Soap & Honey

I decided to call the latest package 'How Clean's Soap-osed to Feel' for its four soaps, 

each aimed at a specific type of cleaning. 

This is probably the last package, at least for a while, or maybe ever. 

But I'll probably still be sharing my creations here. And who knows? 

Perhaps nutraceuticals will become part of 

our farm diversification and these soap related items will be our added value products... 

For real! 

Anyway, dreams and aspirations aside, here are the details:

A SLICE OF SUNDAY AFTERNOON - Soap Bar 

I'm delighted to report this one is 100% Canadian! Yay! 

The botanicals are carrot and hemp, and although poppy seeds are a plant product 

their job is more for a tad of texture and contrast. 

Citrus is said to be a clean smell, so lemon poppyseed enters the tub here. 

It's a slice from a loaf of soap, but don't eat it! 

Gentle on the skin, lathers nicely, and has an invigorating but not overpowering scent.

CLEAN & SIMPLE HERBALS - Shampoo Bar 

 78% Canadian! Yay! 

with Nourishing Oils & Essential Oils for growth, strength, moisture and vitality - (brunette) 

This shampoo bar I'm really happy with... 

It's a better size to grab and has more surface area to apply, 

it's still nice and hard, but moisturizing. Jordan says I can keep making this exact batch. 

How complimentary of him. Though he always is. I'm delighted that even if I'm stuck with commercial conditioner for the time being, I've replaced commercial shampoo for myself and I no longer need to supplement regular washing once a week with dish soap, 

(yes, I really did do that) to get that really clean, light feel. 

Sayounara Sunlight and Fairy Liquid! 

It's so perfect for travel, too. It's impossible to spill a bar of soap! 

I have also made a specifically blonde (blonde highlight) version, ready in a few weeks. 

For now it's cut and hardening, awaiting stamping. 

CLEAN & SIMPLE HERBALS - Facial Soap 

90% Canadian! - thyme, witch hazel, arnica, honey - Unscented. 

I'm very pleased with this soap and how it has treated my skin. 

It's not drying, but certainly cleansing, and contains ingredients that clear and heal imperfections. Here's why: 

Thyme is disinfecting and acne fighting, 

Witch-Hazel is astringent and anti-inflammatory, 

Arnica is healing and soothing, 

while Honey is antibacterial and softening. 

It's the exact bar of soap I wished I had when I was 13 or 14, 

yet it's somehow also just right for my maturing skin.

NICE SPICE - Shave Soap 

with Avocado and Olive, lathering, soothing and antiseptic. 

Sadly this isn't made from many local ingredients, 

however I needed a starting point for a shave soap, and this is it. 

After you lather up (get a mug, insert soap, wet your brush and 'stir' the soap) 

this can be used two ways... one for the body (legs etc), and the other for the face. 

The essential oils should mean there's no aftershave required, 

an added bonus for the nicks on the body that never would have enjoyed this treatment, 

and saves a step as well as the encroachment on counter space real estate. 

It's not drying, but it's still an Alberta winter so I'll continue to rub on 

the 'Goddess Anointment' in-bath moisturizer before I leave the tub for the loveliest, 

easiest solution to smooth and supple (body) skin. 

ORANGE COCOA-BUTTER MINT - Lip Balm 

A light scent with a rich base of cocoa butter from where the chocolate smell comes. 

This is a more deeply moisturizing (tropical oil formula) than the previous, according to me. 

LEMONGRASS LAVENDER - Deodorant 

An odour wicking, fresh scented application you can roll out of the tube 

like any other store bought version. 

It shouldn't leave white marks and you can be happy knowing it also contains no glycol 

(a known carcinogen with which we use to de-ice airplanes) 

which is what drove me to make this deodorant in the first place. 

Because, um, super yuck, glycol. And because stinking is not an option.

MALABAR ORANGE - Body Scrub 

This has been pre-tested and approved by Christine, who says this is her new favourite product. :)

The name and scent is a flash back to my childhood favourite soap, 

Malabar Coast made then and now by Salt Spring Soapworks, 

with a new accompaniment of 5 fold orange essential oil. 

Wet skin, apply and rub (especially on rough dry spots), 

then rinse away leaving yourself anointed and smelling lovely. 

SOOTHING SMOOTHING - Nightly Eye Cream Treatment 

Vitamin E, cocoa butter, and jojoba to put the naturally thin skin around the eyes to rest, 

for rejuvenation through the night. 

Chamomile botanicals for soothing and rose botanicals for mature skin. 

I may reformat this into a wetter product. We will see. 

HONEY CREAMS - Face Creams

Each of the three creams is made with the addition of honey, your natural skin softening, anti-bacterial gift from the bees. Some contain beeswax as well. 

(Bees should totally be Jordan's next project! Although I think I may have just made a deal with a neighbour who raises them...) 

All have a combination of skin improving botanicals (burdock, chamomile and rose) 

and  contain Aloe Vera which is a natural sun blocker, giving each cream a low SPF. 

They are meant for the face, but other parts fine, too.  

These are less greasy/wet than the previous Lemon Meringue version. 

Hurray for finding a good aloe gel! 

The Lemon Meringue scent however will probably stand the test of time...

The new scents and names are as follows: Lemon Anise, Tahitian Lime, Oriental Orange.

It's a huge push to get all that made, packaged and sent out, but a fun and creative process, 

while also being technical enough to remain interesting. 

I cannot wait for the grass to turn green because with that come the dandelions, 

being the first of the wild plants available for harvesting and extracting their goodness.

In the meantime, I'm just trying to perfect the ideal sleep tea blend, 

and hoping (desperately) for a few nights of restful sleeps. 

Just imagine what consecutive nights of an honest rest could do! 

It'd be transformational!