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Posts Tagged ‘Goat Milk Soap’

Suitable Product Storage

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

Lilac Goat Milk Soap

Lilac Goat Milk Soap

Products that are natural, and nearly natural, those that I craft, are a bit more sensitive to heat and cold.  Why? They do not contain additives that hold the  product at the same consistency regardless of temperature. 
 
Take goat milk lotion, for example, if the lotion itself heats up to 100 degrees it will become slightly thinner.  Once the lotion returns to room temperature (75-80 degrees) it returns to its normal consistency, creamy, not too thick, definitely not thin.
 
Do not leave the goat milk lotion in your car.  The temperatures in a car are far too extreme for a natural product. 
 
Upon arrival, during the warmer months (and extreme cold), allow a lotion or cream type of product to reach room temperature once you receive  it in shipment.  You will shortly find a product in its natural state, as it should be.
 
A natural bar of soap also comes with special care.  You know, you probably can set a bar of Zest (sorry folks) on a bathroom shelf indefinitely.  It would not matter if the temperature was 101 degrees, nor would the humidity at 98 % make a difference, the soap would not sweat.  Some natural bars will sweat.  Keep this in mind if you do not have air conditioning to regulate the temperature and humidity.  A bar that fits into this example perfectly is my spa salt bar.  I have seen a salt bar sweat in my bathroom, before we cranked up the A/C! I have no problems with my soap melting, unless it is sitting in a puddle of water.  If the soap is made from inexpensive melt and pour bases (not the method that I use), you may experience problems with soap melting away in higher temperatures.
 
Use your best judgment…I would not say the products are perishable, but use good judgment with their storage.  They do not require kid gloves, but they do require a tiny bit of TLC when it comes to storage.  A good handcrafted soap or lotion can remain “fresh” for at least a year, and honestly, I have some for my own personal use that are older.
 
By the way, I cut the bars of soaps (in the photo) today.  They are swirled (just on top) with a light violet.  The color in the photo does the soap no justice…they are interesting and beautiful.  They will be a part of the “25” soaps that I carry, lilac goat milk soap is on that list. 
 
 

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25 Goat Milk Soaps

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged on July 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Lilac Goat Milk Soap

Lilac Goat Milk Soap

Hello all!

I am paring down. Several months back I went on a color and fragrance spree. Even though I created some awesome looking soaps, I soon realized that I was getting away from the theme that I love: rustic (basic), natural, as natural as possible, with the focus on skin conditioning.

After a lot of prayer and thought, I realized that not only had I ventured from the type of soap that I wanted to produce, but I also had created a lot of extra work for myself (tracking, website store, and in trying to reproduce something that really could be considered one of a kind).

As any business owner does from time to time, whether it be a line of vehicles, spaghetti sauce, toothpaste, or handcrafted soap, the excess and unnecessary is reviewed and streamlined.

With that in mind, once inventory clears, I will be focusing on 25 basic goat milk soaps:
Unscented
Honey Oatmeal
Lavender
Honeysuckle
Patchouli Blend
Cedarwood Blend
Sandalwood Blend
Cherries & Berries
Yuzu
Salt Bar
Cool Citrus
Sweet Pea Type
Plumeria
Lemongrass Poppyseed
Orange Mint
Cinnamon Rose
Rose
Baby Powder
Relaxation
Rosemary Lavender
Lavender Peppermint
Lily of the Valley
Ocean Breeze
Moroccan Dreams
Lilac

The streamlining also involved the recent blog changeover, and even my goat herd. It is all good. It makes for quality business and personal growth.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.  I did.  But somehow I am more tired today then I was on Friday!

The lilac soap, in the photo, was made today.  I also worked on lavender scented lotion.  The new 16 oz. bottles, with pump, seem to be going over well.

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A Soap and Tart Day

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged , , on July 17, 2009| 2 Comments »

Misc 002
My first “real” post on Word Press.  Taking my time, learning how to insert photos.  Interesting, to say the least! I love learning new things, I love a challenge.
(more…)

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Today’s Work

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , on July 16, 2009| 6 Comments »

Lily Valley Goat Milk Soap

Busy day!

