tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88946879430939028432023-11-16T02:35:39.524-08:00all things soap!all about making natural soap, read about the fun, the ingredients, and other healthy natural soap related topics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-84221806122999886832011-05-13T21:36:00.000-07:002011-05-13T21:42:33.939-07:00Soap Nuts for laundry, the best laundry solution yet<span style="color: midnightblue;"><b></b></span><br />
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Soap nuts for laundry is easier than you may think. Also consider that when you use toxic store brand laundry detergent, you are wearing these chemicals everytime you wear your clothes, or use a towel, or sleep! Soap nuts has become the best way to naturally clean your laundry! Get some history on soap nuts here, it has a proven track record.</li><br />
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Basically, using soap nuts for laundry is easy - place 5 soap nuts in a bag, usually supplied with the soap nuts, draw the draw string tight, and place in with the laundry. That's it. Some people add a few drops (10) of essential oils for a natural scent, such as lemongrass and lavender. You will get 5 loads worth from these, then the shells can go into a compost.<br />
In point form, laundry soap nuts are:<br />
environmentally friendly<br />
sustainably produced<br />
bio-degradable<br />
compostable<br />
natural<br />
chemical free<br />
not messy like powders.<br />
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For your skin, soap nuts are:<br />
gentle on clothes<br />
great for sensitive skin<br />
reduces allergens<br />
reduces eczema<br />
better for babies<br />
makes clothes softer<br />
has no scent.<br />
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When using soap nuts for laundry:<br />
remove bag before placing clothes in dryer<br />
re-use the soap nuts for 4 - 5 loads<br />
good for front and top loaders<br />
use less for half a load<br />
can leave in spin cycle<br />
do the usual separation of darks and lights<br />
wash darks with new nuts and whites with used nuts<br />
no fabric softener is needed.<br />
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And the variables:<br />
some say the soap nuts for laundry work best in warm and hot water, some say cold works just as well<br />
liquid version of the soap nuts can be made for cold water, 1/4 - 1/2 cup<br />
you can use a sock for the cotton drawstring bag<br />
soap nuts are darker, shinier and soft when used up<br />
can put 3 nuts in the cutlery holder of dishwasher for your dishes (and vinegar in the rinse dispenser)<br />
that nuts work in hot or cold, but that you would have less loads when using these on hot<br />
keep the soap nuts out of direct sunlight<br />
keep in an airtight container to prevent stickiness (in humidity)<br />
if sticky, still good to use<br />
2 pounds or 1 kg of soap nuts should last for over 300 loads<br />
the rinse cycle could be skipped as there is no detergents to rinse away<br />
for stains you may still need an oxygen based whitening powder.<br />
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Liquid soap nuts can be used for a variety of uses, such as shampoo, dish soap, hand washable, household cleaners, pet shampoo, and anywhere else you would use a liquid cleaner. Usually there is a liquid version where ever you would purchase your nuts.<br />
To make liquid soap:<br />
put about 6 - 8 soap nuts (2.5 oz or 50g) of crushed soap nuts in 4 cups of water<br />
bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes<br />
let cool and add a natural thickener like Xanthum Gum<br />
and a natural essential oil scent if desired<br />
a batch will make enough for 8 loads, at 1/4 to 1/2 cup each load<br />
uses batches within 2 weeks (the nuts last almost forever).<br />
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Essential oil scent examples are:<br />
For bathroom - tea tree or lemongrass<br />
for dish washing - sweet orange<br />
for laundry - lavender.<br />
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-6840250260586718472011-02-03T14:27:00.000-08:002011-02-03T14:27:17.162-08:00Sunflower oil in soap making and skin care<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEbURtN5tY9fQrXfivQFDC7jF2cep9afqfO4vSKMLmAONS2ffcwmdRLlUZKCq15xOF66LphAhfdRU3YG1dkbjeOI_mjxbil5xnUakbv4JNz1mm0i6WV9-iT4iUvhWoxLXRl7R-i6QllnP/s1600/sunflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEbURtN5tY9fQrXfivQFDC7jF2cep9afqfO4vSKMLmAONS2ffcwmdRLlUZKCq15xOF66LphAhfdRU3YG1dkbjeOI_mjxbil5xnUakbv4JNz1mm0i6WV9-iT4iUvhWoxLXRl7R-i6QllnP/s1600/sunflower.jpg" /></a></div>Sunflower oil in soap making, a great nut oil with natural nutrients. It's botanical name is Helianthus annuus, and the oil is obtained through the cold pressed method. This pale-yellow to yellow oil has high amounts of Vitamins A, B, D and E, minerals, lecithin, insulin, and unsaturated fatty acids and used commonly in massage, manufacturing, and in aromatherapy, all with no known cautions. As a massage oil, sunflower absorbs slowly, lessening repeated applications. it has a shelf life of 6 months to 1 year with cooler temperatures and no-sunlight conditions, though refrigeration after opening is recommended.<br />
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Sunflower Carrier Oil is described as the non-volatile oil expressed from sunflower seeds, containing linoleic acid, oleic acid, lecithin, carotenoids and a high Vitamin E content. Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid and a component of natural fats derived from either vegetable oils or animal fat. Oleic acid acts as an emulsifier, surfactant, thickening agent and emollient. High Oleic Sunflower Oil has at least 82% oleic acid. Only the high-oleic variety possesses shelf life sufficient for commercial cosmetic formulation.<br />
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In cosmetics, Sunflower Oil has smoothing properties beneficial for both dry and oily skin complexions. It gently moisturizes the skin without leaving an oily sheen and often used to manufacture creams, lotions, sun creams, massage oils, hair creams, bath oils and more.<br />
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sunflower oil in soap making According to the National Sunflower Association, there are three types of sunflower oil: linoleic, high oleic, and NuSun. Linoleic sunflower oil contains high levels of polyunsaturated fat, essential fatty acids. High oleic sunflower possesses a high level of monounsaturated fat. NuSun sunflower oil contains less than ten percent saturated fat.<br />
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Sunflower oil is a perfect source of vitamin E, containing more of the vitamin than any other vegetable oil. One teaspoon of sunflower oil has 5.5 milligrams (28 percent of the needed daily value) of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that prevents damage to human cells.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEW1gSvZY3uVPuKRejlTD8i2_U0mqn75MO7wHawUMm6VecsbRRqKjRFS-fGf26u9K5R1KOY1fj75VB7SMP9THSkSczugLJ7KILd8csK0AJtqNY51aHtnLWPcBoFtx1FD9kBwWJJxN8MrX/s1600/oilpouring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEW1gSvZY3uVPuKRejlTD8i2_U0mqn75MO7wHawUMm6VecsbRRqKjRFS-fGf26u9K5R1KOY1fj75VB7SMP9THSkSczugLJ7KILd8csK0AJtqNY51aHtnLWPcBoFtx1FD9kBwWJJxN8MrX/s1600/oilpouring.jpg" /></a>In skin care, sunflower oil in soap making and lotions, can provide protection for the skin as it offers a protective coating that can help prevent infection and inflammation, as well as treating acne. Skin care products, such as body wash, cleansers, and moisturizers often contain sunflower oil because of its natural power to retain skin moisture.<br />
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sunflower oil in soap making Homemade bath product makers often include sunflower oil in soap making and skin care products due to its excellent moisturizing. Because it is rich in linoleic acid it is useful for soaps designed to soften the skin. But when sunflower oil is the only oil used in soaps there is a much higher chance of the product spoiling, it works well as a superfatting oil too.<br />
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In other bath products using sunflower oils, natural preservatives such as rosemary or grapefruit extract will help. These can help to slow down the oxidization process so that the product lasts a lot longer. Using a high oleic Sunflower oil can also give an extended shelf life.<br />
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Sunflower oil has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of skin conditions, such as acne, because of vitamin E levels.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-45933929022011042702010-11-02T19:40:00.000-07:002010-11-02T19:41:28.986-07:00Christmas, the biggest selling season!Christmas is the best time of the year sell soap and make some decent money. At my soap store, the months of November and December accounted for almost 30% of our annual sales. Next were the summer months, and January being the worse.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZla2o12CopjMbyc3jf-KYUj_-W5QuN-dhOGkW50GU6GEEloj7hJr9HmxhVhyphenhyphen3OBAIIj4_LatMBhxmyTHyqkRKaHqn2tO6eqhhcWTshgMZlLaUgVgh7iOZEzJrgLEQcM3S6hTXcv3R7FG/s1600/xmas+soaps+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZla2o12CopjMbyc3jf-KYUj_-W5QuN-dhOGkW50GU6GEEloj7hJr9HmxhVhyphenhyphen3OBAIIj4_LatMBhxmyTHyqkRKaHqn2tO6eqhhcWTshgMZlLaUgVgh7iOZEzJrgLEQcM3S6hTXcv3R7FG/s320/xmas+soaps+008.jpg" width="320" /></a>One of the seasonal soaps we had was Christmas Spice, with orange, cinnamon and cloves. We tinted it orange with a brown swirl, to represent the cinnamon and cloves. If we didn't sell them all at Christmas, then we changed the label to Orange Spice, and that scent sold the rest of the year.<br />
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There was also a Candy Cane soap, which was peppermint scented, an all white bar with a red swirl. If this bar didn't sell at Christmas, it ended up in the discount section. (These are the bars above, I've edited out the company name as we sold this business a couple of years ago, and unfortunately, my scanner did not pick up the gold shimmer in the bar, but trust me, it was beautiful)<br />
