Happy New Year!

It's a new year which means, we are brining some awesome new changes to Earth N Moon.

With the new year, we at Earth N Moon decided to make a few business changes. 
We have switched our store to Square. After January, we will no longer sell on Etsy due to Etsy fees and overall cost. Square offers so much more for our little business. We can start accepting chip cards at craft shows, send invoices, offer gift cards to our store, offer and state delivery services, as well as keep costs down and productivity up.
We have switched our website to Square. Pretty much everything is going to Square. Instead of having an Etsy store and a website, we decided to go to Square and combine the two. We now have a store site that offers simplicity and easy navigation options for our customers. 
We now have seasonal items. We like keeping our customers in the loop on our projected items whether they are seasonal or year round items. Along with holidays, we will now have Spring/Summer seasonal soaps and cosmetics as well as Fall/Winter seasonal soaps and cosmetics. We have already made lots of plans for our upcoming collections, and we are super excited to get to work unveiling them at the right times. Below are items that we will be keeping year round and seasonal.

Year Round Items

The following items will be in our store throughout the year. We do not plan on discontinuing these items either.

• Clear Complexion Soap
• Psoriasis & Eczema Soap
• Healing Body Oil
• Old Fashioned Lye Soap
• Salt Soak for Feet, Hands, and Body
• Tea Tree & Eucalyptus Soap
• Lemongrass Soap
• Lavender & Rosemary Soap
• Seaweed Clay Mask
• Lip Balm (Lemongrass, Tea Tree, and Plain)
• Eye Shimmers (select colors)

We will be posting updates to our Facebook page for lists of seasonal items and any discontinued items.

Spring/Summer Items

We know that it is hard to keep cool with the warming temperatures especially depending on where you live. Our focus for Spring/Summer items is fresh and/or cooling. Some of the projected items will include:

• Peppermint Foot and Bath Soak
• Peppermint Lip Balm
• Citrus Exfoliating Soap
• Strawberry Lip Balm
• Watermelong Lip Balm
• Cucumber Melon Soap
• Honeysuckle Soap
• Juniper Breeze Soap
• Spring Pastels Eye Shimmers
• Summer Sunset Eye Shimmers

Updates will be posted to our Facebook page.

Fall/Winter Items

Fall and Winter are our busiest seasons. These seasons are bath bomb and body scrub seasons. Which means less wait time for products to become readily available.

• Body Scrubs (seasonal scents)
• Whipped Soaps (seasonal scents)
• Lip Scrubs
• Bath Bombs (seasonal scents)
• Lotions (seasonal & select scents)
• Winter Collection Eye Shimmers

Updates will be posted on Facebook.



Get 10% off your order when you use promo code LOVE17 at checkout in our store! Hurry, offer is only here until Valentine's Day! 

Our store is currently up and running. So, what are you waiting for? Go check it out. We've got new bath bombs and will be continuing to add new items to the store.

Dove Soap Vs. Earth N Moon Handmade Soap: What's in Your Soap

I know I've been away for a while, but I've been focusing on customers and new products for the past few months.
There is something that a lot of people who have never tried handmade soap always tell me:
"I can only use Dove soap." Well, do you know what's really in Dove soap?

I can not use Dove soap because it dries my skin out so bad. There's a reason for this.

Below, I have pulled the ingredients information from the plain Dove White Beauty Bar directly from the Dove website. I have never heard of most of these ingredients, but I am going to conduct a quick search and provide you with what the ingredients are. You can also view the ingredients and product information for yourself with the link below.

Dove White Beauty Bar Ingredients

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate Or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium Edta, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891).

I am conducting my chemical search through a database known as EWG.org. If you have never heard of them, they give a lot of valuable information on chemicals and toxicity levels that all of these commercial brands are using in YOUR soaps, makeups, lotions, cleaners, and detergents.

Now, let's break down these ingredients to show you what they are:

1. Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate - Although it is considered to have a low overall hazard rating, it is a chemical that is used as a surfactant or cleansing agent. There are currently 2 case studies on the toxicity level of this chemical. You should also know that use restrictions and limitations are required for this chemical. So, pretty much what this tells me is that at certain levels, this is considered safe in cosmetics and soaps. Why have it? Why do you need an added surfactant in your soap and cosmetics? 

2. Stearic Acid - Also considered to have a low overall hazard rating, Stearic Acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid that may be derived from agricultural and domestic animals. So, it's not vegan. Also, according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list, it is suspected to be an environmental hazard. Handmade lotion recipes often call for Stearic Acid and is used as a thickening agent.

