Michele's Essentials

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The TRUTH about Handmade Liquid Soaps

I've been keeping tract of a lot of soapmaking topics online, and one of the main false facts that I keep running across is about the topic of 'HANDMADE LIQUID SOAPS'.

The common misinformation that I keep seeing is potental customers staying clear of handmade shower gels (and the likes) because they keep seeing handmade soapmaking shops offering shower gels that contain the same ingredients as what you buy in the common grocery store.

This is NOT SO with all handmade shower gels, bubble baths, liquid hand cleansers, shampoos and the likes. There are a few of us who pride themselves on the fact that they can and DO produce a completly handmade liquid soap without all those nasty chemicals, surfactants, SLS's, and detergents. The fact is, there are a LOT of soapmakers who make handmade bar soaps, that is, soaps made from the cold process method of soapmaking, but they offer shower gels that are made from a pre-made base! Those pre-made bases are quite similar to the difference between a cold process soapmaker and a melt and pour soapmaker. The difference is in the process and the ingredients.

When you make pure true liquid soaps, any variety, (i.e. shower gels, bubble baths, liquid hand soaps, and shampoos) you can still make them without harsh chemicals, detergens, surfactants, and SLS's.

This process is called the 'HOT PROCESS' method of soapmaking. I'm sure you have heard of it, their are some who hot process bar soaps, although being somewhat of the same process as making pure liquid soaps, there are slight differences. The main difference is the use of Potassium Hydroxide instead of the common Sodium Hydroxide (for use in bar soaps, because molecularely, it produces a 'HARD BAR' by crystalizing the oils). Potassium Hydroxide is what we use to make a true liquid soap, it produces a much softer type of soap ideal for melting down into liquid form. Potassium Hydroxide is the base for all liquid soaps. Potassium is much more soluble than sodium and less able to form crystals. Liquid soaps are clear because light passes unobstructed through liquid soap much as it does through a bar of transparent soap.

The truth is in the ingredients, please read ALL ingredients carefully, true liquid soapmakers are few and far between. The actual process can be quite lengthy, it is because of the amount of time it can and does take to create a batch of liquid soaps, from start to finish, they usually carry a slightly hefty price. A true handmade liquid soap, of any form, is a luxury.

True handmade liquid soaps have the same feel on your skin as a true handmade bar soap, they will leave you feeling fresh, clean, and moisturized.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Earth's Essence LLC 'EVO~Clean Laundry Soap'

You have the opportunity to fragrance your laundry soap to YOUR liking from any of my wonderful fragrances or pick one you already LOVE.....

EVO~Clean laundry Soap is an incredible product, leaving your whites whiter, and your colors more vivid and brighter looking! This laundry soap not only CLEANS but is economical, environmentally safe, allergen free, and offers you peace of mind to use it! This Laundry soap comes in a 23oz bag, that ziplocks closed for easy use, comes with a 1 Tablespoon wooden scoop for easy measuring, comes unscented or scented in your choice of fragrance or essential oils. This laundry soap is easy to use, 1 Tablespoonful scoop for a regular top load washer, or 1/2 Tablespoonful scoop for an HE front load washer. A 23oz bag of this laundry soap offers you 48 loads in a regular top load washer or up to 96 loads in an HE front load washer. Each load costs you only $.18 for the regular top load washer, or as little as $.09 for the HE front load washers, how's that for pinching pennies?!?!? For any questions please feel free to contact me!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

I am now on facebook!

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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Green in the Home

We are a generation on the edge of GREEN, we are now taught how to be GREEN, think GREEN, eat GREEN, purchase products that are GREEN, and all around live GREEN! Now it is time to actually GO GREEN! Michele's Essentials is proud to introduce to you our sister company, Earth's Essence, a truly GREEN Company. Earth's Essence is a newly innovative company that is bringing household cleaners to a whole new level, WE ARE GREEN! Earth's Essence is bringing you Essentially Green Laundry, a completely environmentally safe and ALL Natural GREEN Laundry Soap that not only will clean your clothes but save you lots of $$$$$.. Our special blend of cleaning agents with leave your clothes fresh and clean, but will also leave you without the necessary need to use harsh detergents and unsafe fabric softeners that are known allergen causing bi products. This laundry soap is amazing at best, only one Tablespoonful per load of laundry, or 1/2 a Tablespoonful per load for a front load washer, saving you money by using so little! For those who are extremely sensitive to scents and fragrances ALL of our laundry soap come naturally unscented and will leave your clothes feeling fresh clean and odorless, however, for those of you who like the refreshing scent's of nature, I will scent your laundry soap with pure all natural essential oils, when you want to keep it truly ALL NATURAL, or you can choose from my selection fragrance oils, or take it to a whole new level and try ANY combination of the two. COMING SOON! Dish washing soap, for just pennies per scoop! Carpet Deodorizers, completely organic, completely natural, and completely essential! Multi Purpose Spray Cleanser Window Cleaner Refills Furniture & Wood Polish Toilet Cleansers Scrub Cleansers ALL of our products are made with ALL NATURAL ingredients, packaged in 100% BIO Degradable and recyclable packaging. We do offer refills to refill your spray bottles and plastic containers, this enables us to help keep our prices lower so we can pass our savings down to you.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

