Friday, April 29, 2011

Some New Soap-Lebermuth Co-op

I have not posted soap pictures in a very, very long time. Recently I participated in a co-op purchase of Lebermuth fragrances and essential oils. I've been making six bar test batches with each as time permits. So far each and every fragrance has been very well behaved allowing for plenty of time for delicate, multicolor swirls. All of the swirls were done using the ITP (in The Pot) method. Take a look!

First, is Egyptian Dragon. This one was a surprise to me. I had never experienced the fragrance before, but took a chance. it's a soft, perfumy scent. The scent description from Lebermuth is, "Tantalizing warm blend of myrrh, dragons blood, patchouli; with floral notes of rose and jasmine, kissed with base notes of woodsy musk, make this blend a must have for your wonderful is line." This one is colored with Bamboo Charcoal and Colorona Bordeaux mica. As the soap ages it is beginning to darken to a tan. I'm hopeful it will still be beautiful once it finishes discoloring.

Next is White Musk. I love musk. Out of the bottle it is a light musk scent. It is beginning to bloom now that it has been introduced to the soap. "An intriguing, complex floral musk. Fresh floral top notes with ozone, citrus, apple, strawberry, muguet and blueberry. Mid notes of jasmine, rose, lilac, gardenia, carnation, camphor and peach. Base notes include mossy amber, musk, orange flower and powder." It too is starting to darken as it ages. The colorant is pearl white mica.

Third is Blue Musk. It is softly feminine musk. "A delicate, light, floral musk. Top notes of lily of the valley. Mid notes of jasmine. Musk and vanilla form the base. " It is light out of the bottle and in the soap. It's nice though, even at 1 oz per lb of oils. The colorant is Ultramarine Blue. So far no discoloration.

Fourth in this line up is Tuberose. This fragrance went viral with the buyers. One person mentioned the greatness of the FO and suddenly everyone had to have it. :) "The tuberose is traditionally a night blooming plant famous in Hawaii to create long-lasting leis. Complex, sweet, exotic and elegantly floral." It was a well behaved floral. I used 1 oz PPO and it is very strong. I will probably back down to .7 for the larger batch. It is colored with Pearl Green and Pearl Pink for the swirls and a bit of Titanium Dioxide in the base. The tuberose, I learned, is a very white flower with a blush of pink occasionally and green foliage.

Finally two versions of Lemongrass. The first is the plain and simple essential oil with no extra colorant. It is fresh and delightful all by itself. I have test blended the EO with lavender and geranium rose and really like this lemongrass. This soap fits very well in my Pure Essentials lineup.

Here's the other Lemongrass. This one I chose to add pulverized lemongrass herb. It took a surprisingly long time to turn the dried herb into a powder. So far I like the effect. I'll be watching carefully for any discoloration from the herb. I imagine it will impart some scrubbiness to the soap as it cures.





These will be available at SweetTeagans.com and on my Etsy store once they're fully cured. Give them at least four weeks.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Introducing Luxury Shampoo for (Wo)man's Best Friend


As I formulate surfactant based shampoos for people, my mind always wanders to adaptations I can make for our furry family members. If your dogs are like mine, they like to play in the mud, roll in 'stuff' and get doggone dirty. I could use some real, natural soap on them - and I have - but it doesn't leave their coats as nice as I like.

The pH of cold process soap is much too high for hair (human or dog). It opens the cuticle of the hair leaving it vulnerable to breakage. You 'could' rinse with apple cider vinegar to adjust the pH and close the hair shaft, but to be honest that's never worked as well as advertised. If you've ever tried that method you know what I mean.

After several formulations, I've settled on this plant based surfactant blend loaded with oat protein, Vitamin B5 Panthenol, and coat conditioners. I chose Oatmeal as the scent for the calm and gentle feeling people seem to get when they smell it.