3. Sodium Tallowate - Used as a surfactant and foam booster, Sodium Tallowate may also be derived from animals. It is also suspected to be an environmental hazard according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list. 

4. Lauric Acid - Considered a low overall hazard, and used as a surfactant, cleanser, and emulsifier. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments have noted safety limits.

5. Sodium Isethionate - This ingredient is an organic salt that is used as an antistatic, cleanser, and hair and skin conditioner. There have also been data gap concerns as there have been 170 recorded case studies concerning the toxicity level of this ingredient. 

6. Water - Not hazardous.

7. Sodium Stearate - A naturally occurring fatty acid that is used as a cleansing agent and emulsifier. Low overall hazard rating. However, according to the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list, it is suspected to be an environmental hazard. 

8. Cocamidopropyl Betaine - So far, this is the ingredient that poses concern. It is moderately hazardous. This ingredient is an inorganic compound. It is a synthetic cleansing agent, skin and hair conditioner, and foam booster. This chemical has also registered on the scale for allergies, and it is also suspected to be an environmental hazard by the Environment Canada Domestic Substance list.  There are also data gaps in toxicity level information. Folks, you do NOT need foamy lather. Lather is not what determines clean. I'll get to this in a minute. 

9. Sodium Cocoate Or Sodium Palm Kernelate - Sodium Cocoate is a cleansing and emulsifying agent derived from coconut. Sodium Palm Kernelate is a cleansing, emulsifying, and viscosity controlling agent derived from palm. There are safety limitations on this ingredient.

10. Fragrance - Because we are not given the type of fragrance, ingredient information may or may not be invalid. Some fragrances register as high on the allergy scale while others do not. However, most of the people that I come across that say they can only use Dove mention that it is a fragrance-free soap which, in fact, it is not fragrance-free based on Dove's ingredients list from their website. Upon conducting research, it has been noted in some studies that fragrances in cosmetics may actually cause allergic reactions.

11. Sodium Chloride - An inorganic salt used as a flavoring and oral care agent as well as a viscosity increasing agent.

12. Tetrasodium Edta - Registering as a moderate hazard. According to the European Union Classification & Labeling and the Environment Canada Substance list, this ingredient has evidence as toxic and harmful notably in eyes. It is also a penetration and skin absorption enhancer according to Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments. It is a "chelating agent, used to sequester and decrease the reactivity of metal ions that may be present in a product." (ewg.org). Why do you need this in your soap? 

13. Tetrasodium Etidronate - Another chelating agent that is also used to stabilize emulsification and control viscosity. 

14. Titanium Dioxide - An inorganic compound used as a colorant. According to the California EPA, this ingredient is considered a possible human carcinogen only when inhaled or used in aerosols.This is the ingredient that gives the soap its white color. Some handmade soaps do contain Titanium Dioxide as a colorant as well.

Now, take a look at what Earth N Moon soaps are made of. We will compare our plainest bar of soap: Old Fashioned Lye Soap as well as our most popular Clear Complexion Soap

Clear Complexion Soap:

Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Lard, Castor Oil, Avocado Oil, Rose Clay, Activated Charcoal, Litsea Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide.

1. Coconut Oil  -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil

2. Canola Oil  -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil

3. Lard  -- Natural, food grade oil which is rendered animal fat

4. Castor Oil  -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil

5. Avocado Oil  -- Natural, food grade plant-based oil

6. Rose Clay  -- Natural, cosmetic grade clay

7. Activated Charcoal  -- Natural, cosmetic grade powdered activated charcoal

8. Litsea Essential Oil  -- Natural, plant-based essential oil

9. Rosemary Essential Oil  -- Natural, plant-based essential oil

10. Tea Tree Essential Oil  -- Natural, plant-based essential oil

11. Water  -- Natural, non hazardous

12. Sodium Hydroxide  -- Inorganic compound used to soponify oils to make soap. Without it, there is no handmade soap. I use the food grade Sodium Hydroxide which is also used to make pretzels.

Old Fashioned Lye Soap:

Water, Lard, Sodium Hydroxide.

1. Water  -- Natural, non hazardous

2. Lard  -- Natural, food grade oil which is rendered animal fat

3. Sodium Hydroxide  -- Inorganic compound used to soponify oils to make soap. Without it, there is no handmade soap. I use the food grade Sodium Hydroxide which is also used to make pretzels.

So, based on the comparison, I did not see any natural oils in the Dove White Beauty Bar soap. In fact, Earth N Moon soaps contain more mild and safer ingredients than Dove soaps based on the ingredients comparison list. I saw more ingredients that were used as "cleansing agents" or "surfactants" or "emulsifiers". Let's also not forget the "chelating agent" ingredients. Why do you need that in soap? The point is you don't! I didn't even know what chelating was. I had to look it up. That should tell you that those ingredients do NOT belong in your soaps.

