Articles

This video demonstrates how easy it is to use the Daisy 1½" Column Silicone Soap Mold. This robust mold is great for springtime soap making! We love how the daisy looks embedded in a loaf. You can also use the Squiggle Column Silicone Mold to create a stem for the flower.

What is Castile Soap?True castile soap uses 100% olive oil (plus water and lye) to create a creamy lather in an ultra gentle soap bar. This type of soap is especially popular for people with sensitive skin or those prone to allergic reactions. With so few ingredients, it's tolerated well with almost everyone. Since it is generally marketed for sensitive skin, most castile soaps are also fragrance-free and color-free, but they can be fragranced and colored if you prefer. Here are some tips to help you formulate your own bars of Castile soap.

Swirled and layered soaps are popular, so we wanted to take a different approach to swirling colors to create visually appealing soaps. With this tutorial you can use a single color to match your fragrance oil choice, or choose multiple colors for a tie dye or holiday theme. The sky’s the limit when you have soap colorant bottles in your hand! Supplies and equipment needed:MicrowaveMicrowave safe glass containerSharp knife to cut soap into cubesSpray bottle with rubbing alcoholButter knife for stirring soapRubber glovesDisposable pipettesThermometer to monitor soap base temperatureBasic Rectangle Soap Mold (3 cavities, 3.4 x 2.3 x 1 deep; each cavity holds 4 ounces)White Melt & Pour soap baseBody safe Fragrance OilsVariety of Gel Soap ColorantsStep 1: Cut up approximately 13 ounces of White Melt & Pour soap base into small cubes using a sharp knife.Step 2: Using a microwave safe container, melt the soap base in a microwave using 30 – second bursts until melted. Do not burn or boil, this will result in a poor quality rubbery soap. If there are any small chunks of soap left, stir slowly; the heat of the soap will melt these small chunks. TIP: There are three cavities in this mold and each holds 4 ounces of soap – melt a little extra to take into account that some of the soap base will stick to the container.Step 3: Use a thermometer to monitor the soap temperature. I don’t like to add any fragrance oils or additives when the soap is too hot so I wait for it to cool to about 145 degrees.Step 4: Using a disposable pipette, add 6 ml of body safe Fragrance Oil to the soap and stir in slowly.Step 5: Now it’s time to add color drops to the soap mold. Add 4 or 5 drops of a variety of different Gel Soap colors to each cavity for a tie dye effect, or use a single color for a marbled effect. I placed random colors into each cavity. TIP: Try to space them evenly apart.Step 6: Working with one mold cavity at a time, pour the scented soap directly onto each dot of color.Note: No need to be gentle when pouring – your goal is to allow the color to spread naturally and if you pour too gently you’ll end up with blobs of color.Step 7: You can also spritz with alcohol while pouring your soap. This helps to spread the color.Step 8: Finish pouring all the way to the edge of the mold. Finish off with a spritz of alcohol to remove any bubbles. TIP: If you’re not too confident that the colors swirled enough, take a butter knife and insert it into the soap cavity and swirl the knife around a bit. Do this part gently; you don’t want to mix the colors.Step 9: Do not move the soap mold until the soap has cooled and set. You’ll be able to see the swirls of colors in the soap moving a bit, but the movement will stop as the soap hardens.Step 10: Wait 2-3 hours for the soap to completely harden. Turn the mold over carefully and slowly press on the bottom of the cavity to release each soap.This is a great technique to use with holiday colors – Christmas, Independence Day, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, spring and fall seasons, and Easter. Who needs eggs at Easter when you have these lovelies?! Also, pair single colors with complementing scents for a beautiful looking & smelling soap. Creating tie dye soap is a fun and creative way to add a burst of color to your soap-making projects. Here are some tips to help you achieve stunning marbled tie dye effects using melt and pour soap bases. Choose the Right Soap Base: When making tie dye soap, opt for a clear melt and pour soap base. This allows the vibrant colors to show through more effectively. Glycerin soap bases are a popular choice for their clarity and ease of use. Use Quality Colorants: To achieve vivid and long-lasting colors, use soap colorants that are specifically designed for melt and pour soap. Avoid food coloring, as it can bleed and fade over time. Mica powders and liquid soap dyes work well for making tie dye soap. Layering and Swirling Techniques: For a marbled tie dye effect, pour different colored soap layers into your mold and use a skewer or toothpick to create swirls. Work quickly but carefully to prevent the soap from setting too soon, which can affect the swirling effect. Temperature Control: Melt the soap base slowly over low heat to prevent it from overheating. Overheating can cause the colors to bleed and mix too much, resulting in a muddy appearance. The ideal temperature for pouring is around 120°F to 130°F. Experiment with Fragrances: Enhance your tie dye soap by adding fragrances that complement the colorful design. Essential oils and fragrance oils can be added to the melted soap base before pouring. Make sure the fragrance is well mixed to ensure an even scent throughout the soap. What is the best soap base for making tie dye melt and pour soap?A white glycerin melt and pour soap base is the best choice for making tie dye soap. Its transparency allows the colors to stand out vividly, creating a striking marbled tie dye effect.Can I use food coloring for tie dye soap?It's not recommended to use food coloring for tie dye soap, as it can bleed and fade over time. Instead, use soap colorants like mica powders or liquid soap dyes, which are designed for stability in soap.How do I prevent the colors from mixing too much and becoming muddy?To prevent colors from mixing too much, control the temperature of your melted soap base and pour carefully. Swirl the colors gently and avoid over-mixing. Working quickly and efficiently also helps maintain distinct color patterns.