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The best selling Christmas bar was a Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, a nice neutral scented bar good for men and woman. This bar was white, with a tan swirl, and gold mica on its front. It was definitely one of the prettiest bars around. Make your bar as usual, we used fragrance oil for our scent, and when the bars were cut and cured and ready for labeling, we would dip the bar face into a plate of gold mica, carefully or you will have a mica cloud, gently rubbed the mica into the bar, brushing off any excess, then labeled.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEorlAagXJ2ded6juTiEZ2tjJK5DYrRlfpTgAoSMAjihXjqnlPM0K3OENRpHhPDVdw7oA6S_jkGnOXF6FjD2wI-aHlUct1zHZvwh15ImVESW0cvzIyGnMMckVbZ34WGgwKKp4rMnVKxHG5/s1600/sign,+kim,+store+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEorlAagXJ2ded6juTiEZ2tjJK5DYrRlfpTgAoSMAjihXjqnlPM0K3OENRpHhPDVdw7oA6S_jkGnOXF6FjD2wI-aHlUct1zHZvwh15ImVESW0cvzIyGnMMckVbZ34WGgwKKp4rMnVKxHG5/s200/sign,+kim,+store+021.jpg" width="162" /></a>We would take these 3 christmas bars, place them in a long flat cello bag so that all their labels and faces were showing, tied the top and sold as a package. This was a big seller.<br />
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I am attending a christmas sale this weekend, and I think I am ready to go. My signs and decor are all ready, and I am planning to sell out. Don't be afraid to take your discount bars as well. I took my last year, and these were the first to go. So yes, people are christmas shopping, but if there is something they can get for themselves, or simply add soap to an existing gift, they will appreciate these bars. <br />
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And a photo of one of the packages we had pre-made, these five bath salts came in a little wood crate, and looked so pretty, a mineral bath salt for every occasion!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-38627492958804442002010-07-28T23:20:00.000-07:002010-07-28T23:20:41.158-07:00My soap classes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmzFtmOZFUvBWK6pdZQEgve9p6FWMXmECn8LPALbk3a8rtS07jk09tQRMtKfm-aYLUSX0Z3BWHzrB6vo8XTmI3jhua3W1DL1Dhima4oQGncirTTMzR7kh4sProSl8gjBaKJ0ew6Dyv-rV/s1600/cookingclipart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmzFtmOZFUvBWK6pdZQEgve9p6FWMXmECn8LPALbk3a8rtS07jk09tQRMtKfm-aYLUSX0Z3BWHzrB6vo8XTmI3jhua3W1DL1Dhima4oQGncirTTMzR7kh4sProSl8gjBaKJ0ew6Dyv-rV/s1600/cookingclipart.jpg" /></a>I teach soap making classes, as well as lotion and perfume oil making classes. I teach these through the local recreation center. These classes are fun to do, and the students always have good questions to ask. I charge a modest $30 per student, and they get to leave with a container of approximately 4 bars worth of soap base that they have scented themselves.<br />
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Recently, one of my students is moving to a beautiful little island on the coast and is going to start making soap herself, and selling it through her new bed and breakfast, as well as local events. This student has already ventured and started making liquid soaps and created her own scent blends.<br />
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Another of my students, who took both the soap and lotion classes, has started making lotion for sale too. We were together at one of the markets, me with my soap, and her with 100% natural lotions. I even bought one of hers. Even though I know how to make it, I had ran out and hadn't got around to it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ESsETdzID2za3EOf7BxB7Rg7RZ-VIVGljAk26pgXmVmLMxzr5hyF9FbAQ1Q54jR1RIxqUuHxJiTCO-VSzX6jE4Cd3O-mc1Ova89aT2vjYvWGrvbnA-Ot6aCaEf8ds6a-ZaIMnDWuLrUp/s1600/combo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ESsETdzID2za3EOf7BxB7Rg7RZ-VIVGljAk26pgXmVmLMxzr5hyF9FbAQ1Q54jR1RIxqUuHxJiTCO-VSzX6jE4Cd3O-mc1Ova89aT2vjYvWGrvbnA-Ot6aCaEf8ds6a-ZaIMnDWuLrUp/s200/combo2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Making natural products yourself can be addictive. Once you realize that you are able to make quality and all natural products, customized with the ingredients that you want, you can never go back. Which is good, as having less chemicals in our lives, makes for a healthier environment.<br />
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Much luck to my students as they progress with their natural soaps and lotions.!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-17152693723624848202010-07-24T22:20:00.000-07:002010-07-24T22:20:50.821-07:00Selling soap at the Farmers Market<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwgCg98XSUgMopWS9uZJtQnfdE58FGzuQ7zUyH0LCO1brCVDbUgoCJZ_f2RkdpXJilEZWK3GI_t3sDFPV25_thvuU5CDKH2NweL5jTPynQaE4fCEzPhAq_kJKpoQ21AR0opgFU7Aq5D8a/s1600/farmermarketimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDwgCg98XSUgMopWS9uZJtQnfdE58FGzuQ7zUyH0LCO1brCVDbUgoCJZ_f2RkdpXJilEZWK3GI_t3sDFPV25_thvuU5CDKH2NweL5jTPynQaE4fCEzPhAq_kJKpoQ21AR0opgFU7Aq5D8a/s1600/farmermarketimage.jpg" /></a>I've mentioned the Farmers Market a few times in these posts, but the market has been on my mind a lot lately as it is summer and I am attending as many as possible. Yet as wonderful and outdoorsy and eco-friendly these markets are, there is sometimes a thread of unhappiness. I've been attending these things for years, all over the place, and here are a couple of things to consider.<br />
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When soap is fairly new, in the 1 - 3 month stage, it is susceptible to sunlight. Oddly, not so much heat, but direct sunlight. I will leave soap in my van for days till the next event, and this extreme heat will not soften the bars. Yet if I have the same soap in direct sunlight at a market, it will get a little softer, especially at the minimum cured age. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVf-q0eHUJNJlEL9EwS2JvJZvUB_j9pvWSyJLmR83vvXUVl3YDsxOTSLJwXFnWeEstQPXsIoVpSUCElZRVBf2javVHVstYnFZp_iADdh1Sy2Qw06WIyMVPEKOILES7x0c5Nu090uh2iDg/s1600/heatsuntherm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVf-q0eHUJNJlEL9EwS2JvJZvUB_j9pvWSyJLmR83vvXUVl3YDsxOTSLJwXFnWeEstQPXsIoVpSUCElZRVBf2javVHVstYnFZp_iADdh1Sy2Qw06WIyMVPEKOILES7x0c5Nu090uh2iDg/s1600/heatsuntherm.jpg" /></a>So when I go to out of town markets, I explain that I will want a north facing booth so that the sun does not ruin my product. And they always say sure, that they will make a note of this. Yet when you get there, half of the time you are not facing north. I will find the market rep and ask about this only to be told that they didn't really know which way was north. (I think I was speechless the first time I heard this, I have since taken a poll and only about half of people seem to know which direction is north, or south, etc.)<br />
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Another super important fact is location. For some crazy reason, my local market has some strategy known only to themselves. Our market is in a parking lot corner, clearly visible on the main street, can't miss it. But when people come to visit, they enter from the other side, and they do not always walk around to the outside row of booths, the booths that actually face this road. They do walk around the center, which is U-shaped with a large canopy in the center to sit under. From this center vantage point, they see a surrounding of booths, and perhaps they think these interior booths are the same booths they spotted from the exterior. But they are not. <br />
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We have talked to them about having a large U-shape around the perimeter of this area, with a row of booths up the center, then everyone could be seen. But they don't do this. A couple of weeks ago, I got stuck on the outside, and made probably the worse sales ever. A week later, I have an inside space, and get sales 20% over my average. <br />
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A friend of mine, a soapmaker, went to an event where they had agreed on a particular space, upon arrival, it was an in-the-sun and less-traffic space. She gave it some thought, said no thanks, she wanted the agreed space, and maybe she'll come back next week. Then Presto, they just happened to have a better space for her. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-72736505327416063392010-07-11T10:57:00.000-07:002010-07-11T10:57:21.178-07:00On being an Artisan, part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYTFPgXHA3Yl7wCXirznHgnhku_HuEBW3fOwaNM2V2YmD_devqlC2vUG2bn0ruHyCqncYrYkboAGqPxrtov09IvrogEQUc8LmWkUjOQ9xIZnxtDAfMGaCe2mY1AM2DhRiQFLQDCMeqcB_/s1600/questionmark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYTFPgXHA3Yl7wCXirznHgnhku_HuEBW3fOwaNM2V2YmD_devqlC2vUG2bn0ruHyCqncYrYkboAGqPxrtov09IvrogEQUc8LmWkUjOQ9xIZnxtDAfMGaCe2mY1AM2DhRiQFLQDCMeqcB_/s320/questionmark.jpg" /></a></div>The entire reason for my previous post was to inform artisans that there is always the fine print, there is always something that they are not telling you. I did not know that there was such an unfair discrepency in the rent paying and commissions at the artisan store. How can someone (store owner) be so stupid to not see how their negative and unfair behavior may actually annoy some people. So here is some of what you may need to know when you consign your soap or anything else.<br />
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1. Most artists pay a commission on the sale of their product. The average seems to be anywhere from 25% - 40%. It is not usually any less, but may reach 50%; <br />
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2. Find out if there are any additional hidden fees, such as advertising;<br />
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3. If you feel you need insurance for your products, you are the one that is responsible for that. Because the store owner does not own your product, they cannot insure it;<br />
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4. Which leads to a very important point, your product belongs to you and only you. Nobody can tell you when you can pick up/remove your product. They may prefer non-store hours, and you may have signed something stating non-store hours, but you take your product when you want;<br />
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5. Do not agree to an exclusive arrangement. This is when one business wants to be the only business in town/area to carry your product. These are people that are being selfish and silly and are thinking rather high about themselves. A friend of mine that makes soap consigns here products at a hair salon/gift shop, and this store owner wants an exclusive. The thing is, if my friend could make enough money from this one store, then go for it. But if you are making a measly few dollars then don't;<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4n-5oPKuKO-JQAZNb3cnP9e5o_dRB2N7l15bBg7btn-rJbjJAUZFJ9odW_9eGi3EYhYuJY6skNMlHE5vHYyezYtr7krCOlkCnfjwAXMDptQghRCHJUA_mYLdfmCOpBO9Q2m3UyA7nqJ-/s1600/shelveunit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4n-5oPKuKO-JQAZNb3cnP9e5o_dRB2N7l15bBg7btn-rJbjJAUZFJ9odW_9eGi3EYhYuJY6skNMlHE5vHYyezYtr7krCOlkCnfjwAXMDptQghRCHJUA_mYLdfmCOpBO9Q2m3UyA7nqJ-/s320/shelveunit.jpg" /></a></div>6. Do you supply the display materials? At my store, we had some extra supply materials that the artists were welcome to use. We often we didn't have the right or complementary displays, so the artists would bring in their own. A nice display sells the product. <br />
