Soapmaking Resources On the Net

UTC11000000Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:58:34 +00003404am09, · Filed under Make-Your-Own Cosmetics · Tagged , ,

Somebody who claimed to be the first soapmaker in Malaysia (which I think is quite a ridiculous claim!) actually proposed a MYR10k  fee to teach my bro-in-law’s students soapmaking and it’s not even on making cold-process soap but melt-n-pour!

 I do noticed that there has been an increasing interest in MYO soaps lately here in Malaysia. I was even approached by some customers who want to learn about the process of soapmaking. I’m a big fan of natural soaps and really love the luxurious feel of a good bar of ol’ -fashioned lye soap. Making your own soap is fun and satisfying and the soaps  you made from scratch without the addition of SLS or other synthetics are the best luxury you can make for your own self. It’s an affordable hobby and the soaps you make can be given out as gifts to friends and family.

Next year,  I’m planning to come up with my own handcrafted range of cold-processed goatsmilk and vanilla-themed soap for GreenVanillaStore.com made with olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and fresh  goats milk scented primarily  with real vanilla. Hopefully I’ll be able to offer these soaps by middle of 2010.

Anyway, for would-be soapmaking enthusiasts, don’t be tricked by anyone who’d charged you an exhorbitant sum of money for teaching kitchen-science. Soapmaking is not exactly rocket-science you know…if you can cook a decent meal, you can make a decent bar of soap :) . So, if you want to get started with soapmaking, you need to learn/know the basics first. Hope the list below that I’ve compiled for you helps:

  1. SOAPMAKING RESOURCE,TUTORIALS & SUPPLIES - A great site to get started, plenty of  STEP-BY-STEP instructions and guide with pictures, tutorials on soapmaking basics, ingredients explanation, plenty of tips and guidance. You can even contact Steve, the site owner if you need any clarification and assistance  on soapmaking. Steve is very helpful and won’t charge you $10k for answering your questions ;) To get started check out the site’s links:

How Soap is  Made:Saponification Explained

How To Make Soaps

Soapmaking Ingredients Explained

Making Cold-Process Soaps: Step by Step With Pictures

Making Melt-n-Pour Soaps: Step By Step With Pictures

For video tutorials on soapmaking, there are plenty of them on youtube.com, here are some of my faves:

-from ourharps

 

 from howtomakeart

-from wholesalesupplies

  Look at these fabulous melt-n-pour glycerine soaps from MishMash Soap:

  

 

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Proud to Bare All: Truth-in-Labeling…

UTC12000000Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:42:13 +00001330pm09, · Filed under Daily Musings, The Natural Consumer · Tagged

GreenVanillaStore.com is a pledge member of the Natural Ingredients Resource Centre’s Truth-in-Labeling Pledge. We have voluntarily pledge to follow NIRC’s criteria of labeling natural ingredients and products.

By doing so, we will “primarily be offering products deemed “natural” as defined by the Natural Ingredient Resource Center guidelines. Furthermore, we will disclose when a product on our website/marketing materials contains synthetic ingredients, such as fragrance oils or petrochemicals, in a way that is clear to the consumer.”

naturalseal_3qtr

The Natural Ingredient Resource Center was founded in the US to help consumers, manufacturers and retailers, focusing on natural personal care products for the home and family, to learn more about the natural ingredients in the products they buy, make or sell. It is also an effort to encourage and provide an opportunity for manufacturers of these products to voluntarily show that they support “truth in labeling” and to provide a resource for education about natural ingredients. The NIRC does not certify ingredients, products or police compliance.

NIRC’S NATURAL PRODUCT LABELING GUIDELINES

The NIRC Guidelines mirror those established by the USDA for organic food, and are inspired in part by the hard work of the organizations working to establish similar labeling guidelines for the term “organic” for cosmetics. Please visit the NIRC Resources web pages for links and contact information for those groups.

  • 100% Natural/All Natural

The NIRC guidelines are that products labeled as “100 percent Natural” or “All Natural” can only contain ingredients that fit the NIRC criteria for natural ingredients.

  • Natural

The NIRC guidelines are that in order for products to be labeled as “Natural,” 95% of the ingredients must fit the NIRC criteria for natural ingredients. The remaining 5% may come from ingredients that do not meet the NIRC Criteria for natural, and which DO NOT include synthetic fragrances, artificial colors or ingredients from petrochemicals. The toxicity of each ingredient must be minimal. All percentages are based upon weight.

