Here are some more terms you may want to add to list -
Additives: Ingredients added to soaps that impart special characteristics to the finished bar or bath product.
Aromatic: Having a fragrant taste and/or smell.
Astringent: In cosmetic terms, a substance that contracts the pores and tissues, making the surface smoother.
Base Notes (aka lower or back notes): Are most prominent when the middle notes begin to fade. These notes are responsible for the duration of the fragrance on the skin. Traces of the base notes can last on the skin for hours or sometimes for days.
Detergent: A cleaner made with petroleum distillateds rather than natural fasts.
Enflerage: An age-old method of extracting essential oils using odorless fats and oils to absorb the essential oils from a plant.
Fillers: In cosmetic and fragrance crafting, fillers add bulk or extend a product.
Fixative: A fixative stabilizes volatile oils and prevents them from exporting too quickly. A common vegetable fixative is orris root. In soaps and bath products, the fixative can be the soap base, base oil, salts, or dried botanicals.
Herb: The American Herb Society's official definition is "any plant that can be used for pleasure, fragrance, or physic."
Hydrating: Maintaining or restoring normal fluid balance in the body or skin. Hydrating agents are used in cosmetics to keep the skin moist, frm, and young looking.
Middle Notes (aka heart or medium notes): Consitutes the dominate trait of the perfume. These notes will start to appear on the skin about 10 minutes after the fragrance has been applied and can last up to several hours. The middle notes will determine the characteristics or signature of a fragrance and will help classify the perfume into a fragrance family.
Refrigerant: A substance that cools inflammation and eases muscle pains.
Soap base: Soap made from fats and lye with no additives. Also refers to melt and pour soap before it is melted and additives are introduced.
Stimulant: A substance that temporarily quickesn the fuctional activity of the tissues.
Synthetic: An artifically produced substance designed to imitate that which occurs naturally.
Top Notes (aka head notes): Are responsible for a perfume's first impression. Top notes surface right after the perfume has been applied to the skin. These notes tend to be striking and impactful, but are the most volatile and only last a few minutes. Once they have faded, the middle notes will take center stage.
Volatile: Easily evaporated, such as an essential oil that has been extracted from the plant and no longer has the plant's cell structure to hold the scent. Adding a fixative stablizes oils, reducing their volatility and helpng them to last longer.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Hosting a Soap Making Party
If you are looking to have something different for your next party, check out this article on hosting a soap making article.
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lv_entertaining/article/0,2041,DIY_14108_4009331,00.html
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lv_entertaining/article/0,2041,DIY_14108_4009331,00.html
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Melt and Pour Soap Making Techniques
In the world of Melt and Pour Soap Making, there are many different techniques you can use to create your own unique soaps. I really like this style of soap making because of the variety and simplicity of techniques.
There are chuck style, soaps with defined colored areas, marbled, layered, tubed molded, soap beads, stacked shapes, soap in soap, decorative accents, bagged soaps, fizzy soaps, embossed soaps, fossil soaps, rubber stamped embossed soaps, painted soaps, carved and cut soaps. decoupaged soaps, decals on soaps, and laminated soaps,
If you want to learn these different techniques of making soap, I recommend adding the book by Marie Browning, "300 Handcrafted Soaps" to your library. In this book, there is alot of information and beautiful color photos.
In the class that I teach, you will be learning soap within soap. What is best about my class is that is it hands on which gives you the best experience to learn the melt and pour process.
There are chuck style, soaps with defined colored areas, marbled, layered, tubed molded, soap beads, stacked shapes, soap in soap, decorative accents, bagged soaps, fizzy soaps, embossed soaps, fossil soaps, rubber stamped embossed soaps, painted soaps, carved and cut soaps. decoupaged soaps, decals on soaps, and laminated soaps,
If you want to learn these different techniques of making soap, I recommend adding the book by Marie Browning, "300 Handcrafted Soaps" to your library. In this book, there is alot of information and beautiful color photos.