Since the shampoo is a solid form, this is no watered down version of a deluxe shampoo. You're not paying extra for petroleum packaging and you're unlikely to spill it accidentally as most of us tend to do when bathing our dogs. You're also not paying to ship water. Each 3 oz bar of solid is the equivalent to 12-18 oz of traditional shampoo. That translates to dozens of baths.

To use the shampoo, simply wet the dog's coat, rub the bar over the dog's coat a couple of times, rub your hands through the coat to create luscious lather then rinse. You'll see lots of foamy bubbles, yet this shampoo rinses quickly and cleanly leaving a sparkling coat that is not left stripped of natural oils.

You could stop there, but I've created a partner to the dog spa day shampoo in the form of a solid conditioner. Just swipe the conditioner bar over the dog's back and rinse it out. As the rinse water runs down the coat it will add silky conditioners leaving the hair smooth and shiny. You won't want to stop petting your dog after this treatment. Mine don't seem to mind :)

This Dog Shampoo and Conditioner Duo is listed on SweetTeagans.com and at my Etsy Store. They will be packaged in natural muslin drawstring bags.

Sample versions of this duo have been donated to my County Animal Control as a gift to people who adopt a new dog this month.

Solid Bubble Bath Bars


Recently I've had a lot of requests to share my favorite bubble bar recipe. Today has been a wonderful day, so I'm in a sharing mood :)

I welcome you to use this formula as-is and even post it to your own site, as long as you give credit to me and post a link back to this blog. Deal? OK, here you go.

Shannon's Favorite Bubble Bar Formula:
Dry Phase:
SCI 4% (I'm experimenting with higher percentages of this)
SLSa 18% (Working to replace with Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate)
Cream of Tartar 26%
sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) 37%

Wet phase:
cocamidopropyl betaine 8%
coco silky cleanse (or DLS Mild or some other gentle liquid surfactant) 6%
fragrance 1%
color (I've used liquid lakes and mica. they both work fine) It only takes a teensy amt of color!

Step 1. pulverize the dry ingredients (like in a coffee grinder or food processor.) Be patient - the SCI may take a beating before it surrenders into powder. Make sure everything is well blended. I've recently discovered the Ninja Power Prep food processor and love it for this application!

Step 2. Using gloves, pour the wet ingredients over the dry. Work quickly to blend it all together well. Once the blend forms a dough and becomes less sticky, mold into your choice of shapes. Ice cube trays are about right for a single use bath size. You can make them into bars so the user has to break off a piece. It's up to you.

Step 3: Allow to dry for an hour or so before trying to unmold. They will not hold together well if unmolded too soon. Package them or use once they're nice and dry. I usually wait a couple of hours at least. I've stored them in the open in our main bathroom and they work just fine.

Notes: These will begin to puff up as you mold them. You can either leave them rustic, or smoosh them down into the mold to get them more dense. I like them dense so they take longer to dissolve under tub water. The texture of this blend should be similar to stale Circus Peanut candy (come on, you know what Circus Peanuts are )

This blend should produce lots of billowy foamy suds using a very small amount of bubble bar. My typical size for a 'single serving' is about 15 grams - roughly a tablespoon. That's how concentrated and powerful the synergy of the surfactant blend is.

I have softened well water and these bubble for a good long time. As the water cools let out some of the water, add more hot water to the tub and enjoy a recharge of SCI bubbles.

Have fun!-Shannon

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Your Favorite Soap Swap

I just wrapped up hosting the "Second Annual Your Favorite Soap Swap" for the Dish Forum. The swap was limited to 20 participants, and allowed for Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, CP/HP or M&P soap.

Participants were given several months to create and cure their favorites. Here's the Cast:


My own submission into this swap is the center soap in the last photo. It's my favorite at the moment: Avocado Oil. It contains Palm Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Distilled Water, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Cream, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Essential Oils (Geranium Rose, Orange, Lemongrass and Dark Patchouli), Vitamin E-Tocopherol, Green Chrome Oxide Pigment, Titanium Dioxide, Tussah Noil Silk.

