Science and Personal Products

The activities described involve the preparation of lip balm and hand lotion. Students have the opportunity to create their own unique yet safe combinations for these products in the classr... See More

The activities described involve the preparation of lip balm and hand lotion. Students have the opportunity to create their own unique yet safe combinations for these products in the classroom, at after-school programs or at home. In making the lotion they learn the chemistry of solubility and emulsions. All aspects of the preparation and production of these products are laid out in this article. These activities provided a great deal of interest for girls in middle school science and help them create positive attitudes about how science effects the world they live in.

Creative way to draw girls into science

I enjoyed reading this article, as it reminded me of all the projects I used to do with my Girl Scouts. Most girls are fond of creating personal care products, and the activity does a nice j... See More

I enjoyed reading this article, as it reminded me of all the projects I used to do with my Girl Scouts. Most girls are fond of creating personal care products, and the activity does a nice job of mixing in a little bit of chemistry. I also liked the idea of bringing in female students in chemistry for assistants. This would be a great informal science workshop activity, or be a good activity to explain the differences between physical and chemical reactions (especially if soap-making was added to the activity). It probably would not work as well in a mixed-gender classroom.