20% off Code-ALL DONE!

Done!

Apricot Freesia

This has not been made in a long while and I know many people miss it. Fruity and floral with Apricot Seeds throughout, this is a fun soap and also quite feminine.

Soundtrack: Interpol, Our Love to Admire

Grapefruit Cornmeal

This soap cut in line because.....I love it! And I just used my last bar. Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil and Cornmeal make an oil-clearing soap that both scrubs and tones your skin. I feel clean and fresh whenever I use it so I hate to run out...so this soap was made now.

Soundtrack: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand

Fresh Blend

Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang, an essential oil blend similar to the scent used for Aveda's Shampure shampoo. It is a mix that is both earthy and sensual, and I think the Eucalyptus gives it a bit of a medicinal scent in the best way possible.


Soundtrack: Britney Spears, Blackout

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey

This was actually made about a week ago. It was very popular the last time it was made. Made with both Colloidal Oatmeal and Rolled Oats. The oatmeal that you eat has no actual healing properties but Colloidal Oatmeal has a very long history of use in helping alleviate skin irritation, discomfort, and inflammation. Oatmeal is very soothing to the skin and has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and colloidal oatmeal is classified by the FDA as a "skin protectant." Oatmeal not only can help with sensitivity but may also have a preventive effect on irritation and may too help buffer and repair damage from other skin stressors.

Soundtrack: White Stripes, Icky Thump

Upcoming Soaps...

The next soaps getting made are:

Oatmeal Milk & Honey
Apricot Freesia
Fresh Blend (Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang)
Unscented Calendula
Vetiver Bay

CinnaMint

A blend of essential oils, Cinnamon Bark and Peppermint. I think this will be our only holidayish soap this season. Cinnamon throughout and a nice tan color. This soap turned out great.


Soundtrack: Nickel Creek, This Side

Bolivian Sea Salt Scrub

This time I made the soap its natural color to try and highlight the lovely coral color of the Bolivian Sea Salt. The particles are small so I'm not sure how its going to show up.

Bolivian Salt is hand harvested from the Andes Mountain range in Bolivia. Ancient sea salt deposits were covered with volcanic lava creating this high mineral salt and protecting it from pollution.



Soundtrack: Van She, EP

Relaxing Blend

This is a favorite of many although the last batch did not sell out as fast as it usually does. Maybe its a winter soap when people have drier skin and need the Colloidal Oatmeal in the soap.

This is an essential oil blend of Palmarosa (Powdery, floral, herbaceous, perhaps with a hint of rose. It is antifungal and antiviral. Indicated for bronchitis, birthing, regeneration of the skin, and regulating oil production of the skin. Useful in treating skin infections.)

and Lavender (floral, herbaceous, light with woody undertones promotes growth of new skin cells, great healing effect on burns and sunburn, acne, psoriasis, boils, fungal growths, and scarring. Lavender is one of the safest essential oils to use with children and the elderly)

Soundtrack: PJ Harvey, White Chalk

Suka Cita

I.Made.Soap!

You may think that this is not a big deal but its been a rough few months in which I thought I would never get out of bed again. This is a dream come true.

Suka Cita is translated to mean a feeling of ultimate happiness and is an essential oil blend of Jasmine, Rose and Sandalwood. Much like Aveda's Euphoria. A customer requested this in time for Christmas and I am happy I could oblige.



Soundtrack: None, I had to concentrate!

Back after some illness

As you can see I have not been making new soaps for a while. I have been very ill and bedridden with an especially difficult pregnancy. The good news is that the baby and I are fine and I'm beginning to feel well enough to soap!

Up next....


Suka Cita
Relaxing Blend
CinnaMint
Bolivan Salt Scrub


Thanks for your patience!

Lettuce Spirulina

I did a very small batch of this and it was a big hit so here it is again. Its the fresh smell of newly wased Iceberg and Romaine Lettuces with a ton of Ground Spirulina. I'm beginning to think that I am hooked on Green soaps.


Soundtrack: Silversun Pickups, Canavas

Apple Mint

This is a blend of Green Apple fragrance oil and Peppermint essential oil with Spearmint leaves throughout. A nice tart soap which will be coming out the second week of September, so a good Autumnal soap.

Sountrack: Mark Ronson, Version

Lush Blend

This is a blend of Vanilla, Peppermint, Orange and Lavender. The Soap has crushed Vanilla throughout and the scent is both unique but familiar.

Soundtrack: Nickel Creek, This Side

Bergamot Grapefruit

A blend of spicy Bergamot and tangy Grapefruit Essential Oils. This soap is sprinkled with Annatto Seed Powder for a fun color and to differentiate it from other soaps.


Soundtrack: Hinterland, The Picture Plane

Gingergrass Lime

Instead of Ginger Lime I decided to try Gingergrass instead. Gingergrass essential oil has a sharp, green scent with pepper and lemon undertones. It is closely related to Lemongrass and while it smells like ginger it has its own unique herbaceous, sharp scent.

he aromatherapy uses for Gingergrass include the improvement of circulation and blood flow, calming and reduction of stress, as well as the opening of sinus passages. From a spiritual perspective Gingergrass is viewed as a mood uplifting, euphoric, aphrodisiac inducing oil. In the perfumery industry, Gingergrass oil is added to inject a sharp, green scent.


Soundtrack: The Editors, An End Has a Start

Nighttime Blend, once again

This is one that I try to keep in stock at all times. A blend of Vanilla and Lavender, emphasis on the Vanilla. This is made with two sizes of Jojoba Beads for an interesting texture if used against the skin. If simply lathered up then there is no texture but there is a non-greasy layer of Jojoba Oil left behind to truly moisturize your skin.


Soundtrack: Interpol, Our Love to Admire

A few more blog mentions

We were featured in Modish for our lip balms:

http://modish.typepad.com/


and Mixed Plate:

http://www.mixedplateblog.com/

Coming up next

The oils are poured for Nighttime Blend and Gingergrass Lime. After that I am looking to make Lush Blend which is Orange, Peppermint, Vanilla and Lavender. After that I'm making Lettuce Spirulina, Bergamot Grapefruit, Peony and Apple Mint. I think.

Rose Petals...new version

This soap turned out very very pretty. Pure white with red rose petals throughout. The fragrance is Victorian Rose an old fashioned blend of English and Heirloom roses. Because of the petals throughout I'm still calling it Rose Petals but the fragrance is different from last time.


Soundtrack: Van She, Van She EP

Strawberries & Champagne

This is a custom soap for a client that I decided to make bigger to give her lots of different bars and it sounded good too. Its made with Pink Kaolin Clay and Colloidal Oatmeal and created to lather well. The fragrance is a blend of Strawberries, Grape, and Sparkling Wine modelled after the Victoria Secret perfume. This soap is certainly pretty in pink and turned out nicely.

Soundtrack: Blonde Redhead, 23

Lemon Rosemary, again

Another batch of Lemon Rosemary. This was initially created as a kitchen soap because of its culinary fragrance and its ability to take tough odors off of hands. But its a vry nice soap that deserves to leave the kitchen. Made with Poppy Seeds and Lemon Peel Granules, this soap has some scrubbing power too.


Soundtrack: White Stripes, Icky Thump

Mint Thyme

This is a classic: Thyme with Spearmint for an herbal delight thats great for everyone. Its made with Thyme leaves to give it a bit of pizzaz. A nice soap that I like to keep in stock.

Soundtrack: The Editors, An End Has A Start

More press!

We were featured on:

Indie Fixx

and

Pretty Crafty Thing

and

Miss Malaprop

and

Scoutie Girl

and

sock prØn

Once again, the molds are filled!

All of the molds are full (even the ones I don't like very much) and I am away for most of next week. So no soaping until late next week at the earliest. The oils are poured for Lemon Rosemary and Mint Thyme. There are several essential oils and fragrances waiting to go including:

-Strawberry & Champagne
-Fresh Blend (Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang)
-Peony
-Rose Petals
-Apple Mint
-CinnaMint
-Lettuce Spirulina
-Bergamot Coriander
-Lime Gingergrass

and more!

They'll all get done in the next couple weeks.

