"Your OWN soap!"

"WOW, you have your OWN soap now!"

He was sooo excited.  He's been asking for his own soap for a while.  Since Mommy and Daddy each have their own bar of soap, my son decided he would like to ask for his own bar of soap.  So how could I tell him No? 

We buy our soap from a local farmer.  I've posted other bars of soap that I've used from their farm, and I'm kind of addicted to their style.

So I told my son he could go to the goat farm and pick out his own bar of soap.  How cool is that?! He was quite the excited 2 year old boy!

Unfortunately I was not able to take him to the goat farm, however, I arranged for his Nana to take him one afternoon recently.  It was quite cold and windy, but they saw the goats.  My son was brought inside the farmers store and was able to pick out his very own bar of soap.  WOW!  You have no idea how special that made him feel.

A no nonsense bar with no fragrance or color for the most delicate skin. Lots of avocado oil added to make it the most gentle soap you can use.

Ingredients: our own goat milk, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, soybean oil, sodium hydroxide.

 
 
He uses his soap every night during tubby time.  It's actually become his new toy and has very little interest in the large crate of toys he already owns.  He enjoys tossing the soap to make big splashes, hiding it under his legs and says: Where'd it go?  Or he starts scrubbing his body getting it squeaky clean.
 
In any case, it was a simple treasure for him and also has ingredients that are a lot safer than many you'd find in your local stores.  Not to mention we are supporting our local neighbors!  I know he'll be looking forward to a future visit to the goat farm.

French Vanilla Soap - by Jenness Farm

I'm in the middle of using the French Vanilla soap made by Jenness Farm.  I like this soap, a lot.  However, I don't think this soap is suited for the dryer winter months.  Although, I do not feel the need for lotion, which I like!  But my arms could use the extra moisturizer. 

The bar lathers very quickly and I'm able to suds up quickly.  While rinsing, I am left feeling squeeky clean, yet not feel like my skin is puckering dry.  The fragrance is not as strong as I had imagined.  In fact, I think I've grown immune to the scent and barely smell it now.  So it's nice not to feel overwhelmed with vanilla since I'm not particularly a fan of vanilla.

On a scale of 1 to 5 Bubbles, I'd rate French Vanilla a 4.5.... blub blub blub blub =)

Green Clover and Aloe by Jenness Farm

I'm really enjoying these goat milk soaps.  Since I just finished the Blackberries & Cream, I decided my next bar is the Green Clover and Aloe.

Today was my first day with this bar and WOW.  It's like the clover oils were extracted and poured into this soap.  It feels so nourishing and healthy, just like smelling a soccer field or football field after it's been mowed.  I guess that sounds like fresh cut grass, but it's really not like that, but the clover flower smell.  OOOOH
Thank you Jenness Farm! :)

Blackberries & Cream by Jenness Farm

I recently finished this bar of soap from Jenness Farm.  This soap smelled delicious!  Blackberries & cream would leave me feeling hungry every morning.

Creamy lather, berry flavor.  Each lather came this rich smooth texture of bubbles and froth.  What more could I ask for?  I was not disappointed.

On a scale of 1 to 5 bubbles, I give Blackberries & Cream a 5!  blub blub blub!

Washing Hands

My 21 month old son loves washing his hands.  After he is dressed, he asks to wash his hands.  When he comes inside from playing, he washes his hands.  After a snack or meal, he asks to wash his hands.  He enjoys it, the foamy soap and the water.  What kid wouldn't find that fun?

So it was important to me to find a soap that was safe and chemical free.  I found CleanWell at my local market and have also read online how wonderful this product is.  The price for the bottle didn't break the bank either!

The market only had two scents: Lavender and Ginger Bergamot.  I chose Lavender since this would be soap I would be using in my bathroom.  I'm not sure how my husband will feel about smelling like fresh lavender, but I didn't care.  (He has his own bathroom anyways).

The bottle is reusable.  The label you see on these bottles can easily be removed.  Behind it, printed on the bottle is the CleanWell label and a list of ingredients.

Their website does offer 32 ounce refill bottles for $13.99.  Again, to me, this doesn't break the bank since a little does go a long way, and there are no chemicals and no triclosan.

