Fullearths, Etc. » soapmaking

Beyond the Picket Fence! yaay!

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:49:15 +0000

I am so excited for, and proud of my fellow ETSY SAFE team member,Gwen from Beyond the Picket Fence! She did an AWESOME job in this ETSY feature! take a look, but I warn you.. it’s fuu-un! :)

Having a ball with Handmade Soap & Salt Scrubs!

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:16:57 +0000

Our Citrus & Star Almond Anise Salt Scrubs!

I have so missed blogging! Wow, have we been busy here, gearing up for our Grand Opening of our very own, Fullearths, Etc. Etsy Shop! So, what have we been up to? Writing informational articles to shed even more light on the chemicals that exist in our skin-care, preparing for a couple of very cool radio spots and…. ??? you guessed it! ~ making soap!!!!

Calendula Petals adorn the tops of "Shea La La" ~ our best seller! ;-)

Well, most importantly, Soap!! I’ve been chugging along, doing one of my favorite things – making soap and salt scrubs for your wholesome bath & body enjoyment! :-)

Last night, I made a batch of our best seller, Shea La La ~ an olive oil, shea & cocoa butter based soap bar, scented with lavender & geranium essential oils and infused with calendula petals.

Soap reaching "trace"

Trace is my favorite stage of soapmaking. I absolutely LOVE to see my soap reach trace! Takes on a vanilla custard consistency, and looks almost edible, yum!!!

Lavender and Rose petals, in our Citrus Salt Scrub.

Next up, tonight I had a blast making a few salt scrubs.

Salt Scrubs (some call them Salt “Glows”) are a combination of sea salt and skin -nourishing carrier and essential oils, used after a shower or bath and rinsed, not washed, off. What you’re left with, upon drying the skin, is immediate moisture-drenched skin.

Our Signature Shea Salt Scrub combines lavender, rose geranium and sweet orange oils, for a strikingly refreshing herbal pick-me-up.

Front right - Star Almond Anise Salt Scrub, Rear left - Citrus Salt Scrub.

Our Star Almond Anise Scrub has a light, aromatic scent that makes a perfect companion to our Jittery Joe Soap bar (almond/oatmeal). Made with sweet almond and avocado oils, this anise-star topped scrub is absolutely decadent! Both are awesome skin re-vitalizers, sloughing off dead skin to reveal the healthier glowing skin beneath.

Keep an open ear for a very special announcement, over the next few days, and watch for our up-coming Grand Opening, this month! You can also allow us to keep you updated via email, by signing up for email alerts at the top right of this page ~ you’ll receive an email each time a new post is added.

Naturally. It’s all about skin!

Why Handcrafted Soap, anyway?

admin — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:32:37 +0000

We all know that taking care of our skin is important. (if you didn’t know, now you know!) It is the only skin you’ll ever have. You determine how well it will look now, and have some control over how it will look in the future. You want to be certain that the products you use to care for your skin are the best possible thing for your skin.

There are SO very many “Bath Bars” and “Beauty bars” sold over the counter. The advertisers lead you to believe that the only reason these products are not called soap, is because they add moisturizers to them. In actuality, they are not called soap because legally they are NOT soap. What exactly is soap? Taken from the FDA website:

“How FDA defines “soap”

Not every product marketed as soap meets FDA’s definition of the term. FDA interprets the term “soap” to apply only when –

The bulk of the nonvolatile matter in the product consists of an alkali salt of fatty acids and the product’s detergent properties are due to the alkali-fatty acid compounds, and
The product is labeled, sold, and represented solely as soap [21 CFR 701.20].”

In other words, a soap is made when a catalyst salt ( ie. Sodium Hydroxide [LYE] ) and fats (oils and butters of any kind) are combined, to bring about a chemical reaction to leave behind a cleansing agent, glycerine and none of the original catalyst. The process is called saponification, and the FDA will only recognize a “bar” as soap if it is made in this manner, and if the cleansing properties of that bar come from the compounds left behind by the saponified fats.