I love how silky the lather feels with the avocado oil, cream and silk. I cannot wait to try out all of my friends' favorites.

Recipients should be receiving their return boxes starting Monday 4/25. I can hardly wait to hear their reactions to the many new gift soaps!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Is Your Home Naturally Clean?

Mine is. Or more accurately, it soon will be even more so.

Remember a month or so back when I wrote about my submission to the Home Cleaning Swap? Well, I received my return box yesterday filled with things to make my home more naturally clean.
Photo one contains:
- The Carpet "Re-freshener" you've already read about
- Four Theives Room Spray
- Aveda Madagascar Room Spray
- A Laundry Stain Stick
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner
- Dishwasher Detergent

Photo 2 contains:
- Lavender Dryer Sachets with 'refill' of Lavender Essential Oil
- Glass Cleaner
- Scouring Powder
- Laundry Soap

Not pictured: Vinegar/Citrus Solid Surface Cleaner. This item didn't make the box, though I do have the formula and have been enjoying citrus cleaning power for several months.

I have already tried the Dishwasher Detergent and Dryer Sachets, and of course the carpet re-freshener :). My house is smelling divine without all of the nasty fumes from typical cleansers. Next up, tackling the toilet bowl.

If you'd like any of the ingredients or a starter recipe for your own cleaning products, please let me know in the comments section. I can blog a few recipes for you.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Oatmeal Cream Cookies

I must be on a sandwich cookie stint lately. I had a craving for oatmeal cookies that had to be fulfilled. What could possibly make them better? Why filling of course.


My usual oatmeal cookie is a thick, soft cookie. This version is a thin, crispy cookie that softens over time to make those pretender oatmeal sandwich cookies available at the mega marts a distant, not so pleasant memory (you know the ones I am writing about...).

This recipe comes to you from the blog How To Eat A Cupcake. Casssie, the author, has recently opened a bakery in Virginia that I will be certain to visit the next time I'm in the area.

Cookie Ingredients:
Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder.
Add to the creamed mixture.
Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well.
In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well.
Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons at first, then reduced to 1 tablespoon once I saw thesize) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes (I found 10 minutes to be far too long. 8.5 - 9 minutes were perfect. )
Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.

Filling Ingredients:

I used the same filling as made for the Whoopie Pies a few days ago.
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons marshmallow fluff.
Mix well with hand mixer and spread on cooled cookies.

I caved... Bought a Smartphone.

You'd think that someone who spent the majority of her career in technology would be a geek for electronics. Nope. I think I was the last of my circle to even get an iPod.

DH desperately needed a new cell phone. His hard-working Motorola Razor was due for a decent retirement. My own little phone was still functional, but occasionally have a stuck button or two. We compared phones and plans for months. Yes months. This decision was as big as a new car purchase :).

We settled yesterday on Sprint service, each getting a different smart phone. He chose the HTC Epic 4g, while I kept gravitating to the Samsung Epic 4g. They're both sexy phones that have enough to keep us entertained.


I justify my splurge on the fact that I really needed to change my credit card service provider. I needed something that I could run charges through quickly and efficiently at a craft show rather than running all charges at home after the show. Using the old method, by the time I ran a charge that was denied, it was too late therefore costing me time and money - two things I hate to waste or lose. The few times I used the optional phone in charge feature I found it long and cumbersome. When you're busy at a craft fair the last thing you want to do is lose a sale because it takes too long to check out!

The first app I downloaded was Square from Squareup.com. It was a breeze to set up and my card reader 'dongle' should arrive in 7-10 days. In the meantime I can easily key in credit card info and know if it's approved or denied immediately. The fees are better than my current merchant account too!

I ran my first test charge through the key in interface in less than a minute. The funds showed up in my online account immediately. I'm sold!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Where the wild things are. (In my barn of course)

My workshop is downstairs with a few windows that allow in sights and sounds from the outdoors. I hear leaves rustling and smiled thinking the hens were 'working' around the foundation. I look up from pouring candles and see..... an Oppossum! It was high noon!

