Another Castile Soap

Another Castile soap…scented in essential oils of lemon, sage, and ginger…Again what is Castile soap? It is soap made with a formula of 100% olive oil-meaning no other oils or butters were used in the making of this soap. This soap is still so friggin soft even after 3 days in the mold! I steeped some grated lemon peel in my lye solution to give it a sunny yellow color which of course you can’t see cause I didn’t angle the soaps right duh…I sprinkled the tops with some dried calendula.

I’ll have to let this soap cure for at least 3 months-just in time for the holidays. I’m hoping it will be rock hard by then…

It's Loofahpalooza 2k14!

New year. New look...I love putting "stuff" in soap lol and loofah is one of my faves. The grocery store near my job was selling footlong loofah's for around $4 and it was divine intervention because I swear I was looking for loofah on Etsy and other suppliers. Score!!!!

Anyway, this one's about as all-natural as it's gonna get-no coloring and scented with litsea cubeba (May Chang). It's very sweet with a heavenly citrus aroma almost like a flowery orange for lack of a better description. I love it! Yup, that's about all I can say...

The Big Damn Chocolate Bar...Soap

 This is one of my faves because I'm a lazy soap maker (meaning I have no patience for intricate design and pattern). It's so easy-no frills, no fuss, no pomp and circumstance...This soap mixture really reminded me of whipping up cake batter. I added real cocoa powder to my soap oils, then whipped til thick. I used a proprietary blend of chocolate fragrances, then poured into my mold. To keep the soap from looking too "ordinary", I whipped it to a very thick track so I could create swirlies on top. And that's it...

I Made Soap!

Just a few photos of my latest version of Bay Rum...

Cherry Blossom Kiss V2

So I made some soap...Cherry Blossom Kiss. I went a little too heavy on the colorant. I wanted a pinkish tint, not a full-blown red. It smells dee-vine though:)

An Old Favorite

My all-time favorite scent...ever? Me think so...

 Black Raspberry Vanilla

I wish they made bubblegum in this flavor

I shall expand this scent throughout my product line

Let's Have Cupcakes!

Cupcakes are wonderful. Cupcakes are delicious. Cupcakes are....LIFE!

I decided to make a little fun, holiday/any day soap to celebrate CUPCAKES! Who doesn't love a cupcake? Wait, don't answer that...

A Sample Box Soap

 

I'm getting my feet wet again. I have not made any soap since August! Caribbean Queen is one of my favorite, yet most challenging soaps to make. I love the scent-very tropical and fruity. The technique on the other hand, requires a quick hand. This is only my second time making this particular soap because I incorporate 4 different colors. However, in this photo, you can really only see 3, maybe 3-1/2 lol...I used yellow for the base, then swirled green, purple, and what was supposed to be a pinkish/red, but it turned out lavender, so it looks like purple, lavender, and green.

But it's all good! It smells heavenly, and it's for a sample box I'm participating in this month.

Just A Few Pics

I made 2 batches over the weekend! Major feat...seriously. I'll post the deets when I cut and photograph them:)

Bath and Body Oil Redux

 

I'm getting my groove baaaaaaaaaack! I am in the process of creating a batch of soap for a sample box I'm participating in, and I've decided to revamp almost all of my product line. It's out with the old and in with the new. First up, it's my bath and body oils. I freaking love these! They are uber versatile, and seriously lightweight. They soak into your skin like a sponge. They don't feel heavy or sticky and the scent lingers for what seems like eternity. You'll lift your arm, and you're like "Oh, what's that smelling so garsh darn delicious?" Then you'll go, "Oh, that's ME!!!!"

Firstly, I changed the bottle. Four ounces just wasn't cutting it. I have one customer who buys 2-3 bottles at a time per month! I lover her:) Now, I'm offering them in 6 oz bottles. Two ounces doesn't sound like a big difference, but with these, it's like getting a free gift. You only need a little to go a long way. This concoction spreads like butter...

old 4 oz bottle

 Secondly, I'm offering a few more scents, and an unscented version. I have to keep reminding myself that not everyone likes or can wear fragrance. I love how these oils are so crystal clear. There's no clouding even when the fragrance is added!

