Being here in Northern Alberta with the extra cold (though it has been a mild winter) and dry air has made me appreciate my handmade shea body butter far more than I ever did in Oregon. It’s a thick, heavy duty moisturizer, great for dry, cracked feet and hands. If you fancy a try at making your own bath and…
Niacin is the generic name for Vitamin B3, also known as Niacinamide or Nicotinic Acid. There’s loads of literature on the use of supplemental Niacin for general health, but today I’m talking about the benefits to the skin. To put it short and sweet, Niacinamide, the form used in topical (skin) applications, has been found to work: As an anti-inflammatory…
I liked our original balm formula, but I didn’t love it. What I wanted was something closer to the spreadability of Vaseline, without the petroleum, of course. Something that was easy to put on as a thin layer, or a thick layer, and not so solid that it needed the heat of a person’s skin to make it spreadable. It…
Today’s plans included creating new deodorant (with my new ingredients like propanediol) and lotions, making bread and snack bars, maybe some cookies, and dinner. The deodorant had other plans for me. I started the day with the lotions. The current lotion is lovely and protective and moisturizing, but I’ve begun to suspect the mister has a daisy family allergy (which…
Getting new supplies is like Christmas year-round. Since I’ve been gearing up and pouring the proper amount of energy into the business, I’ve also been ordering oodles of supplies, including new essential and fragrance oils – 3 of the newest are Love Potion (our version of VS Love Spell), Black Raspberry & Vanilla (both mostly natural with premium, skin safe…
I’ve been working on my lotions – lotions, body butters, and facial moisturizers – and have tweaked the first 2 so I’m happier with them now than their previous version. Almond oil has replaced olive in my body butter, and I’ve replaced my preservative to a natural Ecocert approved preservative. Through August, orders for lotion will receive the summer version…
I made a large batch of Orange Vanilla Cream soap today – it’s a family and customer favorite and has been out of stock for way too long! The just-listed Apple Beer soap is sold out, as is the Green Apple Cider, so I will be making both new beer soap and the cider soap soon. Up next is Citrus…