I scurried upstairs before the dogs discovered it and watched the creature stumble around trying to act casual. This got the attention of the chickens and roos of course. The oppossum managed to find his way into the chicken coop in my barn. Convenient. Locked him up and called AC to come and get him. They took him to a rehabber to check him out because they couldn't tell by looking at him if he was sick or groggy from coming our of hibernation.

Here he is waiting for his limo ride.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Whoopie for Whoopie Pies!


Our weather took a turn for the colder after a nice early week-long melt. Well, being indoors makes me think about baking. It's efficient to help warm the house using the oven, right?

Today I couldn't resist the allure of a Whoopie Pie any longer. I dug out my favorite recipe that's been through at least 6 moves with me. It's from the Sunset Cookies Book. The original recipe is called "Chocolate Cream Cushions".
Cookie Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Butter (softened)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Step 1: Sift Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Cocoa into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugar. Add Egg and Vanilla. Blend well
Step 3: Add 1/3 of milk blend til incorporated
Step 4: Add 1/3 of flour mixture. Blend til incorporated
repeat steps 3 & 4 until all of the milk and flour mixture are gone. Give the bowl a good scrape with a rubber spatula to make sure it's all mixed in.

The batter should be thick and a bit fluffy.

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. the recipe states by teaspoonfuls, but I use a #20 disher about 2/3 full. (A disher is like an ice cream scoop).

Bake in 400* preheated oven for 10 minutes. Do Not Overbake! The tops will spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool cookies well then make a sandwich using the Buttercream Icing (recipe next) to stick the halves together.

Buttercream Frosting: 10 Tablespoons Soft butter (the original recipe calls for 12, but I didn't want to break open another stick)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla (Yum for the extract we made for the Holidays!)
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
6 Tablespoons Fluff (yep the kind you remember from the fluffernutter sandwiches ash a kid).

Beat this until it's all fluffy and delicious. Spread a generous amount onto one of the cookies. top with another cookie. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Something That Made Me Smile

It's the little things in life that mean the most to me. Up until a couple of days ago my yard was covered with a beautiful blanket of white snow. Deep snow. Heavy snow. Then the February heatwave came through and melted all of that pristine snow making way for mud. Both snow and mud mean the chickens and ducks prefer to stay in the barn tossing hay and straw all over in their quest for something to do.

As the winds came through, all of that was blown away. When I returned home from delivering soap to a few special customers I let the dogs out for some relief. This is what met us.
It began to feel like Spring. During the warmer months most of my flock is allowed to free-range and tend the yard. They keep an eagle eye on the back door knowing that when it opens there's bound to be a treat thrown their way. They know when dinner time for humans is and knock at the door for kitchen scraps if we don't serve them quickly enough. I can't help but smile.

Here is the ever-vigilant Mojo Jojo. He's an Americauna cockerel that was supposed to be a pullet. His head comes to about mid-thigh to me, so I would imagine he's the size of a small hen turkey. We have a deal that he can stay as long as he respects the humans. So far it's working out.
In the very foreground (bottom of the photo) is Zhu Zhu, the roo rescued from Animal Control last July. In the far back (behind Mojo) is Roady Roo, a little cockerel raised by me beloved Road Runner hen. Yes we have too many roos. Not pictured is Uno, the head roo, a Silkie Bantam and daddy to Roady Roo.

When the treats were gone, they still hung out hopeful for more.


Though the weather man forecast snow and freezing rain for Sunday I suspect Spring is right around the corner.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Up and Etsy time!