The Cosmetic Database also rates CleanWell hand soaps and sanitizers with a 1.  Very impressive! 

Flu season is just around the corner and I'm going to jump in line with my son, washing hands is always important, so why not encourage the act even more when he's showing interest.  (Typically I wash his hands with a wash cloth)

So do you have a favorite soap to use with your kids?  Do you use a bar soap or liquid?  Do you splurge and purchase chemically free soap or do you have to limit to what is 99 cents?

Lemongrass & Sage Soap by Fields of Ambrosia

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I've been using this soap for almost a week.  A few weeks ago I visited Fields of Ambrosia and bought lemongrass & sage because I enjoyed the fresh scent.  I imagined myself waking up to the sweet smells.  Unfortunately the scent is not as strong as I had imagined. 

The bar is creamy and has a light lather.  Their website indicates they handmake all their soaps with saponified oils: palm, castor, coconut, avocado, castor, shea butter, soy vegetable shortening, and spring water.

My skin feels clean and not squeeky clean like some of the soaps I've tried in the past.  There are no bits of ingredients like oatmeal to create an exfoliation.  I don't like too much exfoliation on my skin during the summer months, so this bar works well. 

I do miss having a stronger scent, but I'd give this bar on a scale of 1-5 Bubbles:  3.5 Bubbles

Avocado Soap - Blueberry Hill

Creamy and buttery with some texture to give it a scrub.  This avocado soap quenches my skin's thirst.  I've been using the avocado soap for over a week and the lather feels milky.  The bubbles are generous as I smooth the bar over my skin. 

I bought this bar at our local farmers market. Overall, on my scale of 1 to 5 bubbles.  I give this avocado bar of soap: 3 Bubbles.

Almond Poppy Seed Soap - Jenness Farm

One word:  YUM!

This Almond Poppy Seed soap is fantastic!  The farms description holds true, and I love how the poppy seeds create exfoliation for the tougher parts of my skin.  I honestly feel like someone is scratching my back when I use this soap.  Sometimes I cannot stop scrubbing my back!

I bought this soap when I went to Jenness Farm's open house.  I couldn't wait to use this soap!  Well I've been using it for over a week, and I swear, I think I'm addicted to it and have been using it too much.  The bar is half gone! 

I love the poppy seeds!  Have I mentioned that yet?

The almond scent is mouth watering too.  The bar does create big bubbles, but my focus does not last on the lather with this bar.  I'm scrubbing too much... the poppy seeds feel fantastic!!!

I give my personal rating, from 1 to 5 bubbles: 5!  blub-blub-blub-blub-blub

We went to the farm and this is what we saw

Jenness Farm opens their farm to the public a few times a year.   This past weekend was one of their open houses and despite the rainy weather we made our way to the farm to visit the animals and stock up on some goat milk soap.  I've used the farms goatmeal soap and I was excited to see their other scents.

The farm itself is quite small.  Perfect for those little people who want an intimate experience visiting with the farm animals.  We first visited the animals that were outside.  There were goats, baby goats, pigs, colts, and turkeys. 

Our first stop was with the baby goats, there were three of them and they were so excited to have some company.  They pranced out from their outdoor goat house and trekked through the wet grass and met us at the fence.  They were eager to say hi and hopefully find some snacks.  We didn't have the food but we said hi and gave them a few pats on their heads.  Their fur coats were so silky soft and their little mouths lapped our fingers with delight.

There were three pigs in the pen playing in the mud.  Stinky mud.  We kept our hands away from the fence as their was a sign mentioning the pigs may bite.  This was fine because I had no interest petting the muddy pigs.  One of them did come over to us a stick his brown wet snout through the fence and gave us a sniff-snort-sniff, then walked away.  I guess he had no interest in us either. 

