blah blah blah yackey shmackey.
blah blah blah yackey shmackey.
Last edited by AmazingKat; 10-12-2008 at 11:51 PM.
I am awaiting my first Lush order but man that stuff does seem awful $$$ so yes I would be most interested in more do it yourself links for Lush style products.




I'm not crafty. My attention span is way too short to do little projects. If I were crafty, I'd make homemade bath melts.
http://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/fizz...elt_recipe.htm
If you want to add lots of expensive essential oils, it might be more cost effective to buy them, but if you want simple scents, it's definitely cheaper to make them.





I've def thought about it... I'm very tempted to make my own massage bars and bubble bars. The only problem is I can see myself going ape shit and spending a fortune on fragrance oils- I like smelly stuff a lot.
I have to say, I ordered some Lush-esque products from a couple of ebay vendors... not the same. I got three different scented massage bars and the all have the same underlying creamy smell to them- it isn't unpleasant, but I think the vendor dosen't use refined coco and shea butters so smell of the raw ingredients interferes with the added smells.
The bubble bars didn't lather as well and were more crumbly... The lack of bubbles is probably because the vendor uses sodiuml Lauryl Sulfoacetate while Lush uses SL Sulfate- I initially thought I would like the ebay stuff since SL sulfoacetate doesn't penetrate the skin and is less likely to dry it out, and/or cause an allergic reaction- but the shit just doesn't foam as well.
I'd totally try that out, even if just for fun![]()
I was totally going to do this, but after researching I realized its a lot harder than it sounds. And you have to try several times before your stuff even looks somewhat like Lush. I decided against it b/c I figured its a bunch of crap to buy, takes a lot of practice, and I tend to get bored with things easily and let them sit in the closet. Ultimately, its less hassle and more fun for me just to buy from Lush or other retailers.
I think Corgan tried this once and shortly went back to Lush.
There are some really good bath salts you can get at natural food stores, and I use those, a few drops of a nice body oil and sometimes bubbles. I love lush, but the stuff is expensive. The last time I had a lush bath I was like, damn, this is a 5 dollar bath.
I'm confused, but the Chewbacca Truffle Shuffle cleared it up. - Emily
Since my last post here I have become a bit of a Lushie but I can't afford to just buy whatever I feel like anytime, especially since I have to get my stuff shipped as I have no nearby store and must pay for shipping too
So I have been checking out some homemade recipes for Lush-a likes
Here is some I have found so far:
1 packet of Unflavored gelatin 15g (1tbs)
1 tsp of Salt
1/2 cup of Liquid soap
3/4 cup of Water
Food Coloring
Fragrant oils or essential oils
Plastic storage jar with lid
Bath jelly is a fun alternative to bath gel and can be found in all the popular bath shops such as Lush.
This Lush soap recipe is perfect for kids.
Empty the packet of gelatin into a bowl and set aside. Boil 3/4 cup of water using a saucepan or kettle.
Carefully pour the hot water into a mixing bowl and mix it with the gelatin powder. Let the gelatin dissolve completely.
Next pour the liquid soap into the gelatin mix.
Add 2 drops of food coloring into the mix and also add your fragrance oil. Add about 5 drops and stir it very gently so the bubbles do not become too agitated.
Add any remaining ingredients.
Pour the mix into a clean storage container and allow to set for several hours in the refrigerator.
Add a small toy into the Jelly before it sets to give the kids an incentive to get to the bottom of the Jelly soap.
Dispose of the jelly after several weeks or if mold is present. Avoid mold by keeping it in an airtight container in a cool place at all times.
There never was a good war or a bad peace.
Benjamin Franklin
Bubble Bars:
1/3 cup of cream of tartar (available at supermarket)
1 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
1 cup of sodium laurel sulfoacetate SLS (powdered foaming agent)
1/3 cup (more or less) of glycerin liquid
a few drops of water-based soap colorant or food color
any fragrance or essential oil (we used Juniper Breeze)
a mold (we used our small loaf mold)
Makes 18 ozs. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the colorant and fragrance a few drops at a time until the desired shade and scent are achieved. Mix in the glycerin liquid a little at a time until the mixture holds together in your hand. Transfer to your mold and press firmly into the mold. Unmold after about a hour and check for firmness. If the mixture crumbles, return it to the bowl and add more glycerin, then remold.
If it holds together when unmolded, cut into chunks or slices and continue to let dry on wax paper. May take overnight or longer to harden. Wrap in cellophane, tissue paper or store in container. Use within a month or two.
There never was a good war or a bad peace.
Benjamin Franklin
Here is a very detailed page on bath bombs:
There never was a good war or a bad peace.
Benjamin Franklin
a very cheap and good alternative to Lush that I have discovered:
Buy a box of the vasoline bath mousturizer. ( use 1/4 -1/2 the box. it's very cheap)
about 2 cups epsom salts
about 1/4 cup of coconut oil
and finally, some essential oils in a scent you prefer. Sprinkle a few drops in your bath.
This is a pretty ghetto cheap concoction, but I use it frequently, and it makes my skin very very soft and smooth, just like a lush bath, it's very fragrant and calming, and really helps destress and ease sore muscles.
and to buy everythign you need, it's about $25. The epsom salt is cheap, abotu $3, the bath mousturizer is only $2, the coconut oil ran me about $12, and the essental oil about $10.