  • Made with Natural Ingredients/Made from Natural Ingredients

Products labeled as “Made with/from Natural Ingredients” must contain at least 70% natural ingredients that meet the NIRC Criteria. The remaining 30% may come from ingredients that do not meet the NIRC Criteria for natural, however, products that include synthetic fragrances, artificial colors or ingredients from petrochemicals MAY NOT display the NIRC “Seal”. All percentages are based upon weight.

  • “True Soap” Exception…Natural Soap

The NIRC has made an exception for “True Soap” that fits the following criteria;

• “True Soap” may be labeled as “natural soap” ONLY if the ingredients that go into the soap are lye plus 100% natural ingredients, according to the NIRC Criteria for natural ingredients.

• “True Soap” may be labeled as “natural soap” ONLY if all of the ingredients are listed. We require that “True Soap”, labeled as “natural soap”, have ingredient labeling in order to help prevent the misuse of the “natural soap” label. Soap labeled as “natural soap” may not contain the addition of any synthetic or artificial ingredients including but not limited to artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, man-made vitamins, solvent extracted oils or additional glycerin.

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Strawberry Seed Oil

UTC02000000Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:36:21 +00002104pm09, · Filed under Natural Beauty Ingredients, Product Profile · Tagged

fresh, luscious strawberries

fresh, luscious strawberries

Fragaria vesca. A nourishing and fragrant oil, light in texture, skin invigorating, penetrating and fast absorbing. Its color may vary from pale to medium yellow and its aroma is fresh, sweet and a subtle reminiscent of fresh strawberries.

Pressed from strawberry seeds, this oil is high in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, and an excellent addition to any anti-aging, dry, anti-inflammatory and damaged skin formulation.  Strawberry seed oil is a very  stable oil, meaning it has a long shelf life of up to 2 years.

Strawberry seed oil is excellent as a sun care oil (sun protection, after-sun & self tanning) and also as a skincare oil for facial care, cleansing, body care and baby care. It is a very soothing oil and particularly rich in gamma tocopherol linoleic, alpha-linolenic and oleic fatty acids particularly the Omega 3, 6 and 9. It may help repairs skin’s moisture barrier, thus boosting moisture, smoothness and suppleness to the skin. The oil is also excellent in reducing skin’s roughness. For OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) lovers, this oil is a great addition to your daily cleansing routine.

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DIY Cosmetic: Basic Floral Water Cleansing Lotion

UTC01000000Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:08:50 +00005017pm09, · Filed under Make-Your-Own Cosmetics · Tagged , , ,

cleansing

This very basic cleansing lotion is based on a traditional recipe and it is gentle enough for daily use. You’ll need

1/2 Cup Floral Hydrosol (read tips below)

1/2 Cup Glycerine (I prefer vegetable glycerine)

3-5 drops Pure Essential Oil (of your choice)

1. Stir the hydrosol and glycerine in a heat-proof glass bowl, preferably a pyrex or an arcopal. Pour the mixture into a small pot, set the heat to medium.

2. Stir the mixture gently until bubbles start forming from the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat immediately, pour the mixture back into the bowl.

3. When the mixture has cooled off to just ‘warm to the touch’, mix in your essential oils, stir with a glass rod,  then pour the mixture  into an airtight container/bottle. I prefer to use amber glass bottle. In Kuala Lumpur, you  can buy it at MS Ally Pharmacy.

5. Keep refrigerated. This lotion will keep well  for up to a month.

To Use: Shake the mixture gently. Massage the lotion  gently to your face in a circular motion. Rinse off several times with a warm, damp face cloth. Follow with a natural toner like our Floral Hydrosols and a moisturizer.

Tips:

1. Which hydrosol & pure essential oil to use? You can use a single hydrosol/essential oil or a combination/synergy of 2-3 hydrosols/essential oils to suit your skin type. For example:

Normal Skin:  I suggest Roman Chamomile, Rose, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Neroli, Rose Geranium.

