Beginners Botanical Lotions & Creams
Live Online Workshop
Saturday, March 21st
10:00am–1:00pm PST
Live on Zoom + Prerecorded Step-by-Step Videos
Stop wasting expensive ingredients on failed lotions.
Have you ever bought all the ingredients to make your own skincare…only to feel nervous to actually try it?
Maybe you’ve had a lotion separate. Maybe you’ve ended up with something greasy, sticky, or just disappointing. Maybe you’re worried about wasting expensive oils and herbal extracts.
You’re not alone. This is the number one reason people stop before they ever gain real confidence. This class is designed to change that.
Who this class is for
This workshop is designed for:
- DIY Makers & Herbalists
- Beginners and curious makers
- Natural skincare lovers
- Anyone who wants their first lotion to actually work
- Anyone ready to move beyond Pinterest recipes
No prior formulation experience required.
What we’ll make together
You’ll learn by doing. In this class, we’ll walk step-by-step through two foundational formulas:
✔️ A lightweight calendula lotion
✔️ A rich, deeply nourishing botanical cream with comfrey, hyaluronic acid and allantoin
You’ll see exactly how each ingredient works and how herbal tinctures, glycerites, vinegars, and infused oils can transform a simple base into truly healing, customized skincare.
My goal is that your very first lotion and cream turn out beautifully.
Along the way, I’ll share the same formulation logic I use in professional product development—translated into an approachable, home-lab-friendly process.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this workshop, you’ll feel confident and empowered to create your own herbal lotions and creams from scratch.
You’ll learn:
- What actually makes an emulsion stable (and why beeswax isn’t a true emulsifier)
- How to choose emulsifiers with confidence
- How to incorporate herbal extracts into lotions and creams
- Which herbs shin in skin care - we'll take a virtual herb walk!
- How to set up a simple, effective home formulation space
- Tips and tricks for smoother, more intuitive formulation
- How to use beginner-friendly spreadsheets (yes—Excel!) to support consistency and creativity
A supportive, live experience
Because this is a live Zoom class, you’ll be able to:
- Ask questions in real time
- Troubleshoot your formulas
- Learn alongside a supportive group of plant lovers and makers
We’ll also do a virtual herb walk, connecting you with plants traditionally used in topical body care, grounding formulation work in real herbal relationships.
Sliding Scale Pay Structure
This course is offered with sliding scale pricing. To help make this class accessible to a wider community. If you’re able, please consider choosing a higher tier to support reduced-cost spots for those with financial constraints. Thank you for helping keep herbal education equitable and community-centered.
What you’ll walk away with
When you join (or register but cannot attend the live class), you’ll receive tools you can return to again and again:
✔️ Live interactive class + real-time Q&A
✔️ Full recording to rewatch anytime
✔️ Digital handouts and complete recipes
✔️ Foundational formulas you can customize
✔️ PDF of the full slide deck
✔️ Beginner-friendly Excel formula sheets
✔️ Links to private step-by-step follow-along videos
✔️ A comprehensive supply list with sourcing links
You’ll have everything you need to continue building confidence and skill after the class.
Materials and preparation
Raw materials are not included, but you’ll receive a detailed supply list of both essential home lab tools and raw ingredients, with trusted sourcing links so you can confidently gather what you need.
Registration details
This is a live, interactive online class.
After purchase, you’ll receive:
A confirmation email
Zoom access details
If you don’t receive your email:
Check your spam folder
Contact me at [email protected]
Learn more about the course by watching this video:
Interested but need more time?
Submit your contact information and I'll be sure to notify you as class gets closer!
Workshop Flow: A Step-by-Step Journey to Confident Formulation
- Foundations for Success
We’ll begin by setting you up with a simple, effective home formulation space, covering essential tools, beginner-friendly safety practices, and how packaging choices like pumps vs. jars impact stability and shelf life. - Understanding Ingredients
Next, we’ll demystify the core building blocks of lotions and creams, including oil and water phases, emulsifiers, humectants, botanical extracts, thickeners, and preservation so you understand exactly what each ingredient is doing in your formulas. - Formulation Fundamentals
You’ll learn how to research ingredients, use percentage ranges with confidence, and understand how oil-to-water ratios influence texture, absorption, and stability so you can avoid failed batches and start customizing your own skincare. - Creating Your First Lotion
Together, we’ll walk step-by-step through a soothing calendula lotion, exploring infused oils, glycerin, and tinctures while building your confidence with emulsions and learning how small adjustments transform the final result. - Building a Nourishing Face Cream
We’ll then move into a richer botanical cream, working with butters, plant waxes like myrica, and skin-supportive actives such as hyaluronic acid and allantoin to create luxurious, stable textures tailored to different skin types. - Herbal Connections
To ground this work in traditional herbalism, we’ll explore some of the plants most often used in topical care—like calendula, comfrey, gotu kola, plantain, aloe, and yarrow—so your formulations feel rooted in real relationships with the plants.
Your Instructor
Colleen Bingham Solis is a certified herbalist, natural product formulator, and educator with over a decade of experience in herbal medicine and botanical product development. As Herb Nerd's founder, Colleen is dedicated to making herbal formulation approachable, empowering, and science-informed. She began her studies in 2010, later completing advanced training at the California School of Herbal Studies, where she served as core faculty and taught for nearly a decade. She now teaches workshops and classes throughout the California Bay Area, supporting students in building confident, hands-on herbal skills.
In 2013, she founded Poppy Botanicals, a plant-based skincare brand and creative incubator for botanical beauty. Her background spans product development, education, and regulatory strategy for national wellness brands including Traditional Medicinals, Urban Moonshine, Dr. Morse’s, Herbal Academy and Renew Life. Known for blending traditional plant wisdom & modern formulation with authenticity and humor, Colleen helps students create stable, effective herbal products with clarity and confidence.