Alternative uses for soap- use #4

Friday again! This week has really flown by! I hope it has been a good one for you all!
For those of you outside of Colorado that read my blog, first of all THANK YOU! Secondly you may not know I live in Ski Country and don't ski but I am completely enjoying an annual major event we have in Aspen this time every year called the Winter X- Games.

I am not usually into sports but I am riveted by the creativity and bravery or insanity( both are applicable) of the athletes that participate. And I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Shaun White. I just think he is crazy good and just plain crazy too!

So in honor of the Winter X Games here is this weeks alternative use for soap:

 A Wax for your ski's! (and If you try this you are totally on your own!) I did include the link below for your reading pleasure!
 
 Ingredients and formula for super fast ,all temp, racing ski wax:
(1)5 lbs of paraffin wax(preferably 150degree or higher melt temp 160 is optimal)
(2) 1/2 lb of paraffin wax hardener
(3) a bar of Ivory soap
(4) a regular size tube of Crest high fluoride toothpaste (5)a heaping tablespoon of spruce gum(resin from a spruce tree)

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_in_ski_wax#ixzz2J0puDMV

 

Until next week I wish you a blessed and prosperous life where you are so blessed you get to bless those around you.

Donna

 

52 Uses for Soap Use # 3

 

We are halfway through January and that means one thing and one thing only to me.

THAT VALENTINE'S DAY IS COMING!!!

My favorite holiday because it is all about romance and I get chocolate. 

Two things that I LOVE!

Usually the love of my life buys me a boat load of wonderful gourmet chocolates and if he does not ration them out to me I will actually sneak up at night to eat some. Just saying... Chocolate is my weakness!

In my area we are having a chocolate event where I intend to pick me up some fine chocolates!

http://grandriverhospitaldistrict.org/2012/01/31/a-grand-chance-for-chocolate-6/

That being said let's get on to this weeks alternative use for soap.

-If you rub bar soap on a mosquito bite, it forms a protective coating that helps keep it from itching (kinda like the way nail polish works.)

I did not know this one, and I have never heard of putting nail polish on a bite either! I made a balm for bites but next summer I will try rubbing soap on it!
If you have ever tried either of these remedies for a mosquito bite pipe in and let us hear how it worked!

See you all next week for another installment and I hope you all get to be a blessing to someone between now and then!

Donna

Product Spotlight! Ayate Cloth

I have a new item in my shop that I am so excited about! Its called an Ayate cloth.

A good friend of mine introduced me to this little wonder and I am hooked! 

It comes in a perfect woven square and when you first get it you need to soak it for a minute or two to get it to "plump up" after that magic happens!
In your shower or bath you simply rub this just a bit aggressively in circles over your skin and all those bumps and rough places on your skin go away! My arms were getting bumpy but no more! I can see this also would be beneficial if you were peeling, or you are a self tanner person and you know how bad that looks if you don't exfoliate first!
So the details of this wonder cloth for all my left brain friends:

Ayate is a fiber woven cloth that comes from the Maguey (agave salminae). It is a productive fiber has been used in the "Valle Del Mazquital" located in the central part of Mexico where more than four hundred thousand people live.
 Ayate has been known for its durability, natural origins and usefulness to natives but slowly is turning into an international sensation. Today, ayate is used as an all-safe mildew resistant body exfoliator, designed to last up to about a year.
Sounds pretty awesome right? and a total "green" decision for me.
Here is what the plant looks like.

Agave Cactus

And woven up into the cloth.

Ayate Cloth

Want a bit more info???

Maguey is predominately used in Mexico as a resource that provides natives over 100 different products of which include clothing, food, medicine, firewood, furniture, and soap. The importance of the Maguey has prevailed through time and has become a dominant source of income for these natives. Once the Maguey is at a mature state, which can take up to ten years, the ayate fiber then can be extracted along with other resources the Maguey is used for. The process of making Ayate is extravagant, labor-intensive and can take up to two to four days to complete. But because of the high demand for the resources that lay within the Maguey, it leaves little time for growth and ability to cultivate these plants.  The manufacture makes sure that the indigenous people and Valle Del Mazquital are protected. I love this part!

I am so lucky to be able to provide these in the Rifle store (located at 228 Railroad Avenue) so stop by and get your own!

