My latest soap off the curing rack is Sea Buckthorn.
It is made with real Sea Buckthorn oil which is commonly used in skincare and soap. This oil is full of vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol).
This is probably one of the best soap for trouble skin. When the weather got warmer in the past few days, I noticed the skin on my back started to break out a little.
Acne is caused by the inflammation of the surrounding skin tissue. The combination of pores being obstructed by sebum and dead skin cells clogs hair follicles and leads to bacterial attack.
But since using the Sea Buckthorn soap, my back acne started to clear up and healed within a few days. I think it may do the same for people with sensitive or problem skin.
Sea Buckthorn oil is known to promote the healing of skin such as burns and eczema. It also helps improve skin condition, especially with dryness and wrinkles. It also leaves your skin feeling very pampered and moisturized too.
It’s a common plant used in both skincare and food source from Europe to parts of Asia. I may try growing them from seeds and see how well they grow in Northern California. But you will need both male and female trees to produce this much berries.
Read the rest of this entry »
Last weekend I had a special request to make Honeysuckle Himalayan soap. It’s really become one of my favorite soap too. I always feel more energized after showering with it.
The request was made using the hot process (HP) method. The advantages of HP over cold process (CP) is that it can be used within a few days. And it also makes for a harder bar too.
I have a small Crock Pot that can make only 1 batch at a time. I tried to make a larger batch once and it over flowed and had to deal with raw soap - not fun.
Notice the top portion doesn’t look too pretty. Kind of lumpy. But it’s still the same good soap!
This 1st batch went well but just doesn’t look too pretty. Although it is still very nice soap. Batch #2 started to crumble near the edges while I was cutting it. It looks to me like the soap cooled too fast. The middle part is nice and creamy, but the edges just not too pretty.
HP soaping has it’s challenges and is difficult to put into the mold, as it’s very hard and starts to harden up fast. I think the best mold for HP is a cylinder mold like an old Pringles can. I made Eucalyptus Mint using HP method and it turned out really nice.
Read the rest of this entry »
Regular facial soaps have been known to be drying and harsh, but not when you add skin loving botanical ingredients. In addition to the naturally occurring gylcerin in each handmade soap, there is also rich shea butter, grounded rose hip and colloidal oatmeal.
All these ingredients are a “dream” in natural skincare. The rose hip powder is full of Vitamin C and carotene. Oatmeal naturally helps soothe and relieve minor skin irritations. Both the rose hip and oatmeal are finely grounded and makes for a smooth bar with gentle exfoliation. In addition, the shea butter helps with extra skin moisturizing qualities.
Pure shea butter has been known to help with fading scars, treating eczema and psoriasis. Dry lips and skin also benefit from the application of shea butter. And it also help deal with stretch marks and uneven skin tone as well. This list really goes on and on.
The rose shea dream facial soap is scented with rose fragrance, to remind you of a stroll in a blooming summer rose garden.
Ingredients: Oils of olive, palm, safflower, coconut, Shea butter, rice bran and grapeseed oil. Distilled water, sodium hydroxide, rosehip powder, colloidal oatmeal, and rose garden fragrance oil.
Read the rest of this entry »
Another new soap I like to introduce for March is something more floral.
It is made with goat milk and scented with the sweet smell of honeysuckle. I thought it would be nice to imagine being in summer when it’s barely spring.
Notice the speckles? They are from the Himalayan pink salt. You may wonder if the salt would sting any cuts or rashes. But I personally think the salt offers a healing component. Just give it a try and see for yourself!
This soap also has skin loving oils such as avocado and rice bran. And finally a good heaping of fine pink Himalayan salt.
I’ve always loved Himalayan salt, as I am slightly obsessed with the salt lamps. Himalayan pink salt is mined from the pristine Himalayan mountain range. It has 84 trace elements and iron. Not only is it great for cooking, it’s also great for skincare.
Read the rest of this entry »
The latest soap off my curing rack is one that is packed with goodness! Instead of water, I substituted it with beer. As beer has all kinds of nutrients from the hops and barley malt.
The top layer has activated charcoal, which has the powerful ability to trap inorganic matter and pollutants. It’s able to absorb thousands of times its own weight in pore-clogging impurities. So it helps give your skin a nice deep cleansing ability.
The second layer has less charcoal and more of spirulina and rice extract. Spirulina is an algae that also help detoxifies and is rich in antioxidant agents. It brings many vitamins and trace elements to benefit the skin.
This bar is scented with sweet and fruity lychee (the popular Asian fruit). I also added an uplifting scent of tangerine fragrance oil and grapefruit essential oil. It’s a good way to brighten your day.
Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve made wine soap, now it’s time for beer soap. Beer contains many nutrients such as wheat and hops. People have washed their hair with beer and find it leaves it well conditioned. But I personally think washing with this soap bar would be much easier.
In case you are wondering, it does not smell like beer after it’s cured (over 3 weeks). It looks almost like a bar of chocolate, but I would advise you to not eat it.
The addition of spices such as cinnamon and cloves is great for the skin. It’s naturally antimicrobial, detoxifying, stimulating and has antioxidants too. Because the soap is made naturally using the cold process method all the nutrients are retained.
