Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Natural and Herbal”
As a former librarian, I am obviously addicted to books and have trouble being patient when I know a new book is coming out soon. This was certainly the case with the new book by Anne-Marie Faiola (AKA the Soap Queen of Bramble Berry) called Pure Soapmaking. Besides going over the basics of making natural soaps, it is jam packed …
While there are many amazing essential oils to use in soapmaking creating endless possibilities, this list was comprised based on the following factors: Price Popularity with consumers Ability to blend well with other EOs Work well in soap Lavender By far one of the most popular essential oils. It has a sweet, balsamic, floral aroma which combines well with many oils including citrus, …
Exfoliants are a wonderful way to customize your soaps and products. What is an exfoliant? It is an additive that adds texture and sloughs away dead skin cells making the skin brighter, smoother and healthier. They are an important part of good skin care whether buffing away dead skin from your face or your body. They come in many forms and range from very gentle for facial …
Here is a comprehensive list of many natural colorants that can easily be obtained from soap and herb suppliers and are safe for use in products for the skin, which can be used as a guide as you experiment with nature’s color. The colorants are grouped by colors. The information was gathered from a wide variety of Internet and print …
Color is one of the most versatile ingredients in soap making. You can tint your soaps in lovely solid colors or use advanced techniques to swirl soap colors to create beautiful works of art. While many choose to use dyes and pigments, natural colors derived from herbs, botanicals, and other vegetable matter and clays can produce some vivid or muted …
I am participating in the Soap Challenge on Great Cakes Soapworks blog (see previous post). Soap Challenge Week 11 – Natural Soap This is the final challenge on Amy’s soap blog. We were to make all natural soap, which I do all the time, so we were supposed to try something new. I decided that instead of micas or clays for …
It’s time to take a look at natural preservatives and dive into the great debate within the skin care industry. A quick search on the internet will reveal articles and blogs on the subject matter, many of which are vehemently opposed to anything other than synthetic s, while others claim to have a working natural preservative. Step into the virtual …
Although six more weeks was predicted for winter this year, it is already time to begin thinking about spring and summer products. To get the ball rolling and give you some ideas to get started, here is a natural formulary for the warm months of spring and summer. Bamboo Soap ½ tsp Kelp powder 1 tsp Parsley powder 1 tsp …
Starting completely fresh with something new should never be taken lightly. Making changes to your business and products is a step by step process that should be planned to occur over a period of time. Here are some recommendations: Educate yourself first. Read books, articles, reputable blogs, and more to learn more about any of the above changes, whether you …
Organic can be defined as of or involving the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are strictly of animal or vegetable origin and raised or conducted without the use of drugs, hormones, or synthetic chemicals. Regulations regarding organic products are strictly enforced by the USDA in the United States. Other countries have government organizations that oversee organic certifications in their …
Perhaps you are finally ready to take the plunge into using essential oils. You are probably already familiar with essential oils, whether you choose to use them or fragrance oils in your products. An essential oil is a liquid that is distilled, typically by steam distillation, from the leaves, flowers, stems, roots, bark, or other parts of a plant. The …
Becoming Sustainable In a recent post, we discussed sustainability. Here is a brief synopsis to get you up to speed if you missed the article. A sustainable business is a company that leaves no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy. The business strives to ensure that all processes, products, and manufacturing activities adequately address …