Bottega Zero Waste

Last week I sent what is probably the most vulnerable email I have ever written in my life.

In there, I announced that I am going on a Sabbatical and will be taking a step back from my business, to redefine what showing up in this online space means for me.

Since I became a mom, I had to redefine my proprieties around the limited time I now have.

My journey into motherhood meant I dedicated most - if not all of my time (very gratefully so) to my baby.

Filming content and preparing recipes just for the sake of it and to just keep showing up on social media, started to feel very out of alignment. It’s not why I had started in the first place!

This summer I decided to take an extended break from social media to start being 100% present in my life - something I had somehow forgotten along the way.

It felt liberating.

It felt like I finally had the permission to accept the messiness of my current state of being.

I also realised how detaching from my work did not mean I was losing myself or my values: I was simply reframing them.

It’s the start of a new journey and a new project is forming in my mind, but…it’s not quite ready yet.

And if there is a lesson I have learned during my making journey is how important being patient and enjoying the process is. Isn’t this how our best formulations come to life? ✨

Before I ‘leave’ this corner of the internet, I have decided to create “from Scratch”: a limited email series which contains everything I have learned in the past 5 years of making my own zero waste bath & beauty products - filter free.

Sign up for free using the link in bio and receive a free digital booklet with my best formulation tips and recipes at the end 💌

I am so incredibly grateful to have connected with all of you - no matter whether you’ve been here since day 1 or if you’ve just recently found your way into this space.

Thank you for being here 🙏

Marta

Let’s face it: making cosmetic products 100% zero waste is likely not possible.

whenever we start making our own products, we inevitably create some waste.

Some ingredients simply cannot be packaged in paper or glass for pure logistical and safety reasons.

- avoid buying really small quantities but rather try buy “in bulk”.

When you buy an ingredient in a larger quantity make sure to check what the shelf life of that ingredient is and whether you would be able to use it up before it expires!

- try minimising the amount of ingredients you use in your recipes. You can actually obtain really nice recipes using just a handful of ingredients across many different products!
- If you end up creating some inevitable waste, make sure to recycle what you can, reuse or consciously dispose of what you cannot.

Which of these have you implemented to reduce waste from making your own products?

Finally, Natural Soap Making comes to !
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I am so excited to announce that on Monday 27th of February 2023, the very *first* natural soap making course in English will be launched on Domestika!
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When Domestika contacted me and proposed me to record this course, I knew I had to create something different from what I personally offered (my courses and workshops). I wanted to really put out in the world something very simple and accessible for anyone just starting out and is not familiar with soap making.
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Like every Domestika course, you learn how to make 1 project - in our case, it will be a lovely pink clay soap. using just 2 ingredients: olive and coconut oil! Scroll to see the final project 😍
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Aaaand there will be a sneaky launch price discount for all my email subscribers so make sure to sign up to my mailing list before Monday if you haven't already, the link is in my bio!
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So, where are my aspiring Soap Makers at? Have you ever dreamt about making your own soap? Let me know in the comments!!

Hello Makers!

I have a little announcement 🤩🤩 ...all free online soap making and shampoo bars making workshops are available again!

All you need to do to register for free is click here: https://bit.ly/3dp5FvJ

These workshops have literally transformed the life of so many Makers and I seriously cannot wait for you to join and change your life - yesss I am that confident you will love them!

Which zero waste product would you like to learn to make the most: natural soaps or shampoo bars?

What if I don’t have enough space at home to make my own products 😱 This is one of the main concerns people normally have when they want to start making their own products at home.
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The reality is that every single product I have ever made has been made from my 8 square meters kitchen! That's probably the thing I love the most about this kind of craft - the products you make for yourself are often small so you need small amounts of ingredients.
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If you are looking for a starting tool kit to make anything that would be:
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-1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon
-1 silicone spatula
-1 stainless steel saucepan
-1 heat safe jug or bowl (usually pyrex or stainless steel) & 1 normal bowl (usually glass or ceramic)
-1 scale: if possible high precision so you are able to weight small amounts of ingredients like essential oils
-repurposed jars/tins
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For soap making only, add:
-Safety tools: gloves & goggles for soap making
-Stick blender
-moulds (repurposed milk cartons or silicone moulds )
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What can’t be missing from your maker’s toolkit?
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If you have any specific questions about tools, safety measures, setting up the work space etc. ask below!

