I have been so uber busy lately I haven't even had time to update my Soap Blog! I feel bad for neglecting it and my returning customers looking for new info and what's new, but I've been working my bum off! :) That's a good thing, right?

Usually I have a new post every day or at the least once a week, so this one will be full of all kinds of goodies That I couldn't wait to share with you.

Some of these items will be announced in my Fall news letter with introductory price offers the day they are launched on the website.

Local Customers, Remember .... you can call your order in to me and I will deliver it for you, this saves you on the shipping. If you're wanting to stop by to smell everything and sample, I kindly request you call me to set up an appointment for either a home visit to you or to my home. You may not catch me here just stopping by, or with a really big mess of candle wax, cocoa butters and whatever as I am working. When I am working I really cannot stop what I am doing, :( So calling ahead for an appointment sets time aside for us to have fun going through my new Sniffy Bottles and trying everything on.

Ok.... So.... What have I come up with in the last few weeks that I have been absent from my blog? Oooooo.... I am so excited, I am not sure where to start.

Let's begin with the new candles.
New Fragrances are Leather ( smells like genuine leather ), Raspberry truffle, Cranberry Apple Marmelade, and Juicy Cantelope. I am currently experimenting with some new fall and holiday scents for the up comming season, and I designed a signature scent by me..... I call it Almond Joy type, because it smells just like an almond Joy Candy.MMMM! It burns very well and scented my entire house. The above scents I just added to my line do the same, very strong and robust!

This is the fun part, finding new and unique ways to design my candles to set me aside from other "handmade candle makers".

1. This is one is actually patent pending, I sent in my begining application the other day. YAY.

This is the Original Soaps 'N Suds "Can"dle. I have poured my typical candle into a pop-top can, sealed it and canned it. The moment you pop the top the fragrance wafts up and entises your sences! Very Delicious. All you do is burn the candle in the can and once it's burned down, you just toss it in the trash! I've finished the testing on this to make sure the paper wouldn't over heat or spontaniously combust and there was no problem what so ever. Every two hours I would snuff the wick and trim it to 1/4 inch to prevent smolder or flicker. Disperses the fragrance evenly into the air and burns for approximately 125 hours! WOW!

These are wonderful for gift giving, very pretty and looks lovely in a kitchen or a home decor. Each one is handmade, decorated, labeled and sealed. 15 oz each for 16.99!! An introductory price will be listed on ebay for $9.99, limited time only.

Next Candle is the two layered twist candle. Beautiful, unique and with two fragrances..

This candle turned out so pretty!! The first one after testing went to Tara in Brooklyn New York, a regular and loyal customer and I am dying to hear what she thinks of it. The theory behind this candle was to create the layers in such a way that as it burned the two fragrances would blend together more evenly to create a new unique fragrance. Of course we will still offer the regularly layered candle for the fragrances to present themselves more indivudually. But the candle works wonderfully. Availble in 16 oz. introductory offer of $9.99 on ebay will be 18.99 there after, limited time only.

Now, Down the body treats, one of my favorites!!
Finally a lip butter worth keeping in your pocket and putting on your pout!!

TAH DAH! Soaps 'N Suds Smooch-a-licious Super Sweet Natural Lip Butter, made with beeswax, cocoa butter , shea butter, sunflower oil, vitamin e, and olive oil. Each one is flavored and sweetened naturally with Licorice root. No petroleum, no mineral oil, no caster oil, no saccarine, no preservatives. All natural and skin safe flavors. This comes in a newly designed metal tin, large 1 oz size, perfect for your pocket. In fact, as it sits in your pocket, your body heats warms it just enough for easy application for as little or as much as you like. Comes in 10 delicious flavors and everyone is raving about it!!

And now, what I am so excited to share..... a new addition to our body butter souffles.... Inspired by every customer saying "ooooo, I just want to eat that!"
Soaps 'N Suds "Body Candy" natural edible body butter with cocoa butter and safflower oil, completely edible and delicious!

This two in one body butter moisturizes AND Flavors your skin. Sugar Free Body treat sweetened with splenda. Just massage it in like any other body butter or cream before bed and see what happens! A little goes a long way for a potent flavorful punch, and isn't greasy and sticky!
Made with all natural ingredients and food grade and skin safe flavorings, absolutely delicious. Currently available in Lick-a-licious lemon cream and currently formulating other fun and interesting flavors. $8.99 4 0z. a little goes a very long way!

Absolutely Delicious..... I mean, Lick-a-licious!

I recently had a suggestion for a new candle fragrance from my Sister. She loves the sweet and spicy aroma's around the holiday's and we were browsing through my list of fragrances from my supplier and she came across a Spicy Apple Cidar scent and said "Ya gotta try that one!".... I haven't been real impressed with some of the appley scents I've tried in candles. I am a bit persnickity about my candles and how well they throw, and altho, there are some fine fragrances out there, they just don't cut the mustard when it comes to candles, like they do for body products.

Well, reluctantly, I made a candle with this fragrance, expecting it to be about like the other appley scents I've tried.... suttle and faint, and some of them, you can't smell at all once they burn. This one however.... is the keeper of all apple scents! It has a deliciously warm and spicey apple cidar scent alright, so it holds true to its name.... but, when it is lit.... OMGoodness is all I could say. I lit the candle in the bathroom and left the door open. 20 minutes later I walked into the hallway and the scent wafted up and smacked me in the nose... WOW! What a fantastic candle! So..... another wonderful addition to our wonderful candle like.

Something else I want to note about this great fragrance: alot of apple cidar scents are over powered by cinnamon.... this smells like a nice elixer of apple cidar and not apple and cinnamon or just cinnamon... it's just right!

Well, as I had noted last week, my difficulty in finding wholesale or direct olive oil continues on. I recieved two emails this week in return for a request of wholesale information to two companies. 1) Denied me an account for the purpose that the olive oil would be used in soap and not food. I guess I am going to have to not mention what I am using it in for future inquiries. I just don't grasp that at all.
2) the other email "regretfully" denied me because I do not use enough olive oil per month to meet what thier minimum sale to me, but, if in the future I encrease production to meet the eqaulivant of 10 - 55 galon drums a month, which is their minimum of 2 pallet requirment, they would reconsider me, and, offered me to buy 32 oz. bottles by the case as a discount. I did the math on their discount by the case, and it comes up to $4.00 higher than what I am buying my olive oil at a discount already!

I am frustrated to say the least. It doesn't appear that the olive oil will be raising in price again for awhile unless there is a natural disaster somewhere, which is always possiable and I pray not. One individually suggested I use a cheaper oil in my soap to keep cost down! GASP! What? My formula is Olive Oil based and that is what makes it so great..... buying cheaper ingredients to keep cost down, would put me on the same level as commercial manufactures and I will most definately not sacrafice my customers skin, my skin or the qaulity of my soap to produce it cheaper. The cost of olive oil did indead increase, but it was small enough the the cost of my soap didn't go up much either, by only a few scents per bar in fact.

I will continued to hunt down manufactures and look for resturant suppliers to help me find olive Oil at a lower cost, without compromising the qaulity of my soap. Until then, the discount I currently recieve will suffice for the time being.

I recieved a sample of a new fragrance in my supply shipment the other day that I thought was interesting and I plan to make a test candle out of it to see how well it does strenth wise. It's called "Downy Fresh" , and you guessed it, it smells just like downy fabric softner. I cannot imagine using this fragrance in bath bombs or lotions, but I would imagine it would make a nice candle for those who enjoy the clean cotton/linen fragrances. I would imagine, if it throws as well I as hope, that it would make your home smell like freshly washed laundry. I personally, like the clean crisp smell of laundry straight from the dryer, it has a comfort to it.

Also, a while back, I got a sample of a fragrance called "Mary Jane". I think it has a really stinky skunky weedy smell to it. It reminded me of the prairie flowers we would pick in the pasture behind our house growing up. I believe they are called Indian Paint Brush. They are beautiful flowers, but they smell awful. lol Well, this particular fragrance oil is discribed to smell like fresh Cannibus. For those who know that smell and appreciate it I suppose, you'll be interested in sniffing it to see. Much to my surprise, it has become a popular fragrance, so I have started making a novelty candle with it. Straight Mary Jane in one, Magic Brownie in another and lastly a layered candle called 4:20 by request, which is layered with Mary Jane, Fudge Brownie and Caramel Corn. I intend to test the last two before I list them in my novelty stuff. I personally think it smells yucky, but there are some who adore it. After all, it's not what I like, right? lol

My Ultimate Sampler Candle in a rainbow of colors and fragrances. I don't believe in wasting anything! With each candle pour there is always a little left over, so I started layering the left overs into 26 oz. apothecary jars. Each Candle is 8 layers and completely unique and differant from each other. You'll never get one the same as the last. These candles are so much fun to make, but even more fun to burn and sample the differant fragrances. Made with a little of this and a little of that...."This 'N That" 26 oz. candle, $27.99

I just added two new candle fragrances to the menu. These two fragrances are just amazing and so far everyone loves them.

