Articles & Experiments
A big brand’s “mouldy” mistake
I found every skincare DIYer & beauty brand’s worst nightmare in the reviews for an $80CAD product on Sephora’s website. This one-star warning was right at the top of the reviews. I took a look at the other one star reviews, and again—”Horrible. Grew mold”. “Grew...
Humblebee & Me is 14!
Humblebee & Me turns 14 today! If it was a person, Humblebee & Me would've just started the 9th grade and could now get their driving learner's permit (where I'm from, at least). Want to watch this instead of read? Watch Now In the last fourteen years,...
Tallow and DIY skincare: Everything you need to know
Tallow is having a serious moment in the DIY skincare spotlight right now, so today we're digging into this meaty ingredient. What is it? Is the hype justified? And how can you use it in your DIY skincare creations? I began working with tallow back in 2011, primarily...
How I Would Learn to Formulate (if I could start over)
You’ve made your first DIY lip balms, body butters, and maybe even a lotion. You’ve shared your creations with your friends and family, and they love them! Now you’ve got the itch to try creating your own recipes instead of just following ones you found online. But......
The FREE formulation strategy you need to know
Have you ever purchased a brand new ingredient and then had no idea how to actually include it in a formulation? Or perhaps you’ve been wanting to create your own formulation for something that's unlike anything you've ever made before, but you have no idea where to...
Avoid these two common ingredient label mistakes
If you dream of selling your handmade skincare someday, one of the many responsibilities you'll be taking on is properly labelling your products. Different countries have different labelling requirements (so make sure you're researching and following all the rules set...
20 Quick & Easy Ways to Customize Lotion Formulations
So, you’ve finally made your very first lotion. Exciting stuff! If you're anything like me, you're now dreaming up all the different ways you'd love to customize the formulation. Could it be thicker? Can you add some colour? What about some scent? However, as a new...
Dangerous Essential Oil Mistakes Most DIYers Make
Essential oils are are some of the riskiest ingredients in DIY skincare, and most people don't realise it because of all the misinformation out there. There’s this idea that they’re safe and simple to use because they’re all natural, but unfortunately, that’s not the...
The key to smooth body butters
Grainy, mealy, uneven body butters are the bane of any formulator’s existence. You’re dreaming of something silky smooth and divine, but instead your body butter feels like its full of sand... or perhaps you were promised a solid bar, but got oily slop instead. Bleh!...
I tried 10 different ways to naturally color lotion.
I'm often asked about different ways to naturally colour lotions, so I conducted a fifteen-week experiment testing out ten different natural colourants to see what worked, and what didn't. Why 'lotions' specifically? Formulations that contain water—like lotions—are a...
How to naturally scent lotions with essential oils and natural fragrance oils
Today I'll be teaching you how to safely and naturally scent your lotion formulations using essential oils and natural fragrance oils. The formulations I'm sharing today are extensions of the formulation shared in this post, but you can easily apply these fragrant...
How to gently scent lotions with natural ingredients (+2 free formulas!)
In this post I'm going to teach you two ways to gently—and naturally—scent your lotion formulations without using essential oils. These scenting strategies are good options for new makers, those who have sensitive skin, and those who prefer more softly scented...
4 tips to make your body butters feel expensive
If you're looking to make your body butters stand out—make them feel more expensive, lighter, and lovelier—here are four of my top tips to do just that! These tips can be used for all kinds of body butter formulations—whipped body butters, body balms, body butter...
Why is my body butter not whipping?
Have you ever whipped up an utterly decadent body butter, only to find it transformed into a hard, crumbly brick when left overnight? Or perhaps you were whipping up a gorgeous blend of butters that suddenly collapsed into soft gloppy mess? Whipped body butters are...
Stop Believing These 6 Lotion Myths
Today we are debunking six lotion making myths that I have heard a lot in the decade-plus I've been emulsifying on the interwebs. I hope you have a bit of fun with this post, learn some things, and feel emboldened to go out and break some rules! Want to watch this...
5 ingredients that will make your formulations smell amazing
Today we're having a bit of mouthwatering, nose-delighting fun with a partner post and video for 5 ingredients that will make your formulations smell awful, which I shared earlier this month. This post is all about ingredients that I think smell amazing, and will...
5 ingredients that will make your formulations smell awful
Today we are having a bit of fun with some famously stinky ingredients Whether or not you find the smell of an ingredient to be pleasant or unpleasant (or worth a bit of unpleasant-ness for its otherwise awesome-ness) is a highly personal thing, so please keep that...
Ten pieces of equipment for new formulators: Part 2
It's time for part two of Ten Pieces of Equipment for New Formulators ❤️ If you're looking for part one, you can find it here. You might not need everything in part two straight away, but I think you'll probably want to have most of these items within...
Ten pieces of equipment for new formulators: Part 1
As a new formulator, buying ingredients is probably the most exciting type of shopping (there are so many new and promising ingredients!)—but don't overlook your equipment shopping list! After all, you'll need some tools to turn your new ingredients into all kinds of...
8 mistakes most new formulators make
Humblebee & Me's tenth birthday was last week, and it's got me thinking about all the things I've learned about making and formulating since I started making things over a decade ago. Today I thought I'd look at eight of the most common mistakes beginners...
Ten DIY Ingredients for Beginner Formulators: Part 2
Welcome to part 2 of Ten DIY Ingredients for Beginner Formulators! In part 1 we covered five anhydrous ingredients that will allow you to create all kinds of awesome anhydrous products—balms, whipped body butters, lip balm, and more. Today we're adding five more...
Ten DIY Ingredients for Beginner Formulators: Part 1
There are literally thousands of cosmetic ingredients for sale, so it's no wonder that shopping for ingredients can be an overwhelming experience for new formulators! Between the sheer number of ingredients and the often fantastical claims made about them, it can be...
Why is my body butter greasy?
If you adore body butters but prefer lighter, non-greasy formulations, then this is the post for you! Today I'm sharing my top formulation strategies to create lightweight anhydrous body butters. Let's dive in! Want to watch this project instead of reading it? Watch...
Why is my body butter melting?
It's July and it's lovely and warm here, so I thought I'd tackle a topic I get a lot of questions about—body butters and the wonky things they can do in high temperatures. It's crazy disappointing to make a lovely, soft, creamy body butter and have it transform into a...
