Peachy Keen Massage Butter
6 Tablespoons Shea Butter
1 Tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Apricot Kernel Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Soap Crafters Very Peach Flavoring
Directions:
Melt all ingredients on stove in a small pot. Take off the heat when the oils have almost completely melted, but not quite. They will continue to melt off of the stove. Add the flavoring and mix well.Pour into the 4 ounce Soap Crafters Salve Jar. In a few hours at room temperature, it will be ready for someone to give you a wonderful massage!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Icy Massage Oil
8 ounces of Grapeseed Oil
1 teaspoon of Soap Crafters Glacier Mint Flavoring
Directions:
Just add the grapeseed oil to the Soap Crafters 8 ounce lotion bottle, add the flavoring and shake to mix. Grapeseed oil is the preferred massage oil base for professional massage therapists. The Glacier Mint Flavoring gives a coolness on the skin that is wonderful for a hot summer day massage.
If you are looking for other recipes, check out some of the links in the side bar or check in my archive. There are alot of recipes in both places. I am always looking for new recipes to post on my blog, so please return in the future.
Source: http://ellerbruch.nmu.edu/classes/cs255w02/cs255students/SJONES/P4/massage.html
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Lye Calculator Sources
Source: http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/17779/1067/4
What is a lye calculator?
A lye calculator allows you to develop and test your own recipes by telling you how much lye to use with the oils you have selected. You can also use a lye calculator to doublecheck a recipe you have selected from a book or the web before using it.
Why is it necessary?
Different oils have different amounts of fatty acids and unsaponifiable material. That means that different amounts of lye are required to produce saponification. The lye calculator will allow you to determine the correct amount of lye for your recipe.
How do I use the lye calculator?
Write out a list of oils you intend to use in your soap and the amounts (in ounces) you intend to use (Step 1 in the example below). Now multiply the number of ounces being used by the sap value of the oil (see Step 2). Total your list of figures to get the total amount of lye necessary to saponify your soap (Step 3). However, most soapmakers prefer to automatically superfat their soap by 5%. This is done by reducing the lye by 5% - also called discounting the lye (Step 4). Now calculate the amount of water needed for the recipe by dividing the total ounces of oils used by 3 (Step 5).
Example
Here is an example of the lye calculator in action with my super duper moisturizing bar for very dry skin. Feel free to use this recipe, for personal use.
Step I
Castor Oil 2 oz
Cocoa Butter 2 oz
Coconut Oil 4 oz
Olive Oil 6 oz
Palm Oil 6 oz
Avocado Oil 3 oz
Apricot Kernel Oil 2 oz
Step 2
Castor Oil 2 x .1286 = .2572
Cocoa Butter 2 x .137 = .274
Coconut Oil 4 x .190 = .76
Olive Oil 6 x .134 = .804
Palm Oil 6 x .141 = 0.846
Avocado Oil 3 x .133 = .399 Apricot Kernel Oil 2 x .135 = .27
Step 3
3.6 ounces lye necessary to saponify the soap.
Step 4
3.6 x .95 = 3.4 ounces lye Step 5 25 ounces oil divided by 3 = 8.3 ounces water. Things to remember: * Double, even triple check your calculations. * Lye calculators which automatically calculate lye and water for you can be found on the web.
If you have troubles with math, then here are some links that can help you.
1.) SoapCalc http://www.soapcalc.com/default.asp
Description: This site offers a wide range of possibilities, the user is able to enter ingredients as a weight or percent as well as adjust properties of the soap such as super fat/discount %. This site has loads of useful information, one link I found particularly useful when i was first starting out was the "what will I need" link, which gives the inexperienced soaper a concise list of supplies needed to start soaping with.
2.) 'Majestic Mountain Sage' lye calculator http://thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
Description: In this calculator, users are able to input the amount of oils in percent of total oils, there are also clickable links leading to oil properties as well as suggested amounts of use in recipe's. This site also includes a table after the recipe is calculated that lets the user choose a super-fat percent to be used in the recipe.
3.) SoapMaker http://www.soapmaker.ca/
Description: Note: this is a free trial, users must purchase the full program after trial period expires. "Create your own recipes, selecting from more than 50 types of base oils. Include your additives too. SoapMaker calculates lye and water, as well as the cost per bar using your ingredient costs. Experiment with recipes and see how they'll turn out before you make the soap... SoapMaker's unique recipe qualities graph shows you the predicted hardness, lather and moisturizing qualities. Compare different recipes and see the results of changes instantly using the dynamic graph feature .Store all your recipes and organize them by category, type, date and cost With SoapMaker Professional, manage your stock of ingredients and products made... your inventory adjusts automatically whenever you "make a batch" (quoted from soapmaker website" )
4.) Snowdrift Farms http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/soapcalculator.htm
Description: The lye calculator from this site has many useful tools, users can choose what type of soap to make (either liquid or solid) as well as whether or not to make the recipe a cream soap. Users can also select their measurement preferences for the calculation. This site offers instructions as well (through the links on the bottom left of the page) for making either liquid soaps, solid bar soaps or cream soaps! A valuable tool for any soaper!