Birds of Paradise is a sweet blend of tropical berries and vanilla blossom. Very nice throw!

Beneath the Stars, this one is one of my favorites with blends of Grape, Peach, Citrus, Plum, Rose and Musk, very sweet and fruity, wonderful throw..... I even made a spray bottle of linen/room/car freshener and it works WONDERFULLY!!!

New LAYERED CANDLES Unique to Soaps 'N Suds

Peppermint Patti- Three layers, 2 fragrances, Chocolate Drizzle and Mint.
Iced Pumpkin Crunch - 3 layers, 2 fragrances, Pumpkin Crunch and Warm Vanilla Sugar
Cherry Fairie - 3 layers, 2 fragrances, Juicy Cherry and Clean Cotton
Monkey Burps - 4 Layers, 4 Fragrances, Banana Cream, Cotton Candy, Cherry and Bubble Gum
Afternoon Tea - 3 layers, 3 Fragrances, Tea and Honey, Sugar Cookie and Lemon Drop Cookie
Dessert De Jour - 3 layers, 3 fragrances, Creme Brulee, Fudge Brownie and Cupcake
Afternoon Delight - 3 layers, 3 fragrances, Birds of Paradise, Exotic Coconut and Jamaica Me Crazy
This 'N That - 8 layers, 8 fragrance and colors, whatever is left over from previous pours , creates a totally unique , rainbowed candle. Each one will be differant each time!

I am happy to say that everyone LOVES the new body butter souffle's, particularly the Mango Tango and the Cocoanut Creme... but especially the Mango Tango. It has been so popular that I sold out of my readily available stock in two days!! WOW! If that doesn't tell you how great it is, I don't know what will. So, I am pleased to announce, I will be adding them to the perminant Soaps 'N Suds menu in the body butter section of the store, and I just made a fresh batch last night, sold one today and have 7 left over. So hurry and grab yours today. After the seven I have left right now, there will be a 7 - 12 day lead time for a new batch because I am waiting for new jars to arrive.. yep... we used ALL of the packaging!!

Next in line for the body butter souffles will be the selection of 'Sweet Thang' Dessert body souffles and Rocky's Hemp and Butter Blend. I've decided to start packaging Rocky's in a jar rather than the bottle so eliminate waste and irritation. :)

Here are a few common questions I have gotten lately. I thought I would share them in case my readers are wondering the same.

Q: So, is what you do , making lotions and soaps , the same as Bath Junkie or Bath works in our mall, custome scenting premade lotions?

A: No. Those bath and lotion bars are wonderful places, but we are completely differant. What they do, like you said, is allow you to pick your favorite fragrances and mix it into a premade lotion "base" for you.... customized lotion and perfume scenting. Their products are not handmade or natural formulas like mine. What I offer is natural skin care, soaps, lotions, bath bombs, roll on perfumes, candles and more, made with raw and natural butters and oils and less water. All of the formulas and recipes are my own that I have spent alot of time in my kitchen and on my note pads working on in ratios and percentages to get just the right amount of ingredients to create a natural skin loving product that will make a differance with your skin and heal your skin conditions, not mask it with water and mineral oils.

Q: I see alot of people make soap out of a soap base and they pour it into molds and sell it as handmade, is that what your soap is?

A: No. That form of soap making is known in the crafting community as "Melt and Pour" soap. It is used by hobbyist, not "true" soap makers. My soap is made from scratch, by hand in the old fashion cold process method, the way our grandmothers and great grandmothers made soap. The differance between mine and my grandma's soap is, she used animal fat, because it was readily available and cheap enough to whip up some soap when they needed it. My soap is made with Olive Oil, Palm oil, cocoa, shea, mango and a variety of other rich butters and oils. These ingredients are extremely moisturizing and gentle on your skin. Melt and Pour soap, as fun as it is, is made up of the same type of ingredients as commercial bar soap. In fact, if you take a bar of ivory, melt it down, color and scent it, pour it into a mold, you have handcrafted soap. Handcrafted soap and handmade soap are two differant things.

Q: Can you make me a body cream with a differant scent than you offer on your list? I like the scents you have made, but I would like something more personal to me.

A: Yep! I am always happy to make special orders. You can pick any one of my butter blends that you like and I can add the fragrance to it the way you like it with the appropriate ratios of course. I currently have around 100+ fragrances to choose from, and out of those 100+ only two or three is for candle and incense use only and not suttable for skin. I make sure I choose fragrances that are strong enough for my candles but skin safe.

Q: If I custom order a body cream with a special scent, will I have to buy a certian amount like I do the soap?

A: No. You can order one jar, two jars or how every many you needs without a minimum order, becuase I can make small batches like that in the creams. The soaps, I make in 5 and 10 pound batches, and I request that special orders have a minimum of 6 bars to help me cover the cost of making the specialty soaps in case you're the only one that likes it and it doesn't sell. lol make sence?

Q: Do you make gift baskets?

A: Yes I do! I don't keep them on stock, because I am currently doing business in my home, however, I do make gift baskets for special occasions when they are requested. Custom gift baskets are alot of fun because you can pick what items you want to give and I can make suggestions of what I think would be good too, and together we can design the perfect gift for christmas , birthdays , valentines days etc. I want to list some on eStore soon, with the holidays coming up too. Each basket price is based on the cost of products included and the basket. The baskets are arranged neatly and wrapped in heat shrink wrap and topped with bow embellishments. a truly customized gift for friends and family with delicate skin, or someone who appreciates handmade goodies!

Q: Do you do refunds or returns?

A: It depends on the circumstances. When it comes to cosmetics, fe, lotions, soaps, perfumes etc, things you use on your body, I do not do refunds or exchanges. Those items are considered a final sale due to the federal and fda health laws. It is to easy to contaminate those types of items. What I suggest doing, before purchasing is try one of my demos, they are available to test out at Merle Norman Pure as Gold in ALBQ, and I have demo for you to try . Test it on a small patch of skin to see if it bothers you. I use cosmetic spatulas, where you can scoop a small amount out without touching the contents of the jar to prevent contamination, and I offer soap slivers for samples for you to try out also. Candles are a final sale, unless they have not been used and are in the original container and in the same condition they were in when they were purchased. If you must return it, I will gladly exchange it for product of equal value or the same product in a differant fragrance. All internet sales are considered final. A good rule of thumb when testing a product, is to look at the ingredients and judge if it contains something you are known to be allergic to. My products are natural and great for sensitive skin, however, there are some folks who have allergies to specific types of foods or fragrances. FE, if you are allergic to nuts, you will most likely be allergic to shea butter because shea butter is pressed from the shea nut.... you're looking at a possiable allergic reaction if this is your allergy. :)

Q: Where do you get your ingredients and how do you do all of this?

A: Awh, that is a trade secret. :) I love my work, but, it is my work and what I do to provide for my family. If I let my secrets out, everyone will be doing it and I won't be able to take care of me and my kiddos. ;) I buy my supplies from very repuable wholesalers. I have spent alot of time over the years hunting them down and setting up business with them. Alot of these places prefer not to do business with a small business owner, but I've been doing this for a long time now. Also, I cannot share my methods or recipes, but I can tell you, you can look at our FDA approved labels to see what the ingredients are so you know if it's good your skin or not. There are certian things, I cannot share. No one, not even my family members know my recipes or methods. I feel sorry for the Busch family when thier dog decides to black mail them with their secret family baked bean recipe for more tummy rubs and beggin' strips! ;)lol

Q: There is one candle I love from this other company, can you make a fragrance that smells just like it? I'd rather buy it from you because I like the all soy wax.

A: If you tell me the name of the company and the candle, I can hunt around and see if I can find a "type" fragrance to match it, or try mixing it myself. I carry alot of fragrances that are comparable to other companies like BBW and V's S. They will say on MY packaging, for example, Love Spell Type. Which is my most popular type seller right now. I call it type, 1. so folks will recognize what it is suppost to resemble and 2. I cannot call it what the other company calls it because it is trade marked and not the original, so calling it a type or a version lets you know what it smells like, but protects me from copy right infringment. as an artist and a designer, I don't appreciate people taking my work and claming it as their own, so I respect everyone else as well. ;) Some fragrance types I may not be able to find, but, I usually do, it just takes time. ;)

Q: What is your favorite soap, lotion, candle and product that you make?