Sea Cucumber

Thanks to June of Rising Sun Earthworks for making me think of this scent. Its a blend of Cucumber, Aloe, Sweetgrass and the Sea. Powdered Kelp, Sea Clay and Spirulina make this soap spotted, green and ocean-y. It is fresh and clean smelling. Made with fragrance oils.


Soundtrack: Peter Bjorn and John, Writer's Block

Wholesome Blend

This is a blend of Tangerine, Gingergrass and Vanilla that was a hit last time it was made. People have beed requesting it in lotions as well. Its a fresh baked scent created with essential oils and colored with a touch of oxide and the natural orange hue of Tangerine. It is quite orange.

Soundtrack: Nickle Creek, This Side

Vanilla & Ylang Ylang

This is similar to the Aveda Madagascar scent. 100% Essential Oils. It is both exotic and homey at the same time. Made with Coconut Milk, this vegan soap is rich and warm. It will most likely turn brown which is a bummer because it doesn't smell brown if you know what I mean. Right now it is a light khaki color and I wish it would stay that way, but that's not in the cards.


Soundtrack: The Shins, Wincing the Night Away

Rosemary Mint

Last time I made this soap I made it a shampoo bar, and it didn't go over very well. This time its just a regular soap. Rosemary essential oil with a touch of Mint, its invigorating and astringent. This time I used Spearmint essential oil just to try it out.

Rosemary is one of the essential oils that smells a bit "off" another one is Ginger. Recently a customer said that she received a soap that smelled strange. I knew immediately that it was the Ginger Lime, it just doesn't smell like ginger lime made with frgrance oils. The ginger is not liked cooked ginger but rather a more intense raw ginger. Rosemary is similar, the essential oil is earthier than the spice you use in the kitchen...darker somehow. I am hoping that the lighter mint of Spearmint as opposed to the Peppermint I use normally for this soap, will make the scents less earthy. Those who area fan of Rosemary and like the earthier scents like Patchouli might like it the way it was. Or the Spearmint might make no difference at all. Time will tell.

I also added Sea Clay to give this soap a hint of green. Also contains Kiwi Seeds for some exfoliation fun.


Soundtrack: Metric, Grow Up and Blow Away & Live it Out

Oatmeal , Milk and Honey

This is a fragrance oil that smells like a warm bowl of oatmeal. I used actual rolled oats in this soap since people seem to like having actual oatmeal in their soap because it makes it fun. The funny thing is that rolled oats has none of the actual benefits of oatmeal used this way. Colloidal Oatmeal is what one actually wants in order to get the soothing properties of oatmeal. So I added that too.


Soundtrack: White Stripes, Icky Thump

Chamomile Neroli

This is a large batch of Chamomile Neroli Soap. Neroli is s a plant oil similar in scent to bergamot produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree. So it is a bit spicy and exotic.

I made this with double-brewed chamomile tea this time instead of water. I normally make it with single-brewed tea and this time the tea water was so dark that I thought it would effect the color of the soap but it looked about the same color. The soap is also made with a lot of chamomile extract at trace. Chamomile Extract is used as an anti-inflammatory and also as a mild sedative. On the skin, it helps to reduce redness and is soothing on inflamed skin.

Another difference this time is that I used whole Egyptian Chamomile in the oil to infuse it and I left the large blooms in the soap instead of straining it. I'll be interested in hearing how people like that.



Soundtrack: Interpol, Our Love to Admire

Our Reviews

We've been in some blogs lately and I keep forgetting to acknowledge how grateful we are for the positive reviews:

Trousseaux to Treasure

The Dreamy Giraffe

Wickedly Chic: Daily Ditties; June 19th


I know I'm forgetting some and I will update when there is more.

Filled Molds

The molds are filled so no new soaps until next week when I hope to make:

-Mint Thyme
-Lemon Rosemary
-Chamomile Neroli
-Vanilla & Ylang Ylang
-Oatmeal, Milk & Honey

(Another Batch of) Lavender Tea Tree

This has to be my 20th time making this soap, its very popular. Years ago I modeled the blend after the California Baby scent I have since modified it to be slightly stronger on the Lavender end. I like to make this Purple for fun. Some find it too colorful, others like to use this on their children so its fun. This time its kinda grayish purple, I Hope it doesn't get too gray.

Soundtrack: Silversun Pickups, Pikul

Lily of the Valley

I have not made this is a long time but I received many requests for a flowery soap and this scent is floral and old fashioned. Colored with a touch of Red Palm Butter at trace, this soap is naturally light yellow. Also because the Red Palm Butter is added after the saponification process is retains all of its healing values including its natural vitamins and antioxidants and its high content of carotenoids.


Soundtrack: Nouvelle Vague, Nouvelle Vague (self-titled)

Pineapple Cilantro, again

This scent went over quite well the first time so I made a larger and slightly stronger batch this time.

It's described as ripe pineapple juices are complemented with coconut shavings, bursting orange notes and sparkling cilantro. Warm vanilla and mists of musk complete this zesty aroma! It is strong on the pineapple end.

Made with Organic Dried Cilantro this soap is also colored with a touch of cumin. But not enough of either this time.


Soundtrack: Van She, Van She -EP

Valencia

This is a great scents made with citrus oils like tangerine, lime and sweet orange blended with White Tyme essential oil. We make this with Pink Kaolin Cly and a touch of Yellow Oxide to produce a rich salmon hue that makes this soap distinctive.

Soundtrack: Beck, Guero

Coffee Scrub Soap, the Sequel

This soap is made with triple-brewed coffee instead of water, lots of Coffee Butter (including some at trace) and coffee grounds for a good scrub. Also added to the soap at trace is a sugar solution that helps the soap lather like mad. Made without a fragrance but naturally scented this soap smells like coffee without any artificial ingredients.

Coffee Butter is high in anti-oxidents and is rich in phytosterols which promote excellent moisture retention.

Soundtrack: Blonde Redhead, 23

Looking for scent ideas.....

I am going to be getting some new scents and I was wondering what people were wanting in the way of soap fragrances....if you have a scent you are craving post a reply here and I'll do my best to accomodate.

Thank you!

Wrench in the works

Well, there is a wrench in the works or rather we are missing a wrench. I got my supplies yesterday and my supplier changes drum tops to a kind that needs a special wrench so no soap making until it arrives. Plus, I have another cold so soap making is delayed.

Back to soapin'

I am back from vacation and completed my intensive week-long class on play therapy and I'm ready for some play myself. I need to restock several favorites including:

-Valencia
-Lavender Tea Tree
-Lemon Rosemary
-Rosemary Mint
-Pineapple Cilantro
-Chamomile Neroli
-Mint Thyme

Then I will also be doing some new favorites:

-Vanilla & Ylang Ylang
-Oatmeal, Milk & Honey
-Lily of the Valley


So not all of these will be made this week, but I hope to get the molds emptied tomorrow and start soaping on Tuesday

On vacation....

Until Monday, June 25th. I'm on a family vacation to a wedding out of the country, I'll be checking email as time allows but orders won't ship until June 26th.

Oatmeal Castile

Four ingredients: Water, Lye, Olive Oil and Colloidal Oatmeal. I received two requests, one is for a pure Castile soap which is only Olive Oil and the other request was for an unscented oatmeal soap. I decided to combine the two for the mildest, most gentle soap ever. Vegan and simple Castile Soap is a bit time consuming to make, the olive oil does not want to trace very quickly so you stir and stir for hours off and on. It begins as slightly green like the olive oil and then cures to a unbelievable hard almost brittle white soap that floats like Ivory.

Soundtrack: Friend Opportunity, Deerhoof

Turkish Mocha, Again

I made this a few months ago and I love the smell like the way I drink my coffee...Coffee, Milk and Chocolate combined. This is a much larger and stronger batch than last time around. It was a bit too subtle in my opinion. Wheat Germ Oil was added at trace.

Soundtrack: Metric, Grow Up and Blow Away

Lime Mint

Or Mint Lime...not sure until its done. This is made with a ton of French Green Clay and is a gender neutral scent.


Soundtrack: Silversun Pickups, Carnavas

The molds are filled!

The molds are all filled up including the wedding cake molds I use for Wedding gift baskets so the final batch of soap will have to wait. The next batch is a "kitchen sink" batch where I throw in the last of all of the supplies for a mega-complex soap recipe. So the next batch is the end of the supplies for a while.