New 6 oz bottles

Lastly, these are multi-purpose oils. Who says you have to use em just for the bath or as a body moisturizer? Use them on your cuticles and your hair. The unscented version can also be used to oil cleanse your face. Here's the lowdown on the ingredients:

• Avocado Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Vitamin E (as a natural preserver)

I've yapped enough. Check them out here!

Sorta Kinda Back From Oblivion…With New Bubblage!

Hello lovelies. It’s been a while.  This blog was in need of a good dusting so I thought I’d post a couple of pics of some soap I made almost 2 months ago! These are about 75% all-natural (The coconut oil is non-organic, and there’s no such thing as organic lye which you absolutely must have to make soap, and I used oxides to color some of these.) These soaps are also scented in pure essential oils (very expensive essential oils compared to synthetic fragrance oils). I’m still training my brain that when it comes to essential oils (or EO’s as I will refer to them) that less is more, and that many of these scents have a very noticeable plant-like aroma (Duh…) I’m so used to my fruity, bakery-scented fragrances that smell so sugary-sweet and dainty, but there is something simplistic, yet elegant about a product that is scented with a straight essential oil. But enough of the chit-chatter, let’s get to it, shall we?

First Up is Your Ass is (Lemon)Grass. I really love the smell of lemongrass. It’s so clean and uplifting. It does have a slight lemony aroma, but if you’ve never smelled lemongrass before, don’t expect this to smell like “lemons”. Lemongrass is said to have anti-depressant, anti-bacterial, and sedative properties. I mixed a little bit of cedarwood with this one. I wanted to merge two contrasting aromas (dainty vs. dashing), but dainty won out. I think you can detect a small hint of the cedarwood, but not much methinks. Of course I had to top it all off with a few slivers of cut lemongrass.

 Next up is Mary Jane. I made this soap with organic hemp seed oil, and it stinks so good. I put no added scent in this particular batch. I wanted the hemp to be the star, but sadly, the natural aroma has faded significantly as it cured. The only saving graces are the natural greenish color, and the lather in this sucker! I have a bar of this one in my shower now, and I love working it up in my wash cloth just to see the bubbles form. Oh, for those who don’t know, hemp seed oil is derived from the seed of the hemp plant, cannabis sativa (yeah, the same plant  used to cultivate weed, grass, herb, reefer, smoke, kush, …marijuana). Okay, I’m slightly exaggerating. This particular cannabis used to make hemp seed oil is grown for industrial use (Yeah, sure…so they say…) Anyway, it makes one lovely soap. I just love the frothy bubblage this one produces…

I Made Soap!

Okay, I actually made this soap about a month ago, but I just didn't feel like talking about it til now:) I call this soap: 99 Problems after this song. "If you got skin problems, I feel bad for you son. I got 99 problems, but this soap aint one..."

Why do I call it 99 Problems? Cause this is one of many new natural soaps that I'm working on. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or scents in this soap so you don't have to worry about "Am I going to break out (unless you're alergic to chocolate of course, then you would not want this soap.) It's scented purely in peppermint essential oil and cocoa absolute. The coloring is from the cocoa absolute. It smells just like a York Peppermint Patty...oh gawd...I have never lusted after a soap more than this one. It is beyond yummo. The oils are all organic and sustainable (yay!)-olive, coconut, palm, and soybean. This soap is so potent, that it will light your bathroom up for hours after you use it. It's making me hungry now. Available here now:)

Gittin' Down With The Swirl!

Funneling, funneling through the town, soapy bells are ring-ing…LMAO!

Okay, here are the next new batches I’ve made: Verbena of My Existence and Melting Pot, but for you plain folk: Lemon Verbena and Sandalwood and Musk.