In the class that I teach, you will be learning soap within soap. What is best about my class is that is it hands on which gives you the best experience to learn the melt and pour process.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Double Boiler
After taking the Lotions and Creams class at the Nova Studio, I realized that I needed to purchase some equipment so that in the future I could make those products. I really did not want to spend a heck of alot of money since I am on a limited budget, but I did not want to pay a arm and a leg for something that I am going to make body products with. What I was looking for was a 3 quart stainless steel double boiler with a glass lid for about $20.00. You think that would be an easy task, but it was not.
First, I looked at Walmart since I was finding a stick blender, 8 cup measuring cup, and a thermator for great prices. I found a 3 quart double boiler for $30.00, but it had the casserole type handles and I was looking for a stick handle double boiler which would be alot easier for pouring purposes. Then I checked TJ Maxx and Marshalls. They had a 3 quart, but it had the steamer insert ($16.99) instead, so that was not going to work. I even tried Mervyn's and Macy's. Mervyn's did not have anything and Macy's had a their own brand of a 3 quart (with no glass lid, but a stainless steel lid) for $24.99. That was a great price, but not exactly what I was looking for, but in a pinch I would consider it. I checked out Williams Sonoma and all they had was a copper double boiler with a ceramic insert. I think the price was $179.00 or something out of this world. I did not go into a Crate and Barrel, but I checked out there website and did not find anything.
Then I tried the internet. My first instinct was Ebay. Nothing there. Then I tried Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens-n-Things. Did not find anything there. But, I did go into a Linens-n-Things in Union City and found that they have a 3 quart from Faberware for $34.99. I thought that was way too expensive, even if I used a 20% coupon. But, then I found there own brand of a double boiler. It was a 2 quart and it was a great price of $14.99. And with a coupon, the price would be even better. Plus the handles were ergonomically comfortable with a rubber grip. But, it had a ceramic insert and since I would placing that insert on a digital scale, I did not want the insert to mess up the scale in any way.
So, I checked Target's website. They had a Farberware for $39.99. A Welco 2 qt for $19.99, a Gourmet Standard 2 at w/glass lid for $22.99 and a Krona 1.5 qt for $39.99. The Welco sounded about right, but then I thought about the shipping charges and tax which would make it alot more expensive. I thought it may be better to go directly to a Target store. I went to the aisle with the pots and pans. I will admit I was disappointed because I did not see any double boilers. I was about ready to leave, but something told me to go to the next aisle over. On the shelf there were some stock pots. Low and behold there was a 3 qt double boiler (with a glass lid and cushioned handles) by Chef's Choice for $21.99. Then and there I bought it. Yeah! I would have like to have paid under $20.00, but I was really tired of looking. So, a difference of a couple of bucks is not such a big deal. I am happy that I finally found one.
If you are looking for a double boiler to make your lip balms, body butters, lotions or creams- check out Target's Chef's Choice Double Boiler for $21.99.
First, I looked at Walmart since I was finding a stick blender, 8 cup measuring cup, and a thermator for great prices. I found a 3 quart double boiler for $30.00, but it had the casserole type handles and I was looking for a stick handle double boiler which would be alot easier for pouring purposes. Then I checked TJ Maxx and Marshalls. They had a 3 quart, but it had the steamer insert ($16.99) instead, so that was not going to work. I even tried Mervyn's and Macy's. Mervyn's did not have anything and Macy's had a their own brand of a 3 quart (with no glass lid, but a stainless steel lid) for $24.99. That was a great price, but not exactly what I was looking for, but in a pinch I would consider it. I checked out Williams Sonoma and all they had was a copper double boiler with a ceramic insert. I think the price was $179.00 or something out of this world. I did not go into a Crate and Barrel, but I checked out there website and did not find anything.
