Prices of vegetable oils have been going up and prices of organic oils are a bit higher too. Luckily I was able to save on shipping by getting my organic oils from a local source. Not a huge savings since I still have to drive to the next city over to get them.

I am proud to be making my soaps with these new organic oils. Especially love that the palm oil is from a sustainable farm and no orangutans or humans were harm while gathering them.

This is Organic Neem & Kelp soap. The kelp is the top portion with swirls. According to skincare experts, this slipperiness is from the gel like quality of kelp which helps to protect and restore hair and skin. It’s very hydrating and healing ingredient in skincare.

Made with all organic oils (coconut, olive, and palm), organic neem and kelp. Neem oil has a strong smell so I had to add sweet orange essential oil to make it more usable. Once you realize how good is it for your skin, you’ll just think of it as the smell of healing and good health.

Handmade soaps are gentle on your skin. They contain no parabens, sulfates, or artificial color. All my soaps are Eco-friendly and bio-degradable. All the suds going down the drain are harmless, so even the fishes are happy too.

More soaps available at Cambree Naturals Etsy Shop. Enjoy!

Another soap just off the rack is this Gardener’s Honey soap. In addition to the honey, it also has organic oatmeal and organic yogurt. To keep it really natural, it’s not scented but still smells very pleasant.

Ingredients: olive oil, grapeseed oil, palm oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, illipe butter, wheat germ oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, organic oatmeal, honey, organic yogurt, calendula petals and geranium petals.

I chose all these ingredients because of their soothing and conditioning abilities. It’s the same ingredients found in a facial mask, but put into this great bar of soap. Not only is a great facial and body soap, but also ideal for gardeners or anyone with super dirty hands! As the bits of oatmeal is very exfoliating.

This is also the first time I’ve soaped with fresh yogurt and illipe butter. The yogurt did leave a soft bar while it was being cut. But after several weeks of curing, it’s perfectly hard and nice as my other soaps.

The soap is also topped with calendula petals and geranium petals harvested from last summer’s flower garden.

Benefits of Illipe butter from Mountain Rose Herbs:

• Moisturizing chronically dry skin
• Mature skin
• Sunburn
• Healing sores
• Damaged skin
• Rough skin (such as on feet)
• Mouth ulcers
• Dry or over processed hair

This is my latest soap just off the curing rack. It’s made with kelp powder and French green clay. Both really good ingredients to help remove toxins from your skin.

Ingredients: Rice bran oil, avocado oil, palm oil, soybean oil, hemp oil, wheat germ oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, organic kelp powder, French Green clay, peppermint essential oil, cedarwood essential oil.

I omitted coconut oil from this recipe and went with lots of rice bran and avocado oil. So lots of vitamin E! The downside is that it didn’t harden up very nice and made it difficult to cut. But it is still great soap. I have tested it out and can say it’s a fine bar of soap. It does get rather soft after several uses, but just keep it dry between uses and you’ll be fine.

The bar is also slippery because of the kelp (seaweed). According to skincare experts, this slipperiness if from the gel like quality of kelp which helps to protect and restore hair and skin. It’s very hydrating and healing ingredient in skincare.

Because it’s a very green bar of soap, it’s scented with peppermint essential oil. Which is a very uplifting and clean smelling essential oil.

I recently was asked to do a product review for Amal 100% Organic Oils.  I received the bottle about a week ago and have been using it twice a day.

At first I was skeptical about applying oil to my face as I usually break out easily. Jojoba oil is one that my face doesn’t like too much and extra virgin coconut oil and rose hip oil is okay. But argan oil is the best!  It’s been treating my skin very well.

Argan oil comes from Argan Tree (Argania Spinosa) that only grows in Morocco. It’s a really light oil that’s golden in color. It has a pleasant nutty scent.  When apply to your skin it is non-greasy.

The oil is super moisturizing, especially great to use this time of year with all the indoor heating and cold winter weather that could leave your skin parched. I love that it soaks right into my skin.

I’ve been applying it both in the morning and at night. To apply, just take a few drops onto the palm of your hand and use your index finger to apply the oils to your face. The result was much smoother and soft skin. So I’m really thrilled to have found out about argan oil and will continue to use it.

You can also use additional drops to nourish your hair and nails. It’s also works great as a before or after shave lotion too. I also like to put on my neck as that part of the skin sometimes get neglected.

“A closeup of the argan nut on the tree. Moroccans will harvest the nut once it falls off the tree or throw rocks at the branches to free them.” - flickr.

The argan tree only grows in Morocco and obtaining the oils is very labor intensive. Amal Oils are harvested and pressed by Moroccan women as part of their cooperatives. The cooperatives are women owned and run businesses, which serve to provide education, healthcare and income to the women and their families.

The founder of Amal Oils is Jalila Bouchareb. She is a Moroccan woman who has lived her entire life in the U.S. and frequently travels to Morocco and is very close to her roots. The word “amal” means “hope” in her language. She has this to say about her oils, “Amal Oils is an expression of their hard work and effort, and with our support we can give them hope, Amal, for the future.”

Highlights of this great product:

- Nourishes your skin with super rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and amino acids like Omega 3, 6 and 9
- Pure and natural care for hair, nail and skincare
- Reduce signs of aging and improve skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis
- Supports local Moroccan women
- Safe for people of all age, including children
- For pregnant women, it can be used to prevent stretchmarks

Amal Oils 100% Organic Argan Oil is pure, natural argan oil that is certified organic by ECOCERT - an independent organization that represents the highest international standards for nature-friendly products.

