…to a class full of 4th, 5th and 6th graders. their teachers thought it would be a good idea 😉
I promised the children that I would share the recipe for them here. it is so easy to gather ingredients and even easier to formulate.
as I said to the kids, this kind of alchemy is a win win win kind of thing. by making your own toiletries, you greatly reduce your chemical exposure. after all, 60% of what you put on your body ends up inside your body. by saying no to the cosmetics industry at large, you say no to cosmetic animal testing. you say no to excess plastic. AND you get to smell like what you want to smell like. imagine that?! not being beholden to the perfumed scents of all that “natural” stuff you are paying too much for…
so! we melted equal parts shea butter and coconut oil. our measurement was 1 Tablespoon. here in florida, our coconut oil is almost always liquid (brrr when it isn’t) but not so the shea, so we put the shea in the microwave. we didn’t have time for the double boiler/crockpot method ~ preferable in my opinion.
next the children selected their essential oils. they were the most fabulous young alchemists, smelling, pondering, smelling again. how much did I love watching them formulate?! we started with 5-7 drops of essential oil, however many kids added more after letting their finished potion sit for a couple of hours. 
you can add the essential oils at any stage in the process, but I like to mix them in with the cooled but still liquid coconut/shea mixture as they blend well. don’t add essential oils to a hot oil base, the essential oils don’t like that.
next we added and equal part of non gmo cornstarch to begin thickening, some kids kept adding to make their balm really thick. the corn starch is very absorbent. it is important to use non gmo cornstarch as the gmo version has been known to irritate.
now for the baking soda. I had the kids go modestly on the baking soda as it too can be irritating to sensitive skin. it is however deodorizing and ph balancing, so if it doesn’t irritate, the kids know they may add more at home!
*this “deodorant” is fabulous for your feet! super deodorizing, a great way to help keep feet healthy, especially with a higher baking soda to corn starch ratio. the ph balancing effects of baking soda are wonderful for the whole body.
it was a pleasure an honor and as always with kids, a learning experience. empowering the wee ones for a better tomorrow. for everyone.