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Archive for the ‘Products’ Category

Goat Milk Soap-Orange Mint & Honey Oatmeal

Posted in Products, tagged on April 24, 2009| 5 Comments »

Occasionally I like to showcase a soap or two.

The soap pictured every day on the blog is orange mint goat milk soap. It generally is a light orange (or very pale peach) color, all natural. The scent is from sweet orange oil with a touch of peppermint and spearmint. This was one of my original soaps, crafted in my shop before I included goat milk in my soaps. One of my customers calls it, “My chewing gum soap.” I am not sure that it smells like chewing gum, but it is fresh and clean, light and airy. I love the soap myself!

Pictured today is honey oatmeal goat milk soap. This soap also goes back a number of years, the second handmade soap that I originally made. Many customers have commented that they use this soap for shaving (and never went back to shaving cream). Oatmeal has some healing properties for scrapes, sunburns and skin irritation. I grind the oatmeal before it goes in the soap, subsequently the soap contains small particles which gives it an exfoliation property as well. The lather is rather rich, creamy, not so much bubbly. Honey is included, which makes for the variances in the soap color. This unscented soap has a nut-like scent, pure. I never knew this fact before I made soap, honey is a natural humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture.

Both orange mint and honey oatmeal goat milk soaps are included on my website, in the soap category and the (Y) discounted products category as well.

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Color In The Goat Milk Soaps

Posted in Products, tagged on April 22, 2009| 7 Comments »

There is a touch of color on the curing racks at Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps these days. Spring is in the air, and with spring comes color!

I wanted to briefly touch on color in my soaps…

In the past I believed in adding nothing to my soaps that was not natural. For instance, if I had 25 varieties of soaps to sell, one would hold fragrance, the remainder of the soaps would be handcrafted with pure essential oils (and herbal and/or complexion clay for coloring).

I have steered away from that way of thinking, but only to a degree.

I have tested ultramarine colorants (blue, violet, green and some pink). These are skin safe colorants, but are created in a laboratory.

Some of the yellow colorants are supplied by oxides, also skin safe.

As it stands, there are certain scents that simply cannot be obtained via an essential oil (natural), such as lilac or cherry. These types of scents are fragrance oils.

My newest line of soaps will give a variety of choices: colorants, fragrances, all natural (essential oils, herbals and natural colorants), and some with no scent or color at all (unscented goat milk soap, oatmeal and honey goat milk soap).

The soap descriptions in the website’s soap store will state fragrance, essential oil, colorant (ultramarine) or pigment. My thinking is, whatever your skin needs, or your preferences are, you should be able to find something in the shop that suits your needs.

Enjoy!

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Shea Butter For The Hair

Posted in Products, tagged on April 7, 2009| 4 Comments »

I recently personally discovered the wonders of shea butter for the hair, quite by accident I will admit.

Shea butter has been used on the skin and hair for centuries, as I wrote in a prior article. Shea butter is definitely not the most current buzz, but will always be a beauty staple because of its qualities.

In my soap shop I whipped up a recipe of shea butter a few weeks ago. After not quite being happy with the results, I found that I need to make another batch, but next time with unrefined shea butter, the best that I can get my hands on. Using refined shea butter is acceptable (for soap and other uses), but does not always give the needed results when working with a specific formula (deliberate skin and hair care).

Now I will tell you how I discovered the benefits of shea butter for my own hair. I have fine hair, but not thin, and I wear my hair in slightly long layers and fairly straight. My hair is not colored. Because of my fine hair, and because I have to wash it often to remove oil from the scalp, I had pretty much made up my mind that shea butter would not be a good product for my hair. Wrong, wrong, and wrong! One evening I applied whipped shea butter to my hands. It is a wonderful treatment for the nails, cuticles, and dry skin of the hands. After applying to the hands, I waited a few moments for absorption before reaching for the hair dryer (I dry with my head held upside down, running my fingers through for volume). As I dried, I thought to myself, “Oh, oh, this will lead to a flat hair day! Oh well, the goats do not care!” The results were surprising…the end result was that I still had volume, and my hair acted and looked healthier than normal, even the next day! What this tells me is, whipped shea butter really is a wonderful versatile product for the skin and the hair, a 2 in 1 product. You can use less, and you can use more, and the results are amazing. And how better can you get than natural?

I cannot wait to receive the unrefined quality shea butter that I have on order, and whip up a few batches (along with other skin and hair helpful ingredients), for placement on the Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps store shelf!

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Goat Milk Soap With Color

Posted in Products, tagged on February 18, 2009| 8 Comments »

On this windy and slightly balmy day in Ohio, I decided to work with pigments.

The first soap is scented with a blend that includes sandalwood. I love the mysterious, swirled look to the soap. Right now, though, with a sense of humor, it could pass for ketchup and mustard. Umm…pass the hot dogs, please?