What to look forward to in 2009

Hello and Welcome to all! Thank you for checking in and seeing what new and exciting items, products and changes Michele's Essentials will be foreseeing this up and coming year of 2009.

A new approach to further help and service you: Michele's Essentials is taking our products one step further, we are customizing them to meet and match YOUR needs. See, Michele's Essentials knows that not one type of skin care is intended for use on everyone's skin type, that is why we are so different from the leading skin care products. We are taking skin care to a whole new level! We will be refining our products to meet ALL skin types, not just the usual, sensitive, dry, and oily, nope we are not limiting ourselves to that kind of skin care, we are going to move it to the next level of skin care. Actually creating a skin care product that works for YOU, YOUR skin and meets YOUR needs, how is that for innovation. Through private consultations I can and will design products made naturally to meet your specific skin type. Michele's Essentials knows the high demand for the need to stand alone, to treat each person who comes to us as the individual that they truly need and deserve to be.

All new how to's and in home private consultations: We are creating and designing a company that caters to YOUR needs, a company that meets your schedules and demands of everyday and hectic lifestyles. We will be offering in home treatments, in the comforts of your own home, using our products made for your skin type, and applied by me to teach you how to better care for your skin. This is a teaching lesson to demonstrate to you proper technique, use and applications of our products, to ensure a happier, healthier and brighter YOU! Our products are made using pure plant essences, proper essential oils, combined with pure plant, fruit and herbal mixtures to properly balance, tighten and exfoliate your skin. You will receive education on proper exfoliation, and why we exfoliate our skin. Detoxifying our body through proper bath soaks, herbal packs, and wraps, that you can do in your home, to help heal your body from certain ailments. These techniques are all vital components to a happier healthier you, and I will show you how to create all of these wonderful therapeutic treatments in your home, from base items I prepare and you can use to create many useful self pampering products for yourself, from just one simple base product, to meet most all your needs. Imagine a Spa in your very own home, complete with proper skin care products that meet YOU specific skin care needs, complete with true aromatherapy candles, to help you relax your mind and your body. Like I said, 'A spa within your home' complete with proper technique. These are but a few new ideas coming to Michele's Essentials this year, here's a sneak peak into some of the newest products coming to Michele's Essentials this year... In home cleaners: Laundry soap All purpose hard surface spray cleaners Carpet Deodorizers Fabric Softeners Air Fresheners: Scented Jellies Scented Car Ornaments Scented Car Jelly Skin Care: Pump Lotions Gel Soaps Shampoos Conditioners Hair Gels Facial Masks Mud Masks Liquid Bubble Bath Milk Lotions And many many more things yet to come!

Christmas gifts and Stocking Stuffers

Michele's Essentials Etsy shop has lots of great gift ideas and stocking stuffers for all price ranges and all types on your Gift giving list, even those hard to buy for people on your list. Whether your local or on the other side of the United States, it's still not too late for a last minute gift to give your coworker, babysitter, mailman, classmate, teacher, mother, grandmaother, or just if you want something a little special to treat yourself too. We have candle pillars large and small, tarts for melters, a melter and tart gift special, votives where you can buy them individually, by a certain scent or mix it all up and purchase an assortment of wonderful Holiday/Seasonal/ or all year long fragrances to fill your home. We also have bath bombs, bubble bombs, bath salts, sugar scrubs, bar soaps, facial toners and skin softening body butter! We have plenty for all who wish to pamper themselves or who wish to pass on the gift of pampering to others.... Come on in and check us out, if you still would or need your gift by Christmas please leave me a note with your order but do not pay for it until you receive an invoice from me updating the shipping to ensure your packages safe arival by Christmas! Happy Holidays to all from my family to yours! Michele

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Shimmer ME Lip Balms!!!!!!

Who ever said that keeping your lips natural and fresh had to be boring????? NOT ANYMORE! Take a look at these 'Shimmery LIP BALMS' They are so cool! They taste fantastic, they look incredibly cool and they help to nourish your dry chapped lips through the toughest cold, Winter has to throw at ya! These lip balms looks so awesome, now you can stay kool looking while still taking care of your lips NATURALLY!