Have you noticed new branding on our fragrance oils, essential oils, and flavor oils? This video takes you behind the scenes to show you how the bottles are branded. See the journey of an amber glass bottle going through the process of having the new white and blue shrink-wrap labels being applied. We love this new packaging, and we hope you do too!

If you handcraft products for boutique hotels, quaint B&Bs, or relaxing spas, adding well-chosen essential oils to your creations can have a deeply positive effect on the guest. The emotionally balancing, skin benefiting and other positive properties of essential oils can make their visit (and your products) nurturing and memorable.

Shea butter has been a go-to in skincare for ages, and for good reason! It's incredibly moisturizing and comes with tons of skin benefits, which is why it's such a popular ingredient in soaps. Not only does it cleanse, but it also hydrates and soothes your skin. In this blog, we'll dive into why shea butter in soap is a total game changer and how it stacks up against other common soap ingredients. Shea butter is a rich, creamy substance made from the nuts of the African shea tree, and it's been used for centuries in Africa for both cooking and skincare. It's amazing for moisturizing and protecting the skin, thanks to its high content of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. As a powerful emollient, it helps nourish and heal the skin. When added to soap, shea butter not only cleanses but also provides a luxurious, moisturizing experience. Using shea butter soap provides a variety of skincare benefits, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a gentle, natural product. Some of the key benefits of shea butter soap? include: Intense Moisturization: Shea butter is known for its superior moisturizing properties, helping to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture for longer periods. Skin Healing: The rich concentration of vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter aids in skin regeneration, helping to heal wounds, scars, and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Protection Against Harsh Elements: Shea butter forms a protective barrier over the skin, shielding it from environmental damage like wind, cold weather, and pollution. Gentle Cleansing: Shea butter soap cleanses without stripping the skin of its natural oils, making it perfect for dry or sensitive skin types. One of the best things about shea butter is how deeply it moisturizes the skin. The natural oils in it really sink in, giving long-lasting hydration. It's packed with fatty acids like oleic, stearic, and linoleic acids, which help keep your skin soft and elastic. This deep moisture can work wonders on dry, cracked skin, leaving it smooth and supple. Using shea butter soap regularly can help prevent dryness, especially during colder months when your skin tends to lose more moisture. Shea butter is naturally rich in cinnamic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it an excellent choice for people with irritated or inflamed skin conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, or rosacea. These anti-inflammatory compounds help reduce redness, swelling, and irritation, soothing the skin and easing discomfort. Unlike harsher soaps that can make sensitive skin worse, shea butter soap works gently to calm inflammation and promote healing. Shea butter is packed with essential vitamins that do wonders for your skin. It’s rich in vitamins A and E, both known for their antioxidant and skin-healing benefits. Vitamin A helps boost collagen production and speeds up cell turnover, which can reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Meanwhile, vitamin E protects your skin from free radicals, preventing premature aging and cell damage. With these vitamins in shea butter soap, your skin gets the nourishment it needs, leaving it looking healthier and more radiant. One of the best things about shea butter is that it works for all skin types, even sensitive skin. Shea butter in soap is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores, making it a great option for acne-prone skin too. Its gentle nature makes it perfect for people with delicate skin since it doesn't cause irritation or reactions. It’s soothing and calming, which makes it ideal for babies, kids, and adults with skin sensitivities or allergies. When compared to traditional soaps, shea butter soap stands out for several reasons: Moisturization: Many commercial soaps contain harsh detergents that strip the skin of its natural oils, leaving it dry and tight. Shea butter soap, on the other hand, deeply hydrates the skin, maintaining its natural moisture barrier. Gentle Cleansing: Unlike some soaps that can be abrasive or contain synthetic chemicals, shea butter soap is gentle and natural, making it suitable for daily use on even the most sensitive skin. Healing Properties: While other soaps may simply cleanse the skin, shea butter soap also heals and repairs it. Its vitamin and nutrient-rich composition helps improve skin texture, reduce scars, and protect against damage.

