Well as promised I am letting everyone know what happened to the site. I want to pass this information on to those people that want to or are planning on unning OSCommerce as their shopping cart system (and potentially any other shopping cart based on php).
On Decemeber 10th, or near there, a vulnerability was discovered in OSCommerce that allows access to the file manager (the brain of the website essentially). On December 11th, my site was attacked and a malicious script (virus) was injected into the files that was a command to snag everyone's credit card data. Being that I do not accept credit card data or numbers through the site, this hack was in vain, although it did cause me lost hours and money trying to remove the script and patch the vulnerability.
Thankfully due to the last hacker attempt, I have a wonderful programmer I use out of the Ukraine who knows his stuff and got on it asap. If anyone ever needs a referral to a programmer that is fast and knows his stuff, send me an email, he's great!
So the site has been patched, which is great for me, but may not be for some other sites that have no idea this vulnerability exists and can exist. For now, please be cautious when purchasing anything online with your credit card through any OSCommerce websites. If the option exists to phone in your number use it! Or stick to PayPal.
The perpetrators (from what we can gather) are based in Vietnam. That's pretty much all we know. They are hacking into sites with vulnerabilities (which being this is a new one pretty much every site has it).
I wanted to share this because I want the word passed around about what is happening. OSCommerce has been notified and hopefully they will provide a fix for it. Until then pay a php expert to fix it.
Thank you,
Randi Carr
Friday, December 18, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Website and Shopping Cart Questions answered!
I receive many questions from people about my website and who I got to build it, how much it cost, and the like.
To save myself time and to avoid repetition I am going to answer these questions here.
Question: Who did I get to design my website?
Answer: Nobody. I did it. I am the only one who builds it, maintains it and updates it. I hope this explains why I never get it updated on time. I can also say I hate every minute of it. I do have the know-how now though, so I see no reason to pay for someone else to do it.
Question: How much did it cost?
Answer: Monetarily nothing. Time wise, hundreds and hundreds of hours. To be honest I am probably way into the thousands of hours. I use OSCommerce an open source program that is free. I do, however, pay for the webspace and the domain names.
Question: Do you have any recommendations on where I can get a shopping cart?
Answer: This one depends. Basically you need to answer the following questions and go from there:
To save myself time and to avoid repetition I am going to answer these questions here.
Question: Who did I get to design my website?
Answer: Nobody. I did it. I am the only one who builds it, maintains it and updates it. I hope this explains why I never get it updated on time. I can also say I hate every minute of it. I do have the know-how now though, so I see no reason to pay for someone else to do it.
Question: How much did it cost?
Answer: Monetarily nothing. Time wise, hundreds and hundreds of hours. To be honest I am probably way into the thousands of hours. I use OSCommerce an open source program that is free. I do, however, pay for the webspace and the domain names.
Question: Do you have any recommendations on where I can get a shopping cart?
Answer: This one depends. Basically you need to answer the following questions and go from there:
- How much effort and time do you want to invest in your website?
- What does your budget look like?
- Do you mind the headache of maintenance and upkeep?
- Are you picky? Meaning do you want it to look a certain way or you will be frustrated?
- How elaborate are your needs? For instance, how many products are you going to need to list?
- Do you want it to automatically calculate shipping?
If your needs are basic and you don't want the headache of upkeeping a store other than basic descriptions and such then I suggest you go with a hosted site like Homestead or Pro Stores or NetStores.
If you want to do it all yourself and do not mind learning php script and the like go with either OSCommerce or ZenCart or something. You will still need to purchase webspace and a domain name. For webspace I HIGHLY recommend Acornhost. Their pricing is right and their tech support is excellent. I have never had my website down due to them (I have however torn it down myself with the wrong code). For domain names, I suggest Netfirms. They are reasonably priced and renewal is simple. Managing your domains is easy too. (For instance I have www.CreationsfromEden.ca and www.CreationsfromEden.net that also point to the home page. This would fall under managing the domains).
If you want a fairly happy medium you can buy a template for either OSCommerce or ZenCart and then customize it. You will need to learn the basics of php still to do this and depending on the template, they range anywhere fro $50 to $5000 (exclusive). You would still be responsible for any maintenace or upgrades to the site.
Or you can pay a programmer to do it all for you. From what I can tell, the going rate depends and a website takes many many hours, so it is not a cheap investment. be prepared to spend at least $1000 on something pretty simple. My website at this point is worth about $5000, from what I have been told (I could be wrong).
There are many more options than listed above, but it is based on your budget and time essentially. What works for one, may not work for another. I suggest you check out all of your options and go from there. Many programs offer free trials. Use them.
As a side note... this is what my store looked like before I started programming it... http://demo.oscommerce.com/ . They give you this and you convert it one line at a time to make it your own.
I hope this answers some questions. Have fun!
Randi
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Business side of things: To incorporate or not? That is the question.
I often hear people are thinking about incorporating their businesses because they think it is a safer bet when it comes to liability. I thought I would share some information with everyone (to the best of my knowledge) about this process and what shield it actually does provide to a business.
The main thing is most people seem to get incorporation and liability insurance confused. We will start with a definition of each.
Liability insurance (specifically, product liability) covers a person or entity (corporation) in the horrid event that something goes horribly wrong when a person uses their product. Allergic reactions, skin trauma, etc are covered by this.
Incorporation creates a business that is a seperate entity entirely from the individual. The finances and assets are the corporation's, not the individuals. In the event that a person wishes to stop doing the business, it is a much harder process to dissolve the corporation than a sole proprietership. The tax savings and credit availability are generally the big bonuses to incorporating.
Now where does this leave us? When a person incorporates their business they buy shares into it. Each share is worth a percentage of the business. For a small business such as soap making or cosmetic making the person normally ends up 100% Shareholder and is also titled Director, President, Treasurer and Secretary of that company. Now if the company does not have insurance and something bad happens as a result of the use of the product that company sold, litigation can happen and the company can be instructed to pay out for the damages.
What if the company does not have the assets required to cover the amount they have to pay out?
This is where people seem to think a corporation can save them. If the company does not have enough assets to pay in full then the litigation system looks at the shareholders of the company. In the event that you are 100% Shareholder and hold all the positions in question you can be deemed responsible for the turn of events. You are after all directing the company and making the decisions for it. This means you can be sued for the resulting balance. Yes, the company is gone at this point as everything has been taken from it, but you are not 100% shielded from litigation. They need to get their money somewhere!
So, why do I bring this up? Because I know how hard it is to find product liability insurance. I do have a link to a company that does provide it on my home page. Some people refuse to pay the annual preium and feel that incorporating, being a one time cost, is a better option. Please know that the two are not the same. An incorporated company still needs insurance, so it is no real savings.
The main thing is most people seem to get incorporation and liability insurance confused. We will start with a definition of each.
Liability insurance (specifically, product liability) covers a person or entity (corporation) in the horrid event that something goes horribly wrong when a person uses their product. Allergic reactions, skin trauma, etc are covered by this.
Incorporation creates a business that is a seperate entity entirely from the individual. The finances and assets are the corporation's, not the individuals. In the event that a person wishes to stop doing the business, it is a much harder process to dissolve the corporation than a sole proprietership. The tax savings and credit availability are generally the big bonuses to incorporating.
Now where does this leave us? When a person incorporates their business they buy shares into it. Each share is worth a percentage of the business. For a small business such as soap making or cosmetic making the person normally ends up 100% Shareholder and is also titled Director, President, Treasurer and Secretary of that company. Now if the company does not have insurance and something bad happens as a result of the use of the product that company sold, litigation can happen and the company can be instructed to pay out for the damages.
What if the company does not have the assets required to cover the amount they have to pay out?
This is where people seem to think a corporation can save them. If the company does not have enough assets to pay in full then the litigation system looks at the shareholders of the company. In the event that you are 100% Shareholder and hold all the positions in question you can be deemed responsible for the turn of events. You are after all directing the company and making the decisions for it. This means you can be sued for the resulting balance. Yes, the company is gone at this point as everything has been taken from it, but you are not 100% shielded from litigation. They need to get their money somewhere!
So, why do I bring this up? Because I know how hard it is to find product liability insurance. I do have a link to a company that does provide it on my home page. Some people refuse to pay the annual preium and feel that incorporating, being a one time cost, is a better option. Please know that the two are not the same. An incorporated company still needs insurance, so it is no real savings.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Bitten by the bug 2.
As I sit here typing I am waiting for my lye water to cool. Mistake #1. I meant for the water to be coffee in place of water. Oops.
This time I am ready though. I have my mold (I'm using a cardboard box as a log mold) lined and big enough. I have my coffee grounds set aside and my coffee butter and essential oil premeasured and ready to go. I have the thermometer ready (wish I could find my infrared one though, Sam apparently took it and cannot remember where she put it!). My colourant is ready. Now I just need to wait for the perfect numbers on the thermometer.
45 minutes later:
Well, the time came and I started to drizzle the lye water into the oils. As I turned on the stick blender something was definitely wrong. Sputter sputter, cough choke.. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! So I am stirring the liquid with one hand and trying to fix the blender with the other (took skill). I get it to work for 5 more seconds... I stir again, I get it to work again for a couple seconds... OH NO!!! MY SOAP!!!!!!!! Then when I didn't think it could get any worse I hear Logan crying... screaming... he wants his mommy, daddy doesn't cut it. CRAP! Not only is my soap going to fail because I cannot get my blander to work, my child is going to help the process. So I drop the soap idea, it's making me mad anyway. I run to Logan... settle him down... resign myself to the fact my wonderful Coffee Cocoa butter soap is a disaster. Logan goes back to sleep.
Back to the kitchen. I look in my bucket. I have liquid... nothing more. I grab my stick blender... might as well try and see what happens. I press the button. BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... hey? It's working... It runs for about 1 minute and 30 secs.... trace starts to appear... YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dump in my butter and coffee grounds... blend it up for a few more seconds. Take out some of the soap batter, toss in my essential oil and colourant... stir it up. Give the soap in the bucket another quick buzz to thicken it a bit more. Pour it into my cardboard mold. I then pour the colored soap into the mold from a height and swirl a bit. It isn't the colour I planned (too black), but oh well... it traced, I don't care!
I wrap it in a towel... and I got smart this time (with the help of some seasoned soap makers), I preheated the oven to 170 and turned it off. I'm hoping it will help the soap gel fully this time.
So... do I have soap? I think so... is it pretty? Probably not... do I care? No... IT TRACED PEOPLE!!!!
I'll post pics when I unmold it tomorrow (or the next day).
This time I am ready though. I have my mold (I'm using a cardboard box as a log mold) lined and big enough. I have my coffee grounds set aside and my coffee butter and essential oil premeasured and ready to go. I have the thermometer ready (wish I could find my infrared one though, Sam apparently took it and cannot remember where she put it!). My colourant is ready. Now I just need to wait for the perfect numbers on the thermometer.