The goats were plentiful, inside and outside.  One of the goats is an Arapawa goat (there are approximately 300 left in the world).  They were playing, romping, tumbling, and standing on hind legs to see all the visitors.  There was quite a crowd and we all managed to fit into the barn to say hi to the goats and turkeys.  Some of the turkeys were caged to the ceiling.  Others were free to roam the barn and walk outside.  I was amazed at how well J was with this large (quite frightful) creatures.  I was a little intimidated when they were gobble and prance around the barn stalls.  Considering they could have taken my son down to the ground, I was a little hesitant at how close he got to them.  But we were reassured by the owner that they were very friendly, but very loud.  And loud they were.

Soapy Business--Almond Soap

It's been a while since I talked about soap.  I recently finished up the Goatmeal Soap and now I'm using a bar from Sappo Hill.

I received this bar as a thank you from Sappo Hill.  After I found their product in a local market, I went on their website to find other locations in my area.  Come to find out, they didn't have anything listed in my state.  In fact, New Hampshire wasn't even an option.  So I sent an email and asked them about it.  After a quick response and an apology, they updated their records and added the store to their database. 

I couldn't wait to try the almond bar and found myself trying to hurry through my goatmeal so I could open my new soap.  The soap from Sappo Hill was wrapped in plastic.  I should note here that in my local store the soap is not wrapped in plastic.  In fact there is no wrapping at all, except for the cardboard box the bars sit in. 

After letting the water run over the bar, I swirled the bar round and round in my hands to create a lather.  I was not disappointed and found this rich, creamy lather oozed almond and it actually reminded me of sugar cookies.  I wonder if they were to add granulated sugar to this mixture it could feel like a lovely scrub for exfoliating.  However, this soft creamy lather was bubbling on my skin and I could have lathered it on my body 2 or 3 more times. 

The rinse made me feel clean and I didn't feel squeaky clean like some soaps have made me feel in the past.  But I didn't feel like I had soap residue either.  I probably could have gotten away with not using a moisturizer afterwards, but with the dry winter weather my skin has been requiring a little something extra to help out.  (I'll talk about that in a later post)

I'm not sure of the other scents from Sappo Hill but I can say I am not disappointed in their almond bar.  On a scale of 1 to 5 bubbles, I rate this soap 5 bubbles!

Goatmeal

I've been using this soap (made by local farmers at Jenness Farm) for a few days now and I was pleasantly suprised with this particular bar.  The soap lathers rather quickly into big bubbles.  There are large oats mixed throughout the bar and helps exfoliate and massage my skin.  There is no scent with this soap, just clean-milky-fresh. 

On a scale of 1-5 Bubbles: I give this soap 5 Bubbles!!

Can we really live CHEMICAL FREE?

I don't consider myself a hypochondriac, especially when it comes to myself getting sick or having a disease.  But lately I have unlocked a hidden door into my medicine cabinet and little did I know, there were these chemicals (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate) that could potentially harm me or my family.  Obviously I knew these chemicals existed, but did I ever educate myself on them?  No.  And why would I?  The less I know makes me feel like I'm invincible.  Either of these chemicals can be Googled and you'll see there are quite a few discussions about them.  I've actually become overwhelmed with all the facts, advice, opinions, and lists.  For now, I've turned off the web and will be taking a deep breath (of chemically free fresh air).

Since having a baby, my eyes lids have snapped back as I glanced over the typical baby products in the local drug store.  Of course there are dozens of choices on powders, shampoos, soaps, creams/lotions, ointments, oils, etc.  But which one will be the safest for my son?  The ol' stand by was what I grew up with: Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo.  But as I have discovered... this may not be the best choice.  What?!

So of course I've been doing some reading.  A LOT of reading.  And of course there are going to be loads of information leading to allergies, diseases, or even cancer.  But we all purchase these products with a little discretion, right?  One local blogger had some good ideas after sitting on a panel for Seventh Generation and the Evironmental Working Group (EWG).  I will honestly say I am slowly converting to Seventh Generation.  I have purchased a few of their products and feel my house shines and smells cleaner without smelling like chemicals.  It's actually very refreshing to be able to smell my house clean and free of any foreign smells.  The EWG has published a Health Tips for Parents printable guide.  Some of the information was common knowledge but was I fascinated with how in-depth their resources were and grateful for a simple page print-out for quick pointers.