A: Wow, that's a hard question! lol I use everything I make and I have a hard time deciding which soap I want to use when I take a bath because I love them all. I think, my favorite soap is Original Oatmeal, Milk and Honey. I love the way it feels and it smells so wonderful, but then , I love the Natural Goats Milk Soap because it moisturizes MY skin the best. ;) My favorite body butter.... Gosh, I don't know. I use a differant one everytime. I am currently using Wild Honey Lotion Bar after my bath, and Shea and Honey Body Souffle before bed. I just don't know. It's hard to have a favorite because I love them all!! My favoite candle, to date is Caramel Popcorn and I like the Bird of Paradise, but I test them all so I can't really decide. haha My favorite fragrance of all of them has to be the Oatmeal Milk and Honey fragrance because it's so soft and sweet. :)

Q: You don't always have the same kind of candle jars, why is that?

A: To keep the cost of my candles down, I tend to buy from my wholesalers when they have containers on sale or liquidation. The reason being, is I can charge for the actual candle it's self and not have to raise the cost higher for the jar. When I find a container I really like, and it's on liquidation I tend to buy in bulk or cases so I have several of them to work with. I tend to stay in the same sizes by ounces so the candles do not fluctuate in price unless the cost of wax increases, which it does from time to time. So, for 6 months or as long as the containers will last I may have froasted jars, and other times I may have the classic apothecary jars. Just depends on what is on sale at the time. I like to pass the savings on to the customers. :) I will continue to do this, until which time I find a perminant container from a perminant wholesaler with a great price.

If you have any questions you would like answered, please feel free to post a comment on my blog, or email me. I would be more than happy to answer it for you. ;)

Rachel

Well, I am looking at some new packaging for the Body Souffle's, including the dessert souffles.

The new formulas are so thick, there is no way packing them in a lotion bottle will work! lol I am looking at some clear single wall domed jars. They appear to be cheaper so far, and if this is so, the over all price of the butters will go down by a few cents. I know it's not much, but, a little cheaper is better for everyone! :)

I like the idea of the domed jars better than the bottles, because you can scoop out what you need and when you get low, you don't have to shake the bottle. That's one thing I hate about lotion bottles. Turning them upside down to get the last bit out, shaking them, swinging them... ugh!

The dome jars I am looking at will be 6 oz. they are on back order until august 12th. They are clear with a black domed lid, but I am also looking at a sleek flat black lid.

This will make it easier to see the product through the plastic, and give it an elegant look with the black closure, and easier to use with no waste.
Our 9 oz bottles were $12.99 - 14.99 depending on the butter blends, the 6 oz containers are $7.99 to 9.99 depending on the blend. :) I am looking at some larger jars also, about 8 oz. Makes a very large jar, but for those who like to buy in bulk, it's idea. I just haven't decided yet. They all look so wonderful. :)

The old formula of Sweet Thang Dessert Souffle was nice, but I think everyone will be alot happier with the newer one. It's much thicker like an acutual souffle.

The newer formulas are highly concentrated so a little goes a long way. Rather than having to take a large scoop, just a bit on the tips of the fingers covers a larger area. So I think everyone will be very happy with it. So far, I have had a lot of happy customers and wonderful reviews on the mango tango, shea and honey, and cocoanut creme souffles.... orders are going nuts. I had it ready for one day and I've sold out. So, there is a 7 day lead time before I will have more ready on the Mango Tango especially. I still have Cocoanut creme and Shea and Honey on hand, but only a few jars, so hurry if you want to be the first to try it. ;)

Love , peace and Cocoa butter -

Rachel

You know you love your work, when you have fun doing it and it doesn't seem like work at all, more like a hobbie. :) I have had so much fun making my own products, but above all, testing the finished results and journaling how they perform, and what results they have. I always had alot of fun testing the new products "the cosmetic company" I work for sent out to me as "top secret" and comming soon.

I've been testing the results of cocoa butter on stretch marks for a while now. Product wise, Mine vs. Theirs. A while back they came out with this really expensive stretch cream. Upon looking over the ingredients, it contains, in basics, the same ingredients as their alpha hydroxy wrinkle and line smoothing creams for your face, but with a touch of cocoa butter at the end of the product list. It raises the stretch marks a bit to look more even and smooth with the undamaged skin, but it realy doesn't have any perminant results. If I stopped using it, the stretch marks looked the same as they did before.

For years people have "believed" that cocoa butter helps to prevent stretch marks during pregnany and helps heal them after pregnancy.
Here is a cold hard fact that no one likes to hear and everyone everyone likes to pretend doesn't exsist in hopes for a miracle cure to get rid of stretch marks.
Once ya gottem, they aren't going away perminantly, however, you can help them fade, shrink and look better. If there were a miracle drug or surgery to make your skin look perfect the way it did before children and before weight gaine, NO ONE would have stretch marks anymore.

I know this bugs me beyond words. Alot of marketing is based on the emotions of people who suffer from specific problemed skin. I am not saying their aren't good products, because they are, I use alot of them. But the fact remains, no matter how much money you spend and how much you try, we will get lines and wrinkles from getting older and we will always have stretch marks and scars from life events. However, we can take care of them they can fade!

This is my experience from what I have seen so far with my own stretch marks and scars. "Their product plumped and raised the scars to appear smoother , but after I stopped the application each day , two or three times a day like suggested, the scaring and stretch marks looked the same as to prior use.

Now, a stretch mark is caused from the skin stretching to the point that it cannot stretch any further and the elasticity breaks down. That part of the skin has seperated and will not mend back together. SO, to me, the object of creating a cream or some sort of product to help stretch marks, would have to be a repairing cream that helped regenerate and mend together the broken elacticity of the skin. Whether it can be done or not, is not the question. Maybe over time and more research such a miracle cream can be found. Maybe I will be the one to discover it, maybe i won't, but the question for me is, does cocoa butter really help stretch marks?

I make my own cocoa butter creams, and I use it on my stomach every day. I havent been putting it on the stretch marks I have my legs, so I can see if there is actually a differance.

After one week of using pure emulsified cocoa butter, I have definately seen a differance. I really need to take some pictures to post, but I hate my stretch marks and that is going to take alot of courage. LOL!!!
So after a week of applying my straight cocoabutter cream, has olive oil too, I have noticed they do look alot better. they look lighter, and as if they have faded. They look thinner and not swollen and puffed up to meet the rest of my skin like "their" cream made them look. when I run my hand over my stomach, it feels smoother. I wonder, if prolonged use of straight cocoa butter will eventually heal them to the point that they are almost completely gone.

For the first time in ten years, my stretch marks are looking great!!! I don't know tht they will ever disappear, but the cocoa butter does make them look alot better and it gives me hope that more experimenting with natural ingredients that I may eventually be able to repare by regeneration, the damaged skin. even if it's only by fading and skrinking. A smaller stretch mark is better than a larger one, right?

I don't know that using pure cocoa butter and vitamin e will remove stretch marks with continued use, but it does seem to help.

Yesterday, I posted about my frustrations and quests with finding more cost efficent ways of purchasing the olive oil I need for my soaps and skin care line. I have spent alot of time hunting down manufactures and requesting information for wholesale and minimum ordering ect.

I was amazed and a bit annoyed, probably even more frustrated than I was to discover, certian manufactures of olive oil refuse to sell their olive oil to people to make cosmetics. One manufactures reasoning was that their process is a high qaulity process of producing the best qaulity olive oil and did not want it in cosmetics. WHAT!? Because, their orchards are in California and they process and press their olives here, rather than sending them to europe and yada yada yada. That's rediculous! The european method of cold pressing olive oil is the same as the method here, so that didn't even make sence. Anyhoo, so the quest for wholesale olive oil continues!

I didn't think I was going to pull this one off! lol. I was rather disappointed in the begining because I felt it just wasn't incooperating as well as the other butters. Cocoa and Mango are much harder butters than Shea. To me, Shea has a very silky almost powdery feel to it. It's rather soft and melts to the touch. I assumed, because of these properties it would make a wonderful cream, I had no idea that it would be such a cumbersome task over the other butters. It takes about an hour longer to make, but..... after much work, I managed to get it to emulsify just the way I wanted it. With the combination of mixing, whipping, cooling and whipping some more.... lol I have a beautifully fragrant Honey and Shea body butter. It has a very rich creamy texture, very solid in holding it's form in the jar.