45 minutes later:
Well, the time came and I started to drizzle the lye water into the oils. As I turned on the stick blender something was definitely wrong. Sputter sputter, cough choke.. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! So I am stirring the liquid with one hand and trying to fix the blender with the other (took skill). I get it to work for 5 more seconds... I stir again, I get it to work again for a couple seconds... OH NO!!! MY SOAP!!!!!!!! Then when I didn't think it could get any worse I hear Logan crying... screaming... he wants his mommy, daddy doesn't cut it. CRAP! Not only is my soap going to fail because I cannot get my blander to work, my child is going to help the process. So I drop the soap idea, it's making me mad anyway. I run to Logan... settle him down... resign myself to the fact my wonderful Coffee Cocoa butter soap is a disaster. Logan goes back to sleep.
Back to the kitchen. I look in my bucket. I have liquid... nothing more. I grab my stick blender... might as well try and see what happens. I press the button. BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... hey? It's working... It runs for about 1 minute and 30 secs.... trace starts to appear... YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dump in my butter and coffee grounds... blend it up for a few more seconds. Take out some of the soap batter, toss in my essential oil and colourant... stir it up. Give the soap in the bucket another quick buzz to thicken it a bit more. Pour it into my cardboard mold. I then pour the colored soap into the mold from a height and swirl a bit. It isn't the colour I planned (too black), but oh well... it traced, I don't care!
I wrap it in a towel... and I got smart this time (with the help of some seasoned soap makers), I preheated the oven to 170 and turned it off. I'm hoping it will help the soap gel fully this time.
So... do I have soap? I think so... is it pretty? Probably not... do I care? No... IT TRACED PEOPLE!!!!
I'll post pics when I unmold it tomorrow (or the next day).
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bitten by the bug!
As many of you know, I have never made CP soap before. I was scared to because of the kids, Sam especially (3 years old), she likes to get involved in everything. I needed to wait until she was old enough to understand to stay AWAY from anything to do with Lye. We finally hit that milestone, she understands Lye is BADDDD and will let me handle it and keep away.
Now being a supplier of soap making ingredients and equipment, I have always felt silly giving people advice on a topic I know quite a bit about, however I have never actually experienced it. I relate it to that of a surgeon who knows the ins and outs of surgery, can tell you exactly how to do it or what not to do and the consequences of certain actions, yet he/she never actually performed surgery.
So tonight was the night. The girls were downstairs watching a movie now that we have a toy room for them. Logan was sleep... time to make soap!
Now I admit, I bought a kit. I figured for the first time, it would probably be a good idea. At least I know the recipe works and I could fully see the trace and go through the stages without wondering if my recipe was right if something did go wrong.
The recipe is a 1 pound beeswax CP soap recipe. The instructions say it will take 20-25 minutes to trace with a stick blender. Thankfully, I had spoke to a friend of mine, well seasoned in soap making, prior to going through the motions and she had mentioned it probably would take closer to 5 minutes.
So, I have my lye water cooled and ready, my soaping oils warm and ready, it's time to put them together and make soap... the real deal. I slowly drizzle my lye solution into the oil as the directions state and hand stir at the beginning to incorporate the two mixtures thoroughly. Then I turn on my stick blender on low and beat the soap batter for about 30 seconds, turn it off and stir with the stick blender shut off for another 30 seconds or so. It then comes to my attention that the Tupperware container I had planned on using as a mold was not big enough. I yell to my hubby to PLEASSSEEE go downstairs and find the soap molds on my top shelf and bring one up. He asks which one (I have 300 molds)? I say whichever... don't care ANYTHING!
Another 45 seconds or so has gone by and I am still alternating with the blender and by hand. The next thing I know I am yelling for him to HUUUURRRYYYYY! The batter is starting to trace and quickly! I turn off the stick blender and start hand stirring while giving him militant directions on prepping the mold! By total luck I had Calendula oil sitting next to me that had just been pressed. I told him, grease it with THAT! No sooner had he finished when the soap had to be poured, it was pretty darn thick.
I got the soap batter poured into the molds and then I noticed... by total luck (hubby didn't know what kind of soap I was making) he had brought my Bee and Honeycomb Milky Way Mold up. It may look good after all.
The soap is now sitting in the oven (to keep away from children and everything else) wrapped in a towel until tomorrow when I will take a peek and hopefully be able to unmold it. The leftover that I did end up pouring into the Tupperware container is going to be very ugly... my liner moved and it is a big mess. I figure I might be able to carve it into a flower or something as the creases will make lovely petals (not really, but that is how my mind works). It doesn't matter anyway, this was batch #1 and the purpose was merely to experience the process. If it's not pretty, so be it. I have a funny feeling I will have many batches to get all that right as I have already been bitten by the bug and have come up with about 20 different ideas on what I can do in the past hour.
I see it all the time... the bug that is. The glint in the eye of the person who got that first successful trace. I never in a million years figured I would get the glint too. This happened less than an hour ago and as I sat on the living room chair after it was all said and done telling my hubby about a coffee soap idea I have, my hubby looks at me and says "It has happened to you now too." And he grins. Sadly, he is right. I doubt I will ever be the same.
Now being a supplier of soap making ingredients and equipment, I have always felt silly giving people advice on a topic I know quite a bit about, however I have never actually experienced it. I relate it to that of a surgeon who knows the ins and outs of surgery, can tell you exactly how to do it or what not to do and the consequences of certain actions, yet he/she never actually performed surgery.
So tonight was the night. The girls were downstairs watching a movie now that we have a toy room for them. Logan was sleep... time to make soap!
Now I admit, I bought a kit. I figured for the first time, it would probably be a good idea. At least I know the recipe works and I could fully see the trace and go through the stages without wondering if my recipe was right if something did go wrong.
The recipe is a 1 pound beeswax CP soap recipe. The instructions say it will take 20-25 minutes to trace with a stick blender. Thankfully, I had spoke to a friend of mine, well seasoned in soap making, prior to going through the motions and she had mentioned it probably would take closer to 5 minutes.
So, I have my lye water cooled and ready, my soaping oils warm and ready, it's time to put them together and make soap... the real deal. I slowly drizzle my lye solution into the oil as the directions state and hand stir at the beginning to incorporate the two mixtures thoroughly. Then I turn on my stick blender on low and beat the soap batter for about 30 seconds, turn it off and stir with the stick blender shut off for another 30 seconds or so. It then comes to my attention that the Tupperware container I had planned on using as a mold was not big enough. I yell to my hubby to PLEASSSEEE go downstairs and find the soap molds on my top shelf and bring one up. He asks which one (I have 300 molds)? I say whichever... don't care ANYTHING!
Another 45 seconds or so has gone by and I am still alternating with the blender and by hand. The next thing I know I am yelling for him to HUUUURRRYYYYY! The batter is starting to trace and quickly! I turn off the stick blender and start hand stirring while giving him militant directions on prepping the mold! By total luck I had Calendula oil sitting next to me that had just been pressed. I told him, grease it with THAT! No sooner had he finished when the soap had to be poured, it was pretty darn thick.
I got the soap batter poured into the molds and then I noticed... by total luck (hubby didn't know what kind of soap I was making) he had brought my Bee and Honeycomb Milky Way Mold up. It may look good after all.
The soap is now sitting in the oven (to keep away from children and everything else) wrapped in a towel until tomorrow when I will take a peek and hopefully be able to unmold it. The leftover that I did end up pouring into the Tupperware container is going to be very ugly... my liner moved and it is a big mess. I figure I might be able to carve it into a flower or something as the creases will make lovely petals (not really, but that is how my mind works). It doesn't matter anyway, this was batch #1 and the purpose was merely to experience the process. If it's not pretty, so be it. I have a funny feeling I will have many batches to get all that right as I have already been bitten by the bug and have come up with about 20 different ideas on what I can do in the past hour.
I see it all the time... the bug that is. The glint in the eye of the person who got that first successful trace. I never in a million years figured I would get the glint too. This happened less than an hour ago and as I sat on the living room chair after it was all said and done telling my hubby about a coffee soap idea I have, my hubby looks at me and says "It has happened to you now too." And he grins. Sadly, he is right. I doubt I will ever be the same.
ETA: Pics added (soap out of mold) I'll update with pics after the cure.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Newsletter: Bulk buys, new stock and lower pricing!
Hi all!
As the Christmas season is fast approaching we are doing our best at Creations from Eden Inc to bring in large quantities of product to facilitate our customers needs. We now have 5 gallon pail quantities of Coconut 76, Palm and Glycerin. Coming within the next 3 weeks we have Castor Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Almond Oil and Organic Coconut Oil also available in 5 gallon sizing. Please see our bulk section for more on these products.
In addition to the above, we would like to extend an offer to our customers to see how much interest it generates. We are offering Pomace Grade Olive Oil in 18KG (close to 19.9L) quantities for a price of $185.79. However, if we have more than 6 pails preordered we will lower the price to $170.40. If you are interested and would like to only purchase it if the minimum is met, please email me and let me know.
We are also taking orders for the following (quantities are in brackets, these are US gallons, for approximate weight/volume please email):
Babassu oil (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Palm Kernel (5 gallon)
Organic Palm (5 gallon)
Organic Castor Oil (5 gallon)
Jojoba Clear & Golden (5 gallon)
Olive Squalane (gallon, 5 gallon)
High Oleic Sunflower & Safflower (5 gallon)
Organic Palm Stearin (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Palm Kernel Stearin (gallon, 5 gallon)
Rice Bran Oil (Refined and Unrefined) (5 gallon)
Organic Rice Bran (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Soybean Oil (gallon, 5 gallon)
Refined Mango Butter 25KG...
Natural Organic Cocoa Butter 25KG
Organic Refined Shea 25KG
Organic Deodorized Cocoa Butter 25KG
And the same goes for the above as for Olive Oil, if 6 or more 5 gallon pails are ordered pricing will be lower (as we can justify ordering drums at that point). Please email for a price list. The order will be going in next week, so please act fast.
New and back in stock!
~ Jojoba Clear
~ White Beeswax
~ Clear PET low profile jars with black lids 2oz, 4oz and 8oz
~ 1oz Cosmetic Double Walled jars with domed lids.
~ Shea Butter Organic Refined
~ Hempseed Unrefined Conventional
~ Hempseed Unrefined Organic
~ Cetyl Alcohol
~ Safety Glasses
Arriving Soon!
~ Wheatgerm Oil Refined
~ Rice Bran Oil Refined
~ Deodorized Cocoa Butter
~ Fractionated Coconut Oil
~ Sweet Almond Oil
~ Tucuma Butter
~ Milky Way Molds & Stamps
~ Pine Essential oil
~ Dark Patchouli
~ Larger quantities of various Essential Oils such as lime, lemongrass, orange and Tea Tree!
