Inexpensive DIY Bath Gels

Read article : Inexpensive DIY Bath Gels

Looking for Homemade Shower Gel Recipe

I do not like using soap when I shower and prefer to use bath and shower gel. I am constantly buying commercial bath gel and it gets very expensive. I am trying to save all the money that I can. Are there any recipes for bath gel that I could try?
Feff

Use Less Shower Gel

I have a foamer from Pampered Chef. It reduces the amount of bath gel that I use in half!
Alicia

Try Baby Shampoo Instead of Shower Gel

This isn't a homemade solution, but it may be just as cost-efficient. Generic baby shampoo makes a great, gentle bath/shower gel. You can often find store brands in a large bottle for well under $2 (making it 50 percent or less of the price of typical bath gels). Now, they even come in a shampoo plus conditioner formula, which gives your skin extra nourishing! Hard to beat. Enjoy!
LH

Young Women Under Shower photo from Shutterstock

Shaklee Product Works for Cleansing

I have used Basic H, which is a product by Shaklee. This is a liquid with perfect pH balance.

I had a very bad complexion in my younger days. I started using Basic H when I was about 22 years old. That was over 40 years ago! I keep a bottle (with a pump in it) on the shower shelf. One pump on my wet wash cloth is sufficient for my entire body. You feel so nice and clean with no soap scum to make you feel like your skin is drawing up! My complexion improved within three weeks and continued to improve throughout my life. People ask me all the time what the secret is to my nice complexion, as I don't have wrinkles either!

You can purchase this by the quart or gallon. I buy a gallon once a year and pour it into smaller containers for use. I also keep one pump bottle (an old Avon glass pump bottle that looks like a stalk of celery) at my kitchen sink. When I have loaded the dishwasher, I pump one squirt on my wet dishcloth and wipe up the stove, counter, and stainless steel sink. This is a smaller squirt than I use in the shower. It does such a good job that the sink rinses down and no droplets of water are left on it. They just slide down the drain. It appears like I have dried the sink with a towel!
Carol

Cheapest Shampoo is Great

For an inexpensive "bath gel", use the cheapest brand of shampoo on the shelf. Suave is usually the cheapest brand. You can add some cheap conditioner for added moisture or buy the 2-in-1 shampoo if it comes in a cheap brand. In some areas, dollar stores sell bath gels and shampoos too. You can also use shampoo as hand soap. Also, buying in bulk helps a lot. Shampoo is easy to find in bulk quantities, but be sure to compare prices carefully.
Sherry

Recipes for Homemade Shower Gel

Liquid shampoo and shower gel base provide the basis for the recipes that follow:

Base:

• 3/4 cup distilled water
• 1/4 cup shampoo concentrate
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (or substitute with 1/2 cup unscented shampoo and increase salt to 1 teaspoon)

Makes 8 ounces

Green Apple and Aloe Vera Shower Gel

This sudsy formula is ideal for total body cleansing and can also be used as a shampoo.

To your base add:

• 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
• 15 drops apple fragrance oil
• 1 drop green food coloring (optional)

Warm the water and pour into a ceramic bowl. Add the shampoo concentrate and stir until well mixed. Add the aloe vera gel, salt, apple oil, and coloring and stir until thick and well blended. Pour into a squeeze bottle and cap.

Georgia Peach Shower Gel

This is a skin-nourishing formula enriched with Vitamin E and essential apricot oil.

To your base add:

• 1 tablespoon apricot kernel oil
• 15 drops peach fragrance oil
• 5 drops Vitamin E oil (can use 2 capsules)
• 1 drop orange food coloring (optional)

Warm the water and pour into a ceramic bowl. Add the shampoo concentrate, stirring until well blended. Add the apricot kernel oil, salt, peach oil, Vitamin E oil (be sure to open capsules if used), and coloring then stir until well blended and thick.

English Lavender and Cream Shower Gel

This is a nourishing formula that cleanses gently, giving the skin the benefits of milk, an old-fashioned treatment for the complexion.

To your base add:

• 2 tablespoons powdered milk
• 10 drops lavender oil
• 1 drop violet food coloring (optional)

Warm the water and pour into a ceramic bowl. Stir in the powdered milk. Add the shampoo concentrate stirring until well blended and thick. Add the salt, lavender oil, and food coloring and stir until well mixed. I hope this will be of use to you. From what I have read on the subject, I am sure you can substitute any fragrance oil to suit your personal likes.
Willow

Check sale prices for Essential Oils on Amazon.

Homemade Shower Gel from Soap

I make our own version of the bath soaps that are available for a fraction of the cost. I have experimented with many different soap types and found the best success with quality soaps that have no deodorant claims. Our favorite is made with Dove Nutrium, but I've had good luck with Caress, Dove (regular), Camay, and Oil of Olay. If you use something with a deodorant property to it, it will likely "gel up" and not be the consistency you want for using with a shower "pouf".