Earlier today, I was showing the new Body Souffle's off to a couple of folks and I removed the lid and turned it upside down, like they do the blizzard's at Dairy Queen! LOL. You should have seen the look on Mom's face... she just got new carpet in her school room and really didn't want a blop of cream in the middle of it. lol It didn't even budge from the jar! YES! That is how thick and rich these souffle's are! You can literally turn the jar upside down and the cream does not slip out or glob! I discovered this by accident. I had dropped one of the jars... and just like a piece of buttered toast, it landed upside down! I just knew that it had glopped up into the lid and man, that was going to be a mess! But, I opened the jar and amazingly, not a smudge was on the lid. WOW! So now, I am turning my jars upside down and opened to show the thickness.

What's great about this stuff, is it doesn't melt like alot of lotions and butters do. It maintains its consistancy and looks and smells beautiful in the jar, as well as on the skin. I cannot stop looking at my hands to see where I put the cream. In under a minute after application, it has fully absorbed into the s kin... not sticky, not slick, greasy or wet feeling. Just moisturized and wow... . beautiful soft skin.

I can't wait to market this. These are still in testing..... sorry, I know how my excitment gets ya going sometimes to try the new thing..... but I want to make sure this isn't just me being partial and folks really love it and want more before it goes on the store... ( trust me, they will adore this stuff. lol)

Hugs,
Rachel

Cocoanut Creme features the skin benefits of Cocoa butter and Coconut milk. Scented in Carribean coconut.

Our new body butter souffle formulas surpass the old formulas, with a thicker, richer, creamy moisturizer. A little goes a very long way, contains more rich butters than water, absorbs on contact and doesn't leave your skin greasy, slippery or sticky!

Naturally made with cocoa butters, mango butters, shea butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, goats milk, coconut milk and other rich ingredients and additives. No alcohol , petroleums or mineral oils that dry skin or block pours.

Available August 1, 2008, online only, $7.99 each 6 oz single wall dome jar.

This week, I want to focus on sharing the benefits of the natural ingredients found in our soaps, lotions, bath bombs and lip butters. I posted a bit about Mango butter in the previous post announcing my new body butter souffle " Mango Tango"

Now, I want to share the benefits of shea butter, what it is and you'll see why I use it so often in soaps, bath bombs and lotions.

Benefits of Shea Butter
Shea butter, containing Vitamins A and E, is one of the most highly respected ingredients for skin care products. Shea butter is derived from the kernals of the shea nut tree native to Western Africa. Anyone who has an alergy to peanuts should not use any product with shea butter in it. It is believed to:
Help heal scars, burns, and stretch marks
Prevent ashy skin, chapping, and skin rashes
Help prevent weak hair from breaking, fading, or thinning out
Fortify cuticles and nails
Help bruises to heal
Help drain toxins from sore muscles: perfect for sports participants
Help prevent skin irritation for babies: used for generations to help babies sleep better
Prevent irritation and restore skin's natural luster after shaving
Be ideal for dry skin, dermatitis, eczema, sunburn and athletes foot
Rejuvenate skin pores and add elasticity to skin
Firm up aging skin and help clear wrinkles
Relieve areas affected by arthritis, joint pains, or other muscular ache

I am so excited to post a sneak peak of my new Body Butter Souffle formula. All of the body souffle's have their own characteristics and benefits to the skin, but this one is so special and so thick, rich and creamy... I don't know if I can wait until August to launch it!

Introducing.....*drum roll*
Mango Tango Body Butter Souffle!!
I formulated this one just this evening, and after the first attempt, it felt so fantabulous, I instantly put it in jars! I've passed it out to a few friends to test it and try it, and so far, the results are Love at first sight!

Mango Tango is made with Pure and Natural Mango butter, Olive Oil, sunflower oil and Goats Milk.
After 1 minute, the application is soft and smooth, not greasy or sticky. It absorbs very quickly and leaves your skin completely moisturized. It smells wonderful too. Hints of mango, coconut and other tropical fruits fragrance this all natural handmade body butter. This stuff is so thick.... you just have to try it!



Benefits of Mango Butter
Mango butter, a soft solid with a very slight sweet scent, has natural emollient properties, high oxidative ability, wound healing, and regenerative activity. It also has a protective effect against UV radiation. Dermatologists often recommend mango butter for treatment of wrinkles. It is believed that mango butter:
Effectively treats dry skin
Heals skin rash
Heals skin peeling, after tanning
Clears blemishes and wrinkles
Relieves itching skin
Heals sunburn
Treats small skin wounds and skin cracks
Moisturizes and smoothes tough or rough skin
Fights frost bite
Prevents stretch marks during pregnancy
Relieves insect bites
Promotes healthy rejuvenated skin
Heals muscle fatigue, aches and tension
Relieves skin allergies such as poison ivy or poison oak
Treats eczema and dermatitis
Fights off fine lines and wrinkles

Will be on the website in the body butter catagories, August 1st for $7.99 for 6 oz. Well worth it... you'll be addicted!!!

Last night I poured 7 loaves of soap. I hope today to fill ALL of my boxes. I am working with 12 boxes right now, but that is ALOT of soap, particulary doing 12 a day. In a work week that produces 780 bars of soap. The only hold back is when I run out of olive oil I gotta run and get some more, that's why my stock up days are the weekends. :) This week, it is my goal to make that much soap... can I do it???????

Well, 90 down and 690 to go!! :) WOOT... busy crazy soap makin' nut this week! :)

Peace -
Rachel

We have improved the formula of our ALOHA! soap It has more moisturizing properties with more Aloe butter and Shea Butter, and a stronger fragrance than before. It smells more like Tropical punch, than the last batch, because we found a better fragrance oil that seemed more fitting!

Contains Olive Oil, Coconut oil, Palm Oil, Shea and Aloe, Coconut milk, Pineapple juice, Orange Peel and Fragrance oil. The product updates will show on the website this week, 5.99.

We call it Aloha! Sexy Peel...... "say good buy to dead rough skin and hello to smoother clearer skin.

The Pine apple Juice and Orange peel gentley exfoliates dead skin cells, and helps clearify the skin with vitamin C and presents newer healthier looking skin. Coconut milk helps regenerate skin cells for a youthful appearance, while Olive Oil, Shea Butter and Aloe butter, soothe and moisturize!

We think you will adore our new formula and fragrance of ALOHA! Sexy Peel.

Well, I returned home from lubbock yesterday evening with a car load of Olive Oil, I expect to last me a couple of weeks until my next trip! I am currently looking for a differant Olive Oil Supplier, yet again. It seems, once I find a great price and I start buying regularly, they up the price on me. This really irritates me to no end. I have contacted several Olive Oil manufactures in hopes that one of them will be willing to do business with a small business and not someone the equlivant to a multi-billion dollar company like walmart. I don't need as much Olive Oil as a walmart, but I do need alot more than an average small business by far. Olive Oil is our main ingredient in our soaps, for it's surperior moisturizing capabilities. I've noted, that olive oil in general has risen in price on average, but the couple of small places I was buying from for a really great price seems to have gotten greedy on me. The cost of our soaps will raise approximately .26 cents a bar to compensate the increase on the market for olive oil. Next time you go to the Grocery store, just take a look... the price of Olive Oil is unreal! Once, I get in contact with someone willing to sell olive oil direct wholesale from me, and I can get it much cheaper, the price per bar will lower, maybe even cheaper than what I am currently offering at $4.99 a bar , providing the cost is low enough. If the shipping is high enough that I will end up breaking even, I will buy locally. I hate changes, and I dont like feeling as if I am forced to charge more. But, I suppose, so goes the way of the economy and inflation. Although, I am really unsure, as to way the inflation has been so out rageous lately. The price for a galon of milk is almost unbearable, and Gas, don't get me started.

While I am on this rant of price gauging...... I was buying my Olive Oil from a local close out store. They deal with close out items due to packaging changes, over stock etc. The manager there is a real jerk and he's rude to everyone that steps in that store!! I was buying my olive oil for $2.00 for 17 oz. That's 11 cents an oz. very good price for olive oil and it was high qaulity. I would buy it by the case and clear the shelves each time I went in, with the except of maybe 5 bottles for other customers. He would glare at me every time I went in and bought my olive oil, like I was doing him a terrible injustice or something. So the next time I went in, each time, the olive oil I was buying has been moved , or one of the last times, put on a shelf so high I couldn't reach it. UGH! What's the malfunction here???
The last time I went in to buy olive oil, the price had been risen to $4.50 for 17 oz. I couldn't believe how much it had gone up in just a week. I know, this wasn't because the general increase of olive oil in general raising. He had this snitty smerk on his face when I went to check out my other items, and said " No Olive Oil today???"..... I said " I'm good for now, thanks".... but thought....What differance does it make WHO buys it? it produces the same profit!