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7. Do you have to have your products coded and priced? In the beginning of our store, the artists would bring in a box of say, little stained glass items. None priced or labeled or even ready with fishing line to hang them up. For a couple of years we would code, label, string these items but realized it was time consuming. And I mean, we would spend all day getting this stuff ready for sale. So don't depend on the store owner to do all this for you.<br />
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8. Do you have to have bar codes? Probably not, but if you are selling to any store chain they will want bar codes. A lot of stores will have bar code machines and can make some right at the store for your product.<br />
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9. Hanging paintings or stained glass? Make sure that the supporting hardware is strong enough and don't rely on the store owner to supply these. We had this really nice carving at our store once, and when the front door got banged open, it caused this carving to fall off the other side of the wall and break. This was sad really, as this was expensive, but this carving had not been hung up with proper heavy duty hardware. Our fault, their fault?<br />
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10. People and stores that consign your products will not take care of them like you do. I can't count the times that I have checked on my products to discover that they are covered in dust, labels ripped, bars damaged, etc. I've had to trim these bars and put them in my dollar basket.<br />
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11. Testers. People like testers and if you don't supply them, they will make some for you. For instance, I sell a bug repelling essential oil blend at the artisan store. Now I did figure that people would open a lid to smell it, but I did not count on people opening every single bottle and using it. Every bottle is down 10 - 20 percent of my filling it. People don't seem to realize that this is actually stealing. And if you do supply a Tester, people will still open the ones that are not testers. This kept happening at our store, so we started using fluorescent yellow paper for the tester label, and this helped a little, but people would still keep opening the sealed bottles. We then had to have a display of the essential oils and keep in the full bottles out of reach. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUbTXmW3nq7VjvwX6OQNmnjv41sXMZ5dZPH2YLnUdeGxf4iW7HNq1a5PtXdpUfJPhpkGfTXSChYal0Fh0oV1cLlEQMeXYCrrPrzXlMJbLlMuh5AYFodPOJyZfGauaPjeIH1PQdRxAAv4f/s1600/legalcontract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUbTXmW3nq7VjvwX6OQNmnjv41sXMZ5dZPH2YLnUdeGxf4iW7HNq1a5PtXdpUfJPhpkGfTXSChYal0Fh0oV1cLlEQMeXYCrrPrzXlMJbLlMuh5AYFodPOJyZfGauaPjeIH1PQdRxAAv4f/s320/legalcontract.jpg" /></a></div>12. Signing a contract. I would really think twice. Perhaps sign a 2 month contract just to test the store. Take the contract home with you first and read it carefully. We didn't have a contract at my store, but we did give the artists an information sheet re: display materials, pay outs, etc. And I might add, I didn't have a contract where this Dic took it upon himself to take my money to pay for his rent.<br />
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13. I have found artists to be an interesting group of people, from every walk of life. And I suppose like very other occupation, some have really high opinions of themselves. One painter took his paintings from our store because we didn't "promote the artist" - being him. Excuse me? I'm not your mother. This is a natural soap shop people! I lent you space to sell your paintings that aren't selling, and somehow this is my fault?!<br />
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I did go to the artisan store last night, but the Dic was there, so I left. I think my boyfriend and I are going to go there today after the car show today. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-26276707073998200562010-07-10T15:37:00.000-07:002010-07-20T17:16:19.790-07:00On being an artisan . . .I'm a little mad at the moment, and should wait that 24 hours before doing anything, but what the heck! I mentioned before that I sell soap at a little artisan store on main street, and it is run by another artisan that creates leatherwork. There is a total of 24 artists and crafters that sell from this store, and about 4 that actually operate it, myself being one of them.<br />
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In the beginning, a lot of these people were from the local farmers market, who decided to open a storefront after the summer season, and who would all split the rent and expenses. Good so far. The leather guy put all in his name and has the final say on whatever goes on, rightfully so. But after a few months, a lot of the artisans quit because of the slow season (January - April) and other artists were added on a consignment basis. So I joined about 5 months ago, and started contributing to my share of the rent. Little did I know, is that there is a lot of different rates and payments for different people.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zE-WfRiYK8D1IH1PcAo8Zf6vWvFjagNtS2RaJZTEbl3xgZDDEjek5kqq9qfD37AuzUdBUBr6-nKNRopdHU-m9cA9Wy9cYLMBq9mIZvcYsUqzxHBCOPeOjKUM2gkICWMvgwzfG-g1TPdb/s1600/painteroilhandtray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zE-WfRiYK8D1IH1PcAo8Zf6vWvFjagNtS2RaJZTEbl3xgZDDEjek5kqq9qfD37AuzUdBUBr6-nKNRopdHU-m9cA9Wy9cYLMBq9mIZvcYsUqzxHBCOPeOjKUM2gkICWMvgwzfG-g1TPdb/s320/painteroilhandtray.jpg" /></a>I find out that the painting artists, with art that hangs on the walls, pay only a 10% commission and no rent. Artisans with products such as pottery or fabric arts, pay a 30% commission and no rent. Five of us, myself included, pay rental and no commission. But us rent payers said that we didn't think it was fair that some of us pay rent, yet some don't. Sure some pay commission, but ultimately, us rent payers are paying for the others to have a space. And when the others have a sale, they pay a small commission and get the balance of their monies. Yet when us rent payers have sale, we need to sell a certain amount first to cover our rent, before we see any of our monies. The Dictator says he has come up with a plan and that is $1 per day, plus 10% commission. We all say okay. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OTLcMon53q981zDo3KWusAWxRiueWsBV-PE-bjw3YcMsOHhFjdF2m0lZmivZGDpoRz5sRk-i9Pcu3rwU99flsvmK72YYLQH_rlsrUS2rDFkxOY6GdkqcTY8pJ0FVZ8YvJ5CqpjO5bei5/s1600/dictator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OTLcMon53q981zDo3KWusAWxRiueWsBV-PE-bjw3YcMsOHhFjdF2m0lZmivZGDpoRz5sRk-i9Pcu3rwU99flsvmK72YYLQH_rlsrUS2rDFkxOY6GdkqcTY8pJ0FVZ8YvJ5CqpjO5bei5/s320/dictator.jpg" /></a></div>So a couple of days ago, I tell the bookkeeper/artisan that I would like to switch over to the new commission method, mainly because I really have a problem with paying other people's rent so they can sell stuff. She says she will tell the Dictator. Today I go into the store to man it, along with the Dic, thinking that I will be on the commission method, mainly because new artists have joined and they are on this new method, so why wouldn't I be?<br />
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One of the painter artists comes in to pick up her monies, and the Dic gives me my envelop as well. I say I was told there was a 3-digit amount here, but there is only $9.56. He says he took my rent out! I said that I don't want to pay the rent, I want what other people have, I want to switch to commission, any one of the commission methods, and why do the new people get a better deal than me? The Dic goes on about the rent and expenses etc, and that we are all switching over in August anyways, I say I want to switch now. He refuses. I am on the verge of tears. <br />
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I am now understanding why this man is single.<br />
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Even the artist who was in to get her money is siding with me. She is a well known and gifted painter and has had her art in many galleries, and is trying to tell him how other galleries do their commissions, etc. He wants to do it his way.<br />
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Oh, and did I mention that I had a store myself? With artists of every caliber? That I dealt with commissions for years, and rent, and expenses, etc. Did I also mention that I have been nominated for Business of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Customer Service of the Year? All from my soap and artist store? Yet this early-retired Fisherman knows better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6T699MT9y12n7d4UtlAv-g-9rc8KcfXXKabjxaCZ8TcRlxFvTITCPIhbILbNZa7glhlUOSqyu_t_PIAAQptMemC2oFT4zerPtPJGKfi7SpiYArO5xiN7_sG-aVma1PFjX8OpjHK-HgafX/s1600/emptypurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6T699MT9y12n7d4UtlAv-g-9rc8KcfXXKabjxaCZ8TcRlxFvTITCPIhbILbNZa7glhlUOSqyu_t_PIAAQptMemC2oFT4zerPtPJGKfi7SpiYArO5xiN7_sG-aVma1PFjX8OpjHK-HgafX/s320/emptypurse.jpg" /></a></div>So I have been paying rent, manning the store, bringing display materials from home, re-decorating the front display window, making signs with my materials, advertising for the store, trying to recruit more artists, washing the front windows, and bringing the Dic my homemade cheesecake! All for free! So other people can reap the financial benefits! <br />
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People describe me as mellow and calm. But we all have our breaking points. Even people who have known me for years are surprised when they hear me yell for the first time, mostly surprised because I can yell really loud. I am beyond explaining the unfairness of his methods. I think I am going to pull a stealth maneuver, go tonight to the store, and retrieve all my stuff from the store. I know that when I tell my boyfriend about this, that is exactly what he will say. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdH3i-P9A8t5QKq6DOJHxfF8v2t8znbBq8goMmFX4jK_rOJINwq9YShOdtODyfiEUJcx3D-mhCdsSdmEJEOut9EaDhZs02IhYavcY7gncssFBSAkQxg8aN0Yz2vHVxOjfu2bJdeRpVkCK/s1600/iquit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdH3i-P9A8t5QKq6DOJHxfF8v2t8znbBq8goMmFX4jK_rOJINwq9YShOdtODyfiEUJcx3D-mhCdsSdmEJEOut9EaDhZs02IhYavcY7gncssFBSAkQxg8aN0Yz2vHVxOjfu2bJdeRpVkCK/s320/iquit.jpg" /></a>And to top it all off, he insulted my soap. He says that the artists such as painters pay less money and commission because thier stuff is really art, whereas my stuff is just following a recipe and mixing it. <br />