Sometimes you can spot goats up in Essaouira’s argan trees, feasting on the fruit. - Photo from NY Times. Read more “Liquid Gold in Morocco“.

Jalila’s DYI face mask:

2 drops of Amal oils
1 tsp organic honey
2 tsp of organic yogert
1/4 avocado mashed

Apply to skin for 15 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Check out! Amal 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil And for a limited time receive 20 % off.

On my last visit to the aquarium in San Francisco, I saw kelp forest waving back and forth amongst the swimming fishes. It was a great reminder for me to take note of this underwater sea plants many benefit to skincare.

If you’ve ever touched kelp (seaweed) you’ll noticed the slippery texture. According to skincare experts, this gel like quality of kelp helps to protect and restore hair and skin. When sea kelp is added to skincare, it aids the skin by hydrating and healing it.

Kelp is also loaded with vitamins A, B12, D and iodine, folic acid, and minerals, including iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. And these same minerals also help draw out toxins from your skin.

Not only is it beneficial to skincare, it’s also good for you. Kelp is a sea vegetable and consumed daily by many Asian countries. Dried kelp is commonly found in soups and the Japanese love their kelp sushi wrappers.

Instead of reaching for salty chips, try snacking on roasted seaweed. As it makes for a healthy snack too.

Kelp is also a good source of iodine. And those suffering from thyroid problems should consider making kelp a natural part of their diet.

“Algae are some of the most nutrient-rich life forms in nature, which is why they’re present in so many cosmetics,” says Ben Fuchs, cosmetic formulator for Rocky Mountain Natural Labs in Boulder, Colorado. “They’re full of minerals that can help draw toxins from the skin.” - Yoga Journal.

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I wanted to start off the new year with a new skincare regiment. As my handmade soaps can only do so much.

After I finished using SIBU lotion, I am switching to Korres. It’s an all natural skincare line from Athens, Greece and is known world wide. They’ve been around for a while and thought I would give it a try.

This is the kit I got from Sephora.  Korres Brightening & Anti-Aging Rose Collection which includes:

- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Moisturizer
- 1.01 oz Wild Rose Serum
- 1.35 oz Wild Rose Mask
- 1.69 oz Rose Showergel
- 1.69 oz Rose Body Butter
- 0.21 oz Wild Rose Lip Butter

This kit is formulated with wild rose oil, which is a really luxurious and expensive skincare oil. I’ve only used this kit for about one week and so far my skin really likes it.

The best thing about Korres that it’s gentle and good for those with sensitive skin. And it’s also formulated without Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, GMOs, and Triclosan.

My product review:

Wild rose moisturizer has a nice rose scent. It’s a very heavy cream great for winter. It has spf 6, which is not enough for me. But I also use bronze mineral powder for additional sun protection.

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Another new addition to my handmade soap is this skin nourishing facial soap. It’s made with skin detoxing French Green clay and healing carrot seed essential oil. Both ingredients are beneficial to skincare.

According to Mountain Rose Herbs, french green clay is super absorbent due to the constitution of its micro molecules.

It’s used to remove impurities from your skin. The toning action from the clay is also stimulating to the skin. Thus helping to revitalize the complexion and tighten the pores.

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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.

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I first used Fullers Clay after trying Auromere’s Ayurvedic Herbomineral mud powder.

It’s scientific name is Calcium Montmorillonite.  Other common names are Oil Absorption Clay, Earth Clay, Bleaching Clay and Whitening Clay.

Fuller’s Earth is a naturally occurring sedimentary clay composed mainly of alumina, silica, iron oxides, lime, magnesia, and water, in extremely variable proportions.

Fullers earth is a mineral clay found through out the world.

Fullers Earth got it’s name from the workers who processed wool. The laborers were call “fullers” and they used the clay to soak up the oil from the sheep.

It’s an interesting clay that has many industrial uses. Found in laundry detergent, kitty litter, toothpaste, as well as cosmetic uses too. But the one used for cosmetic purpose are processed differently and considered to be cosmetic grade clay.

This is a great clay for facial mask. As it helps remove toxin from your skin. Leaving your face fresh and renewed. Fullers Earth is especially great if you have acne prone or oily skin.

And since it’s a “whitening” facial clay, it would offer gentle skin lightening effect on blemishes and brown spots. It may not erase all the spots in speedy time, but it would be gentle and easier on you skin.

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Last weekend I got to make soap with my new soap mold.  I made two batches, this Honey & Almond along with the Ginger Citrus.  But the Ginger Citrus that hasn’t turn out yet.  So I will post about that later.  There were some issues with the fragrance and my recipe.  I have to wait another 2 weeks to see what becomes of it.

But in the meantime, I am especially happy with these cute  “Honey & Almond” loofah bar.

The lighter color is just just honey and beeswax while the tan one has extra almond meal (ground up almond).  I think this would make a neat body bar as the loofah help stimulate new cell growth while getting rid of the old ones.  Along with the all vegetable handmade soap, it gives you softer and smoother skin too.

I ended up adding almond meal to the rest of the soap as I wanted to make a nice facial and body bar with honey, pure beeswax, an almond.  The honey is good for the skin and the almond meal will add to extra exfoliation.

Loofah starts out as this tasty vegetable.  Once it’s mature and dried, it’s made into loofah.  When I was younger, my mom used to grow some of these in her garden.  They taste slightly sweet and are good in soups and stir-fry.  Photo from Wiki.

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