Soapedia: Your Guide to Soapaliciousness
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A few years back I was strolling in one of the upscale malls in my area and came across a soap store. Yes, a soap store! In other words, heaven on earth for those obsessed with bath and beauty (ME!). The soaps were so beautiful, all different colors, shapes, and sizes. And the scents! Lavender, vanilla, and even more exotic ones like yellow cake, cotton candy, and melon slushie! I walked around the store, delighted at every turn, yet after a while walked out without making a purchase. Why? It turns out the soaps were not all natural. They were made with artificial colors and fragrances, which can be quite irritating to the skin. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
I always feel excitement when I get e-mails from readers! Last week an e-mail from Sara reminded me I wanted to give soap making a try. Making your own cosmetics isn’t as hard as you (and I used to) think it is! I’ve found an easy soap recipe you can use to make your own homemade soap. The great thing about it is you can vary the recipe to suit your needs. Don’t like strawberries? Try oatmeal. Like a more fragrant soap? Add essential oils. The possibilities are endless!
Making your own natural soap can be fun!
Here’s what you will need:
A soap bar, shredded – I recommend glycerin bar soap or a castile soap bar (I like Kirk’s Castile-) 2 cups OR liquid glycerin 2 cups
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp almond oil
1/4 tsp Vitamin E
2-3 strawberries
Glass bowl or measuring cup
Pot
Water
Spoon
Mold
- Grate the soap bar into a glass bowl or measuring cup. It will resemble mozzarella cheese but please don’t put this on your pizza!
- Add almond milk and oil, mix well.
- Boil water and place the heat resistant glass bowl/cup inside the pot.
- Stir the mixture as it melts.
- Keep stirring over the next 45 minutes.
- Puree the strawberries and mix with the Vitamin E.
- Remove soap mixture from heat, add strawberries and Vit E. Stir.
- Pour into molds. After 3-4 weeks, they will be ready to use!
In total the process takes about 45 minutes and you are left with a beautiful natural soap! In this way, you’re sort of like the mad scientist….of soap! I was even thinking of making this my class science project for this year. If you attempt the process, I’d love to hear your results as well as the concoctions you come up with.
Watch the video at Youtube as it gives you complete directions, plus photos for each step. Thanks to Tangela (aka Lenise2Me on Youtube) for this great video tutorial. Please make sure to visit her website Classic Bath and Body Products and check out all her yummy looking soap creations!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
Stupendous Strawberries
By · CommentsGrowing up, I was never into fruit. Yup, I was one of those kids who chose junk food over fruit! When I got home from school, I went for the “Cheetos” and “Funyuns (that was a fave of mine.) Of course, due to my bad eating habits, I was overweight. I finally made the commitment to eating better and exercising when I reached adulthood. I started eating more fruit and vegetables and feeling better. What a concept! I even got creative with my fruit. I researched and found many smoothie and dessert recipes which were quite delicious and completely guilt-free! (Smoothie recipe and video coming soon!) One of my favorite fruits are strawberries. They make a great snack in the summer and all through the year. What versatility! Not only can you eat them, but you can use them on your face and for your teeth! Intrigued? Read on…
Mash ‘em on Your Face
We love our "skrawberries!"
When I was little, I liked to play with my food. I still do, I guess, because I love using food on my face. Strawberries contain healing antioxidants and phenols which protect your cells and prevent oxidation (a.k.a ANTI-AGING!) These little red gems are also chock full of phytonutrients. What the heck are phytonutrients? They help protect against cancer. They also help treat inflammation, sometimes better than aspirin and keep your peepers (eyes) healthy. Whew! So do you think strawberries should be your new best friend? I think so! Here’s an awesome strawberry face mask which brightens dull skin (from my favorite book, Babushka’s Beauty Secrets):
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 Tbsp. oatmeal
1/4 Tsp honey (you may want to increase, I found it to be too little)
Mix ingredients in a blender. It will look like a smoothie (yum.) Apply to face and leave for 15 minutes. You will feel it cooling and tightening as it dries. Wash off with warm water and apply moisturizer.
