Designing My Soaps to be Beautiful, Interesting and at times Whimsical!

Soap is so simple, most of us don't even think twice about it when we use it. I however, think a lot about it! Aside from offering a quality handmade product I also have a vision of what I want my soaps to look like. I often have a theme for each soap and sometimes make them so their look will change as you use them. For me it is a challenge to come up with mostly different designs for each soap, for my customer I hope it is fun to see the soaps change throughout their use. To me it makes them interesting...am I thinking too much about this? Maybe!

I usually start out with the fragrance then figure out what kind of soap base I will be using. Next comes the theme. Most times I try to incorporate the colors of the flowers, herbs, greenery or fruit that comprises the fragrance. Sometimes I will make a whimsical design like with my Bergamot Handmade Soap which has a round, green soap embedded in the larger soap to mimic the bergamot fruit. I also did this with my Spa Handmade Soap. I made round "soap stones" to mimic natural stones used in the architecture of some spas.

I also try and use interesting textures. Since you cannot swirl melt and pour soap, like you can with cold process soap I am always thinking of new ways to make them visually interesting and also make the tactile experience interesting. In the past I have shaved the soaps to make ridges. Recently I used a method, suggested by my daughter, that made an interesting crinkle design on my Oakmoss Handmade Soap and some Christmas tree soaps.

I also "marbleize" some of the soaps, which always makes for interesting patterns as the soap gets used. With some of my summer soaps I try and make them look like a beach or the sky and grass. 

It is all about making something look beautiful and also having a bit of fun with it too. I look at each soap as a unique work of art that will only be created the same way once. Check out my Etsy shop to see what interesting designs I come up with! MercurialGirlbyGina

Gina💗

I made "soap stones" using vegetable based soap and a small amount of activated charcoal.

 

Spa Handmade Soap

I used three popular tuberose colors, pink, yellow and white for my Tuberose Castile Handmade Soap

Salty Sea Breeze Handmade Soap looks like the shoreline at the beach.

 

I tried to make my Summer Weather Changing Handmade Soap look like the sky and grass.

An interesting pattern on my Oakmoss Handmade Soap

 

Remember When: Buying Local, the Lost Art of the Personal Connection

Sitting in my living room on a balmy January day in New York I can tend to get nostalgic. If you are above a certain age you can probably remember all the local shops in your town and the surrounding area. Whether it was a small town, a suburb or a city, there was usually a hardware store, a deli, and a the local pharmacy. Maybe you were lucky enough to have some small boutique shops, a bookstore or a thrift shop. Each shop was owned by people that you and your parents got to know. They knew your name, would be helpful when you needed to purchase something, and maybe even let you have a tab that you could pay off at the end of the month. They were the staples that helped make up the neighborhood.

Then it all changed. We now live in a world of mass production, same day shipping and remote, impersonal shopping. What we gave up for fast, cheap (although not so cheap these days) and disposable was getting to know the person who owned that business, the uniqueness of buying a one of a kind, the anticipation of waiting two weeks, sometimes more, for that book you ordered from the bookstore that you just couldn't wait to read. We gave up quality in a lot of cases too.

I am not very hopeful that those days will ever return BUT there are still things we can do to help small businesses, and local artisans.

• Shop local- buy from the shops in your area, make the connection.
• Frequent craft fairs and farmers markets- there are so many talented people who have wonderful handmade items to sell, whether it be artwork, crafts, woodworking, soaps, creams, candles, jewelry etc. It is such a joy to speak with these artisans and crafters and learn about their products, take it from me they love to tell the story behind them! Buying fresh produce from a farmers market helps out local farmers and is most likely healthier for you.
• Let the organizers of craft fairs and farmers markets know how much you enjoy attending them. Maybe even suggest they have them more frequently to help out the local economy? 

It is a wonderful feeling when someone is truly happy with something they buy from you. The interpersonal connection you can make with the customer is priceless. That doesn't happen when purchases are made over the internet.

During this first month of the year, while you are sitting sipping your warm tea or coffee, please visit my Etsy shop for some one of a kind handmade soaps made with love and find out the story behind them. I am always available to answer questions and if you live locally please visit me at one of the many craft fairs that I attend throughout the year! I'd love to chat!

Gina 💗

Honey Bergamot Handmade Soap

 

Honey Castile Handmade Soap

Wow, Shampoo and Conditioner Bars are Really Strange....

I only recently started making shampoo and conditioner bars. I loved using my soap as shampoo but wanted to try a real shampoo and conditioner base. I would also get asked by fair goers at craft fairs for them .

First off it is a very different experience than what we are used to, for most of us shampoo and conditioner are liquid, not solid so the "feel" of how you wash your hair has to change. You lather the shampoo in your hands and work it into your hair but you also run the shampoo bar over your hair, new experience! We are adaptable and adventurous right, we can handle that!

Experts say that the ideal pH for your hair is 3.65 and the ideal for your scalp is 5.5. A shampoo with a lower pH may help protect your hair from breakage and becoming dry. I have included a link at the bottom of the page that is a brief summary of the science of hair, scalp and pH. If you are reading my blog on your phone please switch to Web View to see the article links.

The shampoo bars I sell have a neutral pH 5.0-6.0. They are very gentle, high foaming with great lather, the lower pH even makes your hands feel softer. It may take a little getting used to, using a shampoo and conditioner bar, but in my opinion it is worth it! Check them out at my Etsy shop. 

Gina 💗

Rosemary Mint Handmade Shampoo

Rosemary Mint Handmade Conditioner