I know I have said it before, but you do NOT need foamy lather to get a good clean.

Lather ≠ Clean

Also, I would like to mention that while Sodium Hydroxide is caustic, there is none left in the final product because the oils have been soponified using Sodium Hydroxide. It's used in the process, but there is none left in the final product. In fact, the  PH level of Earth N Moon soaps register at a 7 which is considered mild. 

Plus, out of all of my customers, not one has said that the soap has made their skin dry. In fact, I've had customers tell me that the soap actually helped heal their skin especially the Psoriasis & Eczema soap as well as the Clear Complexion soap. I do not use commercial soaps anymore because they ALL dry my skin out and cause irritations. 

So, next time you reach for that Dove bar, ask yourself if you want to rub surfactants, emulsifiers, and chelating agents all over yourself. If you want a good bar of soap that doesn't cost an arm and a leg with natural ingredients, come see me. If you don't want animal byproducts in your soap, I offer vegan alternatives and can custom make you a soap. If you're allergic to a specific oil or ingredient, let me know. I will be happy to help find and make you a custom soap that does NOT contain harsh chemicals. 

Find me here:

Facebook

Email

Etsy

Soap Previews

I know it's been a while, but I've been extremely busy with raising puppies, keeping up with school work, keeping up with holiday soaps and orders and inventory, as well as trying to raise my daughter and look after the house. It's alot!

Anyway, enough about that.

I've got a ton of new soaps that are getting ready to come off of the curing rack shortly. A few have already made their way into the Etsy store and craft shows.

First, I reformulated my Patchouli soap bars. The last batch from last year was okay, but it wasn't

perfect. This batch is my favorite soap I have. These new Patchouli bars are made with Cambrian Blue Clay (which is awesome for your skin, check it out. I can't make any claims due to FDA regulations-bummer, I know, but trust me, the Cambrian Blue Clay is phenomenal for skin). They also contain Goat Milk, Patchouli Essential Oil, Blood Orange Essential Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil. So, the scent is very earthy, somewhat spicy, and a little sweet and floral. They are perfect! Well, to me at least. You be the judge. I have a feeling that these will go fast. I'll have them available at the craft show this weekend at Carrington Middle School in Durham, NC. It will be from 10 am-2 pm this Saturday if you can make it.

We've also got our Black Velvet soap coming off the curing rack soon. Scented with a perfumy, fruity and floral scent. I actually made my own fragrance combination. These are HUGE bars. They are at least 6 or 7 ounces each. You won't need soap for a while with these!

The Vintage soap is coming off of the curing
rack around the same time too. It's got a similar scent as the Black Velvet soap, but there's not as much fruit to the scent. It's more perfumy and floral.

I'll be working on some holiday soaps to get out before Thanksgiving. I'll have some bath bombs, maybe some bubble bars (not sure about that yet), some more solid soaps, lotions, and maybe even some body oils (not sure yet). I've just got a lot of ideas and need to figure out what to go with. I've been looking at sales lately and what sells and what doesn't. So, I want to get rid of what doesn't sell and introduce a couple of new products to see how they'll do.

So, be on the lookout for updates on Facebook, new items in the Etsy store, and other information.

Oh! I know Thanksgiving is usually the start of everyone's holiday shopping season. I know I said I wasn't going to have any more sales, but I'll be doing a flash sale for Black Friday. I'll keep you updated on that too so you can save on your favorite Earth N Moon skincare and soaps.

Memoires of a Wanderer: The Woods of Goshen, A Ghost Story

This is the first story of many stories this month. Check them out on my personal blog:
http://memoiresofablackdahlia.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-woods-of-goshen.html

All of my stories will be on my personal blog since they're not about Earth N Moon products or soaps and cosmetics.

Autumn Updates

It's now Fall and the leaves are starting to change here in North Carolina. This is my favorite time of the year. Pumpkins everywhere, warm tones in orange, yellow, and red, cooler weather, and delicious scents both for food and skincare.

I must say though that while everyone else is gearing up for the change in seasons and the holidays, I am gearing down in a way. With the start of a new journey at a different college, I am placing more emphasis on my schoolwork and less focus on new products. Of course I will make a couple of holiday soaps and restock soaps that are selling, but I will be slowing down on the new product formulations and releases to focus on my studies. In fact, unless there are orders or dire restocks needed during the week, I won't be doing much with my soaps except on the weekend. While I desperately want to open my own shop one day, it's not practical to place all of my efforts on something else when I am trying to push forward with my Accounting studies and career. The handmade soap industry is flooded right now. That means the market is full of talented soapers and competition is tough. Not everyone is going to like your products, and just because you have likes on your page doesn't mean people are buying anything and vice versa. With all of this being said, I am still holding on to my soap shop dream. However, my Accounting career is within real distance while my soap shop dream is further away. I am hopeful that I will get there eventually, but I still have a family to feed and bills to pay just as everyone else does.