When I sold out of my pine tar soap to one person, I didn't raise the price because it sold good or hide it out of site from that one person. I learned to compensate in making larger qauntities for the future, and was very pleases my product had sold so well. It really irritated it the way the manager acted.

Frustrated -
Rachel

I will be temporarily AFK later this afternoon and most of tomorrow. I have to go to Lubbock to get business supplies. So all incoming orders will be handled monday july 28th. Thank you for understanding.

Rachel

As my regular customers and readers know, I like to keep ahead of the seasons and holidays. I am hoping to launch for Fall the following:

Pumpkin Patch Soap - Natural fragrance Free: Pumpkin is rich in natural anti-hydroxy acids to promote cell renewel , revealing younger healthier looking skin. Also full of vitamins, C, E, and F. Wonderful!
Perfect Pumpkin - The same great formula as pumpkin Patch only fragranced in a warm and spicy pumpkin and cinnamon fragrance oil!

Hot Apple Pie - Goats Milk and Olive Oil soap scented in a delicious apple pie fragrance. I fell completely in love with this fragrance and it behaved well in soap. It's so yummy, we will most likely carry it through out the season and year round!

Fudge Brownie Soap - Goats milk and Olive Oil soap scented in a tempting fudge brownie fragrance, dark rich brown color. This soap will make you want to take a bite!

Black Raspberry Vanilla Goats Milk and Olive Oil Soap - Not particularly a seasonal fragrance and will remain on our list if it's well loved. It smells heavenly and is compareable to BBW.

Sugar Plum Fairy - Our own blend of, plums, orange and sugar fragrance in a Goats Milk and Olive Oil Soap. Is light tan in color, and makes a sweet whimsical soap for Christmas.

*** We are currently looking at a few new Christmas Fragrances like gingerbread and vanilla bean noel. Whether we use the fragrance in the soap will determine how well it cooperates with the soap and how much vanilla the fragrance contains. Fragrances with vanilla turn Soaps and Bath bombs brown, and if it's too brown it's not attractive and it will not sell. So this will be our determining factor. However, if it's not in our soap line, it will definately be available in our Lotion Bars!

I am always open for suggested fragrances for our soaps... so feel free to comment on what you would like to see. I can hunt for it and test it, and if it's great we'll list it!! :)

YAY!! Rosa Miller of Merle Norman Pure as Gold will be featuring our Soaps 'N Suds products in her Bath and Body Boutique in Albuquerque New Mexico. It will be available on her shelves starting August 1, 2008. This is really exciting for me because not only will Rosa be placing our products on her shelves that day, but I will be launching my new Lotion Bar that day!

For details on where to find Merle Norman Pure as Gold, look on our official website under Where to find out products, or on the Our Locations page.

You can expect to find the following items in Rosa's Boutique:
Our entire line of soap
Our New Lotion Bars
Sweet Thang Body Souffle
Cupcake Sugar Scrub Frosting

If you're going to be in the ALBQ area for Balloon fiesta, stop by and pay her a visit and scope out our little corner of her boutique.

Thank you Rosa!

On July 30, 2008 between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. EST we will be performing routine maintenance to our online store. Our store may be unavailable for online purchases during this time.

Again, I want to thank you all for your patience during my online remodel of Soaps 'N Suds, the store front and in updating pictures and discriptions. It's alot of work and it's taken me almost two weeks to get this far. ;) The good news is, I only lack a few more things and the website is fully updated again for another six months or until I have new soaps and products to list.

Remember, these days, I am a one woman show! :) For those of you who are just meeting me and getting to know my business, I am a divorced mom with three children. Soaps 'N Suds is my little business I run from my kitchen for the time being, until the day I can open a local shop.

I do all of the work and maintance on the website. I am the graphics designer, product editor, photographer,sales person, email representative and web designer and currently I am piggy backing my time on the website with making soap, packing soap and delivering soap, so I'm pretty weighted down these days! :) On the days I get overly bogged down, my sister comes over and helps me out where I need it, and I do appreciate it! Over time as I continue to get this business to grow, I will have the money to hire someone part time to help, but until that day comes, It's all up to me.

I've been fortunate to take a little bit a break for a few minutes from the soaps and lotion bars today, so sit and endulge myself in a nice cold Diet Dr. Pepper and a homemade caramel popcorn ball I made yesterday while I work on the website a bit more for about an hour. MMMMM, Popcorn ball from breakfast.... it's the breakfast of champions ya know! :)

Well, it's back to the kitchen, I have lots to do. I am wanting to have plenty of soap ready for my customers, my festival showings I am wanting to do, and possible consignee.

Hugs -
Soap Makin' Moma,
Rachel

Thank you for your patience and baring with me during the updates and redecorating I've been doing with the website and the store. I have focused alot on adding the newest soaps and added ALOT of new pictures this evening to the store and the website. After all of the soaps are caught up, I will be working on the candles. So for a few days, the candle section of the store will be down. I am still making candles, and have some new fragrances to add to t he list, but we have new jars and new prices to compensate the new blend of wax we're using.

For Local customers who have already started purchasing the new jars, the prices are the same. For online and out of town customers, here is the update

Frosted square apothecary jar candles, all soy wax, lead free wicks
8.5 oz - $9.99

11.5 oz. - $12.99

23 oz. Clear Glass with Lid - $24.99

32 oz. Love Grows Here, Kindred Spirit and Friends Bucket candle - 3 wicks - $34.99

Small 12 oz. Bucket single wick candles $13.99

Refills on clean jars are $1.00 an ounce.

Everyone loves oatmeal soap and we offer several differant types of oatmeal soaps.

We have Original Oatmeal Milk and Honey, my personal favorite, fragranced in a warm , sweet and delicious fragrance. Original Oatmeal Milk and Honey truly is the comfort food of our soaps.

Natural Oatmeal Milk and Honey is the same wonderful formula of Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Amish Oatmeal, Goats Milk and New Mexican Honey, only it's completely fragrance free for extra sensitive skin.

Natural Oatmeal is wonderful for itchy dry and irritated skin. Is wonderful for soothing the irritation from bug bites and skin problems.

Oatmeal and Aloe, fragrance and colorant free for extra skin soothing properties wonderful for sun burns, bug bites, rashes, dry skin the works!

All of our soaps are made with 100% natural ingredients, no chemical surfactants or preservatives included, just pure skin loving moisturizing ingredients!

There will be new soaps listed in our online store in a couple weeks. I have created a new all natural fragrance free Garden Vegetable Soap made with my own dehydrated vegetables, like tomatos, carrots, sugar snap peas, celery etc. for a soap full of vitamins, minerals and natural anti-hydroxy properties. I can't wait to package this one!

Bunny Juicy ( carrot soap ) will be available in the store in august, and our upcomming seasonal Pumpkin Patch and Perfect Pumpkin soap will be available in mid august.

Four new fantastic fragranced Goats Milk and Olive Oil soaps, including Fudge brownie with Cocoa butter, Sugar Plum Fairy, Black Raspberry Vanilla, and our seasonal Hot apple pie fragranced soaps.

The seasonal soaps were created for the upcomming fall and winter seasons, but I will keep them around due to popularity.

We have several loaves of Pine Tar soap curing, should be available mid august. I apologize for the temporary shortage, but Pine Tar has become our biggest seller and customers are calling it our "Miracle soap". I did not anticipate the immediate sell out, however, I am making more than I expect to sell this time. ;)

Keep Posted!

I made some new bath bombs, that I hope to add to the website here pretty soon! I made a jumbo bath bomb that is 12 oz. The size of a soft ball, and some pretty little heart shaped ones, about 4 oz. each.

They are so pretty tied up in a ribbon!

Snag my banner and paste it to your webpages, blogs, journals and myspace pages. Email me your banner and web address and I will return the favor.

You can locate my banner scroll box to the right, just copy and paste the code! :)

I am currently looking into several local and state wide Festivals, Trade Days and Craft shows to set up a vendors booth. I found a few pretty nifty places I am definately interested in. I wanted to do the Fair and Rodeo this year, but I didnt get my boothe application in on time. :( So I am shooting for next year!!