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It was at this point where I got very quiet. I don't talk when I am mad. I will answer you, I may look at you. But I sure am not going to have a nice little conversation.<br />
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At the artisan store, I have soap, a dozen varieties, essential oils, books that I have co-wrote, and little soap gift bags, filling up a 3 level receded shelf. I have also brought in one display table, and an assortment of table cloths for the displays, two of which are in the front window. Which means that when I remove my belongings, one artist will not have a display table any longer and her stuff will be on the floor. My cloth-covered shelf will revert back to its rustic-not-carpenter-made self, and the front display window will be back to its rustic-fake-grass-plywood-looking-non-decorative self.<br />
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Oh, and by the way, he would like me to be in tomorrow.<br />
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UPDATE: We, my boyfriend and I, did go to the store to get my stuff and what a hassle! The Dic did return some of my money but then just had to add a new cleaning fee of $25, to me only, his way of being an even larger ass and still screw me out of money. He is the type that has to have the last word, has to be right even when he is not. He had also called one of the artists and told her that I had dumped her stuff on the floor and took her table (it was my table and I was lending it at the moment), and upsetting her for no reason. Since this stealing of my money, we have talked to a couple of other people and they too were aware of his stealing ways. One being a guitar from a music store at the Lake, and another being cash from a horse riding club. Also, he illegally sleeps and lives there at the business, I found him there when I stopped by at 1 am once. So us rent payers are also providing his housing, where he really should take advantage of the shower. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-7595895564809444012010-05-01T19:43:00.000-07:002010-06-13T19:36:47.068-07:00Natural Soap LabelsI've tried a lot of different versions of making soap labels. And there are pros and cons to almost every type. I always made my own labels on a computer and printer, and liked the 5 to a horizontal sheet, the best. A sheet of tinted paper is 5 - 10 cents, making each paper label 1 - 2 cents plus the ink and the tape. Making labels yourself allows for you to make special labels quick and easy, like for a special occasion. The downside to this particular label is getting your cuts straight with scissors, to give it a professional look, and not like one of the kids labeled it. Then you need two pieces of tape, a 2 sided tape for the inside and a one sided tape for the outside. The inside tape will hold your label affixed after the soap shrinks a little bit more, then the label won't fall off. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vtuseUIU91vFaUj5O6YDoI1G0z4kZ1Vm7rj3zq-HtVEFJcmah3ytCruwp2OAzCSsPwZbKadriKex0y7U7CgNyIVK1iROpo7C3NZQ2sV6Hfj-d0ENEb-NURFwuqydTTX57G7zGluFBMne/s1600/HPIM2197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vtuseUIU91vFaUj5O6YDoI1G0z4kZ1Vm7rj3zq-HtVEFJcmah3ytCruwp2OAzCSsPwZbKadriKex0y7U7CgNyIVK1iROpo7C3NZQ2sV6Hfj-d0ENEb-NURFwuqydTTX57G7zGluFBMne/s200/HPIM2197.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>At the Artisan Store where I sell soap, I had to bag every bar to cut down on the escaping fragrances. So instead of my traditional paper labels that people weren't seeing very well, I bagged the soap, tied it with a ribbon, and made sticky labels that I stuck to the front of each bag. <br />
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But take a look at this soap label making page at <a href="http://www.natural-soap-making.com/natural-soap-labels.html">natural-soap-making.com</a> and at the variety of labels, and get some great ideas on how you could label your soaps. <a href="http://www.natural-soap-making.com/natural-soap-labels.html"><br />
</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-86496670139718969732010-04-30T00:07:00.000-07:002010-06-13T19:48:55.661-07:00Eczema and other skin conditions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2aRg79plE1AqFAknnzEdmDNG_QWQBeWeCqAHWizF9oh2l-1DFm-ZbZhCcgm6TZaRXBOKBraKO57ZmTbO5gDWb0gA0iIlQvO6YA3geCKN2NPnqwHRV7-Zg1E78X07RverGqEnZZe0-Mi8/s1600/scratching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2aRg79plE1AqFAknnzEdmDNG_QWQBeWeCqAHWizF9oh2l-1DFm-ZbZhCcgm6TZaRXBOKBraKO57ZmTbO5gDWb0gA0iIlQvO6YA3geCKN2NPnqwHRV7-Zg1E78X07RverGqEnZZe0-Mi8/s320/scratching.jpg" /></a></div>Skin Conditions: this includes rashes, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, itching, fungus, scales, red patches, and hives. And because I have had a few of these, I started seeking solutions, from the medicinal to the natural. I too, have had to take steroid pharmaceuticals and creams, only to have nothing really work. I've used tar shampoos and dandruff shampoos, and I'm sure that those actually made my scalp worse (I know that famous dandruff shampoo made it worse!). <br />
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So take a look at the natural-soap-making.com's webpages for information that may be able to help you. The <a href="http://www.natural-soap-making.com/itchy-skin.html">Itchy Skin page</a> will link to other skin condition pages, all worth reading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-21276412612041439362010-04-26T13:40:00.000-07:002010-04-26T13:40:25.704-07:00Soap is getting competitive!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYqQiHK9NeIRMrR-q9Hu8Ydb69ElSzbTuT87UgY3x2OG6XGkTomGpx3JHDA7hT3RWKtw7pagsb1Cjf26nHBpsAyh-FXbXYLm1UsOlf8B_E52ZwuoZQBYdC5qDZbChzBRkZf0vs1My5S0F/s1600/herbsinfused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYqQiHK9NeIRMrR-q9Hu8Ydb69ElSzbTuT87UgY3x2OG6XGkTomGpx3JHDA7hT3RWKtw7pagsb1Cjf26nHBpsAyh-FXbXYLm1UsOlf8B_E52ZwuoZQBYdC5qDZbChzBRkZf0vs1My5S0F/s320/herbsinfused.jpg" /></a>When I first started making soap and attending events, I would be the only soapmaker there. I have since stopped going to these events since selling the store, but a friend who has started making and selling soap, has been finding some competition. She has been refused at two events because they already had their quota of soapmakers. These are two events that I have attended in the past, with no competition. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYctM_4au8BHIPxu9ND90ICoOfMIMK7wCzh8fEE2OM00AknNOTMasK6Qqo23ZqFKXmXz4XB87xPPw5hSP4WlCKDlk9epMAgD1-zrpQdkFnxXfOG5_IdP3pXvsqIXrPKAd6gln0C9uDqQ-Z/s1600/bentonite11k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYctM_4au8BHIPxu9ND90ICoOfMIMK7wCzh8fEE2OM00AknNOTMasK6Qqo23ZqFKXmXz4XB87xPPw5hSP4WlCKDlk9epMAgD1-zrpQdkFnxXfOG5_IdP3pXvsqIXrPKAd6gln0C9uDqQ-Z/s320/bentonite11k.jpg" /></a></div>So I have been telling her to come up with some crazy marketing idea to promote her soap. I recall a few years ago about a soapmaker that added caffeine to her soap, and this proved to give her tons of free advertising. Although I would not have done this, as high doses of caffiene can be fatal and you would have to be very careful when making it and washing the pots afterwards. Besides that fact that you would not want any kids to use it either. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpJ8w37huw3iQvfz9XICQx40XXUTBmFVIaAClOBnyRfZU3mBtxW-BVn3iCUC5coh2EIkrks8OaMt8HS16J8av7_dx4szziQACYZG_MOYv8cu7EeP0syq3BiUXeLBuD6KfL2vFwHrbKwnE/s1600/longbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpJ8w37huw3iQvfz9XICQx40XXUTBmFVIaAClOBnyRfZU3mBtxW-BVn3iCUC5coh2EIkrks8OaMt8HS16J8av7_dx4szziQACYZG_MOYv8cu7EeP0syq3BiUXeLBuD6KfL2vFwHrbKwnE/s320/longbeach.jpg" /></a></div>Try to find something that is unique to your area. Locals and tourists alike will want something that is special to the area. If you live near the ocean, try ocean water or add seaweed (be careful testing and pick the seaweed yourself). Perhaps using ocean sand for a scrubby bar. Live near the mountains? Tap into a glacier stream for your water. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWA67DkZvIvyTXq4deCnmy-2AT8OClujWPx4GMf1QtUWJoct8qj_kDAr0wIvH2xPXUebMwK5B0VKolPNAvh7C2nsVtL9jU99vUyUcNqhf4W7h_cDNx8zk4wYU9chHou8RMdqBzVBEiW6c/s1600/rosehipseeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyWA67DkZvIvyTXq4deCnmy-2AT8OClujWPx4GMf1QtUWJoct8qj_kDAr0wIvH2xPXUebMwK5B0VKolPNAvh7C2nsVtL9jU99vUyUcNqhf4W7h_cDNx8zk4wYU9chHou8RMdqBzVBEiW6c/s320/rosehipseeds.jpg" /></a></div>Think about anything that is unusual to your area or totally out there. To throw some ideas out there, how about: mineral or hot spring water, wild rose hips, using local wines or beer, clays, organic chocolate, rain water, detoxifying bentonite clay, vitamins, omega 3-6-9 oils, etc. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-69353913664250250202010-04-25T18:37:00.000-07:002010-04-25T18:37:21.778-07:00Selling essential oils too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WOnYz2Af0DD06KxE_Fdy0HZEAY1EP0jOCtX3mJ_XAA9A_agU8gwC3n2yA8FeVEz2Tsr_Jj2PW5ydzkmk7xjT_iecRB9LA-z9I3t_G3_XrpV-ydiCceyb-Bi99IiMrA_iM5vhFv0cA_IL/s1600/eobottlesmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WOnYz2Af0DD06KxE_Fdy0HZEAY1EP0jOCtX3mJ_XAA9A_agU8gwC3n2yA8FeVEz2Tsr_Jj2PW5ydzkmk7xjT_iecRB9LA-z9I3t_G3_XrpV-ydiCceyb-Bi99IiMrA_iM5vhFv0cA_IL/s320/eobottlesmall.jpg" /></a></div>Besides making and selling soap, I also sell all the supplies that are used in making soap and lotions. Having sold essential oils for years from my store, I've noticed something that is interesting about people's perception of size. When people see little bottles, they just see a little bottle, be it 2 oz or 1/6th an oz (30 ml or 5 ml). So, for example, if you were to sell a 2 oz bottle of Lavender essential oil at $20, people will think that you are overcharging because they will remember seeing a 'little bottle' of same essential oil for approximately $10 at the health food store. Yet, that health food store bottle is 1/3 oz (10 ml), measuring one sixth of that 2 oz bottle. Math wise, this means that to get the equal amount of Lavender essential oil from the health food store, it would cost you $60. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8_WviBYR4_EkBN0yJOI0jAJ5Lje_YG3yPJh4YmHXPM0uIA49ZifnSmUpIeiw6WXoq5YHNeFZBfnHhDvSEZV4XsSZy6tYJkBjILnLiw0k2h59WsBiB-SBklVHmw6l6pbBRMEl3ymrHJyq/s1600/eodrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8_WviBYR4_EkBN0yJOI0jAJ5Lje_YG3yPJh4YmHXPM0uIA49ZifnSmUpIeiw6WXoq5YHNeFZBfnHhDvSEZV4XsSZy6tYJkBjILnLiw0k2h59WsBiB-SBklVHmw6l6pbBRMEl3ymrHJyq/s320/eodrop.jpg" /></a></div>Those little 1/6 oz bottles are very small, but the 1/3 oz and 1/2 oz bottles don't look too different is size, and those are almost as tall as the 1 oz. So I have started selling 1/6th oz bottles of essential oils, and these sell very well at the $4.50 - $5.50 price range. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-10514703630403375562010-04-12T13:10:00.000-07:002010-04-12T13:10:52.368-07:00Beeswax vs. Paraffin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lCykIgAmTCWWQg15f71UJr8_k9ARCY71NnLEAYQHTBe7k9bkmp3JNA3Gn3yI7q574c5WZUX1ZdcPsPPlHh5GELlNwHJI1C0oHOb_mm9uD_SdH6Bd0D0n2Lz1jgNVcjiBLgBN3DaSQnUk/s1600/beenflower28k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5lCykIgAmTCWWQg15f71UJr8_k9ARCY71NnLEAYQHTBe7k9bkmp3JNA3Gn3yI7q574c5WZUX1ZdcPsPPlHh5GELlNwHJI1C0oHOb_mm9uD_SdH6Bd0D0n2Lz1jgNVcjiBLgBN3DaSQnUk/s320/beenflower28k.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQmuR-m9yzUzqNcxtZOiedirO0Y9GekZBIBGuSP7STjoNDI3CzwW_FeKREkzD1o_pD9C2k_lONGLNz6iWdtP5KJqKj69NnkkO3vHEB485nj68oOFNp_TnRFhnoPyqEQfUZQnOAR5PkKI7/s1600/paraffin6k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQmuR-m9yzUzqNcxtZOiedirO0Y9GekZBIBGuSP7STjoNDI3CzwW_FeKREkzD1o_pD9C2k_lONGLNz6iWdtP5KJqKj69NnkkO3vHEB485nj68oOFNp_TnRFhnoPyqEQfUZQnOAR5PkKI7/s320/paraffin6k.jpg" /></a>Beeswax vs. Paraffin:<br />