No, it is not plum pudding, but it sure could be a good replica! You might be surprised at cutting tomorrow. It is not what it looks like at the moment. 🙂

I really did not need to take a pic of this one. It is two toned soap, no swirls. Should be a fun violet and white bar, a spring flowery type of soap.

Join me tomorrow at cutting? The camera will be in tow!

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Ingredient Article #5 – Shea Butter

Posted in Products, tagged , , on January 30, 2009| 20 Comments »

Shea butter, sometimes called shea nut butter, is a common natural fat used in soap, lotion and cosmetic formulations.

Shea butter is derived from the fruit (kernel, nut, seed) of the shea tree, strictly from West Africa. The harvest process is a female activity, and is very beneficial to the West African economy. A 20 year old shea tree begins to produce the shea nut. Shea trees, interesting enough, do not reach full production until they are 45 years old!

The fruit of the shea tree contains 50% fat, yellowish or ivory shea butter, which is obtained through a crushing and boiling process.

One surprising fact about shea butter is that it is also used for cooking in West Africa. Some use shea butter as a substitute for cocoa butter in chocolate.

Shea butter contains antioxidant properties, such as vitamin A and E. It is a moisturizer and emollient. Shea butter is used to treat scars, eczema, burns, rashes, blemishes, dry skin, itching, skin allergies, and wrinkles.

Speaking of allergies, there is debate regarding allergic reactions to shea butter. Even though shea butter is derived from the nut of the shea tree, many say that the nut does not fall into the “normal” category of nut allergy families. If you have an allergy to nuts, I would advise talking to your allergist prior to using a product that contains shea butter.

Did you know that shea butter, when applied directly to the skin, can provide a light ultraviolet protection, sometimes as high as SPF6? Do not count on it as an ultimate natural sun protection product, as the SPF value does vary.

As promised, I will be following up with an ingredient article on palm oil. It is taking a bit more research, but it is on the way.

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AGH News

Posted in Products, tagged on January 27, 2009| 5 Comments »

Good Morning!

I have signal this morning, very surprising. We are to receive up to 12″ of ice and snow before the weather system passes on.

This lovely photo is orange mint goat milk soap. I am going to include it as a spring soap of the month. If you have any soap of the month requests, please give me a holler!

The February scent of the month will be lavender! Updated information on lavender deals will be announced on the news page this week.

If you are to receive a coupon, they are being mailed today. Thank you for your recent newsletter subscriptions!

Last, but not least, my policy is to not change a product, nor will I delete a product, without first asking my customers. For those of you that purchased rose blend goat milk soap, if you are interested in purchasing in the future, let me know. If you wish to purchase more rose blend, I’ll get some on the curing rack! If not, I might discontinue. So, let me know, it is up to you!

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Primitive Soap Balls

Posted in Products, tagged , on January 12, 2009| 19 Comments »

Update, and no update (as I roll my eyes), the hugely pregnant does are still holding onto those kids. 🙂

Today I am filling orders and working on packaging for new bath products.

For some reason I began reflecting on my childhood a bit ago, remembering when I began my interest in soap.

I was about 8 years old. We went on a school field trip to a replica of a pioneer village. I loved the big two story house! I loved the fireplaces, the cooking hearths, the old wobbly glass window panes, and the primitive furniture. I still adore these things!

During the field trip we walked outdoors from shop to shop. We stopped at the wood shop, the candle making shop, the wool spinning shop, and the iron smith shop. If someone would have asked me if I wanted to turn the century clock back, I would have let out a big “yes!”

Before we left the village we stopped at the souvenir shop. I think my mother had given me 50 cents that day. I didn’t want candy, nor did I want a toy, I was fascinated by the rustic balls of soap displayed in the big wash tins along the back wall. So I bought my first bar of soap! Pretty similar to the soap in this photo!

A few years later, I think I ended up being the only youngster I knew that had a couple of shoe boxes full of soap under her bed. I had pretty Avon soap shaped like handkerchiefs, hand crafted soap, tar soap, oatmeal soap, every scent I could get my hands on. What a strange thing for a kid to love, but I did. I didn’t think anything of it!

I never thought about making my own soap way back then. It didn’t cross my mind! But somehow I eventually found what I was looking for. Now, more than 4 decades later, I want to make soap balls! I would love to see a vintage jar with soap balls in it!

This is why I urge people to do what their dreams are hinting at…do what you feel creative at. You just never know! And when you allow your creativity to come forward, happiness follows right behind

If anyone knows how to make soap balls, I am ready to learn!

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Ingredient Article #4 – Coconut Oil

Posted in Products, tagged , , on January 3, 2009| 4 Comments »

Coconut oil is a very common ingredient in soap and bath and body products, generally referred to as a base or fixed oil.Coconut oil is a tropical oil, shipped mainly out of the Philippines. The majority of the coconut oil that we purchase is processed from the copra, which is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut.

