A GREEN GUIDE TO NATURAL BEAUTY BOOK

A Green Guide To Natural Beauty

Green guide to natural beauty

All copies purchased through the link below are signed and can be personalised – Just let me know if you would like a specific message in the paypal checkout.
Price: £14.99 free delivery in UK

“The recipes in this book are a perfect example of ways you can make products yourself without sacrificing any luxuries.I have worked with Karen Gilbert for many years and I am delighted that she has now gathered her wonderful recipes together, to share them with a wider audience. Her recipes are great fun to make, whether you are a complete beginner or simply looking for inspiration. I am very pleased to recommend Karen’s book and I look forward to using the recipes in our workshops at Trill Farm.”
(Taken from Foreword by Romy Fraser, founder of Neal’s Yard Remedies)

We use a huge variety of products on our skin during the course of the day – from shower gel, face wash and body lotion first thing in the morning, moisturizer and hand cream to protect during the day, through to oils in a relaxing evening bath.
But have you ever stopped to wonder how many chemicals are contained in these products?

Just as we are now more aware of what we eat and how we grow our food, attention is turning to skincare products and more people are looking for a low cost, natural alternative to highly priced, highly perfumed, highly packaged store bought items.
In A Green Guide to Natural Beauty, Karen Gilbert shows you the easy way to make your own lotions and potions, using easy-to-obtain ingredients and easy-to-follow methods. For the face, there are moisturisers, facemasks and cleansers; for the body choose from scrubs and shower gels, soaps and body lotions. And when you need some extra-special pampering, try the recipes for lip balms, massage bar, bath oils, and eye gels. As Karen says: “making your own beauty products is so simple once you know how – it really is no different to cooking. In most cases it’s actually easier – if you can make a sauce, you can make a lotion”

So why not try your hand at making a neroli hydrating spritz or an apricot face scrub, a mango and lime body butter or lemon and tea tree foot balm, bergamot and grapefruit wake-up wash or cocoa butter lip balm.

The hardest part is choosing which of the pampering projects to try first!

A Green Guide To Natural Beauty Illustrations

Karen’s book is illustrated throughout with step-by-step instruction and beautiful photography. Many of the 35 recipes include variations to try at home – making them the perfect beauty gifts for friends and for trying out at pamper parties!

A Green Guide to Natural Beauty by Karen Gilbert is published by CICO Books at £16.99, Hardback and available from all good bookshops or you can pre-order it from Amazon Here.

Rosalind Stewart
Commented: September 23, 2011 at 5:32 pm

Karen

Your website looks great! Attended your bath and body products workshop last night and am now well sugar scrubbed! Only problem – what’s the best way of getting bath bombs out of heart-shaped moulds without breaking them? They smell fantastic but are reluctant to leave the moulds…

Best wishes Rosalind

Karen Commented: September 26, 2011 at 11:16 am
Hi Rosalind I hope you had a great weekend. Did you manage to get them out of the moulds yet? Sometimes they need a little longer to dry out. Although we use the plastic ones at the Make Lounge as they buy them in bulk, I prefer to use silicone ones myself as they make it very easy to remove the bath bombs. Karen

Nishi
Commented: October 4, 2011 at 10:53 am

Hi Karen
Have attended 2 of your courses (luxury skin products and bat & body). Really enjoyed both and have tried out your class recipes successfully.

Plus bought your recent book! Love it. But am trying to make the vanilla and vetiver body cream and it’s refusing to thicken! Tried it twice now and have whisked continuously for 10 mins. but no result! Please could you advise?

Thanx
Nishi
Nishinomiya

Nishi
Commented: October 4, 2011 at 10:54 am

Thanx

Nishinomiya

Karen Commented: October 4, 2011 at 11:18 am
Hi Nishi It is probably the emulsifier you are using. Different brands of emulsifying wax act slightly differently and some need extra thickeners. What are you using? Regards Karen

Nishi
Commented: October 9, 2011 at 6:13 pm

Hi Karen

I’ve been using emulsifying wax Steareth 21 from The Soap Kitchen.

Tried adding a thickener but it became much too thick!

Could you recommend an emulsifier which will work without a thickener?

Nishi

Karen
Commented: October 9, 2011 at 11:11 pm

Hi Nishi
I use the one from Neal’s Yard Remedies http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/emulsifying-wax
It will work on its own without another thickener. With Steareth 21 you must use either cetyl alcohol or cetearyl alcohol. Have a read through the section in the book on emulsifiers, it should help clarify things

regards
Karen

Nishi
Commented: October 10, 2011 at 9:30 am

Thanx Karen. Will try the one you’ve recommended and read more thouroughly through the book.

Karen Commented: October 16, 2011 at 8:33 pm
Hi Nishi I have also make this recipe with Emulsifying powder from Fresholi at 5% along with 3% cetyl alcohol. You could also try with the Soap kitchen Steareth 21 at 5% and 3% cetyl alcohol too. Unfortunately due to space contraints and the fact the book is also published overseas I had to simplify the emulsifiers section and couldn’t put in any brand names. Where I refer to emulsifying wax in the book it is always the NYR one. Regards Karen

Nishi
Commented: October 19, 2011 at 1:33 pm

Am about to order a number of items from Aromantics to try out more recipes from your brilliant book (the rejuvenating face oil and argan eye oil) ……so I wonder if they too have a suitable emulsifier you could recommend? One which works without a thickener.

It will save me the postage cost at Neals Yard!

Regards
Nishi x

Jay
Commented: October 21, 2011 at 1:04 pm

Do you give private lessons and if so how much do you charge?

Kind regards

Jay

Karen
Commented: October 24, 2011 at 9:14 pm

Hi Jay

I usually run classes for groups but am happy to discuss your requirements. Please email me at karen@karengilbert.co.uk with a bit more info on the kind of class you are looking for.

Kelly Commented: December 26, 2011 at 11:28 am
I bought this book for myself as an early Christmas present. I already have a lot of knowledge and experience with creating my own products, but this book is a great resource. The recipes are simple but give the impression of luxury and sophistication. A truly wonderful book.