We have managed to negotiate lower pricing on the following:
~ Cetyl alcohol
~ Glycerin
~ Natural Mango Butter
~ PH Strips
~ Natural Shea Butter
~ Refined Shea Butter
~ Sodium Hydroxide
~ Stearic Acid Triple Pressed
Watch for lower pricing on many more items in the weeks to come!
Please be advised we will be closed Monday, October 5th for supplier meetings. If you have anything on your wish list, please let us know so we can bring it up in the meeting. Items so far are BTMS, DLS Mild, Cromollient, Honey Quat and more. If you are interested in any of these products and have not let us know, please do so. The more interest we receive in a product, the more likely we are to bring it in. Also note we have a wish list under “discussions” on our Facebook page (as well as regular shipment updates and tidbits of information) that I review regularly.
Thank you all once again, for your patience in this time of transition for us. We greatly appreciate it!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
As the Christmas season is fast approaching we are doing our best at Creations from Eden Inc to bring in large quantities of product to facilitate our customers needs. We now have 5 gallon pail quantities of Coconut 76, Palm and Glycerin. Coming within the next 3 weeks we have Castor Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Almond Oil and Organic Coconut Oil also available in 5 gallon sizing. Please see our bulk section for more on these products.
In addition to the above, we would like to extend an offer to our customers to see how much interest it generates. We are offering Pomace Grade Olive Oil in 18KG (close to 19.9L) quantities for a price of $185.79. However, if we have more than 6 pails preordered we will lower the price to $170.40. If you are interested and would like to only purchase it if the minimum is met, please email me and let me know.
We are also taking orders for the following (quantities are in brackets, these are US gallons, for approximate weight/volume please email):
Babassu oil (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Palm Kernel (5 gallon)
Organic Palm (5 gallon)
Organic Castor Oil (5 gallon)
Jojoba Clear & Golden (5 gallon)
Olive Squalane (gallon, 5 gallon)
High Oleic Sunflower & Safflower (5 gallon)
Organic Palm Stearin (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Palm Kernel Stearin (gallon, 5 gallon)
Rice Bran Oil (Refined and Unrefined) (5 gallon)
Organic Rice Bran (gallon, 5 gallon)
Organic Soybean Oil (gallon, 5 gallon)
Refined Mango Butter 25KG...
Natural Organic Cocoa Butter 25KG
Organic Refined Shea 25KG
Organic Deodorized Cocoa Butter 25KG
And the same goes for the above as for Olive Oil, if 6 or more 5 gallon pails are ordered pricing will be lower (as we can justify ordering drums at that point). Please email for a price list. The order will be going in next week, so please act fast.
New and back in stock!
~ Jojoba Clear
~ White Beeswax
~ Clear PET low profile jars with black lids 2oz, 4oz and 8oz
~ 1oz Cosmetic Double Walled jars with domed lids.
~ Shea Butter Organic Refined
~ Hempseed Unrefined Conventional
~ Hempseed Unrefined Organic
~ Cetyl Alcohol
~ Safety Glasses
Arriving Soon!
~ Wheatgerm Oil Refined
~ Rice Bran Oil Refined
~ Deodorized Cocoa Butter
~ Fractionated Coconut Oil
~ Sweet Almond Oil
~ Tucuma Butter
~ Milky Way Molds & Stamps
~ Pine Essential oil
~ Dark Patchouli
~ Larger quantities of various Essential Oils such as lime, lemongrass, orange and Tea Tree!
We have managed to negotiate lower pricing on the following:
~ Cetyl alcohol
~ Glycerin
~ Natural Mango Butter
~ PH Strips
~ Natural Shea Butter
~ Refined Shea Butter
~ Sodium Hydroxide
~ Stearic Acid Triple Pressed
Watch for lower pricing on many more items in the weeks to come!
Please be advised we will be closed Monday, October 5th for supplier meetings. If you have anything on your wish list, please let us know so we can bring it up in the meeting. Items so far are BTMS, DLS Mild, Cromollient, Honey Quat and more. If you are interested in any of these products and have not let us know, please do so. The more interest we receive in a product, the more likely we are to bring it in. Also note we have a wish list under “discussions” on our Facebook page (as well as regular shipment updates and tidbits of information) that I review regularly.
Thank you all once again, for your patience in this time of transition for us. We greatly appreciate it!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Newsletter: Coupon and more!
With all the of changes happening at Creations from Eden the last month or so, as a thank you for your patience (and the fact we do not want to move all of the inventory) we are offering all of our customers a limited time, single use coupon discount where everyone will receive the Tier 5 discount plus an additional 5% off orders from now until Sunday, July 26th, 2009. This amounts to savings of 20% on most items (new stock, clearance, bulk and sale items do not apply).
Please use coupon code "SUMMER " to take advantage of this offer!
Please note, our fall restock orders are going in July 31, 2009. If you are looking for something we do not have in the store, or items in large quantities, please let us know by the 29th so we can give out quotes and make sure everything is added to the orders. We expect to receive the stock by mid August.
Anyone that received the previous bulk buy pricing sheets please note that we have managed to lower our bulk pricing on many items such as coconut oil, palm oil, deodorized cocoa butter and much more. These items are slowly being added to bulk in stock when the pricing is set in stone. To take advantage of these bulk quantities, please order as soon as possible. Items will be added regularly in the next two weeks. For bulk buy terms, please click here.
Thank you all and Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Please use coupon code "SUMMER " to take advantage of this offer!
Please note, our fall restock orders are going in July 31, 2009. If you are looking for something we do not have in the store, or items in large quantities, please let us know by the 29th so we can give out quotes and make sure everything is added to the orders. We expect to receive the stock by mid August.
Anyone that received the previous bulk buy pricing sheets please note that we have managed to lower our bulk pricing on many items such as coconut oil, palm oil, deodorized cocoa butter and much more. These items are slowly being added to bulk in stock when the pricing is set in stone. To take advantage of these bulk quantities, please order as soon as possible. Items will be added regularly in the next two weeks. For bulk buy terms, please click here.
Thank you all and Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Friday, July 17, 2009
Antioxidants versus Preservatives
After many inquiries over the past year, I figured I would write up a post about the differences between an antioxidant and a preservative. The two are not synonyms... they are different products, which do completely different things.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow oxidation. What this means in the cosmetic world, is adding an antioxidant to your cosmetic formula will prevent the oils from going rancid prematurely. They are not preservatives. they cannot preserve a formula where water was added. They are generally used in anhydrous (lacking water) formulas such as balms, ointments and body butters. Examples of antioxidants include Vitamin E, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract (ROE) and Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE).
Preservatives
Preservatives are substances that preserve the formula by preventing (for a reasonable time) the growth of microorganisms, or occurrence of undesirable chemical reactions (such as oxidation), that spoil it. Preservatives are very necessary to hydrous formulas as it is the water in the formula that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Without a preservative your product is not safe for use as bacteria will start to breed in a very short time period. Placing your formula in the fridge, will help lengthen it's shelf life, but for maybe a few hours at best. Examples of preservatives are Liquid Germall® Plus , Optiphen® , and Phenonip, to name a few.
What about Natural Preservatives?
There are a few natural preservatives out there, however they are either extremely hard to work with, not approved for cosmetic use, and/or they are extremely stinky.
GSE is said to be a preservative, but this is not the actual case. 100% GSE might have some merit, but most GSE out there is a 60/40 mix of glycerin and GSE. Some even contain synthetic preservatives that work as the preservative in the cosmetic formula, making it appear that the GSE is effective. I would personally not bet my life on GSE being an effective preservative on it's own.
Some companies have worked out wonderful natural preservative systems, and because of this edge they do have over the rest of us, they will not share their secrets to the general public (hey, would you?). Alot of people are skeptical in this regard and believe the company is outright lying. I, however, believe that if there is a will there is a way and I just have not figured it out yet.
So, truth be told, as natural as you want to be, your formula probably does need a preservative, most likely synthetic, if you add water (or any ingredient that has water in it, such as aloe vera)and want it to be safe.
I hope this clears a few questions up!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow oxidation. What this means in the cosmetic world, is adding an antioxidant to your cosmetic formula will prevent the oils from going rancid prematurely. They are not preservatives. they cannot preserve a formula where water was added. They are generally used in anhydrous (lacking water) formulas such as balms, ointments and body butters. Examples of antioxidants include Vitamin E, Rosemary Oleoresin Extract (ROE) and Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE).
Preservatives
Preservatives are substances that preserve the formula by preventing (for a reasonable time) the growth of microorganisms, or occurrence of undesirable chemical reactions (such as oxidation), that spoil it. Preservatives are very necessary to hydrous formulas as it is the water in the formula that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. Without a preservative your product is not safe for use as bacteria will start to breed in a very short time period. Placing your formula in the fridge, will help lengthen it's shelf life, but for maybe a few hours at best. Examples of preservatives are Liquid Germall® Plus , Optiphen® , and Phenonip, to name a few.
What about Natural Preservatives?
There are a few natural preservatives out there, however they are either extremely hard to work with, not approved for cosmetic use, and/or they are extremely stinky.
GSE is said to be a preservative, but this is not the actual case. 100% GSE might have some merit, but most GSE out there is a 60/40 mix of glycerin and GSE. Some even contain synthetic preservatives that work as the preservative in the cosmetic formula, making it appear that the GSE is effective. I would personally not bet my life on GSE being an effective preservative on it's own.
Some companies have worked out wonderful natural preservative systems, and because of this edge they do have over the rest of us, they will not share their secrets to the general public (hey, would you?). Alot of people are skeptical in this regard and believe the company is outright lying. I, however, believe that if there is a will there is a way and I just have not figured it out yet.
So, truth be told, as natural as you want to be, your formula probably does need a preservative, most likely synthetic, if you add water (or any ingredient that has water in it, such as aloe vera)and want it to be safe.
I hope this clears a few questions up!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Thursday, July 16, 2009
What to do with all this soap?!
Have you soapmakers out there ever wondered what to do with all of your less than perfect soap? The end pieces, scraps and the unsellable experiments that did not go quite right, but are still soap and safe to use? There are actually three ways to get use out of these creations.
The first: If it's not lye heavy, fully cured and just not what you wanted... give it to a homeless shelter! Your hand crafted soap would be such a luxurious gift to those that rarely get to use soap, nevermind authentic true soap!
The second: If it is a little caustic or lye heavy it can always be turned into laundry soap by grating it up and tossing it into the washer. I'll add the recipe soon.
The third: Rebatch (aka handmill)... although most people hate this idea and the whole process of it, it can save your whole batch!
So, please don't throw any soap out. It can always be used or turned into something else!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
The first: If it's not lye heavy, fully cured and just not what you wanted... give it to a homeless shelter! Your hand crafted soap would be such a luxurious gift to those that rarely get to use soap, nevermind authentic true soap!
