Some Exciting News and a Product Update

Some fun and exciting news. .. 

Today, we will be be delivering some product samples to a local honey company! We are sure hoping that the products do well for them, and that this becomes a lasting partnership. That makes this That makes this a good time to answer some questions that we get a lot, just for your information!

These are stick lip balms. This version is a Chocolate Hazelnut Honey variety. The ones in a stick are a little harder than those in a tub, but generally the same ingredients, We have a host of different kinds that we can make, but usually make them to order. What you see here has honey, beeswax, cocoa butter, hazelnut oil, dutch cocoa, glycerin and vitamin E.  Good stuff. Some of our best sellers are actually tub or glass vial roll-ons. We do a lava lights one in many flavors, and some with chocolate cherry, chocolate mint, mocha, etc. If you are looking for a flavor you love, or specific essential or extract oils, let me know, I may just have a great recipe.

This basket happens to contain two types of soap and some lotion bars.

The soaps, because this is for a group that specializes in honey are two types of our oatmeal, goat's milk and honey recipe. The oatmeal serves to calm and cool sensitive skin. The goat's milk is tremendously nourishing, and goat's milk, as it is close in composition to human breast milk, is better utilized by our skin to nourish and repair it.  The honey is great for those with sensitive skin or acne or rashes. Surprising, but true! There are a variety of oils used, including cocoa butter, and several others. Specific recipes can vary a bit by the requests in a given batch. Don't hesitate to put in a request for a whole small batch just for you! This basket has a plain (unscented with essential oils) version as well as a holiday spice variety, which has clove, cinnamon, orange and nutmeg essential oils mixed in at trace to help get you ready for the holiday season. I even threw in one peppermint soap. True peppermint essential oils are outstanding for opening up the sinuses when you have allergies, and the good stuff won't set off those of us with sensitivities to chemicals. Some folks like the spearmint or eucalyptus for this, but the peppermint is the most popular these days.

What can I say about lotion bars? GOOD STUFF! Typically, lotions take some wonderful oils and do a few things. The first, the frequently use alcohol so that it evaporates and make you feel as though it is soaking in, though it is actually drying your skin. Second, they almost always thin the oils with water, then thicken them with corn starch derivative to keep them thick as well as oodles of preservatives. Since it is the chemicals and preservative that my family cannot handle, and I take issue with genetically modified corn, we take a different approach. We begin with local beeswax, filter it an extra time, and then add pure cocoa butter, and a variety of pure oils and butters, essential oils for aromatherapy and vitamin E for a natural boost to the skin and to help with shelf life. Again, oils can vary greatly. While coconut oil is a fantastic base, some folks who have sought us out because they know we are glad to individually formulate cannot have that, or cannot have another oil. So these recipes vary some, and we try to keep a couple different recipes in stock.

I know, that is a LOT of information!. But feel free to ask ANY questions you may have. That is why you would work with a small local company that specializes in serving the individual needs of the customer in a natural way that supports the health of the customer and sustainable agriculture!

Oatmeal, Goat's Milk and Honey Soap

Taking a moment to talk about soap ingredients for different circumstances.  I have a lot of conversations with folks about how to select the right soap for them while at the market, or when they email me through the site and on Facebook.  After these discussions, I realize it is helpful to have this information where folks can find it by filtering through the labels on the blog to help them select when purchasing, so I am trying to highlight options. If you have questions about other soaps, or ingredients, feel free to let me know what I should add!

The first thing to remember with this is that everyone is different. When we began making soaps, it was because of our daughter's allergy and health issues. She cannot have anything with synthetics or preservatives. She is also allergic to every tree except juniper, all grasses and much more. I use her as a practical example (poor thing!)  Anyhow, many of hte oils are not an issue for her, but preservatives and other ingredients are. When it comes to scents, the peppermint helps her breathe better, but she cannot have trees that she is allergic to, as these are essential oils, directly derived from the plant.

When folks knew that I was tailoring the recipes to her, many came to ask me for special requests, like the Castile soaps I recently highlighted.  Many changes are easy. As with any health issue, when we don't know what someone is allergic to, we typically go to the simplest recipe possible and add in one new ingredient at a time to isolate any new ingredients so if there is a reaction, we know what the culprit is. On the other hand, many folks come to me knowing exactly what they cannot have, giving us a lot of latitude to work with in designing fun products that bring great results and luxury without causing harm or inflaming the issues a given customer has.

Oatmeal soaps are also special ingredient soaps, and are used in different ways. There are oatmeal soaps designed for exfoliating, and also oatmeal soaps designed for sensitive skin.  In this post, I will focus on the latter. Oatmeal often has a cooling effect on skin which is inflamed, or that reacts to lots of things.  Folks with eczema, psoriasis, allergies, etc, often do well with oatmeal formulations.

We almost always have an oatmeal, goat's milk and honey soap available without any added scent.  Today I made one with orange, apples, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg essential oils as a holiday treat.  Honey is very soothing and smoothing, and is a great ingredient choice for those with dry skin, or who have breakouts. The oatmeal is soothing and draws impurities out of the skin.  The goat's milk has a lot of nutrition for your skin, which is your largest organ, after all.  Being goat's milk, it is closer in composition to human milk, and thereby better absorbed and used by your own body.

So there you have it. Oatmeal, Goat's Milk and Honey soaps are not for everyone, but are a great option for those with inflamed skin, young children, and those with other skin issues. Still, it is not for everyone.  If you are wondering whether it is the right choice for you, feel free to call or email or message, whatever you prefer, and let me know what you are looking for so we can help you find the right choice for you.