You will need two bars of soap, coarsely chopped. Bring three cups of water to a boil (I use the teakettle), and combine the soap bits and the water. Stir until you see no more lumps and let the concoction cool. It will thicken as it cools, and you'll have a good portion of liquid soap similar to what you can buy in the store. I store it in sandwich baggies, which are tied off at the top. We refill our shower soap dispenser easily by snipping off the corner of the baggie and squirt the soap into the dispenser. While we may pay $7 for eight bars of soap, the end product lasts us well over a year, and we were spending much more than that buying the ready-made stuff.
Sue

Information on Homemade Shower Gel

I could write reams of information on this topic. The main thing that I want to point out is a potential concern about using commercial products to make a traditional soap gel. Some recipes go somewhat like this: grate one bar of soap and dissolve in 3 cups of boiling water.

The main problem that you may have with many this type of recipe is the fact that most soap bars out there are a combination of soap and synthetic detergents. These can react differently when dissolved, and their pH level can be quite low, which would allow bacteria to possibly grow when water is introduced into the mix.

Homemade soap has quite a high pH level and does not encourage bacterial growth. If you take the time to learn how to make soap and know which oils work the best for your skin, I'm sure that your own homemade bar soap will greatly surpass any shower gel/shampoo combination that you can buy on the market.

There are many soap making sites available, and most soap making supplier sites have great recipes, tips, and suggestions. There are also scads of emailing lists where you can "meet" other people who make soap. It is always fun to see what others are doing. A site that I would suggest is Majestic Mountain Sage (MMSage).

If you decide to try your hand at soap making, invest in a good digital scale such as a postal scale that measures down to 1/10th of an ounce. You should be able to find one at a business supply place like Staples for under $30. It will be the best investment that you can make. Great soap can be made using grocery store materials, so don't feel that you have to jump in and buy large amounts of specialty oils at the start. Once you make your own soap, there will be no going back. You may even like your own bar soap better than those bath gels you buy. I know that I can make a very special homemade bar of soap that is very conditioning for under $1 for a 3-ounce bar. Happy soap researching!
Shelley

Reviewed August 2017

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The Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel Review

Read article : The Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel Review

Ola Bonita Chica’s!

I’ve got another special treat for you keeping in mind my travelling theme that I’m focussing on right now. Travelling can get so exhausting and you need something to keep yourself refreshed and give yourself a burst of energy. Now, I’m sorry I give so much away in the start of my reviews regarding if a product is good or bad, but I just get excited if something works for me- I just want to spill all the good stuff! Or vice versa if something is so crap, I just want to warn you straightaway. So this Body Shop Bath and Shower Gel works and has been wonderful, I request you to read on to find out why!

Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel" width="467" height="700" />

Product Description

My travel friendly version of The Body Shop’s Vanilla Bath and Shower gel comes in a clear plastic container. The colour of the shower gel is not the most girly or inviting but it is so much better than it looks! The flip top lid secures quite nicely and this will not spill in your suitcase or bag. But if you want to carry this with you in your hand luggage anywhere in the world then you absolutely can, because of its handy dandy size! And because it is transparent you know how much you have left before it runs out! These bottles can also be cleaned and re-purposed.

Product Claims:

This soap-free bath and shower gel has a deliciously sweet vanilla fragrance.  Lather rich, sweet vanilla scent.

Ingredients:

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Price: INR 225 for 60 ml of product.

My Experience With The Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel:

This is possibly the one product where I have studied the ingredients in super detail! I’ve become used to being disappointed when a wonderful beauty product has many harmful ingredients, and this is exactly one of those. But let me not be a party pooper and start with the good stuff instead. So as I mentioned, the colour of this shower gel does not remind me of vanilla in any way but it gets this colour due to the caramel added in it as a colour agent. This does not add to the scent of the body wash in any way though. I love that this is a soap free formulation so it does not dry my skin out at all. In fact it is rather hydrating! It does lather very nicely, more so if used with a Loofah. You only need very little to use for a shower or bath, which is why I really like this particular shower gel when I travel because I can get so much use out of a smaller sized piece.

The fragrance of this is beautiful, one of the best Body Shop fragrances so far and I’m on first name basis with the Body Shop’s sales people’s children so trust me! I’ve tried so many of their shower gels! The smell of this is warm, comforting, sweet and very vanilla-ey, there’s nothing artificial or fake about it. It is just heavenly and it is one of those rare shower gels where the scent lasts you for a few hours even after you shower. These perfume laden formulations can sometimes cause me trouble but this formulation has not irritated my dry sensitive skin in any way.

The lather as well, is luxurious and rich and the important thing is that this shower gel cleanses very nicely after a long trip, getting all the grime and dirt off you. Plus the fragrance is bound to relax! It’s not nauseatingly vanilla and leaves your skin soft afterwards. The bad thing about this and all body shop shower gels is the hard plastic packaging which is difficult to squeeze once these bottles are half way used. You just have to turn them upside down and wait for gravity to do its job and then squeeze to get the product out.