The second: If it is a little caustic or lye heavy it can always be turned into laundry soap by grating it up and tossing it into the washer. I'll add the recipe soon.
The third: Rebatch (aka handmill)... although most people hate this idea and the whole process of it, it can save your whole batch!
So, please don't throw any soap out. It can always be used or turned into something else!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Newsletter: Sale & Store Hour Information.
Hi all,
I apologize for the very short notice, but we will be closing July 15th, until July 19th, 2009. We will resume operations July 20th, 2009.
I can honestly say with all the events the past few weeks I need a break to get back my sanity and get organized. Anyone with outstanding orders, do not worry, they will get to you during this time as well as all promises made will still be fulfilled.
On a good note, however, effective July 15th the following items will be on sale until the end of July! Some of the items are running low in stock, so act fast! Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis.
~ In stock Powdered colourants
~ Butters
~ All Rainbow Soap, in stock, is now only $3 per bar until it's gone!.
~ Preservatives & Antioxidants
~ Glass jars
~ Flat Slip tins
~ as well as various sale items throughout the website.
And please note... our Chase Creative Mold order was put on hold until summers end. If you are interested in any of the molds, please send me an email at randi@creationsfromeden.com indicating which ones you are interested in. We are hoping to have them arrive for mid August.
Thank you all and Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
PS. As an advance warning, we will be closed September long weekend 2009.
I apologize for the very short notice, but we will be closing July 15th, until July 19th, 2009. We will resume operations July 20th, 2009.
I can honestly say with all the events the past few weeks I need a break to get back my sanity and get organized. Anyone with outstanding orders, do not worry, they will get to you during this time as well as all promises made will still be fulfilled.
On a good note, however, effective July 15th the following items will be on sale until the end of July! Some of the items are running low in stock, so act fast! Orders are filled on a first come, first served basis.
~ In stock Powdered colourants
~ Butters
~ All Rainbow Soap, in stock, is now only $3 per bar until it's gone!.
~ Preservatives & Antioxidants
~ Glass jars
~ Flat Slip tins
~ as well as various sale items throughout the website.
And please note... our Chase Creative Mold order was put on hold until summers end. If you are interested in any of the molds, please send me an email at randi@creationsfromeden.com indicating which ones you are interested in. We are hoping to have them arrive for mid August.
Thank you all and Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
PS. As an advance warning, we will be closed September long weekend 2009.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Newsletter: Important Creations from Eden update!
I would once like to start by thanking each and every one of you for making Creations from Eden what it is today. With that said, we are experiencing some wonderful and big changes currently and I feel it is time to fill everyone in.
When I started in March 2008, I had little idea that this little hobby business was going to explode like it has. My little home business has grown and flourished and unfortunately, and fortunately, has grown out of my 12 x 10 room in the basement (much to my hubby's dismay as he just built it recently). I have watched beginner crafters turn their hobbies into flourishing businesses and the hobbyists perfect their creations. With this came a greater demand for better pricing, larger quantities and more product options. With that said we have some pretty big changes happening with CfE in the works.
As I type, documents are being looked over by our accountant and lawyer and the name Creations from Eden will soon be followed with three little letters indicating we have incorporated. The rust bucket in the garage, some (hubby) like to refer to as a truck in my household, is being hauled away and the garage is being turned into a climate controlled warehouse to house the increasing stock. We are negotiating with suppliers, both new and old, to bring our pricing down and bring in larger bulk size quantities. Creations from Eden will no longer be me, but a two man operation as I am taking on a partner to help with the administrative tasks. Please welcome Pete Kennedy to Creations from Eden and please be gentle on him, he is learning (hehe).
So thank you to everyone for being patient during this transition and please forgive me if orders and responses are a bit delayed. We hope to have everything ready to go by mid-August for all of your Christmas supply needs. If you would like to see a product we do not carry there a couple ways to reach us:
1. Our Facebook Page has a product request thread under "discussions" which I do frequent at least once a day. This can be found here.
2. Send an email to randi@creationsfromeden.com with your request.
We have access to most products, and for the most part, are willing to bring in what our customers would like to see.
Even though we are expanding, please rest assured, we will still be offering the same quality, atmosphere and customer service we have based Creations from Eden upon from the start.
Once again, thank you all and Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Thursday, July 2, 2009
July Newsletter! Specials and an update!
At Creations from Eden we are still clearing out the old and getting ready for the new in late summer. Please take a look at our clearance items including packaging, essential oils, soap and more! Please follow this link to view our clearance items
This July we are running a sale on our in stock Organic and Wild harvested products as well as our in stock candle supplies. The sale price is 5% off of our regular prices. This discount stacks on the Loyalty discounts. To view these items follow this link
There is alot of exciting things happening in the background at CfE currently. We are negotiating with suppliers to bring down their pricing, so that we can pass this discount on to our customers. We are also working on bulk sizing, warehouse space, and much more! We hope to have all of this completed and in effect by late August in time for the soapers and crafters to start their Christmas inventory. Please stay tuned.
Don't forget, the bulk buys for oils, butters and herbs are due tomorrow (Friday, July 3rd). Please send in your requests as soon as you can. If you need a bulk pricing sheet, please send your request to Randi.
To see what new products we have at CfE please follow this link as always we are adding to our inventory! We have recently brought in many organic products for your cosmetic and soaping needs!
Have a wonderful summer and Happy Crafting!
Randi Carr
This July we are running a sale on our in stock Organic and Wild harvested products as well as our in stock candle supplies. The sale price is 5% off of our regular prices. This discount stacks on the Loyalty discounts. To view these items follow this link
There is alot of exciting things happening in the background at CfE currently. We are negotiating with suppliers to bring down their pricing, so that we can pass this discount on to our customers. We are also working on bulk sizing, warehouse space, and much more! We hope to have all of this completed and in effect by late August in time for the soapers and crafters to start their Christmas inventory. Please stay tuned.
Don't forget, the bulk buys for oils, butters and herbs are due tomorrow (Friday, July 3rd). Please send in your requests as soon as you can. If you need a bulk pricing sheet, please send your request to Randi.
To see what new products we have at CfE please follow this link as always we are adding to our inventory! We have recently brought in many organic products for your cosmetic and soaping needs!
Have a wonderful summer and Happy Crafting!
Randi Carr
Friday, June 26, 2009
Newsletter: Bulk Oils & Butters!
Hi all,
Just a heads up that we will be taking orders for bulk quantities of our oils. For a price list and to see what is available, please email me at randi@creationsfromeden.com. The terms of the bulk orders are at the end of this email.
The following is a list of bulk oils, butters and waxes available:
Babassu Oil
Cocoa butter- Deodorized
Cocoa butter- Deodorized Organic
Cocoa butter- Natural
Cocoa butter- Certified Organic Natural
Coconut Oil RBD
Coconut Oil RBD Certified Organic
Mango butter- Refined
Palm (Organic)
Palm Kernel (Organic)
Palm Fruit Stearin (Organic)
Palm Kernel Stearin (Organic)
Shea butter- Natural
Shea butter- Organic
and
• Almond Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil
• Argan Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Black Currant Oil
• Borage Oil
• Castor Oil
• Canola/Rapeseed Oil
• Cherry Kernel Oil
• Corn Oil
• Cotton Seed Oil
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Flax Seed Oil
• Grape Seed Oil
• Hazelnut Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Kukui Nut Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Peach Kernel Oil
• Pecan Oil
• Perilla Seed Oil
• Pistachio Oil
• Pomegranate Oil
• Pumpkin Seed Oil
• Rice Bran Oil
• Rosehip Oil
• Safflower Oil
(Oleic & Linoleic)
• Sesame Seed Oil
• Soy Bean Oil
• Squalane (Olive)
• Sunflower Oil
• Walnut Oil
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Beeswax (Organic)
• Carnauba Wax (Organic)
Most of these are available in an organic and or/ Kosher version.
Bulk Pricing Policies:
~All bulk and special orders are to be prepaid, no exceptions! We now take Credit Cards via the phone if needed.
~Shipping for bulk and special order items (items we normally do not carry) are considered separate from orders submitted via the website. Actual shipping rates will be charged.
~Bulk and special order items are not subject to any Loyalty or coupon discounts as the prices are already deeply discounted.
~Bulk and special orders may take up to 6 weeks to receive (we anticipate 3-4 weeks on the outside for this order). If you are in a rush, please note additional fees apply.
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Just a heads up that we will be taking orders for bulk quantities of our oils. For a price list and to see what is available, please email me at randi@creationsfromeden.com. The terms of the bulk orders are at the end of this email.
The following is a list of bulk oils, butters and waxes available:
Babassu Oil
Cocoa butter- Deodorized
Cocoa butter- Deodorized Organic
Cocoa butter- Natural
Cocoa butter- Certified Organic Natural
Coconut Oil RBD
Coconut Oil RBD Certified Organic
Mango butter- Refined
Palm (Organic)
Palm Kernel (Organic)
Palm Fruit Stearin (Organic)
Palm Kernel Stearin (Organic)
Shea butter- Natural
Shea butter- Organic
and
• Almond Oil
• Apricot Kernel Oil
• Argan Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Black Currant Oil
• Borage Oil
• Castor Oil
• Canola/Rapeseed Oil
• Cherry Kernel Oil
• Corn Oil
• Cotton Seed Oil
• Evening Primrose Oil
• Flax Seed Oil
• Grape Seed Oil
• Hazelnut Oil
• Jojoba Oil
• Kukui Nut Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Peach Kernel Oil
• Pecan Oil
• Perilla Seed Oil
• Pistachio Oil
• Pomegranate Oil
• Pumpkin Seed Oil
• Rice Bran Oil
• Rosehip Oil
• Safflower Oil
(Oleic & Linoleic)
• Sesame Seed Oil
• Soy Bean Oil
• Squalane (Olive)
• Sunflower Oil
• Walnut Oil
• Wheat Germ Oil
• Beeswax (Organic)
• Carnauba Wax (Organic)
Most of these are available in an organic and or/ Kosher version.
Bulk Pricing Policies:
~All bulk and special orders are to be prepaid, no exceptions! We now take Credit Cards via the phone if needed.
~Shipping for bulk and special order items (items we normally do not carry) are considered separate from orders submitted via the website. Actual shipping rates will be charged.
~Bulk and special order items are not subject to any Loyalty or coupon discounts as the prices are already deeply discounted.
~Bulk and special orders may take up to 6 weeks to receive (we anticipate 3-4 weeks on the outside for this order). If you are in a rush, please note additional fees apply.
