Looking Ahead To Making Liquid Soap

Looking ahead is really exciting for me. I tend to think in the future and not at all in the past. But I have been wanting to try and make some liquid soap for a while now. I have been making cold process soap for a long time but, there is something scary about trying something new like this. I know that once I get the hang of it that it will be as easy as bar soap. But It does scare me. I think it might be because it is a whole different process. It could be that it takes the better part of a day to make a batch. Then thinking about spending all day and the batch possibly failing. I need to stop thinking like this and jump in there and do it. So I have decided that later in the week I will take the plunge. I am wanting to get that first batch done. I think I will even put pink grapefruit in to fragrance it. Can't wait to try it .

Whipped Sugar Scrubs

Testing is completed and finalized for my new sugar scrubs. I can't wait to get them packaged and ready to sell. It is a whipped sugar scrub that can be made without fragrance in case of allergies. I am really excited about it. I have been working on this recipe for quiet a while and love using it. My skin feels so soft after I wash it off. It is a great product.

My first fall show is this Saturday, the 12th. I am ready except a few wraping of soaps and labeling of powdered bath fizzies. Also my bath salts. I think this is the most I have been ready for a show. Sometimes, actually everytime before a show I get nervous and ask myself if I have enough products. So far I have not sold out. But I do wish I would. I hope this show is a great one.

New Find, Starting to get ready for Halloween

I am kinda excited. Today I found a skull ice cube tray for Halloween. I plan on using it to make some white skull soaps and then embedding them into some clear glycerin. I love Halloween. And I think this will be a fun little project. I have some other soap molds that I need to make for Halloween. One with bats, one with a witch, and another with a pumpkin and a cat. It is starting to feel like fall season. Actually, it is still 92 degrees outside; but inside fall is in the air.
My first Fall show is on the 12th of this month and I am looking to do pretty good. It should be a big show and the sponsers are a womens club. Just my kind of people. My little boy, who turns 5 tomorrow, is helping me get some of my glycerin soaps ready. He loves to put the color into them. And he likes to pick out the fragrances for the kids soaps. I love having an official tester so close to home. I wonder if he will still want to do this when he is a teenager? At least I get a chance to talk with him while I work on soaps and other stuff. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I just hate when I have a fantastic fragrance and I can't make it look fantastic in soaps. I have made soap twice with this one particular fragrance and both times it misbehaves on me to where I can't make designs with it. So the only thing I can do is make it purple, which is what I wanted only with a white strip through it. But, I must say the fragrace is wonderful. It stays with you after you wash with it. It is a blend of two other fragrances that I have. I call it Zen. Just because it is a relaxing and tranquil scent. I do love it. I will market it soon. But I just had to tell about my frustrations.

Sweet Sugar Scrubs

I love the idea of making new products. Today was no exception. I made a new recipe for sugar scrubs. I think this will be a big hit. It has wonderful ingredients like jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, rice bran oil and of course, sweet sugar. I fragranced it with one of my favorite fragrances- Burning desire. I am awaiting packaging and can't wait to make this in larger quantities for my market; not to mention the holiday rush that will soon be in full swing. The next exciting thing that we will be making will be bath salts. I am working on that tomorrow. Until then...

I can't believe how busy one person can get. I have been working on my website and it is finally up and running. I have also created an etsy website. And that is taking some of my time also. But I have some new soaps that I have been working on. One is a Kelp or seaweed bar. It has an Ocean fragrance which leaves it smelling really nice. And the bottom layer of this soap has Dead Sea Mud. It is a very beneficial bar of soap. I think it will go well with the other soap in our line. The other new soap that I have made is a chamomile soap. It is blue and chocolate brown layered soap. I think I am going to call it "Sweet Dreams". I used to make this soap for a wholesale account about 2 years ago and she stopped carrying it and then I thought it would be a good addition to the soap line. I will post pictures soon. Until then.....

Time Flies

I really have been neglecting this blog. I have been attending several shows and they have taken up quite a bit of my time. I have also been trying to add several new products to my line and that too has taken me away from the computer. I have to admit I have also been spending some time outside before the heat and humidity starts to rise. I don't look forward to our hot summers. Anyway, I just love adding new products to the fun stuff that I already do. I guess it keeps my job from getting stuck in a rut. For me it is fun and exciting to see if I can rise to the challenge of something that I have not tried making before. Lately, I have been working on bath melts. A couple of the batches that I have tried have come out to soft. I am still trying to perfect them. It might be a couple more tries but, I will succeed. At least I get to test everything before I start to sell them. In this case, I get to close the bathroom door and sit in the tub, uninterupted. Perks of the job.

Palm Oil

I have been using Palm oil in my soaps for 2 years now and never knew the devastation I was helping to create in the rainforests. I was disturbed to find out that farmers in and around the forests were cutting it down to plant more palms. Many soapmakers use palm oil in their soaps. This is the very same palm oil that soapmakers use. This is contributing to orangutans losing their homes; along with millions of other animals. I consider myself to be a green person. I am kind to the earth; I try to buy local, plant native plants to my area, plant my own garden, use little electricity, the list goes on. But I would never intentionally want to cause harm to any other living creature. So as I speak, I will begin to phase out using palm oil in all of my recipes. I know that I can search for sustainable palm oils however, at this time it is difficult to find. And the price would not be affordable. So in my quest to always try to be a decent and kind person; I say farewell palm oil.

New Projects-Shampoo Bars

New projects are always fun. It seems to be the one thing that keeps me going and keeps me guessing. I love doing the basics but I get thrilled making new recipes along with adding new ingredients that I may not have used before. Right now I am working on trying out different recipes for a new shampoo bar. I personally am trying to get rid of the commercial shampoo bottle and get down to more home-grown good products without all the extra chemicals. That is actually one of the reasons that I started making soap in the first place. I can't wait for the finished shampoo bars to be revealed. There will be several different bars to chose from for all kinds of hair types that are out there. More hints will be revealed soon.
Another project that I am working on is getting some new candle scents. One of my favorites is Olive Blossom. It is a light fragrance that makes me feel like a sophisticated woman ready to tackle her biggest challenge of the day. It is calming and romantic at the same time. I have been putting this fragrance in soap, lotions, and candles. Testing phase for the candles is almost complete. I can't wait to include it in my line of candles.
Another fragrance that I love is Pink Sugar. This fragrance is wonderful. It is playful and sweet. Just like the name implies. It smells a little like cotton candy, just better. I will begin testing this in candles next. I love this job. Now I am off to wait for the delivery man (or woman).