I am looking for information about the fall pumpkin festival at pumpkin flats. I had the phone number and information, but, one of my darling children helped themselves to my appointment book ( most likely the 18 month old baby... lol)

So if anyone has any information about Pumpkin Flats in New Mexico, in the Hobbs area, for October, please email me. You can find my email on my website.

www.soaps-n-suds.com

I recieved this question earlier and I would like to answer it, for other who may have wondered the same.

"Dear Rachel,

I was wondering, how do you know so much about skin and skin care?"

Well, alot of reading and research and experimenting on myself for one, and for 10 years I have worked for a major cosmetics and skin care company as a sales representative and beauty and skin advisor. The company sent me to classes and I've done alot of schooling through them to have a knowlege of skin, skin types and what is best for them. What they didn't teach me about was natural skin care and how alot of products on the market contain ingredients that can irritate the skin. Certian cosmetics, perfumes, lotions and personal hygene products are made for people with "normal" skin in mind. Normal skin is that of an individual who has neither oily or dry skin and isn't particularly allergic or sensitive to anything. In my opinion oily, dry, not oily, not dry, allergic, sensitive or not is all normal skin types and it doesn't seem right that there are few products out there that has those of us that is considered "abnormal" in mind. Why not make a product that ANYONE can use? That's what I do. I understand the fundementals of all types of skin and can tell you that using an oil based product is not good for someone with oily skin. So the question is asked, what do I do to moisturize? Or I hear, I can't moisturize, my skin is oily. Bulogna! You can moisturize and need to. You just need something that will clean the oil away from your skin. Using natural ingredients, like honey, goats milk, oatmeal, olive oil etc, will moisturize your skin. If you have oily skin try the oatmeal, milk and honey scrub. It will naturally clean and scrub away dirt, oil, bacteria and leave your skin moisturized without leaving oily film behind. Wash your face two or three times a day with pine tar soap and it will remove the dirt and oil and will help get rid of the acne.

In closing, thank you for your question and I hope that helps. You can do all kinds of research online about natural skin care, but when it comes to my knowlege on it, I have been studying and been taught for over 10 years.

Hugs,
Rachel

If you've been reading alot today in the Soaps 'N Suds Blog, you've noticed I've talked alot about honey and the nourishing skin benefits. Today I am sharing a few of my favorite homemade facial masks and cleansers that feature honey.
This is another one of my at-home-spa facial masks. Most moms are to busy or don't have the money to go and get a professional facial at the spa. My Avocado and honey mask is delightful and you'll love the way your skin looks and feels afterwards.

Avocado and Honey Mask

2 tbl avocado, mashed
3 tbl honey
1 egg

Mix together the egg, honey and milk thoroughly. Smooth onto face and leave on for about 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

If you wonder if natural skin care can be as effective as the kind you buy at the store with chemical aha's and surfactants, just take a look at me.

I am 30 years old and most people have mistaken me for 20 - 25 years old. Now, that's only by a few years, but looking 5 - 10 years younger is much better than looking older! :)

So what do I do? Everyday I wash my face and entire body with my olive oil soaps and pine tar soap. I always moisturize with at least an SPF 15 moisturizer and two or three times a week I use homemade facial masks and cleaners I whip up in my kitchen with natural ingredients, you probably have on hand in your cubbords too. I use alot of goats milk, butter milk, honey, oatmeal, and pureed fruits. They are all full of natural anti-oxidants, anti-hydroxy acids and vitamins that moisturize and nourish your skin! Periodically I post these recipes, if you look at the last entry there are two wonderful facial masks made with honey, oatmeal and fruits that you must try!
Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

Throughout the centuries, legendary beauties have used honey as part of their skin and hair care treatments. Cleopatra was famous for her milk and honey baths, and Poppea, wife of Roman Emperor Nero, used a honey and milk lotion on her face to keep her looking youthful. So, what is the buzz about honey anyway?

All-natural honey is an effective treatment for minor abrasions and burns. A recent review of medical research documents its effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent.The skin’s ability to stay hydrated is an important factor in its ability to maintain softness, suppleness and elasticity. As skin ages, or as it is exposed to environmental stresses and chemical agents, it loses this ability to retain water, becomes dry and appears wrinkled. Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains water. So honey is a natural fit for a variety of our products like soaps,lotion bars, lip butters and more. Because honey is also an anti-irritant, it is suitable for sensitive skin and baby care. People with oily skin conditions especially find this helpful, moisture without oiliness.

Research is currently underway to develop a process using honey to create alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs are an important ingredient in many skin creams and moisturizers because they help exfoliate the skin. Increased exfoliation, or renewal of the skin cells, gives skin a younger, more vibrant look. Exfoliation can also cause skin irritation so honey’s natural moisturizing ability makes it a perfect fit for AHA products. That is why we use natural ingredients like, honey, fruits and vegetables in our products that contain NATURAL anti-hydroxy acids and not synthetic chemical ones like alot of commercial products. Those products, over time can damage your skin and irritate it if your sensitive to them. Natural is always best! :)

Preliminary studies have also revealed that honey has significant natural antioxidant properties. Antioxidants play a role in protecting the skin from the damage of UV rays and in aiding in skin rejuvenation. Prolonged exposure to the sun’s UV radiation can cause skin damage, premature aging and even skin cancer. The natural properties of honey make it ideal for our products. Look for honey to appear in the ingredient statements of many of our products.

Honey is a wonderful ingredient in facial masks and in other beauty products. Here are a few recipes to get you started and leave your skin feeling pampered and healthy.

Oatmeal and Honey Cleanser

Mix together:

1 tablespoon Honey

2 tablespoons Oatmeal (If you use Old Fashioned Oats, Whirr for a moment in coffee grinder or food processor

½ teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (I like Bragg's Organic)

Optional: ½ teaspoon Oil (Sweet Almond, Emu, Jojoba, Rice Bran, Grapeseed, Olive, etc) this is really nice if your skin is dry. Omit if you have oily skin.

Mix together and massage gently over face. If you desire, leave on for 5 minutes or so. Rinse with warm water. For a really delicious experience, warm the mixture slightly prior to massaging on face.


Honey and Blueberry Facial Mask

½ cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)

½ cup Honey

½ cup Plain Yogurt

Rinse blueberries and place in blender or food processor. Add the honey and yogurt, blend until smooth. With fingertips and a light touch, smooth over face. Let remain for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and a damp cloth.

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

As of August 1, 2008 Soaps 'N Suds will be introducing a new Natural product to our skin care line. You will be able to locate the new product in our Body Butter Section of the store, and if it takes of well, later will have it's own category!

This new product is a Solid Lotion Bar. It has all of the moisturizing and protection of a liquid bottle of lotion, without all of the added water and junk!

It will be packaged in a clear push-up tube. They will be ideal for caring in your purse, pocket, or for travel and are wonderful of winter skin problems, like dry elbows and knees, chapped cheeks, and lips, and in general all over body lotion!
What is so wonderful about lotion bars, is they are full of moisturizing properties, they do not wash off as easily as liquid lotions and the protect your skin from further damage!

They will be available in Natural Fragrance and Colorant Free, and in you favorite Soaps 'N Suds fragrances! They will be made fresh in ordered and sealed for freshness!

Our Lotion bars will be made with beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, olive oil...

And we will have a Goats Milk and Honey Lotion Bar, made with olive oil as always,when everything is listed online, we will have an option for you to create your own lotion bar with the oil of your choice. Oil Selections will include , olive oil, sweet almond oil, safflower oil, hemp oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil in natural fragrance free or fragrance of your choice. :)

I am really excited to launch this new product. It has long been one of my favorite winter treats as well as through out all of the seasons, and I cannot wait to share it with you.

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

Well business has been great, and I appreciate all of you! If you order bath bombs between now and July 23rd, there will be a 7 day lead time for the order to be filled. In other words, orders placed today, will not be ready until July 24 - 26th.

I have a shipment of a staple ingredient for the bath bombs coming in on the 22nd of July, So we're just waiting for ingredients to be delivered. ;)

Orders placed yesterday will be delivery Monday.

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

Well, we sold out of our entire stock of pine tar soap before our new soaps were finished curing! We had one customer purchase two loaves of pine tar in one day. :) Yeah, it's that good! WOOT! The good news is, we have four loaves curing right now, and Im scheduled to make 4 more loaves this week so we don't run out again. So, you are welcomed to reserve your bars , and there is a 6 week lead time for special orders on this time for curing time.