I worked in the shop for a bit this morning.  The Lily of the Valley goat milk soap that I cut looks very pretty.  I will report more on its status as it cures.  It looks a little darker in the photo than what it actually is.  Nice soap.

I have been working on this blog most of the late morning and early afternoon.  I am slicing the categories down to around 10.  The “tags” are still numerous, as they should be, but the concise categories will be beneficial when searching for particular posts or topics. 

I am working on a sharper imagine as a banner for this blog as well.  I love the rustic soaps, they do not have to be perfect of course, but getting a sharper image for this particular blog has been a challenge! The colors were tremendous in the original photo, don’t you think?

If you experience problems with the old, or the new blog, please let me know.  The old blog will not be deleted.  Who knows, I may end up using one blog for farm and one for business.  You just never know.  At this time, I plan to continue combining this blog.

Tired and sleepy…has a restless night.  Heading for a power nap right now. 

Happy Thursday! Blessings!

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Wordless Wednesday

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged on July 15, 2009| 4 Comments »

Well…almost…but cannot quite go completely wordless, can we?
Today was paperwork day. Said I would have it done by noon. I pushed away from the desk at 11:58 A.M. . Yes! Like a school kid dismissed for the summer. I did my good deed, then I was released with a fresh mind to do the work I really love…make soap. Such a blessing.
Brewed in the shop today, Lily of the Valley goat milk soap. The fragrance this batch smells a lot closer to the real thing. I think we are going to like it, ladies (and gents)! Blended in bentonite clay for a touch of light green color and added silkiness.
Stopped and looked at the flower beds on the way back to the house. I have been weeding this bed like crazy. Something keeps eating the tops off of the zinnias. I do not think they will bloom this year, but the marigolds are pretty. This one is my favorite (sorry for the blur).

Wordless Wednesday…almost…nearly made it. 🙂

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Vintage Finds and Handcrafted Soap

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , on July 9, 2009| 9 Comments »

As I moved into my adult years I discovered my passion for vintage, primitive and antique furniture and other collectables. Show me something very old and I generally go ga-ga over it. When I bought this house I was looking for an older home with rooms that still held some of their old-time charm. I got it, alright, along with the problems that come with it. This old house = money pit, but I love the house and there could be worse things than a work in progress, correct? I am very happy. And very glad this old house is a part of my life.

Some of you already know my passion for soap began at a young age, around 8 years old, when I bought a “ball” of very primitive soap. I will tell that story again some day. I bought all kinds of soap throughout my childhood. Soap was an inexpensive thing to spend money on, thankfully! In my adult years I still bought different soap here and there, but mainly the Yardley variety that could be purchased at the neighborhood drug store. But then…I found it!

It was about 15 years ago when I was shopping in my favorite small Indiana town. I walked into the herb shop. I was admiring the scent of sage, eucalyptus, and other dried herbs, and I saw it. I saw the vintage butcher block table (very similar to the one pictured above) with handcrafted soap stacked on top. And for all of those years (since my high school days) I had no idea what the fragrance was called, but that bar of soap had it. I read the index card next to the soap, patchouli. Patchouli! The bars were not cut in a straight fashion, definitely hand cut, definitely handmade, yellow to tan in color, and smelled devine. The bars were not wrapped. A stack of brown paper bags was provided. I think you could buy 5 bars, get the 6th free. Oh yes, I bagged up 6 bars! My heart was thumping…this was exactly what I had been looking for, and I had just realized it. This was THE soap!

To this day I do not know who made that soap. I know it was good. It was wonderful on my skin. I did not leave it in the bathroom for my kids to use (bad me)! Besides that, as I said a few days ago, patchouli is a love or hate essential oil. I returned to the shop 3 or 4 times a year to make my soap purchase. There was also a soap shop down the path. They sold every kind of soap imaginable. Boxed soap, soap made somewhere else, many looked mass-made, interesting to me…but it definitely did not resemble the rustic handmade soap that I had learned to love. I never spent a dime on soap in that shop.