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn’t title this article “Out, Damned Spot”? I have to admit that I lived most of my life blissfully ignorant of the Dreaded Orange Spots. You never see them on grocery store soaps. And my earliest cold-process soaps, made from lard and Red Devil Lye, were pristine bars of bubbly delight. Yes, life was good then, but it was not to last. Once I started really trying to make nice, fancy, luxurious, complicated soaps, I began to notice blemishes. I swore they had not been there when the bars were cut. I swore that I had not seen them on my early soaps. I swore that they didn’t really matter, because the soap lathered well, and surely nobody would notice a few innocuous orange zits. I just plain swore.

In 1807, Andrew Pears introduced a new kind of soap onto the market. Traditionally, soap was made by boiling fats and oil with dilute lye. The boiling mixture separated into two layers, the soap floating to the top, and the spent lye settling to the bottom. The soap was skimmed off the top and pressed into bars, while the lye was run to waste. When Pears introduced alcohol into the process, the boiling mixture no longer separated into layers. The soap, spent lye and alcohol remained mixed, and when the mixture cooled, it solidified into translucent soap. The new soap was an instant hit.

This article answers commonly asked questions on what Fragrance Oils are and how they are used.

There are ways to limit who knows the secrets of your trade that do not require obtaining expensive patents, trademarks, and copyrights granted by the government. Protect the information that makes your company unique by following some of these tips for your most confidential information.

Natural ingredients are in high demand in cosmetic formulations. As food science plays a big part in cosmetic formulation, it makes sense that food products are making a splash in cosmetics. Because of this trend, we are seeing a surge of herbal plant additives and spices in skincare products.