These are some HOT colors! They come in crisp Electric BLUE that is flavored in mouth watering Blue Berries! Neon PINK that is flavored with juicy Melons!

And PURPLICOUS PURPLE flavored in tangy mixed berries!

You have got to grab yourself one of these while they last, or go to: http://www.michelesessentials.etsy.com OR get all three! Leave your lips Shimmerific feeling this Winter with these Bright bold and colorful lip balms! Thank you, Michele

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Win a FREE $25 Gift Certificate!

I would like to invite each and every one of you about a free gift certificate drawing I am involved in... Here is the link the interview and all the information about it! http://barefoot-mommy.blogspot.com/2008/11/25-gift-certificate-to-micheles.html Thank you so much for all the hard work Barefoot Mommies! Hope to see you all there! Michele

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Seasons Change - It's time to change your skincare with it...

The leaves are changing color, the mornings are feeling crisp and clean, our days are getting shorter, you guessed it Fall is here! Time to pack up the fun, light weight summer clothes that we all have been wearing for the past few months, and time to bring out the sweaters, jackets, and warm clothes for a cooler time of the year. We all go through these changes every single year, we all know what we have to do after Labor Day, pack up the whites and get out the jackets. I bet there is one thing that you haven't thought about yet, your skin care. Have you packed up your summer skin care to prepare your skin for Fall and Winter? It's one thing we often forget so easily about, because we wait until we need it, instead of preparing our skin ahead of time for the climate changes. During Summer our skin need UV blockers, and protection from the Sun damage, but we also need less moisturizers and less pampering to be perfectly honest. This is the time of year when you are madly scrambling around to find that much needed jacket to help keep you warm, now imagine how your skin feels... our skin is our first line of defense against the harsh elements, it feels the cold first, our skin endures the dry climate that makes our skin so dry, and tight feeling.

What can you do to help your skin through this tough time? For starters, remember to change your skin care approach when you change your clothing apparel, as you bring out the sweaters and jackets, think that your skin need a 'sweater and jacket' also. No now i don't mean to go out and find a face mask to wear outdoors, but consider the moisturizers you use, they are your face's sweater/jacket. The soap you use is another one, if you use a certain kind of soap during summer but find your skin so tight and feeling like it is going to crack during the colder months of the year, then you should consider changing the kind of soap you use on your face during the Fall & Winter months to a much more moisturizing formula, I will recommend my Goats Milk and Pumpkin Puree bar. You are still going to need UV protection, when the snow flies those harmful rays are reflected off of the bright snow and will actually cause those harmful UV rays to reflect back to your skin like a magnifying glass. Also the cold dry winds, burr, they will burn your skin as much as the ultra bright UV rays will during Fall and Winter, extra moisturizing is much needed. Depending on your skin type, sensitive, dry, oily, combination, or normal, expect changes, if you have normal skin in the summer your skin may change to a more dry-sensitive skin during the Winter months, don't wait until winter gets here to try to 'fix' it, instead change with the weather. Make the necessary changes along the way, adjust your skin care line and make-up to more suit your changing skin. If you use a non oily foundation during summer because of too much oil, then start now to switch to a foundation with more oil in it to help maintain your skins natural look, moisturize your skin little by little to help keep it at a constant level. If you don't, playing catch up can take a long time! This is something I really like to let people know, your soap is your first step, simply because it is the main thing you use on your skin on a daily basis, sometimes up to 2 times a day, so start with your soap. Then move onto your toner, if you don't use one, i suggest you purchase one, it helps to keep our pores tight, the wrinkles away, and it also adds that little bit of extra moisture to our skin on a bare necessity basis, I personally like to use 'Witch hazel' it is an astringent, which helps to tighten skin and reduce the size of your pores, it lifts that extra dirt and oil off the skin after you have washed your face, and helps to minimize the first signs of aging. if you have skin like mine and have extremely sensitive skin, I highly suggest using a Witch Hazel with aloe in it, to help moisturize your skin but still keeping your skin taught, without that cracking feeling. I can also say you can make your own toner, by using apple cider vinegar and infusing it with dried lavender, calendula and rose petals to help moisturize your skin, but water the infused apple cider vinegar down to a 50/50 solution, 50% water to 50% vinegar, add the water after you have infused the vinegar with the dried herbs and flowers. I HIGHLY suggest the use of Calendula petals for unfusing, because calendula flowers are used on all skin types and work extremely well for sensitive skin types even baby's can use calendula infused oils. Calendula is also known as 'Pot Marigold'. After using a good toner you are going to need a lite moisturizer during he day and a heavier moisturizer at night, this will help to keep your skin from looking like you have an oil slick going on. Lite during the day under your make-up, now remember we have already bumped up your liquid foundation to one with a little more oil in it, so we don't want to look like we have rubbed a greasy porkchop all over our faces, we just want our faces to not flake or dry out, especially when you are enduring the harsh elements on a daily basis out of doors. A good grade light moisturizer should be more than enough, if you have changed your soap and used the proper toner for the season. Washing your face every morning and going through the process of wash with a good moisturizing soap, followed up with a good toner, then a light moisturizer, now your make-up ready! When your home in the evenings, it's the same thing, make sure you clean your face every single night before you go to bed, NO LEAVING YOUR MAKE-UP ON OVERNIGHT! That is the first rule to good healthy skin! Wash your face with your moisturizing soap, follow us with your toner then use a more heavy moisturizer over night, this gives your skin time to really replenish itself without having to fight the elements. We can't talk about good skin care without talking about diet, your skin is a direct result of your diet, drink plenty of water, keep hydrated and stay away from greasy and salty junk foods is key to keeping your skin looking beautiful, bright and glowing! Remember your skin is the largest living oganism in/on your body, treating your skin right is like keeping your heart healthy. It takes a little work and a mindful consiousness, with a little planning and some much needed common sense, your skin can and will be as healthy as your heart is!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Body Butters and Lotions