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Pina Coloda Lip Gloss
Pina Coloda Lip Gloss- Courtesy of Jane at www.Rainbowsoap.ca
Here's my recipe:
Castor Oil - 50 gram
Aloe Butter - 30 gram
Avocado Butter - 30 gram
Beeswax - 30 gram
Mango Butter - 15 gram
Pina Colada Flavouring Oil - 10 gram (I used my lollipop flavourings)
A dab of Lip Balm colourant
Ultra Fine Iridescent Glitter - 0.60 cc
Packaged into lip balm tubes & lip balm jars. This recipe filled 30 tubes and 3 jars.
It's creamy, dreamy & luscious feeling. Of course you can substitute any quality flavouring oil.
Here's my recipe:
Castor Oil - 50 gram
Aloe Butter - 30 gram
Avocado Butter - 30 gram
Beeswax - 30 gram
Mango Butter - 15 gram
Pina Colada Flavouring Oil - 10 gram (I used my lollipop flavourings)
A dab of Lip Balm colourant
Ultra Fine Iridescent Glitter - 0.60 cc
Packaged into lip balm tubes & lip balm jars. This recipe filled 30 tubes and 3 jars.
It's creamy, dreamy & luscious feeling. Of course you can substitute any quality flavouring oil.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Newsletter: Blog, Facebook Page & More!
At Creations from Eden we have been very busy updating the website and adding more information pages to benefit our customers.
You can see our new sites by going to Facebook and Blog. Please let us know if either link does not work. They can also be reached by going to our home page at www.creationsfromeden.com and clicking on the links on the top of the page.
Use our discussion forums on Facebook to ask questions, share success stories and post pics of your creations! Use the blog for recipe ideas, how-to informtaion and general information on natural products, herbs and essential oils.
From now until the end of June, we are running specials on all of our natural flavour oils, natural colourants, clays and books as well as a few miscellaneous other products. And don't forget to go to the Chase Creative molds website and name your top 10-15 molds for an additional 5% off your next order!
Also, please note, we have changed the free shipping minimum to $250 due to rising shipping costs and special orders now have to be ordered on a seperate order so they do not get lost in the mix (additional shipping applies on special orders).
We have had some questions about bulk pricing and ordering larger quantities than what is available on the website.
We are more than willing to order in larger quantities than what is posted on the website. Often we have larger amounts, but the sizes on the website reflect the quantity that most people purchase. For instance, Coconut oil, if you want an 18KG barrel of coconut oil, it will cost you much less per lb to buy it this way... the drawback is we have to order it in due to limited inventory space. We generally have this quantity, but to be fair to everyone, we keep that amount on hand. If we order it in it may take up to 6 weeks (on the outside) to receive as we add it to our next product order.
Essential oils bought in 1lb (approximately 500mL depending on the eo) quantities and up can also save you.
The same goes for micas, bases, packaging, etc. Some items we cannot go lower as we are giving the lowest price we can (especially for those that receive the 15% off loyalty discount).
Additional discounts (such as the loyalty discount) do not apply when purchasing in bulk.
Much of our stock comes from the US and is based on US Dollar pricing. So depending on the dollar at that point is what we'll quote you. For this reason prices are subject to change. Quotes are valid for 14 days from date issued. Free shipping does not apply on these items.
Happy Creating everyone!
Randi Carr
You can see our new sites by going to Facebook and Blog. Please let us know if either link does not work. They can also be reached by going to our home page at www.creationsfromeden.com and clicking on the links on the top of the page.
Use our discussion forums on Facebook to ask questions, share success stories and post pics of your creations! Use the blog for recipe ideas, how-to informtaion and general information on natural products, herbs and essential oils.
From now until the end of June, we are running specials on all of our natural flavour oils, natural colourants, clays and books as well as a few miscellaneous other products. And don't forget to go to the Chase Creative molds website and name your top 10-15 molds for an additional 5% off your next order!
Also, please note, we have changed the free shipping minimum to $250 due to rising shipping costs and special orders now have to be ordered on a seperate order so they do not get lost in the mix (additional shipping applies on special orders).
We have had some questions about bulk pricing and ordering larger quantities than what is available on the website.
We are more than willing to order in larger quantities than what is posted on the website. Often we have larger amounts, but the sizes on the website reflect the quantity that most people purchase. For instance, Coconut oil, if you want an 18KG barrel of coconut oil, it will cost you much less per lb to buy it this way... the drawback is we have to order it in due to limited inventory space. We generally have this quantity, but to be fair to everyone, we keep that amount on hand. If we order it in it may take up to 6 weeks (on the outside) to receive as we add it to our next product order.
Essential oils bought in 1lb (approximately 500mL depending on the eo) quantities and up can also save you.
The same goes for micas, bases, packaging, etc. Some items we cannot go lower as we are giving the lowest price we can (especially for those that receive the 15% off loyalty discount).
Additional discounts (such as the loyalty discount) do not apply when purchasing in bulk.
Much of our stock comes from the US and is based on US Dollar pricing. So depending on the dollar at that point is what we'll quote you. For this reason prices are subject to change. Quotes are valid for 14 days from date issued. Free shipping does not apply on these items.
Happy Creating everyone!
Randi Carr
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Basic Soap Making Recipes
Basic homemade soap recipes are ones that have no frills, no additives and provide you with a clean slate to create your own soapmaking masterpieces.
Simply pick the soap recipe that suits your wants or needs and then start creating. Add some scent, pick a design idea, choose a color option.....there are so many possiblities that you'll find it hard to decide what to try first.
All of the recipes listed below can be made using either the cold process or hot process methods of soap making.
Whichever method you decide to use, I urge you once again to run the recipe through a lye calculator before starting. This habit is important to develope, it ensures that all homemade soap recipes you use are correct when you start and it encourages you to start exploring on your own with new and improved formulas that you have created.
Have fun and happy soaping!
For the recipes click on this link.
Simply pick the soap recipe that suits your wants or needs and then start creating. Add some scent, pick a design idea, choose a color option.....there are so many possiblities that you'll find it hard to decide what to try first.
All of the recipes listed below can be made using either the cold process or hot process methods of soap making.
Whichever method you decide to use, I urge you once again to run the recipe through a lye calculator before starting. This habit is important to develope, it ensures that all homemade soap recipes you use are correct when you start and it encourages you to start exploring on your own with new and improved formulas that you have created.
Have fun and happy soaping!
Courtesy of Cathy at Soap-making-Essentials.com.
For the recipes click on this link.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Cream Soap Recipe
Cream Soap Recipe:
Recipe courtesy of Jannie at Rainbow Soap
Oils/Butters/Glycerin:
7.5 gram - Castor Oil
2.0 gram - Jojoba Oil
10.0 gram - Olive Oil
5.0 gram - Shea Butter
30.0 gram - Coconut Oil
20.0 gram - Palm Oil
90.0 gram - Stearic Acid
51.2 gram - Glycerin
Lye Mixture:
Sodium Hydroxide - 5.1 gram
Potassium Hydroxide - 25.4 gram
Water - 91.6 gram
SuperCream:
Melted Stearic Acid - 2.5 gram
Glycerin (mix with above Stearic Acid) - 3.7 gram
Second Measure:
Aloe Juice or Water - 91.6 gram
Aloe Juice (extra, you may not need this) - 25 gram
Additives:
Allantoin - 4.6 gram
Kaolin Clay - 2.3 gram
Hydrolyzed Silk - 4.6 gram *Note* The link goes to a liquid form of silk, the weight here is not accurate if you substitute it!
Goat's Milk Powder - 4.6 gram
Instructions:
* Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees (place a cookie sheet under where your soap pot will rest in case of spills
* Place oils/butters and first glycerin measure in the soap pot. Heat until solids are just melted.
* Add both lyes to the first water measure. Set aside to cool.
* Add the lye water to the oils/butters/glycerin mixture and stick blend until mixture is somewhat smooth and uniform ... work quickly ... once this sets up, it goes very fast.
* Let soap rest for a couple of minutes.
* Place the lid on the pot ... Put in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
* Check every 15 minutes, stir ... replace the lid
* Heat the stearic acid/glycerin blend until melted ... add to hot soap.
* Turn off the oven. Turn on the oven light. Leave the covered pot in for 24 hours.
* Whip it ... Whip it good! Take a spoon and massage the mass ... when it loosens enough (this takes some time and is hard on the arms).
* Using the stick blender ... Alternate adding Aloe juice and stick blending until it resembles frosting. * Add your additives. Stirring in by hand.
* Transfer to a glass or ceramic dish that has a lid. Cover the bowl/dish and cure for two weeks or longer.
* Whip the soap ... if you are happy with the texture ... you're ready for colour & scent. If the soap is too thin ... let it sit uncovered to evaporate out a bit of the water (a couple of days is good). Too thick? Add a bit of that aloe juice that was held in reserve. Adding by 1/4 tsp. at a time.
* Colour & Scent as desired.
* Packaging ... thicker soap works best in jars ... thinner soap works well in dispensers or tubes.
Recipe courtesy of Jannie at Rainbow Soap
Oils/Butters/Glycerin:
7.5 gram - Castor Oil
2.0 gram - Jojoba Oil
10.0 gram - Olive Oil
5.0 gram - Shea Butter
30.0 gram - Coconut Oil
20.0 gram - Palm Oil
90.0 gram - Stearic Acid
51.2 gram - Glycerin
Lye Mixture:
Sodium Hydroxide - 5.1 gram
Potassium Hydroxide - 25.4 gram
Water - 91.6 gram
SuperCream:
Melted Stearic Acid - 2.5 gram
Glycerin (mix with above Stearic Acid) - 3.7 gram
Second Measure:
Aloe Juice or Water - 91.6 gram
Aloe Juice (extra, you may not need this) - 25 gram
Additives:
Allantoin - 4.6 gram
Kaolin Clay - 2.3 gram
Hydrolyzed Silk - 4.6 gram *Note* The link goes to a liquid form of silk, the weight here is not accurate if you substitute it!
Goat's Milk Powder - 4.6 gram
Instructions:
* Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees (place a cookie sheet under where your soap pot will rest in case of spills
* Place oils/butters and first glycerin measure in the soap pot. Heat until solids are just melted.
* Add both lyes to the first water measure. Set aside to cool.
* Add the lye water to the oils/butters/glycerin mixture and stick blend until mixture is somewhat smooth and uniform ... work quickly ... once this sets up, it goes very fast.
* Let soap rest for a couple of minutes.
* Place the lid on the pot ... Put in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
* Check every 15 minutes, stir ... replace the lid
* Heat the stearic acid/glycerin blend until melted ... add to hot soap.
* Turn off the oven. Turn on the oven light. Leave the covered pot in for 24 hours.
* Whip it ... Whip it good! Take a spoon and massage the mass ... when it loosens enough (this takes some time and is hard on the arms).
* Using the stick blender ... Alternate adding Aloe juice and stick blending until it resembles frosting. * Add your additives. Stirring in by hand.