Seeing as how the craft fair season is far in the future, I decided to check off business resolution #1 for 2011: Open my Etsy Shop. Yes, I have a web site that does very well. The thing is, you can never have too much exposure. The competition among Etsians is fierce, the the rewards are priceless.
Rewards come at a price though. It takes a lot of work and dedication to set up a shop and manage products. For instance, my main web site provides one catalog photo. Take a few photos. Pick the best and post it. Simple. Etsy provides up to 5 views of each listing. Soap isn't always the easiest thing to make appear artful, but I think I have found "my look". I chose 4 "views" of the same stack of soap. Choosing the best four bars from a batch is harder than you think. "Dressing" those bars to photo well is an art form unto itself

Choosing the bars: I looked at all angles of each bar to find one that cut smoothly and looks creamy. Those with minor imperfections can often be buffed out with a little 91% alcohol and a piece of organza cloth. I looked for bars with "frosting", or decorative tops. My regular customers demand frosting, so I give them frosting. Who am I to argue?

Perspectives: Each listing has a "front" perspective of a bar face beside a stack of 3 soap tops.
I liked the glass marbles because they add a bit of shimmer and reflected light onto the subject soap.
Pose 2, closeup of the frosting.
You can imagine how important it is to choose bars with little to no ash. I discovered the 91% alcohol spritz trick on the Dish Forum. I use it with great success on each and every batch to ensure a shiny top.

Pose 3: Front angle:
Placing 4 bars at a slight angle like good little soldiers made me smile. Each face profile peeking out from behind the next shows a hint of the creaminess hidden within.

Pose 4: The top angle:
I liked the birds eye view of the same bars.

Now repeat that for each and every soap bar listed on the site and you have yourself several days of photo taking and editing. At least I did. Time well spent, don't you think?

My Etsy Store is here: Sweet Teagan's At Etsy
Stop in for a visit. Show me some love when you get there by making my shop a favorite.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Testing, Testing. A Bunch of FO's in CP Soap.

I have been collecting a lot of little fragrance testers lately. When I see a sale for a company that I like to order from, my credit card shudders a little. I decided that before I buy any more fragrances, I need to try those I already have. Here are just a few of the things I needed to test. In reality, there are waaaaaaay more than this.
Key Questions:
1: Does the FO accelerate, rice or seize?
2: Does the FO discolor?
3: Does it morph?
4: Does it fade?

This is where silicone molds come in very handy. I have 2 round "puck", 4 heart, and a few other shapes just taking up space. I decided that 2 oz tester bars would answer the key questions without sacrificing too much soap batter.

I also wanted to test out the new Vanilla Stabilizer from Nature's Garden Candle Supply on a couple of FO's that I know for a fact discolor DARK: The Scent Works' Pink Sugar and The Scent Works Vaniglia de Madagascar and a new FO that I'm sure WILL discolor, Nature's Garden Vanilla Extract. The Vanilla White Stabilizer usage rate is .3% of the total batch (water, lye and oils).

Here's the math:
40 fragrances
2 oz testers, (approx 56-60 grams each)
80 total oz of soap (lye + water+oils)
Vanilla Stabilizer = .003 * 2 oz or .003 * 60 grams = .18 grams VS (thank goodness I have the tiny gram scale from TKB-Trading!)

I figured a 60 oz batch using a 33% lye solution would do the trick. Rather than waste precious cocoa and shea, I stuck to the trinity: Coconut, palm and Olive. SF was 5%.
FO at approximately 1 oz PPO = 2.5 grams per 2 oz tester.

I used the thermal transfer method to help ensure a long working time. No colors to worry about, but lots of FO's to measure.

Here's a photo of the aftermath:

The process:
LABEL YOUR TRAYS!!!
I used letters in the top left corner to orient myself in case the tray got turned. Good thing too, because they DID get turned.
Pour the 6 cavities in the first mold with approximately 2 oz of batter. The first 3 FO's were to try the vanilla white, so I pre mixed the VW with the FO's then one by one poured the FO mixture into the mold stirring briskly with a chopstick until it looked blended. Rinse, repeat for each one. I kept the bottles of FO lined up in order of where they were poured so that I could take notes later.