<br />
Beeswax is a 100% natural fuel created by bees;<br />
<br />
- burns cleaner than any other,<br />
- burns longer than others and do not drip,<br />
- emits a bright light that has the same light spectrum as the sun,<br />
- emits negative ions that actually clean the air and invigorate the body,<br />
- are naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycomb within the beehive.<br />
- come from a renewable resource.<br />
<br />
Paraffin candles come from a nonrenewable resource: petroleum, a.k.a. crude oil;<br />
<br />
- give off many of the same toxic fumes as are found in auto exhaust,<br />
- are relatively short burning and drip excessively,<br />
- is a toxic byproduct of the oil industry.<br />
- produce a disorganized light spectrum very similar to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs,<br />
- produce toxic petrol-soot that eventually stains all interior surfaces,<br />
- typically contain artificial fragrances and colors which also produce toxins and stains when burned.<br />
<br />
The wick is just as important as the type of wax. When you burn a chemically processed or metallically reinforced wick, it can release large amounts of soot into the air you breathe, possibly causing harmful health side effects. The metals and chemicals in these wicks are bleach, petroleum products, lead and zinc, which are released into the air for you to inhale.<br />
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Also look for 100% unbleached cotton wicks. One way to test the wick is to drag it or rub it on a piece of white paper, any metals will leave a mark on the paper.<br />
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Bees Wax is often used in soapmaking as well. Put the wax in with the oils at the beginning as this natural wax has a high melting point and may not fully melt if added at trace. Usually this amazing wax is added to soap for the added hardness of the final bars. The scent of honey is an added bonus!<br />
<br />
Add only 1.5 percent of wax to your total of oils and fats. Too much wax could make a sticky and gummy bar.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-71258495746592111302010-04-12T11:34:00.000-07:002010-04-12T11:34:48.667-07:00Beeswax, a natural and therapuetic wax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zp0B9ImSlEruMZtjXft-xboswspC1vfslkVt2ZX5yquiiDlvIO57wNXZP3vr9Y8Eilxj8y4LKQz5TsfpelUyLwrWYLLHXV_uaCawtf4ZffaufzDkg32ydpajehv5TAE8Q66B3rwW9qog/s1600/beeswax7k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zp0B9ImSlEruMZtjXft-xboswspC1vfslkVt2ZX5yquiiDlvIO57wNXZP3vr9Y8Eilxj8y4LKQz5TsfpelUyLwrWYLLHXV_uaCawtf4ZffaufzDkg32ydpajehv5TAE8Q66B3rwW9qog/s320/beeswax7k.jpg" /></a></div>Beeswax is a natural wax produced in the bee hive of honey bees. It is the worker bees, the females, that create this wax, to build honeycomb cells for three purposes; raising their young, storing honey, and pollen. It takes eight times the consumption in honey to create the wax. It is estimated that bees fly 150,000 miles to create one pound of bees wax. It is the type of flowers gathered by the bees that determines the color of the wax, from a white to brown, most often a shade of yellow.<br />
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The color of beeswax is at first white and then darkens with age and use. This is especially true if it is used to raise the young bees. The color has no significance as to the quality of the wax (other than its esthetic appeal). Formerly, bees wax was bleached using ozonisation, sulphuric acid, or hydrogen peroxide which resulted in the addition of chemicals into the wax. Bleaching has now been stopped by reputable candle manufacturers and other suppliers of this natural wax.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngJK_KpDBa2bcYnlNCJzRRdbHhAZVfjGgtCC-cFlh0szFP656qLyfsJzM3MBHuL4m0D3jn7vOWCyI4G-Ui9E8gt9GpqbyfMoLOSp1QOhqr1Pf6HW8hkl2EZTf7A4rupELdPAm1_X-k4Fo/s1600/beesinhive24k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngJK_KpDBa2bcYnlNCJzRRdbHhAZVfjGgtCC-cFlh0szFP656qLyfsJzM3MBHuL4m0D3jn7vOWCyI4G-Ui9E8gt9GpqbyfMoLOSp1QOhqr1Pf6HW8hkl2EZTf7A4rupELdPAm1_X-k4Fo/s320/beesinhive24k.jpg" /></a></div><br />
60% of total beeswax is used to make candles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It is also used in polishing materials for shoes, furniture, models, pool table filler, and as a protective coating for aging cheese. Bees wax can be softened with vegetable oil to make it softer and more workable.<br />
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The most important aspect of bees wax, besides the naturalness, is that they burn brighter, longer, and cleaner than any other candle! The flame virtually emits the same light spectrum as the sun and in the process of burning, negative ions (which is a positive thing) are released to clean the air and invigorate the body. The negative ions is what the air smells like after a storm.<br />
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This 100% natural fuel created by bees is naturally scented by the honey and nectar of flowers packed into the honeycombs and gives off a subtle fragrance as it burns. If the bees wax has a medicinal smell, chances are that it has been chemically altered or bleached. Always check for 100% beeswax, for the legalities on labeling these candles states that a mere 55% content can be called 'beeswax', and for soy candles, a minimum amount of 20% soy wax can allow for those type of candles to be called soy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-80773688592967153112010-03-21T20:18:00.000-07:002010-03-21T20:18:08.298-07:00Natural with chemical scents?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-USaFV2v_UxKFhEBAWt5YliqKZDyR9Twu06HSnwXINEZQ3-L0X61RoYSdVLU-SWJtmuwNSnr27336jhv6TL5fHx-O5C0mwvmzwIAcfwKHruYdLQF8K0XkR6gWWrbvpHv6-o8nqtiLQH6/s1600-h/crossfingerslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-USaFV2v_UxKFhEBAWt5YliqKZDyR9Twu06HSnwXINEZQ3-L0X61RoYSdVLU-SWJtmuwNSnr27336jhv6TL5fHx-O5C0mwvmzwIAcfwKHruYdLQF8K0XkR6gWWrbvpHv6-o8nqtiLQH6/s320/crossfingerslie.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMS93v0Ycd5IQFq1Vi02TxSrwrgepnpuhCtvm3e3qmw_IHiuyQllR9PiloKf-9_IEyDwLbsFRP7mkBXjS1UHiwYgbzD16DytRCkFOew3QOOvWziNeps-9Yoehyo1xPsfFXmMJ0oM4CPIo/s1600-h/thebiglie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGMS93v0Ycd5IQFq1Vi02TxSrwrgepnpuhCtvm3e3qmw_IHiuyQllR9PiloKf-9_IEyDwLbsFRP7mkBXjS1UHiwYgbzD16DytRCkFOew3QOOvWziNeps-9Yoehyo1xPsfFXmMJ0oM4CPIo/s320/thebiglie.jpg" /></a>Now, this is just what I'm talking about. They will lie straight to your face. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Description<br />
Sweet, light, and warm -<br />
<br />
Move over Warm Vanilla, this scent is far richer and finer. Notes of rich dark brown sugar, light drizzled honey, and nutty oats.<br />
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This soothing bar of soap is packed with good stuff: saponified vegetable oils, lathery and antioxidant rich hemp seed oil, organic honey to retain the skins natural moisture; brown sugar to create a creamy lather and act as a natural colorant, and ground oatmeal to gently exfoliate while soothing the skin. Tested and true, this bar is a family favorite because of it's light scent and soothing qualities.<br />
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No additives, no detergents, no micas, pigments or dyes, no sulfates, parabens, or preservatives!<br />
<br />
The soaps you will receive may not look exactly like the ones pictured, they all have their own unique goodness! They each are approximately 4 ounces of lathery goodness!<br />
<br />
O Bella only carries natural, handcrafted goods. They are renewable, sustainable or organic when possible.<br />
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Due to the handmade nature of soaps, please place soap in a dry area between uses to allow soap to dry. If left in a wet shower or soap dish, soap will become sticky. This will give you a longer lasting bar of soap.<br />
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Materials<br />
coconut oil, palm oil, canola oil, organic honey, oatmeal, brown sugar, fragrance oil, water, sodium hydroxide.</i><br />
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Did you catch the last sentence with the materials list, it has A FRAGRANCE OIL!! A fragrance oil is not natural. It is a chemical. I first looked at this because it said natural yet was a Brown Sugar and Honey Oatmeal bar. Yes, there is brown sugar and honey, but I assure you that those small amounts would be unable to leave a scent. So they added a chemical and said it was natural.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-58809596403879996362010-03-14T18:44:00.000-07:002010-03-14T18:44:10.991-07:00My special Redneck soap made with beer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM-V7iNw3IQ8_JOwXgG1ANxlO5bxROvm3ewMKHtPuBQj04EfU6m8pyBaYFFSq-TO-YniN74a9GLCHnC1vi20KvGpj8P7dx8maarHCq8olVm8zYF7y6qQPPn0unOUFKgCYYQEItZkqnIpX/s1600-h/beermug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqM-V7iNw3IQ8_JOwXgG1ANxlO5bxROvm3ewMKHtPuBQj04EfU6m8pyBaYFFSq-TO-YniN74a9GLCHnC1vi20KvGpj8P7dx8maarHCq8olVm8zYF7y6qQPPn0unOUFKgCYYQEItZkqnIpX/s320/beermug.jpg" /></a></div>I make a mans soap, called Redneck. Could have called it Cowboy or similar, but Redneck gets a lot more attention. This special soap actually contains beer, and there are a few considerations when making soap with beer. <br />
<br />
