new soaps available in the soap shop!

*located in the 'Soap Shop' tab above

Recipes & Formulas

A little peek into my soapmaking notebook, where I scribble down recipes and keep notes, working on getting the numbers balanced so the result is a gentle, long-lasting, cleansing bar of soap. Different oils have different properties, such as different kinds of fatty acids, which act differently and have different effects in the soap bar and on the skin. Lots of differences to learn about!

Fair Trade Shea Butter

I'm really excited to have just found this fair trade shea butter supplier out of a local company in Olympia, WA (though of course, the butter is from Africa). I am formulating a Lavender Shea soap(!) to include shea butter, so I started researching the ethics of shea butter, and came across their website. You may have already seen their products in your grocery store or co-op-- 'Everyday Shea' shampoo is one that's in my shower right now!

If you'd like to know more about shea butter, please check out their website, where I am hoping to make an order soon to include in my soap recipes.

Beautiful photos of shea butter block and shea butter-in-the-making courtesy
 http://www.agbangakarite.com

Chamomile and Calendula

These are freshly dried and jarred. I've been drinking this chamomile as tea, and the medicinal effects have been very noticeable. My stomach feels very good, I notice that my nerves feel more relaxed, and I've also been dabbing the post-brewed material on my face in the muslin cloth bag and my skin feels very nice. I think the whole, unprocessed form really makes a difference. Make sure to cover your teas to keep the volatile oils from escaping. I'm experimenting with brew time, as it's possible that a longer brew could degrade the medicinal properties. Usually it's ~15 minutes for a strong, medicinal broth, but it's possible that chamomile might only need 3.

Visions of fir needle infusions

On a walk through the forest the other day, I found some freely given pine tree boughs... which smelled most glorious. I dried them in the dehydrator, which has also been busy with calendula, chamomile and cornflowers.

Clinton Thursday Market

This Thursday I had soaps aplenty, and fresh bunches of spearmint and lemon balm for $2. 

Lemon balm, also known as Melissa, is a mild and safe calming nervine, with anti-inflammatory and astringent properties from the high tannin and essential oil content, used to: 

- soothe nervous tension,

- help relieve anxiety, 

- lift the spirits,

- promote good sleep, 

- relieve digestive disorders, such as nausea, cramps, and flatulence, especially when overanxiety causes digestive problems,

- help fight flu and colds, and the Herpes I and II viruses due to it's antiviral compounds,

- naturally repel insects, also helping to ease pain or itching from bites or stings,

&

- help relieve headaches and migraine. 

An infusion (freshly boiled water poured over the material and steeped, covered, for at least 10 minutes) can be made using a handful of fresh leaves (optimal), or a tablespoon or so of freshly dried leaves, crushed and steeped, covered, in 2-3 cups of freshly boiled water. You can drink this as a tea, or even pour it into a bath.

I had 3 new kinds of soap at this market:

- Calendula Armoise -

(Armoise = mugwort. A lovely plant in the Artemisia family)

- Comfrey + Tea Tree + Aloe -

&

- Peppermint -

Peppermint soap with a French red clay swirl

Red Clover

     I was working in the garden today, and there were "weeds" up to my knees. Some of them being a few red clover plants, in bloom. :) I guess I put "weeds" in quotes because all plants have their own stories; what we choose to know about them or not, is either our gain or loss... not in a competitive sense, but in a holistic sense-- what we have comprising of and completing our lives.

     I'd like to share what Kathleen Brown, herbal teacher, writer, gardener and prior president of the Rocky Mountain Unit of The Herb Society, writes about red clover in her book, 'Herbal Teas: 101 Nourishing Blends for Daily Health & Vitality':

"Clover helps heal the earth as a regenerative mulch for depleted soil, replenishing nitrogen. It contains high amounts of protein and calcium and is a richly nourishing and purifying herb for the blood, traditionally used to help clear the skin. Clover is best known today as an excellent spring tonic. It gently nourishes, tones, and cleanses over time, often improving various metabolic functions. Traditionally, it has been used as an herbal cancer treatment, and clover is also good in formulas that address the healing of bones, nerves, and muscles. It's also considered appropriate for healing use with children and was the favorite food for the mythical Brer Rabbit.

health benefits:

• Nourishes and purifies blood
• Relieves symptoms of cough, cold, asthma, and bronchitis
• Externally, useful in compresses and baths for rashes, ulcers, burns and sores
• Supports nerves as relaxing and nutrient-rich tonic."

     I made this tea using one handful of fresh clover flowers, lightly rinsed in cool water, covered with freshly boiled water, and steeped with the cover on for at least 10 minutes, and as long as it took until I finished the 3 cup pot... ~1 hour, maybe, for me.