5.) Maple Springs (added by Paul) http://www.maplesprings.com/soapcalc.html
Description: "To use the Maple Springs Farm soap lye calculator... simply enter in number of ounces per oil and the amount of lye, water, fragrance, and pigments will be automatically calculated for you...The Calculator is for Sodium Hydroxide = NAOH " This site is quite useful, it gives feedback regarding the size of the recipe as well as how many ounces of essential oils, and oxide/pigments are recommended for the given recipe size. This is quite a valuable tool to if you input recipes that have already been formulated to determine the right coloring amounts and essential oils, or formulate your own!
6.) J.Soule Web Design http://www.jsoule-webdesign.com/soapcalc/
Description: This calculator is also a valuable resource, users can enter a recipe name, choose base oils, super-fatting oils, and whether NaOH or KOH is to be used in the recipe. It also allows users to input the liquid of choice, and calculate the recipe in oz, lb, or grams. The user has a choice of up to 8 base oils and 3 super-fatting oils. This will also give you the amount of water left in the soap after cure! a valuable fact for any soaper to know about the soaps they produce! There is also a helpful list of oil properties that is alphabetized and comments on Hard Bar, Lather ,Conditioning, and Iodine values.
Source: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3515
What is a lye calculator?
A lye calculator allows you to develop and test your own recipes by telling you how much lye to use with the oils you have selected. You can also use a lye calculator to doublecheck a recipe you have selected from a book or the web before using it.
Why is it necessary?
Different oils have different amounts of fatty acids and unsaponifiable material. That means that different amounts of lye are required to produce saponification. The lye calculator will allow you to determine the correct amount of lye for your recipe.
How do I use the lye calculator?
Write out a list of oils you intend to use in your soap and the amounts (in ounces) you intend to use (Step 1 in the example below). Now multiply the number of ounces being used by the sap value of the oil (see Step 2). Total your list of figures to get the total amount of lye necessary to saponify your soap (Step 3). However, most soapmakers prefer to automatically superfat their soap by 5%. This is done by reducing the lye by 5% - also called discounting the lye (Step 4). Now calculate the amount of water needed for the recipe by dividing the total ounces of oils used by 3 (Step 5).
Example
Here is an example of the lye calculator in action with my super duper moisturizing bar for very dry skin. Feel free to use this recipe, for personal use.
Step I
Castor Oil 2 oz
Cocoa Butter 2 oz
Coconut Oil 4 oz
Olive Oil 6 oz
Palm Oil 6 oz
Avocado Oil 3 oz
Apricot Kernel Oil 2 oz
Step 2
Castor Oil 2 x .1286 = .2572
Cocoa Butter 2 x .137 = .274
Coconut Oil 4 x .190 = .76
Olive Oil 6 x .134 = .804
Palm Oil 6 x .141 = 0.846
Avocado Oil 3 x .133 = .399 Apricot Kernel Oil 2 x .135 = .27
Step 3
3.6 ounces lye necessary to saponify the soap.
Step 4
3.6 x .95 = 3.4 ounces lye Step 5 25 ounces oil divided by 3 = 8.3 ounces water. Things to remember: * Double, even triple check your calculations. * Lye calculators which automatically calculate lye and water for you can be found on the web.
If you have troubles with math, then here are some links that can help you.
1.) SoapCalc http://www.soapcalc.com/default.asp
Description: This site offers a wide range of possibilities, the user is able to enter ingredients as a weight or percent as well as adjust properties of the soap such as super fat/discount %. This site has loads of useful information, one link I found particularly useful when i was first starting out was the "what will I need" link, which gives the inexperienced soaper a concise list of supplies needed to start soaping with.
2.) 'Majestic Mountain Sage' lye calculator http://thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
Description: In this calculator, users are able to input the amount of oils in percent of total oils, there are also clickable links leading to oil properties as well as suggested amounts of use in recipe's. This site also includes a table after the recipe is calculated that lets the user choose a super-fat percent to be used in the recipe.
