Peeling cubes are a great dose of smoothing exfoliation for single use — one or two cubes per bath are enough. Easy to prepare yet very impressive: you will use them not only in the bath, but they are also suitable for the shower. Their preparation is not difficult at all and even beginners can manage it, and thanks to the wide range of available colourants and fragrances you can create peeling cubes exactly according to your ideas.
About this recipe
This great tutorial for peeling cubes was prepared for you by Ivana Jačalová. To make peeling cubes you need several basic raw materials, first and foremost exfoliating particles — in our case the peeling is represented by sea salt — and the recipe further requires a soap base and oil. Fragrance and colour are only supplementary, but thanks to them you will transform ordinary peeling cubes into an irresistible gift.
Key benefits
- A single-use dose of exfoliation
Peeling cubes are a great dose of smoothing exfoliation for single use — one or two cubes per bath are enough.
- For the bath and for the shower
You will use them not only in the bath; they are also suitable for the shower.
- Even beginners can manage it
The preparation is not difficult at all — all it takes is a bit of skill and preparing the raw materials and the mould in advance.
- Minerals from sea salt
Sea salt contains many mineral substances, helps remove dead skin cells and at the same time acts as a natural preservative of the product.
- An impressive gift
Thanks to the wide range of available colourants and fragrances, you will transform ordinary peeling cubes into an irresistible gift exactly according to your ideas.
Product properties
Key raw materials in the recipe
Below we will introduce the individual raw materials from which the peeling cubes are composed. We will pause at their importance for the recipe and will likewise talk about their possible substitutes or replacements.
Sea salt
The basis for the peeling is sea salt. In this case, finely ground sea salt was chosen; coarse sea salt has particles that are too large and could irritate the skin when using the product. Sea salt is great in that it contains many mineral substances and helps remove dead skin cells. At the same time, it acts as a natural preservative of the product.
However, this is not the only salt that can be used. Finely ground Himalayan salt is also a good alternative, you only have to reckon with the fact that it has a pink colour, and so it will also affect the final colouring of the product if you use additional colourants. A great choice is also Epsom salt — it is fairly finely ground and white in colour, so your mica powders will stand out beautifully, and at the same time it is excellent for tired or aching muscles.
You can also reach for exfoliating substances other than salt. A favourite is classic white granulated sugar, but feel free to reach for brown sugar as well. Furthermore, for example, ground pumice powder is available, which is fairly fine, but has a greyish colour that may not suit everyone. There are also various ground shell particles that can be used as an exfoliant — when using them, however, add a preservative to the product, as it could go mouldy if you leave it longer in contact with water, for example in a soap dish in which water has remained.
You can also play with the proportion of salt in the recipe. If you want firmer cubes, increase the content of salt and soap base at the expense of oil. Conversely, you will obtain softer cubes that you can crush with your fingers into a scrub by reducing the amount of soap base and adding oil and salt.
Soap base
The base that binds all the raw materials in the recipe together and provides the cleansing effects is the soap base. You can reach for almost any type of soap base. Colourless or white soap bases are particularly suitable, as they let the added mica powders stand out. If you cannot decide on a specific soap base, reach rather for bases that solidify more slowly — thanks to which it will be easier for you to work with the peeling mixture.
The amount of soap base in the recipe influences the firmness of the resulting peeling cubes, allowing you to prepare cubes exactly tailored to your needs.
MCT Caprylis — neutral oil
An excellent oil that tolerates heat treatment well is MCT Caprylis. It is a neutral oil without colour and fragrance, therefore it is excellent for combining with colourants and essential oils, as it will not mask their fragrance. At the same time, it is very resistant to oxidation, so your products will stay fresh longer.
Besides MCT Caprylis you can reach for any other vegetable oil. It is better to choose oils without a more pronounced fragrance or colour if you want to add your own colourants and essential or fragrance oils to the product. Try, for example, fractionated coconut oil, which is colourless.
Essential oil
To perfume the whole product, essential oils were used. We have prepared for you four combinations of essential oils and mica powders. However, you can reach for any essential oil — but observe the dosage given in the IFRA document for each oil in order to avoid an allergic reaction to an excessively high dose of oil.
You can also add fragrance oils to the peeling cubes, which will offer you an even wider palette of fragrances, including fruity ones. You can truly choose from a diverse range of scents, and peeling cubes are a great place to experiment with new fragrances.
Mica powder
To colour the peeling cubes, mica powder was used, specifically four different colours, which provided pleasant pastel shades. You can add any amount of mica powder to the product so as to achieve the shade you desire.
Do you want something more glittery? Feel free to increase the amount of cosmetic glitter in the product — you have a truly wide palette of multi-coloured glitters at your disposal. Alternatively, try two-tone pigments, which provide the reflections of two colours at the same time.
Formulation (100 g)
The content of the raw materials is given in percentages by weight, so it corresponds to a batch of 100 g of mixture for peeling cubes. Mica powder and glitter are added as needed — their amount is what controls the shade and the sparkle. The shopping list below shows the first of the four colour combinations (green with pine); swap the mica powder and the essential oil according to the combination you choose from the table below.
| Raw material | Content |
|---|---|
| Sea salt finely ground | 52.80% |
| Soap base ZENISOAPBASE non-sweating, transparent | 38.00% |
| Neutral oil MCT Caprylis | 8.00% |
| Essential oil | 1.20% |
| Mica powder | as needed |
| Fine cosmetic glitter | as needed |
| Tools | |
| Silicone mould, rectangles | — |
Four colour combinations
We have prepared for you four beautiful pastel combinations of colours and fragrances, however your imagination has no limits and you can create peeling cubes exactly for you.
| Mica powder | Colour | Essential oil |
|---|---|---|
| Mica, Lime | green | Essential oil pine |
| Mica, Bonny buttercup | yellow | Essential oil ylang ylang |
| Mica, Soft amethyst | purple | Essential oil lavender |
| Mica, Sunset dazzler | pink | Essential oil geranium |
Method
- Disinfection
Disinfect all tools, packaging and containers, for example with ethanol.