When I make soap, there’s always a story to be told. It’s never a matter of choosing scents solely based on the description of the supplier. I must inhale and FEEL something. I don’t just make soap to sell soap. Okay, in part, but I make soap mainly because it’s cathartic and the scent I’ve chosen has or has had some type of impact on my life. So let’s get started:

Verbena Of My Existence:

I love all things lemon. Lemonheads, lemonade, lemon squares, lemon cake (my grandmother’s specialty), Mike’s Hard Lemonade… but this lemon is special. It’s so sophisticated and feminine and…soft for lack of a better description. I first became enamored of this scent when I visited a L’Occitane shop many moons ago. It blew me away. It smelled like paradise and transported me to some upscale resort on a private oasis.

Melting Pot:

This soap got its name because it’s scented with a modge podge of international flavors. Soft, powdery Indian musk, alluring African Sandalwood, and cedarwood. Swirled like Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key of Life, this soap is how I envision a world with no prejudices, no wars, no political strife…One can only hope…

I utilized the funneling technique to achieve the design these soaps. I discovered an easy peasy technique from The Soap Queen’s blog. You take an old plastic container (I used a margarine tub) and poke a hole through bottom.  The key is you have to have a container that’s wide enough to rest on the walls of your soap mold or it’s basically fruitless. You could have someone hold the funnel for you while you pour or try the chopstick method where you criss-cross them then tape them down and let your funnel rest in the middle. You could also do the faux funnel pour. Been there. Done that. Don’t work for me… You also need to have a very thin trace in order to achieve this swirl. Really you only need to emulsify your oils to the point where everything is mixed. By the time you pour your last or next to the last bit, your soap batter is beginning to thicken if it hasn’t already. Ask me how I know these things…

So this concludes batches 4 and 5. Next up…Black Coffee.

 

The Remixes!

I think that little pity post I gave myself the other day has sparked a fire in my arse! Over the MLK weekend, I cranked out 7, count em, 7 batches of  CPOP soap! Three were re-makes and four are new additions. First, I'll just post pics of the re-makes, then I'll break the new ones down into their own posts (I need something to talk about...ha ha...)

The Original

 

The Remix

First up is Sh*tfaced. I didn't change the design much. I like that this soap looks a little disheveled because it is called sh*tfaced after all, and I have yet to meet anyone who didn't look disheveled after getting, well, sh*tfaced. The only I changes I made was for the "rocks", I chopped up some ugly black raspberry vanilla soap, so they have a slightly berry sweet aroma on top, and the bars are noticeably bigger than past versions. I really need to invest in a real soap cutter-the ones where you can slice a log in one swoop so they'll all be uniform and even.

The Original

The Remix

 Next, there's Yuzu Crazy. After four years of making soap, I'm still crazy about cranberry yuzu. It's not too sweet with just a hint of tart. I swear I don't smell any cranberry, but that's what they tell me is in there...The only real changes I made was cutting them with a smooth blade and making the colors a little bit brighter.

The Original

The Remix

And lastly, a new fan favorite: Go The F*ck To Sleep. I can't keep this one in stock. I wonder why? Hmmmm...Anyway, I've decided to now make these in these cute, little cubes that I cannot get enough of! I'll be converting more of my soaps to these cubes. One there so stinkin' cute. Two, there's no cutting involved (BONUS). And tres, they weigh a ton by soap standards. These come in at 5+ oz! And, I am embracing the soda ash (that white, pasty residue that forms on the tops and sometimes sides of soap...) It gives the soap character. Okay, I'm lying. I don't have the time or energy to fight it anymore....


That's it for now. Next up, getting down with the swirl.....!!

Happy New Year....Late

Happy 2012! I have been intentionally M-I-A as of late. I've been at a crossroads friends. I'm at the point in this venture where I'm like "Why am I doing this? Am I really happy?" And the answer is not really. I try not to get too personal on this blog because I want to keep it all about the soap, but I can't keep it all about the soap if I don't explain why there's no soap...