Your skin will show an immediate glow!
“Skrawberry” Delight
What else are strawberries good for besides eating and putting on your face? They’re fantastic natural teeth whiteners. Yes, I am not joking. The enzymes in strawberries whiten and cleanse teeth. Use once or twice a week for best results. You can do it in a few different ways:
- Crush a strawberry and rub the pulp on your teeth (I’ve tried this and it’s quite messy and the pulp slides right off.) This method gets an “F.”
- Just rub a cut strawberry all over your teeth (good method.)
- Crush a strawberry or two and mix with a bit of baking soda for extra whitening and cleansing. In this manner you are almost making a “paste.” Dip your toothbrush in the mixture and brush away! You can make enough for a few weeks and store it in a little container in the fridge. (I love those teeny Rubbermaid containers for this.)
Attention visual learners: watch the You Tube video below. It really explains how to do this process quite simply and correctly. Actually the video is a MUST WATCH if you’re going to try this out. So break out the “skrawberries” (that’s what the kids in my kindergarten class call them.) 
and beautify your smile!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
A Bad Hair Day Every Day?!
By · CommentsI’ve always had great hair….I’m sorry if that sounds conceited but I was blessed by the “hair fairy.” My best hair days was in my 20s. I had long, flowing sun kissed (well, highlighted) hair. It was shiny, healthy, and manageable. Whenever I went to my hair dresser for a touch up, she always complimented me on my lustrous hair. Flash forward to my 30s…when I started experiencing some hair difficulties. It was a bit more dry (and even oily at times) and more unruly. I have wavy hair and sometimes I get very lazy and don’t do a thing to it (and I was NOT blessed with hair styling ability.) Here’s my usual hair routine: Shampoo, condition, leave-in conditioner, comb. Done. On those special occasions, I blow-dry it straight and it looks good….but lately it hasn’t looked as good as it can and I was wondering why….
Bad hair day! Could this be you? I feel your pain.
A Switcheroo
I usually stick to the same brand of shampoo and conditioner, but I was out of my usual stuff and I usually buy it online so I was stuck! What to do?? I was shopping at Ross (love it) when I came across the “Yes to Tomatoes” line. You’ve probably heard it…it’s made by the same company as the “Yes to Carrots” variety. I took a look at the ingredients (which is always a MUST) and they seemed pretty good! At $2.99 a bottle, they were also priced just right! I began using the shampoo and conditioner (I wash my hair every other day so as not to strip the natural oils) and started to see a change…for the worse!
Back to Basics
I am not saying the Yes to Tomatoes line is horrible….what may not work for someone else may work for you. I noticed my hair becoming more unmanageable and just not looking good. It was more dry than normal and even frizzier! Help!!! I started thinking about it….and realized that when I use my regular brand, my hair was always fabulous. I put two and two together and realized I needed to go back! Guess what my normal brand is? Aubrey Organics! I used the Rosa Mosqueta line religiously as it was extra moisturizing and especially for color treated hair. As a blogger I am always getting to try new product lines and I love finding great products. But it’s so reassuring to know I have my Aubrey Organics waiting in the wings, ready to rescue me and my hair! My hair loves Aubrey Organics and I am ready to admit it. If you’d like to read my review of Rosa Mosqueta Shampoo and Conditioner hop on over to my All About Aubrey Organics blog. You never know….you hair may love Aubrey Organics too!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
The Buzz on Bubble and Bee
By · CommentsI get so excited when I discover a safe, organic skin care line. Yes, the thought of products with “no bad stuff” gets me going. I adore companies who put people over profits. I’ve found such a company in Bubble and Bee. The name alone is adorable as all get out and the products are pure and 100% USDA certified organic. Everything they put into their concoctions is simple and identifiable. Can you tell I am “buzzing” with excitement to tell you more about Bubble and Bee?
