We're adopting orangutans!

As most of you know, I use palm oil in my soaps. There is some concern about the safety of the orangutans in harvesting this product. This is why all my palm oil is from a sustainable source.

In an effort to help these animals a little more, starting January 1, 2014, 10% of all soap sales will be dedicated to helping these beautiful creatures. I'm researching different organizations but I think I found the one I want to go with. I'll be sure to update you all with adoption certificates, pictures, and any other news as I receive it!

Inspired

I'm not a good writer. Most of you can already tell this by the lack of posts on this blog. I mean, it's been about 6 months since I posted last! Today, however, I was inspired to write. I wrote a letter to the editor of Women's Health Magazine.

Why?

Because of this:

This is an article that was published in the July/August issue of their magazine. After reading this I was completely horrified! Detergents are better than natural ingredients?? Bar soaps are drying?? Sodium Hydroxide is a *bad* thing?? Here's my response:

Dear Beauty Editor:

A friend recently emailed me a copy of the enclosed article from page 50 of the July/August issue and I was completely appalled by these horrifying claims!

I began formulating my own soap 7 years ago due to the synthetic detergents in most commercial soaps. Not only are these detergents drying, but most soap companies remove the glycerin (a natural moisturizing byproduct of the soapmaking process) from their soap and sell it for use in lotions which are more profitable. Sodium Hydroxide is not a detergent, but a chemical used to turn moisturizing oils, such as olive and coconut, into soap. Without an alkali such as sodium hydroxide it is not possible to make soap. It even explains this in the very definition of the word “soap” in the dictionary.

To address her statement that bar soaps are more drying than liquid because they are made with the chemical sodium hydroxide, I just want to say that liquid soap is also made with a chemical. It’s called potassium hydroxide. Neither ingredient causes dryness.

The second thing that shocks me is that she puts down sodium hydroxide but recommends a product that uses that very ingredient. Kiss My Face Olive Oil soap has “sodium olivate” right in the ingredient list. Sodium olivate is the INCI name for olive oil that has been saponified using sodium hydroxide. There are two ways that soapmakers are allowed to list their ingredients. One is by listing what goes into it: olive oil, sodium hydroxide, etc. The other is to list what the result is: sodium olivate. Just because sodium hydroxide isn’t listed, doesn’t mean it was not used.

Please, please, properly educate your readers. As the owner of a bath and body company it simply breaks my heart to read such false information.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I understand that you may think my view is biased so please look this information up for yourself. I would love to hear your opinions once you do.

Sincerely,

 

 

I can only hope that she'll take the time to look into this herself. Even if she doesn't write anything stating that this article was incorrect, at least she'll be informed for the future.

Let The Games Begin!

We finally hit 1,000 fans on our facebook page so we're having a "1,000 fan giveaway"!!!  Throughout the week I'll be posting new prizes for you to enter to win.  Winners will be announced on March 5th.
Prize #1 is from my own shop, Angie's Suds 'N Such.  A lavender gift set!

This gift set includes:
1 Lavender Bar Soap (4.5+oz)
1 Jar of Lavender Sugar Scrub Cubes (6.75-7oz)
1 Lavender Lotion Stick (1.1oz)
1 Lavender Solid Perfume (.35oz)

***Rules for entering***
You MUST "like" my Facebook page if you don't already: http://facebook.com/AngieSudsNSuch
and post a comment here telling me that you "liked" my page. *You will not be entered unless you do BOTH of these things.* Be sure to leave an email so I have a way to get in touch with you if you win!

Ways to receive more entries (you will receive one more entry for each):
1. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SudsNSuch and post here letting me know.
2. Visit my Etsy shop: http://SudsNSuch.etsy.com and comment here telling me your favorite item.

Good luck everyone!

Tutorial: Two-Sided Loofah Soap

Here are instructions for a fun soap making project to do at home. It's a two-sided loofah soap! Scrubby on one side, smooth on the other. Supplies you'll need:

1. white soap base


2. clear soap base


3. loofah


4. a mold that will fit your loofah


5. fragrance oil


6. color


7. rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle

Measure the height of your mold and use a sharp knife to cut your loofah so it's half the size. My mold is 1 1/4" high so I cut my loofah to 5/8". Be careful not to cut your fingers! I got my loofah from Sahara's Supplies. Cut up and measure out enough clear soap base to fill half your mold. (You can purchase cheap melt and pour soap base at most craft stores but if you'd like a quality base I suggest finding a source online) My mold holds 6 ounces so I needed 3 ounces of soap for this step. Melt the soap in your microwave (about 30 seconds should do the trick) and mix in your fragrance oil. I used 1/4 tsp of Raspberry fragrance, also from Sahara's Supplies. Place your loofah in your mold and pour the melted soap on top of it. Spritz with the rubbing alcohol to remove any bubbles that may have formed. Allow this to cool for approximately 15 minutes. The soap will need to be hard enough to pour another layer on top without melting it. This next step is the same as the previous step, but using our white base. I chose to add some color to mine. I used "chameleon" mica from Sahara's Supplies. The picture doesn't do it justice but this is an amazing red with silver mixed into it.

Need a tip on mixing mica so it blends properly? I add the mica to my fragrance oil first. Mix well and then add a bit of the soap base. Mix well again before adding the rest of the base.

Now you're ready to pour the melted soap base on top of the first layer but first, spritz a bit of the rubbing alcohol onto the first layer to help them adhere. Allow the soap to cool completely. After it has cooled, you're ready to remove it from the mold. Congratulations! Now you're ready to hop in the shower with your fun new soap! If you make this project let me know how it goes!

My First Attempt at Swirling

For a challenge with a few of my teammates on Etsy, we have to make a tropical themed product that contains more than one color. I had the perfect scent for this...HoneyCocoMango! It's a delicious blend of honey, coconut, and mango. Now the color is where the challenge comes in. I've done layers before. I wanted to do something more unique for this one so I decided to do swirls.

I picked pink, orange, yellow, and green for my colors. Since I use log molds I used the 'in the pot' swirling method. Let's just say it's a lot harder than it looks. I was getting a little flustered trying to get all four colors mixed before the soap became too thick. I think I swirled a little too much once I put it into the pot and now I'm afraid it's going to be a big, ugly mess when I cut it.

Stay tuned for pics to see how it turned out. I'm very anxious to see for myself.

2010 Show Schedule

Angie's Suds 'N Such will be at the following events this year:

September 26 from 11am to 4pm
Bow Wow and Meow SPCA Fundraising Event
Riverfront Park, Pottstown, PA

October 23 from 10am to 3pm
Charles Wesley United Methodist Church Oktoberfest Craft Fair
6817 Dean Drive, McLean, VA

November 13 from 9am to 3pm
Centreville United Methodist Church Craft Fair and Holiday Bazaar
6400 Old Centreville Rd, Centreville, VA

December 11 from 9am to 3pm (application pending)
Gar-Field High School Orchestra Boosters Holiday Craft Show
14000 Smoketown Road, Woodbridge, VA

If you're in the area, please stop by!

New Labels!

I finally got around to ordering new labels for my soaps. Now they have my logo so they match everything else in my shop. Aren't they great?! I got them from Jennifer over at MyPaperCrafts. She's the greatest!

Do you know your essential oils?

I try to use a mix of essential oils and fragrance oils in my products. I know that a lot of people prefer the natural essential oils over synthetic fragrance oils but sometimes essential oils aren't always the best choice. I list warnings on all my essential oil products but here are a few things you should know:


-Citrus essential oils are photosensitizers. These increase your skin's reaction to sunlight, making it more likely to burn. These include oils such as orange, grapefruit, lime, and lemon.


-Certain essential oils are not considered safe during pregnancy. Some of these are: Rosemary, Peppermint, Lavender, Clary Sage, Jasmine.


-Rosemary and Eucalyptus (among others) should not be used if you have high blood pressure or epilepsy.


This is not meant to scare anyone away from using essential oils. They *are* wonderful. This is just a reminder to research what you are using to make sure it won't cause you any harm. A good soap maker should be able to answer your questions and help you choose a product that is right for you.

April is Autism Awareness Month

For the 3rd year in a row I will be donating 50% of all Puzzle Soap purchases to the Autism Society of America. Please help support this great cause!

Shows, New Products, and the Cherry Blossom Festival

It's show season! The last one I did went fairly well and I'm hoping the rest do the same. If you're in the area I'd love for you to stop by and say 'hi' at one of my shows! Here are the locations of my next 2:

November 14 - Centreville United Methodist Church - 6400 Old Centreville Rd, Centreville, VA

December 12 - Gar-Field High School - 14000 Smoketown Rd, Woodbridge, VA

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New Products!