Synthetic colours remain. Natural colours fade.
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Nature is so unpredictable and that's the beauty of it. Take, for example green: it's one of the most difficult colours to achieve naturally because it's so sensitive to light - when exposed to it, it will most likely turn brown at some point. The only green I seemed to have found to resist oxidation is green clay!
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What natural colours did you find were the most tricky to work with in your diy experiments?

Ps. Whether you call it magic or chemistry, I think it’s still super fascinating - I am pretty sure I’ll never use synthetic colours in my soaps or shampoo bars 🙂

What's the difference between a lotion made with oils & butters and a cream made with water? Simply put, the cream made with water is more hydrating then a "cream" made with just oil.
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The oil might do a really good job at softening and nourishing the skin but if your skin is really dry it likely needs water!
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The reason why you don't see around many recipes for handmade creams is that a cream made with water is much more complex to make, and to preserve. Yes because you absolutely need a preservative if you don't want to end up with a nasty germ-filled mouldy cream after 1-2 days :) This is the reason why I hadn't tried to make my own water-based cream for such a long time!
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I have made a few creams over the past few months and truly love the process which I will share in an upcoming video. Plus I will be sharing my very first cream recipe in my newsletter so make sure you are signed up to that to receive it straight into your email before it's published anywhere else. The email is going out on Monday! Sign up here:

https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5f5bfa5daaa7c444003d6497
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Do you find your skin gets enough nourishment from oils and butters? What's putting you off (if anything) to try and make your own handmade creams?

Why are we so conscious about what food we eat and a little less about what self-care products we use?
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Right at the beginning of my zero waste journey, when I was trying to find ways to live more zero waste, I realised that soap was a really easy swap to do.
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But right after that I also realised I had not idea how soap was made. NO clue.
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How was that possible?
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This thought triggered the sudden realisation that I was living consuming things I did not know what or how were made.

I checked the label of a shampoo and the ingredients were completely unknown to me. Same it went for any other product I had in my bathroom.
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I mean, if we care about what food we want to consume so much, how is it possible that most of the times we have no idea how our cosmetic products are made?
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I really cannot find a logical answer to this question and would love to hear your opinions!

Where to purchase DIY ingredients 👩‍🔬
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Where do you buy the ingredients to make your own products? This is by far one of the most asked question I get almost on a daily basis...it can be tricky to understand even where to start and get ingredients!
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I purchase all of my cosmetic ingredients online and I try to do so from 1, max 2 suppliers per order to offset shipping emissions & costs, depending on what I need to buy. I try to limit my online shopping to 1 a month or even every couple of months and get a bigger order instead of many small ones. These are my current favourite UK suppliers:
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bayhousearomatics.com



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I have updated the list of worldwide suppliers - download it for free through the link in my bio!
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I am so incredibly thankful also for all your suggestions of your favourite suppliers! There were many I did not know so you sharing your insights is so incredibly helpful for anyone in need of this information.
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What's your method for ordering cosmetic ingredients?

The last few dreamy days in the Tuscan countryside reminded me of this photo is dated 2018, when I literally started making my own products, experimenting with vinegar and oil infusions! I am carrying with me a bouquet of aromatic herbs I have picked up: sage, thyme, rosemary.
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There are so many things you can do with herbs. My favourite uses are in the kitchen as condiments and pestos, as well as oil infusions.
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As soon as I go back to London my plan is to make an oil infusion starting with rosemary. Out of that balm I will make a calming balm, great for those autumnal cold days. Rosemary oil is also great to use as a scalp massage to promote healthy hair. Stay tuned as tomorrow I will share with you my oil infusion recipe :)
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What are your favourite oil infusions?