Not to burst your bubble now, but unfortunately let us get to the serious cons of this product. It contains sulphates and parabens in its formulation. But this is a rare product as I’ve seen many parabens in it. Ethyl, Methyl, Isobutyl, Butyl and Propylparaben. You name it, it’s got it. This is really sad because it is a fantastic product otherwise! I mean it even has sunscreen in it and that is pretty cool because I have never come across a shower gel with such qualities.

Pros of The Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel:

• Leak proof packaging.
• Can be carried in hand luggage.
• Soap free.
• Lathers very luxuriously.
• Beautiful fragrance.

Cons of The Body Shop Vanilla Bath and Shower Gel:

• Contains too many parabens.
• Contains sulphates.
• Difficult to squeeze the product out once this is used up half the way.

Would I Repurchase Or Recommend The The Body Shop Vanilla Bath And Shower Gel?

How could I possibly recommend something with so many parabens in it?
My conscience would never allow it! Sadly, I will probably be throwing this out even though I have only used it three times. I should have checked the ingredients before buying it. It has too many parabens which, for a shop like The Body Shop is strange because you expect everything in there to be natural and free of harsh chemicals.

IMBB Rating
1/5 solely due to the parabens in this formulation, otherwise it really deserves a 5/5 for how good it is!

Image Source: 1, 2.

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Kids Bathroom Ideas: 12 Fun Bathroom Accessories to 3D Print

Read article : Kids Bathroom Ideas: 12 Fun Bathroom Accessories to 3D Print

With kids, bath time is always fun time. This collection of funny 3D printed bathroom accessories, toys and utensils makes it even more enjoyable. 

This list of 3D printed bathroom accessories has sole purpose: to entertain your kids. Especially at young ages, the bathroom is a fun and adventure place – so why not spice it up a little bit with some cool 3D printed gadgets?

But what if you don’t own a 3D printer? You can always have these printed by a professional 3D printing service for a reasonable fee. If you’d like to find the best available price, consider All3DP’s free price comparison service.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #1: The EleFun Cup

The elephant goes toot toothpaste! (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A 3D printed low poly cup with big ears and a looong nose.

How do I use it? Actually, you won’t use it as your kids will be occupying this play cup.

What’s the fun factor? 8/10. Oh, the simple pleasures of pouring water in an elephant cup and letting it pour down through its nose.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #2: Fishy Fish Cork Pal

Is a fish that can not dive broken? (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A floating playing pal for bathtub sessions with your children.

How do I use it? Put a used cork between the two 3D printed fish parts and glue it together (Make sure not to use glue that is water-soluable though).

What’s the fun factor? 9/10. It’s a nice activity to build this cute little play fish and also a good lesson on recycling. Also, the fish floats so you don’t always have to look for it underwater.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #3: The T-Rex Shower Head

Dinosaurs DO like showers as long as it’s not meteors raining down. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A 3D printed T-Rex head that will spit water upon you in the shower as long as you want.

How do I use it? Screw off your old showerhead, screw on this new showerhead, there you go.

What’s the fun factor? 8/10. Rexie here is going to be there every time you’ll take a shower. And he’ll be glad to provide you with water, warm or cold. No need to buy that fancy waterfall-rainforest-showerhead your wife liked so much. The kids (especially boys) will clearly be on your side. Beware: The print isn’t for beginners.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #4: Full T-Rex Bathroom Set

Enough items for a full Dinosaur-themed bathroom. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A bathroom accessory set consisting of toilet paper holder, toothbrush holder, soap dish and a towel hook.

How do I use it? A lot of big things to 3D print, but that’s about it. Don’t forget to get screws for wall mounting and a pencil for mounting the toilet paper holder.

What’s the fun factor? 8/10. Want to visit Rexie? He’s everywhere. The whole bathroom is slowly turning into a Jurassic World.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #5: Paste Pusher Animals

Nom nom nom… (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A set of 3 different toothpaste (or lotion) pushers.

How do I use it? Feed the end of the tube into the animal’s mouth and pull it through.

What’s the fun factor? 7/10. A cow, a pig and a bull get into a bar throom. They all make funny faces and have a great time eating tubes with various contents.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #6: Modular Fish Bone Wall Hanger

Doesn’t look fishy at all. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A kids-themed towel and bathroom wall hanger.

How do I use it? Print out the parts, put in a few screws and hang it on the wall. You can vary the length depending on how many items you need to hang.

What’s the fun factor? 6/10. Any maritime-themed bathroom will get more enjoyable for your kids with this.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #7: The Big Tooth

White, strong and flawless like healthy teeth should be. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? A toothbrush stand shaped like a big tooth.