Dry/Mature Skin: Rose, Frankincense, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Jasmine, Lavender,

Sensitive/Fragile/Damaged Skin: Rose, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Jasmine, Neroli, Immortelle

Oily/Combination Skin: Rose, Melissa, Neroli, Rosemary, Lemon, Ylang-Ylang, Lavender

Congested Skin/Clogged Pores: Rosemary, Lemon, Immortelle

Oily-Dehydrated Skin/Hormonal Acne: Melissa

Ingredients Glossary:

1. Hydrosol/Floral Water

Hydrosol is the liquid by-product of the steam distillation process that produces Pure Essential Oils. This aromatic liquid contains both minute molecules of the essential oil, as well as all the water soluble elements of the plant that are not present in the essential oil. A hydrosol contains all the beneficial quality of the same pure essential oil but at a much lower concentration making it more suitable for use on sensitive skin. It is a very versatile product, it can be used in a bath, as a gentle toner and astringent, cooling face and body mist, baby wipes, linen water, ironing aid, gentle perfume, room fragrance mist, fragrant hair spray and more!

2. Glycerine USP

Glycerin is one of the most versatile and valuable chemical substances known to man. It possesses a unique combination of physical and chemical properties that are utilized in myriad products. Glycerin has over 1,500 known end uses, including many applications as an ingredient or processing aid in cosmetics, toiletries, personal care, drugs, and food products. It may be synthetically produced (from petrochemicals) or naturally produced, as in from fats and oils during soap and fatty acid production and by transesterification (an interchange of fatty acid groups with another alcohol). Glycerine is a soothing, humectant which draws moisture from the air to the skin. It is an emollient, which makes the skin feel softer and smoother, reduce rough feeling, cracking and irritation. Glycerine has a high hydrophilic (water) factor and a low lipophilic (fat) factor. Vegetable glycerine is non-toxic, nonirritating and non-allergenic and suitable for vegan and halal consumer. A very sweet syrup, about half as sweet as sugar.

3. Pure Essential Oil

An essential oil is the volatile essence distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils, contrary to the use of the word “oil” are not the same as your regular fixed/cooking oil. It is the essential element in aromatherapy. Aromatherapists believed that essential oils help mobilize the body’s own self-healing powers. Unlike conventional drugs, essential oils when properly administered, produced no harmful side-effects. Some pure essential oils are being clinically studied for its antiviral, antibacterial and healing properties. Pure essential oils are ‘living essence’, each has its own vital energy and vibrations that can actually be seen with Kirlian photography.

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Handmade Savon d’Alep (Aleppo Olive Soap)

UTC11000000Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:32:12 +00001216am09, · Filed under Product Profile · Tagged , , , ,

aleppo_soap 

Can you believe it that this soap is made from a 2,000 year old soap recipe that goes back to Hammurabi’s  ancient Babylon? It is the first hard soap and the great, grandfather of all soap bars in history! This is the original castile soap…Savon de Marseille is just a mere baby compared to the Savon d’Alep and is actually a 15th century copycat of the latter.

Savon d’Alep is also known as the Aleppo Soap, Hammam Soap and Ghar Soap. Made in UNESCO world heritage city of Aleppo, this olive oil hammam soap is still hand made in the traditional way, exclusively from home-grown olive oil, laurel berries oil, and sodium hydroxide ( extracted from sea salt ). It contains no animal fat, colors, perfume,  chemical or synthetic derivative. If there’s one product that has gone through the test of time with flying colors, then this soap is the winner.

The Aleppo hammam soap is ‘cooked’ to more than a 200 degree Celsius in a cauldron. The base ingredient would be olive oil and soda ash obtained from a desert plant called the salsola kali. After saponification took place, that is when the olive oil separated into glycerine and sodium salt, bay laurel oil is added. Further saponification will take place, later the caustic soda solution is drained off from the cauldron and the soap mixture is rinsed off any alkalinity with fresh water. The soap is spread out to solidify before being cut by hand, by traditional methods, into rectangular bars and individually stamped and left to cure or dried for at least 9 months.  The longer the soap is cured, the harder the soap will be and the milder and gentler the soap is. This soap age like fine wine. Some people in Aleppo actually bragged around about 20-30 years old soaps kept in the attic.

This soap is mild, nourishing and moisturizing. It won’t dry your skin out and excellent to be used from head-to-toe. Do you know that this soap bar actually floats in your bath due to its density? When cut into two, you can see the beige outer rind with a lovely leafy green on the inside

The Savon d’Alep offered at GreenVanillaStore contains 92% Pure Olive Oil.  This is a really traditional Aleppo Soap handmade by the Zanabili family of Aleppo, Syria. They have been making this soap using the traditional methods for almost 2 centuries! Sales support the survival of traditional businesses in UNESCO World Heritage Site of Aleppo’s Old City. The making of this soap is totally environmental friendly and involves no animal testing. This 230g soap bar with luxurious, creamy lather can last you for up to a month!