The holiday season is the perfect time to embrace creativity and warmth, and what better way to do so than by crafting your own DIY Christmas candles? Handmade Christmas candles not only make your home feel cozy and inviting, but they also make thoughtful, personalized gifts for your loved ones. Whether you’re looking to fill your space with the best holiday scents or you’re eager to try your hand at candle making, these creative holiday candle ideas will inspire you to get started. Before you begin creating your DIY holiday candles, it's important to gather all the essential materials. Here’s what you’ll need to craft the perfect holiday candle ideas: Wax: Choose from soy, beeswax, or paraffin wax, depending on your preference. Soy wax is popular for its clean burn, while beeswax adds a natural honey scent to your candles. Wicks: Select the right wick size for your candle container. Cotton wicks are a great choice for a steady, even burn. Fragrance Oils: To create the best holiday scented candles, you’ll need high-quality fragrance oils. Popular scents for the season include cinnamon, pine, peppermint, and vanilla. Colorants: Add a festive touch to your candles with candle-safe dyes. Consider using red, green, gold, or white for a holiday-themed palette. Containers: Choose containers that fit your style and the holiday theme. Mason jars, tins, or glass jars are popular choices for DIY Christmas candles. Tools: Basic tools like a double boiler for melting wax, a thermometer, stirring sticks, and a scale are essential for accurate measurements and safe candle making. Creating the right ambiance is key to celebrating the holiday season. Here are some top holiday candle ideas to bring warmth and cheer to your home: Cinnamon Stick Candles: Wrap cinnamon sticks around a glass candle container and secure them with twine. Fill the container with your favorite holiday-scented wax to create a rustic and aromatic centerpiece. Layered Peppermint Candles: Pour alternating layers of red and white wax scented with peppermint to create a visually striking and festive candle that captures the essence of the season. Evergreen Pinecone Candles: Place small pinecones at the bottom of a clear jar, then pour in pine-scented wax. These candles not only look beautiful but also fill your home with the fresh scent of an evergreen forest. Hot Cocoa Candles: Mimic the look of a cozy cup of hot cocoa by layering brown wax with a whipped cream-like topping made from white wax. Add a sprinkle of cocoa powder or cinnamon for a delightful finishing touch. Glittery Snowflake Candles: Use snowflake-shaped molds to create small, glittery candles that can be scattered around your home or given as gifts. Add a subtle vanilla scent for a soft, comforting aroma. Personalizing your DIY Christmas candles makes them even more special, whether you’re keeping them for yourself or giving them as gifts. Here’s how you can add your own unique touch: Custom Scents: Mix different fragrance oils to create a signature holiday scent that’s uniquely yours. For example, blend cinnamon, clove, and orange for a warm, spiced aroma. Decorative Labels: Design custom labels with festive graphics and personalized messages. This is a great way to add a professional touch to your handmade Christmas candles. Add Embellishments: Incorporate dried herbs, citrus slices, or glitter into your candles for added visual interest. Be sure to place these elements away from the wick to avoid affecting the burn. Personalized Containers: Use containers that have sentimental value, like vintage teacups or jars with special meaning, to create candles that are truly one-of-a-kind. Ready to start crafting your own DIY holiday candles? Follow this step-by-step guide to create beautiful, festive candles that will light up your holiday season: Prepare Your Workspace: Set up a clean, well-ventilated area for candle making. Gather all your materials and tools. Melt the Wax: Using a double boiler, slowly melt the wax to the recommended temperature for your chosen type. Stir occasionally to ensure even melting. Add Fragrance and Color: Once the wax is melted, remove it from heat and allow it to cool slightly before adding your chosen fragrance oils and colorants. Stir thoroughly to distribute the scent and color evenly. Prepare the Containers: Place a wick in the center of each container, using a wick holder or a drop of melted wax to keep it in place. Ensure the wick remains centered as you pour the wax. Pour the Wax: Carefully pour the scented, colored wax into your prepared containers. Leave some space at the top to avoid overflow. Let It Set: Allow the candles to cool and harden completely. This can take several hours, depending on the size of the container. Trim the Wick: Once the candles are fully set, trim the wick to about 1/4 inch. Your candles are now ready to be lit or gifted! Once your handmade Christmas candles are ready, it’s important to burn and display them safely. Here are some tips to ensure your candles are both beautiful and safe: Trim the Wick: Always trim the wick to 1/4 inch before each burn to prevent soot and excessive flame height. Burn Time: Allow the candle to burn for at least 2-3 hours during the first use, or until the entire surface is melted. This helps prevent tunneling and ensures an even burn. Safety First: Never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep it away from flammable materials, children, and pets. Display Ideas: Arrange your candles on a decorative tray or in groups for a stunning holiday display. Consider placing them near mirrors to amplify the warm glow. Gift Presentation: If giving your candles as gifts, package them in festive boxes or wrap them in cellophane with a decorative ribbon. Creating your own DIY holiday candles is a wonderful way to add a personal touch to your holiday décor and gift-giving. With the right materials and a bit of creativity, you can craft beautiful, fragrant candles that capture the essence of the season. So gather your supplies, get inspired by these holiday candle ideas, and start making your home cozy and festive for the holidays!