Then I tried the internet. My first instinct was Ebay. Nothing there. Then I tried Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens-n-Things. Did not find anything there. But, I did go into a Linens-n-Things in Union City and found that they have a 3 quart from Faberware for $34.99. I thought that was way too expensive, even if I used a 20% coupon. But, then I found there own brand of a double boiler. It was a 2 quart and it was a great price of $14.99. And with a coupon, the price would be even better. Plus the handles were ergonomically comfortable with a rubber grip. But, it had a ceramic insert and since I would placing that insert on a digital scale, I did not want the insert to mess up the scale in any way.
So, I checked Target's website. They had a Farberware for $39.99. A Welco 2 qt for $19.99, a Gourmet Standard 2 at w/glass lid for $22.99 and a Krona 1.5 qt for $39.99. The Welco sounded about right, but then I thought about the shipping charges and tax which would make it alot more expensive. I thought it may be better to go directly to a Target store. I went to the aisle with the pots and pans. I will admit I was disappointed because I did not see any double boilers. I was about ready to leave, but something told me to go to the next aisle over. On the shelf there were some stock pots. Low and behold there was a 3 qt double boiler (with a glass lid and cushioned handles) by Chef's Choice for $21.99. Then and there I bought it. Yeah! I would have like to have paid under $20.00, but I was really tired of looking. So, a difference of a couple of bucks is not such a big deal. I am happy that I finally found one.
If you are looking for a double boiler to make your lip balms, body butters, lotions or creams- check out Target's Chef's Choice Double Boiler for $21.99.
Friday, June 8, 2007
FDA Rules and Regulations
According to Kelly Ewing, author of Making Candles and Soaps for Dummies, if you are a soapmaker then the agency that regulates you will depend if your product is classified as a soap or as a cosemetic. If you are claiming special benefits of any kind, such as moisterizing or relaxing, then you fall into the cosmetic category and thus face stricter FDA regulations.
If you wares are considered cosmetic, then you have to face labeling guidelines and very strict production sanitation rules, which unfortunately most home businesses cannot meet. It is a good start if you wear gloves and hairnets and you do not smoke. But you also need to have someone else around to double check your measurements and your water tested.
There is also the requirement of labeling your product. Labeling is consider to be alot simpler aspect of the process because basically you just need your contact information and net weight of soap in ounces. But if you fall in the FDA domain, then you must list all ingredients, just like food labels do. Even if you are just labeling basic soap, if you list any of your ingredients, then you must label them in descending order. You can't just list the essential oils and special additives without listing all the other ingredients because liting only the special oils can give the impression that they are the primary ingredients when they are likely aren't.
Even if you color your product, keep in mind that all colorants pass regulations. Check with the FDA to find out if your colorant of choice passes its test. You can access the FDA website at www.fda.gov. For a very detailed and lengthy Cosmetic Labeling Manual check out http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-labl.html.
Source: Making Candles and Soaps for Dummies by Kelly Ewing, Wiley Publishing, Hoboken, NJ. 2005. Page 232.
If you wares are considered cosmetic, then you have to face labeling guidelines and very strict production sanitation rules, which unfortunately most home businesses cannot meet. It is a good start if you wear gloves and hairnets and you do not smoke. But you also need to have someone else around to double check your measurements and your water tested.
There is also the requirement of labeling your product. Labeling is consider to be alot simpler aspect of the process because basically you just need your contact information and net weight of soap in ounces. But if you fall in the FDA domain, then you must list all ingredients, just like food labels do. Even if you are just labeling basic soap, if you list any of your ingredients, then you must label them in descending order. You can't just list the essential oils and special additives without listing all the other ingredients because liting only the special oils can give the impression that they are the primary ingredients when they are likely aren't.
Even if you color your product, keep in mind that all colorants pass regulations. Check with the FDA to find out if your colorant of choice passes its test. You can access the FDA website at www.fda.gov. For a very detailed and lengthy Cosmetic Labeling Manual check out http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-labl.html.
Source: Making Candles and Soaps for Dummies by Kelly Ewing, Wiley Publishing, Hoboken, NJ. 2005. Page 232.
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