I think the next batch will be half Lime Mint and then half Turkish Mocha which I made a small test batch of a while ago and it went out the door in a flash. I loved the smell of it, a deep Mocha Au Lait scent that was lovely.

But it will have to wait until some of the most recent soaps are ready to be unmolded.

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub

Nothing artificial in this one. Its Vanilla Oil with real Brown Sugar blended in for a sweet, scrubby soap. Sugar actually helps soaps lather more, usually one adds a water and sugar solution so it'll be interesting to see if pure sugar makes it lather more. This is awfully pretty, but the vanilla darkens the soap so I don't know how much we'll be able to see the sugar bits.

Soundtrack: The Concretes, Hey Trouble

Blueberry Lime

I'm in Maine so Blueberry soap is expected. This one is blue, tinted with Blue Oxide, the soap itself was slightly yellow so the final color appears to be a greenish blue. It also seized so I'm not sure how it actually ended up. There may be a lot of seconds in this batch.

Soundtrack: Bloc Party, Silent Alarm

Lemon Sage Ginger, Again

This is one of my absolute favorite scents. A gingery lemon with the earthiness of sage. It has Lemon Peel Granules, Dried Sage and Ground Ginger in it which makes it a pretty soap.

Soundtrack: PJ Harvey, Uh Huh Her

Grapefruit & Black Currant

FINALLY! This has been on the immeadiate to-do list for over 3 months. Its nice, its a tart Black Currant...

As with any soap in which I try to use Red Clay I overdid it. I also used Black Oxide so its a bit like a the color of Black Currant.

Soundtrck: !!!, Myth Takes

What's Next

I have batches ready to be completed for:

Grapefruit Black Currant
Blueberry Lime
Lemon Sage Ginger
Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub


I'll get them done before I go on vacation I hope

Lavanchouli

This is a unique creation of mine. Its Vanilla with Patchouli and a hint of Lavender. This soap was made with Coconut Milk which is a challenge because it likes to kurdle but it worked this time. It makes a rich soap that is still vegan but like soap made with goats milk.


Soundtrack: Metric, Grow Up and Blow Away

Tangerine Dream

This is a soap that is made with Tangerine and Lavender Essential Oils and Natural Vanilla Oil. I describe it asa sophiticated Creamcicle. I started this scent out as a choice for lotions and Whipped Shea Butter. Its quite popular so I made a soap too.

This soap has Wheat Germ Oil added at trace so it will be very nurturing.

Soundtrack: Justin Timberlake, Future Sex/Love Sounds

Ocean Rain

This of course is the soap created for my mother who claims miraculous things about it. she claims her skin is softer and her old scars and age spots/freckles have vitually disappeared. It is unspeakably scratchy with an unholy amount of Ground Pumice in it and then some Jojoba Beads and its has Evening Primrose Oil added at trace.

This is a HUGE batch because I have many pre-orders for it.

Soundtrack: Nickle Creek, Why Should the Fire Die

Discount code!

Here's a 15% off discount code for tomorrow's stocking on HC..... untiljuly

AND if you leave me feedback here:

http://hyenacart.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4260&start=0

I'll PM you a 20% off coupon!!!


I'll be checking the feedback thread and I'll PM people as they post with the code

What it looks like.....

A customer asked me recently "What does that much soap look like when you store it?"


So here is my workroom and the shelves that store the soaps and supplies...not pictured is a fourth set of shelves with containers and other ingredients and herbs.

The final Nighttime

Here is what the Nighttime Blend looks liek once its 100% cured...

Sick and What's Next

I have a touch of pneumonia and some asthma issues so soapmaking is on hold until this weekend when I will be making

-Ocean Rain
-Grapefruit & Black Currant
-Tangerine Dream (Tangerine, Vanilla and Lavender)
-Lavanchouli

and maybe if time allows:

Lemon Rosemary or
Lime Mint

Bitter Orange & Patchouli

First of all RIP lovely scale. I had a lye solution accident which is very easy to do when dealing with Goats Milk instead of water and it got into the inner workings of the scale. Sigh. This means that the next batch of Tangerine Dream which was measured out but needed a lye solution was never made.

Anyway this is Bitter Orange Essential Oil with a touch of Patchouli made with Goat's Milk as mentioned above. A favorite of lots of people even those like myself who do not like Patchouli.

Soundtrack: The Sounds, Dying to Say This To You

Honeysuckle

This was made by request. The smell of the fragrance was very realistic. This is a large and strngly scented batch.


Soundtrack: Hinterland, The Picture Plan

Ginger Pear

A new scent! Finally! After doing a bunch of our normal stock soaps I did a batch of Ginger Pear, which smells like....what you'd expect it to: Spicy ginger blended with juicy fresh pear.

I think this might be a new favorite of many!

Soundtrack: The Editors, The Back Room

Grapefruit Peppermint, Again

Another batch of one of my favorite soaps, Grapefruit Peppermint. Made with tons of French Green Clay this rich soap is a wonderful gender-neutral scents and really great for your skin too.

Clays were once believed to have the power of drawing out impurities and removing toxins from the skin.


Soundtrack: Elefant, The Black Magic Show

Gardener's Soap

Or mechanics soap...good for dirty, filthy hands. Made with Dried Kelp pieces, Ground Pumice and Kaolin Clay, this soap scrubs and scrubs and then leaves your hands smelling fab because its also made with Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil.


Soundtrack: Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton, Knives Don't Have Your Back

Orange Ginger, Again

Another batch of Orange Ginger I loved the way the Rosehip Powder speckled this soap last time it was made so I did it again. I wish I had made this batch slightly larger overall.

Soundtrack: The Shins, Wincing the Night Away

Honey Almond Again

A big new batch of Honey Almond, made with Goat's Milk and some Yellow Clay (Oxide) for color. The Goat's Milk makes this soap lather like crazy and its a fun and mild scent made with 100% essential oils...no artificial fragrances.

Soundtrack: Metric, Live it Out

Back to production!

I have taken a break from Production of new soap but I'll begin again this week with:


First I need to get a new stock of old favorites:
-Honey Almond
-Orange Ginger
-Ocean Rain
-Grapefruit Peppermint
-Gardener's Soap
-Bitter Orange & Patchouli

The new scents will include:
-Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub
-Black Currant & Grapefruit
-Honeysuckle
-Ginger Pear

Bergamot Coriander

This is the scent you associate with Earl Grey Tea blended with Coriander which is the seeds of the herb who leaves are called Cilantro. Spicy yet a bottom note of sweet, this soap has tea leaves throughout.

Vanilla Jasmine

This is a luxe blend of oils with crushed vanilla beans and jasmine petals throughout. I would have never thought about combining htese but someone suggested it. Its an exotic, sweet scent and a pretty soap. I am beginning to realize that people like Vanilla blended with everything.

Tomorrow....

Is Bergamot Coriander, Grapefruit Black Currant and Vanilla Jasmine....I hope!

Yeast Defense

Argh!!!! I just sold out of it and was behind in production. This time it seized like crazy and went to the uber-hot gel phase almost immediately, which sucks. I swear to you it'll be done soap in a week but I'm letting it cure and cure because it is a strong soap and its pH is thrown off by the volatile ingredients.

AND the second half of this batch that was designated to be Bergamot Coriander was solid soap by the time I finished messing with the Yeast Defense...dunno what to do with it. Its stuck in the pan for now...maybe make a laundry soap for the ultra-sensitive.

Orange Cucumber

The last time I made this it was a really nice soap that I love because it lathered like crazy. But it was a bit too brittle and ended up as mostly seconds. This time its a nice color and also has the Red Palm Butter in it as well as tons of Mowrah Butter which is known to prevent drying of the skin and development of wrinkles. Reduces degeneration of skin cells and restores skin flexibility.

Mandarin Neroli

This is a favorite of many. Sweet Mandarin blends with the slightly floral aroma of Neroli which is the flower from the bitter orange tree. Neroli has a refreshing and distinctive, spicy aroma with sweet and flowery notes. This soap is a nice yellow-orange color due to the use of Red Palm Butter which contains lots of natural vitamins and antioxidants, its high content of carotenoids gives the oil/butter its beautiful orange/red color seen here:

Up next is....