They Put the Lime in the Coconut
Yes, they actually did it! They make great lotion sticks full of nourishing, skin loving ingredients. I tried the Coconut Lime scent. It’s perfect for travel. You can easily stow it in your carry on bag. No clear bottles needed as it is a solid lotion stick. It’s also great just to carry all over the place in your purse for those dry skin emergencies. It absorbs instantly and smells so refreshing you feel as if you are lying on a Key West beach. I used it all over my body, paying special attention to my feet, hands, and elbows. Like other lotions, this one doesn’t wash off. It stays on your skin doing it’s job moisturizing like crazy. It contains no water so no chance for bacteria growth. Want to see the 100% organic ingredients? Come on, I know you do.
Ingredients: organic beeswax, organic cocoa butter, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic sweet almond oil, organic lime essential oil, certified organic coconut scent. That’s it! No bad stuff.
If you aren’t in a coco-lime mood, the lotion stick is also available in these yummy scents: Rude Raspberry, Chai Guy, Lavender Orange, and Sunflower. It’s super affordable at $7.95 a stick!
Sometimes It’s Good to Be Rude
Bubble and Bee Rude Raspberry Organic Lip Balm- it's not as rude as it looks.
I was told I had sweet lips…but that wasn’t until I used Rude Raspberry Certified Organic Lip Balm! So this proves you can be rude and sweet at the same time…heehee. This lip balm is fabulous…my favorite I have ever tried! It tastes and smells great (like real raspberries) and leaves my lips super moisturized and shiny. I can even usually skip lip gloss when I have this beauty on. If you resist the urge for rudeness, you can go for Bubble and Bee’s other flavors: Peppermint Cocoa, Karma Apple, Orange, Coconut and Lime, Root Beer, Unscented, or even a 6 variety sample pack (you get to choose the flavors.) Treat your lips to soothing organic lip balm and keep some money in your wallet too….they’re only $3.99 each.
The Bottom Line
Bubble and Bee is a wonderful company who truly care about your health and provides products to enhance your beauty. This (and their products) is so refreshing. Not only are their products organic and safe, they are fun too! Their logo and packaging is adorable and brings a smile to your face. I love the design on the Rude Raspberry…..it has a picture of a raspberry giving a “raspberry!” I enjoyed my experience using Bubble and Bee and highly recommend you check them out too. Look for a future review of Bubble and Bee organic deodorant….that’s a story in the making!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
Blood and Beauty
By · CommentsMy latest guilty pleasure is a little television show called True Blood. I’m sure you’ve heard of it…it’s a sinful HBO series about the relationships between humans, vampires, and other fanciful creatures. I didn’t even get into it until last year (I was one of the late comers) but I had always heard people talking about it! One day I decided to get the first season on dvd….I was hooked! Talk about a juicy soap opera! And when I say juicy, I mean it literally….this show is bloody! Are you a “Trubie” (this is what they call fans of the show) too? Be sure to check out the video clip below!
A Dark Brew
Countess Bathory preferred a different sort of bath....
Speaking of blood, did you know ages ago, blood was used as a beauty tool? Yes, as gross as that may sound, for one particular person of history, Elizabeth Báthory, blood was a key component of her anti-aging routine! Seems crazy, right? Well, not to her. She was a countess who lived in the late 1500s and early 1600s and was one of history’s first serial killers! She is accused to have killed over 600 young women and girls. Why would she (or anyone, for that matter) do such heinous things? Rumor has it she bathed in the [virgin] blood of her victims, believing it provided magical healing qualities and eternal youth. As you can see, the obsession with staying young started early in history. It’s still debated whether or not this story is actually true. This leads to the question….at what cost, beauty?
What sort of lengths would you go to for eternal youth? Do you have lines you simply would not cross? Want to hear even more about the vampiric countess? Click here to go to Trutv for more!
Stay natural…stay beautiful…go green!
