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Archive for the ‘Products’ Category

Product Monday – Green Apple and Cinnamon Goat Milk Soap

Posted in Products, tagged , , , , , on November 8, 2010| 13 Comments »

Green Apple Cinnamon Goat Milk Soap

Introducing Annie’s Green Apple and Cinnamon goat milk soap.

This soap was sent to a wholesale customer who tested it in her shop.   It was loved!

I went very light on the cinnamon essential oil so I asked one customer what they smelled (my nose tends to shut off after being exposed to many fragrances), their response was, “The green apple is fabulous, with just a hint of warmth (cinnamon).”

With a description that includes:  pretty, smells great, creamy with goat milk.  What more can an apple goat milk soap lover ask for?

How about more holiday and fall soaps (being added to the website tonight and tomorrow):

– Sweet Apple and Peel (sweet, warm, and fresh)

– Chestnuts and Brown Sugar (vanilla and sugar definitely a big part of this soap)

– Winter Berry (a celebrative holiday berry scent)

– Ylang Ylang and Fir Needle (I thought of a claw foot tub, near a wood burning fire, perhaps in a log cabin?)

– Peppermint (Special request – peppermint with nothing else added!)

– Clary Sage Eucalyptus (Why not have some refreshing soap on a cold winter’s day?)

– Lemongrass Ginger (It’s time for herbal tea – and comfort soap!)

Enjoy!!

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Unscented or Fragrance Free Goat Milk Lotions?

Posted in Business Related Questions, Products, tagged , , on October 22, 2010| 2 Comments »

I received an outstanding question from a new customer, “Are your lotions unscented or fragrance free?”

I have always considered unscented and fragrance free to be one in the same.

This is the reason I love questions.  Questions are informative to myself and my business, and the person that asks the questions always learns.

The customer explained that many products on the market are listed as fragrance free but actually have a fragrance or chemical added to eliminate the naturally occurring odor of the ingredients themselves.

My fragrance free goat milk lotions are unscented.

I do not attempt to mask the naturally occurring scent of the ingredients in my fragrance free (no fragrance added) goat milk lotions.  For example, shea butter (unrefined and as organic as possible) has a particular natural odor that can make its way through a product.  Shea butter is so very beneficial.  I do not try to cover it up.  The statement, “It is what it is,” applies very well here.

As always, I appreciate your outstanding questions!

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Product Monday – Cutting The Old, Bringing In The New

Posted in Products, tagged , on October 18, 2010| 10 Comments »

Peppermint and Wine, Forest and Basil, soap that is.

In comes the new, out goes several of the old.

Out will be Sweet Pea, Plumeria, and a few other fragranced soaps that no longer represent what Annie’s Goat Hill is all about. 

Paring down the soap inventory is something I do a number of times each year.  It keeps the choices down, less confusing for my customers, and it keeps the new and fresh soaps in my shop.  I receive the message clearly when customers grab up the newest announced soaps.  I, too, like variety.  But I also like the tried and the true, like Honey Oatmeal, which is a staple that I do not want to see buried amongst a huge inventory.

Coming soon…holiday and autumn fragranced soaps, and holiday packaging versatile and green, just for you, or gift-giving.

Enjoy!

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Helpful Hints for Fine, Thin, Limp Hair

Posted in Products, Skin and Hair Care, tagged , , , , on October 14, 2010| 9 Comments »

Help for folks with fine, thin, limp hair is not impossible.

Start looking at the shampoo that you use.  People with fine, thin hair should avoid shampoos that claim to silken,  soften, or moisturize the hair.   Generally these types of shampoos weigh the hair down, which leaves it with very little chance for body.

Fine hair is helped by frequent trims, good haircuts, and layers that are “undercut,” meaning, the under layers are trimmed slightly shorter.  Trimming the under layers slightly shorter leads the outer layers to lay in a curved manner, which looks smooth, with a look and feel of added body.

Blow drying techniques help with fine and limp hair as well.  If you hair needs lift, blow dry your hair while holding your head down, upside down if you can.

I have very close and personal experience with fine, thin hair.  I tell it straight.  All of these tips have worked for me.