As for my decisions with skin care and my baby?  I've learned through the Skin Deep database that maybe some of the products in my medicine cabinet are not as harsh as I thought.  So now that I can retrieve them from my recycling container and put them back in storage, I will have more knowledge of what I'm purchasing in the future.  Knowledge is power, right?

Vanilla Oatmeal Bar

I've been using a vanilla oatmeal bar of soap for a couple of weeks and the aroma is very sweet and calming.  It's just enough to perk up my senses in the morning while my eyes still haven't focused on my day.  I'm left with my skin feeling refreshed and cleansed.  We've had a few harsh winter days where my skin has felt extra dry in the evenings, so I'm not sure if this soap best fits my needs right now.  But I do enjoy the scent so much that I'm dedicating myself to not only finishing the bar but also so I can see the long term benefits.  So far, I am not disappointed! 

The soap lathers rather quickly and has a creamy lather with large bubbles.  The oats in the bar provide enough exfoliation for my sensitive skin.  It actually felt really good against the dry patches on my arms.  As I rinsed the soap off, I did not feel squeaky clean but my skin felt nourished and hydrated.

Sweet Grass Farm is local for me and was able to find their product in the Heath Food Center.  It was actually cheaper to buy the soap in the store than it was to order it online.  I'd be interested in purchasing other products from Sweet Grass and may stock up on a few different bars of soap depending on the season.

On my Bubble scale of 1 to 5, I'd give this Vanilla Oatmeal soap 4.5 Bubbles.

Soapy Business (5 of 5 Reviews)

Finally... the last bar of soap from my small sample collection... the Cocoa Body Bar was a pleasant surprise!

Description: (provided by the seller)
Enjoy the highly moisturizing natural properties of Cocoa Butter. Soothe, soften, and rejuvenate your skin with this Cocoa Butter Body Bar.
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Essential Oil Blend

This bar of soap quickly lathered in my hands and felt very creamy on my skin.  I was pleasantly surprised at the soft scent the bar had as I couldn't really tell what the essential oils were.  It could have been cocoa, but it smelled more of the oils blended together.  Either way, I was happy with this soap and how my skin felt afterwards.

On a scale of 1-5 Bubbles: I give this soap 5 Bubbles (I have nothing negative to say about it!)

Soapy Business (3 of 5 Reviews)

My journey continues with my samples and this morning I chose the Dead Sea Body Bar.  I was excited to try this because many of the online reviews were very positive.  I couldn't wait to jump in the shower!

Description (provided by the seller):  The Dead Sea Body Bar contains natural exfoliating ingredients such as Dead Sea salts, Ground Luffa and Apricot Seeds, and Walnut Husk. Infused with essential minerals of Dead Sea mud as well as moisturizing oils, this body bar will detoxify and refresh your skin.

Ingredients: Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Avocado Oil, Dead Sea Salts, Dead Sea Mud, Ground Apricot Seeds, Walnut Husk, Ground Luffa, Seaweed Powder, Essential Oil Blend
I immediately started working the bar into a lather and noticed it didn't suds up like the others had.  I had to work the bar in my hands vigorously for a few seconds and then there was a lather.  As I rubbed the bar over my arms and legs, I noticed the exfoliants were incredibly harsh on my skin.  I tried to rub lightly but found the bar was just too rough and ended up using the soap on my feet as a pumice.  My feet were the only part of my body that could tollerate the tough ingredients of this soap.

I don't think this soap suits my skins needs, but would be a great addition to my foot care.

On a scale of 1-5 Bubbles, I'll give 2 Bubbles.

Soapy Business (2 of 5 Reviews)

To continue my adventure in soaps and before I make my first batch of soap, I am testing a few flavors to help me decide what I'd like.  Today I chose to soap up with the Eucalyptus Body Bar.  This bar had a stronger scent than I had anticipated, but was a very clean and fresh scent.

Description (provided by the seller):
Eucalyptus oil is often used in saunas for its detoxifying and soothing properties. The combination of Eucalyptus and Rosemary essential oils along with moisturizing butters in this body bar will set your mind at ease.
Ingredients:
Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Soybean Oil, Dry Rosemary Leaf, Eucalyptus, Rosemary Essential Oils

This bar of soap has rosemary leaves inside the bar which helped with exfoliating.  Since this was a trial size, more like a travel size bar, I only had a few leaves throughout the bar.  By the time I was through my shower, I could see the leaves sticking out from either side of the bar.