Vanilla Jasmine
Bergamot Coriander
Mandarin Neroli
Grapefruit Black Currant
Rosemary Tea Tree
Cassia Spice
Orange Cucumber

Nightime Blend one week later

More on the darkening of the Nighttime Blend soap. Here is is in the mold, out of the mold, the top which has not been exposed to air and then the side view that shows the progression:

Great Cloth Diaper Hunt

Don't forget the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt begins tomorrow June 1st and runs the entire month. Hunters get 15% off both our Hyena Cart and main website. And its fun!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Peppermint Chocolate Chip II

This is one of the biggest single batches I've ever made...so big my husband walked in and said "Holy...." The last batch went fast so I decided to double up....

Just as cool as the last time.

Coming soon...

I am still planning on Bergamot Coriander and Vanilla Jasmine but I ran out of molds so that will be next. I hope to get Peppermint Chocolate Chip ASAP because it does no need a mold. After that we're looking at Mandarin Neroli, Grapefruit Black Currant and Rosemary Tea Tree.

Suka Cita

I made this without going to the ER! A triumph to be sure. Jasmine, Rose and Sandalwood all together with Jasmine Petals throughout. This once again seized but I kept my head and I think it came out fine even the molding job.

Vetiver Bay

I was calling this Vetiver Lime but it was supposed to have a touch of Bay in it but instead it is Vetiver Bay with a touch of Lime. It is made with Ground Bay leaves and is a earthy scent with a greenish earthy color.

This like the Muscle Relief is being made in preparation for Father's Day when I like to have some masculine scents around. Peppermint Tea Tree is also for this time and I am hoping to get Bergamot Coriander, Peppermint Chocolate Chip and Rosemary Tea Tree done but I kinda doubt they will make it.....

Nighttime Blend

This is many people's favorite and a nice mix of Vanilla and Lavender made with two different sizes of Jojoba Beads. But it is also one of the most tragic soaps I make because of the way it browns. Vanilla causes cold process soaps to brown over time and for some reason if you combine it with Lavender Essential Oil it browns even more. I've decided to document its sad descent into brown.

Here are the pictures of the soap in the mold, newly poured you can see the two sizes of Jojoba Beads, one Lavender and one Lilac. Why do I match the beads to the soap if they'll be invisible underneath the brown? I don't know, that's part of the misery I guess.

Muscle Relief

This time the scent is a little different because I used Corn Mint Essential Oil which is sometimes know as Japanese Menthol. Also made with Camphor, Peppermint and Eucalyptus Essential Oils and has Spearmint leaves throughout.

I was recently asked why I use Peppermint leaves in some soaps and Spearmint in others and is there a difference? The answer is yes, there is a color difference, the spearmint is far greener and sometimes I like that.

Bolivian Sea Salt Scrub

This is an unscented Salt Scrub Soap made with beautiful Bolivian Sea Salts which are naturally a light coral color. I also put some Pink Kaolin Clay in this so its a pretty pink with pink salt...no scents 100% all natural.

Bolivian Salt is hand harvested from the Andes Mountain range in Bolivia. Ancient sea salt deposits were covered with volcanic lava creating this high mineral salt and protecting it from pollution.

Illuminated

An Essential Oil blend with Grapefruit, Lavender, Peppermint and Rose, this soap is not so much crisp as earthy smelling. This was made with a TON of Ground Pumice and Evening Primrose Oil at trace because it was made by request for my mother who really likes to exfoliate... a lot.

Dark Pomegranate Spice

A Blend of Pomegranate, Orange, Cinnamon, Vanilla similar to the Bath & Body Works Midnight Pomegranate, but more Pomegranate-y. Made with Lilac Jojoba beads throughout I hope that the Vanilla won't brown the whole thing because the purple specks look very nice.

Coming up....

The next soaps made will be:

Muscle Relief
Midnight Pomegranate
Bergamot Coriander
Vanilla Jasmine

Peppermint Tea Tree

A favorite around our house, invigorating and minty. I made this with Kaolin Clay which adds depth and body to the soap but also helps it lather like crazy.... So it can be used for shaving.

Relaxing Blend

This is one that I *should* keep in stock at all times. Unfortunately we will have a gap of a few weeks. This is Palmarosa and Lavender made with a ton of Colloidal Oatmeal.

Palmarosa is powdery, floral, herbaceous, perhaps with a hint of rose. It is antifungal and antiviral. Indicated for bronchitis, birthing, regeneration of the skin, and regulating oil production of the skin. Useful in treating skin infections.

Colloidal Oatmeal has a very long history of use in helping alleviate skin irritation, discomfort, and inflammation. Oatmeal is very soothing to the skin and has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and colloidal oatmeal is classified by the FDA as a "skin protectant." Oatmeal not only can help with sensitivity but may also have a preventive effect on irritation and may too help buffer and repair damage from other skin stressors.

Fresh Blend

This soap is a blend of Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang, an essential oil blend similar to the scent used for Aveda's Shampure shampoo.

This turned out really pretty using my favorite new colorant, ground Orange Peel. I love how I can contol the color based on what I mix it with before I add it. We'll be seeing lots of orange soaps in the future.

Virtuous Blend

Virtuous Blend is a mix of Cedar, Sage and Sweet Grass. Purifying and cleansing, its an essential oil blend similar to Aveda's Inspiritu scent. Made with Sea Clay, this soap is designed to rid your skin of impurities and make it virtuous again.

Yuzu

This is a very popular scent these days. A Yuzu isa citrus fruit native to East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda. It is grapefruity and tangy.

This batch came out nicely.

Grapefruit Cornmeal

I decided to make this instead of Midnight Pomegranate because I already have a batch of Pomegranate curing. I love this soap because I have combination skin and the Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil combined with the Cornmeal removed a oily shine without drying out the dry parts.

Also, I have a good friend who swears by this soap and she's been bugging me ( a lot!) for some more.

Lavender Mint

Well, I was very excited about this because I recently got some alkanet root powder which is supposed to give a pinky/purple color. Well, not so much...its a horrible sludgy color currently with purple dots in it.

I am hoping its going to change color as it cures because I read "Alkanet it an excellent PH indicator. As your soap cures you can actually see the color turn from a slightly grey to an almost pinky purple."

Cross your fingers because the color it is now is pretty yucky.

New Poll

What should be next (* are Fragrances not EOs)
	Muscle Relief (Cornmint, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Camphor)
	Rosemary Tea Tree
	Lavender Mint
	Grapefruit Cornmeal
	Vanilla
	Lime Mint
	Sweetgrass*
	Jasmine*
	Peppermint Tea Tree
	Lemon Poppy
	Yuzu*
	Cassia Spice
	Bergamot Coriander
	Grapefruit & Black Currant*
	Illuminated (Grapefruit, Lavender, Peppermint, Rose)
	Midnight Pomegranate*
	Fresh Blend (Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, Ylang Ylang)
	Vetiver Lime
	Unscented Salt Scrub
	Virtuous Blend (Cedar, Sage, Sweet Grass)
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Pink Sugar

This is a special request that I hope everyone likes because I made a lot! This is modeled after the Aquolina fragrance. Pink sugar is a blend of bergamot, raspberry, fig, vanilla, caramel and musk. Many references show a scent of barbe-a-papa which means Papa's Beard meaning cotton candy.

I made this with Goats Milk because the fragrance oil discolors it a dark brown so any discoloration due to the milk will not be seen.

Now what to call it?

-Barbepapa
-Sucre Rose
-Zucchero
-Zucchero Rosa
-Zucchero Filato

Pomegranate

Someone drive to my house and take away the Red Clay...seriously come now! I made yet another too red soap this weekend. Pomergranate, very red and red. It also started to seize some so there will be some seconds in this batch.

I made it with Colloidal Oatmeal and Olive Oil at trace. It smells pretty accurate which is nice.

This weekend....

I am making two requested scents (both FO) Pink Sugar (type) and Pomegranate. After that I am out of raw materials.

