More Discoloration

I was cutting soap today, and one of the bars caught my eye as a great example of discoloration. (see previous post for more info on various effects fragrances have on soap - other then "smell".)

Frankincense & Myrrh Soap, just after being cut.  Before it's fully discolored.

This bar will be a rather dark bar - in a couple of weeks.  BUT, shortly after being cut, you can see very clearly how different the bar will soon look.  How cool is that?!

And what's on the bars in the background, you ask?  I added gold colored mica (it's bronze, actually) to the tops of the bar so that it's truly a "Christmas" bar of soap.  Being Frankincense & Myrrh, with a bit of gold on top.  :->

Fragrances and Discoloration

There are all kinds of important reasons to test new soap fragrances. Some fragrances don’t stick, some fragrances change completely when soaped (aka: morphing). Some cause problems while soaping (acceleration & ricing are two terms soapers use to describe potential issues with fragrances), some aggravate potential problems down the road. 

This pic is a great visual for another reason to test fragrances.  SOME fragrances cause discoloration in soap.

The pic doesn't show it, but the top right bar even has a tinge of green to it.

These 8 sample bars are from one test batch.  The soap formula I used makes a rather white soap.  I made one batch and divided it into 8 portions and mixed in the appropriate amount of fragrance.  Each bar is a different fragrance. The results show a great variety of discoloration a simple fragrance can have on a bar of soap. And remember – the bars were made at the same time, in the same pot, all the exact same formulation… just divided into 8 portions, with 8 different fragrances.  

Here's the other part of the equation we'll have to update you on later.  Soap color can change over time.  This pic was taken two days after soaping.  Some will darken even more.  Some won't change.  Some will change color hues.  

And WHY is this important?  Let's say that I want to color my bar...  and perhaps I have GREEN in mind. Fragrances  B and C obviously won't have a good chance at being colored Green.  They're simply going to be too dark.  Yes, btw, the soaps have letters carved into the top ("A" is the top left, "B" is beneath it... and so on.  "E" is the top right.)  Matters not to you and the pic, really.  But later, down the road - we'll still need to know which bar is which.  I've made notes on the bottom of these bars as well.

We'll check back in with these soaps in a month or so...  I bet they change even more.  Until then, thanks for joining me behind the scenes!

Beautiful Words

Thumbing through a few blogs, I saw a program called Wordle.  Simply put in your blog or website address and it gives back the most frequently used words in a great graphic format.

Here's the one from my blog.  Don't ya love it?!
(you can click on the pic to see a larger version)

Why Oats?

We use oats in our shampoo, face wash and in a special bar of soap because oats are amazing!

As I prepared to make our Avocado-Oatmeal Soap this week, it occurred to me that I spend extra time on this bar - and thought I could use this opportunity to explain why.   

Avocado Oatmeal
Just Bar Soap

Oats are good for you!  

Hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory, oats contain various proteins, lipids, enzymes, vitamins, saponins, and antioxidants. 

Oats soothe the skin and ease the discomfort of skin irritations and inflammation caused by rashes, dry skin, abrasions, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn and chicken pox. You can also count on oats to be gentle enough for babies, and to help with eczema, psoriasis, and acne. 

Oatmeal Protein is actively substantive to hair and skin and is great for conditioning. As you can imagine, we feel that the benefits to the skin and hair are worth the extra effort to get them into our our products.

Sooooooo, there you have it.  Oats Rock!   

Soothing Calendula

I've been asked (many times) about our most popular bar of soap, and why it's so different than other bars.

Calendula officinalis

Sooooo, here's the answer: Calendula.

Much has been written about the powers of Calendula. A quick search will reveal thousands of articles about this amazing plant.

Therapeutic Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is sometimes referred to as "marigold" or Pot Marigold, it is a very different plant from the common variety (Tagetes patula or Tagetes minuta) found in our gardens. 

Calendula has one of the longest histories as an herbal medicinal plant. Sometimes consumed to treat a variety of illnesses, the primary use of the plant has been a local, topical application.  Boosting healing rates and preventing infections of wounds, Calendula in the form of an herbal tincture, an herbal infusion or as an ointment – has been used to help a variety of skin conditions that ranging from chapped skin to acne, diaper rash and chronic eczema.

Our best selling soap not only has calendula petals in the bar, but we infuse the olive oil with calendula petals to make an extra soothing and very mild soap

This is a bucket of calendula petals in olive oil – infusing the great qualities of calendula into the olive oil. 

The yellow color comes partially from the high concentration of natural iodine (which may contribute to valuable healing properties).  Calendula also has antimicrobial compounds and antifungal properties as well as high levels of carotene, lycopene and manganese. 

So now you know.  The secret is truly in the bar - and in the olive oil we use to make the bar.  Infused with the amazing properties of an amazing flower.  It's all about Calendula.

Tools

I was wrong.  There.   I said it.

Honestly, I think men and their vast array of tools can border on hoarding. Just as my obsession with soap fragrances (and my vast collection) could possible appear on the “hoarding spectrum”. 

When my husband came into a room (at some point in the past - to tackle what ever task it was) with this portfolio of pliers and such… I likely rolled my eyes.  

Who could possibly need so many of these babies!?  I’m sure I felt that the marketing genius that convinced people they need this variety of plier-type-things had done a great job.

I must stay I’m humbled.  Crow doesn’t taste all that bad. 

WHY?  Why the change of mind?  I needed a bunch of the tools in this great little pack – just to do ONE job.

This is my soap cutter.  In the industry, it’s known as “The Tank”.  It’s awesome.  Cuts bars beautifully.  It uses piano (or is it guitar?) wires to slice through soap. 

