Archives for February 2010
Chocolate Lip Balms with Cocoa Powder
1 oz. Shea Butter
1 oz. Beeswax
1 oz. Cocoa Powder
.4 oz. Castor Oil
.8 oz. Vitamin E Oil
.9 oz. Avocado Oil
25 Heart Lip Balm Containers
STEP ONE: Combine the Beeswax, Castor Oil, Vitamin E Oil and Avocado Oil in a heat safe container and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the mixture halfway through to ensure even mixing.
STEP TWO: Once the beeswax is melted, stir in the Shea Butter. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds if the Shea Butter does not melt all the way down with gentle stirring.
STEP THREE: Once the mixture is completely melted, mix in the Cocoa Powder making sure there are no clumps.
Optional Step Four: Add flavor oil (if you want to). This recipe is plenty flavorful without the flavor oil added.
STEP FIVE: Pour the chocolaty mixture into your heart shaped lip butter pots and let cool. It gives a little bit of a neutral brown tint to the lips and gives a faint smell of chocolate when applied. Don’t put calories on your hips this Valentine’s Day – put ’em on your lips!
Parabens, Cancer & Experts
Although parabens have weak estrogen-like properties, the estrogens that are made in the body are hundreds to many thousands of times stronger. So, natural estrogens (or those taken as hormone replacement) are much more likely to play a role in breast cancer development.
So far, studies have not shown any direct link between parabens and any health problems, including breast cancer. What has been found is that there are many other compounds in the environment that also mimic naturally produced estrogen.
Valentine Eye Candy
You’ve Won a Brand…New… Soap App!
Thanks to all who commented on last Tuesdays post. All of the comments were entered into a drawing to win a Free iPhone/iTouch soap application. Whoop! It was so much fun reading what was in your soap pots and for those who Tweeted, thank you! I read each and every one of them and was blown away with some of your creativity! And thanks to those who tweeted the phrase that pays, you were entered in the drawing too!
And the Winners are…
Winner #1 – Twitter Follower Shannon from SunsetSoaps
Winner #2 – Soap Queen Commenter (random number generator between 1 – 39 picks ….) #23, John Scarlett who was making a Ylang Ylang and Orange 10X Essential Oil soap
(subject line: Free Soap App)Remember, you can always buy your own iPhone Soapmaking App and join in the on-the-fly-soapmaking fun anytime. As for me, I used the App last week almost every day because I made so much soap! It’s nice not to be tethered to a computer or one set recipe because I can make changes during the soapmaking process.
Book Report – Crucial Conversations
Romantic Reeds Tutorial
Fragrance Oil or Essential Oil
DPG (Dipropylene Glycol)
Rubbing Alcohol
Reeds
Reed Bottle
Last but not least is a collage from my old magazine collection (I knew I saved them for a reason). I just picked out fun colors and things that I love…notice the iphone, Twitter bird and the work out girl.
Please note: The cute curly Ting Ting sticks don’t wick-up the fragrance blends like the reeds do – but they are so cute I used them as is. If you are trying to fragrance a large room try mixing in some reed diffusers with the curly Ting Tings.
Frozen Fragrance Oils
We’ve had numerous customer questions regarding fragrances ‘freezing’ in transit. So I thought others might be interested in the “fix” as well. Below is a fragrance oil (Hello Sweet Thangto be exact) that we left outside in the cold overnight. This is what the fragrance looked like after a night in the cold. Some of the fragrance components have cooled off enough to harden up and sink to the bottom of the mixture. But have no fear, the fragrance oil can be brought back to life using our simple heating trick.
Win Free Soap App for iPhone/iTouch
We have two lucky codes for two lucky winners for a free full-service version of the iPhone SoapApplication – it works on the iPhone and iTouch. The Soap App calculates your lye and water for your recipes and allows you to change the size of your recipe with just two easy clicks. Soap App works in grams and ounces. Tutorials on using the Soap App are here and here.
Seek to Serve
I listened to a great audio CD on the way to work this morning – an interview with Wayne Dyer by the publisher of Success Magazine. Aside: if you don’t subscribe to Success Magazine and you’re a small business owner, you should. It’s chock full of business advice, interviews with inspirational leaders and practical day-to-day advice on how to stay positive, focused and goal-oriented in good times and bad.
Loans that Change Lives