Tangerine, Vanilla and Gingergrass

All essential oils .... lots of fresh smelling Tangerine with a spicy beat of Gingergrass and a homey Vanilla to mellow it out. Lots of Cocoa Butter and Lanolin in this soap. It smells fresh and warm and is orange.

Litsea Cubeba

itsea cubeba Pers. a/k/a May Chang, Litsea citrata and tropical verbena, steam distilled fruit, China. Despite these names, it is not related to lemon verbena but belongs to the same family as the rosewood or cinnamon tree. Sweet, spicy and citrus fragrance with vegetative notes. It is antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent, insecticide, calming and sedative. Very uplifting and stimulating. It is a known tonic to the heart and respiratory system. May be helpful in cases of bronchitis and asthma.


I usually make this with ground pumice but this time I used Powdered Bamboo.

Basil Lime

All Essential Oils....some Sweet Basil, crisp Lime and a tiny hint of Peppermint. Basil Leaves throughout. I had Father's Day in mind as I made this one. No flowery molds, a nice gender neutral soap.

Lavender Tea Tree

An old favorite that I always run out of so I should make it every couple batches. It came out nicely. I made lots of colorful soaps over the weekend and today, this one is lilacish.

Cranberry Fig

This is the reddist soap...EVER! Probably too red. We'll have to see how it lathers and the color it ends up at. It is colored with red clay and a lot of it.

I love the scent, mellow Fig and crisp Cranberry with a smattering of Blood Orange and Grapefruit too. And very very red.

Moroccan Mint

A blend of Spearmint, Peppermint and Corn Mint, with just a touch of black tea sprinkled in to provide a stable, full bottom note. It's cool, crisp, refreshing and ....disappointing this time around.

The plan was to swirl French Green Clay thoughout but i just kinda clumped in there and I didn't use enough clay. So it'll not be as pretty as hoped.

Apricot Freesia

Many people's favorite scent. I made it this time with Apricot Seeds throughout for exfoliation purposes. It look very pretty.

This weekend....

First up will be:

Cranberry Fig
Litsea Cubeba with Pumice
Lavender Tea Tree


After that I might make:

Morroccan Mint with French Green Clay
Basil Lime


I try to make 2 EO soaps for every FO soap at minimum....hopefullu this will even it out some because my mix has been off as of late.

Rosewood

A favorite of many including myself which is why there are always very few of these available, because I taken them. Also Rosewood is a very expensive essential oil or I hestiate to risk it with large batches. Sweet, woody, floral and slightly spicy aroma. It is antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, deodorant, and insecticide. It is said to stabilize the central nervous system and could therefore have an overall balancing effect. Helpful when feeling low, overwhelmed with problems. May relieve headaches when accompanied by nausea and may also relieve jet lag. Its deodorizing action helps the body cope with excess heat and moisture.

If you like rose but its too Florally for you, rose wood has a woodsy backround that cuts through the floral and is truly wonderful.

Made with Rose Kaolin Clay and Evening Primrose Oil at trace.

Lettuce and Spirulina

I made this with so much of the antioxidant-rich Spirulina powder it deserves its own billing. Also, there is so much in it the scent is now a combination of the fresh smells of a newly washed salad made of iceburg and romaine lettuces and then a oceany backbone of Spirulina. It smells fresh, clean and crisp. People think Lettuce is a strange scent and I used to agree with them but then I made a batch a couple years ago and looooved it. This has Aloe Vera Extract added at trace.

Turkish Mocha

A fragarance oil described as having a creamy top notes of milk, cardamom, cocoa and a touch of nutmeg. The alluring, complex blend winds down to heady scents of vanilla and honey run, and of course, Turkish Coffee.

It smelled really nice, an exotic yet comforting blend. It was cozy smelling if that makes sense. I decided to add some Wheat Germ Oil at trace so this will be great for your skin too.

This is a very small batch.

Wow! So nice!

The new molds lived up to the hype. They came out really nice.

I'm still gonna make:

Turkish Mocha
Lettuce
Rosewood

and after that is....

Lavender Tea Tree
Cranberry Fig
Litsea Cubeba

Ginger Lime

This is one of my favorites, made with essential oils. Zesty lime blends well with Ginger making an exotic scent that is asian and sophisticated. I colored this lightly with all-natural spirulina. This soap also uses some of the new molds.

Ginger Lime and Pineapple Cilantro will both be ready at the very end of April.

Pineapple Cilantro

This scent was chosen upon request for a tropical fragrance. The soap is naturally yellow from Cumin and sprinkled with cilantro. A unusual scent that is a wonderful combination of sweet and fruity and a back note of spice. It's described as ripe pineapple juices are complemented with coconut shavings, bursting orange notes and sparkling cilantro. Warm vanilla and mists of musk complete this zesty aroma! It is strong on the pineapple end.

This is the first soap to use the new molds...yeah!!

The Next Batches

I have not had the chance to make soap but the soaps up next are:


Ginger Lime
Pineapple Cilantro
Lettuce with Spirulina
Turkish Mocha
Rosewood

Discount!! DONE

EXPIRED!


Thanks to everyone who reads the blog, votes in the polls and are generally awesome. Use the code "thanks" for 15% off on Friday, March 16th for our Hyena Cart stocking that includes: Nighttime Blend, Bitter Orange & Patchouli, Yeast Defense and Petitgrain.

The code ends on Sunday.

Mold Excitement!

I'm demented with happiness because I just got a whole set of molds in that are GORGEOUS!! One of them I originally saw in the soap book I bought 7 or 8 years ago that started this whole thing. I've loved it and looked for it. I am getting my main site redone and I was looking at other soap stores that use the same cart and there it was! This sent me on a hunt that finally ended several days later at 2am. They arrived today and they are awesome! Really elegant and pretty but not too girly.

I am freakin' to make soap so I can use them!!

Oops!!!!! Vanilla Dark Chocolate

Wel,, this was supposed to be Ginger Lime but I reached and poured from the wrong bottle. Once I had some chocolate in their I decided to add so vanilla too. Two chocolate soaps this week and Ginger Lime is still unmade *sigh* This has ground vanilla beans in it as well.

Amber Romance

This scent is described as a "Blend of Sandalwood, Amber, Musk and Vanilla" similar to the Victoria Secret scent. I tried to make this an amber color with a blend of oxides, we'll see how it ends up because on the 3% vanilla. The Vanilla discolors CP soap. Evening Primrose Oil was added at trace.

Valencia

This did not come out as orange as usual, I guess I didn't use enough yellow oxide with the kaolin pink clay. Its a little pinkish but that's okay. Safflower oil was added at trace so this soap will be full of vitamin E. Lime, Sweet Orange, Tangerine and Thyme is the blend.

Unscented Calendula

I made this with very simple ingredients, nothing too complicated. Eight ingredients in all, rich in lanolin. The oils are infused with Calendula which entails a process of heating and cooling the oil with calendula petals several times over a few days. This soap also has a ton of Calendula Extract in it. The calendula petals are chopped up more than usual because of my hand blender I like the look.

Double Chocolate Madness

I made this differently this time. The chocolate is melted with the oils rather than swirled through since that didn't work so well the last time. A rich, dark chocolate scent and a deep shade of brown too.

What's up for this weekend

My new fragrance oils have not arrived so I'm making whats on hand.

I'm definately getting the Double Chocolate Madness in this weekend, then I'm trying for Ginger Lime, Amber Romance and then a new batch of Valencia.

If I have time I'm going to do a new batch of Unscented Calendula, no one voted for it but people ask for it.

Another new soap poll....

Another what should we make next poll
	Rosewood
	Moroccan Mint
	Amber Romance
	Aloe Cucumber
	Rosemary Tea Tree
	Sweetgrass
	Ginger Lime
	Double Chocolate Madness
	Pineapple Cilantro
	Cranberry Fig
	Lettuce
	Lime Mint
	Lavender Mint
	Turkish Mocha
	Rosemary Lime
	Basil Lime
	Unscented Calendula
	Seaweed
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Soap due dates!