My own shampoo bars have also served me well.  I will never touch a bottle of shampoo again, at  least until I am too old to make my own! I have received good feedback from others as well.  A sample of some of the shampoo bars that have been used are the tea tree blend with hemp seed oil, the unscented, and rosemary with goat milk and castor oil. 

This post came to life after I began to wonder how and why the shampoo bars were working.  The conclusion is that they cleanse without adding any coating to the hair shaft.  Once the user begins shampooing on a regular basis with the bars, after the old coatings/waxes (or products that have weighed the hair down) are gone, the hair is left clean and clear.  Clean and clear means there isn’t anything left to weigh the hair strands down.

I hope you did find this article useful.  We all battle with problem skin and hair.  I am overjoyed to have found at least one solution for my own!

You may want to read a prior blog post where I described how to use the shampoo bars (here).  The initial shampooing definitely is a process, one that involves removal of old products, which can take a few days to several weeks (as it was for me)! In this case, as it normally is in life, patience pays off.

Enjoy!

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Product Monday – Creamy Goat Milk Lotion

Posted in Products, Skin and Hair Care, tagged on October 10, 2010| 6 Comments »

 After filling a number of orders of bottled lotions I thought about the changes my goat milk lotions have taken this year.

I wrote a blog post here in the midst of last winter, where I talked about making goat milk lotions per order.  After reaching a lotion consistency that I am happy with, I stopped offering lotions by thickness (even though I will customize if asked to do so).  It took time, trial and error, to tweak the formula to one that I can call creamy, yet, fluid enough to nearly get the last drop from the bottle. 

The formula is also more nurturing, with the added benefits of jojoba oil, a plant-based wax that moisturizes without greasiness, and soothing aloe vera.

I began Annie’s Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps as a soapmaker with no thoughts of lotion-making.  In fact, my first lotions were crafted from a pre-made base (not sold here).  After much consideration I attempted a simple formula.  The work that followed has been rewarding, mostly so because of my happy clients.  In no way, shape or form, do I work for myself! I am blessed in that respect.  Thank you!

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Product Monday – Geranium and Ylang Ylang Facial Soap

Posted in Products, tagged , , , on October 4, 2010| 9 Comments »

I created this soap after a client asked if I would be interested in the facial blend.  She had read that geranium is an essential oil that many people use for skin care.  It is good for both dry and oily skin types.   The aroma is pleasant, much like rose.

I find ylang ylang to be a balancing and soothing essential oil.  Essential oils fascinate me.  The world is full of wonderful essences that present individual properties, all unique.   

Kaolin rose is a great complexion clay.  It tends to assist with soft lathering of the soap as well.

I scented lightly as I personally am not fond of strong scents in a facial product.

Geranium Ylang Ylang goat milk soap facial bars are now available in my soap store. 

As always, enjoy!

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Product Monday – Patchouli Lavender Goat Milk Soap

Posted in Products, tagged , on September 6, 2010| 6 Comments »

Patchouli Lavender Goat Milk Soap

I am excited to announce that I have new soaps lined up for Product Monday posts, starting with Patchouli Lavender.

Who would have thought? Such an interesting combination, patchouli and lavender essential oil.

The patchouli really stands out.  It should, patchouli is considered a “base note,” because it is long-lasting.  It is often used as a fixative in perfume formulas.

Lavender is a “middle note,” meaning, it doesn’t have the ability to hold its scent as well as a base essence.  The lavender is definitely there in this bar, it catches the nose first.

This batch of soap cured nearly white, which is next-to-impossible with goat milk soap.  While making soap, the sodium hydroxide (lye) and milk combination has to be held to a low temperature for a very long time in order to create a nearly white milk soap.  It is never a speedy process! By the way, this is why I describe soap color in my soap store as a range (white to off-white, etc…) because natural soap, especially milk soaps, are rarely the exact same color twice. 

Patchouli lavender goat milk soap is now available online in my goat milk soap store.  And I need to make more! This one is going fast!

Enjoy your day, and your soap!

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Q & A – Can You Customize Products?

Posted in Business Related Questions, Products, tagged , , on August 3, 2010| 3 Comments »

I feel a sense of satisfaction when I can assist a customer one-on-one with their product needs and wants.

Recently, a customer sent a random email asking if I could make a soap for her complexion.  She named off the essential oils and clay that she felt would be good in the soap.  I tested her suggested essential oil blend on a strip later that day.  It worked perfectly. 

