What is Soap?

  I'm often asked what is the difference between my soap and what you buy in the store.  My simple answer is that mine is actual soap -by definition  a blend of fats and lye.  Often what you find at the store is detergent - a water soluble cleansing agent.  The FDA regulates this labeling which is why most bars of "soap" that you buy at the grocery store do not say soap.  They're labeled moisture bar, family bar, classic bar, etc.  
     My deeper answer is that I know what is in my soap.  I gather the ingredients and lovingly blend them together.  Your skin is your biggest organ and absorbs everything you put on it.  I'm a little annal about what I put on my skin and that of my loved ones.  That is how my product line started.  
     Fats in this case are olive oil, coconut oil and palm kernal oil - organic and ethically procured.  They each have their own wonderful attributes including moisturizing, skin nourishing and lather producing. 
     Lye is leached from wood ash.  It is also known as sodium hydroxide.  By itself it is not safe, but in finished soap it is neutral and safe. When lye meets with oils it begins a saponification process that turns the oils into soap.  These saponified oils (it's not soap yet) are then poured into soap molds and left alone to cool and cure.  After the bars are unmolded I allow the soap to age to insure that the lye and oils have finished reacting and have created a gentle cleansing bar of soap.  That is why you will see on the bottom of my soap labels a do not use before date.  I never offer soap for sale that is not ready so the note is mostly for my benefit and to generate conversation.
     The longer a bar of soap sits, like a fine wine it gets better.  A well aged bar of soap will last much longer in the shower (or bath) and will provide much pleasure.


  

Beauty Routine

 

     When I was a little girl I would sit and listen to my mom and the neighborhood woman talk.  I learned very early if I sat quietly I could stay and listen.  I soaked up all of their stories, experiences and wisdom.  I took them into my being and learned a great deal from their lessons.  I knew that experience brought wisdom and would listen for those nuggets of gold.
     When I was a new teenager my friends and I started experimenting with make up.  One friend had a make up party and I'll never forget what the sales women said,"take care of more than just your face or your face will look great and the rest of you.... moisturize your neck as well or it will look like crepe paper when you are older."
     I attended numerous make up parties in those early years and tried many products but the basic routine was the same no matter who was pushing their product - cleanse, tone and moisturize. I very rarely wear make up now but I still cleanse, tone and moisturize.  The only difference is that now I make my own.
     The soap came first. After a soap making class I never bought soap again.  And call me cheap, lazy or what have you but I use soap to wash my face every morning in the shower.  I can't be bothered with multiple steps.  And to be honest my soap does wonders for my skin.
     Next came toner.  I was at a herb fair and bought a bottle.  I loved it and attempted to duplicate the recipe at home.  I'm happy with the results.  It took a while to get the portions down but the blend of calendula infusion and witch hazel soothes the skin, cleans the pores and leaves my skin ready to drink in moisturizer.
     My face and body lotion sprang from my need to know what I was putting on my skin. It is deeply moisturizing and my skin has never looked better.  I've discovered at shows that people try the lotion sample and are surprised that it is a face cream as well.  Advertising has done a great job of making us think we need separate products body, face and eyes.  I simply find this not to be true.

Soap journey

 
  My friend, Mare, took a soap making class at a local store.  I thought it sounded interesting so the next time the class was offered I signed up.  It was me and one other woman learning to make soap in a small barn turned shop.  A hot plate was used to heat up the oils.  It was fun.  It made sense.  I would never buy soap again.
     I made soap on my own.  A batch would last a year.  Mare and I made soap together.  She bought wooden spoons for the occasion.  I still have them.  The first is retired and will be put in the fire as an offering to her memory.  She passed from this world leaving a mark on my heart.  She soon tired of the process.  I continued on.
     At first I followed the recipe exactly.  I tried very few scent variations.  And then, I started to make it my own.  I changed things up.  I played with scents, clays, milk and oils.  I had fun with it.  I still have fun with it.  I love making soap in the winter.  I would use the snow for an ice bath.  Setting the bowl of lye and water outside while I heated the oils enough to melt.  Now, I get big bags of ice and fill the sink.  It brings everything in close proximity which makes it easier.  I can get three batches made from a sink full of ice.
     The more I play the more I enjoy the process.  It has become meditative for me.  I have a huge basket I keep my supplies in.  I have transferred my lotion and lip balm supplies to another basket.  This simple act helped.  Now I just grab the basket and I'm ready to go.

     And the failures are almost as much pleasure as the successes.  The coffee soap foamed up and bubbled over the bowl.  I continued on.  As it dried it became bitter smelling and never really set.  The entire batch had to be tossed.  I will make modifications and try again.
     I take notes every time I make a batch.  It helps me remember what I did so I can duplicate the soap or make modifications.  It also gives me a record of what and when I made something.  This helps with creating labels and seeing how fast a certain soap sells.
     My latest experiment is bay scented soap. I can't wait to see if people love the outcome as much as I do.