- Preparation in advance
Prepare the individual raw materials and the mould in advance — after combining with the other raw materials, the mixture for the peeling cubes solidifies very quickly, and so you will not have time to weigh out further raw materials.
- Weighing out the raw materials
In one container weigh out the sea salt, in another container weigh out the mixture of oil, mica powder, glitter and essential oil; also prepare the silicone mould.
- Melting the soap base
Into a third container (heat-resistant) weigh out the soap base. Place the container in the microwave for a few seconds (be careful that the soap does not boil over) or into a water bath until the base has melted.
- Combining and filling the mould immediately
To the melted base immediately add the oil mixture and stir well, then add the salt, stir quickly and fill it into the prepared mould straight away. The mixture solidifies very quickly once the salt and oil have been added, so it is not worth waiting.
- Setting and cutting
Let the mixture solidify, then remove the solid mixture from the mould and you can cut it into smaller pieces or leave larger ones — and your peeling cubes are finished.
Tips and tricks
When making peeling cubes, a bit of skill and preparation in advance are needed, as the mixture solidifies really quickly after the salt is added, however even beginners need not be afraid of the process. If it happens that the mixture solidifies too much, you can heat it once more. In this case a water bath is more suitable, as although rapid heating in the microwave is quick, the added essential oils suffer from it, since they are heat-sensitive — they may be released more quickly from the product or may decompose.
When adding the oil mixture to the melted soap base, part of the oil may remain on the surface of the soap base even after stirring. In this case, quickly stir the mixture once again and continue with the recipe. The added salt then helps to incorporate the oils into the soap base.
It is good when working to have the silicone mould prepared in advance, which, thanks to its elasticity, will make it easier for you to remove the finished peeling cubes. You can also reach for other types of moulds, but count on the fact that the peeling cubes will be harder to remove from rigid moulds (you can try lining them with baking paper).
If the mixture is not sufficiently mixed before being poured into the mould, it may happen that part of the oil remains in the bottom part of the mould. This does not prevent you from using the peeling cubes, you will just lose part of the oil.
Warning
As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the desired properties. However, the final result can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, the quality of the raw materials or their storage.
Before you use any raw material to make a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions and safe handling. Each raw material can have the potential to trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, therefore before using the product we recommend finding out whether you suffer from an allergy to any of the raw materials or to the product as a whole, e.g. by means of a skin test.
If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or you have other skin or health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to the skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure raw material or a commercially available product.
Frequently asked questions about the recipe
Practical questions about peeling cubes — the mixture solidifying quickly, substitutes for the exfoliating ingredient, the firmness of the cubes and choosing a mould.
What should I do if the mixture solidifies too quickly?
If it happens that the mixture solidifies too much, you can heat it once more. A water bath is more suitable — although rapid heating in the microwave is quick, the added essential oils suffer from it, since they are heat-sensitive.
What can I replace the sea salt with?
A good alternative is finely ground Himalayan salt (it has a pink colour, which will affect the colouring of the product) or Epsom salt — it is finely ground, white and excellent for tired or aching muscles. You can also use classic white granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground pumice powder or ground shell particles — with shell particles, however, add a preservative to the product.
How do I get firmer or softer cubes?
If you want firmer cubes, increase the content of salt and soap base at the expense of oil. Conversely, you will obtain softer cubes that you can crush with your fingers into a scrub by reducing the amount of soap base and adding oil and salt. The amount of soap base in the recipe influences the firmness of the resulting cubes.
Why does the oil stay on the surface or at the bottom of the mould?
When adding the oil mixture to the melted soap base, part of the oil may remain on the surface even after stirring — in that case stir the mixture quickly once again and continue with the recipe, as the added salt helps to incorporate the oils into the soap base. If the mixture is not sufficiently mixed before pouring, part of the oil will remain in the bottom part of the mould; this does not prevent you from using the cubes, you will just lose part of the oil.
Which mould is best to use?
A silicone mould works best, as thanks to its elasticity it will make it easier for you to remove the finished peeling cubes. You can also reach for other types of moulds, but count on the fact that the cubes are harder to remove from rigid moulds — you can try lining them with baking paper.
Which essential oil can I choose?
You can reach for any essential oil, but observe the dosage given in the IFRA document for each oil in order to avoid an allergic reaction to an excessively high dose. You can also add fragrance oils, which offer an even wider palette of fragrances, including fruity ones.
Conclusion
Have the peeling cubes charmed you as much as they did us? A practical and even aesthetic cosmetic product that smooths the skin and also looks nice is never a bad thing. The greatest advantage of these cubes is that you can make them with us in the comfort of your home. This great tutorial for peeling cubes was prepared for you by Ivana Jačalová.
If you have any questions about our tutorials or the raw materials used, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you with the next tutorial or article.
You will find the sea salt and other exfoliating ingredients, soap bases, oils, mica powders and essential oils from this recipe in the Handymade range of raw materials.