That is when I decided to make my own soap. That is when I started reading and learning. To this day, I am still on the natural path. I love boxing my soaps in brown Kraft boxes, stamped with my Annie’s Goat Hill logo. I love the simple labels. If I could sell you soap over the internet off of an old worn primitive butcher block table, I would.

We all have our own styles, and I appreciate each and every one…but this was the beginnings to mine. I can see it and smell it. And I am crazy about it!

How about you, special passions or talents that you discovered, sparked through something simple, simple as handcrafted soap sold on a worn vintage table?

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Under The Weather

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged on July 7, 2009| 9 Comments »

I am writing from my phone again today…fingers crossed that the post works out!

Took some photos earlier this morning of my beautiful rose blooms. I love to grow roses. I am very excited to have found a spot where they are flourishing.

I am under the weather. I look like a bad advertisement for Botox. No wrinkles on the right side of my face, but it looks like it is going to spill out some collagen soon, pop, LOL. To make a long story a bit shorter, what was a terrific headache last week turned into an infected sinus, and now it is working its way down the face. It generally hurts to lay my head down, which makes for poor sleep. But this afternoon I am getting a lovely break. It feels better to rest my head. Ha, ha, ha…I think I will live.

Today I did make a batch of patchouli blend soap. I have always been a patchouli fan. Patchouli is one of those fragrances that people either truly love, or hate with much disgust. Patchouli essential oil was too expensive to buy for a while, and some suppliers quit selling it for a while. I am glad it is back! FYI…we might experience a similar issue with peppermint essential oil soon due to a bad crop overall.

Anyhow…that is the latest. Oh…I wanted to add, I hardly ever get sick. But I am allowing antibiotics this time. A person needs to be well (to breathe, chew, and smile).

Going to hit send now…wish me luck!

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Summer Bundles

Posted in Products, tagged on July 3, 2009| 3 Comments »

The Brown Bag special has been archived.

Today the Summer Bundles sale kicked in. It is a great bargain as well.

The current bundle consists of 5 bars of lavender goat milk soap, average bar size 3.5 ounces.

Silky smooth, all natural goat milk soap!

The total cost is $2o.oo, which includes a $5.oo flat rate shipping and handling fee.

The soaps are packaged in a cellophane bag, raffia or ribbon tied.

The Summer Bundles sale button is located at the bottom of my site’s store page.

I am writing this blog post on my phone…hope it works. My PC is doing funky things today.

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Just What Is It About Goat Milk Soap?

Posted in AGH Business News, tagged , , on June 30, 2009| 4 Comments »

I have often wondered, just what is it about the goat milk soap that seems to help my skin, and per many customers, seems to help their skin (and their family members) as well?
I no longer suffer from acne, those types of break outs ended in my late 30’s. What I do suffer from, however, is dry skin, and itchy bumpy skin especially in the winter months. I get the sandpaper skin effect behind the arms and the legs during the coldest of months.
I had a wonderful email conversation with an allergist/dermatologist out of Pennsylvania last week. She asked me several really good questions. I answered her as well as I could. I told her that I do not know if the benefits from goat milk products (that she is hearing about and observing from her patients) came from the soap itself (no added chemicals), or if the sensitive skin help came from the milk itself, or if the benefits came from the fact that it is pure soap (look on your store bought soap wrappers, most cannot legally describe themselves as soap)! The physician agreed, she did not know either, but she thought it was a combination of all of the above. She said many of her patients had come to her with improved skin, improved after using goat milk products, and that she was wondering why all of the benefits herself. So, I decided to do a bit of snooping around. I am a teach me type of person.

So, I began my Google search looking for studies on goat milk soap and goat milk products. I looked for results from actual studies. I did not find any. But what I did find satisfied by interest.

Here we go:

From the American Academy of Dermatology I began looking at their various online brochures. One in particular drew my interest. For dry skin it was recommended to use a mild soap, okay, we probably learned that in first grade. But, next (and I copy):

For severely dry skin, a moisturizer that contains urea or lactic acid may be helpful. Both ingredients help the skin hold water. These ingredients are so effective that over-the-counter and prescription moisturizers contain them. The one drawback is that these ingredients can be irritating if you have eczema or cracked skin.