Do you know the difference between a whipped body butter and a lotion? Whipped Body Butters Body butters or whipped body butters are made up of pure oils and butters that have been heated and melted together, fragranced and packaged. These are more for extreme skin cases, I like body butter simply because they are pure oils and butters, they are fast absorbing on the skin, and they penetrate deep into the many layers of skin. I also like them because I can put them on once during the day, after a shower or bath, or in the evening and I not only feel softer skin the next morning but I can smell it on my skin the following day also! Lotions Lotions are not by far my favorite, not since I have tried body butters. But they still have their use, body butters are firmer, so they are nota easy to just grab and take with you in your purse, lotions are great for 'on the spot' pull out the little tube and use, uses. Both can have wonderful fragrances and scents to them, however lotions have a liquid base, whether it be water, aloe, witch hazel, or whatever you can get a lotion to hold. I like lotions for lighter applications on my face, where I like more of a light airy type of moisturizer instead of the heavier feeling of pure oils like in a body butter. Bottom line here is this Both have their use in bath and body care, lotions to me are more for your face, under eyes, and when you DON'T want a heavy oily feeling. Although body butters do not always leave a 'heavy oily feeling' on your skin either, it all depends on the maker and the type of base they are using... Don't be fooled I have seen body butters on sale at Bath and Body Works, one of their main ingredients is 'water' well that is not a body butter, because body butters don't have water or liquids like water in them, that classifies as a lotion! Don't be fooled! A true body butter is simply whipped butters, oils and a fragrance oil, no water..... A true lotions is the same as the whipped body butters but it contains water, or a liquid like water, be it witch hazel, or aloe juice or distilled water! Don't fret, not all body butters leave a greasy feeling on your skin, mine don't, they will however leave a feeling of pure moisturizing, quenching your skin's thirst for moisture through it's many layers. There is a big differenece when it comes to a whipped body butter, in the different butters that can and are used! Cocoa Butter- We have all heard by now of the wonderful skin healing abilities of Cocoa Butter, how it helps to reduce and remove stretch marks within the skin, by adding more elasticity to the skin. But Cocoa Butter is a much much thicher type of butter, giving you a much much deeper moisturizing than Mango or Shea Butters! I rate this base butter a Deep moisturizor. Mango Butter- This is a gift from the gods when you stop and thik about it. Mango is fast absorbed into the skin, and will give you a more medium strength type of moisturizing ability to your skin's needs. Leaving your skin feeling soft and supple this butter is incredible when your not needing a deep penetrating butter like Cocoa butter, but are looking for a middle grounds tpe of moisturizer. Shea Butter- Now this butter is very fast absorbing into the skin, and when whipped is ver smooth and creamy, a nice light moisturizor. Perfect when you don't want or need anything heavy on your skin. All of the above butters are excellent for your skin, all are extremely moisturizing and will give you lasting skin softening and soothing effects and feeling. I like to use Cocoa Butter based body butters when I was pregnant and after I was pregnant to help with stretch marks. I also like cocoa butter body butters when it is fridged cold outside during our winters here in Wisonsin, they last a long time and offer me the added moisture when I have to go outdoors in the extremne weather. On the flip side I still like my Mango and Shea Butters for other months of the year. Mango for Fall and Spring, and Shea for Summer, if I am tanning I will also use the Mango butter based body butters to help rid my body of the moisture loss duing tanning. I do not use moisturizers on my face during the Summer months, as my face does not require them, I simply use an Aloe Gel on my face for a very light skin quencher. However Fall through Spring I do tend to use light lotions on my face as I tend to get extremely dry skin in the general T zone on my face. I also very much like the extra use of an aloe and/or witch hazel lotion under my eyes to help releive the signs of squinting and/or aging, those nice fine lines we all know and have come to know as 'crows feet'. The use of Aloe gel with a very light moisturizer under the eyes will help to reduce if not elliminate those little nasties. I also use my cucumber and oats soaps to help keep my skin tight my complexion fair and even. Stay tuned for more help with reducing the signs of aging! More hints and tips coming soon!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Soap and Candle of the Month Clubs