How do I use it? Put up to four toothbrushes into it.

What’s the fun factor? 6/10. Tell your kids their teeth need to look shiny and white like this. Only without the holes on the top. Demonstrate how to brush one’s teeth on it. Okay, not really funny at all. Give it a name and make it say funny things maybe?

Download? Free on MyMiniFactory.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #8: Minion Toothpaste Pusher

Think “Nom Nom” in the Minions’ “Bananaaaa”-voice. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? Another toothpaste pusher, this time Minion-themed.

How do I use it?Let Bob do the work of pushing the rest of the toothpaste out.

What’s the fun factor? 7/10. Minions are always a good laugh amongst kids and grown-ups. Why not get one into the bathroom?

Download? Free on Pinshape.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #9: Robot Toilet Paper Holder

Doesn’t he look helpful? (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? He’s built to serve: A robot head toilet paper holder.

How do I use it?Get the 3D printed parts together and insert a fresh roll of toilet paper.

What’s the fun factor? 6/10. From now on, the toilet paper is dispensed through a friendly robot’s mouth.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #10: Removable Faucet Waterslide

It’s funny no one thought of this before. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? An extension for your water faucet so short arms with little hands don’t have a hard time washing them.

How do I use it?Clip it on the end of the water tap and turn on the water like usual.

What’s the fun factor? 8/10. No more awkwardly holding kids over the faucet (which isn’t so nice for your back anyway). And it adds a waterslide!

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #11: A Drinking Fountain Conversion

In most countries, tap water is okay for drinking. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? An extension for your water faucet so it can be used as a drinking faucet.

How do I use it?Clip it on the water tap and turn on the water like usual.

What’s the fun factor? 9/10. Drinking from a fountain is better than plain water from a glass in some ways only young minds understand. Oh, and you can mess around with the water fountain of course.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

Bathroom Accessories for Kids to 3D Print #12: A Toilet Paper Embosser

“No job is completed until the paperwork is done.” And this is the kid-friendly version. (source: Thingiverse)

What is it? Some sort of embossing press for toilet paper.

How do I use it?Wind toilet paper through it, press firmly and admire the print. Can be also be done with any kind of paper.

What’s the fun factor? 9/10. Although it may seem awkward at first, after installing this you probably will have to tell your children not to unwind the whole roll of toilet paper. If it helps, there are other embossing tools with more friendly designs that don’t wind the paper.

Download? Free on Thingiverse.

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Did we miss any cool 3D printed bathroom accessories for kids? Please feel free to add a comment!

Bathroom products – bubbling over

Read article : Bathroom products – bubbling over

10-Feb-2011

The bath and shower products market increased nearly 6% between 2008 and 2009 and manufacturers have tried to maintain this momentum throughout the past year with a diversified offering, reports Julia Wray

The bath and shower products market increased nearly 6% between 2008 and 2009 and manufacturers have tried to maintain this momentum throughout the past year with a diversified offering, reports Julia Wray

Whenever consumers are forced to slash their beauty budgets they are far more likely to opt for a cheaper shower gel than switch their foundation or anti-ageing cream. But despite this danger in the face of continued economic instability, the global bath and shower products market enjoyed another year of steady growth to reach over $31bn in 2009, according to data from Euromonitor International.

“The global bath and shower industry has fared well in recent times, putting in a respectable 6% growth from 2008-9,” comments Euromonitor’s industry analyst, beauty & personal care, Carrie Lennard. “This growth rate was the same as the previous year despite the commodity status of bath and shower, meaning that the threat of trade down to cheaper brands and private label was greater than for most beauty and personal care categories.”

“Bathroom products are usually split into two sections – basic essentials and pampering, or special, products. The basics are everyday requirements at affordable prices – cheap and cheerful to get the job done,” adds Herbie Dayal, ceo of KMI Brands. “The trend is definitely to more luxurious products, with consumers demanding better fragrances, richer formulations, more exotic ingredients and more effective products.”

Bath & shower	31079.2	5.9
Bar soap	12412.2	8.5
Bath additives	3285.3	-2.3
Body wash/shower gel	9172.6	3.1
Intimate hygiene	1493.9	8.4
Liquid soap	3441.6	12.9
Talcum powder	1273.6	3.5

In terms of retail value growth was driven by increased sales in emerging regions such as Latin America (+20.1%) and the Middle East and Africa (+15.1%). More established markets experienced less dramatic expansion. “Western Europe saw just 2% value growth in 2008-9 as bath and shower is a very mature category,” says Lennard. “Growth in body wash and shower gel is expected to be slower than for other regions because household penetration is already high, leaving fewer users to convert from bar soap.”