The master list of when soap are *supposed* to be ready. It depends on their pH level, hardness, etc. Most are ready at their stocking date which is the Friday following their due date. But some go 2-4 more weeks. For example the Peppermint Tea Tree in stock cured for over 10 weeks! It's pH was fine but it was soft...so it waited. The Orange Cucumber might not make it at all...its a strange texture but the curing may help that...or it might not. The Suka Cita is usuable but not ready, it might be stocked on the 16th or maybe the stocking after that so that the Lemon Rosemary is not lonely.


Nighttime Blend 03/11/07
Yeast Defense 03/11/07
Bitter Orange & Patchouli 03/11/07
Petitgrain 03/11/07
Lemon Rosemary 03/18/07
Orange Cucumber 03/31/07
Lavanchouli 03/31/07
Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar 03/31/07
Coffee Scrub 03/31/07
Peony 04/01/07
Creamcicle 04/05/07
Grapefruit Peppermint 04/05/07
Rose Petals 04/05/07
Apple Mint 04/05/07
Lemon Sage Ginger 04/05/07
Orange Ginger 04/05/07
Peppermint Chocolate Chip 04/05/07
Vanilla Mint 04/14/07
Chamomile Neroli 04/14/07
Honey Almond 04/14/07
Mint Thyme 04/15/07
Maryfruitmint 04/15/07
Sensual Blend 04/15/07

Mint Thyme

I made 3 different Mint soaps this weekend. I hope people are feeling minty in mid-April! This turned out nice....I was out of Thyme leaves so this is speckled with peppermint leaves. Literally speckled because the hand blender did a number on the peppermint.

Marymintfruit? Rosepeppergrape? Pepperosefruit?

Mintmaryfruit? Rosemintfruit? Graperosemint?


Dunno.

But its Grapefruit, Rosemary and Mint with Cranberry and Kiwi Seeds throughout, mostly to differentiate it from the 5 other beigey-white soaps I made this weekend.

Sensual Blend

I've made this one other time. It was not very popular but then people asked for it after it was gone. Its Ylang Ylang and Myrhh. Made with goat's milk, this came out creamy and nice with no discoloration from the milk.

Chamomile Neroli

An old favorite. Crisp and sharp with a warm undertone. Made with Chamomile Tea, Chamomile Extract and Chamomile blooms throughout. This one cam out a little different than usual, two changes, the tea it was made with was stronger than normal and I used my handy dandy hand blender. I think its an improvement.

Vanilla Mint

This has been requested for a while, I decided to finally make it. Lots of vanilla with some peppermint and colloidal oatmeal. This came out nice. Since its made with really vanilla oil we'll have to see how brown it turns.

Honey Almond

This came out nicely, made with goat's milk and a nice shade of yellow. I'm not sure that I scented it enough, I think it may be lighter than previous HA soaps.

The next soaps in line....

We are snowed in today so I was able to unmold most of the soaps. The Grapefruit Peppermint, Orange Ginger and Lemon Sage Ginger came out incredible well. Some of the prettiest soaps I've made. The Peppermint Chocolate Chip turned out exactly as planned too.

So over the weekend I'm making soap....what am I making? If you like Minty soaps you are in luck:

-Goat's Milk Honey Almond
-Rosemary, Grapefruit & Peppermint
-Mint Thyme
-Vanilla Mint
-Sensual Blend with Goats Milk (Ylang Ylang, Myrrh)
-Chamomile Neroli


This is a tad ambitious, but assuming I get through those I'm thinking Double Chocolate Madness might get made too

"And the reason you want hand milled soap is..."

In this case because it saves the batch. But generally, why would someone go to all the trouble of making cold process soap just to melt it down? Wel,l in theory... handmilled soap is hard and shiny, because the soap flakes have been compressed into each other. And sometimes you want hard and shiny. For one thing, soaps last longer when they are harder. Also, delicate scents and additives may be degraded by the cold process method, but with retain their value if added during handmilling.

So the Suka Cita is double-scented. First when I made it, then when I added more in the rebatching process. Then its rebatched with Safflower oil and Wheat Germ oil and those oils will retain their healing properties because they are still in the original form because the saponification process is already complete.

In theory because they are double made, they are more luxurious. And certainly, they take much, much more effort.

I unmolded the Handmilled Suka Cita, they came out nice, maybe a little oily but pretty and nice. I'm going to let them harden for a while and see how greasy they are at the end.

Saving Suka Cita

Folks, call the cops because this soap wants to kill me.


This is the batch that keeps on giving and hurting.

Suka Cita Laundry Soap, is not homicidal but white and fragrant and I'm not sure if I'm going to sell it because its so very nice.

Suka Cita Soap take 1: These are rough cut bars of the original batch. I was going to sell these but then I made:

Hand-milled Suka Cita!!!!



There are several ways to make soap:

Melt & Pour: Processed glycerin soap microwaved or double boiled into a liquid then made into bars: Difficulty: 2 out of 10

Rebatch: Pre-bought cold process soap created for rebatching, grated, boiled in bag, then molded. Often sold as actual handmade cold process soap or hand-milled soap. Difficulty: I have no idea because I've never tried it but it sounds pretty easy.

Cold Process: Melding oils and lye and water to make bars then curing from 4-8 weeks. Difficulty 5 out of 10

Hot Process: Same as above only you continue to heat it so that it needs about 24 hours of curing/hardening time: Difficulty 8 out of 10. I have tried and failed at this twice. I will not be trying again.

Hand-milled Soap: Follow the cold process to completion or close to it, hand grate the soap, reheat and rebatch with oils and then remold Difficulty 10 out of 10


I have never successfully hand-milled a soap, I have tried and failed. I *think* I may have actually done it this time. If so, I might scrap the rough-cut bars and hand-mill the rest. BUT I burned my thumb proving....


....that this soap is intentionally trying to hurt me.

Etsy SNS Sale 20% off

I am joining the Saturday Night Special event this Saturday, February 24th. 20% everything in my Etsy store...Begins 5pm EST on Saturday HERE

You simply add an item to your cart, go through every step but the paypal payment and then I'll send you a revised invoice via Etsy with 20% off. I'm selling several pounds including 3 custom pounds and some lip balm.

Lemon Sage Ginger

Can you tell I'm on a break from school?

This is one of my all-time favorites. A wonderful blend that immediately cheers me up. Made with Granulated Lemon Peel, Powdered Ginger and Dried Sage. The last couple times I made this the sage pieces were too big, this time my trusty and feared hand blender fixed that issue posthaste. This is a very nice soap.

Orange Ginger

I used my new favorite additive in this one....Powdered Rose Hips. I love the look of it, now seen in the Apricot Freesia soap. It provides natural color and speckles without any texture associated with seeds or other natural additives. This was a very small batch with Evening Primrose Oil added at trace.

Apple Mint

This is a favorite of many. Green Apple mixed with Peppermint. I added a tiny bit of Green Kaolin Clay to make it look like the flesh of a Granny Smith. This one came out nicely.

Creamcicle (Vanilla Orange)

One of people's favorites. This is made as rough-cut bars with dark orange swirls in it. Very orange this time around.

Grapefruit Peppermint

I love this soap so I don't like to be out of it. Made with a ton of French Green Clay its a rich green with a minty grapfruit scent.

Rose Petals

This is a very realistic rose scent, its the smell you think of when you think of a rose-scented soap. This was made with actual rose petals and a touch of pink kaolin clay.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip

This is fun....I hope....since its an experiment and all. Its peppermint soap with chips of Double Chocolate Madness. The bars will be rough cut so you can see the delicious white soap and the dark chocolate soap chunks throughout. I think this one will really look like some weird fudge.

Peony

This one is really sweet, a realistic Peony scent with two kinds of clay. Pink Kaolin Clay swirled with Red Clay. These came out very feminine and pretty. Made with Wheat Germ oil at trace, this soap is also very nurturing.

The next soaps

I have one more batch to do this weekend...I'm thinking Peony or Rose Petals because they smell so springy and I could use the lift or Grapefruit Peppermint or Creamcicle.

I only hae molds available for one more batch but maybe I'll make the creamcicle as raw bars the was I usually do, maybe with some nice swirls.

Coffee Scrub Soap

I made a coffee scrub soap with lots of Coffee Butter, Coffee instead of water and perhaps, too many coffee grounds. It is unfragranced but not unscented with its aroma coming from the coffee and coffee butter and no artificial fragrance oils. I also added a small amount of sugar solution at trace because that helps the lather and will cut down on the coffee bitterness. Its a little too scrubby though.

