So inventory is done and now it's time to decide what products to keep, which ones to discontinue and which ones to change. It is also time to look for new designs and fragrances. I love this part, really, because I get to be creative, I get to look at fragrance descriptions for hours on end and imagine the luscious scents.... I get to imagine what color combinations and designs would work best with which fragrance.
My latest creation is my Bath Truffles. A wonderful little treat for your bath tub made of cocoa butter. A wee bit of color and fragrance adds to the skin softening butter as it melts into your hot bath. A lovely way to pamper yourself. I have to get these up on the site, but for now they are available in a wee gift bag containing 3 bath melts in Love Spell, Monet's Garden or Nibble My Ears. Cocoa butter is good for dry rough skin and is a wonderful moisturizer.

It's that time of the year....inventory time. As much as I love making the soaps and pretty, smelly stuff, I really hate counting it all at the end of the year. I seem to have an abundance of leftover this year too. So I am having a sale 30% off all in stock items. I'm also doing a soap by the pound mystery box sale. This is where you can purchase "scratch & dent" items by the pound. $6 per pound and I fill a box with items that are flawed, dented, faded, wrappers messed up, basically the ugly beat up, yet functional product. To receive the discount or order the mystery box, visit the website at http://www.skinsationshandmadegiftsoap.com or email me at skinsationsbath@cs.com. These sales will run through February 2008.
If you are looking to get into soapcrafting yourself contact me also, as I will be selling off, most likely on Ebay, many of my older, outdated molds and some supplies.

It has been a long time since I've posted and a lot of things have happened in my life. I am however, still making my soaps and trying to come up with new and interesting products.
I recently got married and have expanded my family. I have a wonderful loving husband (who is quite good at making soap now!) and have added two more wonderful children. All three of my kids (13, 10, and 7) make soap now too. I'm hoping to be able to add posts more often and touch on many different topics. Sorry for the long silence.....

Today I would like to talk about the ingredients in my favorite product...Shea Souffle. This is a whipped body butter containing unrefined shea butter, evening primrose oil, rosehip seed oil , vitamin E, and lavender oil. It is light and creamy and practically melts into your skin. A little goes a long way, too much will leave a greasy feel. I love the way this makes my skin feel...soft and smooth.
Here is some information about the ingredients:
Unrefined shea butter is a wonderful butter with many uses. It is an excellent moisturizer and in its pure unrefined form, has a natural SPF6.
Shea butter is a natural fat obtained from the karite tree in Africa. It is emollient, therapeutic and healing. The chemical makeup of shea butter helps heal bruising and soreness. It also penetrates skin making it feel softer and smoother and contains an abundance of healing ingredients, including vitamins A and E, minerals, proteins and a unique fatty acid profile which makes it a superior moisturizer with natural protection against UV rays. Shea butter has also been known to help with skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, skin allergies, blemishes, wrinkles and scars. It has a high content of unsaponifiables, a group of compounds called plant steroids or sterolins, which soften skin, reduce scars and moisturize the upper layers of skin. Made from the nuts of the Shea tree in Africa, it retains a nutty, smoky smell, which dissipates shortly after application.
It has been shown to be useful for: Calluses, canker sores, chapped lips, complexion problems, blemishes, cracked skin, conditioning hair, dry skin, fever blisters, insect bites, itching, psoriasis, radiation burns, rashes, scar prevention, shingles, sore muscles,skin allergies, stretch marks, sunburn relief, tired feet, windburn, wrinkles. The amount of time required for optimum results varies.
Rose hip seed oil is extracted from the fruit of a hybrid wild rosebush. It is a healing oil thought to regenerate the skin, fight the effects of aging, make skin feel softer and smoother, and reduce roughness and cracking. It is often used in products made for stretch marks, burns and scars. Rose hip seed oil contains vitamins A and C and is a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, thought to stimulate the renewal of skin cells. It has been known to reduce or eliminate scars when used pre and post surgery at the incision site.
Evening primrose oil is taken from the seeds of the evening primrose. It is high in gamma linoliec acid (78%) which is said to rejuvenate skin cells. It is excellent for dry skin. Evening primrose is full of vitamins and minerals and is thought to repair damaged skin, keep skin healthy and help repair sun damage. It is an emollient and helps make skin feel softer and smoother. It also helps maintain the proper condition of the skin’s water barrier, which is important to maintaining a healthy feel to the skin.
Vitamin E has many benefits to the skin. It hinders the oxidizing process and helps defend the skin from the effects of the sun, smoke and pollution. It promotes healing and helps reduce scars. Vitamin E is an emollient and helps keep skin smooth and supple.

To order go to http://www.skinsationshandmadegiftsoap.com/lotions.html

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. Bear with me, this is somewhat new to me!

I thought I would create a place where I can ramble about some of the topics that interest me, are important, or that just down right bother me.

I recently lost my job. I found that I really had lost interest in what I had been doing (auto body shop manager/estimator). While it was unique, interesting and always a challenge, I was burned out and couldn't find a job that was compatible with raising a child. My hobby is/was making soap. I am now working on expanding my product line and increasing sales. I have also started a personal assistant and errand running service. I hope to be able to support myself with income from the two businesses.

My main focus for this blog will be soap, skincare products and related topics. Check back soon.

Colly
The Soap Lady