I am currently taking this wonderful webinar called How To Run Your Own Successful Bath and Body Business, and although I've been selling online for almost 4 years, I don't feel successful. One thing this course has been teaching me is I've been doing it all wrong-for 4 years! With that being said, I've got to take a (giant) step back and re-assess things. It's been a grueling 2 weeks, and I'm glad I'm doing this now while it's still early. So, with that being said, I'm focusing on the "business" side of things-getting my house in order, trying to determine if I want to go in a different direction.That includes paring down my product line and weeding out the junk all the while still cranking out some soap. I can't stop making soap. It's semi-crackish heehee...

So I leave you with a shot of the latest batch of my infamous Shitfaced. It's scented in Southern Comforts and yeah, it really smells like Southern Comforts, but it leaves a sweet little "after-taste" on your skin. The "rocks" are actually scented in Black Raspberry & Vanilla. It balances out the main scent nicely.

Merry Christmas!

Source

 

To all my friends and followers, have a safe and happy holiday! It’s been a great 2011, and I know 2012 will be even better. And yes, we will all live to tell after 12/21/12!

 

I’ll be M-I-A for a few weeks, so I’ll talk to ya’ll next year. Peace be with you-always!

Fun With Melt and Pour Soap

About six months ago, I made the decision to stop making melt and pour soaps. Why? Because the bases are so expensive (IMO), and I wanted to focus my efforts on making my soaps from scratch. This is NOT a knock on melt and pour soapmakers. They do some of the most original, incredible work I've seen in soapmaking.

Now with all that being said, I was contacted a few weeks ago with an opportunity to preview a new e-book on melt and pour soapmaking, and of course I jumped on it! After all, it was melt and pour that got me hooked on this drug called soapmaking in the first place. Melt and pour soaps, by the way, (I keep forgetting that I have readers who are not in the "business") are pre-made, glycerin soap bases that are cut and melted then colored and/or scented then poured into a mold of some type. You can also add goodies like herbs and glitter to jazz it up. The book is called The Joy of Melt and Pour Soap Crafting by Lisa Maliga, and here's what's in it!

~ WHY you should make your own soap
~ How to make handcrafted soap in less than 1 hour!
~ Secrets of melt & pour soap crafting
~ Complete step-by-step instructions
~ Fragrance & essential oils information
~ List of reputable soap suppliers
~ Creative labeling & packaging ideas and photos
~ Easy-to-make craft projects for kids of all ages
~ Bestselling soap recipes
~ Color photos of the recipes!
~ NO experience necessary!

In honor of this book, I decided to post some pics of some of the soaps I made in the past using melt and pour soaps. I actually have Creme Brulee back in the shop cuz I love them so much! Thanks Lisa for re-inspiring me...

What I like about this book is it's just not a book full of projects. Lisa gives you some background on what melt and pour soapmaking is along with tips and tricks as well as facts and safety tips. This book is perfetto for newbs and presents some fun, indoor activity for the kiddos. Throw a soap party and invite your best buds over for a little pinot and soapmaking. I've actually scheduled mine for the first weekend in January. Thanks again Lisa!

Sugar Lips!

I've re-formulated my lip buff so that it's now creamier than ever! Version 1 was basically my lip balm formula with sugar mixed in. I packaged it in 1 oz pots, and I loved them. They were pretty cool...but they were too hard, and when you dug your finger in the pot, you'd end up with product and sugar clumped under your nails...

Then I got the genius idea to package them in lip balm tubes. Again, same formula, but you got significantly less product, and pouring the thick, sugary liquid was a messy p.i.a.

So, back to the lab I went. I loved the pots, but I didn't like the formula. I decided to whip the butter-shea butter to be exact-this time to get a creamy, yet, thick consistency, and VOILA...Perfection! It's not goopy or runny, but like cake frosting with a heap of sugar added. DEE-LISH! I haven't listed these yet cuz the labels are giving me a major migrane.Comes in two flavors: Buttercream Cupcake and Mint Truffle. We'll start with these, and add on:)