In production.....

I noticed a theme in the soap poll and that was "vanilla". Since a whole batch of Vanilla is done at the end of the month I decided to choose one more. The choices were Vanilla Mint, Creamcicle and....Lavanchouli (Vanilla with a touch of Lavender and Patchouli). I chose the last one just because its a new scent and I want to try it out.

I am also making two other soaps this week. One is Orange Cucumber with Hemp Seed Oil and Wheat Germ Oil, so it should be great for dry skin.

Then I am making a Shampoo Bar....Rosemary Mint....its made with Neem Oil which contains concentrated essential fatty acids help to restore moisture and elasticity to the skin and hair while it disinfects and heals. Also includes Jojoba Oil whichis very good in cases of psoriasis, scalp and hair care, and for hands and cuticles. Jojoba helps to heal inflamed skin conditions such as psoriasis or any form of dermatitis, helps control acne and oily scalps. And Wheat Germ Oil which is very rich in vitamin E, a natural antioxidant. In order to get the maximum amount of Lather this soap is being made with Goats Milk and Kosher Vegetable Glycerin is added at trace. The glycerin is an excellent humectant and emollient. And then to further wake up your scalp, Ginseng Extract is added. Many believe ginseng can stimulate hair growth. In conjuntion with the Rosemary Essential Oil which when used in shampoo and hair treatments, it helps stimulate blood circulation to the scalp, thus being beneficial for promoting hair growth.

Lemon Rosemary

I love this soap because its so easy to tell what it is because of the poppy seeds and lemon peel. No smelling for this one. This is a "leftovers" soap, this is when I am at the end of my supplies and I have 3-4 ounces of everything. I put it all together and end up with a recipe with 15+ ingredients. The great thing is that I don't have to store gigantic 5 gallon bottles or 7 pound buckets of oils just for a few ounces. This recipes has:

Canola Oil
Avocado Oil
Soybean Oil
Palm Oil
Coconut Oil
Palm Kernel Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Apricot Kernel Oil
Sunflower Oil
Bees Wax
Jojoba Oil
Shea Butter
Kokum Butter
Sweet Almond Oil
Lemon Essential Oil
Rosemar Essential Oil
Poppy Seeds
Lemon Peel

What's next?

I don't know. I'm waiting on some supplies and then....I have a list of soaps to do but no preference. Here's the waiting list. Feel free to give an opinion:

What soap should FFCS make next?
	Peony (FO)
	Vanilla Mint
	Rose Petals (FO)
	Cornmint
	Sensual Blend
	Rosemary Mint
	Amber Romance (FO)
	Vanilla with a touch of Patchouli and a touch of lavender
	Orange Cucumber
	Rosemary Tea Tree
	Unscented Calendula
	Rosewood
	Aloe Cucumber (FO)
	Creamcicle
	Lavender Mint
	Rosemary, Grapefruit & Peppermint
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Check out the new design

Pretty swank huh?


http://www.hyenacart.com/frostfishcovesoaps




Done by noel<3

http://hyenacart.com/noelove/

She's working on my main site too!

what's next...

I did not make the Grapefruit Peppermint Rosemary soap this weekend. I'm skipping that one for a while, my next one will be Lemon Rosemary

Yeast Defense

This is requested fairly often. Its a soap made with essential oils indicated to help yeast and prevent it too. Made with tons of Grapefruit Seed Extract which is a strong weapon against yeast as well.

I added 2 more essential oils to this in the hopes of making it more effective and put in more GSE. The strong combination causes the soap to seize so its never pretty. But people have requested more.

Nighttime Blend

A favorite of customers, Vanilla with a hint of Lavender. Made with jojoba beads. This soap is always sad to make because its gorgeous with two colors and sizes of beads but once it cures it turns a dark brown due to the vanilla. So I try not to get attached to the color it is when I mold it.

Petitgrain

I like this essential oil:

Citrus aurantium var. amara, steam distilled leaf, Paraguay. This oil is obtained from the leaves of the bitter orange tree and has a fresh floral citrus scent with a woody herbaceous undertone. It is antidepressant, antispasmodic and deodorant. Calms anger and panic, refreshes the mind. It is considered uplifting and refreshing. Has a sedative effect on the nervous system, helpful for rapid heartbeat or insomnia. Eases breathing and relaxes muscle spasms. Helpful with painful digestion by calming stomach muscles. Could help in clearing up skin blemishes and pimples. Useful for greasy hair and skin.


I'm seeing a Bitter Orange theme...hmmm. I made this with a lot of Colliodal Oatmeal. I was going to put in poppy seeds to differentiate it from other soaps but changed my mind at the last minute because I am making Lemon Rosemary soon which had poppy seed. But now I wish I had put something in it because I can't tell it apart from the Bitter Orange & Patchouli without smelling them.

Soap Batches 4; Accidents 0

I made soap over the weekend and no injuries!

Bitter Orange & Patchouli

I love this soap which is funny because I HATE patchouli. But it mixes nicely with the bitter orange. There is Ginseng Extract added at trace so this should really invigorate you.

What I'm making this weekend

I am making:

Bitter Orange & Patchouli

Petitgrain (This oil is obtained from the leaves of the bitter orange tree and has a fresh floral citrus scent with a woody herbaceous undertone. It is antidepressant, antispasmodic and deodorant. Calms anger and panic, refreshes the mind. It is considered uplifting and refreshing. Has a sedative effect on the nervous system, helpful for rapid heartbeat or insomnia. Eases breathing and relaxes muscle spasms. Helpful with painful digestion by calming stomach muscles. Could help in clearing up skin blemishes and pimples. Useful for greasy hair and skin.)


Grapefruit, Peppermint & Rosemary -- I'm looking for a name for this one, if you have a suggestion, post it!

Stocking January 26th at Noon EST

I am stocking on Friday, January 26th at Noon EST on my Hyena Cart http://www.hyenacart.com/frostfishcovesoaps

First time in 7 weeks, the code in the very first blog entry is still active....

Frost Fish Cove

People have often asked me what exactly is Frost Fish Cove, it is in Harpswell, Maine. It's a tidal cove with excellent swimming, kayaking and a serene view:

PHOTO

Suka Cita and the Accident

Well, I was making a gigantic batch of the popular Suka Cita on Monday (Jasmine, Rose and Sandalwood) when it began to seize. Meaning it hardened past a point where it could be poured or molded. Some essential oils do this, lots of fragrance oils do this which is one reason I try to use more essential oils than fragrance oils. Suka Cita is an essential oil blend but something happened. Anyway, I thought maybe I'd save it by adding some oils and superfatting it but as I was using my hand (stick) blender to mix in the oils the hardened soap jammed the blender. Rather that turning off the blender and unjamming it. I left it on and stuck my finger in it. My finger got mangled and I needed to have 8 stitches and will have some minor nerve damage. It is very painful.

Luckily I put the blender away from the ruined soap as I unjammed it so no (ahem) fluids got into the Suka Cita. So in a couple months time I am going to have a very, very large amount of Suka Cita Laundry Soap available.

Vanilla

I have not made a molded Vanilla soap in over a year and this one turned out very nicely. It is made with Natural Vanilla Oil with no fragrance oils. This turns the soap kinda brown because you need to use a chemical to inhibit the color change but personally, I'd prefer brown soap over soap with a chemical in it. The strange thing is that the Natural Vanilla Oil changes everything brownish, lotion, balms, soap except for my Creamcicle soap. That does not change color at all. Perhaps the Sweet Orange Oil inhibits it?

Anyway, this is also made with ground vanilla beans so its speckled and fun.

Ocean Rain

This was originally created for my mother. It has a ton of Ground Pumice in it, Jojoba Beads and Evening Primorose Oil added at trace.

Trace is the moment in which the soap is thick enough that it is not going to separate but is still loose enough that it can be poured. Ingredients added at trace keep more of their healing properties. Oils added at trace make the soap "superfatted" and luxurious.