Firstly, you absolutely must let the beer go flat. Open it up a couple days ahead of time. Once I just opened the tab top a little, but even after two days, the lye started to volcano the beer/water solution. So last time, I opened the beer can and poured the beer into a bowl, and left it for three days, and this worked with no problem. Some beer soaps contain only beer as their water portion, but I thought that would bring the price up to high, so I simply replace a portion of the water with beer.<br />
<br />
When to add beer to the soap varies as well. In the past, I would have the beer in with the water, then add the lye. But after the lye/water started foaming, and I decided to rethink this, and decided to add the beer to the oils just after I add the lye/water to the oils. This has been the best solution in trying to avoid the possibility of having your lye/beer/water solution volcano out of your container. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhipNvlZeQgnYCEX10EbMrlw_7pcYCMkapJAkYjpQt2r5evRM-HdCZjSL2sZCpv3esOajuFoSFNC6aE4dssvSukvAdXmOHbpqDmcht8gkygsgLLBzbcazqNIpaB8HNbzkb9Skltu2ikpc-/s1600-h/dukesofhazzard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhipNvlZeQgnYCEX10EbMrlw_7pcYCMkapJAkYjpQt2r5evRM-HdCZjSL2sZCpv3esOajuFoSFNC6aE4dssvSukvAdXmOHbpqDmcht8gkygsgLLBzbcazqNIpaB8HNbzkb9Skltu2ikpc-/s320/dukesofhazzard.jpg" /></a></div>Then make your soap like any other soap. After the soap base starts to do its tracing, just add your fragrances like usual. In this particular Redneck bar, I add Sandalwood, with a little of Ginger and Lime. This gives an earthy yet fresh scent to a bar that is meant for a man. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-20930805430929408972010-03-07T20:50:00.000-08:002010-03-07T20:50:43.071-08:00Goat soap?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06P7WxRT4PIL8SWPxHiXhqiqDVdDbUSh1W-sfj5NX89Vxw9sSXUNPWs00KUwrHusdqkPL7-w3i5nE9OpdSK4yA3qB209g0ETwfo4PjLW9DvzetM21Z4F0PekgZ3o5irlKhkgQQ5A9tguI/s1600-h/milkglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06P7WxRT4PIL8SWPxHiXhqiqDVdDbUSh1W-sfj5NX89Vxw9sSXUNPWs00KUwrHusdqkPL7-w3i5nE9OpdSK4yA3qB209g0ETwfo4PjLW9DvzetM21Z4F0PekgZ3o5irlKhkgQQ5A9tguI/s320/milkglass.jpg" /></a></div>The above name for soap is a commonly mis-used term for Goats Milk Soap. If you think about it, Goat Soap would described a soap made from the entire goat, which is so gross to even think about. I suppose it could also be a type of soap meant for a goat, you know, like dog shampoo. <br />
<br />
Organic soap is another common term used to describe soap that may have some organic ingredients. But if you aren't paying $10 a bar for it, chances are it is not entirely organic. To get organic olive or hemp oil, and add organic coconut or palm oils, then add organic essential oils (not synthetic fragrance oils), then perhaps organic colorants. And I don't know if you can even get organic lye. The costs are going up and up. If it says organic, don't believe it, even the supposed governmental agencies that regulate such claims don't analyze soap and bath products. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNQ_acwfJ_TNorGm-JpWkIrAHaQvSbRYepnGNXOxTpBNzCuXCwxxTLkYAiQlpMGGs6JhEnX49Tp0w-Jzq6gVea9pvIw1u0gk4ZCqkhHnymrbrXepaGbIbKCe6ujWGOpmgC9fSb9rr2oHt/s1600-h/usdaorganic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNQ_acwfJ_TNorGm-JpWkIrAHaQvSbRYepnGNXOxTpBNzCuXCwxxTLkYAiQlpMGGs6JhEnX49Tp0w-Jzq6gVea9pvIw1u0gk4ZCqkhHnymrbrXepaGbIbKCe6ujWGOpmgC9fSb9rr2oHt/s320/usdaorganic.jpg" /></a></div>What about vegan or vegetarian soap? The ingredients that one may add to soap to make it <b>not</b> vegetarian would be animal fats, and to make a vegan soap, there would be the additional <b>not</b> added milk or beeswax components.<br />
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On the home front, it was another day of soapmaking, creating 200 Chocolate Chai bars and 100 Sandalwood bars. Tomorrow I am planning 100 Beer bars, 100 Strawberry-Patch bars, and 100 Lemon-Mint, which smells alot better than it sounds. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-12762156468397390812010-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:002010-03-03T20:19:42.915-08:00Cutting slabs into barsThere are various methods for cutting soap, being freehand or using a tool or equipment of some type. I tried freehand for a little while, but no matter how hard I tried to make them all even, I couldn't do it. I have a homemade device with a blade on it, and this works super well for me. <br />
<br />
Today I cut up the 600 bars that I made over the weekend. This took me 3 hours. Which is twice as long as I thought it would be. I did have to move a few things around to make room for the trays of cut bars, then I started removing 100 bar and 50 bar slabs from their molds, cut those into 3" wide logs, cut those logs into bars, place in trays and move to the shelve to cure. <br />
<br />
So the math here is:<br />
8 hours to make 600 bars +<br />
3 hours to cut 600 bars =<br />
11 hours on making and cutting 600 bars, which equals 1.1 minute per bar.<br />
(660 minutes divided by 600 bars = 1.1)<br />
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Next, I will time the trimming and labeling of the soap. Take a look at this webpage which is from natural soap making about different types of <a href="http://www.natural-soap-making.com/natural-soap-labels.html">natural soap labels</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-84060253987925040262010-02-28T17:45:00.000-08:002010-02-28T17:45:04.969-08:00Troubleshooting making soap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEW1gSvZY3uVPuKRejlTD8i2_U0mqn75MO7wHawUMm6VecsbRRqKjRFS-fGf26u9K5R1KOY1fj75VB7SMP9THSkSczugLJ7KILd8csK0AJtqNY51aHtnLWPcBoFtx1FD9kBwWJJxN8MrX/s1600-h/oilpouring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEW1gSvZY3uVPuKRejlTD8i2_U0mqn75MO7wHawUMm6VecsbRRqKjRFS-fGf26u9K5R1KOY1fj75VB7SMP9THSkSczugLJ7KILd8csK0AJtqNY51aHtnLWPcBoFtx1FD9kBwWJJxN8MrX/s320/oilpouring.jpg" /></a></div>There will most definitely be a time when you mess up in your measuring, like what happened to me yesterday. I had measured out all my pots with the oils and was about to put them on the stove when I noticed that one of the larger pots of oil appeared to have a noticeably lesser amount of oils. What to do?<br />
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This is where you get creative in a different way. I knew that I had measured out the coconut and palm oils accurately. But having to weigh the olive oil in two parts can leave the door open for errors. But I can't put the pot full of oils on the scale as it has a 13 lb maximum, besides, the pots are slightly different and would not weigh the same. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M24m_kl8dV35LBILzHbR398QEmJAZaPb_-htYuyQcXQGCFhLmm72d0IWdtX4i9g3uh64r1TQoPPPB0R52liB8MrfUEhbnLqGlkspueo7_yfjNux6mL-6fjxzPZ-dnKJgAmt6L_Eg5TDZ/s1600-h/scale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8M24m_kl8dV35LBILzHbR398QEmJAZaPb_-htYuyQcXQGCFhLmm72d0IWdtX4i9g3uh64r1TQoPPPB0R52liB8MrfUEhbnLqGlkspueo7_yfjNux6mL-6fjxzPZ-dnKJgAmt6L_Eg5TDZ/s320/scale.jpg" /></a></div>So I calculate that the fuller one would have the accurate amount of oils, being 320 ounces, according to my recipe. I measure, in two parts, the oils in the second pot and discover and lower amount of 229 ounces. To figure this out, I had to pour approximately half of the oils from the large stock pot into a medium sized container, weigh it, get the number, and pour that into a third container (in this case, an empty coconut pail). Then I pour the other half of the oils into the medium container and weighed that, together they weigh the 229. Pour both back into the large stock pot, measure out the missing amount of oils on the scale and add to the stock pot. Disaster averted. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bK79VsMet54sbOoVVPshWr_ZeN5hNOT8E1Gs8lCDyjoGooUeEr6n2L-yDRTSC4qkD7T-3EjNSBHDrc0_56qLtgiRJTu1A5lmiHkLWBoplnnJX04fuFjNFExzIa9vSPOH96576vxR6jc9/s1600-h/salesignneon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bK79VsMet54sbOoVVPshWr_ZeN5hNOT8E1Gs8lCDyjoGooUeEr6n2L-yDRTSC4qkD7T-3EjNSBHDrc0_56qLtgiRJTu1A5lmiHkLWBoplnnJX04fuFjNFExzIa9vSPOH96576vxR6jc9/s320/salesignneon.jpg" /></a></div>There will be measuring accidents, some you can sort out and fix and some you can't fix. Do your best, keep the possibly bad soap, and see what happens. I made a Bug Repellent soap last year and I still have no idea where I went wrong. This soap would not set. It was soft for months, but I cut it into bars, to help allow it to cure, but that didn't really help. Eight months later, I was to be at a music festival with my soap booth and decided that I would take this soft in the center soap and sell it super cheap. It was actually quite popular. People were at this festival, a lot were camping or RVing, they were outdoors where bugs were, and they were getting a bar of natural soap for a whole 50 cents. I suggested they cut slices off around where the more solid edges were and continue to allow the center to harden, whenever that would be. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-17308775103441958272010-02-28T17:09:00.000-08:002010-02-28T17:09:52.649-08:00600 bars of soap in 2 days!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAEAQCiRXg6SuKsDpCVXqv2999_uRrzTyk7S0o3Lo6OOyvM1r5HS2gQif17a9yz6LO_oE1wsqi4Uy6LbvIdMX1fhMq1znRE9m78cS531746cT76N6JJDb7cPaXIHHVGXV0I7ZV6yW0HCH/s1600-h/ebay+store+photos+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfAEAQCiRXg6SuKsDpCVXqv2999_uRrzTyk7S0o3Lo6OOyvM1r5HS2gQif17a9yz6LO_oE1wsqi4Uy6LbvIdMX1fhMq1znRE9m78cS531746cT76N6JJDb7cPaXIHHVGXV0I7ZV6yW0HCH/s200/ebay+store+photos+012.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Because I used to have a little soap making store, we never made just a few bars of soap at a time. Every batch was at least 100 bars. Some molds were for 300 bars, and we'd mix up three 100 bars pots of soap base and pour into the one 300 bar bold. If we were testing a new scent blend or type of soap, we'd make 50 bars. So although I don't have that little store I seem unable to make any batch smaller than my usual 100 bars. I had a baker tell me that is takes just as much time to make one loaf of bread as it does to make 100. The same seems to apply to soap. So besides a little more measuring and stirring, it's not much more time added to make bigger batches. <br />
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The reason for making all these soaps is that I was offered a little space in an artisan's store that is situated on main street. I pay a little towards the rent and utilities and keep all my sales monies, no commissions to pay. As a bonus, because I also work full time, I don't have to put in my store time until the summer when the artisan store opens on weekends. Today I took in what soap I had and set up my display area. But this also means that I need to make a lot of soap and fast. <br />
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So yesterday, I made 200 bars of Anise and 100 bars of Mango with Mango Butter.<br />
