Customer Reviews

Good Gifts from the Home: Oils, Lotions, and Other Luxuries--Make Beautiful Gifts to Give (or Keep)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Kelly Reno has done a great job of writing books that are helpful for those just starting out. It is amazing that you can make your own lotions and change the scents to match yourself or your friends. The lotions are heavy and greasy, but I think its because our idea of lotions are those that are so heavy with lotions (with alcohols) that we expect it to soak right in instead of using the healing properties of the oils.

The bath beads turned out great. My first batch was great, but all the rest (go figure) I had to add a little more dry product to it so it wasn't so sticky. Its like cooking, its all an experiment and you just have to "season" it the way you like it.

Highly reccommended!

There must be an error in the proportions for
the Rose Bath Beads because it isn't possible
to "stir until thick" the 1/4 cup rose water
and 1/4 c. powdered milk. I tried three times.
The wrinkle-smoothing potion seems ok, but the
Vanilla Body Lotion is heavy and greasy and
more difficult to blend (beeswax mixture with
water) than suggested.

I find the the lotion and cream recipes to be far too heavy and greasy. Also, the solid rose and milk bath tablets did not work well when actually used in the bath. I get the impression that the recipes need some adjustment.

A great little book of recipes to pamper body and soul. Good recipes with readily available ingredients and easy to follow directions. The end results appear almost as if by magic.

This book is probably as helpful as her other book that I bought. None of the recipes work. Kelly would have you believe that adding 1/2 teaspoon of table salt to 1/4 cup of shampoo concentrate and 3/4 cup of distilled water will be transformed into a product that you would be delighted to use. You are also expected to be able to grate a bar of Ivory soap (highly improbable that you will succeed). The Ivory soap is to be mixed with other ingredients to end up with a product you will be happy to give or to use.
I have bought many books on soapmaking and other bath and body products.
There is nothing in this book that makes it worth the $12.00 that I spent. Save your money and look for books written by authors who really have excellent credentials regarding bath and body products one can make at home.
One author I particularly like is Susan Miller Cavitch.
Other authors I would highly recommend are Ann Bramson,Norma Coney, and Melinda Coss
I would not even give this book a 1 star rating; actually a minus 5 would be closer to how annoyed and disgusted I was by the book I bought.

Kelly Reno's book was very helpful and full of useful information about making cosmetics in the kitchen. I have made many of the lotions/creams with great success. Good ideas for packaging products as well

This book has some good recipes, but not as many along the lines of what I was looking for. I stick mainly to organic and natural recipes, and this book does not have as many along those lines. That is why I gave it 3 stars...but for those who don't mind as much with the ingredients they use, this is a pretty good book.