Goat milk…high in lactic acid. There you go, bingo!

I continued to read on, do a bit of self-diagnosis, see the photo above, and I found other photos looking very familiar. My winter skin condition is called keratosis pilaris. It consists of tiny bumps, sometimes itchy, harmless, but bothersome…the treatment (to diminish the appearance and itching of the rash) also included creams and lotions that contain lactic acid. The condition never completely goes away it just looks better after treatment. Yes, I agree, I can attest to it diminishing!

I cannot rightfully say my products can cure your skin problems, I am not licensed to sell my products as a drug or medication. And I try so very hard to not sound like an irritating infomercial for goat milk soap, but my customers with sensitive and allergic skin are very happy campers, and so am I. Why? I believe it is a combination of things (as stated above) mild soap, no added preservatives, stabilizers or chemicals (other than those that contain fragrance and/or non-natural colorants), and the lactic acid (which works with the skin’s PH balance).

Interesting…and I loved sharing it with you!

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Ocean Breeze Comedy Scene

Posted in In The Soap Shop, tagged on June 23, 2009| 6 Comments »

Today I was making great progress in the soap room. I made a batch of lotion for a new product set (to be announced) and I prepared another batch of lilac lotion for a potential customer who owns a lovely shop in Michigan.

I knew I needed to make a batch of Ocean Breeze goat milk soap. It is a must to keep 2 or 3 large batches on the curing racks at all times. And I have to agree with you all, it is good soap. It smells good. It lathers up softly, silky, and it leaves the skin feeling smooth, conditioned. I am not left with a dry skin feeling at all after bathing with Ocean Breeze.

So, today I prepared all of the ingredients, weighed, melted, etc…, and then I headed to the house for lunch.

20 minutes later I arrived back in the shop. I lined the large mold for the soap batch. Mixed the soap ingredients and immediately realized the batch seemed too small. My thought initially was, “Did I make a 1/2 batch?” I make smaller batches when I am testing a new recipe or fragrance. I thought through today’s steps, all of them, and determined that I had measured out the full amounts of all ingredients.

As I questioned myself, the batch appeared to be going into trace (thickening) quicker than normal. “Think, Mary, think!” I told myself, as calmly as possible. You can start giggling here, by the way

As some of you are aware, Ocean Breeze also contains chips of white unscented goat milk soap (reminds me of a gently rolling ocean, white sand, sea foam).

I headed to the mold with the batch of very thick soap. Lined the mold with the chips, poured the soap. Well…there was NO pouring to it. I was having to lift it out by the large spoon full. As I pushed the last bits of white goat milk soap into the globs of soap, and saw that the mold was only 1/2 full, I suspected the culprit.

I had only added 1/2 of the oils!

What to do? What to do?

I knew I had a bad batch of soap either way I went, so I emptied the contents of the mold back into the soaping pot. And, yes, most definitely found the missing oils, right where I had left them. Again, could have already ruined the batch, so what the hay…might as well try it.

I began stirring all of that missing oil into the nearly solid mass of what should have been Ocean Breeze soap. To my surprise, it looked like lumpy pea soup with white chunks added. Ha ha ha. Lovely? Oh yeah, you betcha’.

My old arms got the work out. There was no electric gadget to whip through that mess. Stir and stir and stir. I had a vision of my restaurant quality stainless steel slotted spoon bending in half. Tee hee. Okay…stirred, and I finally figured it was time to try it again.

As I lifted the pot to carry it to the make table behind me I caught the corner of a container full of large utensils. Each and every knife, pail opener, you name it, fell handle first into the pot. So, each and every utensil was adorned with a nice thick blob of Ocean Breeze goat milk soap. I put the utensils on ignore status. I laid them on newspaper.

I poured the soap. It looked really peculiar. A little peculiar?

And the rest of the story is…the soap appears to be going through its normal process now. I think I saved it. I try to make Ocean Breeze a wavy type of soap. I want it to be irregular, but hmmm…not quite THAT irregular!

And the utensils…upon my return, I had to use a paring knife to clean the soap off of each and every handle.

I need a nap!

Normal Ocean Breeze…(today’s batch above):

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