Uses for Silica Powder
So, if you’ve ever ventured into the world of scrubs, you know that a common concern is the oil line on top of the product. It can make your scrub oily, and it can cause leaking from the jar. The use of Silica can eliminate that!

Silica is an amazing product! It’s a white powder that when added to oil, turns your oil into a gel. I buy mine from Dawn.

The reason I buy mine from Dawn, specifically, is because I have not been able to find another supplier who has a product with such a low usage rate. Dawn’s starting recommendation is 3%, where I’ve seen others as high as 20%!

Ok, so here’s how I make a scrub with the gelled oil…

10 ounces Rice Bran Oil
2 ounces Silica
Brown Sugar
Fragrance

Add Silica to your oil; use either a stick blender or a whisk to blend VERY well! I have tons of left over squirt bottles from oils that I’ve purchased, so I just pour the gelled oil into one of those bottles, since they’ve got a pour spout on them. I put about 3 ounces of brown sugar into a 4-ounce jar, add fragrance and pour the gelled oil over it. Once the jar is full, I close the lid and SHAKE till I can’t shake no more. Open it up and check to see if it’s a) shaken enough and b) in need of more gelled oil. If it does need more gelled oil, add it and repeat.

There are just so many uses for Silica that I can’t even begin to describe them all! Gelled oil and fragrance alone can make a wonderfully moisturizing product. Add more Silica and put it in a clear jar and it’s an air freshener (I use an 8 ounce canning jar and place a square of Tulle under the ring of the lid, rather than the cap under the ring). Dawn suggests using it in your salves instead of beeswax, or adding it your lotions and creams to thicken and stabilize.

As you can see, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Happy Soaping!

Have another idea on how to use Silica? Let me know! Soapmaking@bellaonline.com