4 EASY Winter Skin Care Tips

Lots of us think that because we hide under layers for warmth in winter, we can neglect our skin.

 But, this type of hibernation is not the best way to take care of ourselves. The air is cold and dry, and cold winter winds help our skin to become dry, cracked and flaky. There are some simple steps that can help maintain a feel good glow all through the colder months.

1) Once a week- exfoliate. All over, not just your face. Sloughing off the dead skin cells and boosting your circulation is invigorating, renewing and warming.

2) Every day- moisturise all over, and your face (unless it's particularly sensitive), twice a day. Carry lip balm and use it regularly, not just once your lips start to dry and crack.

3) Treat- think about what special treatments you use, and if you can use products smarter. Eg, can you use a hair masque once a week and stop the creation of split ends? Use a bath oil in a hot (ish) bath once a week for an all over moisture boost?

4) Take care of yourself- keep warm, hydrated, and  sleep lots. There's nothing better for you!

Cranleigh Trivia Night Gift Bags

I needed to put together 15 gift bags for the Cranleigh School Trivia Night.

Over a couple of weeks, as I made orders I would mix & package a little extra product.

That was the easy part.

Then I needed to make them pretty.

A few weekends ago, I was lucky to house sit for a friend who is a Stampin' Up!

demonstrator, so I used the opportunity to make bag toppers with music notes.

Each bag has two samples from the top picture, plus a face washer or shower puff.

Hopefully, someone will take a pic on the actual night for me load later.

I have also donated some 50s rock'n'roll ducks embedded in soap as lucky door prizes.

New essential oil blend: Optimism

I have created and released a new essential oil blend for use in many D2BN products.

Optimism Blend contains bergamot, lavender and pink grapefruit essential oils.

Bergamot, may alleviate depression, anxiety, and skin problems

The many benefits of Lavender oil have been listed in an earlier post devoted entirely to that essential oil.

Pink Grapefruit oil may stimulate both mind and body, is said to be antiseptic, induces a positive feeling and hope, cures depression and relieves of anxiety and stress.

Optimism Blend is a lovely oil to use in products that start your day to get it going on a positive note, or at the end of the day when you need to shrug off the things that have weighed you down.

It is available in:

Soaps

Body Wash (shower gel & bubble bath)

Hand & Body Lotion

Bath Milk

Bath Salts

It may be appropriate in other applications, please contact me for details.

Naturally or plant derived- what does that mean?

Sometimes, if you pay close attention to the ingredient list on body products, you'll notice some long, complicated names that are listed as being plant derived, or naturally derived.

What does that mean?
Simply put, these ingredients come from a non-petroleum mineral, another natural source (such as water), a plant or a fruit-based source — not from an animal or petroleum source.

D2BN does not use any ingredients that have been tested on animals.
Never have, never will.

The only animal products used in our products:

•  beeswax, which is used in my balms- foot balm; sinus balm; calm balm; sleep balm (and my now discontinued lip balms, whihc some customers may receive as free gifts from time to time). Every time I come across a balm formulation without beeswax, it produces a runny, sloppy goo that's just not nice.
• milk products: goats milk, which is such an invaluable ingredient for sufferers of eczema and psoriasis; buttermilk & skim milk powder which I use in my bath milks
• I have also recently added "milk & honey" soap to my product range, after investing in the ingredients in my failed attempt at making solid shampoo bars

The majority (but not all) of my ingredients are naturally derived. The ingredient names may sound long & scary- for instance, just what is Capryl Glucoside? Well, it's a sugar, made from palm kernal oil, and is a mildly foaming cleanser. Now, the few times a product does contain a synthetic ingredient, it's often to prevent using a sulphate or paraben.

I have also ensured that I have sourced soap colours that are vegan-friendly. I have several customers who are vegan, or who have family members who are vegan, who find it really difficult to source products that are animal free. I hadn't even given a thought to my colourants, and had to make many enquiries to suppliers before I could source colourants that are acceptable to vegan customers.