Because most bath bars are made with added synthetic detergents, they cannot be labeled as “soap”. And a natural by-product of the soap making process – glycerine – is also extracted from these bars and sold to cosmetic companies to be added to lotions and other moisturizers. If that weren’t enough, these products are often filled with harsh chemicals, parabens and other mysterious ingredients that you would not want to put on your skin if you really understood what they were. And since our skin is our largest organ, all of these chemicals are absorbed directly into the blood stream to be distributed throughout your body. Honestly, you may be better off eating them, then putting them on your skin!

Homemade soap is a natural product, made the traditional way, with no added chemicals or ingredients that can be harsh to your skin. There are extra gentle and mild options for those who experience sensitivities and allergies. Options that truly DO NOT CAUSE the reactions, instead of just masking the reactions. Glycerine is left in place, to naturally hydrate the skin after bathing. Handcrafted soap is almost always made in small batches, making it possible to use skin loving, natural, wholesome ingredients that are beneficial to your skin – inside and out! And you won’t have to worry about introducing carcinogens, like Parabens directly into yours or your family’s bodies through your skin.

Besides that, Handcrafted soap is PURE luxury!! Luxurious ingredients make handcrafted soaps and bath items well worth making them part of your everyday life. Think of the possibilities when you bathe daily with things like cocoa, mango, shea and avocado butters; olive, coconut and sweet almond oils; alluring scents from life giving essential oils like sweet orange, lime, lavender, geranium, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils; and pampering natural additives like rose petals, lavender buds, calendula petals, red & white clays and root powders.

Here’s a little gift for you! Try this simple recipe, enjoy a luxurious bath tonight, and see what your skin tells you:

Cleopatra’s Bath Milk

2 cups powdered milk

1 Tablespoon Jojoba or Sweet Almond Oil

2 Tablespoons dried rose petals (can be obtained at large health food stores)

1/2 cup ground oatmeal (grind oats finely in your blender)

10 drops lavender essential oil or other favorite oil

Mix all ingredients well and keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator. To use, put as much as you like into your bath under running water.

enjoy!

naturally. it’s all about skin.

Are Fuzzy Slippers the New Power Pumps?

admin — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:30:51 +0000

Can Working In Your Bathrobe Help You Attain Life Balance?

If your job often makes you feel tired, burned out, or stressed to the max, try a new bathrobe on for size. February 9, 2009 is the seventh annual “Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day,” a time to celebrate the freedom home business ownership offers people. Everyday an increasing amount of working parents are waving goodbye to the pressures of the corporate rat race and settling into a more balanced and better quality of life…working from home.

Working in my Bathrobe in my Dallas, GA kitchen.

I have been working from home in Dallas, Ga since 1999, providing 100% natural handmade soap, bath & body products-and most recently, handknit gifts. It’s comforting to know that if you do make the decision to work from home, that there are numerous online organizations and events, like this one, that bring together work-at-home moms from all over the country.

Kristie Tamsevicius, co-founder of Webmomz.com, a site that empowers women who have chosen to work from home, views having a home business as the ultimate life balancer. “Some people may think that living and working under the same roof creates more stress, but in fact, just the opposite is true. Working from home gives you the freedom to schedule your work around your life, rather than the other way around. That way you can create a life that you truly love.”

And the home business bug isn’t just biting American workers. People in England, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand are celebrating the power of the bathrobe and taking control of their workday and financial future.

Considering that the average worker spends up to 12 hours a day focused on work-related activities, often skipping lunch due to job demands, it’s no wonder that many people feel out of balance. So for the millions of people who have dreamed about a home based business and the opportunity to finally have some life balance, February 9, 2009 may be the perfect day to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and map out a new business plan—one that makes the bathrobe your power suit.

On the day, Webmomz.com will hold a random drawing for a bathrobe and a host of other prizes. Register online at www.businessinyourbathrobeday.com.

Additional information on the festivities planned for the day and about the WebMomz prizes can be found at www.webmomz.com or by contacting Kristie Tamsevicius at 847-244-8450.