02.02.12
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Trade Shows at 1:42 pm by admin
Here’s a peak at Karma & Hibiscus, new soap for spring.
My long-awaited (by me) new soap for spring is out of the molds, cut, and on the drying racks. It’s gonna be greeeaaat! It’s called Karma & Hibiscus, and I mapped out a series of herbs and flowers I wanted to add because of their anti-aging properties. In addition, this soap has a base of olive oil, avocado oil, shea butter and mango butter, among others. Essential oils include a blend from Brambleberry called Karma, and I added a little natural peachy color to the base and for a swirl.
As I said, I’d been planning this one for a while…since last fall actually. It was a pleasure to finally get my hands in the soap pot and see what I came out with. It will be finished and ready for debut at the upcoming March 1-4 Kentucky Crafted: The Market trade show in Lexington, KY, and now I have to design a new label befitting of this beautiful new artisan soap.
I did some searching for herbs I wanted to use in the infusion. Actually, a couple of the herbs I really, really wanted appear not to be available in the U.S. I’ve found a great deal of excellent herbal knowledge in Asian cultures, where awareness of the benefits of herbs for skin care goes way back. However, getting my hands on some of them is the problem, and I may be growing my own this coming summer.
However, I was able to settle on four herbs for this soap. They are hibiscus, which is an anti-oxidant and is wonderful for inflammation, burns or infection; an amazing Asian herb called Fo-ti, known for its anti-aging properties and protecting from free-radical damage from UVB rays; cleavers, great for inflammation, eczema and psoriasis, and tightening aging skin; and licorice, which is another anti-inflammatory herb which is also anti-viral and good for sunburn and insect bites.
I just completed a photography session for this new soap, and will try to write again about feedback from other people as that happens. For now, it’s just great knowing the soap actually exists on the drying shelves instead of only in my imagination! For more information see Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare site.
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01.18.12
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Trade Shows at 10:11 am by admin
KENTUCKY CRAFTED: THE MARKET
Lexington Convention Center
Lexington, Kentucky
Saturday, March 3, 2012 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. EST
Sunday, March 4, 2012 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST
Go to http://1.usa.gov/Market2012 to purchase tickets and view a complete program of Market activities.
As many of you know, Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare is a vendor at this very popular trade show, and this year the show is moving to the Convention Center in Lexington, KY. I’m in the midst of getting ready for this biggest of all the shows I do, and with the accompanying pre-show jitters. WHAT have I forgotten this year? I’m going to introduce my new soap, Karma, with essential oils from Anne-Marie Faiola of Brambleberry. This is one I’m really looking forward to! Watch for a new listing on annas-soaps.com.
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01.10.12
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:33 pm by admin
Anna’s new Winter Skin Care Serum—good for healing and protecting skin from harsh winter time weather.
I apologize for my recent absence. The holidays were intense, but fun, and now that it’s over, I hope to get back on track. All those good resolutions, dontchaknow!
Just before the holidays, I got inspired to do something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. I’d been accumulating ingredients for a Super Skin Care Serum of sorts, and paying attention to reports on all things that are truly beneficial. I figured winter is the best time to test out such a magic formula, since I’d have lots of volunteers willing to try anything to help with those dry winter skin blues.
The serum turned out even better than I had hoped. It has a base of avocado, olive, hemp and apricot kernal oils, and then a long string of skin care additives such as watermelon seed oil, primrose seed oil, emu and neem oils, glycerine, marine collagen, and essential oils of rose, neroli, sandalwood, rose geranium, clary sage and high-altitude lavender…plus a few other secret ingredients. By the time I’d finished, I had pulled out every trick I knew and a few I just thought of on the spur of the moment. Then I took the concoction home to try myself. I loved it! It has a firming quality at the same time as it is soothing and healing.
Finally, I gave it as Christmas presents to a whole slew of friends and customers. Then I sat back and waited. Sure enough, within a week or so, rave reviews started coming in. Two people said they needed a gallon. That made me very happy, just knowing it was helping other people the way I felt as though it was helping me.
What I’m thinking now is that in the spring, I’d like to come up with a lighter version for the warmer months. That will require more thought….
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11.30.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:09 pm by admin
Lucarroll’s Muscle & Joint Massage Cream
I guess there’s not much better than the work of a truly professional therapeutic massage therapist. We’re very lucky to have one here. Lucarroll Craig has helped many people in this little town, and she has a growing following both here and in other towns in northern Kentucky.
