New New New!

Here's an update on my latest soap.  Called Apple Jack, which is actually an American Apple cider - no alcohol here though, just a delicious apple, cinnamon smell.  Actually it reminds me of those lollies we used to get in our 50cent mixtures as kids.  Either way its yummy and my new fav :)

Confessions of a moisturiser junkie

I love moisturisers, I buy them religiously, I try all the new products, I'm sucked in by the claims of 'instant absorbtion' and 'ultimate moisturisation'.  I love the idea of slathering myself in cocoa butter or Shea - I confess i am a moisturiser junkie!

Since making my own soap, I have managed to cut back a little, my daily habit is now twice weekly, but hey I'm still tempted! For me its all about the smell and the feel. There is nothing better than the silky smooth feel of a great moisturiser after a long hot shower -so can I reproduce this feel in my own kitchen?

First things first - ingredients.  I've checked out the labels of my store brought moisturisers, and you know what?  I cant for the life of me figure out whats in them.  I'm not a chemist, I failed chemistry, and I'm not even going to attempt to reconstruct them.  So I guess the only alternative is - the natural approach.

Or should I say the more natural approach.  Lotions contain water (a large portion of water) any product that contains water MUST have a preservative.  Any 'natural' products that claim to have either no preservatives or natural preservatives ARE UNSAFE TO USE.  Bacterial and fungus will grow in water with a couple of hours, within a couple of days these lotions will be harmful - if I were to weigh up the dangers of bacteria against the dangers of a man made preservative - I would choose preservative any day.  So preservative it is!

So lets take a look at the 'natural' ingredients I have been researching, testing, trialing and applying:

Jojoba: 

*Resembles the natural sebum produced by our skin, so is readily absorbed

*Reduces wrinkles

*Reduces stretch marks and scars

*Great for acne sufferers - it 'tricks' the skin into thinking it has produced enough oil, thus balancing oil production

Apricot kernel oil:  

*rich in natural vitamins - A and E which are essential for our skin

*easily absorbed into the skin, leaving no oily residue

*hypoallergenic, can be used on sensitive skin, including babies

*soothing, anti-inflammatory and cooling

Olive oil:
*contains 'squalene', which has the ability to regulate sebum secretion (an oil that reduces oiliness!)
*contains 'chloropyll', which aids in heeling wounds and other scars (including acne scars)
*contains loads of natural antioxidants, vitamin A and E and poly phenols which are known for their ability to postpone aging

Rice Bran Oil:
*Is easily absorbed by the skin
*great for severely dry skin
*is said to relieve uncomfortable skin rashes, sunburn and other skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis, rosacea and eczema
*has been used in Japan for centuries as a natural beauty whitener due to its natural sunscreen properties.

Shea butter (the butter of all butters)
*full of vitamin D which aids in skin renewal and rejuvenation
*loaded with vitamin A to assist in healing wounds
*benefits eczema and dermatitis suffers by enabling your skin to absorb moisture and stay moisturised for longer.
*Soothing due to it high vitamin A E and F levels

Cocoa butter (my fave)
*a main component of chocolate - so it has to be good for you!
*penetrates the outer layer of skin, giving ultimate moisturisation

*it softens the skin and is known for reducing stretch marks
*packed with antioxidants to destroy the free radicals that cause wrinkles and aging

I plan to use all of the above ingredients in my lotion blend.  I have a couple of great trials up my sleeve and I am happy with the results.  I can honestly say that some of my experiments are far more luxurious than ANY moisturiser I have tried.  The lotions are not greasy, they are instantly absorbed and they provide the ultimate moisturisation that seems to last all day (my partner was a guinea pig last night, he came home from work today still sniffing and stroking his arm lol). 

However alll this has got me to wondering - if natural plant based products are actually that much better, why do all the big companies keep producing synthetically enhanced body products? and most importantly, why do we keep buying them?

Gloss Pots

Done and dusted - Finally!

I have created a recipe which I love, I have used a special combination of Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil and Bees Wax.  This recipe not only conditions the lips but is super duper glossy.
I have a range of four flavours:

Sweetness - Bubble Gum Flavour

Vanilla Kiss - Vanilla Ice Cream Flavour

Chocolate Fix - Chocolate Mint Flavour (with Cocoa powder for colour)

Fruity Tart - Black Current Flavour

Each one has also been sweetened with Stevia for extra lickability, and slightly coloured (although they look darker in the pics)in a variety of colours.