Soap Day

     I have nothing on my schedule until 6:30 tonight.  I will usher in the spring at a special gentle & restorative yoga class followed by live music and good friends.  The event is a benefit for the collective good.  So, I penciled in soap, lotion and capsules.
     The lavender lotion is setting up.  When the oils begin to thicken I will whip in the water and aloe mix until it looks and feels like butter cream frosting.  And it does for the body what frosting does for a cake.
     Three batches of soap are poured into molds.  It will be four weeks before they are usable.  Though the longer you let them sit the better they are.  The more aged a soap is the longer it will last in the bath or shower.  A fresh batch of D's Dirtie Hippie was first on the list as I need to replenish stock.  Next I made a sweet orange & rosemary.  I had tried this as a lip balm and it was such a big hit with people I thought I'd try it as a soap. I'm always trying to find a more manly scent - I tend to like those over flowery scents and  so do most of the men in my life.  So, I made a bay soap with french green clay.  I can't wait to see how it turns out in a few weeks.
     Now a little paperwork and an afternoon making capsules while I slow roast a chicken for dinner.

Snow Day

      Ah, I love New England and the winter storms that brew.  It makes me appreciate spring all the more.  And since I have long since realized that I am not irreplaceable to corporate.  It is not worth my safety, time, energy or frustration to drive to work.  What is an hour drive on a good day is likely to be two to three hours during a Nor'easter. So, I hunker in on days like this.  Snow days for me are a bonus day filled with activities I may not have time for otherwise.  Last week while I was catching up on laundry I made two batches of soap and a batch of lotion all this before lunch.  We enjoyed a roast chicken for dinner followed by Mexican brownies.

I made a fresh batch of lavender & lime soap.  It is my best seller and I make a batch just about every time I make soap.  I also experimented with a new scent; lemon basil with French green clay.  It is a nice clean scent for spring.  I'm interested to see the reaction it gets at the next vendor fair.  I really take note of what people enjoy and ask for.  I then translate that as best I can with new product.

          My face and body lotion is made with a hint of organic patchouli essential oil.  It is great for maturing skin.  I also love the earthy scent.  I have found some people are allergic to it and make batches of unscented lotion as well.  But, I have been asked more than once for lavender lotion so I have that now as well.  It has a touch of organic lavender essential oil.  Lavender is good on the skin as well so a match made for luscious soft skin.

All of my lotions are made with organic avocado oil.  It was an accident that went right.  I had been using sweet almond oil and grabbed the wrong bottle by mistake.  Being impatient I tried it instead and fell head over heals in love with the results.  It was then that I looked up the benefits of avocado oil. Nothing like putting the cart before the horse.  This is what I found:

• It contains sterolin which studies have shown to facilitate the softening of the skin and to reduce age spots.
• Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, making it useful for healing sun-damaged skin.  Antioxidants like vitamin A, D and E in avocado cause the skin to be suppler, and thus particularly good for dry or aged skin.
• Avocado oil applied topically helps relieve dry and itchy skin. Once applied, avocado oil is deeply absorbed by the skin, thus making it an ideal moisturizer and skin care agent. 
• In addition to helping clear scaly skin, it can also relieve itchy scalp symptoms. Avocado oil, when regularly applied to the scalp, can stimulate hair growth.
•  When applied, avocado oil increases the production of collagen, which helps keep the skin plump and decreases the effects of aging.  
• Avocado oil is useful in the treatment of a variety of skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis. Avocado oil facilitates the healing of wounds and burns to the skin. It also helps to relieve and heal diaper rash.

From personal experience my skin feels deeply moisturized.  Every now and then I treat myself to a facial. My esthetician is rather exasperated that I make my own products and that they work so well.  She really wants to recommend the products she sells but can't make a justification for it. 

Some people may be allergic to avocado oil so you should do a patch test just in case. 

Today I packaged orders and labeled soap.  I took a quick inventory to see what I need to make before the fair next week.  I played in my art journal, caught up on e-mail and this afternoon I will bake cookies and watch movies with my daughter.  Tonight she is making us a bacon and egg pizza for dinner.  I hope you enjoy your days off just as much as I do.

Kitchen Play

     I'm on vacation from my corporate job.  And I can think of nothing better than puttering in the kitchen and catching up with friends and family.  My first day off I baked six batches of cookies which seem to be disappearing quickly.  Today I devoted to restocking products and trying new twists.
     I started with two batches of soap.  The first batch is a customer favorite lavender & lime and the second batch is my hubby's favorite, lemongrass.  In the coming week I plan to add  a few more batches to the mix.  Toner was made and bottled and then came lip balm.  I made a fresh batch of lavender lip balm.  It has become the most requested scent. Besides organic lavender essential oil it contains Vitamin E and organic carrot seed oil which is great for the skin and leaves your lips feeling oh so pleased.
     Bee's Knees was next. It's from a recipe I found to recreate that famous bees lip balm. The first time I tried it I made a half batch to see if I liked it.  It was so I good I made a full batch today. It is a lush lip balm made with cocoa butter, organic coconut oil, and organic peppermint and rosemary essential oils.
     Today I experimented with deodorant. I just made one tube to see if I like it.  I had purchased an artisans deodorant on vacation that was scented with rosemary and lavender.  I really liked the addition of rosemary so I combined it with sweet orange for my trial run.  The combination tickled my fancy so I made a tiny batch of lip balm with sweet orange and rosemary as well.  Yum!