I have most recently started 2 Clubs, one is 'The Soap of the Month Club' the other is 'The Candles of the Month Club'. These two clubs are great ways to gt aquainted with Earth's Essence candles, and soaps. Not sure what your going to like and what your not? My 'Soap of the Month Club' offers you 2 Different soaps each and every month, that is 2 - 4.5 -5.5 oz. bars each and every month. These are not little tiny sample sized bars, these are full sized bars of soap for you to choose from each and every month. You have choices, you can purchase a simple 3 month choice, or 6 month, or a full 12 month subscription to this wonderful club. What could be simpler, there are no added shipping fees, you get each bar for a remarkable discount, and you get the option to purchase more bars like the ones you just received for low introductory prices.....! What more could you want? Like my Soap club, my 'Candle of the Month Club' is very similar, in that you will receive 4 votive candles each and every month. These candles are made with high quality palm wax, they smell incredible, and they last an overwhelming 14-15 hours, yeah! When you purchase a subscription to the Candle of the Month Club you will receive a beautiful votive holder for our votives to go into, allowing you the maximum burn time for each of these precious votives. You will receive 4 different scents every month, and the scents/fragrances usually goes along with the seasons. These two clubs are an incredible deal for those who like candles but are not sure about buying new scents and fagrances online, and...... You are able to 'change' fragrances and or scents almost weekly/daily if you'd like to. You will be receiving these items at remarkable savings to you, and because your a club member, you will also receive wonderful 'gifts' during the Holiday Season! Special soaps and/or candles that no one else will be able to purchase! How's that for special? These subscriptions also make wonderful gifts for that hard to buy for special someone, a friends, your aunt, your uncle, grandma, or that college student! To purchase your Soap of the Month Club Memebership or your Candle of the Month Membership, go to: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5123615 If you have ANY questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you! Michele Earth's Essence LLC http://www.earthsessencellc.etsy.com

Friday, October 3, 2008

Pumpkin Soap for the month of October ENJOY

I've wrote a little bit about this bar already in the previous blog, but Now sine it is ready to be sold, here it is, 'PUMPKIN SOAP'! Yep you guessed it! Now I have noticed most everyone who makes soaps now has a 'pumpkin bar' for sale, but can any of them say, it's made from pumpkin not just a fake pumpkin fragrance? Well, I can! Here it is, a gift of pure joy, from the earth, nothing fake in this bar, no fragrance oils of any kind, no essential oils of any kind, just pure skin replenishing REAL PUMPKIN! Pumpkin is known to slough off those dead skin cells to help bring out the real brighter skined you! Pumpkin also contain lots of anti-oxidant vitamins A and C, as well as zinc and alpha-hydroxy-acids which helps to reduce the signs of aging. To this nearly perfect soap we added one more skin nourishing ingredient, Goats Milk, yes you heard me, this bar is pure skin nourishment all the way around! You'd expect this bar to be in some fancy Spa for some high dollar amount, but no, I offer it to you at a reasonable price because Natural does not mean 'expensive'! That is what Earth's Essence is all about, I bring you the best that nature has to offer you, made using the best ingredients combined in the perfect way to bring you an all around well being unserpassible and inferrior to any other product. That is my promise to you, and I back it through my company money back guarentee! Please check with my Etsy shop for more details about this amazing bar of soap, and my other amazing products! Thank you, Michele Owner, Earth's Essence LLC http://www.earthsessencellc.etsy.com http://www.EarthsEssence.ShopHandmade.com

Monday, September 29, 2008

A whole new line of soaps!