I love the design aspect of these pots.  I wanted to use different pics and I think they turned out great!  I will be adding more flavours to the range as soon as pos, which will also include 'Nude' which will be 100% natural (without colour and flavour)
x

An In the Pot Swirl

There are several techniques that can be used to create beautiful looking soap.  Today I am attempting an In The Pot (ITP) swirl.  My fragrance is Lavender and Lemon.

Firstly I get my colours ready.   Today I am using Ultramarine blue, pink and violet along with some titanium dioxide to whiten.

I then add my already made soap mix.  I have a large portion that will be white and rest is split between the 3 ultramarine colours.

Now that I have mixed the coloured portions thoroughly, I am going to pour them into the white portion.  If I do this from a height the colour will sink through to the bottom.  First the pink.

Then the violet

And finally the blue.  Once all the colours are added, it will look something like this.

Now I am going to swirl the colour together.  I don't want to stir the mix too much or the colours will become one.  Just a couple of swirls should do it.

Once my soap looks like this, it is time to pour.

Here it is poured into the mold.

Now for the final touches, I use a spoon to create a textured top and add a sprinkling of lavender

And here it is the following day, freshly cut!

Felt.co.nz

I stumbled across this wonderful craft site yesterday.  Its full of amazing artworks and gift ideas - at really good prices too.

I am so in love with this site that I had to share.

Check out these photo blocks by Susannah entitled 'Nostalgia'.  These are definitely on my wish list - I LOVE them

I also have a thing for rings and I totally love this steampunk inspired ring by 'closetogothic'

There bath and beauty section is pretty cool also - and you can check ME out on there:

Kiss.felt.co.nz

Thanks for looking!!!

Straight off the cooling rack!

Delicious mini cupcakes in zesty lemon and orange flavour!  Made with 100% cold press soap!

The 3 main types of hand made soap

With all the handcrafted soaps on the market, it can be difficult to know what soaps are best to use. When it comes to handcrafting soap there are three main types of soap that can be made: Melt and Pour (MP), Hot Process (HP) and Cold Process (CP).

Melt and Pour
MP is exactly as it sounds.  You buy a base, you melt it and then you pour. Sometimes these soaps are known as glycerin soaps.  Glycerin is great for moisturising the skin as it attracts water.
If a melt and pour base does not contain any preservatives, chelating agents, sulphates or titanium, the list of ingredients will look a little like this:


INCI * Saponified Coconut Oil *
Saponified Organic Palm Oil *
Propylene Glycol (food grade) *
Vegetable Glycerin *
Sugar *
Decyl Glucose *
Lauryl Glucose *
Coco Polyglucose*
Zinc Oxide* 

These soaps are often beautifully presented in a range of colours and fragrances.  They can be identified by there opaque appearance, but can also be white
MP is an easy way to make soap and anyone can do it.  


Cold Process
CP in my opinion is the best soap to use, but the most difficult to create.  CP involves making soap from scratch.  It a chemical process which turns simple vegetable oils, and sometimes animal fats, into soap by adding lye (saponification).
This process is difficult and has many variables, however the benefits of working with this type of soap, is that you can create your own recipes to suit different body types.  You can increase conditioning, cleansing and creaminess, by selecting a variety of oils, and you can also change a soaps hardness and bubbles by altering your recipe.
CP must cure for anywhere between 4 weeks and 6 months.  This is to ensure that all the water in the bar has evaporated, the soap is at its mildest, and the bar is hard enough to use.  Any soap used before the end of cure will not only have a short life, it will also be drying on your skin.
CP soap is smooth in appearance and has a creamy look to it.  It can be multi coloured or if non dyed it will be a cream colour.

Hot Process
HP soap is similar to CP soap the only difference is the soap mixture is heated or cooked to accelerate the saponification process and decrease curing time.  Extra oils (superfats) can be added to the mixture during cooking to increase conditioning properties and HP soap is usually ready to use within a couple of weeks.
The main downfall with this type of soap is its appearance.  HP soap is 'rustic' and does not have the smooth texture consistent with CP soap and is difficult to colour.