The lather from this bar was very sudsy with large bubbles.  I was pleased with how the bar lathered and couldn't imagine a soap getting more bubbly.  I'm not sure what this soap would be like without the rosemary, but I would be interested in trying it that way.  Rosemary makes me think of potatos, maybe because I like to put rosemary on my homemade homefries.  I suppose it makes for a good morning shower!  While rinsing the bubbles off, my skin was left with the squeaky clean feeling but not so squeaky that I needed to apply body lotion after drying off. 

Overall, I would rate this soap: 4 Bubbles!

Soapy Business (1 of 5 Reviews)

I recently ordered 5 samples of soap from a shop and within a couple of days I received my samples.  The samples I chose were: Shea Butter Body Bar, Cocoa Butter Bar, Eucalyptus Body Bar, Honey Milk Body Bar, and Dead Sea Body Bar.  The samples were FREE, all I had to do was pay for the shipping & handling. 

So I placed my order on Monday and when I got home from work on Tuesday, the package was in my mailbox!  I was pleasantly surprised of how quickly it arrived.  I decided I need to use each of them on different days so I can figure out which type of bar I want to make, and because there are five bars, I want to keep a log about my thoughts.

First up: Shea Butter Body Bar

This appeals to me because this is the type of bar I have been looking to make, so I was wicked excited to jump in the shower this morning (dispite my new cold---thanks to J). 

Description (Provided by the seller):

Indulge in a fusion of aromas such as Vanilla, Spearmint, and Sweet Orange as you infuse your skin with deep moisture of Shea Butter. Designed to leave your skin glowing and silky-smooth.

Ingredients: Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Essential Oil Blend

Sounds fancy, right?  I thought so, and I was ready to feel results.  The lather was medium thickness, more of a sudsy feel rather than bubbly.  I liked the way my skin felt slick while I was scrubbing with the bar.  It almost felt like my skin was thirsty and this soap was quenching it's thirst.  As I rinsed I started to feel squeeky clean.  I got nervous that my skin was going to tighten up and feel dry when I got out of the shower, but that never happened!  I didn't even need to put lotion on after my shower!  I felt clean.  WOW, what does that say for my old soap?  I have been using shower gel and a loofa for as long as I can remember.  I think I may need to make a switch to using natural soap.

Scrub a dub!

link to homemade recipes

My fascination with homemade soaps have lingered in my mind for a long time.  I would always gather in the shops and smelled all the different bars of soap.  Lavender, cucumber, sandlewood, citrus, french vanilla... oh the list goes on and on.

So I recently started some research on what it takes to actually make this creamy, smells oh-so-good, bar of soap.  Little did I know... a lot more goes into it than I had imagined.  I've been reading about it for a few days now and I thought I was going to get overwhelmed, bored, or lose my oompfh and lose interest in the idea.  But so far, everything I've read has made me drawn to the possibilities of this craft. 

Making bars of soap, a craft?  Yup, I actually thought it wasn't, but the more I read about this craft, it appears that there is a serious business of making a GOOD bar of soap!  So I thought, I want one!  (Kind of sounding like the girl from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) but not sounding spoiled and whiny.  So I've taken many notes and a shopping list of what I'll need to purchase.  Come to find out, I may need to buy more than I had anticipated, BUT if I'm going to be serious about this, it's an investment, right? 

My main goal is to create a soap that is safe for J, and not so 'girly' smelling so my husband will use a bar or two.  I've been drawn to the shea butter soaps and I've read adding castor oil will make it really sudsy.  (Why would I make a soap that doesn't create fun bubbles??)  I also can't wait to start experimenting with the essential oils (EO).  Lavendar, Tea Tree, Chamomile Roman, Laurel Leaf, and Orange (just to name a few). 

There is a whole other world out there that I somehow feel vulnerable and need to watch where I step.  I wonder why that is?