3.) SoapMaker http://www.soapmaker.ca/
Description: Note: this is a free trial, users must purchase the full program after trial period expires. "Create your own recipes, selecting from more than 50 types of base oils. Include your additives too. SoapMaker calculates lye and water, as well as the cost per bar using your ingredient costs. Experiment with recipes and see how they'll turn out before you make the soap... SoapMaker's unique recipe qualities graph shows you the predicted hardness, lather and moisturizing qualities. Compare different recipes and see the results of changes instantly using the dynamic graph feature .Store all your recipes and organize them by category, type, date and cost With SoapMaker Professional, manage your stock of ingredients and products made... your inventory adjusts automatically whenever you "make a batch" (quoted from soapmaker website" )
4.) Snowdrift Farms http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/soapcalculator.htm
Description: The lye calculator from this site has many useful tools, users can choose what type of soap to make (either liquid or solid) as well as whether or not to make the recipe a cream soap. Users can also select their measurement preferences for the calculation. This site offers instructions as well (through the links on the bottom left of the page) for making either liquid soaps, solid bar soaps or cream soaps! A valuable tool for any soaper!
5.) Maple Springs (added by Paul) http://www.maplesprings.com/soapcalc.html
Description: "To use the Maple Springs Farm soap lye calculator... simply enter in number of ounces per oil and the amount of lye, water, fragrance, and pigments will be automatically calculated for you...The Calculator is for Sodium Hydroxide = NAOH " This site is quite useful, it gives feedback regarding the size of the recipe as well as how many ounces of essential oils, and oxide/pigments are recommended for the given recipe size. This is quite a valuable tool to if you input recipes that have already been formulated to determine the right coloring amounts and essential oils, or formulate your own!
6.) J.Soule Web Design http://www.jsoule-webdesign.com/soapcalc/
Description: This calculator is also a valuable resource, users can enter a recipe name, choose base oils, super-fatting oils, and whether NaOH or KOH is to be used in the recipe. It also allows users to input the liquid of choice, and calculate the recipe in oz, lb, or grams. The user has a choice of up to 8 base oils and 3 super-fatting oils. This will also give you the amount of water left in the soap after cure! a valuable fact for any soaper to know about the soaps they produce! There is also a helpful list of oil properties that is alphabetized and comments on Hard Bar, Lather ,Conditioning, and Iodine values.
Source: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3515
Monday, May 5, 2008
Made in the USA Claim
by Debbie May, President of Wholesale Supplies Plus (http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/)
(Homemade Bath Products Blogger Note: If you are making your own bath and body products or soaps and selling them, this is good information that Debbie has provided.)
Given the recent downturn in the US Economy and the lowering value of the US dollar, I have started to really think about the claim "Made in the USA".As it turns out, the claim "Made in the USA" is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).The FTC puts great significance on public perception and states that the following will be evaluated by the commission for the enforcement of the Made in the USA claim:
1. Site of Final Assembly or Processing.
The consumer perception evidence available to the Commission indicates that the country in which a product is put together or completed is highly significant to consumers in evaluating where the product is "made." Thus, regardless of the extent of a product's other U.S. parts or processing, in order to be considered all or virtually all made in the United States, it is a prerequisite that the product have been last "substantially transformed" in the United States.
2. Proportioning of Manufacturing Costs
Assuming the product is put together or otherwise completed in the United States, the Commission will also examine the percentage of the total cost of manufacturing the product that is attributable to U.S. costs (i.e., U.S. parts and processing) and to foreign costs. Where the percentage of foreign content is very low, it is more likely that the Commission will consider the product all or virtually all made in the United States.
There is not a fixed point for all products at which they suddenly become "all or virtually all" made in the United States. Rather, the Commission will conduct this inquiry on a case-by-case basis, balancing the proportion of U.S. manufacturing costs along with the other factors discussed herein, and taking into account the nature of the product and consumers' expectations in determining whether an enforcement action is warranted.
3. Remoteness of Foreign Content
In evaluating whether any foreign content is significant enough to prevent a product from being considered all or virtually all made in the United States, the Commission will look not only to the percentage of the cost of the product that the foreign content represents, but will also consider how far removed from the finished product the foreign content is.
For example, in the context of a complex product, such as a computer, it is likely to be insignificant that imported steel is used in making one part of a single component (e.g., the frame of the floppy drive). This is because the steel in such a case is likely to constitute a very small portion of the total cost of the computer, and because consumers purchasing a computer are likely, if they are concerned about the origin of the product, to be concerned with the origin of the more immediate inputs (floppy drive, hard drive, CPU, keyboard, etc.) and perhaps the parts that, in turn, make up those inputs.
The full FTC's Enforcement Policy is quite long and I highly encourage you to read it before making your own claim of Made in the USA.