* Transfer to a glass or ceramic dish that has a lid. Cover the bowl/dish and cure for two weeks or longer.
* Whip the soap ... if you are happy with the texture ... you're ready for colour & scent. If the soap is too thin ... let it sit uncovered to evaporate out a bit of the water (a couple of days is good). Too thick? Add a bit of that aloe juice that was held in reserve. Adding by 1/4 tsp. at a time.
* Colour & Scent as desired.
* Packaging ... thicker soap works best in jars ... thinner soap works well in dispensers or tubes.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Natural Colourant options in soap
Many people are trying very hard to stay away from synthetic dyes and colourants these days. So what are the alternatives available to a soapmaker? Below is a list of some natural colourant ideas:
Yellow - Annatto, saffron, Turmeric, Carthamin, Calendula petals (whole or ground)
Green - chlorophyll, Spirulina
Brown - the cocoa bean (pods, shells, stems), cocoa powder, fermented tea
Red - Paprika (may be irritating), Red Rooibos Tea, Carmine
Purple - Alkanet Root (for CP), Ratanjot (can sometimes be more red), Beet Root Powder
Blue- Indigo Root
To name a few.
The biggest draw back to using natural colours is that you won't get a vibrant lemon yellow or a bright lime green using natural colourants. Plus they generally stain when used in large quantities.
Yellow - Annatto, saffron, Turmeric, Carthamin, Calendula petals (whole or ground)
Green - chlorophyll, Spirulina
Brown - the cocoa bean (pods, shells, stems), cocoa powder, fermented tea
Red - Paprika (may be irritating), Red Rooibos Tea, Carmine
Purple - Alkanet Root (for CP), Ratanjot (can sometimes be more red), Beet Root Powder
Blue- Indigo Root
To name a few.
The biggest draw back to using natural colours is that you won't get a vibrant lemon yellow or a bright lime green using natural colourants. Plus they generally stain when used in large quantities.
Herb Notes: Soap Nuts, natural laundry soap?
So, I have stumbled upon something I think might be worth mentioning to all you naturalists out there. The product is directly from mother nature and is called Soap nuts or Soap berries (Sapindus mukorossi).
What are these nuts?
The soap nut is supposedly (I will test it out to make sure) an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent, and is a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. They have traditionally been used as an expectorant, and in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Soap nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent. The soap nut shell absorbs water and releases the saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothing.
How are they used?
Evidently (again, I will test the theory to make sure) you only need 4-6 nuts in a muslin bag (I am thinking panty hose should work too) and you toss them into your wash cycle. They can be used several times (they will become mushy and grey when they are to be replaced).
So what now?
Can you use soap nuts in place of other cleaning products?
Apparently you can. Soap nuts can be used for anything that you would normally use detergent for-washing the car, windows, etc. Some people have used them as a base for shampoos and hand lotions, and as an all purpose cleaner for around the home. They can be used as an anti-microbial for septic systems. Steep them in warm water and add the "tea" to a spray bottle and use in place of your regular cleaner.
So what now?
I am going to experiment myself with these neat creations from mother nature and I will update this entry when I have completed the experiment. As most of you know, I currently use ECOS laundry detergent, which is what I thought was as natural as one could get, but perhaps not.
The experiment (Number 1):
So I've done 2 loads of the kids laundry at this point with the soap nuts. Being that I always wash in cold water, I decided to simmer the soap nuts first to soften them. I then threw them into a muslin bag and tossed them in with the laundry on a normal cold wash. I dried the clothing in the dryer as usual. I treated stains as I normally do by spraying with Nature's Ultimate Concentrated Orange Cleaner. Logan's clothes (my 3 month old) if stained are generally protein stains from breastmilk and poop, Sam's are dirt from playing outside and juice and whatnot.
Results:
What are these nuts?
The soap nut is supposedly (I will test it out to make sure) an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent, and is a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. They have traditionally been used as an expectorant, and in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Soap nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent. The soap nut shell absorbs water and releases the saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothing.
How are they used?
Evidently (again, I will test the theory to make sure) you only need 4-6 nuts in a muslin bag (I am thinking panty hose should work too) and you toss them into your wash cycle. They can be used several times (they will become mushy and grey when they are to be replaced).
So what now?
Can you use soap nuts in place of other cleaning products?
Apparently you can. Soap nuts can be used for anything that you would normally use detergent for-washing the car, windows, etc. Some people have used them as a base for shampoos and hand lotions, and as an all purpose cleaner for around the home. They can be used as an anti-microbial for septic systems. Steep them in warm water and add the "tea" to a spray bottle and use in place of your regular cleaner.
So what now?
I am going to experiment myself with these neat creations from mother nature and I will update this entry when I have completed the experiment. As most of you know, I currently use ECOS laundry detergent, which is what I thought was as natural as one could get, but perhaps not.
The experiment (Number 1):
So I've done 2 loads of the kids laundry at this point with the soap nuts. Being that I always wash in cold water, I decided to simmer the soap nuts first to soften them. I then threw them into a muslin bag and tossed them in with the laundry on a normal cold wash. I dried the clothing in the dryer as usual. I treated stains as I normally do by spraying with Nature's Ultimate Concentrated Orange Cleaner. Logan's clothes (my 3 month old) if stained are generally protein stains from breastmilk and poop, Sam's are dirt from playing outside and juice and whatnot.
Results:
Whites: The whites aren't bright, like you would get using Tide with bleach or some other detergent, but I am thinking the addition of Borax or Washing Soda may fix this (I will experiment with this next).
Colors: Same as the whites.
Darks: Clean, soft, what more could I ask? The soapnuts did not remove the colour from them.
Softness: I did not use fabric softener (I never do, I use borax instead) and the clothes came out extremely soft. Big win on this end.
Static: No static. The clothes, even without using a dryer ball, are static free. Big win here too.
Stains: Well, the stains all came out with minimal effort, including some old ones on Sam's clothes that I never seemed to be able to get out. Big Win here too!
So, what is my final analysis on this experiment?
I am very pleased! Logan's clothes are as if I washed them in Ivory Snow (it always makes clothes soft for babies) and the cleaning power is nice. I am going to try the addition of Borax and Washing Soda to see if it will help with the brightness, but other than that I think the soapnuts are a keeper. They actually seem to work better than the ECOS.
Experiment #2:
More to come..
Friday, May 29, 2009
Herbal Oils: Infusing Aerial plant parts in oil
Directions on how to Infuse Aerial plant parts (leaves, petals, flowers, stems) in oil.
Materials needed (Method 1 requires patience, or you can skip to method 2):
Materials needed (Method 1 requires patience, or you can skip to method 2):
- Therapeutic Grade Herb - I cannot stress this enough! It must be therapeutic grade, not soap grade or you are wasting valuable oil.
- Cold pressed Vegetable Oil that is readily absorbed (Almond or Sunflower are best)- High Oleic Sunflower has a longer shelf life, I prefer to use this as there is a least likely chance of allergies.
- Vitamin E (Optional)
- Mason jar- (I use a 1 litre jar, it holds approximately 100 grams of petals and 1000 grams of oil and without a proper press yields about 600mL's of finished product.)
- Muslin bags or cloth.
- Dark Amber bottle
- Stuff as many aerial plant parts as possible into the mason jar (this is the infusion method for all aerial plant parts).
- Fill the jar with your chosen oil to the top.
- Let sit for a few minutes until all the air bubbles escape.
- Fill again.
- Repeat steps 1-5 until the jar is full and no air bubbles relaim. Stirring the mixture with a VERY clean spoon (preferably sterile) helps the process go quicker.
- Close jar, write on the lid what date you made the oil. Count 6 weeks from that date and label when it will be ready. Don't forget to label the ingredients and the weight you added of each. If you added 100 grams of Petals and 1000 grams of oil, this will make a 10% concentration of herb to oil. (100/1000 = 10%)
- Place the jar in a sunny window for 6 weeks, turning every so often.
- When the oil is infused (the second date on your lid) pour oil into a clean glass container.
Remove the oil soaked herb and using a muslin bag or potato press, squeeze the herb so the oil drains into the same container. This is the most concentrated oil and you want to keep it. - Continue to do this until no oil can be squeezed out. It will take muscle strength and patience.
- Discard the herb (or in the case of some herbs, save to add as colourant for soap later).
- Let the infused oil sit overnight covered to allow all the sediment to fall to the bottom.
Run the oil through muslin cloth again and bottle in dark amber bottles. Adding Vitamin E to the oil will prolong it's shelf life. (Add it at a rate of 100IU to 1oz of oil).
You now have sun infused Calendula oil!
Method 2 (not as hard, but also not as effective due to the heat used):
- Follow Steps 1-5 above.
- Place closed mason jar in a pan filled with water (like a double boiler).
- Place in the oven on the lowest temperature for 4-6 hours checking often.
- Follow steps 8-13 above after 4-6 hours.
- The reason this method is not as effective is due to the high heat used to infuse the oil. It kills much of the good qualities of both the oil and the herb.
Herbal Oils: Infusing root and bark plant material in oil.
Directions for the infusion of root and bark plant material in oil.
Materials needed (Oven Method):
Materials needed (Oven Method):
- Therapeutic Grade Herb - I cannot stress this enough! It must be therapeutic grade, not soap grade or you are wasting valuable oil.
- Cold pressed Vegetable Oil that is readily absorbed (Almond or Sunflower are best)- High Oleic Sunflower has a longer shelf life, I prefer to use this as there is a least likely chance of allergies.
- Vitamin E (Optional)
- Mason jar-
- Muslin bags or cloth.
- Dark Amber bottle
- Stuff as many plant parts as possible into the mason jar.
- Fill the jar with your chosen oil to the top.
- Let sit for a few minutes until all the air bubbles escape.
- Fill again.
- Repeat steps 1-5 until the jar is full and no air bubbles relaim. Stirring the mixture with a VERY clean spoon (preferably sterile) helps the process go quicker.
- Place closed mason jar in a pan filled with water (like a double boiler).
- Place in the oven on the lowest temperature for 4-6 hours checking often.
- When the oil is infused allow to cool and pour oil into a clean glass container.Remove the oil soaked herb and using a muslin bag or potato press, squeeze the herb so the oil drains into the same container. This is the most concentrated oil and you want to keep it.
- Continue to do this until no oil can be squeezed out. It will take muscle strength and patience.
- Discard the herb (or in the case of some herbs, save to add as colourant for soap later).
Let the infused oil sit overnight covered to allow all the sediment to fall to the bottom.Run the oil through muslin cloth again and bottle in dark amber bottles. Adding Vitamin E to the oil will prolong it's shelf life. (Add it at a rate of 100IU to 1oz of oil).
Crockpot Method (depending on your low setting on your crockpot, you may burn the herb):
More to come....
