Blue Jewel Handcrafted Soap

I stepped away for a moment and when I came back, the tops had already set. I should've left them alone, they were pretty enough. But noooo! I had to try to design the tops. They're a bit rough at best. At least the inside swirl came out nicely!

This is Lavender Soap colored with Brazilian purple clay from Chrys Rocha and rose kaolin clay, always available year round.

I was going to discontinue Bastille Soap but so many customers came to its defense, so I've decided to keep it in my soap lineup.

Bastille Soap is made with a high percentage of olive oil and takes at least three months to cure (to become a hard bar of longlasting soap). It's unscented and a slow seller (because most customers want scent), but I discovered I have a small following. People with sensitive skin love how gentle this soap is.

I currently have 8 bars of the current batch left, so If you need a Bastille Soap, get it now. The batch I just made will be ready toward the end of November.

Pouring soap batter with the perfect consistency.

Naturally colored with French green clay, chlorella powder, and indigo powder.

Scented with Eucalyptus, Spearmint, and Peppermint essential oils.

This is Eucalyptus & Spearmint Soap. Always available on my website.

This was that in-the-pot swirl I wasn't sure about but I think it came out okay. What do you think?

I'm calling it Twilight and it will be part of my fall soap collection coming in September.

The reason my lye solution is orange is because I used whey as a water replacement.

When I make Greek yogurt, I save the excess liquid that drains from the yogurt (the whey), freeze it into cubes and use those cubes in my soapmaking. The natural sugars and proteins in the whey react with the lye, giving the solution that beautiful orange color, though it doesn't affect the color of the final soap.

I like the silky, creamy lather whey gives the soap, and it's gentle on the skin. Both of my fall soaps were made with whey. They're on the curing rack and will be ready in September.

Everytime I post about the dangers of using synthetic fragrance oils in self care products, I get a lot of pushback from other soap and skincare makers, some accusing me of using fear to sell my products. That couldn't be further from the truth. I'm big on research and understanding before I make a claim, and there are several resources I turn to, like PubMed (National Library of Medicine), which holds countless reports and studies on the dangers of synthetic fragrance oils. One report called them "slow poisons".

Fragrance oils are made up of thousands of different chemical compounds and most are deemed safe to use. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) makes the rules regarding safe usage levels. Yet, many studies that have emerged in recent years have concluded that consistent use of synthetic fragrances can build up in the body, causing disruption to the endocrine system, estrogen overproduction in both sexes, inflammation, suppression of the immune system, and cancer (87 fragrance chemicals are linked to cancer causing cell mutations).

Many makers like me have turned to the use of naturally derived essential oils which are mostly safe within usage guidelines, but they can also cause allergic reactions or sensitivity in some people. In that case, choose fragrance-free or scent-free products over synthetic fragrances.

I always encourage everyone to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. My goal has always been to be transparent about why I make the choices I do.

I'm not sure how to link articles, but you can google the following articles to find out more:

1) Pubmed - "Fragrance compounds: The wolves in sheep's clothing"

2) bcpp.org "What the Fragrance Industry Doesn't Want You to Know"

3) nih.gov "Evaluation of pollutants in perfumes, colognes and health effects on the consumer: a systematic review"

Everytime I post about the dangers of using synthetic fragrance oils in self care products, I get a lot of pushback from other soap and skincare makers, some accusing me of using fear to sell my products. That couldn't be further from the truth. And truly, I'm big on research and understanding before I make a claim, and there are several resources I turn to, like PubMed (National Library of Medicine), which holds countless reports and studies on the dangers of fragrance oils. One report called them "slow poisons".

Fragrance oils are made up of thousands of different chemical compounds and most are deemed safe to use. The International Fragrance Association makes the rules regarding safe usage levels, but it doesn't evaluate for safety the chemicals used in fragrance mixtures.