I have been for a long time now, wanting to break completely away from Fragrance oils in soaps. I have been wanting to build a clientele and do my original dream, make nothing but real handmade 100% all natural soaps! So about a month ago, I started talking to some of my soap buddies in 'the soap makers forum' and after a few hints and some new inspirations I started to wind my products down to, mostly soaps and candles. That is when the real inspirations started to surface, I started looking in the freezer section at the store, looking at my neighbors gardens like I was some new wildly crazed person. All in all it paid off, I started to come up with some new ideas and focusing on strictly soaps and candles, well, that just REALLY helped my work load! I started tinkering around with a new formula that I had stumbled across in 'the soap makers forum'. In the spirit of keeping my soaps completely all natural, means the use of essential oils, for fragrance, true aromatherapy at work, we all gotta love that! But it also meant I was going to have to start really applying myself to the basic fundimentls of soap making, stop being such a ridged soap maker and start spreading my wings and having some fun with the whole experience. Fun is what I started to do! My first venture was to the store, to buy me some goats milk, yeah I know not too adventerous there, people make goats milk soap all the time..... Well, hold on I'm not done explainig yet! Along with the goats milk, I purchased a huge tub of Whole Fat Plain Yogurt! Yep you heard me! I wanted to start to make me some Yogurt soaps! Now I have read that using yogurt as a mask on your face is an excellent way to get rid of that old skin since the nzymes in yogurt eat away at the old dead skin on our face. WHELLA! A new soap was born! Goats Milk and Yogurt soap, what an experience that was to make, it ws fun! the soaps fel good, I mean silky smooth good!, these bars are rock hard long lasting bars of soap that are so silky smooth going on your skin and even silkier after you rinse them off, I have never felt so good after taking a bath! These bars are so nice, no milky smell, just plain smooth skin, no dyes, no fake fragrance to hamper that wonderful skin feel, pure soap that is incredibly smooth and soothing to my skin! Well, do yu think I could stop there? Heck no! I went onto to making a batch of soap out of pumpkin puree and goats milk, I started looking all around my kitchen for things to make soap out of, FINALLY THE JOY OF SOAP MAKING HAD COME BACK! I got real courgous one afternoon and took a cucumber, yep a cucumber fresh from the garden! peeled it, hold on I'm not done...... finely ground some organic oats and made soap out of a pureed fresh cucumber, then while I still could I took it one step further and added the finally ground oats to the whole mix. What I got back I honestly never expected! This bar is SO SKIN SOOTHING! You know how good your eyes feel after you have had the opportunity to slice a few cucumbers up and place them over your eyes....... now take that feeling and spread it ALL OVER YOUR WHOLE BODY! Yeah!!!!!! This bar has no hear me NO FRAGRANCE OILS OR ESSENTINIAL OILS OF ANY TYPE IN IT! Why did I not fragrance it? Simple, why alter an already perfect bar of soap? This soap ANYONE can use! It is that mild! My pumpkin soap is incredible also, turned out amazing! So soft and soothing feeling on my skin, pumpkin is excellent for aged and sun damamged skin, packed full of betacarotine, and lots of vitamin A, this is one bar your face will be begging you for. You can rest assured that there is no yeah that's right NO FRAGRANCE OR ESSENTIAL OILS IN THIS BAR EITHER, one smell and your nose will tell you, 'IT'S THE REAL DEAL', smells just like REAL pumpkin pie, I added some of the pumpkin pie spices to the mix to help. My son nearly ate the bar, yeah he is a die hard pumpkin fan! This abe is going to be your favorite this winter, and our skin is going to thank you for this bar also! Totally new venture to my soap making venue, 'GRANDPA'S OLD FASHIONED SOAP'! Now you are probably thinking, yeah yeah, handmade soaps are the 'old fashioned soaps' but this one ws created because I wanted to remind my grandfather and grandmother of their childhood. I used lard in these, yeah I know what your going to say here, ewwwwwwwwwww..... But did you know that lard is the oldest way of making soap! Not to mention Lard is very good for your skin! Now I know most all of you are going to say ew! still, and that is okay! But most of you like the way Goats milk feels on your skin, and a lot of you are going to like the way yogurt feels on your skin in a bar soap, why not lard too? Is it because you only use vegan? If you use goats milk or yogurt in soap your not using a 'vegan' soap anyhow, it is still animal fat based, oh and that is the kicker, the animal fat is what makes all of these soaps so incredible feeling on you skin, it is what leaves your skin feeling 'Oh, So Soft!' All I have to say is, next week I am making a batch of Banana Split Soap, 3 layers..... one layer of chocolate & cocoa butter soap, the next layer of strawberry pureed soap, then a layer of pureed banana's soap to top it off...... come and look for it the second week of November, just in time for the Holidays!

