My latest handmade soap just off the curing rack is “Bergamot goat milk soap” which also includes Seabuckthorn oil and Himalayan salt. I especially like to use this as facial cleansing soap.

Bergamot is definitely one of my favorite scents. Bergamot is usually added to Earl Grey tea and gives it a natural citrus flavor & scent. I also like that the scent is very uplifting without being too overpowering.

The salt is what gives it the white speckles. The salt blended in well as it’s not at all scratchy on the skin.

The goat milk also makes it a very creamy and moisturizing bar of soap. So a perfect bar for winter dry skin. And I had to add Seabuckthorn oil, as it’s one of the best natural oils for skincare.

Ingredients: all veggie oil, including Seabuckthorn oil, goat milk, distilled water, lye, bergamont essential oil, Himalayan salt.

Note: This bar of soap didn’t come out perfectly on the sides… but it’s a larger bar than I normally make. It still makes a nice bar of soap.

These red shiny little fruits are loaded with Vitamin C. More so then you’ll ever find in oranges. Acerola is also commonly known as Barbados Cherry and West Indian Cherry. It grows well in hot and warm climates.

Photo via wiki commons.

Over the years I’ve seen acerola extract added to skincare lines. The high Vitamin C content of these tiny fruit helps keep the skin clear and supports collagen.

And if you happen to live in Brazil, you’ll find these fruits in drinks, ice cream and baby food. If only we were so lucky here in the U.S. But acerola powder can be bought as supplements at many health food stores.

To my surprise I did find jam made with acerola berries. But it wasn’t from Brazil, it was from Belgium.

It’s made with cranberries and blueberries too.  All really really good tiny fruits packed with anti-oxidants and vitamins.  Well even without the health benefits these are still great berries that make for great jam.

I hope they don’t stop selling this jam at World Market as it’s become one of my favorite!

I also love how some of the fruits are still intact, like the cranberry.  Best spread on sour dough bread with cream cheese.

This summer, I’ve been using this glycolic facial cleanser from derma e. Since I’m not a fan of the glycolic acid peel, I thought this would be a more natural and gentler way to exfoliate my skin.

Skin care experts recommend using glycolic acid when your skin starts to show signs of aging such as fine lines or brown marks.

The glycolic acid helps shed the old dull cells and unclogs pores. Even those with no signs of aging yet but have dry skin or acne prone skin can benefit from using glycolic acid.

Glycolic acid is usually derived from sugar cane. This facial cleanser also has other botanical ingredients such as papaya and horsetail extract.

The reason I like derma e’s cleanser is because it has marine plant extracts of Spirulina and Seaweed. Those are some of my favorite ingredients to add to handmade facial soap too.

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.

After using for several weeks now, I’ve noticed that my skin does seem brighter and even my eyes look less tired. Of course that could just be sleep related!

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The secret to helping your skin appear more supple and reduce fine lines is by using 100% pure squalane oil. Our skin naturally produces a small amount of squalane, but as we get older not so much.

Many top skin care companies use squalane in their products. Such as the Japanese beauty line DHC.

Instead of relying on the small amount beauty companies put in their product, why not use 100% squalane as part of your skin care regimen?

There are two types of squalane oil. Mayumi’s squalane is derived from the livers of deep sea sharks. And the other brand is derived from olive oil.  Both prices are very decent. Swanson offers 2 fluid oz bottle with dropper at $11.99.

Using squalane oil consistently will help skin appear more supple and plump, thus reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

I’ve been using both for 2 weeks now. Mostly Mayumi since I ordered that one first. But then I found Swanson’s vegetarian squalane and will use that one too.

My skin loves this stuff. There is no scent or color. It absorbs quickly and keeps my skin moisturized all day. No more dry spots! This has really become my favorite beauty product. No fancy labels, just pure and natural oil.

Benefits of Squalane:

Blocks UV rays naturally.

Anti-bacterial.

Quick absorbing, non-irritating, and won’t clog pores.

Assists in the acceleration of new cell growth.

Prevent the formation of brown age spots.

Can be used as a moisturizer on any part of the skin.

More interesting notes:

Olive Squalane is plant derived squalane produced by the total hydrogenation of the squalene source in olive oil. It’s an alternative to using shark-derived squalane.

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My latest batch of handmade soaps include many natural ingredients.

The first bar is my favorite, made with Sea Buckthorn oil. The oil of this berry is full of vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol). So a perfect ingredient for soaps and skin creams.

There’s also turmeric powder in this batch too. Turmeric is commonly used for natural skincare in parts of Asia. Many of it’s benefits include getting rid of blemishes to dark spots.

Turmeric root is anti-bacterial and has been used in herbal medicine to treat skin infections and burns.

When using turmeric powder you have to be careful not to stain your clothing. As it’s very yellow and won’t come off easily. So adding some of the turmeric root powder to this batch of soap is a better idea.

For a natural scent, I’ve added grapefruit essential oil. It has a light and uplifting scent to it.

The soaps are still curing in my crate. So it won’t be ready to use for another three to four weeks. I put the soap crate on the top shelf of the coat closet. Allowing it to cure in peace. It makes the closet smell very nice too.

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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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