As many of you are aware, we are getting ready to launch our new (Wholesales Supplies Plus) website. Given these guidelines, we will be adding the Country of Origin to all of our products. This will allow you to more accurately label your own products.
Source: http://wholesalesuppliesplus.blogspot.com/2008/05/made-in-usa-claim.html
(Homemade Bath Products Blogger Note: If you are making your own bath and body products or soaps and selling them, this is good information that Debbie has provided.)
Given the recent downturn in the US Economy and the lowering value of the US dollar, I have started to really think about the claim "Made in the USA".As it turns out, the claim "Made in the USA" is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).The FTC puts great significance on public perception and states that the following will be evaluated by the commission for the enforcement of the Made in the USA claim:
1. Site of Final Assembly or Processing.
The consumer perception evidence available to the Commission indicates that the country in which a product is put together or completed is highly significant to consumers in evaluating where the product is "made." Thus, regardless of the extent of a product's other U.S. parts or processing, in order to be considered all or virtually all made in the United States, it is a prerequisite that the product have been last "substantially transformed" in the United States.
2. Proportioning of Manufacturing Costs
Assuming the product is put together or otherwise completed in the United States, the Commission will also examine the percentage of the total cost of manufacturing the product that is attributable to U.S. costs (i.e., U.S. parts and processing) and to foreign costs. Where the percentage of foreign content is very low, it is more likely that the Commission will consider the product all or virtually all made in the United States.
There is not a fixed point for all products at which they suddenly become "all or virtually all" made in the United States. Rather, the Commission will conduct this inquiry on a case-by-case basis, balancing the proportion of U.S. manufacturing costs along with the other factors discussed herein, and taking into account the nature of the product and consumers' expectations in determining whether an enforcement action is warranted.
3. Remoteness of Foreign Content
In evaluating whether any foreign content is significant enough to prevent a product from being considered all or virtually all made in the United States, the Commission will look not only to the percentage of the cost of the product that the foreign content represents, but will also consider how far removed from the finished product the foreign content is.
For example, in the context of a complex product, such as a computer, it is likely to be insignificant that imported steel is used in making one part of a single component (e.g., the frame of the floppy drive). This is because the steel in such a case is likely to constitute a very small portion of the total cost of the computer, and because consumers purchasing a computer are likely, if they are concerned about the origin of the product, to be concerned with the origin of the more immediate inputs (floppy drive, hard drive, CPU, keyboard, etc.) and perhaps the parts that, in turn, make up those inputs.
The full FTC's Enforcement Policy is quite long and I highly encourage you to read it before making your own claim of Made in the USA.
As many of you are aware, we are getting ready to launch our new (Wholesales Supplies Plus) website. Given these guidelines, we will be adding the Country of Origin to all of our products. This will allow you to more accurately label your own products.
Source: http://wholesalesuppliesplus.blogspot.com/2008/05/made-in-usa-claim.html
Saturday, May 3, 2008
How to make Soap Logs and Ribbon Shape Embeds
If you are interested in taking your melt and pour soapmaking to the next level, here is a clip that I found on You Tube on how to make soap logs and ribbon shape embeds. Have fun! If you try this technique out, please let me know how your soaps turned out.
Here is how to make the ribbon embed:
or
And here is how to to do the complete mold:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=86sMTys-2J8
If you would like the step by step instructions, I found the instructions on Go Planet:
Soap Loaf (http://www.goplanetearth.com/project_loaf_log.html)
Making Soap Curls (http://www.goplanetearth.com/project_soap_curls.html)
Friday, May 2, 2008
How to Create the Ideal Spa Gift Basket for Her in 5 Easy Steps
Did you know that retreat spas are the preferred vacation choice for many contemporary women? However, many do not have the immediate time nor the resources to indulge in a five-day, getaway in the mountains; therefore, what better way to unwind and enjoy being pampered, than to create a relaxing spa environment in your own home? You can create a wonderful spa basket for yourself or to give to a special woman in your life. The key thing to remember is the relaxing gift basket is to make her feel at ease, beautiful, and well-rested.
If you would like to create the ideal spa gift basket for that special occassion, then check out this article on by How to Create the Ideal Spa Gift Basket for Her in 5 Easy Steps by Dr. Grace Cornish Livingstone. She tells you in five easy steps on how to do so. So if you are looking for a gift to give tfor that contemporary woman in your life then this will be perfect for her.
If you would like to create the ideal spa gift basket for that special occassion, then check out this article on by How to Create the Ideal Spa Gift Basket for Her in 5 Easy Steps by Dr. Grace Cornish Livingstone. She tells you in five easy steps on how to do so. So if you are looking for a gift to give tfor that contemporary woman in your life then this will be perfect for her.
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