How to Use the Savon d’Alep

1. This soap can be used from head-to-toe, from moisturizing facial cleansing to conditioning hair shampooing. Excellent when used with a loofah or exfoliating fibre mitt.

2. Makes a great shaving soap.

3. Adds body and volume to hair when used as shampoo. On dyed hair, it actually helps prolong the color.

4. When used as a hammam-style massage soap , it has a smooth, deep and warming effect that leaves your skin feeling deeply-cleansed and refreshed.

5. Use a a deep cleansing face masque. Wet face, lather the soap and massage the lather to your face, leave about 2-3 minutes. Wipe off with warm wet towel.

6. Gentle enough for baby (avoid eye areas), and those with sensitive and troubled skin.

7. Use the soap instead of your usual detergent for fine laundry and baby clothings.

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New Products…New Products…

UTC06000000Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:08:51 +00005117pm09, · Filed under Latest Promotions · Tagged , , , ,

This month I’m very happy to welcome some newcomers to the store:

1. Mother Earth Soaps

Mother Earth Soap from the UK is simply wonderful. These incredibly gentle handcrafted herbal soaps are made from the purest palm oil, natural unrefined herbs and pure essential oils. My particular favorite is  Calendula and Honey…very beautiful and freshly scented! Each soap is mild, long-lasting and lathers luxuriously. Contains no parabens, sls or artificial colors. Comes in 6 varieties: Calendula & Honey, Kava-Kava & Myrrh, Chamomile Flowers, Lavender Blossoms, Mint & Rosemary and Seaweed & Fresh Orange Peel. Each soap will be individually  gift-wrapped in lovely ‘plantable’ handmade recycled paper.

2. Organic Floral Waters/Hydrosols

We have a lovely selection of artisan-distilled organic floral waters/hydrosols some certified organic by the UK Soil Association,  and some by EU ECOCERT. Each hydrosol comes in a 100ml amber glass bottle fitted with atomizer spray, for ease of use and convenience. Our hydrosols are 100% pure with no added preservatives, colors and emulsifying agent.

3. Specialty Botanical Oils

Oh, how I love botanical oils! I’m really proud to offer these fabulous selection of pure, cold-pressed skin-loving oils for my customers. I have in store Moroccan Argan Oil, Strawberry Seed Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, White Camellia Oil, Cherry Kernel Oil and Watermelon Seed Oil…these oils are of the best quality money can buy, very versatile, skin-nourishing and safe to use. Great as moisturizing facial oils to keep those lines and wrinkles at bay…Comes in a 10ml amber glass bottle with a  glass dropper. I’ll be adding more fabulous oils soon…

Hope you’ll love and enjoy these natural beauty gifts from mother nature as much as I do.

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Organic vs Natural Skincare

UTC05000000Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:37:18 +00001817pm09, · Filed under Consumer Safety Guide · Tagged , ,

Which one is more healthier for you?

The answer is neither.

Natural does not always means preservatives and chemical-free. Botanicals used in natural cosmetic can be heavily contaminated with bacteria, toxic pesticides and fertilizers. That’s why it’s important to demand for organic or biodynamic ingredients.

Organic does not means a particular product is free from toxic and hazardous chemicals. This is because the manufacturer may add chemicals, synthetic ingredients or harmful additives when formulating the product. Have you ever noticed cosmetic labels that say 75% or 50% organic? Then, the other 30-50% is made up of chemicals cocktail.

This is where reading labels and gaining some general knowledge on cosmetic ingredients comes handy. After all,  you did your homework well when it comes to food. So why not do the same on the stuff you regularly feed your skin?

It’s about time consumers stop putting their health in manufacturers hands.

Read Labels, Know Your Ingredients Well.

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In Love With The Vanilla Queen

UTC04000000Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:03:38 +00003805pm09, · Filed under Daily Musings · Tagged , ,

La Patricia Rain is one lady with a truly interesting personality and an equally interesting job. She is the Vanilla Queen…this is no joke, she is the reigning Vanilla Queen.

I’m a fan of Ms. Rain. I’m a loyal follower of her blog at patriciarain.blogspot.com and really enjoy the stories, recipes and culinary tips in The Vanilla Cookbook.  Her virtual queendom is www.vanilla.com that specializes in vanilla beans and vanilla products. I’ve tried her mexican vanilla beans and really like them.