Monday, May 25, 2009
Newsletter: Chase Creative preorder plus coupon!
Hi all!
At Creations from Eden we are offering another preorder for June! This preorder consists of Chase Creative Molds. These molds are absolutely amazing, extremely detailed and the material makes them very easy to pop your soaps out without losing any detail. I have been playing with various ones for the last month and am very pleased with the outcome. To take a sneak peek at soap produced from these molds go to Natural Painted Soaps. There are also directions on how to accomplish these soaps right here in our blog.
Tired of the same old thing? These molds definitely stand out and offer unlimited creativity. Being that we are the first distributor, other then the manufacturer, you can guarantee these molds will be a unique offer to your customer base.
For more details of this preorder, please go to Chase Creative Molds Preorder To top it off, we are offering our customers an additional 5% discount on your next order, above and beyond your current discount (including sale prices) if you are willing to help us out with a little research. It is simple and may prove enjoyable! Go to the Chase Creative Molds website and look through the molds (I know, there are many)... email us a list of the top 10 to 15 molds you like the best (I'm giving lots of leeway as there are so many to choose from and choosing a mere 10 is almost impossible). Keep in mind, even if they do not say they are available to Canada, we can stock them.
Upon receipt of your email, we will email you a coupon code with your discount +5% to be used on any one purchase. There is no obligation to buy the molds you list, it is merely a way for us to get an insight into what our customers would like to see.
We are also currently running a special on almost all of our Essential oils and Fragrance oils until May 31, 2009. Please take a look!
I hope to hear from you all soon!
Happy Creating !
Thank you,
Randi Carr
At Creations from Eden we are offering another preorder for June! This preorder consists of Chase Creative Molds. These molds are absolutely amazing, extremely detailed and the material makes them very easy to pop your soaps out without losing any detail. I have been playing with various ones for the last month and am very pleased with the outcome. To take a sneak peek at soap produced from these molds go to Natural Painted Soaps. There are also directions on how to accomplish these soaps right here in our blog.
Tired of the same old thing? These molds definitely stand out and offer unlimited creativity. Being that we are the first distributor, other then the manufacturer, you can guarantee these molds will be a unique offer to your customer base.
For more details of this preorder, please go to Chase Creative Molds Preorder To top it off, we are offering our customers an additional 5% discount on your next order, above and beyond your current discount (including sale prices) if you are willing to help us out with a little research. It is simple and may prove enjoyable! Go to the Chase Creative Molds website and look through the molds (I know, there are many)... email us a list of the top 10 to 15 molds you like the best (I'm giving lots of leeway as there are so many to choose from and choosing a mere 10 is almost impossible). Keep in mind, even if they do not say they are available to Canada, we can stock them.
Upon receipt of your email, we will email you a coupon code with your discount +5% to be used on any one purchase. There is no obligation to buy the molds you list, it is merely a way for us to get an insight into what our customers would like to see.
We are also currently running a special on almost all of our Essential oils and Fragrance oils until May 31, 2009. Please take a look!
I hope to hear from you all soon!
Happy Creating !
Thank you,
Randi Carr
Saturday, May 23, 2009
The truth about Randi, CfE and a big thank you to all!
Well, I thought I would all let you know who I am and how CfE came to exist! Many of you do know me by now, but those that are far away might want some insight to the person on the other end of the emails.
As most of you know, my name is Randi Carr and I am a stay-at-home mother of two beautiful children (Samantha- 3 years old & Logan 3 months) and a stepmother of one (Taylor- 10 years). My husband is an industrial plumber that generally works in the Edmonton area, but once in awhile he travels the province for short periods of time. It is these times that it gets really chaotic around here and I need my customers patience and understanding. I must admit, I do have the best customers that anyone could ask for and I have never encountered a person that did not understand the trials of motherhood and the unpredictable events that can occur that comes with having small children and a family. For this I am grateful.
Okay, back to me... as you see, I have a tendency to stray from my original intentions often... this is actually how CfE was born. Originally the plan was to make my own natural bath and body products, get Certified as an Herbal Consultant and take the world by storm. Along the way, plans changed. I noticed that if I wanted to get the materials to make the products it was a long wait as the items had to be shipped. It bothered me, so I would order large quantities of product I figured I would use one day. Soon it occurred to me I had waaay too many ingredients and not enough time to make everything I had planned. So, I figured I would sell off some of my stock and save on the cost of the products. I built a website, and before you knew it I was receiving orders. It quickly became apparent that it was not only myself who needed materials readily available. I then began ordering items to see what they were and become familiar with it, then I would sell what I did not need. Before long I started to get busy and people started asking me where to find this and that. October 2008 Lynden House (my only competitor in Edmonton) decided to move to Saskatchewan and I had to make a serious decision... did I fill the void they were leaving? Or did I close up shop? At this point I was also pregnant with our son. As you can probably guess, I decided to keep it going and add to my inventory.
So from the initial $500 investment, a lot of hard work and with some help from friends and family, CfE is what it is now and growing rapidly. We are adding to our inventory every month and have met some wonderful people, both suppliers and customers along the way.
Aside from CfE I also have another company called R&I Bookkeeping Services (Get it? R&I= Randi lol) that was created shortly after CfE. I admit I wear many hats and sometimes these hats are overwhelming to say the least. This is where the understanding of my customers is crucial to my success. Once in awhile I do have to close up shop on short notice to catch up on life and clear my mind.
So a BIG Thank you to all of you for your understanding and helping us become what we are now. I promise to continue meeting your needs where I can and hope to continue this endeavour for as long as life will allow!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
As most of you know, my name is Randi Carr and I am a stay-at-home mother of two beautiful children (Samantha- 3 years old & Logan 3 months) and a stepmother of one (Taylor- 10 years). My husband is an industrial plumber that generally works in the Edmonton area, but once in awhile he travels the province for short periods of time. It is these times that it gets really chaotic around here and I need my customers patience and understanding. I must admit, I do have the best customers that anyone could ask for and I have never encountered a person that did not understand the trials of motherhood and the unpredictable events that can occur that comes with having small children and a family. For this I am grateful.
Okay, back to me... as you see, I have a tendency to stray from my original intentions often... this is actually how CfE was born. Originally the plan was to make my own natural bath and body products, get Certified as an Herbal Consultant and take the world by storm. Along the way, plans changed. I noticed that if I wanted to get the materials to make the products it was a long wait as the items had to be shipped. It bothered me, so I would order large quantities of product I figured I would use one day. Soon it occurred to me I had waaay too many ingredients and not enough time to make everything I had planned. So, I figured I would sell off some of my stock and save on the cost of the products. I built a website, and before you knew it I was receiving orders. It quickly became apparent that it was not only myself who needed materials readily available. I then began ordering items to see what they were and become familiar with it, then I would sell what I did not need. Before long I started to get busy and people started asking me where to find this and that. October 2008 Lynden House (my only competitor in Edmonton) decided to move to Saskatchewan and I had to make a serious decision... did I fill the void they were leaving? Or did I close up shop? At this point I was also pregnant with our son. As you can probably guess, I decided to keep it going and add to my inventory.
So from the initial $500 investment, a lot of hard work and with some help from friends and family, CfE is what it is now and growing rapidly. We are adding to our inventory every month and have met some wonderful people, both suppliers and customers along the way.
Aside from CfE I also have another company called R&I Bookkeeping Services (Get it? R&I= Randi lol) that was created shortly after CfE. I admit I wear many hats and sometimes these hats are overwhelming to say the least. This is where the understanding of my customers is crucial to my success. Once in awhile I do have to close up shop on short notice to catch up on life and clear my mind.
So a BIG Thank you to all of you for your understanding and helping us become what we are now. I promise to continue meeting your needs where I can and hope to continue this endeavour for as long as life will allow!
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Friday, May 22, 2009
The truth about Micas, Oxides & Ultramarines
Many people ask me about micas, oxides and ultramarines and how natural they are today. Well, the truth hurts, but it should be made known... please note, I did not write most of this... I have taken it from various sources on the web...
Oxides and ultramarines are pigments. Pigments are not natural. They are manufactured in labs and have been since the 1970s. Pigments (oxides and ultramarines) used to be mined but the FDA stepped in and demanded some purity as these minerals were full of toxins such as arsenic, mercury and lead to name a few. Since then, these colorants have been manufactured in a lab - same molecular structure just a different way of processing. When you think about it, would you really want to put these toxins on your skin anyway? Sometimes natural is not the best option. Iron Oxides, and similar mineral pigments are not, by FDA standards, "Natural", because they are not directly from plants or animals. Instead, they come from minerals. While considered "natural" by consumers, cosmetic-grade pigments are all man-made in order to meet FDA approval.
2) Micas - Micas are actually natural organic products in the earth, however, cosmetic grade micas are not. Natural mica is an extremely expensive silicate mineral of crystalline structure that is easily broken into sheet-like flecks, however, the cost to mine it is outrageous and the natural mica has been reserved for the electonics and electrical industry. Cosmetic grade micas are synthetically produced in a lab, like pigments, and have been since the 1960s. Cosmetic grade micas are the same stuff you see in your lipstick, eye shadow and blush or other mineral makeup.
Well now that you know the depressing truth, your product probably just became about .01% less natural if you are using it as a colorant in soap or lotions. The good side is that very little mica or pigments are needed to colour products. The bad news is that your natural claims may not be 100% accurate, but 99.99% is pretty good!
What about natural colourants? I will get into that in a new post.
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
Oxides and ultramarines are pigments. Pigments are not natural. They are manufactured in labs and have been since the 1970s. Pigments (oxides and ultramarines) used to be mined but the FDA stepped in and demanded some purity as these minerals were full of toxins such as arsenic, mercury and lead to name a few. Since then, these colorants have been manufactured in a lab - same molecular structure just a different way of processing. When you think about it, would you really want to put these toxins on your skin anyway? Sometimes natural is not the best option. Iron Oxides, and similar mineral pigments are not, by FDA standards, "Natural", because they are not directly from plants or animals. Instead, they come from minerals. While considered "natural" by consumers, cosmetic-grade pigments are all man-made in order to meet FDA approval.
2) Micas - Micas are actually natural organic products in the earth, however, cosmetic grade micas are not. Natural mica is an extremely expensive silicate mineral of crystalline structure that is easily broken into sheet-like flecks, however, the cost to mine it is outrageous and the natural mica has been reserved for the electonics and electrical industry. Cosmetic grade micas are synthetically produced in a lab, like pigments, and have been since the 1960s. Cosmetic grade micas are the same stuff you see in your lipstick, eye shadow and blush or other mineral makeup.
Well now that you know the depressing truth, your product probably just became about .01% less natural if you are using it as a colorant in soap or lotions. The good side is that very little mica or pigments are needed to colour products. The bad news is that your natural claims may not be 100% accurate, but 99.99% is pretty good!
