (be sure to use gloves!). Never use the rinse solo over long periods of time, as it can dry out your hair.

3. Enjoy your fuller, healthier hair.
People who fully transition into natural hair care find amazing results using shampoo bars. Often times with shampoo bars your don't have to follow them with a conditioner, just a simple apple cider vinegar rinse that will help balance out your pH, as natural shampoo bars are a higher pH than commercial shampoo. Often times they wash their hair less often because there is little to no build up from the silicone and other chemicals. Most people who truly stick with it have amazing results.

We are here to support your through your journey from our shampoo bars to answering any questions you might have.

Below we have a list of available shampoo bars, that all come in sample sizes. Click on any of the links to read more about them. Also we have a dog shampoo bar and so far what I've found is that they don't need to do a "detox" at all!

Large Beer Shampoo Bar (average hair)
 

Sample Beer Shampoo Bar (average hair)


Large Silk Shampoo Bar (dry hair, cruelty-free)


Sample Silk Shampoo Bar (dry hair, cruelty-free)


Large Babassu & Argan Shampoo Bar (vegan, oily hair)


Sample Babassu & Argan Shampoo Bar (vegan, oily hair)


Dog Shampoo Bar (one size, vegan)




Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Which Oils Are Good For Your Skin Type?

When I heard that putting oil on your face would actually help even out oily skin I was baffled. I think all of us have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of when a product just sits there on your skin, instead of absorbing quickly. I even read and heard that people were using ONLY oil to wash their faces. I am not that brave just yet. BUT after hearing the oil-moisturizer idea it time and time again, I decided to try it myself. I have spent the past month using a mango butter mixture after I wash with one of the facial bars I make. I chose mango butter because I combination skin that is mostly oily but also has dry patches. Mango butter is considered non-comedogenic and a "dry oil," in order to maximize my experience and results.

Non-Comedogenic vs Comedogenic
What does non-comedogenic mean? (trust me I still have trouble even spelling it, let alone saying it. Non-comedogenic is a fancy way to say that it doesn't clog pores. Each liquid oil or body butter has a comedogenic attached to it ranging from zero (non-clogging) to 4 (clogging). For example, mango and shea, butters are rated a 0, but coconut oil is rated a 4. This means that if you already have oily skin you should stick to oils and butters that are very close to zero. If you have dry skin you might be able to use higher ranking oils without necessarily clogging your pores.

What is a dry oil?
A dry oil sounds like an oxymoron, but all it means is that it absorbs much faster into the skin, leaving behind a "dry" feeling versus a greasy one. For example shea butter is not considered a dry oil but mango butter is because mango butter absorbs much more quickly into the skin. You may still feel a little "oily" after using any oil, but using dry oils are supposed to feel much nicer.


Now, supposedly these rules don't really apply to soapmaking because of the composition of the oil changes during the soapmaking process. However in my personal testing, as a person with combination skin, I have found that following the non-comedogenic/comedogenic oil rates, really makes a difference on whether not a facial bar is successful for me. With a combination of my facial bars and the mango butter, I have had positive results. Most days my face doesn't get oily throughout the day. I also found that my face loves it better when I use the mango butter in the morning versus at night. I have read that others have found the opposite to be true. I think it's all about your preference and your own skin: after all, we may share similar skin types, but our results may be drastically different depending on a number of factors.

Will I continue to use mango butter on my face? I am a very tactile person so it is extremely important to be aware of how a product feels on my skin. Even though mango butter is a dry oil, I still don't like the initial feels of greasiness, even though it does it job throughout the course of the day. I will continue to use it until I successfully create a facial cream (see below to see me experimenting). I think I can get over the "ick" I feel until I create something better.

Have you tried the oil method? Check out our facial bars. We are currently working on one for dry skin. Drop us a line if you would like to find out more about which oils, butter, and facial bar will be best for you.



A List of Comedogenic Oil Values


Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.

Foodie Recipe: Vegan Pesto

I LOVE pesto. When I cut back on dairy, I still wanted a great taste without sacrificing the bite and creaminess in great pesto. It usually throw it together, so feel free to modify it to your own liking. You can store for a few days in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

-1 cup dry basil (very loose cup, not packed)

- 3-6 cloves of peeled garlic

- 1/8 tsp of pepper (freshly ground is the best!)

- 1/8 tsp of salt

- 1/4 cup of olive oil

- 1/4 cup of pine nuts (I recommend buying and build and freezing the rest)

• Food recipe: Homemade Salsa Verde
• Food recipe: DIY vegan protein powder
• Foodie Tip Cream of Coconut
• Foodie Recipe: Vegan Cream & Mushroom Pasta

Marquita Bell is soaper-in-chief and the owner of TheBodyBuffet where foodie meets beauty. Based out of Philadelphia, The Body Buffet aims to cultivate beauty inside and out from foodie adventures, self-care tips, and via handmade artisan soap, shampoo bars, facial bars, laundry soap and more. They use local ingredients when possible and have aimed to make conditioning skin-loving, hair-loving, clothes-loving soap since 2009.