Be blessed!

Donna

52 uses for Soap other than the obvious- Use #2

Happy Friday All!
Hope this finds you ready to jump into the weekend, We are supposed to get dumped on by snow this weekend so I think my time will be spent indoors! Honestly! I think I am the only person in Colorado that does not ski!
On to this weeks soapy use and let me tell you I had a hard time just picking one soap use to blog about as I found several really cool ones I had never heard of!

So here it is, Alternative use # 2 for soap

Removing Wallpaper: mix soap and water and sponge on old wallpaper and it will help in removing the glue.
 I am going to be remodeling an old bathroom this winter so plan to test this one out. If you have already tested it let me know!

This is a pic of what won worst wallpaper of the year award! The wallpaper was only the first thing I noticed about this pic though, I mean just look at the size of this bathroom! You can do yoga in there! My bathroom is no where near this size!

Ok everyone that's it for this installment, Hope you all get to be a blessing at least once this coming week and have a fab weekend!
Donna

Benefits of beer in soap

We did many things in the 70's and 80's that seem a bit out there.

like these shoes...

and don't forget the "leisure suit"

 







And who remembers John Travolta in this classic!


It was also fun to mess around with every day ingredients on the body. I remember putting Mayo in my hair, Avocado, and just to annoy my father I would use his beer as a hair rinse. I found that the hops and wheat used to produce the beer were acting as natural conditioners and would begin to strengthen my hair, generating a healthy shine.

Well, this same concept carries over to Beer soap. All the alcohol is burnt away in the process of making the soap, but the natural benefits of the hops still remain, producing a very conditioning bar of soap.

 Other great benefits to Hops are: it soothes irritated skin, and contains polyphenols thought to account for its anti-bacterial and preservative effects (beer’s long life) and also it contains skin- softening amino acids. 

I love the two Beer soaps we have here at Zoe Life Soapworks. I did one in an Orange Patchouli and one in Vanilla Oak. Both these scents partner up with the light scent of the hops to produce a very intriguing scent that is just perfect.

By the way I still like to annoy my father on occasion, and I still like to experiment with funky, out there, everyday ingredients on the skin! Some things never change...

52 Uses other than the obvious for soap

Happy New Year! It is a time of year to start fresh and with that in mind ...

I have been toying with the idea of doing a fun blog for a while now revolving around other uses for soap.
In my research I found about a million uses so it will be a challenge to narrow it down to what I consider the most interesting 52 uses.
So every Friday for 52 weeks I hope you will join me in a fun trip down the lane of alternative uses for soap. LOL.


Without further ado here is use #1

 Deodorizer. Place a bar of your favorite soap inside your suitcase or your drawers to keep them smelling fresh. The same goes for your car; a bar of pleasingly scented soap might be just the thing after that new car smell has faded–or never was.

I love this idea! I have a bar of pumpkin crunch in my car, a bowl of my laundry soap in the top of my closet and mini slices of Lemongrass tucked in my linen closet. 

So instead of just letting your soap sit on the shelf looking pretty make it do double duty until you are ready to use it.

Happy New Year!
See you next Friday for another installment.

Donna

Back and ready to ROCK!

We are back! 

Soap guild conference was wonderful! I attended so many great classes and met so many inspirational soap makers. I will be featuring some of those amazing soapmakers in future blog postings.

I want to share a few Soap Guild photos before I knuckle down and get back to work!

Beautiful riverboat outside the Red Lion Inn  where the conference was held

The highlight of my day!! Meeting the Bramble Berry Team!
Anne-Marie is so down to earth and her team is A-Plus!

Loved Meeting soapmakers that I have been talking to on line!
This is Ada from soap much love, Me, and NaYeon from Castle Lake studio

I loved meeting Debby May from Wholesale Supplies Plus.
I also loved that the owners of the companies I buy all my
oils from are interested in meeting us soapmakers!
I mean the owner of Walmart has never thanked me
for my business.

Me, Ada again, And Holly from the Lotion Bar Cafe.
Now
talk about a fun woman, Holly is a riot!

Getting my Soapmaking Certification was just awesome! I was
nervous! We tested at 7 AM and I am not really "brainy" until much later in the
day!

Enough about the conference! For now anyway!
13 days until the new store opens!