World	31079.2	5.9
Asia Pacific	8469.3	4.8
Australasia	348.4	6.0
Eastern Europe	2115.9	2.8
Latin America	4438.6	20.1
Middle East & Africa	1770.5	15.1
North America	6030.1	2.5
Western Europe	7906.4	1.8

Standing out

As is often the case with commodity sectors, bath and shower product manufacturers sought to boost their brands’ profiles through a variety of initiatives. Radox ran a competition challenging customers to name its new Radox Shower Smoothie – due out in March.

Meanwhile Original Source (PZ Cussons) sponsored annual UK-based bike challenge Mountain Mayhem; the rationale being that after a muddy day’s mountain biking, participants can clean up with Original Source shower gels.

Other brands put the weight of their name behind CSR projects. Soap & Glory, for example, aimed to educate consumers about the issue of water shortage by encouraging them to take part in a 2-minute Rinse project.

“The earth’s biggest problem will soon stem from a shortage of water,” Victoria Montrasio, Soap & Glory’s global sales & marketing director explains. “Anyone who is able to reach out to a number of people has a responsibility to try to make a difference – I think a lot of companies are doing a great job educating consumers and giving back.” And although Montrasio notes that the success of such campaigns is “hard to judge quantitatively” she describes consumer response to the 2-minute Rinse as “amazing” and says it will definitely be repeated in 2011.

“Many new product launches now carry some type of environmental claim, although it need not always relate to the ingredients,” says Lennard. “Jo Malone’s range of bath products for French Connection, launched in November 2010 (although actually formulated by Malone 15 years ago), features the organic additive Eco Pure in its plastic packaging, which reportedly allows plastic to be fully biodegradable to water and carbon dioxide within a few years.

“And a new line of bath and shower products is set to launch this year called Stop the Water While Using Me (www.stop-the-water-while-using-me.com). Its environmental credentials are that the products are made using natural ingredients, have biodegradable packaging, and are sustainably manufactured. The product’s USP however is that it reminds people to turn off the tap when using the product, in order to help the environment.”

Sustainability was also on the agenda for Trevarno Organic Skincare, which launched a collection of palm oil-free soaps.

“The ever increasing global demand for palm oil means that even ‘sustainable’ producers can be contributing to devastating environmental damage in the continuing expansion of this industry,” explains Trevarno’s manager Richard Cox. “As palm plantations encroach further on forests and peat land this in turn is causing destruction of communities, biodiversity and contributing to climate change. We felt the only solution was to remove palm oil to help lessen the demand for this ingredient.”

Available in Nourish and Revitalise, Soothe and Calm, Cleanse and Protect, and Indulge and Relax categories, the soaps contain a blend of natural butters and oils as an alternative to palm oil.

Dove	Unilever Group
Lux	Unilever Group
Palmolive	Colgate-Palmolive Co
Nivea	Beiersdorf AG
Safeguard	Procter & Gamble Co

Dermatology crossover

Efforts by manufacturers to rise above the competition in a crowded marketplace has led to increased segmentation in bath and shower.

“In all beauty markets there is greater segmentation with more brands addressing different needs – high fragrance, naturals, seasonals, stress, spa and so on,” notes Dayal. “This is very marked in washing and bathing but also true in skin care, hair care and other categories. It implies that there is a steady stream of new products being marketed and innovation is what drives trial and continued growth in our business.”

Recently, such innovation has come in the form of bath and shower products claiming effects more usually associated with skin care.

“A significant number of bath and shower products launched by brands like Dove now make claims such as having intense moisturising or dermatological properties,” says Lennard. “It appears that dermatological bath and shower products may now be moving into the mainstream. Unilever’s Dove VisibleCare line of body washes, for example, claims to visibly improve the condition of the skin within three weeks.”

Indeed, Dove VisibleCare Crème Body Wash products contain a trademarked ingredient, NutriumMoisture, said to address lipid and protein damage. Also addressing moisture deficiency, Johnson & Johnson’s new 24hour Moisture Shea & Cocoa line includes two body washes – an exfoliating one and a radiance version.

For sensitive skins, Imperial Leather (PZ Cussons) introduced SkinKind – a range of hypoallergenic shower products, while Sanex launched Sanex Dermo Hypo Allergenic Bath and Shower Gels.

At the premium end of the market, Elemis (Steiner Leisure) introduced Elemis Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, which contains milk protein to help create an environment to correct skin microflora and regulate skin’s moisture content.

Launched in September 2010, Connock London’s range of bath and body products (including Comforting Body Wash and Soothing Bath Oil) contain moisturising kukui oil from Hawaii.

According to founder Amanda Connock, the oil acts as something of a dermatological panacea. “It is high in essential fatty acids and is very good at penetrating into the skin, so it gives an excellent moisturising effect,” she says. “The women in Hawaii use the oil everywhere – hair, body, skin – and for conditions like eczema and psoriasis.”

Michelin star cleansing

A recent standout trend has been for fruit scented bathroom products and the gourmand tide is showing little sign of turning. Indeed last year it accelerated with even more savoury and spicy notes added to the mix.