However, I have not found a solution to the lovely lady who contacted me for goats milk soap for her grand-daughter..... who's a vegan.

Mother's Day at Cranleigh School

As mentioned in an earlier post, I was asked to make 80 soaps for the mothers of Cranleigh School students.

As usual, one of my simple ideas quickly grew into a craft bonanza. I can get a little manic in my head when given free reign to craft up.

Making the 80 soaps was probably the most straight forward part of the process. As I have 10 mid-size guest soap molds, I figured I would just make 8 different sets- 8 smells & colours. So I settled on:

yellow = melonberry

orange = orange rockmelon

pink = baby powder

red = red cafe

light blue = sun showers

dark blue = chai

light green = kiwi kisses

dark green = hummingbird

Halfway through making the 80, I realised I needed more soap base, so I fired off an order to my supplier, ordered more cello bags,  and labels, and waited....


It's the waiting that does it every time, because then I start thinking.

How to pretty them up?

Fire off another email ordering organza bags, the ones I had were either a smidge too small or too incredibly big.

More waiting.

Tags- one of my hobbies is making cards & bits and pieces, and I have a friend who is a Stampin' Up! independant demonstrator, so I have lots of (woefully underused) craft bits.

So, 80 tags, colour co-ordinated with the soaps.

Tags done, waiting recommences.

Soap arrives! So, 80 soaps, ten every 2nd day for 8 days.

Cello bags arrive, one afternoon spent bagging them.

The labels arrive the next day (of course!), so that afternoon spent labelling.

So, a three day wait for organza bags. Another afternoon bagging them up in organza bags, and then working out the best way to tie the gift tag on- I'm a bit ribbon challenged.

So, here is the final result. 80 guest soaps to spoil the beautiful Cranleigh Mums.

Taking the Pledge

A few weeks ago, a FB friend of mine, Sarah from Home Poured Creations, posted the following pledge to only create original products:

http://contemporaryhandmadealliance.blogspot.com/p/handmade-originality-pledge.html


I read the Pledge, and after mulling it over for a couple of weeks, have likewise taken the Pledge.

Why did it take me 2 weeks or so? Well, I didn't want to take it lightly, but also, it's not just a matter of saying "I won't copy".

Firstly, because, well......

I do.

When a customer writes and tells me their husband will only use (famous brand) soap and she really wants him to change to a natural alternative, can I make an organic soap that is the same shape, colour and smell, what do I do? I copy that product. I use my organic & natural ingredients and set out to make the best version of that soap.

Now, I haven't then gone on to launch a whole line of "famous brand" rip off soaps, but the bald truth is that I have copied that product.

Likewise, when someone emails me that they haven't been able to find goats milk & oatmeal soap, I think: I have oatmeal, I have goats milk, easy- and I'm away. Or if someone has used a certain scented product in the past but can't find it now, and ask if I can produce something in a similiar scent. The first thing I do, is contact my oil suppliers and see what I can get in that scent.

And when someone suggests I make a line of soap that's a natural alternative to Solvol- with exfolliant, using oils that strip grease, etc- my Bloke Soap was born. Now, Bloke Soap does not look, feel or smell like Solvol, but I am using their idea to create a product that I make, and sell.

Recently, when my cousin told me she's getting married and asked me to help make her invitations, place settings, table decorations, etc, the first thing I did was ask her her colours, then Googled weddings in those colours. Again, I'm not going to launch a whole wedding line, but I got a lot of inspiration of what other people have done. And, in this instance, I'm not doing it as "D2BN", but as her cousin, so she'll buy the materials, ingredients, etc, and I'll make them up for her without charging for my time, etc, as I would if I were doing them as D2BN. In all likelihood, I'll be doing more crafting than I will soaping, but the principal is the same.