Repeat for tray #2. Instead of pre-weighing the partial grams of FO, I used a graduated pipette to dispense the fragrance into the muffin cups.

Lecithin Test:

One FO started to rice. I stirred as best I could then reached for the lecithin. I used a 400 IU caplet for the FO in a mixing cup. It was probably too much lecithin, but I was in a hurry. The second pour of the FO was much smoother. Mental note.

Repeat for trays 3, 4, and 5. By this time the soap batter was getting thick. I added some water to the batter to thin it a bit but I couldn't expect miracles! Tray #6 was a tiny muffin tray, so 1 oz testers...

I remembered to write down the FO's in each tray by the positions and have to make little tags to keep with the soaps once they come out of the molds.

4 trays are sitting on the pellet stove in hopes of coming to gel. The rest will have to sit for a few days before they can come out of the molds. I suppose I could stick them all in a low oven to gel, but that requires me to trek up/down stairs several times.


I will post after photos of them so you can see if the VW does its job or not. I'm a little hopeful, but at the same time worried that it will morph the scent.

Fragrances Tested:
  1. TSW Pink Sugar with VS
  2. TSW Vaniglia de Madagascar with VS
  3. NG Vanilla Extract with VS
  4. Peaks Frankincense & Myrrh
  5. AH Vetiver
  6. NG Cucumber Melon
  7. Pear Pleasure
  8. Peak Bartlet Pear
  9. NG Nag Champa
  10. NG Sweet Pea
  11. AH Mint Julep
  12. AH Gap Heaven
  13. NG Cucumber Melon
  14. Amber Musk
  15. AH Gap Earth
  16. AH White Tea
  17. AH Cotton Blossom
  18. AH Amber Romance
  19. AH Almost Paradise
  20. AH Amazing Grace
  21. AH Dreamcatcher
  22. CC Victorian Rose
  23. AH Childs Room
  24. AH Barbershop 1920s
  25. NG French lavender
  26. AH Aqua
  27. AH Pineapple
  28. AH White Tea & Ginger
  29. NG Fresh Raspberry
  30. NG Rice Petals and Shea
  31. NG Bamboo Hemp (with and without Lecithin)
  32. NG Mango Papaya
  33. AH Neroli
  34. AH Pomegranate & Oak
  35. AH Lemon Verbena
  36. AH Japanese Pear & Ginseng
  37. AH Falling Leaves
  38. AH Black Linen & Amber
  39. AH Blackberry Sage
  40. AH Interlude
  41. AH Oak Barrel Cider
  42. AH Badedas
  43. AH Black Raspberry Vanilla
  44. AH Celtic Moonspice
  45. TSW Creamy Coconut
  46. TSW Ginger Souffle

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Open up and say Aaaaawwww!

When a gift holiday would roll around, I would ask my daughter, Teagan, what she wanted most. Her answer never varied. She wanted a kitten of her very own. This went on for more than 2 years. Finally, the right kitten came along. thanks to my volunteer position at Animal Control I was able to preview kittens to find the right one for our family.

On Christmas morning 2010 the very last gift Teagan opened was her kitten. It was love at first sight for both of them. Here she they are giving hugs:

As kittens often do, she finds the coziest places to snooze. Here is Holly on a stack of blankets.


To show me just how exhausted she was from being so cute, she gave a big kitty yawn.

Winter Products Swap-Part 2

Delivery of my Winter Products Swap box was delayed by the Great Blizzard of 2011. We ended up getting about 2 feet of snow, but that's another story that I'll save for later.Back to your regularly scheduled post...

My box arrived a couple of days later than everyone else's, but it sure was worth the wait. I'm posting the spoiler photos taken by the swap hostess. I received back 24 new items to try. Man were they awesome. Here are 2 photos of the loot:

Notice the lovely lot of lotions, balms, butters,soaps, body oils, and more? Awesome, huh?
This second photo shows the hand knitted neck warmer. Mine is actually a lovely blue. It comes in very handy with the sub zero weather in Chicagoland! See my con"dish"ioner and poo? They;re in good company.