Anyway, read her interesting story on how she was adopted by the Mexican Totonacapans (who descended from the original cultivators of vanilla beans) and gets to be the Vanilla Queen here.

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Pre-Polluted Babies, Anyone?

UTC08000000Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:53:27 +00002705am09, · Filed under Daily Musings · Tagged , ,

Every day, consumers rely on household products that contain thousands of chemicals. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) , a strong environmental advocacy NGO group in the US made up of experts and scientists from various  background:

…The human race is now polluted with hundreds of industrial chemicals with little or no understanding of the consequences. Babies are born pre-polluted with as many as 300 industrial chemicals in their bodies when they enter the world. Testing by Environmental Working Group  has identified 455 chemicals in people, and again, no one has any idea if these exposures are safe.

We are at a tipping point, where the pollution in people is increasingly associated with a range of serious diseases and conditions from childhood cancer, to autism, ADHD, learning deficits, infertility, and birth defects. Yet even as our knowledge about the link between chemical exposure and human disease grows, the government has almost no authority to protect people from even the most hazardous chemicals on the market.

Common sense would tell us that baby and children products should not contain toxic ingredients. However, some well-known baby products do contain hidden carcinogenic contaminants 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde. Both 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde are known carcinogens and formaldehyde can also trigger skin rashes. For more information on this please read the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics Report on Toxic Chemicals Found in Kids Bath Products.

The usual argument would be “the usual small doses of exposure to these chemicals is insignifiant”. However, think about this…we are all directly exposed to chemicals in personal care and household products daily. Add these up to the exposures to other toxics in food we eat, water we drink, air we breathe and so forth. All of these exposures added up could lead to diseases later in life. 

There are alternatives to these toxic ingredients. By eliminating unnecessary toxic chemicals and pesticides, growth hormones, genetically engineered drugs and animal-feeds, synthetic additives, colors and synthetic preservatives from ourdaily household products, cosmetic, food production and preparation our body will function and breathe so much better and the environment will become much more greener and safer to live in.

As consumers, we have the POWER to make a difference. As producers and manufacturers, we can make a BIG difference. Think about it.

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100% Pure Organic Liquid Olive Castile Soap

UTC06000000Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:12:25 +00002503pm09, · Filed under Daily Musings · Tagged , , ,

Last year, I scoured pharmacies and supermarkets in KL searching for pure, original liquid castile soap made of 100% olive oil. Unable to find one, I turned to the Internet and found plenty of online stores offering castile soap but most do not ship to Malaysia or the shipping would cost the earth or the soap was not made entirely of olive oil. Then, I stumbled upon A Little Ol’ Factory, a small online store specializing in artisan aromatic products and eco-friendly beauty ingredients. They also  sell handmade certified organic 100% olive liquid castile soap. It was on sale and I bought four 16oz bottles of them all unscented.

This castile soap is as pure as a liquid soap can get. It is handcrafted from distilled water, KOH, saponified Olive Oil and nothing else added.  The soap smells faintly of extra virgin olive oil.

Castile soap is so mild that even newborn babies and those with ultra-sensitive skin can use it. This is just perfect for my two daughters who both have eczema. Since using the soap and being totally ‘detergent-free’ my daughters’ eczema, especially  Nuha the eldest one,  has been improving steadily. They  still have occasional outbreaks, but it wasn’t as stubborn as it was before.

A true Castile Soap should be ‘100% olive oil’ and NOT ‘mostly olive oil.’ Liquid castile soap have varieties of use. This soap will not produce a lot of sudsy lather but will effectively and gently clean hair, skin, laundry, dishes – almost anything you can think of. Mix it with some water in a spray-bottle and you’ll get yourself a general cleaning liquid. 

 I   have some olive oil soap bars offered in my store….a 400g bar of original savon d’marseilles from France and a 230g bars of authentic aleppo soap (hammam soap) from Syria. But I do hope some of our local artisan soapmakers in Malaysia will soon produce pure castile soap in both bars and liquid form. This is because the original castile soap is a much healthier alternative  to most commercial soaps for people with ultra-sensitive skin due to the soothing olive oil content in it . And it is also a much healthier choice for the environment as it is processed minus any synthetic additives or chemicals (except for the lye, of course).

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