Henkel’s Fa launched a Yoghurt Body Smoothie Douche Créme line, comprising four fruity shower gels in a milk-based formula, while Palmolive (Colgate Palmolive) offered Palmolive Nutra.Fruit Shower Crèmes, containing moisturising cream swirled with fruit extracts. KMI’s Beautifully Delicious meanwhile brought a strawberry and pomegranate fragranced line of products and a limited edition apple & watermelon bubblelicious bath & shower gel to the table.

Spicy pink pepper provided the basis for Molton Brown’s paradisiac pink pepperpod bath & shower product, a feminine counterpart to its best selling re-charge black pepper bodywash. And pepper popped up again in Original Source’s Winter Black Pepper and Cardamom Shower Gel.

In fact Original Source took the food theme to another level with its new Gourmet range. Based on experimental flavour combinations, the range comprises Cassis and Cranberry Shower Shot, Lime and Sweet Chilli Spice and Chocolate and Mint Shower Melt.

New from Soap & Glory was The Breakfast Scrub, a blend of oats and sugar boasting a maple syrup fragrance. “Last winter, one of the Soap & Glory team at HQ used to make golden syrup infused porridge oats every morning and Marcia Kilgore, our founder, would always ask ‘what is that delicious smell coming from the kitchen?’ This was the trigger,” Soap & Glory’s Montrasio tells SPC. “The name of course comes from The Breakfast Club movie.”

Other launches were more traditional. L’Occitane brought out an orange blossom and sweet blackcurrant scented Fleur Chérie Bath and Shower Gel, while Yardley and Woods of Windsor relaunched under new management, an autonomous Yardley division. Yardley introduced a triple milled soap and shower cream in English Lavender as well as triple milled soaps in Lily of the Valley, Peony, Iris and English Rose. And Woods of Windsor now comprises Bath & Body Collections in True Rose, Lavender, Lily of the Valley and White Jasmine.

Spa inspiration

“Unless you live on your own and never go out, taking a bath may be the only part of the day you have all to yourself. So you want the experience to be as enjoyable as possible. You don’t necessarily want to jump in the shower and scrub yourself with a cheap soap that is likely to destroy your skin’s natural pH,” asserts Anna Doyle, founder of new natural spa brand occo.

But as tempting as a relaxing bath may be, consumers appear to have slashed both their me-time and their budget as bath additives took the biggest drubbing of any bathroom product sector, dropping 2.3% to $3,285m.

As Brid Costello, research analyst, Mintel International Group, explains: “The fast pace of modern lifestyles makes showers a more viable alternative to bathing for many people’s daily personal hygiene routine and brands are responding to consumers’ bathing preferences by offering shower products that are often at once convenient and experience oriented.”

Despite the trend leaning towards quick and convenient in 2010, however, those consumers seeking tranquillity were able to choose from several new launches designed to maximise the pleasure of bathing.

Inspired by ancient Norse rituals, Arran Aromatics created new bath, body and home fragrance collection Eydis, built around a clover, gorse and honeysuckle scent.

Looking further east for inspiration, spa brand Rituals introduced a Tao range, which includes three bathroom products: Wai Wang body exfoliating cream, T’ai Chi shower foam and Wu Wei calming cream bath.

Doyle’s occo also offered a spa experience from home. It launched with 65 skus – including bath and body washes – divided into six ranges named after the locations in Croatia which inspired their fragrance.

According to Doyle, the brand fills a niche for true spa products that are easily accessible. “I wanted the brand to be equally positioned through spas and in-store retail,” she tells SPC. “A lot of products sold in spas are treatments rather than lifestyle products and a lot of retailers have products with the word ‘spa’ on the label, but they’re not true spa products. I felt there was a gap in the market for a genuine spa brand that people could enjoy at home.”

The association between Turkish baths and rose petals was exploited by Lush which launched Turkish Delight, a smoothie shower soap containing rose absolute, rose oil and rose water. Lush also updated its cult bath ballistics (oversized, essential oil-based bath bombs) by adding a top layer consisting of ballistic mixed with shavings of bubble bar to create a foam trail.

Dead Sea Source (KMI) also introduced bath bombs (ginger scented in this instance) as well as a monoi-based product line.

Alternatively, Beiersdorf launched the ultimate in convenience: Nivea Double Effect Shower & Shave. Recognising that that many women like to shave in the shower, Nivea’s new product contains avocado oil, which ensures that the foam sticks to the skin allowing the razor to glide across to remove hair effectively.

And Lennard believes such products will have a competitive advantage moving into 2011.

“The potential for value-added body washes and shower gels remains strong as consumers continue to show a positive response to the most recent product innovations,” she says. Other product categories can expect a less prosperous year. “The bath additives industry is set to contract by $251m as time poor consumers continue to opt for showers. As a result of this habit the main growth in the industry will come from body wash, which is set to see nearly $1.5bn absolute growth by 2014.”