My mother swears that Ocean Rain has removed small scars from her body that have been there for years. While I am not going to claim that the soap does this, it does make some sense. The pumice removes dead layers of skin and then the fresh, new skin is treated to both Jojoba which in a dermatological test done, using jojoba oil, by Christensen and Packman, it was shown that jojoba oil increases the skin's suppleness by 45% and after 8 hours the effect was still present. It was also found that jojoba oil softens and smoothes the skin with fine line reduction. In one test 20 women's skin "compliance" increased with 37% after 30 minutes and remained for an hour.

Even more amazing is the Evening Primrose Oil thats healing action results from its high content of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that is vital to cell and body functions and not produced by the body itself.


Anyway its a popular soap and I've had many requests for it since I ran out so I made a large batch

Passion Flower

This soap is a very passionate red due to the red clay added to help lathering and produce this deep pink color. The scent is wonderful for those who love florals with an edge.

Cucumber Green Tea

This soap came out very nicely, made with green tea with tea leaves throughout, it's a very clean scent and I think people will like it. It has three butters and lanolin as well.

Still sick....

Yep, I'm still sick...no soap to be made for a while

Sick!

I have the flu so no soapmaking this weekend *cry* But for those who care the next soaps to be made are:

Ocean Rain
Passion Flower
Orange Cucumber
Suka Cita
Vanilla

WAHM Samples

I have been working on making a ton of samples for other WAHM's to give out as a "thank you" with their products. I thought it might be nice to list who you can shop with and potentially get a free FFCS product.


AM Designs
BabyMACH
Beedle Weedle Boutique
Beemer Knits
Desert Blooms
Dinkers & Giggles
Drool Catchers
Dye-A-Rama
Fuzzi Fannies
Got Ewe Covered
Nothing Butt Cloth
Small Moments
Tootsie Toodles
Wahmarama
Zany Zebra Designs
Zephyr Cloth Diapers

Coming soon:

Ah May Designs
Fair Trade Family
Ramie Baby
Recycleze
Retro Mama

Baby Lip Balms

Okay, I'm not one to gush about cute things but the new mini lip balm pots I just got are soooooo cute. Perfect pocket-size but the opening is still big enough to get a finger in it. It's 5 mL worth of product (this is about 1 teaspoon). The pot is about 1.2 inches in diameter and about 0.6 inches tall. Really nice, I love them.

Bergamot Coriander

This is a scent that should be more popular, spicy and herbaceous, this is a wonderful gender neutral scent. This soap turned out very nicely. I used a smaller cut tea than I usually use so it's flecked with small pieces throughout. Very attractive.

Valencia

Ah Valencia. One of my favorites. A sharp mix of citruses with an herbal backbone of Thyme. This is an essential oil duplicate of the Avena scent.

I may have gone overboard with the Pink Kaolin Clay with this one as well. It has the clay plus bit of natural Yellow Oxide, so it is a rich, deep orange hue.

Muscle Relief

This is an oldy but goody. An intense blend of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Camphor and Spearmint. This soap is created to help relieve sore muscles and also does a nice job of clearing out your sinuses. A friend has suggested that it be called "Waiting to Inhale"

This soap also has peppermint leaves throughout. I let this one get a trifle to thick before pouring it into the molds. It won't effect the soap but it may not be well-molded making a bunch of it 2nd quality. It's hard to say what it'll look like, I'll have to wait until it's ready to be uncasked.

Relaxing with Colloidal Oatmeal

This is one of the most popular soaps we make. Made with an essential oil blend of Palmarosa and Lavender. This gentle soap is made with Colloidal Oatmeal.

Colloidal Oatmeal has a very long history of use in helping alleviate skin irritation, discomfort, and inflammation. Oatmeal is very soothing to the skin and has strong anti-inflammatory effects, and colloidal oatmeal is classified by the FDA as a "skin protectant." Oatmeal not only can help with sensitivity but may also have a preventive effect on irritation and may too help buffer and repair damage from other skin stressors.

Palmarosa Essential Oil is powdery, floral, herbaceous, perhaps with a hint of rose. It is antifungal and antiviral. Indicated for bronchitis, birthing, regeneration of the skin, and regulating oil production of the skin. Useful in treating skin infections.

Lavender Essential Oil is thought to be analgesic, antidepressant, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, bactericide, cicatrizant, decongestant, deodorant, diuretic, fungicide, sedative. Soothes the spirit, relieves anger, valuable in manic-depressive cases. Has a sedative action on the heart, assists in bringing down high blood pressure, relieves insomnia, relieves muscular spasms and rheumatic pains. The first essential oil one should reach for in the case of minor burns and sunburn. Useful with menstrual problems, bronchitis and headaches, helps lower blood pressure. Useful in a diffuser in the delivery room. May be useful in nausea, vomiting and colic. Keeps insects at bay. Purifies the air. Promotes growth of new skin cells, great healing effect on burns and sunburn, acne, psoriasis, boils, fungal growths, and scarring. Lavender is one of the safest essential oils to use with children and the elderly.


This soap is also made with Lavender buds throughout to deferentiate it from other soaps.

This batch turned out nicely. It was one of the larger batches I make. I try to make small batches to make fresh soap available.

Lavender Tea Tree

One of our best selling soaps. Appropriate for babies and great to use on anyone. This is a great scent created with essential oils.

This soap has been a jinx color-wise for a while. Last time it was a screaming purple that was way over the top. This time it is colored with Rose Kaolin Clay and a hint of natural mica to make it a nice lilac color. I think it's a bit over-colored but it's from the Rose Kaolin Clay.

Apricot Freesia

This soap is made with a nice fragrance oil that smells kinda like Burt's Bees but with a bit of floral background. It was popular the last time it was made. This soap turned out very white and creamy but looked too much like the Litsea Cubeba. So I added Powdered Rose Hips to it and it's gorgeous. The multi-colored flecks against the white background is lovely. I really admire this soap.


It also de-molded really well.

Goat's Milk Honey Almond

Last time I made this soap it ended up as 90% seconds. The soap itself was nice. It lathers like crazy due to the Goat's Milk but it did not mold nicely. Most of the batch ended up in laundry soap. *sigh*

Not so this batch. Perfectly molded. The soaps came out looking fake they are so well-molded. Very nice. A nice yellow hue with Mango Butter and lots of Goat's Milk.


This soap is made with essential oil.

Litsea Cubeba

This is an old favorite of mine, Litsea Cubeba Essential oil

Litsea cubeba Pers. a/k/a May Chang, Litsea citrata and tropical verbena, steam distilled fruit, China. Despite these names, it is not related to lemon verbena but belongs to the same family as the rosewood or cinnamon tree. Sweet, spicy and citrus fragrance with vegetative notes. It is antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent, insecticide, calming and sedative. Very uplifting and stimulating. It is a known tonic to the heart and respiratory system. May be helpful in cases of bronchitis and asthma. Used as an insect repellent. Blends well with lavender, neroli, and verbena.



Made with Pumice, this soap is a refreshing exfoliator. This batch turned out beautifully, a pure creamy white, really pretty. It look likes its made out of thick crème fraîche. I kept on showing to my husband because it is just a lovely color.

It came out the molds like a dream. Tons of perfect soap including some of my new molded one ounce samples

Hand Blender

We are not stocking currently because I am catching up on soap production. I have made several soaps recently and I'll tell you about them. Let me say though that I bought myself a hand blender and it is rocking my world. I've never thought one was necessary but boy was I wrong, in addition to speeding up the trace process it is making the soaps so smooth and wonderful. Each soap is turning into this wonderful custard and I know that they are going to feel wonderful too.

New Lip Balm Flavors on the way

I just ordered a bunch of new lip balm flavors including:

Champagne
White Chocolate
Capuccino
Caramel Cream
Pinapple
Coconut
Black Raspberry
Butter Rum
Pear
Pomegranate

New Molds

I have gotten some new molds that are not the common Milky Way ones you see everywhere. These ones are pretty nice, some new Celtic designs, neat shapes and some African Adrinka symbols including the Adinkra symbol describing compassion and protection, also when one person teaches another patience. The new molds are great and de-mold very easily so I've ordered more. I am very excited to unveil the new soaps.

New Blog!

I have people asking me which soaps and products I am working on so I decided to start a blog. The blog will include what I am working on and special deals/discount codes.