I am requesting a maxium of 5 bars per customer for reservations, or if you like, you may order an entire loaf, but it will be 6 weeks from the time of order for curing time. With the way our pine tar is selling, I am scheduling to make 6 loaves a week, which should keep us on stock! :)

I appreciate your business and loyalty, and for your patience on bars that have sold out. Usually I am three loaves a head, but..... sometimes folks buy in large qauntities and cannot antisipate that.

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

I am pleased to announce, after months of experimenting, I have finally formulated a roll on perfume that is natural, moisturizing and phthalate free!

Now you can wear any of our fragrances as a perfume or enjoy our designer type fragrances for alot less than you would pay anywhere else!

One roll on perfume is approximately 2 oz. and is only $5.99 for a plastic roll on bottle or $6.99 for a glass roll on bottle.

Just roll on, massage in and smell pretty! Apply as needed and preferred.

All of our fragrances are Phthalate free and less likely to trigger migraine headaches, allergies and asthma!

Visit Soaps 'N Suds Offical website for handmade olive oil and goats milk soaps, Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soaps, Handmade Soy Candles, and Natural Bath Bombs!
www.soaps-n-suds.com

If you are a local customer, living in Hobbs, New Mexico, we offer free delivery to your home or place of work and you are not required to place your order on the internet. Ordering online through our shopping cart system charges the current shipping and handling charges. Just call our toll free number, or if you have our local number from our business card, and place your order with Rachel. Once your order is filled we will deliver it to you in exchange for your payment upon reciept.

At this time, we do not accept personal checks or credit cards, cash only. If you desire to pay with credit, debit, or eCheck you may send payment via paypal.

Call us today and place your order!

If we are out of a soap you order, chances are, it's already curing and will be ready shortly. You can reserve your bars by paying for them in advance, and they will be delivered as soon as you are ready.

We have a wide variety of soap in our handmade Olive Oil and Goats Milk Soaps, however, if there is a particalur type of fragrance we offer in one of the soaps you like, but do not have made, we would be more than happy to make a loaf especially for you. Here is how it works.

Say you really love our Oliva Soap and you like the fragrance of the HER shaving soap , everyone loves the Love Spell type fragrance oil, but let's say we do not have it listed. Just call and request a specialty Oliva Soap made in the Love Spell type fragrance oil.

All specialty orders require a 6 week lead time to be sure the soap is fully cured for your use, and a minimum of 6 bars must be purchased ( half of the loaf ). The buy 4 get one free discount does not apply to the specialty orders. If the new soap sells well, we will continue to keep it on hand, if it doesn't we will continue to make it on request for our special customers. :)

You may also request soaps made with other butters or oils that we do not have currently have listed. We mostly list and keep a stock of the soaps that are best sellers and people love and want most so we do not have product sitting on our shelves aging. So if you want a soap made of shea butter, with a special fragrance that is known to work well in our soaps, we would be happy to make that for you, with a minimum of a 6 bar purchase.

Not ALL of our fragrances are compatable in soap because of the reactions with the fragrance oils. Some will cause seperation in the soaps and therefore we do not use them. Fragrances you already see listed are fragrances we have tried and proven true to our soap and we can add it in any of our soap formulas except pine tar. Pine tar is pointless to fragrance because nothing blends well with pine tar. lol

Local Hobbs Customers recieve free local delivery and do not have to order online, just call your order in to Rachel and once it's filled it will be delivered.

Our Soaps, Candles and Natural Skin Care make fantastic gifts for all occasions, and we would be happy to put together a gift basket for you. Our soaps make great gifts for friends and family who have especially sensitive skin who either cannot find a good soap for their needs or are paying an arm an leg for them. Consider speaking with Rachel about creating the perfect gift for your needs. :)

Just a little post to let you all know, that I am working on store and website updates for the new few days.

There are several newly cured soaps I am working on listing, and many of them do not currently have pictures yet. I thought I would get the soaps listed, discribed and priced first and add the pictures over the next couple of days.

Thank you for your patience through all of these updates and for checking back to see whats new.

Soap Makin' Moma,
Rachel

Nikki made her first cake today as I stood by and took pictures. Her first cake is the easiest cake in the world, "Dump Cake". Here is her recipe and the method.

1 20 oz. can of undrained crushed pineapple
1 20 oz. can of cherry pie filling
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter cut into pats

First she greased and floured the cake pan.



Next she pours the crushed pineapple into the pan and spreads it out evenly


Nikki layers cherry pie filling on top of the crushed pineapple


Next , Nikki tops the pineapple and cherries with a dry yellow cake mix and spreads it evenly.



Finally, Nikki adds a stick of butter in pats over the top of the cake mix and prepares to place it in the oven, preheated at 350 degrees


And at last, 30 minutes later, a hot yummy cake! Not bad for her very first cake all by her self!

This cake is so easy, that even a kiddo can do it... it truly is "a piece of cake"!

Just a little note to all of my customers, that I have been working on redesigning the Soaps 'N Suds website. I thought at first I would take a bit of a retro approach, and it just appeared that the color schemes made it hard for customers to read the text on the pages and honestly, it just didn't say "OLD FASHIONED". lol

It will take me approximately a week to get everything matching and looking good, I am still changing old pictures and updating with new ones. So you will see some pics with that old purple background floating around here and there for a little bit longer, but as time permits, I am working on it. lol The website is fully functional as well as the store. It may take more time with the store, because it's a differant kind of coding than the rest. So bare with me while we are a little mismatched! lol

I like the new approach the design brings to Soaps 'N Suds as an old fashion general store type. This what I plan to do when I am able to open a local store front, is present it as an old fashion general store with peck buckets and baskets and barrels and what not. I think it will look real cute. :)

Well,I've done it again folks. Poked around in my pantry to find differant items to make new natural soaps with ingredients that will love your skin.

Inspired by the summer season full of fresh fruits and vegetables, I've decided to make some unique soaps straight from the garden!

The Summer Season soaps will be full of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers , handmilled by me to ensure each soap has natural ingredients without preservatives!

Currently on the Shelf and curing is the following soaps.... man I can hardly wait to list these!!!

Tomato and Basil, straight from my green house and right to your bath tub!

Bunny Juice, made with natural carrot juice and pulp , that believe it or not, I grated and juiced by hand. That was very cumbersome task, so I decided to invest in a juicer to make my job a little easier and quicker! lol

Garden Vegetable - hand picked fresh tomatos, carrots, celery, romane lettuce, and sugar snap peas. Juiced and dehydrated by hand to create a perfectly wonderful all vegan natural complextion soap to renew skin cells, reduce the signs of aging and skin damage and pamper your skin the way nature intended!

These soaps are 100% natural and the entirety of each individual vegetable was used in the soap, nothing was wasted. All vegan, no animal fats or milks, and no synthetic colors or fragrances added!

And last, but not least,
Fruit Medley, a combination of apple, pear, strawberry, plum and nectarine for a fantastic natural and fruity complextion soap. Natural fragrance and color free, vegan friendly, or Natural with skin safe fragranced Fruit Medley, vegan friendly. ;)

I can't wait to post pictures of these fun , healthy soaps!

The cost of olive oil has gone down and the cost of coconut oil as gone up. Both increase and decrease is equal to each other leveling out to our cost of making the same being the same as before the change. Customer cost on the purchase of our soaps will remain the same.

This makes me happy, considering the cost of living seems to be going up quickly these days. I have resorted to going to the post office once a week rather than Monday, Wednesday and Friday, due to the price of gas in my area being 4.13 a galon.

I am hoping the prices of our Butters, Oils and Sodium Hydroxide will remain the same so I will not have to raise our prices on our soap. I like keeping our soaps at a competitive price that is affordable for my customers, but fair enough for me to make a profit. :)

After the pain-staking task of experimenting with Pine tar, it became available in our soap "line" last week. Already, an entire loaf and 1/2 has been sold and our customers are already placing future orders and raving about it!

One customer reports that the leisians he suffers from possiable skin cancer from years of sun damages has started to clear up and feel better.

Another customer purchased it for his son for psoriasis and after 4 days of use his rash is completely gone and hasn't itched one time since!

Two customers purchased it for use on their acne and both say after three to four days of use their acne is completely gone!!

I used it on my middle of the month break out and after three days it was cleared up!!

Rashes are disappearing, acne is clearing up, dry skin is softer and smoother.

Pine tar soap is here to stay at Soaps 'N Suds!!