So to stay afloat in the bathroom products market manufacturers would be wise to follow their customers and focus on shower.

Swatting bugs
“Liquid soap sales have been particularly strong since 2009, driven by the H1N1 scare,” Euromonitor’s Carrie Lennard tells SPC. “Starting with the initial H1N1 outbreaks in Mexico in April 2009, sales of hand sanitisers skyrocketed, leading to 6% global growth in liquid soap over 2008-9.”
Manufacturers reacted quickly to the initial swine flu outbreak resulting in a wave of new products with antibacterial and antiviral claims, a trend that continued in 2010 with launches like Dettol’s No-Touch Hand Wash System, which senses users’ hands and dispenses antibacterial soap without them having to touch a potentially germ-infested pump.
The popularity of such products was highlighted by a recent poll commissioned by the American Cleaning Institute and the Personal Care Products Council in the wake of calls by special interest groups to ban the use of antibacterial agents in personal care, which revealed that 74% of US consumers used antibacterial soap.
And renewed swine flu fears over 2010’s winter months mean hand sanitisers will remain a good investment for manufacturers in the near future. “As there are still numerous highly publicised deaths due to swine flu, the scare is set to continue to mark the category out as holding major long-term growth potential for the duration of the flu outbreak,” confirms Lennard.

Best DIY All Purpose Kitchen and Bathroom Spray, Tub Scrub and Window Cleaner Recipes

Read article : Best DIY All Purpose Kitchen and Bathroom Spray, Tub Scrub and Window Cleaner Recipes

Over the past two years, I have begun weeding out more and more of my expensive and toxic household cleaners and replacing them with homemade substitutes that work as well, or even better.  You’ve all probably seen my homemade laundry detergent recipe (20.4¢ for homemade vs. $12-$14 retail) and I’ve recently added a homemade “shout” laundry stain remover recipe (now tested successfully on both colors and whites, by the way.)  Even our liquid hand soap has been replaced by my homemade foaming soap version.  Why would I go to the time and trouble of making these products at home?  Cold hard cash!  They can all be made for pennies on the dollar, when compared to what you are spending to buy them at the store.  Plus, they don’t actually take that long to make — some only a few minutes!

Beyond that, homemade cleaners, made with natural products, are better for the environment and exponentially better for your family’s safety and health.  The chemicals and ingredients (and their fumes) in typical household cleaners can be terribly dangerous and many build up in our systems over decades of use.  Even liquid hand soap, many shower gels, lotions, face soaps and dish soaps, sadly, even many toothpastes, now contain the “antibacterial” ingredient, triclosan.   In my opinion, you wouldn’t need to read more than one or two articles about this pesticide, before you would refuse to expose your home and family to it, but that’s a post for another day.  🙂 With homemade cleaners, you can be confident you are providing the safest and most economical options for your family because you know exactly what you’ve put in them.  It makes sense for your health, your budget and the environment.

I needed to make a quick Walmart run to restock a few ingredients to make my favorite DIY cleaning products.  The most critical need was for vinegar.  I was completely out.  You are welcome to check out my whole shopping trip in this Google+ album.

My local grocery store offers a great variety of vinegars for all my cooking needs, plus the white vinegar I like to use in my homemade cleaning supplies.

One of the most commonly used ingredients in making your own household cleaners and even personal care products is vinegar.  Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar has some incredible health benefits, that we can discuss at another time, but today, I want to talk about white vinegar.  White vinegar is readily available and very inexpensive, usually around $2.50 a gallon, in our area.  I was excited to see that Heinz is marketing a cleaning strength white vinegar, now, with a slightly higher acidity (6% as opposed to 5%) than standard white vinegars.  This little boost in acidity, adds extra oomph and effectiveness to my homemade cleaning products without a noticeable increase in cost.  Score!

Heinz Cleaning Vinegar" src="http://www.busy-at-home.com/images/vinegar/08-cleaningvinegar.jpg" alt="cleaning vinegar" width="533" height="400" />

Only $2.98 for a whole gallon. That will make tons of “just for pennies” cleaning supplies!

If you haven’t cleaned with vinegar, before, you’re missing out on a very effective multi-purpose cleaner or cleaning ingredient.  For those just getting started with natural cleaning supplies, the biggest objection to vinegar is usually that they are afraid their home will smell like vinegar.  Honestly, you don’t notice the smell unless you are using it straight, and even then, that vinegar fragrance dissipates pretty quickly.  But, you can try this great tip I found over at Frugal Freebies for scenting your vinegar and then you won’t have to worry about it at all!