I have to say also that Lucarroll is a gentle, caring soul with hand strength and a memory like a steel vise. If you’re limping this week, she’ll remember three months later which foot was causing you problems and why.
Each year, Lucarroll orders muscle and joint massage cream from Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare, and I just finished this year’s batch. Actually, her clients like it so much, they ask her for more during the year as well. (An untapped market for Anna’s?) Anyway, I am pleased to make this cream for her to give to clients. It has a special ingredient which comes from Thai herbs, and it seems to work wonders, especially for joint problems. For information, see Anna’s Muscle & Joint Massage Cream
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11.14.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:53 pm by admin
Carrot Honey Butter handmade olive oil soap…just another small luxury
It’s almost holiday time again, and each year about this time I am reminded of the joy and pleasures in my life that spring from humble things. Sharing a laugh with a friend, hearing a new story about granddaughter Eva, reading an email from a daughter or son early in the morning, grappling with the weird and wonderful world of quantum mechanics…it gives life a zing that is inherent in friendships, family, learning and giving.
Since this space is dedicated to the hoorays and oops’s of handcrafted soapmaking, I’ll stick with that part of the equation. I feel very privileged to be a part of a time in history where we are rediscovering the value in locally made, grown or produced items, from food to clothing to furniture to personal items to crafts. Handmade soap and body products are a small but vital part of this movement, and I maintain that no corporation or conglomerate could produce these products at any cost with the quality we do for minimal cost.
For example, when I developed my formula, I did it based on ingredients I was convinced would make an actual difference…and not just a drop or two of them but large amounts. Olive oil is among the best emollients of all the vegetable soap making oils. When we add shea butter or mango butter, we’re sweetening the pot! Then think of the rice bran oil or pomegranate seed oil, hemp seed oil or avocado oil…the list goes on and on. (See Carrot Honey Butter handmade olive oil soap shown above.)
At the end of the day, I know this small, humble luxury may cost only $5.50 or $6 or $10, but it’s worth much more. And I am glad to have had the opportunity to share it with my little part of the world.
So…happy holidays everyone. And thank goodness for many humble luxuries.
Sharon
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11.05.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 11:13 am by admin
It’s that time of the year, and there is a legitimate question about whether handmade soap and body products make an appropriate gift for a guy. It’s probably not your first thought. Around here a red pickup truck might get you big points, or maybe a new iPad or even golf clubs. But soap? Hmmm.
I am here to tell you that nobody was more surprised than me when the numbers of men visiting my soap table became obvious, even to me. I just expected it to be a feminine thing…a little luxury…a few nice soaps…wonderful, delicious scents…some gentle moisturizing. However, maybe things are changing in the world of males or maybe I missed it all along. But some of my best customers are men, and truth be known, none of them look embarrassed or hesitant when they look hard for good quality handmade soap and skincare.
This actually makes me happy, and not just because I like making excellent handmade soap. Even more, I think it’s a sign that men are more likely to think about their own health and well-being. So far, what I’ve seen has concentrated on an interest in good, moisturizing soap. However, I believe it’s only a matter of time before men discover they could use a good lotion and skin cream as well.
Remember, most of us work in an office or other workplace where the winter air is very dry. That environment sucks the moisture right out of our bodies. In addition, men have to deal with harsh razors that nick and cut the skin, as well as ingrown hairs from the shaving process. A good quality handmade soap can help a lot if it is used with every bath, shower or shave. And most soapmakers are very aware of this. You will find a number of excellent handmade soaps and body products with scents that are enjoyed by men and appropriate for them. Always look for products with good ingredients…fresh, quality oils, shea butter, various clays and essential oils…and avoid those using lard, tallow, mineral oil, artificial fragrances and the long list of chemicals in most commercial body products.
So when you’re shopping for your favorite guys this year, consider a special treat of good handmade skin care products. You may be surprised at how well this gift is received. And if you’re looking for a good source, Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare has a number of holiday gift items to peruse, many of them appropriate for men.
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10.26.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 7:21 am by admin
Here’s a closeup of the pretty swirl in this year’s handmade soap for the holidays, “Winter Wonderland.”