I've been busy here in my 'lab' experimenting with new recipes. My two newest products will be lip balms and lotion sticks! I'll be listing them in my shop sometime this week.

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Cherry Blossom Festival

So, what's given me the push to create those new products? The Cherry Blossom Festival committee! I submitted a cherry blossom soap for consideration for their online boutique and they loved it! BUT...they wanted more items to make it a gift set. I'll be including a few more items other than the lip balm and lotion sticks as soon as the recipes are perfected. I have to send the set in for a final consideration and as long as they like it all, I'm in!

Making Room for New Soaps!

New seasons are coming which means new soap scents! Not only do I have new scents coming but I have new packaging! Before I can list these new soaps I need to get rid of the old ones! Help me out! I've reduced all my cold process soaps by 30% to help make room for the new ones. All prices have already been marked down. Please take some time to stop by my Etsy shop and check it out!

Giveaway! Soap and Soap Dish!

Want a chance to win a bar of soap from my shop and a soap dish from CrochetGal? Entering is easy!

1)Visit both of our shops and pick out your favorite item from each.

2)Comment on this post letting us know which items were your favorite.

3)Include your email address so I know how to contact you.

Links to our shops:

Angie's Suds 'N Such

CrochetGal

Want more chances to win?

-Every order from my shop during the time of the contest (now through August 24 at 12pm EDT) will receive another entry.

-Write about this contest on your blog, twitter, or facebook for another entry. Be sure to leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

Winner will be picked on Monday, August 24th at 12pm EDT. Winner will receive their choice of one bar soap from my shop and a soap dish from CrochetGal.

Good luck!

Weekend Deals!

In honor of Etsy's free shipping weekend deal, I'm offering FREE shipping *within the US* on all Yarn items in my AngiesOthers shop! This includes all Scarves, Blankets, Coasters, and Crocheted Food! Sale will run from Friday, August 14th through Sunday, August 16th.

Of course I can't leave out my soap shop! Soap weighs a little to much for me to offer free shipping but instead I'll give you a discount of 20% off you entire order!

How do you get these great deals? Simply enter "weekend deals" in the notes to seller when checking out. I will refund you via paypal once your order and payment is complete.

Don't forget to check out my new "Make Your Own Soap" listing! You design it, I make it!

Have a great weekend!

For All My Loyal Customers

Angie's Suds 'N Such now has a customer loyalty program!

With each order from my Etsy shop you will receive one of these cards. Save 5 and redeem them for a free bar of soap!

You get to pick from any bar soap in my shop at the time of redemption!

To make it even better, I won't charge you shipping for the free bar!

Anyone hungry for cookies?

I've been working on a few things for my other shop recently. I just listed these yummy chocolate chip cookies:

Sorry, you can't eat them but they'd make a great addition to your little baker's kitchen set!


Speaking of food, I finally listed my Pizza Soap! It's available as a whole pizza or by the slice.


Hungry yet?

April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month. You can help support the cause by purchasing a set of puzzle soaps. For each set purchased in April, I will donate 50% to the Autism Society of America.

Sets are $5 each and can be found in my Etsy shop. You can choose from the fruit set (shown above) or the childhood set which includes bubblegum, creamsicle, popcorn, and cotton candy scents.

Please consider supporting this great cause!

Pizza!

Just as I promised...another new soap! This one is also shaped like food. A delicious pepperoni pizza! Here's a peek:

Keep an eye on my shop for details and more pics. I hope to have it listed tomorrow.

Mmm...Ice Cream!

I've finally had a chance to work on some new soaps! Here's a sneak peek before they hit my website:

The chocolate layers smell like chocolate and the ice cream smells like vanilla! I just need the sun to come out so I can take better pics and get them listed. I have some more ideas up my sleeve so check back soon!

Does Handmade Soap Lather?

There seems to be a myth out there that handmade soap doesn't lather. Boy, is that wrong! With the right combination of oils, your handmade soap will have tons of bubbly goodness! Check out the pics if you don't believe me:

This luscious lather was created by taking a mesh shower puff to a bar of my peanut butter soap.

So, all you body wash lovers...why not switch to a beautiful bar of handmade soap instead? Your skin will love you for it!

Another Sale!

All soaps in my Etsy shop have been reduced by at least 25%!

Wanna know the best deal in my shop?
Fill a flat rate envelope with 8 soaps for only $26.25! That's only $3.28 per bar!