Getting ready for fall soaps - yes already

Well this weekend we will start some of our fall soaps I know it isn't even officially summer yet but I like my soaps to cure for as long as possible, the longer they cure the nicer they get and the better the lather is so I try to stay a season ahead. This weekend we will make some pumpkin soaps, I want to try a new recipe of pumpkin and lavender with real pumpkin puree, honey & lavender essential oils. My lavender buds are ready to be sprinkled on top of this so it should be a great soap and a different twist to the usual pumpkin spice. I will of coarse do the traditional pumpkin and spice this year as well with real cinnamon and nutmeg in it and heavy cream to make it Oh so luxurious. I also think my third batch will be something apple based it will probably be apple jack 'n peel because that is one of my all time fall favorites and I have an excellent fragrance for this soap. Candles will also be on the menu this weekend as well, have to get stocked up on the basics and test some new oils as well so I will be busy. I'll update you on how the lavender pumpkin soap works out and will post pic's when we get the camera set up. Well that's all for tonite. Janis

What's being cut and packaged

Wow, we have lots of soap ready to be packaged. It has finished curinng the last 8 weeks or so and is now ready to be cut, beveled, boxed and labeled. The first one is our Antique Lilac soap made with the truest lilac fragrance I have ever smelled. I made this a 2 tone soap with a light lilac color on the bottom and a creamy white layer on the top, it looks as good as it smells. This is one of my customers favorites and I am glad to get it back in stock. Amber and Oak is ready to go as well it is an awesome scent of amber mixed with that woody oak scent. I can't get enough of this fragrance. We added extra cocoa butter to this soap to make it nice and creamy, and it sure worked. Last but not least is our Trio of our new soy soaps, we were asked to utilize more soy in our products so we made a nice trio of all natural soaps with soy oil and soy milk for a creamy luscious lather. We have Lavender and Soy, 2 mints, & Shea and Soy. Still curing on the rack is our Eucalyputs and soy. I will upload some pic's of these new soaps as soon as my hubby can take some pictures of them so you can see the newest arrivals. Well back to packaging and putting them on the website.

The joys of Soapmaking

Well since this is my first post to my very own blog I'll start out by talking about why and how I got into soapmaking. I am a full time restaurant manager for a very busy fast food restaurant chain and while I love my job and my customers sometimes you just have to have an avenue of escape. I am not an athletic type of person so that was out and I never really considered myself very creative. I love to sew but I'm not real good at it, just good enough to get by. I was given the opportunity to buy a bar of handmade soap (well I thought it was at the time) so I did. I had never used any soap until then other than store bought soap and always wondered why my skin felt dry and itchy afterwards. I became obsessed with making my own soap so I started my research and discovered what I had bought was actually a glycerin melt and pour soap that had been nicely scented and decorated, so that is where I started. I was still obsessed with the process of making soap from scratch as opposed to buying a pre-made base and scenting and coloring it. I am in awe of melt and pour artists that can take a base soap and turn it into a work of art, but as I said earlier I'm not that artistic, so making handmade soap from scratch with luxurious oils and herbs is what works best for me. I studied and bought every book available and tried many many recipes for over a year before I felt good enough about my product to introduce it to the public. That was over 7 years ago and I still love making soap as much or more than I did back then. I believe handmade soap is truly a gift from God and nature that can really help many many people with skin conditions as well as offer an alternative product for people that just want to get back to a more natural product. So that is my story of how a fast food restaurant manager became a soapmaker. It is my long term goal to make soap for a living after I retire, hee hee. If you are interested in some of my soaps you can check out my website at http://www.jansbathscents.com/ for a complete listing of my scents and types of soap. Happy Soapmaking, janis