Hi Everyone. Yesterday I finished this year’s “Holiday Surprise” handmade soap. It even has a name — “Winter Wonderland.” http://annas-soaps.com/products-page/olive-oil-soap/holiday-special-winter-wonderland-olive-oil-soap After thinking about it for a long time and changing my mind over and over, the whole project came together in a flash. I combined a luscious group of essential oils: tangerine, sweet orange, rosemary verbena, ylang ylang, and yes, frankincense and myrrh. And then I made a glorious deep red swirl with Brambleberry’s Merlot Sparkle Mica, and put it in some unusual molds. Well, not unusual exactly, just different shapes from what I ordinarily do. There will be round ones and large, flat ones as well as some regular bar-sized ones. And I intend to use the crinkle cutter to make them just a little more special. When they are cut and on the drying racks, I’ll post a couple photos of the actual bars. What you see here is the swirl in the large mold.
And, to get a jump on winter, I decided to try another approach this year. Usually I go into denial mode about Oct. 1 and come out sometime in January when the icy winds and thigh-high snowdrifts penetrate my self-induced fog. But along with “Winter Wonderland,” I made a new batch of my favorite beach soap yesterday…”Orange Coconut.” http://annas-soaps.com/products-page/olive-oil-soap/orange-coconut-olive-oil-soap It will remind me that through these long cold months ahead, there are sand, warm beaches, fresh fruit and coconut palms somewhere in the world. (At least I hope it does! Some little voice way in the back is saying, “Yeah, right. THAT’s going to help!” Sigh.) Oh well. The Orange Coconut is done and gorgeous and ready for spring.
Sharon
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10.18.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 3:55 pm by admin
Four of the eight logs of Rose Moss, waiting to be cut into bars.
Two more big double batches got produced this week. Making soap is a therapeutic pleasure. I added some rose clay to the Rose Moss soap this time, partly because of its gentle action on the skin and partly for color. The result, after I finished swirling in some of the white base I had held back, was a pretty pink with white swirls. It looked just about good enough to eat. I love those happy accidents!
The other batch is Forest Fresh Tea Tree. I’m down to the last bar on the shelves and, of course, now is the time I get requests for this particular soap. As always happens, just when I think maybe I can slip by and wait until spring to do a new batch, I get all kinds of calls for whatever I am low on. Sometimes I think the universe is run by a committee of menehunes. (For anyone unfamiliar with Hawaiian folklore, I’m talking about mischievous little people from the dawns of time.) Anyway, the new batch is now complete, again with a pretty swirl of two shades of green.
Forest Fresh Tea Tree handmade soap logs
And finally, we’re looking at holiday time directly ahead. I’ve been mulling this over. Each year I try to do a new “surprise” soap…just for that year’s holiday, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Last year I did a dark and rich spicy soap that smelled like grandma’s kitchen on Christmas day. This year something else is tickling my imagination, spurred on by Anne-Marie, the Soap Queen of Brambleberry (http://www.soapqueen.com/category/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/). I haven’t completely settled on it, but these really neat things are taking shape in my head, and when I’ve nailed it down, you’ll be the first to know! (Soon, soon, soon.)
And finally, if you haven’t visited it recently, we are continuing to update my Web site, http://annas-soaps.com. Visit when you can and give me some feedback.
Sharon
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09.26.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 5:51 am by admin
New shaving soap for fall
Last week was a good week for handmade soap production. I have four new batches of lovely, natural soap on the drying racks, including shaving soap with hemp, shea butter and rhassoul clay.
I love this shaving soap so much I am wondering what I can do to get men to go back to razors. Not much, I guess. Women can use it as well, but I think we tend to just swipe at whatever bar of soap is in the soap dish when we need some “shaving slip” and let it go at that.
Of course, this soap, Sweet Cheeks in round form (or Lavender Patchouli in traditional bar form), is an excellent overall, everyday soap as well. No need to limit it to shaving needs. So whether you’re a guy wielding a long straight razor or a lovely lady enjoying a little luxury in the bath, I think you’ll find this great new handmade soap is a winner.
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09.20.11
Posted in Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 2:16 pm by admin
Over this past year I’ve been working on a couple of new Web sites you might be interested in. Anna’s EsSCENTials site, http://annas-soaps.com, has been updated and given a whole new look this year. I’ve begun a blog inside the site which you will find under the “Anna’s Info” pulldown menu.
Also, I’ve been working hard on an interesting new project, an index site of articles and links to other Web sites and information about handmade soap. It’s a compilation of information I think is interesting, both for other handmade soap makers and handmade soap buyers. If you’d like to take a look, it’s at http://www.naturalhandmadesoap.info. There’s always room for comments and I love getting them.
I hope you enjoy these two new sites. I try to spend a little time updating and adding to them every day.
Sharon
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