Even newer look

You know when I said everything is constantly evolving around here? Well, overnight, I came up with what I think will be the final edition of soap labels for 2013. Here is what you really will be seeing in the mail, and hopefully on store shelves soon.

A New Year, A New Look

Happy 2013 everyone! I hope the new year is bringing you new openings, fresh beginnings, deeper insights and happy continuations.

I have been busy working on a new vertical label, and coming up with new essential oil blends for some new soaps. Everything is constantly evolving around here! Check out the few new ones in the 'Soap Shop' tab above, including 'Mountain Morning' which is one of my favorites, and has received some "Smells awesome!" and "Amazing smell," critiques so far, and is also super creamy and gentle, and will leave your skin clean and soft.

   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.