I have made a lot of products...Lush is just the "gold standard" IMO and I have also tried many more from Ebay and Etsy.
The thing IS that in order to get really good results,you have to invest quite a lot in high-quality "bulk" ingredients because if you small-batch buy your supplies,it's outrageously expensive.
Shipping costs lately have kept me from ordering a lot of supplies recently...I give away most of what I make.
Shipping is just outrageous.You do have to pay for high-quality supplies in order to get good results.
ALSO, you should have dedicated supplies also such as pans,beaters,etc...you can't go back to using things for food prep safely. after you play with cosmetics.
I ordered a lot from here:
http://www.brambleberry.com/
and here:
http://www.chemistrystore.com/
Both are GREAT! And yes...they do usually "open and check" the packages labled from the chemistry store...![]()





I've made some soaps ( I used to be into crafty stuff ) and it can actually be more expensive and make a much bigger mess than you can imagine. It's not really cost efficient to buy all the items . I went to a class and can't imagine buying all the supplies myself.
I also know I probably couldn't replicate rock star soap to it's exact smell. I went to Lush a month ago and said " I'll try it , I'll buy one soap and one bath melt to prove to myself the expense isn't worth it " and ..... well I've been back to the San Francisco store for more RockStar ( and other items ) and plan to continue. I alternate between my lush supply and cheaper stuff to keep costs down.![]()
If you really want to make your own ... go for it. There are other options too . There is probably a local ( and less expensive ) soap maker near you making yummy things. I just tried the Fresh brand ( SF store ) . I'm hunting for others . I'll post reviews for you soon if I find good stuff. I like to support little businesses , so I'm trying to find something stand out made my a small company. In fact ... if you are ever in San Diego and want to venture into cheesy old town ... some of my favorite soap I've EVER HAD is down there. A lady sells big bars of it for $6 and I'm very curious if she is still there. Her company was called something like " a little joy " and I've googled and googled with no results yet. I never get down there anymore, but her stuff is awesome.
That was a pretty long note ..... but I love bath stuff .
Last edited by carmen_b; 06-30-2008 at 05:14 PM.





ok ok ok let me say this... and people, LISTEN.
i tried making my own lush, and by the time you even come close you could have bought the real thing. they will not be anywhere near as bubbly or fizzy as lush, or smell as wonderful. if you made a geo phyzz exactly like lush's, it'd probably cost you upwards $5 more.
i make bath bombs now just to give others and use sometimes, but i always have a lush stash.
NOTHING COMPARES TO THE QUALITY OF LUSH IMO!!!!!
Am I the only one who has never heard of Lush?
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