Having said that, several weeks ago Sarah posted a picture of a soap she'd made, and the picture & description was so divine, I had to buy a slice.  And when it came, it was all she'd described- and more! When she had a free post offer a week or so later, I tried to buy some more but it had sold out. I'm not going to try and replicate that soap- I don't think I could, she's just too talented, and uses different methods than I do, and I'd feel uncomfortable doing so. If my Mum visited and liked the soap, I'd order some off Sarah (she assures me she'll make some more in a few months) and have her send it to Mum. If for some strange, unknown reason a customer wandered into my bathroom and asked me where I got the soap?? Hmmm, it's probably lucky I don't get too many customers wandering through my house, lol, but it's a conundrum.....

So- why do I think it's OK to copy one piece of work and not another? After all, we've all bought a "cheaper version" of an expensive brand. D2BN currently offers several Designer (type) fragrances for use in soaps, shower gels, bath salts, etc.

Well, firstly-famous brand versus someone I sort of know- we've never met, but we've become FB friends and I feel like I do know her a little bit. I don't know why I think it's ok to mimic a big corporation's product but not a fellow soapers, but somehow it is.

Also, it's just not cool to profit off someone else's creativity. I'm not going to troll other's soapers sites and see what I can rip off. I love what I do, love having a creative outlet amidst all the other things I do- and have to assume all those other sites are run by similiarly motivated people.

Also, in soaping, it can be really difficult not to copy. I make melt & pour soap, which means I buy a chunk of soap, melt it, mix various things into it, then pour it into a mould. In the M&P soap world, we're pretty much all using the same moulds (unless you're one of those amazingly talented people who can make your own molds from latex, which I'm not. I tried, but I sucked at it!).  Many of us use the same suppliers (even recommending them to each other), the same fragance oils, the same bits and pieces. Many of us even belong to the same crafting groups. When someone posts a picture of a soap using a mould I have, the chances are if I like what they've done, I'm probably going to do something similiar at some point in time. What am I going to- not glitter a buttefly soap's wings because I've seen someone else do it?

I've also walked through shops, markets, etc, and been inspired by someone's take on something, and thought "I could do that" or "I could use that". It may not even be bath product related- it may be the way they've used colours, or texture, in their product that I think I can use in something of mine. After all- all inspiration comes from somewhere, right??

So, yes, I have taken the Pledge.

I won't blatantly rip off anyone else's work and sell it as my own.

If I see something on someone's site that I make, or can make, for cheaper than that site is offering, I'm not going to message their customers and tell them to bring their business my way.

And, yes, if you want to know where that divine soap came from, go to Facebook and type in Hand Poured Creations. If you buy anything, tell her Cid sent you!

Balance Blend- benefits & uses

"Balance Blend" is a blend of certified organic essential oils,

comprised of:-

* Sweet Orange, said to calm down the mind, bringing happiness and delight

* Cedarwood Atlas, which promotes steadiness and balance

* Lime, with benefits of being antiseptic, anti-viral, astringent, bactericidal, disinfectant, and restorative

* Bergamot, may alleviate depression, anxiety, and skin problems

* Frankincense, a calming and relaxing oil which causes breathing to become deeper and slower, inducing a tranquil state of mind. Additionally,it can help with asthma, bronchitis, coughing, and laryngitis.

* Ylang Ylang, believed to be useful as an antidepressant, aphrodisiac, sedative, and is calming. It has been found effective in reducing difficulties resulting from anxiety, stress, and depression.

 *Geranium, which speeds up healing of wounds and cuts; aids in treatment of acne, dermatitis and other skin diseases; is useful in treating infections of nose, throat and other respiratory organs; may relieve symptoms of PMS; further, it has great mental uplifting effects and so can be very effective in treating depression, anxiety, anger etc. 

Balance Blend is available for use  in the following D2BN products:

Organic Soap (Vegetable Glycerine)

Shea Butter Soap

Body Wash (Shower Gel / Bubble Bath)

Hand & Body Lotion

Bath Salts &  Bath Milk