Friday, September 26, 2008

For a good Cause, a Benefit for the local 'Women's Horizon'

This benefit is for the local Woman's Horizon in Kenosha Wisconsin, they help battered and abused women and children to get their lives back together through many means necessary. counseling, legal help, and housing. I have most recently been asked to donate a few items, whatever I had to this cause, in order to help them raise money to further fund this incredible organization. I was able to donate 4 candles to the funding, which to me wasn't very much to donate for such a worthy cause. I wish I could have donated more to it! There are some very beautiful and wonderful people in this community who are willing to go that extra mile for another person. To those people I open my heart and tip my hat to, you are truly a blessing in disgguise, and an inspiration to us all! Here are a few simple pictures of the candles I made for this benefit, I truly hope they bring the new meaning of life to someone in need!

Some ideas about Craft Shows to improve your Sales

I've recently had the privilege to be at the Round Lake Sports Area for their Fall Harvest Craft and Expo Show. The even was very nice, the venders were extremely helpful and wonderful to talk too. This event for me was an opportunity to expand and explore new ventures and ideas, I was able to network through the wonderful people I have met there. I decided to talk about and add this into my blog, because I know there are a lot of you crafters who are wondering what helps to make a good craft show. Well, I will start off by telling you I am in NO WAY and EXPERT on this subject. However, by going to different craft show over the last few years, I have learned a thing or two about how it works, what people are looking for and what you can do to improve your chanses at a craft show. First off I will have to say, you need to invest some money into dressing your area up! Find out the square footage of the area you will be having, and start laying things out, either in a real area the same size or on paper. If you need tables, GET THEM! buy some decorations depending on the season your in, dress it up. It is a known fact that the human eye s attracted to colors and cleanlyness! Cover your table or tables with cheap inexpensive flat sheets from Wal-mart, Kmart, Shopko, or Target, although Walmart is the cheapest, I've checked.... Make sure your table clothes are long enough to cover all the way to the floor, you don't want the bottom of the table showing, becuase that is where your going to store your boxes and such for packing up your items/products. Take the time purchase some flower, leaf, or pine garlands to weave in and around thigs on your table, make it look nice! Secondly, you want to elevate your items, people don't like bending over to look for things, they like it all at eye level. Price your items clearly, another thing I hear that people don't like is when they have to ask for a price on something, most times if they have to ask you, you just lost a sale. Cover whatever you are elevating your things on with a nice sheet, I suggest using an alternate color that highlites the packaging and one that is the opposite of the base table covering. Third and most important, get out there wear a big smile, dress professionally, and greet people. Start conversing with others, talk, but don't over talk, answer questions willingling and with ease. Don't seem over anxious, or jumpy, take a deep breath and let the information about YOU and YOUR ITEMS flow. Dressing nice and professionally is a big one, when you go to a store and the sales person who is approaching you has a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt with a goofy saying on it walks up to you, what is your first impression? Now reverse that! So dress to impress, remember you most times have one shot at making a possitive first impression, especially at a craft show, or expo, you only get about 1 minute to impress someone's eyes. Always be polite, and curtious to your customers, offer them a tester (if you make things they can try) offer to go that extra mile fr them..... It pays off in the end! When people are walking past, don't be scared to get out there and say, 'Hello, how has your day been so far?' or 'Good Morning' 'Good afternoon' "Hello how are you today" these are all excellent ways to 'break the ice' with your customer. It helps you to get 'noticed' stand out in the croud of others who are just sitting there doing their knitting not looking at a single person. Start creating connections between you and your customer. If you can do these three simple things, believe you me, your shows will start to look, feel, and reward you better!

Friday, August 15, 2008

New soaps on the cure rack!

