Customer Reviews

The Self Apothecary: Making Your Own Skin Care Products

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading the reviews, I purchased this book. What a sorry book for a steep price. I was looking for general recipes I could make with ingredients I found elsewhere. Almost every recipe calls for " Mabel's Mango Butter", or " Mabel's Soy Wax", or "Mabel's Balm Base"... Get the idea?! It goes beyond just giving you recipes, it tries to steer you towards buying all their ingredients, which is absolutely annoying. All I wanted was a book that had basic (or even more complex) recipes without being hounded to buy their ingredients. Also, many of her recipes call for SoyWax. Now, just because I was looking for a book doesn't mean I don't know anything about making body and bath products. I make a habit of collecting various texts on the subject, researching on line, and talking with folks so as I may have a bigger collection of resources. Nowhere else but in this book does anyone list SoyWax in their products. Kudos for trying new ingredients, but it is listed in almost every recipe. I personally think there are better ingredients out there that can be used as replacements, such as Shea Butter, Hempseed Butter, Candelilla Wax, and other more exotic and easily-found items. I would have returned this in a heartbeat, but apparently this comes from Mabel store and it doesn't appear as easy to return to them as it would if coming from Amazon. I'll take a hit on this one. But beware. The price is too high, the quality too low.

Excellent, my favorite book and inspiration to DOlen's other works. I love all her books. Very content rich, but they are becoming harder and harder to find. I has to go to mabelwhite dot com to get her books that are sold out here. Her videos are the best investment I have made.

After searching the internet for recipes for making creams, lotions,bath and body products at home I bought this book and all my questions are answered. Deborah's book is easy to follow and of course if you ever have any questions she replies quickly with all the answers. It's a great value for your $$. I'm working on having D. Dolen's whole collection.

I use to have really oily skin, spent lots of money on skin care products. I found that making my own was not only healthier for my skin but aslo very inexpensive. This book is very well written and I plan to use it for years to come. I plan to buy ALL of Deborahs Books. THANKS

I wish to commend the author Deborah Dolen ...on The Self Apothecary: Making Your Own Skin Care Products. The book, which is spiral bound for quick reference and longevity, is well organized and extremely informative. ... Thank you, Deborah et al.

The newly revised Self Apothecary is the state of the art latest mentor in making your own all natural body care products in the luxury of your own home. Using modern day technology we show you how to make just about everything in the bath and body care department au natural. You can make lotion and crème in a blender as well as bath salts in a snap. The Self Apothecary is also the first book to discuss the secrets of fragrance blending and is accompanied by a fragrance oil blending chart. This research alone took us 5 years to compile because few companies share fragrance oil blending secrets. In this book you will learn how to use 30 basic fragrance oils to make over 200 variations, for example ½ rose to ½ vanilla does make the scent of baby powder!
Introduction
Using Natural Colors When Possible
Using Artificial Colors Wisely
Fragrance is Everything!
Antioxidants
Preservatives
Making Your Own Essential Oils
Essential Oil Caution:
Making Your Own Extracts

Liquid Soap Family
Anti-Bacterial Liquid Hand Soap
Anti-Bacterial Liquid Hand Soap Recipe II
Rosemary and Mint Shampoo
Tar Rabbit Bubble Bath
Karma Sutra Bubble Bath (Ginger Milk)
Mango Madness Bubble Bath

Solid Soap Family
Picasso Soap
Tar Rabbit Soap: Cold Process Method
Shampoo Bars
Skin Cleansing Bars
Facial Conditioner Bars
Soap Balls
Soap Gems
Soap On a Rope
Soap Petals for Guestrooms

Conditioners and Lotion Family
Basic Hair Conditioner Formula
Basic Lotion Bar
Basic Lotion Bar II
Hemp Oil Lotion Bar III Hard and Waxy

Making Crème's and Lotions in a Blender
Basic Emulsoy™ Lotion
Basic Emulsoy™ Crème
Basic Crème Formula (Sweet Almond Oil Based)
Crème's
Making Cleansing Crème
Precious Facial Oils
Luxurious Firming Treatment
Normal Skin (Day)
Normal Skin (NIGHT)
Dry Skin (DAY):
Dry Skin (NIGHT)
Bee Pollen Infused Lotion and Creme'
Bulgarian Lavender and Shea Burn Butter
Making Your Own Natural Wax Jelly
Making Your Own Edible Love Lotion
Making Your Own Breath Elixir
Mabel's Natural Insect Repellant

The Balm Family
Almond Oil/Honey Lip Balm
Rose Diaper Ointment
Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
Cocoa Mint Lip Balm
Coconut Lip Gloss
Castor Vanilla Lip Balm
Cool Berry Lip Jelly
Flavor Oil Mixing Chart
Healing Balms and Salves
White Tiger Balm Formula
Herbal Healing Salve Formula:
Mango Lip Butter
Old Fashioned Rose Oil Lip Balm
Sweey Honey Lip Balm
Natural Deodorant Bar Recipe II
Blemish Stick
Solid Perfumes

The Powder & Salt Family
Baby & Body Powder
Tooth Paste
Buttermilk Bath
Chocolate Tub Truffles
Fizzling Milk Bath
How to Make Bath Bombs
Spiced Yin and Yang Bath Bombs
Bath Bombs
Bath Salts
Energizing Bath Salts Formula
Natural Lemon Salt/Sugar Exfoliate
Relaxing Bath Formula
Salt Glow
Other Considerations for Body Essentials
Bath Oil
Foaming Vanilla and Honey Formula
Fragrant Bath Oil

Potpourris & Dried Flowers
Bath Teas
Revitalizing Bath Tea
Potpourris
Women Designer Experiments
Men Designer Experiments

Perfume & Home Fragrance
Perfume Formula's
Body Splash Formula
Facial Tonic Ideas
Non-Alcoholic Body Splash
Wedding Type Perfume
The Good Housekeeper
Room and Linen Sprays
Immunity Bath Oil Blends
Morning Immunity Bath
Evening Immunity Bath
Immune Boosting Massage Oil

Gift Packaging Idea's
Fragrance Oil Blending Chart

I finally had to buy a third book because my friends kept walking off with this one! Just one example, the author shows how to blend 30 fragrances to make 200 (in the back of the book) and now seems to have the metric system as well as the U.S. measurement system with each formula. I found that new change handy. Her work is content rich, although not full of photos. I learned the most from this author when making my own body preparations and I bought almost every book on the subject. Also the book does help find ingredients locally. Anyone who gives her less than 5 stars has another motive. She is the COOLEST and gave me the most motivation to make my own stuff.