The hard part now it trying it all out. I chose a different lotion/butter for each leg and arm. Then the cuticle jellies and footie stuff. I smell wonderful and am soft as buttah! I used another swapper's Intensive Hair Conditioner and my hair looks fab. It will take me until spring to work through all of this awesomeness.

Winter Products Swap

I've been busy signing up for, and making products for, swaps at the Dish Forum. The most recent swap is the Winter Products Swap. The premise of the swap is to make something that people need during the harsh and gray winter months. I chose to make a solid hair conditioner with a little travel shampoo.

The first hurdle was done: what to make. The0 next, more difficult challenge was to decide upon a fragrance. What would I like in February? Where would I like to be? Easy: Enjoying citrus in Florida. Beaches and fresh juice, preferably on South Beach with a beachy drink in hand while watching the waves.

With a goal in mind, I set sail for my Fragrance cabinet. Fresh Squeezed Oranges, Lime Cilantro, Ruby Red Grapefruit and Mojito fragrances found their way to me. I started at a ratio of 1:1:1:1 and worked in more of one or another until I smelled "The" scent. Citrus Mojito. Bliss.

I then gathered all of my solid conditioner ingredients and molds and made 25 of the little darlings. 24 2.5 oz Solid Conditioners colored with Tangerine Pop! mica.



... and don't forget the 25 1 oz solid shampoos with the same color and fragrance.

Next challenge: Packaging. I made cute round labels with the ingredients on the back and the major info on the front. They were shrink wrapped to the bottom of each conditioner.
Here's a close up of the label:


The little shampoos got a custom product information card and were stapled into a treat bag.


Got them all shipped off to the swap hostess and began waiting ever so (im)patiently for the return box. I love swaps! They're like Christmas all year long!

Friday, January 7, 2011

"Dish" Home Cleaning Swap 2011

As some of you already know, I am a member of "The Dish Forum", which is made up of a very talented and generous group of formulators and business owners. Each year I participate in several "Swaps", where different people make products to share with one another. The next swap that is due for my products is the Home Cleaning Swap.

The Home Cleaning Swap came about after a discussion about using natural ingredients to clean the home. Several people in the discussion make specialty products such as degreasers, dryer sachets and such. We each signed up for a cleaning item with the stipulation that only essential oils could be used for fragrance.

My choice was carpet freshener, or as I have labeled my items, "Carpet Re-Freshener". I don't have many carpets left since working for the past 3 years to remove the wall to wall in favor of hardwood with a few area rugs. Even so, those area rugs do get a little 'not-so-fresh' in the winter time, so I went about researching and testing until I cam up with something that worked very well in my house.

The ingredients are simple: Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Borax and non-Iodized Salt. For fragrance I chose Lavender, Lemon and Litsea Cubeba. For a little fun, I added dried lavender buds.

The next issue I had was to choose packaging. Glass Mason style Jars would have worked, but mailing them to the hostess of the swap, then mailing them again could prove disastrous. Instead, I broke out the trusty Singer and made shaker pouches. Basically I made drawstring bags out of muslin with a piece of nylon netting inside the opening to control the flow of powder out of the bag and provide a bit of 'sprinkling' action. It worked great, but took for EVER to make all 10 of them.

I added an iron on transfer to the front of the bag to identify the contents as mine and make the plain bag a little more dressy. When full to the maximum capacity these bags will probably hold 3-4 lbs of carpet refresher.

Here they all are waiting for wrapping:


I sealed them in shrink wrap for their journey, but decided not to shrink them because they looked better 'unshrunk'.


I included the 'recipe' and directions in the shrink packaging so the swappers would be able to make it again if they chose to. If you would like the recipe, or would like to know how I made the shaker pouches just drop a comment below.