I broke a wire recently.  I think I tightened it too much.  Either way, I had to replace it and it wasn’t pretty.  Normally, it’s a straight-forward job, but this one broke in a way that I had to cut wire, and wrestle the old one out before I could put the new one in. 

I honestly used 5 of these tools before the job was done.  I’m happy to have this little tool kit around.   Now stay away from my fragrance oils… I NEED them. All.  J

Cucumber Soap

Sometimes I find cucumbers in our garden that have grown bigger than that "ideal eating" size.

Why don't we eat them? We're beyond overloaded with cucumbers right now.  We've passed them on to friends and family to the point that they wince when we call or visit - worried we're going to drop more cucumbers in their laps.  We've made traditional pickles.  We've made salads.  We've made refrigerator pickles.

The next logical cucumber project would be - soap, naturally.  


Here's a quick look at how I make soap with cucumbers.

First, puree the cucumbers.  Skin, seeds and all.

Weighing the Shea Butter.

Cucumber puree with lye - going into the oils.

Blending the oils and lye.

Adding buttermilk.

Soap with green colorant being added back to batch for a swirl effect.

Cucumber Soap!

Opposing H.R. 5786 - even though I firmly support Safe Cosmetics

I've sent this letter to my representative.  I've also sent it to the person running against him in the upcoming election and to the submitters of the bill.  Basically - if they'll listen, I'll talk.  As written, this bill stands to be the end of my company - and of many others like mine.

Fail. Succeed. And lots of Baths.

We're expanding our product line!

Exciting, I know.  And what are we expanding it with?  Shampoos, Conditioners, and Bath Bombs.

I'm the Bath Bomb Gal.  I want these babies to be luxurious - without being greasy.  Fun, without leaving a colorful ring on the user's mid-section.  (Yes, my youngest had a bath ring in the early stages of formulations, LOL!)  Mainly, I want a product that meets our current standards!

Here's a peek:

Notice the GREEN BLOB in the center of the pic?  That's a one of my "Failures".  From crumbles to expanders - I've made 'em all!  The good news is that I've wound up with a bomb I'm pleased to send to my testers.  

Friends and Customers with sensitive skin - or kids with sensitive skin have been my target tester.  I figure, if THEY like the product - most everyone will!  My kids, my friends kids, and many friends have been soaking and bathing like crazy. Me on the other hand - I'm ALMOST ready to come out of the bath lab.

For now, here's what you need to know.  They fizz.  They bubble.  They smell fantastic, and leave your skin feeling soft.  Most importantly, our release date is coming soon!   

HMSG Conference 2010

This video does a great job capturing this year's conference.  It was a fantastic conference.  I was inspired, re-charged - AND I learned a thing or two.  The best part though was meeting all kinds of great people I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with.

Handmade Soapmakers Guild 2010 Conference - Denver
While I was there, I took the certification test and am happy to say...
"I passed". Yup, I'm certified.  
As if I wasn't truly a soapmaker?  
Not at all, but since I was there - I thought I'd go ahead and take the test.  
And here's the result:

  

Yay me!
All in all - I'd definitely call my time in Denver a rousing success.

Asparagus Bug-a-sus

More Bugs.  {shiver}
These are on the other side of our yard. And there are bunches.

See the red guy in focus at the top right? And random out of focus bug-a-boos, here and there in the pic?

They're Asparagus Beetles.  We have two kinds.  I'll spare ya the pic of the other type, I'm sure you get the idea.



Sooooo, soap to the rescue  - again.


Here's Steve - picking adult beetles off, and putting them in a bucket of soapy water.

And then, we sprayed down the plants with our Fragrance Free Hand Wash - diluted with water.

Absolutely NOT what I had in mind for our hand cleanser when we made it.  BUT, I feel safe using it on our plants and in our yard.

Tired of hearing about our bug problems?  ME TOO.  


Of course, it is nice to know our soaps are multi-purposed.  Still, I'd rather NOT need it for this.

soapy rescue?

Please, oh please - let the soap save the day.

Our lupines are just beginning to blossom.  I was appreciating their beautiful start when I spotted the HORRIBLE infestation.

Aphids! And not just a few. More like colonies from near and wide having found nirvana on MY lupine.

Fair warning... this ain't for the weak.  All those tiny specs.
Are BUGS!  And every stem looks like that! What's a girl to do?




Here's what I'm going to do.

1.  Spray with a soapy solution with our Just Plain Clean (lavender blend).
2.  Call the county extension.
3. Shudder a bit, because it's just plain ICKY to look at all those bug-a-boos.

  I'll keep you posted.

For now, know that our hand wash is our first line of defense against bothersome pests.

It's biodegradable.  It's definitely soapy.

And... now our plants smell GREAT! Though, I'm (admittedly) aiming for a better outcome than lavender blend smelling lupine.

Shhhh... they're sleeping.

We treat our products well!  First naps, then a massage.

Anyone curious as to what’s REALLY going on?

Here’s a hint:

This is my 5-year-old – helping resolve the issue.

It turns out that after labeling, boxing, taking photos, posting them to Etsy – and actually having delivered a case to a store…  I finally noticed the recent batch of Just Foaming Clean™ has the WRONG front labels on the bottles. 

On one hand, we have good news.  Our labels DON’T come off easily.

The bad news? The labels DON’T come off easily.

We ripped off old labels, washed off all the sticky stuff.  Polished bottles and applied the appropriate labels.  Bet ya THAT won’t happen again!    Here they are  on Etsy, with the old/wrong label. The freshly applied ones say 8 fl oz, instead of our website.  Shhhhhh.  Don't tell anyone our little secret!