There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar, some pretty well known, others may be new to you. For instance, did you know that not only is vinegar good for taking the itch out of bug bites, if you put it in a spray bottle and spritz it on your skin, the smell will go away in a few minutes, but you will be protected from bug bites for the rest of the evening?  Nothing could smell worse or be worse for you than the commercial bug repellents being sold, now.  I’m so excited to try this, next summer!   Along the same vein, pouring vinegar around the outside of your kids’ backyard pool will keep flies and pests away and if you do the same around the children’s sandbox, not only will it repel bugs, but it will keep neighborhood cats from using it as a litterbox.  I hate that!  This is such a good idea.

Of course, vinegar is one of the most commonly used natural cleaners for glass, mirrors and windows.  My problem has always been that I still ended up with streaks when using it straight.  Then I read Andrea’s post, over at Simple Organized Living.  Her glass cleaner still utilizes the acidity of vinegar for super cleaning and degreasing, but with the addition of a couple other ingredients, leaves glass sparkling and streak-free!  

Window & Glass Cleaner

Ingredients

• 2 c. water
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ¼ cup rubbing alcohol
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. 
2. Mix all ingredients by pouring them into a spray bottle, replacing the lid and then shaking. You definitely need to shake this, again, before each use, because the cornstarch will settle to the bottom, but you will have sparkling clean, streak-free windows for pennies!
3. Here's my mirror before cleaning with my homemade window cleaner. I had no idea how hard it is to take a picture of a mirror and have the schmutz actually show up, but it's there -- all the smudges and spots there in the center.
   
4. And here's the after, with fingerprints, smudges and spots cleared away and the mirror completely streak-free!
   

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Did you know that using a cotton ball to blot vinegar on cold sores will help dry them up?  Mix one part vinegar with 10 parts water and apply it in the same way, to help clear up acne.  Apparently, even warts can be treated by dotting a small drop of vinegar onto the pad of a bandage and then applying directly to the wart.  Replace the bandage each evening, for 7 days, and the wart should be gone.

When it comes to cleaning your house, there are even more practical uses for vinegar:

1. Use in the laundry to soften clothes and reduce static cling.  Just pour it into the fabric softener dispenser in your machine.  The vinegar smell has never been in our clean clothes, afterward.
2. I use white vinegar to clean the tub of my washing machine, by adding vinegar to the fill line in my soap dispenser and then running the cleaning cycle.
3. Vinegar is food safe, so there are many ways to use it in the kitchen, like cleaning the inside walls, shelves and drawers of your refrigerator.  You can also use a solution of 1 part vinegar, to 1 part water, to safely clean the residue from fruits and vegetables.
4. Use white vinegar in your dishwasher, in place of Jet Dry, to eliminate water spots and help rinse away soap residue.
5. Use vinegar as one of the ingredients to make your own bathroom cleaners.  These are my two most favorite recipes for cleaners that disinfect and clean like crazy in the bathroom.  Love them!

All-Purpose Kitchen and Bathroom Spray Cleaner

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon Borax
• 1 teaspoon finely grated Fels Naptha
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon castile soap
• 18 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops tea tree oil
  

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I found this next recipe over at Cajun Joie De Vivre  and it is definitely a keeper!  I have changed very little, but the recipe below is how I make it.  I use it for tough lime, soap scum build up and other stains in the bathroom; and I actually use it on my kitchen sink, too!  It works better than any commercial bathroom cleanser I have ever tried and its so inexpensive to make, requiring only small amounts of ingredients that I always have on hand, because I use them in many other cleaning supply recipes, as well.  This is another staple, that will make cleaning your bathroom so much easier!

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Tub and Shower Scrub

Ingredients

• 1 cup baking soda
• ⅓ cup white vinegar
• ½ cup Castile soap
• ¼ cup washing soda
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 10 drops Germ Fighter essential oil
  

Instructions

1. Mix baking soda, salt and washing soda.
   
2. Stir in the vinegar and allow it to foam up and then settle back down.
3. Add coconut oil, castile soap and essential oils.
   
4. Mix until all ingredients are combined. The mixture will be moist, but crumbly. Pack into a container with a tight-fitting lid.
   
5. To use, spritz the affected area with the spray bathroom cleaner, from the recipe above, or with water. Let it set for a couple of minutes and then sprinkle a small amount of this scrub on a damp cloth to clean built-up soap scum, hard water or lime deposits and other tough stains.
6. The power of this inexpensive, all-natural cleaner is evident in the picture, below. The left side has already been scrubbed and the right is about to be. When I first discovered this formula, the author wrote that I would be scrubbing off build-up that previous cleaners left behind and I didn't even know was there, until I started scrubbing with this one. She understated the issue!
   

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For the purposes of economical, ecologically sound and effective DIY household cleaners, white vinegar will be a must in your cleaning arsenal.  I think Heinz Cleaning Vinegar provides the best value and cleaning power for the money spent and it will be a staple under my kitchen cabinet.

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I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and HEINZ.   #CBias #SocialFabric #HeinzVinegar