Today I made 100 bars of Chocolate Chai, 100 bars of Lemongrass, 50 bars of Tea Tree and Eucalyptus, and 50 bars of Patchouli. Totally, 600 bars in two days. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0FPNyJcTXVfinmjtarJxbF_QD0PhC0FchiqkaKwCA4ytHq9Ch71pd5RVROgYKU1DyKnYkde9mOFkxFOsyw5b5hUxczOt_aTWUyzELTE_PEc6F6qbTuJD9Vs6GTHwVxRsjgdJr9JVC_LJ/s1600-h/stockpots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0FPNyJcTXVfinmjtarJxbF_QD0PhC0FchiqkaKwCA4ytHq9Ch71pd5RVROgYKU1DyKnYkde9mOFkxFOsyw5b5hUxczOt_aTWUyzELTE_PEc6F6qbTuJD9Vs6GTHwVxRsjgdJr9JVC_LJ/s320/stockpots.jpg" /></a></div>Two of the factors involved in making this amount of soap is the equipment. I have 3 x 16 L/Qt stock pots and 1 x 8 L/Qt stock pot. Each 16 L/Qt pot can make 100 bars, but does weigh 26 pounds when full of soap base. Granted 26 lbs isn't too much when its a sack of potatoes, but its a lot heavier when it is full of a warm and spill-able caustic liquid. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sbcZOONmTeIg_ba27Uw0BK-HCfqqL166VLrSyDcpG-dQxTRnmBw8MXpZSqsY1eupu-OXTxNrIYakgOfRqR6wMNl_eyqZmH8GUxHX1uJyn2F56RQvOEzxEc7sVLhbmdP1GEJtzezEuRtC/s1600-h/soapmoldsorta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sbcZOONmTeIg_ba27Uw0BK-HCfqqL166VLrSyDcpG-dQxTRnmBw8MXpZSqsY1eupu-OXTxNrIYakgOfRqR6wMNl_eyqZmH8GUxHX1uJyn2F56RQvOEzxEc7sVLhbmdP1GEJtzezEuRtC/s320/soapmoldsorta.jpg" /></a></div>The second equipment need is the molds. You need enough molds for this amount of soap. Again, I have 3 x 100 bar molds, and 6 x 50 bar molds. I used all the 100 bar molds yesterday, leaving myself with the 50 bar molds today. I just had to split up the 100 bar soap bases into two of the 50 bar molds.<br />
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I've got my little plan of soap making created and based it on the amount and type of scents I have. When I get down to a few ounces here and a few ounces there, I may create some of what I call MacArthur Park soaps, <i>cause I'll never have that recipe again.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-18598383854361761152010-02-26T15:10:00.000-08:002010-02-26T15:10:37.491-08:00Types of salts for your bath products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEWXWpn4AO67Duv9LHYEJcJCPTXbMDKjoVCOQITrig0NkIV1Z_bm2BUOV-WTkXfkmRTkSB7MVEEYlbFP4gSrK_c2aCCsJYzCMPLzG4NzaYAiuXSeWvOiRLxJuIAl9_5ov4jRaUYH-V_9w/s1600-h/saltwflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEWXWpn4AO67Duv9LHYEJcJCPTXbMDKjoVCOQITrig0NkIV1Z_bm2BUOV-WTkXfkmRTkSB7MVEEYlbFP4gSrK_c2aCCsJYzCMPLzG4NzaYAiuXSeWvOiRLxJuIAl9_5ov4jRaUYH-V_9w/s320/saltwflower.jpg" /></a></div>The Dead Sea is the most saline body of water in the world with far greater concentrations of minerals than any ocean, that being a concentration of 32% minerals compared to other seas, holding approximately 3%. Bromides and Iodine are present in Dead Sea Salt, including other minerals in a dried form, such as Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium and Potassium. All these minerals work together as regulators of cell activity and daily functioning, relieving muscular pain and stabilizing fluid levels in the body. The rough nature of the salt lends itself to skin scrubs (exfoliation) and can also be used with Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate). Try Dead Sea Salt as a body scrub, or just as a relaxing additive to your baths. <br />
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Dendritic is a very fine grain salt which has been crystallized to provide greater surface area. During the manufacturing process a trace of "yellow prussate of soda" is added to sodium chloride, making the crystals grow in a star-shape giving each crystal more surface area. This increased surface area helps to retain fragrance and requires less pigment. Dendritic Salt is moisture-absorbing, so it resists caking and clumping. By adding approximately 5% - 10% of dendritic salt to your salt blends, they will retain their fragrance longer. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hGkxSvcsqxpKXM1ph9hVzt29Euk4fClitZQHQ8R5iEhoTmKPw4vm6nB6xFRaC_T4XGO-JAlCso-l_YTLAM32VEw1yOOzkvb4QnzlgqAKY2VdiyfmNmrEQQIBlxyD8d629Ou31OMk1mBb/s1600-h/pinksalt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hGkxSvcsqxpKXM1ph9hVzt29Euk4fClitZQHQ8R5iEhoTmKPw4vm6nB6xFRaC_T4XGO-JAlCso-l_YTLAM32VEw1yOOzkvb4QnzlgqAKY2VdiyfmNmrEQQIBlxyD8d629Ou31OMk1mBb/s320/pinksalt.jpg" /></a><br />
Pink Salt, also Known as Himalayan Rock Salt, this salt is hand-mined and harvested from ancient salt beds, deep under the Himalayan Mountains. Rich in over 80 minerals and trace elements, some of the most notable being calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron, this salt is considered to be the purest form of salt available. For therapeutic purposes, the Himalayan can be used in baths to relax the body, stimulate circulation, sooth sore muscles, and remove toxins. It is reputed to assist with relief from arthritis, skin rashes, wounds, and flu and fever symptoms. <br />
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The salt in Epsom creates a high-mineral content that duplicates the benefits of a hot spring. It is a chemical compound containing magnesium and sulfur. Epsom Salt is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and when it is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling and bruises and relaxes muscles. Epsom Salt can also be used for natural exfoliation to remove dull and dry skin cells, making the skin refreshed and rejuvenated. It is considered to do wonders for the hair, absorbing the oil from greasy hair. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_355Kn1cLyk_Uiu-M8mXGl2pMUwEItGGr14uQuHXmLDB_jdoUB9JL78H3kWInK24OmZnz9pFTuWoETpqIk5E-pNn_cytV9SFaOj336yH1G1J66umnJ7mwbwLv14B3uFZTgP2udBgojIVs/s1600-h/seaweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_355Kn1cLyk_Uiu-M8mXGl2pMUwEItGGr14uQuHXmLDB_jdoUB9JL78H3kWInK24OmZnz9pFTuWoETpqIk5E-pNn_cytV9SFaOj336yH1G1J66umnJ7mwbwLv14B3uFZTgP2udBgojIVs/s320/seaweed.jpg" /></a></div>Seaweed Powder, or Ascophyllum nodosum, is a brown seaweed commonly known as knotted, knobbed or bladder wrack, or kelp. It has a greenish brown powder with a strong pungent odor. Seaweed Powder is a rich source of vitamins including vitamins B12 (not found in land plants), vitamin E, amino acids, minerals, trace elements, and other nutrients. Seaweed powder makes for an effective cleansing and exfoliating agent. When applied to the skin, Seaweed treatments act as a powerful detoxifier that draws out toxins and impurities while adding beneficial nutrients. It helps to stimulate the body's metabolism and circulation which gives skin a healthy, revitalize and glowing appearance. Seaweed contains fatty acids to combat skin irritation and inflammation; and may assist with skin ailments such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. Seaweed Powder is suitable for all skin types. So although seaweed is not a salt, it could provide many benefits when added to the salts.<br />
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Solar salt, sometimes confusingly called "sea salt". It is not the same thing as the sea salt found in food stores, because this salts is not considered a food grade type of salt. It's main purpose is for use in water softeners, sold in 40 pound bags. Because it is produced by evaporation of sea water in large ponds, it is mistaken for sea salt. This salt type is not purified and may contain the remains of various aquatic life might have been trapped in it. So although this type of salt is not edible it is often used in bath salt blends. <br />
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I used to use Epsom salts and Sea salts, for their better mineral content. When bath salts are scented with essential oils, there is a shelf life, as opposed to adding fragrance oils that are merely chemicals and not degradable. We use a lot of bath salts at our house, and when salts do their detoxifying at the skin level, they can also make your skin dry. Moisturize after or add oils to your bath water. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-61561300177209346342010-02-14T14:26:00.000-08:002010-02-14T14:31:56.851-08:00Great soap information<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1402730063&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0943685494&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0931432820&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0811735737&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0806962895&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1580172431&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0761520422&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=natsoamak-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0764574086&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-58373368928853598482010-02-14T13:50:00.000-08:002010-02-14T13:50:33.146-08:00Cocoa Butter, yummy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lA5gsgTk5ypO04OWXFh_8OjZ9Rizrm-RZ_-1ANb2A8127rExtzEOxJB1fDou8v8uSWNb4Fi7MchN7vJ_0uHoZPeUYZB0TqPO2EzdyRat4yWuEaCFAcXPipmgHJxzvuyY-PORuEGdwEVX/s1600-h/cocoabutter18k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lA5gsgTk5ypO04OWXFh_8OjZ9Rizrm-RZ_-1ANb2A8127rExtzEOxJB1fDou8v8uSWNb4Fi7MchN7vJ_0uHoZPeUYZB0TqPO2EzdyRat4yWuEaCFAcXPipmgHJxzvuyY-PORuEGdwEVX/s320/cocoabutter18k.jpg" /></a></div>Cocoa butter is one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years, making it a good choice for non-food products. The smooth texture, sweet fragrance and emollient property make it a popular ingredient in cosmetics and skin care products, such as soaps and lotions.<br />
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This solid and rich butter is often found as an additive to cosmetics and shampoos , but it is also a natural emollient making it ideal for lip balms. The moisturizing abilities of it are frequently recommended for prevention of stretch marks in pregnant women, treatment of chapped skin, and as a daily moisturizer to prevent dry, itchy skin. The fact that it has a natural preservative and has a faintly pleasant aroma further lends benefits to its cosmetic uses.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgl_5yiBBhTizBj94TM41wdaAge_1VJWgUljGB6DgQsxu3_nTc7FFqavHKyq0RV2YpvxngnDeKTETlcy_vvqN_eQ1410nKLBNZExkPWlKM-dkECZO4Q_3TXJGMV-bWy0laE_tDXIdTDz9/s1600-h/choc4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgl_5yiBBhTizBj94TM41wdaAge_1VJWgUljGB6DgQsxu3_nTc7FFqavHKyq0RV2YpvxngnDeKTETlcy_vvqN_eQ1410nKLBNZExkPWlKM-dkECZO4Q_3TXJGMV-bWy0laE_tDXIdTDz9/s320/choc4.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Though many believe that this exceptional tropical butter has the ability to reduce or diminish the appearance of scars, this is a theory that is yet unproven. It does however, promote elasticity in the skin and will aid in the healing of chapped skin if it is used regularly. This tropical butter is often mistakenly used by people to expedite a suntan and while it will enhance a natural tan, it does not have a sun protection factor (SPF). To prevent the harmful effects of the sun, use a suntan lotion with an SPF of at least 15 that contains cocoa butter.<br />
