When the soap maker messes up...

It's always interesting when something goes wrong during production of a product.

Yesterday afternoon I was working on restocking the Whipped Body Wash and decided to make a double batch since it was so popular last time... However, I was distracted and messed up somewhere. I spent hours trying to mix and stir and get it to the proper consistency, then spent two more hours troubleshooting with a soap making mentor of mine.

I sat there going through the steps in my head, trying to remember everything I did and while looking at my recipe realized, I didn't remember adding double the amount of one of the most important ingredients!

On Making convenience shopping even more convenient!

So today while updating the website with some new products, I started going through things and realized that, once again, I have been over-complicating things for myself and everyone else!

In the past, when I have created new products, you would have to wait for me to make and photograph a sample in each available fragrance. However, this made things a little difficult for me, since with 4 kids at home and another full time business, it can be quite time consuming to make them all, not to mention my house would be overrun quickly with products haha!

Spring Cleaning and Thoughts on New Soapmakers

Recently I have been seeing some local businesses posting soaps from local soap makers... while I'm thrilled that more and more people are interested in using amazing natural and handmade products, and supporting small local businesses, I also want to caution against putting your trust in people who are too new to the craft.

How Soap Changes During the Curing Phase

People sometimes ask me why I don't make my soap available for sale right away. There are a few reasons, the simplest of which to explain is that because most of my soaps are made using the cold process method, the first few days of curing, the soap is still potentially going through the saponification process. This is the chemical reaction between the Lye, Water and Oils that creates the soap. It's important to not use the soap too soon because if this process is not complete, it can lead to chemical burns and harsh soap that can be irritating to skin. The longer soap cures, the more gentle it will become.

On Supporting Local Businesses

I love visiting other local businesses to support them. Today while in Belfast dropping off soaps and other goodies at some stores, my husband and I decided to kill some time before Rollie's Bar and Grill opened for lunch and we visited a few places, including Vinolio where we purchased some yummy Tuscan Herb infused Olive Oil. We've already tried their Garlic infused olive oil and their Balsamic Vinegar (both yummy btw!)...

New Product: Oatmeal Clay Mask & Scrub

I don't know about you, but I know that being a dry skin sufferer, living in the sometimes frigid temperatures of Coastal Maine, my skin really takes a beating every year. I have naturally dry skin, and the fluctuating temperatures, paired with living in a home that is primarily heated with wood, definitely takes its toll on me.

I'll also admit to being chronically dehydrated from not drinking nearly enough water. Shame on me, that part is my own fault.

Adventures in testing new products

So yeah, whoops! This is what happens when you forget to rinse the soap making dishes before putting them in the dishwasher... Oh well, that floor needed to be cleaned anyway haha!

I haven't blogged since I got things rolling again this past fall, but if you follow me on Facebook then you'll know I've been staying quite busy over here!