I've got some awesome new soaps on the 'cure racks' that will be ready to go here in a few weeks! Here is a list of new fragrances you can start to look forward to seeing on etsy from Earth's Essence... Pomegranate & Sandalwood - An incredibly exotic fragrance filled with sweet tangy pomegranates, followed by the lofty and sexy fragrance of Sandalwood. A very seductive blend of fragrances. This bar is not only sensual to smell, one look at it and you will notice its sensual to look at a fluid bar of pink and tan swirls, made up of kaolin clay and powdered Sandalwood. This bar screams SEXY! Pink Grapefruit & Wintergreen - This one is incredibly invigorating. The crisp clean scent of Pink Grapefruit combines well with the sweet mentholated fragrance of cool wintergreen. These two scent together are remarkable, I would have never of known how well they do actually combine until I combined them> A very invigorating blend of scents, slightly intoxicating, but always fresh and clean! These are wonderfully blended and swirled with pretty pink kaolin clay to help soothe sensitive skin types! Lemongrass, Basil & Rosemary - A wonderful medley of herbs. Slightly mentholated but always pure exilleration when you smell this bar it's sure to whisk you away to a land of fresh herbs. A 'green' fragrance at best, refreshing and invigorating, basil being a middle note that helps to 'ground' this scent. This bar is made up of pure essential oils, making this a completely 100% all natural bar! We added to this already herbal green bar 'fullers earth clay' to help make this bar an incredible 'cleaning bar' cutting through tough grease and dirt, leaving your skin feeling very soft. This would make an incredible kitchen bar, helping to eliminate offensive scents, and/or helping on those days when you get a little 'dirtier than normal' from the garden, garage, or kitchen catastrophes! Carrot Seed & Palmarosa Facial Bar - This bar has been designed to help reduce the signs of aging from mature skin and sun damaged skin. We formulated a soap made up of the following oil: Hemp seed, rice bran and soy... We then added the essential oils of carrot seed and palmarosa known to help aged and problem skin types. As if this wasn't perfect already we also included the clays of kaolin and french green clay to help pull toxins from the skin while cleaning pores, removing dead skin and gently cleaning the skin mantle to produce a brighter and tighter complexion. CASTILE SOAPS: Violets & Lime - A medley of lofty and highly fragrant violets together with the tart fragrance of lime. In a very mellow bar that is great for sensitive skin types and purely made completely from Olive oil! A true keeper, Swirled with beautiful purple pigments to help make this bar such an eye appealing bar. This scent is truly a unique and incredibly sensual blend of fragrances. Wake me UP! - I named this bar after blending the fragrances and then pouring them into the soap. A unique blend only known to Earth's Essence: Essential oils of Eucalyptus, Spearmint & Tea Tree, we also added poppy seeds to this bar. We thought it best to not only awaken your senses first thing in the morning, but also awaken your body with the gentle exfoliating action of poppy seed. This one is going to be a quick favorite! Our Castile soaps are expected to be finished in 8-10 weeks. Because they are made up of Olive oils alone, they are a softer bar of soap, there for requiring more time to cure. These bars are going fast, and wont last for long, reserve your bar(s) NOW! Please feel free to contact me for further questions and prices. i can be emailed at: hawk3104@yahoo.com or you can come and visit my little shop on etsy at: earthsessencellc.etsy.com Come by check out what other neat and wonderful skin soothing and soul stimulating products we have! Grab your cup of tea, sit back and feel free to shop!

Who is Earth's Essence?

Earth's Essence is a small little company started October of 2005, the brain-child of Michele Collins, a wife and mother who was on a mission to get rid of so many chemicals in her families lives. "Having 7 children in my home, having chemicals in my house and using them leaving a chemical residue throughout my home, well I knew I had to make changes and create a more healthy and 'Natural' lifestyle for them, they're lives depended on it" Ten years ago Michele Collins went to school to receive a degree in 'Naturology' little to her surprise, her dreams of over becoming an 'Alternative Dr.' or a 'Dr. of Naturology' was crushed when she discovered all the limitations of living her dream. Michele went on to continue to study herbalism, Aromatherapy, and finish her Naturology degree. A mother of 7 and a wife, she took on a whole new role within home, on a mission to create a more livable environment for her children, her husband, and herself, Michele found a medium that she could utilize, one that every person across America and the World used, one that she could still further her education and put it to good use. Michele started to study Soap, every book that was published on the subject Michele bought and read, studying it like there was a test on Monday! "it was torture to wash my face, not knowing if tomorrow my eyes were going to be swelled shut, or if I would be covered in hives the following day after trying a new product." It was then 7 years ago Michele started to make her own soaps, her first batch a simple batch of Melt and Pour soaps, she added ground oats, dried milk, and soothing Chamomile. After that Michele wanted something a little more in depth, she wanted more control over what she was making, more control over the ingredients and a little more 'natural' of a product. Well, one trial after another, and 4 years later Earth's Essence was born, on October 15th of 2005. "Why deal with all the hassles of hives, and skin irritations when an easier alternative was as simple as a few hours in the kitchen, relief was simple and very inexpensive." Earth's Essence has come a long way since October of 2005, added products, new ventures, and better soaps! Michele still sits down with every batch of soap, and formulates each ingredient with her calculator, writing every step down and keeping perfect tract of each ingredient that goes into her products. Every new product goes through a rigorous trial and test period, by her and her family. Michele has very sensitive skin, and there for was tired of the normal problems with todays conventional 'Beauty Products' on the market. Earth's Essence is not your 'normal' line of bath and body care products, they are a whole new way of life, a personal 'SPA in a bag so to speak'. Once you've tried natural you won't want to go back to those other kinds of products.