I sent a response to the customer, telling her that I agreed with her facial soap suggestion, and that the combination of the essential oils was a “go.” 

The customer responded to the email, “Oh my gosh, you are actually going to do this? I didn’t really think you would!” Of course I would, and I do, and I will. 

I delight in operating a small enough business to make lotions and whipped shea butter fresh to order.  Those particular products are not limited to the fragrances listed in the online store.  If a customer asks me for a particular fragrance in her products, and if I have it on hand, I will scent their products as they wish.

One small reminder, safety first.  If only 4 drops of an essential oil can safely be added to 1 ounce of product, that is what is added.  If a fragrance is listed at a safety level of 10% by the supplier/manufacturer, that is the maximum I add to a product.

I appreciate questions and comments.  Shoot them at me!

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Product Monday – Annie’s Shampoo Bars

Posted in Products, Skin and Hair Care, tagged , , on July 26, 2010| 8 Comments »

 

Shampoo bars are soap, nothing but soap (no detergents), with the addition of essential oils and goat milk. 

Annie’s shampoo bars contain a mix of oils that are not found in my facial and bath bars, such as castor oil and hemp seed oil.

Castor is a thick golden oil that helps promote a fluffy and bubbly lather.  Castor oil is soothing and lubricating.

Hemp seed is a green oil that has some amazing emollient and moisturizing properties.  It is a great source of polyunsaturated fat, containing essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6).

Washing your hair with a shampoo bar is one way to bring your hair back to its natural condition.  Most liquid commercial shampoos contain waxes and other ingredients that coat the hair shaft, leaving the hair with a soft and conditioned feeling.  But coating the hair shaft results in other problems, such as coating of the scalp.  In many cases, the coating of the scalp leads to itchiness and flaking issues.  Removal of the waxes and other surface ingredients from the hair requires diligent use of the shampoo bar.  When the shampoo bar is first used the hair may feel sticky or heavy.  After several days of using the shampoo bar, the coating on the hair begins to lift. 

Results from the shampoo bar depends upon several factors, one is water hardness.  If you have soft (or softened) water, you will notice quicker positive results from the shampoo bar.  If you have very hard water, it may take longer before you achieve the results that you are seeking. 

If you have very hard water, you may want to: 

  • rinse your hair with rain water
  • rinse your hair with filtered water
  • pre-rinse your hair (before you shampoo) with a baking soda/water rinse (1 tablespoon baking soda to 1 cup of water)
  • rinse your hair after you shampoo with a vinegar/water rinse (1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of water)

How do you wash your hair with a shampoo bar? You may be inclined to wet your hair and rub the soap bar directly in.  I recommend wetting your hair, wetting the bar, lathering the shampoo bar in your hands, and then apply the lather to your scalp.  Work the lather from the scalp down the length of your hair.  Rinse well.  Repeat if necessary.  Note: when your hair is wet following a shampoo bar wash,  it may not feel slick, as it might after using a bottled shampoo.  You will notice, once you have used the shampoo bar for a length of time, after your hair dries, it has a new softness to it (unlike the feel when it is wet).

Several varieties of Annie’s Shampoo Bars have been added to the online store, with more to come in the near future. 

If you have any questions, please shoot them my way.  I’ll be here!

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The Making Of Annie’s Merlot Wine Soap

Posted in In The Soap Shop, Products, tagged , , , on July 13, 2010| 16 Comments »

 

As I’ve said before…I am a soap nerd.  I never get tired of the process of making soap.  Finding time to make soap is the biggest problem, it certainly is not boredom!

I wanted to share with you how the Annie’s Merlot Wine soap looks in the mold, as it heats (goes through the gel stage), as the soapers call it.

When you look at the soap in the mold, you wonder how it ever gets to this point:

The bars often are a bit more brick red, sometimes lighter, darker at other times.  I attribute the variances to the nature of the sugar in the wine, even to different brands.  Subtle differences adds to the ambiance of handcrafted soap!

I boil the alcohol out of the wine before it is used to make soap.  It is not complicated, but I do follow an entirely different process than I do when making milk soap.

Pretty, isn’t it?

I simple cannot say it enough…I am blessed to be doing what I love!

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