We have finally found 100% Natural Fragrance Oils to add to our soaps made with essential oils and resins. These Oils are alot more expensive and will be used in a more expensive luxury soap for those with sensative skin. Each Natural FO is $10.00 for two ounce and our Individual batches of soap takes in a little more FO than 2 oz.

Using these Natural Oils will increase the select bars of soap made with these special fragrance oils approximately 7.99 a bar.

All of our usual Natural Frangrace and Color Free soaps, and Natural soap with skin safe fragrances will remain the same price. The only soaps that will be higher will be the specialty 100% Natural Fragranced soaps due to the high qaulity fragrance oils.

We're currently looking at trying a couple of these new qaulity natural FO's, including Oatmeal Cookie, Fruit and Yogurt, Dreamcicle, and maple crunch.

We currently have new soaps curing on the rack , and will be available July 2008.
These new soaps are natural , color and fragrant free oatmeals soaps for customers with sensitive skin.

The soaps include:

Natural Oatmeal Goats Milk Soap
Natural Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap ( as delightful as our original OMH, without the fragrance!)
Natural Oatmeal and Aloe Soap

Again, they are fragrance and colorant free soaps made with Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Goats Milk , Oatmeal, Honey or Aloe

We just poured five new soaps yesterday and cut them and placed them on the wracks for curing today. The new soaps will be available in Mid July.
The new Soaps include and are fantastic may I add:

Sole to Soul - Peppermint leaves, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil,jojoba, vitamin e , goats milk and olive oil join together in a deliciously fragrant foot scrub soap. This soap makes your tired tootsies cool and tingle while the tea tree and eucalyptus oils fight off stinky bacterias and foot fungus. Pure Peppermint leaves lace this fragrant soap and makes a nice exfoliation while the olive oil, goats milk, vitamin e and jojoba oil nourish and pamper delicate skin. This is soap is food for the sole!

Orange Java Kitchen Soap - Sweet Orange essential Oils and columbian coffee grounds create an order elemenating bar of soap that will exfoliate and nurture your skin, while removing orders like onions, garlic and fish! Perfect for the kitchen or taking a bath. This soap smells like sweet orange peel.

Oatmeal and Aloe Soap, Fragrance and Colorant Free - We've combined two of the best skin soothing ingredients into one bar of soap. Contains Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Goats Milk, Aloe Butter, Amish Oatmeal, Vitamin E and Jojoba oil. Perfect for sensitive skin!

HIS soap - A wonderful manly soap for your other half. Our Premium Goats Milk and Olive Oil Soap in a nice rich army green color fragranced like a gentlman's cologne. Smells like Intuition for Men!

HER soap - A truly lovely fragranced soap for your lovely lady. Our Premium Goats Milk and Olive Oil Soap in a pretty purple color scented in a designer perfume type fragrance. Smells like Love Spell!

Valentine- Rose buds and oatmeal join together to create a delightfully scented herbal soap , color free , fragranced with victorian rose FO with our moisture loving goats milk and olive oil soap, with sun dried rose buds and amish oatmeal. Roses are high in vitmin C and have wonderful astringent properties, while oatmeal soothes the skin. :)

As a promotional bargain for our customers we are currently offering buy four bars of our handmade soap and get one free! Just request the free bar you want upon check out, or we will gladly choose one of our fine handmade soaps for you. ;)

Our Oatmeal Milk and Honey Soap is now available in the CP Soap section of our store!!

Contains Sopanified Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Goats Milk, Coconut Milk, Honey, Amish Oatmeal, Vitamin E, Glycerine and Fine Fragrance Oil.

Our Soaps are Phthalate Free and do not contain any additives, preservatives or foam boosters such as Paraben or SLS!

This soap is Lightly Scented and in it's natural color.

Our Natural Goat Milk Soap is now cured, packaged and available on the website for ordering. ;) More will be available later today and tomorrow, so please keep posted. :)

Contains Sopanified Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Coconut Milk, Goat Milk, Glycerine, Vitamin E.
This soap is approximately 5 oz. each bar and is fragrant and colorant free. Contains no Preservatives, or chemicals such as Paraben or SLS. ;)

Natural seems to be a loosely defined word alot of manufactures of soaps and toiletry products tend to toss around. When people became health concious and concerned about alot of the additives and chemicals being added into their soaps and such, they stopped using products that related to the ingredients. And rightfully so. I know I don't use products that contain certian ingredients.

We live in a world where nothing is natural anymore. It is pumped full of preservatives, alternatives, synthetics, chemicals and agents to create something more cost efficient. Soap for example. I can go on about this all day long. Unless you have sensative skin that these chemicals effect alot, it may not bother you much. But when you've watched your mother suffer from miagrances because of specific perfumes and fragrances, and your family suffers from psoriasis and eczema or get a rash from something you used that you thought was mild or safe, it most likely won't bother you, or may not even think about it. But once you have used a bar of soap that has given you a rash from head to toe or a hair gel that makes your sons ears swell then you start to wonder " WHAT IS IN THIS STUFF!?"

Alot of manufactures use the term "natural" so people who are more concious of these problems and are sensitive to additives will continue to sell their products. But when you get to looking into the labels, there are still a handful of ingredients that are Chemicals and preservatives. Like SLS for example. On a natural label they may define it as being Naturally derived from coconuts. SO? It is not coconut in the soap is it? It is an extract from the coconut they remove to make the chemical. What is SLS? As I've mentione before it is a foaming agent. Coconut OIL is natural and pure from coconuts, and guess what, when sopanified in soap it is a NATURAL foaming agent. No chemical needed just the coconut oil.

Which brings along the question I've been asked... " If you make soap with lye, how is that natural?" Well, that is a wonderful question. Lye or Sodium Hydroxide was accidently discovered when water and wood ash met up. And later it was discovered when you mix the water from the wood ash with fat it makes a soap. If you use the right natural oils you will NOT need chemicals or foaming agents to get a wonderfully natural and lathering bar or soap. Pure coconut oil does this. it is a true NATURAL SURFACTANT. It is a bit more expensive to make, but your skin loves you for it.

Using Lye to make soap is a key element, you cannot make true soap without. You start using alternatives to get away from lye and you get SLS, Paraben, and other ingredients that make a detergent not soap. By the time the oils are completely sopanified, the bar of soap has NO LYE remaining. SO truthfully, there is no lye in the soap, and when it is tested on a PH strip, it comes out to a 7, which is the mildest soap you will find. There are no preservatives for a long shelf life, because making soap cold process requires no heat to sopanify the oils, therefore they do not turn rancid. We also use vitamin E in our soap, which is considered a natural preservative for just in case.

Case in point is, it is not natural if it has a bunch of junk added to it. It is natural if it is allowed to go through a natural process of making soap without anything extra to foam better, last longer, be harder etc.

Our soaps are truly natural and we share ALL of the ingredients in it. Sopanified Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Mango Butter, Sunflower Oil, Safflower Oil, Cotton Seed Oil, Pine Tar.... etc. all of which are 100% pure and natural , unrefined!

I really enjoy what I do. It began as a hobby and then turned to my way of providing for my little family. My dream, is to someday soon have a local Soaps 'N Suds store front in town with a window where people can watch me make my soaps. Let's go ahead and take a tour of me making some Orange Ginger Frangranced soap today. My son obliged the pictures from a distance while I worked.
I first begin by weighing and measuring out my oils into a stainless steel pot and I place it on the oven over a very low heat , just enough to melt the solid oils and liquid oils together.

I then pour the sodium hydroxide into my water and mix it in the sink with the window wide open for ventalation then place my themometer in to monitor the temperature.


While the lye is cooling and oils have been fully melted I check the temperates of both oil and alkali solution to make sure they are simular in temps.



Slowly I pour the alkali mixture into the melted oils. I do it very slowly to prevent any splash back. Although I use goggles, gloves, long sleeve shirt and an apron, I do not want any of the caustic to splash back on me and land on any part of my face or other unprotected skin.


I then mix the oil and alkali mixture together with a stick blender, stopping periodically to hand mix with a wooden spoon to relieve any air bubbles the stick blender my incooperate.


After a few minutes of mixing with the stick blender and periodically hand mixing, I add the fragrance or additives if any at medium trace and continue mixing with the hand mixer and wooden spoon until the mixture becomes the consistancy of pudding.

Once I have reached this stage, I pour the sopanifying soap into lined wooden soap boxes, insulate it with towels and let it set for 24 hours before I check it.


My orange ginger fragranced Olive Oil soap is currently resting in the soap box in the closet. Tomorrow I will open it up and see how well it did and will take pictures of the outcome to share with you. :)

Rachel