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I add cocoa butter to my shaving soap bars to add extra moisturizing during the shaving process. I also make a body butter with this and shea butter which was very easily absorbed and popular with sun bathers and tanning booth users. This butter by itself will leave quite a shine on your skin, so often skin care products have other butters and oils to lessen this shine factor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-40227318530389692842010-02-07T13:53:00.000-08:002010-02-07T13:53:11.725-08:00Special purpose soaps<b>Some of the special soaps</b> I have made over the years have become a standard. We would often test market certain scents or types, sometimes a few times, and then either add to our must-have list or have to discontinue. Some of these soaps are ones that people often requested, yet when it came to buying it, it wasn't very popular. Here are some of the soaps types, and why:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO34tR1zpAoquj9hnF7tHdlyxWX6f-NLGjmlrKVAEleS4pZ3JnaUpkDeUjZUoVszoQyPBgn76ZHyF-xqDNvbDxpYFUse7sXYLm8wqmxwjkigUx2sWYRgfqMBl7SEPYoV8c3sO0j6-hWGM/s1600-h/castilebars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMO34tR1zpAoquj9hnF7tHdlyxWX6f-NLGjmlrKVAEleS4pZ3JnaUpkDeUjZUoVszoQyPBgn76ZHyF-xqDNvbDxpYFUse7sXYLm8wqmxwjkigUx2sWYRgfqMBl7SEPYoV8c3sO0j6-hWGM/s320/castilebars.jpg" /></a></div><b>Unscented:</b> we heard over and over again that people wanted unscented soaps. Yet when we made them, with no scent, it was never a good seller. It didn't smell bad either, it had no scent. But when these plain bars were looked at and smelled, the scented ones always won. We even changed the name of them too, just in case that was the cause, niether Unscented, Plain and Simple, or Uncomplicated ever sold well. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYWliYwGsXb69-HjVMsZjzJ2xsVklskGvwRrGQy4ny80FWXyoS-cjS1J3Ge7RSHc2y7CIAs4xqj5X4iY8NMdMpLCYHZ0IHdO-MdZ1RS1BSGgs5dprBEUSoYw_Tok_VAJMsrFqsmOATBPi/s1600-h/shaving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimYWliYwGsXb69-HjVMsZjzJ2xsVklskGvwRrGQy4ny80FWXyoS-cjS1J3Ge7RSHc2y7CIAs4xqj5X4iY8NMdMpLCYHZ0IHdO-MdZ1RS1BSGgs5dprBEUSoYw_Tok_VAJMsrFqsmOATBPi/s320/shaving.jpg" /></a></div><b>Shaving soap:</b> This was a good seller, and really, it was a great alternative to brand name shaving creams. We made a men's, women's and unisex versions. The men's version had a Lime and Cilantro scent (fragrance), perfect for a morning shave. The women's version had rose (fragrance) and/or rose geranium (essential oil). And the scent great for both men and women was sandalwood (fragrance). To make a regular soap base become a shaving soap, we added Bentonite Clay for the microscopic barrier between skin and razor, and cocoa butter for extra moisturizing due to the shaving action. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCW9DSP3Zd7l-mort6RoEdTa8Qb0RabG-OufcKG9JmGKommuvF83HTTxnmi7xVOyB08o8A0RInPSajPT_B7BQSINC37C6eABnzfLeoK5B7z0bH3nKaRghmhU5xcxZOrEfqx806yqGgb06/s1600-h/ant12k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCW9DSP3Zd7l-mort6RoEdTa8Qb0RabG-OufcKG9JmGKommuvF83HTTxnmi7xVOyB08o8A0RInPSajPT_B7BQSINC37C6eABnzfLeoK5B7z0bH3nKaRghmhU5xcxZOrEfqx806yqGgb06/s320/ant12k.jpg" /></a></div><b>Bug Repellent:</b> Definately popular in the spring and summer time, when those mosquitos first come out. We used a mixture of essential oils for an all natural repelling bar, with Citronella being the majority essential oil. There was also some peppermint, black pepper, lemongrass, and geranium, all for their repelling actions against specific insects. This bar was great for people and pets. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJG7WVvxmvKwLUBeQONsu79S3u_NvjrmE6lSgoLf8CebD_ExVKyBaLs7SS_zQL5bc_HJ7ufg82bM9HIVA3edCEysPegiUXGpQAjPoqm4sHYNY5k2oT2Lj0ZLxg31LNQR42csBhVP5-Bsw/s1600-h/teddyiloveyou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJG7WVvxmvKwLUBeQONsu79S3u_NvjrmE6lSgoLf8CebD_ExVKyBaLs7SS_zQL5bc_HJ7ufg82bM9HIVA3edCEysPegiUXGpQAjPoqm4sHYNY5k2oT2Lj0ZLxg31LNQR42csBhVP5-Bsw/s320/teddyiloveyou.jpg" /></a></div><b>Valentines Day</b> soaps: Not a big seller. I think because woman were our main customer base, and men didn't like coming into a soap shop. I was easier for men to buy chocolate at the corner store. Yes, we certainly did have confident men everyday in our store, but there wasn't a big enough jump in sales to warrant a special heart shaped soap. Although the strawberry soap would fit the theme. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-89111020871497388772010-01-24T17:19:00.001-08:002010-01-24T17:39:43.165-08:00Making soap isn't too scary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-pZJfdUy6MMcH5arrbClj5IbnCboPRCyofxhQxC-_h7Ytq1WZa0BREx923J41VeHWuSQEr3HDCwkehvB7NAhW7CpOX4VROxpR1Qca3yVm5dZRMATtoiiDYXv6xf52cIXkqRcIKgBf-IL/s1600-h/goggles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-pZJfdUy6MMcH5arrbClj5IbnCboPRCyofxhQxC-_h7Ytq1WZa0BREx923J41VeHWuSQEr3HDCwkehvB7NAhW7CpOX4VROxpR1Qca3yVm5dZRMATtoiiDYXv6xf52cIXkqRcIKgBf-IL/s320/goggles.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>When I have taught classes in soap making, one of the comments I get often is that it helps for the students to see me make the soap and know that it isn't as scary as they thought. Any soap making book can scare prospective soap makers with the cautious talk of the lye, and the safety gear in handling it. <br />
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When I first made soap, I didn't have all that safety gear. I didn't want to spend any more money than I should. So I made soap without the gloves and eye protection. But I was certainly careful. Over the years, I have been very lucky to not have splashed the soap base in my eyes, although I have splashed it on my skin. <br />
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</div>Later, when I knew I would be making soap forever, I felt I was knowledgeable enough to not get seriously hurt, and so far, this is the case. BUT, I am a careful person, and I set up my soap making store and at-home stations carefully, in order to reduce the chance of lye burns. <br />
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Having said that, I have had lye crystals get under my finger nails and burn. When those crystals get under there, you cannot get them out. Also, when I would wash the soap making pots after, the still caustic soap base causes anything from red skin, to a serious hot itchy skin where a rash-like irritation later occurs. <br />
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So you know yourself, and don't trust the kids and pets to stay out of your way, because they won't. Think worse-case scenario and plan your soap-making. To help you get started, here's things I learned:<br />
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- don't lift the stick blender out of the pot until it has stopped turning;<br />
- rinsing all the pots and utensils with hot water first lowers the amount of caustic soap base;<br />
- stick blenders are top-heavy and may fall over;<br />
- lye is staticy, and likes to fly around just a little bit;<br />
- wear gloves when you wash the equipment;<br />
- the skin on the inside of your wrist burns alot easier;<br />
- the soap base is often the same temperature as you and you won't feel the initial contact. <br />
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Just be careful and use common sense, I've seen other soapmakers with burn rashes up their arms. So for the amount of money for the goggles and gloves, get some and be careful.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8894687943093902843.post-52592682110851572152009-11-11T15:30:00.000-08:002010-01-24T16:46:30.118-08:00More about those scents.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Yiji_mmYCKSgkQZj5uULjwiuORLfO-a5wiki0jdeXZSBDpuCq6I09DFQXH14vHt9vDKL3OcIJlvIM5dtFJRlh2dyXFEKNIgWux8bOVXPRbFup5LFwiIWCzgH3RGL5vMDyzyi7EuZDx4x/s1600-h/lilac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Yiji_mmYCKSgkQZj5uULjwiuORLfO-a5wiki0jdeXZSBDpuCq6I09DFQXH14vHt9vDKL3OcIJlvIM5dtFJRlh2dyXFEKNIgWux8bOVXPRbFup5LFwiIWCzgH3RGL5vMDyzyi7EuZDx4x/s320/lilac.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>One of the problems with scents, more so with fragrance oils, is that they vary from supplier to supplier. I used to get this wonderful light Lilac scent that sold well. That supplier has closed and so I ordered a Lilac fragrance oil from another supplier that I order from. And this one is no where near as nice. This one has a chemicalness to it's scent, I think it is bordering on horrible. Yet some people like it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjse1VP5P3VpnWgMDM2ExydGRCbhgjkLHG66oVd1uAJKUgPIiCjXPjz6z190dTzYAb1n8x6ikq0wZgF0DozaFDo1trsKRDxM0gTErl5xiaZnrYuWsNmhz1Juzs-ukU589SLLi_eSmmeU2YS/s1600-h/sandalwoodwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjse1VP5P3VpnWgMDM2ExydGRCbhgjkLHG66oVd1uAJKUgPIiCjXPjz6z190dTzYAb1n8x6ikq0wZgF0DozaFDo1trsKRDxM0gTErl5xiaZnrYuWsNmhz1Juzs-ukU589SLLi_eSmmeU2YS/s320/sandalwoodwood.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Same goes for Sandalwood. First off, you will never find a natural Sandalwood soap as the essential oil is extremely expensive. For ecological purposes, you would not want Sandalwood as it is harvested from 30 year old trees, that need to be cut down, where the scent is obtained from the wood and bark. On any fragrance oil list you may find a dozen Sandalwoods with varying names such as Sandalwood and Amber (again, not real amber), Sandalwood Earthy, etc. So far I have noticed this with almost every fragrance oil.<br />
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Essential Oils tend to have the same concerns. Lavender is a good example, there are a dozen types again, from light and floral to a more earthy. Lavender from France tends to be weaker than Lavender from Bulgaria, therefore, you would use less of the Bulgarian Lavender. If you aren't sure which type to get, stick to a blended Lavender, such as a 40/42. A friend of mine has noticed that one scent she gets from one supplier A is exactly the same scent from supplier B, but of a much lower strength. I know that I have had to double my Patchouli fragrance amount from a couple of years ago.<br />
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When you find that perfect scent, keep it. Some suppliers will offer samples, and even if you had to pay for a sample pack, it would be worth it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1