Coconut oil is an excellent skin moisturizer and softener. It seldom causes adverse reactions. It provides bubbly lather and hardness in bars of soap. Coconut oil is often used as a carrier oil in massage oils, creams, lotions, and bath salts. Coconut oil is also touted as a health food, as it contains lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid that is said to increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

When I made my first purchases of base oils for soap making I was rather confused by the various terms associated with coconut oil. Questions arose, such as, what does fractionated mean? What is RBD? Why 76 degree? The purpose of this article is to break down some of that confusion.

Coconut Oil Terminology –

Extra Virgin Organic – the oil is derived from fresh coconut meat, meat that is not dried. This type of coconut oil is more susceptible to heat variances. The shelf life of extra virgin organic coconut oil is not as stable as the oil obtained from the dried coconut meat. This type of coconut oil can be used in cooking.

Fractionated – the oil comes from dried coconut meat. Through a steam distillation process, the triglycerides have been removed, the saturated fats remain. The oil is more heat stable, remains liquid at low temperatures. The oil has a much longer shelf life, and is much less greasy, making it more suitable for soap and skin care formulas.

RBD – the oil comes from dried coconut meat. The oil is refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD). This makes the oil suitable for bath and body formulas, however, it is not suitable for consumption. RBD coconut oil is very resistant to rancidity and oxidation.

Degrees (92, 76) – due to a hydrogenation process, the coconut oil is set to begin melting right below 92 or 76 degrees.

Coconut oil has been an interesting ingredient to research, and I learned a few things! The next article will cover palm oil. I am going to ask for some input regarding that research. There is much concern concerning the harvesting of palm and the depletion of the rain forests.

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Ingredient Article #3 – Distilled Water

Posted in Products, tagged , , on December 26, 2008| 3 Comments »

I am thoroughly enjoying the research of the basic ingredients used in soap, lotion, and bath product formulas. We tend to get comfortable with purchasing these ingredients, and quickly forget why they are so important.

A basic ingredient in many formulas is distilled water. There are definite reasons for using distilled water (not tap, drinking, or purified water).

Distilled water is bottled water. It is obtained from boiling water and condensing the steam. The condensation is collected in a sterilized reservoir, bottle or container.

The condensation that is collected results in water that contains no chemicals, toxins, bacteria or waste. The water also contains no particles. This means that distilled water will not contaminate the sterile product that we are working to achieve, nor will it leave any residues (such as lime or hard water deposits) in our product. Treated drinking water will leave behind these types of deposits.

Since the beginning of time, distilled water has been an essential part of life. In nature, the sun heats and evaporates water, leaving impurities behind. The condensation returns to Earth in the form of precipitation, either rain or snow.

A few extra tidbits regarding distilled water..it is said that Julius Ceaser distilled water to keep his troups well hydrated. Surprisingly, it is still common in many locations for sea water to be distilled to produce clean, safe, drinking water. Interesting!

The next article will cover a base oil commonly used in soap and skin care products, coconut oil.

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Ingredient Article #2 – Olive Oil

Posted in Products, tagged , , , , on December 22, 2008| 7 Comments »

Olive oil is a popular ingredient in soap and body care products.

For thousands of years, olives have been squeezed or pressed to obtain the oil. This is a photo of a Greek olive press. Many people across the world (especially in European and Mediterranean countries) are still obtaining their olive oil using this laborious method.

It is said that the Egyptians knew the moisturizing benefits of olive oil. They generously applied the oil to their skins, then scraped the oil off, which removed the dirt and left the skin softened.

It is estimated that olive oil was first used in soap around the year 1567. Today we continue to make castile soap, with olive oil being the base oil in the recipe. Castile soap is mild, moisturizing, long lasting, with a creamy low-bubble lather.

There are several types of olive oil. The main types are:

  • Virgin – the oil is derived using physical methods (olives are crushed or squeezed)

  • Refined – the oil is derived using physical methods, but is treated to reduce strong tastes and acids

  • Pomace – the oil is extracted from crushed olives (the pomace) using chemical solvents, then it is refined to make it edible (generally used in commercial kitchens)

Olive oil has many external and internal beneficial properties. Olive oil is an antioxidant, is very cleansing internally to the body. Olive oil can help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol levels, especially when olive oil replaces unhealthy fats in the diet. Olive oil is very well known for skin moisturizing, especially adding benefits to mature skin. Olive oil is not known to clog the skin pores.

In soap, olive oil is used as a base oil (alone) or with other base oils to help harden the finished product, and to provide extra moisturizing properties to the soap. In lotion and cream products, olive oil leads to a thicker, richer base, and is very beneficial for dry skin.

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