If you suffer from skin rashes or just want healthier skin made with natural ingredients, try handcrafted soap!
Ingredients: Olive oil, Coconut oil, Palm Oil, Soybean oil, Castor oil, Sapporo Beer, Grounded cloves, ginger and cinnamon, Vanilla fragrance.
All the vegetable oils combined with the beer becomes a skin conditioning bar. I made sure to add lots of lovely spice and Vanilla fragrance oil to blend in with the beer soap. It’s a perfect soap bar for both men and women! It’s also a very warming soap, especially for the winter time.
Read the rest of this entry »
This is the latest soap that just finished curing after 4 weeks. Time seems to go slower when you are waiting for them to cure. But if you just leave them alone and check back later, it’s really not that long!
In the beginning, there were some nice swirls. But now it’s pretty much in one color that looks almost light brown in color.
It’s a smooth skin clarifying soap made with Moroccan Red Clay. The clay will help with the removal of impurities and toxins. It’s good for those with oily or acne prone skin.
It would also make a great shaving soap due to the smoothness of the clay. A shaving brush or facial scrub could be used to increase the later.
Other ingredients include olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and grape seed oil.
I have tried it in the shower and noticed it’s a hard bar that turns smooth once it’s wet. The scent is also very light and refreshing, less of the lavender and more of sweet orange scent. The combination is very pleasant smelling handmade soap full of gylcerin that is a treat for your skin!
Read the rest of this entry »
Today I introduce Moroccan Red Clay used in skincare. Other common names of this clay is Rhassoul clay, Moroccan lava clay, red clay, and red facial clay. This interesting clay is mined from the Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco. It is a reddish clay that feels very smooth and silky.
Moroccan Red Clay may look like dirt or rust, but it’s very good for the skin. And it also washes out very easily.
Photo from Camden Grey.
This clay has been used for health and beauty regiments for centuries. And it’s popularity is growing as more people become aware of it’s benefit.
This clay is especially useful to those with oily skin and acne prone skin. As the clay helps draw out toxins and impurities from the skin.
It is a great way to stimulate and exfoliate the skin in a gentle manner which leads to a smoother complexion.
When the clay is dry (powder form), it’s okay to store them in plastic containers. But when you are ready to mix it, use only glass, wooden, or ceramic containers.
To make clay mask, just mix a small amount with water into a paste. Apply to your face, body, hair for about 5 minutes if you have sensitive skin. 10-15 minutes if you have regular skin. Just rinse and follow with a facial toner or moisturizer.
Read the rest of this entry »
This is my first “salt bar” made with Himalayan rock salt. Since I am a big fan of Himalayan rock lamps, the next step was to make a salt bar.
There has been handmade soap made with Dead Sea salt, Hawaiian sea salt, and Himalayan rock salt in the market. They all say it’s great for people with problem skin such as eczema and psoriasis. I figure it must be good overall, even if you have normal skin. You would think the salt would sting any cuts, but I think it helps it heal faster.
It’s not the most beautiful bar of soap, but does look like a piece of granite and feels just as heavy. So maybe it’s not that bad if you’re into collecting rocks.
Himalayan salt is mined by hand from the deep salt range located at the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Unlike regular table salt, Himalayan salt is not chemically processed. And unlike sea salt, it is free from pollution and contains 84 trace minerals.
If you have chunks of Himalayan rock salt, you can make sole (pronounced So-lay) out of it. Sole is a mixture of the Himalayan salt in water. You only need to take 1 tbs of sole daily, first thing in the morning, to feel it’s benefits. There are instructions on how to prepare it here.
The other thing I did different with this bar was use lard. I have bought handmade tallow soap and thought it was nice soap.Some people don’t like using animal by products for soap. Even though tallow (and lard) have always been a common ingredient in soap making. I also think it’s great to learn the art of soap making with different types of oils and ingredients.
Read the rest of this entry »
Once in a while I like to do a facial clay mask to “detox” my skin. I usually purchase only the jarred version that was already mixed. But soon became disappointed at the ingredients listed.
After much reading about holistic skincare, the best way to go is using pure dry clay and with the addition of natural ingredients, such as essential oils or herbs.
But if you don’t have all the clays and herbs, you can always try Auromere’s Ayurvedic Herbomineral. They call it “mud powder” and include various Ayurvedic herbs and four different types of clay; Black Clay, Yellow Clay, Red Clay and Fuller’s Earth. Clays are great as they have the ability to absorb excess oils and harmful toxins from the skin.
Auromere’s selected herbs and minerals are noted for their unique beneficial and rejuvenating qualities. It helps to purify, cleanse and stimulate the body. Leaving soft and smooth skin.
I just love Auromere’s Ayurvedic Herbomineral mud powder for it’s cleansing benefits. But I didn’t like how messy it was in the shower. So I decided, what better way then to add it to handmade soap? I’ve also added an uplifting scent from lemon essential oils. Fuller’s Earth and lemon essential oil area also used as natural skin lightener.
Read the rest of this entry »