Market

I will be at tomorrow's market with soap

- Rosemary + Lavender -

- Fresh Citrus -

- Patchouli -

- Lavender -

- Chamomile + Oatmeal -

- Geranium Bay -

- Spearmint + Poppy Seed -

- Ginger + Ylang Ylang -

- Cinnamon Scrub -

Bars run from $2-$5 + sales tax

First market this Sunday!

These cute little bundles will be available to purchase for $5/ea.! Makes a really nice gift. Each is approx. 4.5-5oz. Creamy, refreshing spearmint essential oil with gentle poppy seed exfoliation. Ingredients are listed on the back of the tag.

There will also be other soaps for sale too from $2-$4!

I will not have any herbs at this market. Things are sprouted and growing, but not big enough! It will be a few more weeks. Here is a list, (possibly incomplete), of herbs and edible flowers that I'm hoping to have ready for the market in a few+ weeks. I will post what I definitely do have the nights before the market. I already know that my supply of the perennials will be very limited as this is the first year of my garden. So come early if you want any of those! I will mark what might be limited with an *.

- Cinnamon Basil -

- Genovese Basil -

- Holy/Tulsi Basil -

- Lemon Basil -

- Thai Basil -

- Bergamot* -

- Borage -

- Calendula -

- Chamomile -

- Chervil -

- Chives -

- Cilantro -

- Cress -

- Cutting Celery -

- Dill -

- Fennel Leaf -

- Heartsease/Johnny Jump-Up/Viola tricolor/Wild Pansy -

- Lemon Balm* -

- Lemongrass* -

- Marjoram* -

- Peppermint* -

- Swiss Ricola Mint* -

- Flat Leaf Parsley -

- Rosemary* -

- Sage* -

- Stevia* -

- Sorrel -

- Summer Savory -

- Tarragon* -

- Thyme* -

- Yarrow -

More soaps are getting ready for the market

Sample sizes...

... of Geranium Bay.

This is the soap to have when you are wanting a sensuous smell. It smells very clean, yet captivating. In addition to geranium rose and bay essential oils, there are a few other secret ones in there too, to add depth, not to mention their healing properties: 

- orange, lavender, cedarwood, clary sage, and marjoram -

Other ingredients: Saponified oils of olive, organic palm, & organic coconut; dried calendula petals; organic cocoa powder.

Spearmint + Poppy Seed

Very light, refreshing and creamy spearmint, and a tiny bit exfoliating but still very gentle.

INGREDIENTS: Saponified oils of olive, organic palm, & organic coconut; poppy seeds; spearmint & tea tree essential oils.

Find me at the South Whidbey Tilth Farmer's Market on Sundays from 11a.m.-2p.m.!

Busy as a bee

... here in The Herbal Workshop!

The next batch of soap is cut and curing.

Rosemary + Lavender Shampoo Bar

Do you ever get itchy scalp? I do. And I'm tired of it. I notice it mostly after using heavily detergentized shampoos and conditioners. I'm going to try switching to gentle shampoo bars. And I'm working on creating the perfect formula. 

So far, this one is pretty basic: Olive, Coconut*, Palm*, Sweet Almond & Castor oils; Rosemary & Lavender essential oils. 

*organic ingredient

Rosemary contains caffeic acid and it's derivative rosmarinic acid, which according to a scientific study published here, in the US National Library of Medicine's archive, have antioxidant effects. I'll quote some more of the study:

"Rosmarinic acid is well absorbed from gastrointestinal tract and from the skin. It increases the production of prostaglandin E2 and reduces the production of leukotriene B4 in human polymorphonuclear leucocytes, and inhibits the complement system. It is concluded that rosemary and its constituents especially caffeic acid derivatives such as rosmarinic acid have a therapeutic potential in treatment or prevention of bronchial asthma, spasmogenic disorders, peptic ulcer, inflammatory diseases, hepatotoxicity, atherosclerosis, ischaemic heart disease, cataract, cancer and poor sperm motility."

I think if rosemary can do that, it can probably also help to stimulate hair growth and prevent hair loss, which has been the word on the street for quite a few centuries now. Much more literature can be found on rosemary, including in this great book, 'Essential Herbal Wisdom,' by Nancy Arrowsmith.

Plus, this is what the amazing rosemary flower looks like:

Lavender... we'll save that for another day.

Welcome to The Herbal Workshop!

The Herbal Workshop is a garden and a blossoming idea.  Begun by Kirsten in 2012 with her agricultural, botanical and health interests, she will be growing culinary and medicinal plants, and making herbal products from them. You can hopefully find her at two farmer's markets on Whidbey Island this year, offering fresh, organic culinary and medicinal herbs, herbal soaps and sampling fresh herbal teas. She foresees The Herbal Workshop as an education and community-building facility in the far future, offering workshops (after all!) and hosting events.