What about natural colourants? I will get into that in a new post.
Happy Creating!
Randi Carr
How to make Hemp & Shea Lip Balm
People have asked me many times how to make lip balm. I am going to share my Hemp & Shea recipe I came up with through trial and error.
It's a nice hard balm that doesn't leave a gloss feel on the lips, so it's perfect for men. It can be flavoured or unflavoured depending on your preference. I'll tell you how to do both.
Equipment needed:
It's a nice hard balm that doesn't leave a gloss feel on the lips, so it's perfect for men. It can be flavoured or unflavoured depending on your preference. I'll tell you how to do both.
Equipment needed:
- Double boiler (I personally refuse to do anything like this in the microwave... the heat is uneven and it kills all the vitamins and minerals in the ingredients. If you prefer, you can use the microwave.)
- Something to stir your balm (I use a stainless steel utensil as it can be sterilized).
- Scale (all measurements are in weight, so use a scale, liquid measurements aren't as precise).
- Thermometer
- Lip Balm Tubes (Approximately 20)
- (Optional) Lip Balm Labels
- (Optional)Shrink Bands
Recipe (makes approximately 100 grams of product or 20 lip balm tubes, not suitable for lip balm pots):
- 35 grams Hemp oil (I use the refined due to the odour, but unrefined would work too).
- 28 grams Shea Butter (I use natural shea, it has more minerals than the refined... some people find the refined easier to work with though).
- 14 grams Jojoba Oil Golden (I am guessing clear will work too, however I have no experience with it... the jojoba adds a little more slip to it and makes it less waxy).
- 28 grams Beeswax (I use natural raw, single filtered... it has many soothing properties).
- 1 gram Vitamin E- (Used as an antioxidant to prolong the life of the balm, also has skin soothing properties).
- 8 Drops Carrot Seed Essential Oil
- 10 drops Tea Tree Essential oil
- 10 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (I use the USA Mentha piperita, but any peppermint will do, it provides that cooling sensation on your lips that most people like).
- (Optional) 4 grams Natural Flavour
Directions:
- Melt beeswax in a double boiler, do not overheat.
- Add oils and butter, stir untill melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Place the thermometer in the balm (keeping it in the middle). Let cool to 110F so that the Vitamin E, essential oils and flavour do not flash (disappear).
- Add Essential Oils, Flavour and Vitamin E.
- Stir well.
- Pour into lip balm tubes. If you prefer a lip balm filling tray can be used. Do not cap.
- When cool, close tightly, label and shrink wrap.
If you want a softer balm.... add more oil or less beeswax, a firmer balm... less oil or more beeswax. It does take trial and error to get it the consistency you want. You can always check it, by taking some out and placing it on a clean cool surface. It will cool quickly. This is another reason why a double boiler is nicer, you can control the temperature for longer periods of time and have more play time.
If you have any questions, give me a shout!
Monday, May 18, 2009
How to make Calendula Salve
How to make Calendula Salve.
Many people ask me for my recipe for the Baby Butt Balm. I have decided to share it. It can be made three different ways, it depends on your patience and how much effort you wish to put into it. I personally start from scratch, but I can also do the work for you.
Part 1 : Infusing the oil
Materials needed (Method 1 requires patience, or you can skip to method 2):
Many people ask me for my recipe for the Baby Butt Balm. I have decided to share it. It can be made three different ways, it depends on your patience and how much effort you wish to put into it. I personally start from scratch, but I can also do the work for you.
Part 1 : Infusing the oil
Materials needed (Method 1 requires patience, or you can skip to method 2):
- Therapeutic Grade Calendula officinalis - I cannot stress this enough! It must be therapeutic grade, not soap grade or you are wasting valuable oil.
- Cold pressed Vegetable Oil that is readily absorbed (Almond or Sunflower are best)- High Oleic Sunflower has a longer shelf life, I prefer to use this as there is a least likely chance of allergies.
- Vitamin E (Optional)
- Mason jar- (I use a 1 litre jar, it holds approximately 100 grams of petals and 1000 grams of oil and without a proper press yields about 600mL's of finished product.)
- Muslin bags or cloth.
- Dark Amber bottle
- Stuff as many Calendula petals as possible into the mason jar (this is the infusion method for all aerial plant parts).
- Fill the jar with your chosen oil to the top.
- Let sit for a few minutes until all the air bubbles escape.
- Fill again.
- Repeat steps 1-5 until the jar is full and no air bubbles relaim. Stirring the mixture with a VERY clean spoon (preferably sterile) helps the process go quicker.
- Close jar, write on the lid what date you made the oil. Count 6 weeks from that date and label when it will be ready. Don't forget to label the ingredients and the weight you added of each. If you added 100 grams of Petals and 1000 grams of oil, this will make a 10% concentration of herb to oil. (100/1000 = 10%)
- Place the jar in a sunny window for 6 weeks, turning every so often.
- When the oil is infused (the second date on your lid) pour oil into a clean glass container.
- Remove the oil soaked herb and using a muslin bag or potato press, squeeze the herb so the oil drains into the same container. This is the most concentrated oil and you want to keep it.
- Continue to do this until no oil can be squeezed out. It will take muscle strength and patience
- Discard the herb.
- Let the infused oil sit overnight covered to allow all the sediment to fall to the bottom.
- Run the oil through muslin cloth again and bottle in dark amber bottles. Adding Vitamin E to the oil will prolong it's shelf life. (Add it at a rate of 100IU to 1oz of oil).
You now have sun infused Calendula oil!
Method 2 (not as hard, but also not as effective due to the heat used):
- Follow Steps 1-5 above.
- Place closed mason jar in a pan filled with water (like a double boiler).
- Place in the oven on the lowest temperature for 4-6 hours checking often.
- Follow steps 8-13 above after 4-6 hours.
The reason this method is not as effective is due to the high heat used to infuse the oil. It kills much of the good qualities of both the oil and the herb.
Method 3 (Easiest):
- Follow this link. Buy the already made oil. Easy, isnt it?
Part 2: Making the Balm
Materials Needed:
- 58.8 grams Calendula oil (from one of the threee above methods)
- 11.2 grams Pure Natural Beeswax (although White will work)
- 8.4 grams Jojoba Oil
- 6 drops Lavender Essential Oil- I prefer the Fine French High Altitude lavender for it's superior properties. Mont Blanc is a comparable alternative.
- 6 drops Carrot Seed Essential oil
- 400IU Vitamin E - equivalent to 0.8 grams of our Vitamin E
- Thermometer- candy or fryer thermometer works
- Metal Tins and/or Glass Jars
- Melt beeswax in double boiler (do not use a microwave as it may kill all the effective ingredients in your oils and beeswax).
- Add the Calendula and Jojoba oil.
- Stir until melted... watch closely, you don't want to heat it too much.
- Once melted, remove from heat source. Let sit for awhile to cool.
- Add Essential oils and Vitamin E (adding at too high of a temperature will kill all the therapeutic properties.)
- Stir
- Pour into containers.
- Let cool.
- Close and seal containers.
Makes approximately 4oz (114 grams) of product.
How to paint soaps with micas and pigments.
How to paint soaps with mica and pigments. (For instructions on molding Melt and Pour soap, please see the how to on Melt & Mold Soapmaking... coming soon).
I thought I'd use this blog for recipes and a how-to section for those of you that want to know how something was done, or recipes to make certain products we have at Creations from Eden.
So, number one on the list and my latest passion: Painted soap.
Materials needed:
I thought I'd use this blog for recipes and a how-to section for those of you that want to know how something was done, or recipes to make certain products we have at Creations from Eden.
So, number one on the list and my latest passion: Painted soap.
Materials needed:
- Melt and Pour Soap Base - equivalent to the size of mold you are planning to use, or CP soap in the shape you desire. It can be fragranced in the scent you choose. I personally do not work with CP because of my kids and the danger of lye, but whatever you have on hand will work. I generally use a natural white M&P base, plus it is faster and I am impatient.
- Clear Melt and Pour soap base- equivalent to about 40-50% of your soap above. So if you are painting a 4oz soap, have another 1.6oz-2oz of clear base available for the overlay.
- Micas and other powdered colourants - I love micas because of their shine, but any powdered colourant will do the trick (including mineral makeup). I use micas, oxides and ultramarines, although be aware that ultramarines have a funny smell to them that will go away after some time.
- Distilled water- enough to wet your brush...a vailable at grocery stores.
- Paint brushes- the higher quality the better. I use professional artist brushes, but I realize that is not in everyones budget. Wal-mart sells an inexpensive kit with several types of brushes for around $3.50. These will work to start.
- One small container - For your water.
- Soap mold- any mold of choice, I prefer more elaborate designs, but if you are starting out, stick to the less extravagant. We are bringing in Chase Creative Molds soon and that is where I got the Keeshond in the picture.
- Paper towel - to clean up spills, and clean your brush
- Q-Tips to touch up your work
- (Optional) Arrowroot Powder
Directions:
- Mold your soap of choice.
- Have your colourants ready (I take a little out and place in 2"x3" Zipper bags so as not to contaminate the rest of my colourant jar).
- Wet your brush.
- Use a paper towel and wipe off the excess water so it is just barely damp.
- Start with the darkest shade you plan on using and dip your brush into the bag. (In the case of both the Schnauzer and the Keeshond, it was black oxide).
- Stroke your brush across the area you want that colour, it should stick. Blow off any excess, don't worry about getting it on the background or other places on the soap as we will clean it up later.
- To clean your brush, wipe off excess colourant, then dip again in the water. Repeat steps 4-6 until the image looks how you want it.
- Take your Q-tip and dip into the water. Carefully clean up any areas you do not want colourant on.
- Melt your clear soap base until just melted. You don't want it too hot or you'll melt the soap you just painted. Too cool and you'll fight air bubbles. A nice runny consistency that has not started to gel yet, is perfect.
- Pour the clear soap into the same soap mold you used to make the painted soap (about 30-40% full. You have to work pretty fast here. Spray with Witch hazel or Isopropyl alcohol to remove the bubbles and get the clear soap to adhere to the painted soap.
- Take your painted soap and carefully place it in the mold starting at an angle, go slowly so as to not introduce air bubbles between the two layers.
- Press down firmly. Look underneath at the image if you are working with a clear mold to ensure that the air bubbles have escaped around the sides. Pour more clear base over the back of the soap for a uniform appearance.
- Spray with Witch Hazel again.
- Let set until cool. 15-20 minutes or so.
- Unmold.
- You now have a painted soap with a clear soap overlay. This is why I use the crystal clear for the overlay. It does not distort the image.
- (Optional) Brush with very little arrowroot powder before packaging, to keep the soap from sticking to the plastic.
I hope this was helpful. For any questions please email me at randi@creationsfromeden.com
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