So, here is what I've been up to lately.

For those wondering where the Psoriasis & Eczema soap is in my shop, I have made more bars so they will be restocked this week. No more messy petals on top and the Hazelnut Oil has been eliminated due to the shelf life of the oil.

We have also reformulated our Herbal Setting Spray. It's got plenty of natural skin loving ingredients that are known to help with rosacea, acne, scarring, uneven skin tone, spots, and blemishes.

 We've got a restock and new look to our famous Lemongrass soap. Made with all natural colorants such as Green Tea powder and Titanium Dioxide (yes, it is a natural colorant), I am very satisfied with the design of these gorgeous bars. They're are also made with Goat's Milk for a creamy lather. They'll be in the stores this upcoming week!

 The Apple Pumpkin Crunch Cake smells absolutely delicious with a mix of cinnamon, brown sugar, pumpkin, and crisp apple. The scent screams Fall. It's topped with gold melt and pour embeds, and black and orange pumpkin embeds. The tops are also sprinkles with a little red mica to add a bit more color. These will also be in the stores this upcoming week. Note that these are seasonal, so once they are gone, they will not be available again until next year.

 A new scent I have made is the Lavender & Lemon. It's fresh, but floral and little bit herbal. Made with Goat's Milk, Lavender Essential Oil, and Lemon Essential Oil. It has the creamy lather you'd expect from a Goat Milk soap and a light scent of Lavender and fresh Lemon. Coming to stores at the end of this month.

 Our new whipped soaps are creamy in texture but create lots of rich, fluffy lather. They are great for showering, bathing, and shaving. However, I do not recommend guys using our whipped soap for their face. I have just created a men's shaving soap which will be available in stores in October. The whipped soaps come in Apple Toffee, Sweater Weather (Vermont Maple), Soft Cashmere, Peppermint Bliss, and Buttercream. Perfectly delicious scents for Fall! These are already available in our Etsy store and will be available at An Artisan's Emporium within the next couple of weeks.

 I am working on a comfort line that will help people through cold season as well as through times when they just need a bit of comforting and no one else is around. People get down and out and they need some comforting which is why I am working on comfort pillows that have replaceable Lavender sachets. You can sleep with these at night, or just hold them close and breathe in the Lavender for soothing your tempers and emotions. The pillows will not contain essential oils. I currently have shower steamers available in Lavender for relaxation and Spearmint Eucalyptus for sinus and cold. Check them out!

 I am in LOVE with the new Patchouli soap! This Patchouli is replacing my previous Patchouli soap. This batch is made with Cambrian Blue Clay which is very cleansing but not drying. It draws out impurities from skin but also nourishes skin, heals damaged skin, and works wonders on wrinkles and splotchy skin. It is also made with Patchouli Essential Oil, Blood Orange Essential Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil for an earthy scent with a hint of sweet citrus and floral.

 So, I was hoping these Black Velvet soap bars would be more black than cream, but I used a fragrance that accelerated trace and I wasn't ready for it. I think they turned out fantastic still. Scented with a mix of fresh powder, perfumy floral, and sweet, ripened berries. I love love love this fragrance mix. However, these are seasonal, meaning that once they're gone, they're gone until next year. They'll be ready for sale near the end of October.

 My sweet love, Vintage. I love the scent mix with this too. Front notes of fresh floral with a back note of zesty citrus. I love the scent of these. They are also made with Hibiscus Flower powder, Lemon Peel Powder, Carrot Powder, and Titanium Dioxide for the colorants. I'm happy with the swirls. These will also be ready for sale near the end of October.






I sold out of these at the last craft show I attended. So, I will be making a restock of these within the next couple of weeks. People gave great feedback on the fragrance which is a mix of Lavender, Bergamot, and Amber. It's got a darker scent and it goes with the colors. It is a favorite with men as well as women.






Now, so far as events are concerned, I've got a very busy October scheduled.

• Sunday, October 9-- Tractor Supply in Roxboro, NC
• Saturday, October 15-- Warren Family Store in Prospect Hill
• Saturday, October 22-- Carrington Middle School in Raleigh, NC

My last craft show I've got set up is in November. So, that will be my last craft show until Spring. With the weather and the holiday season, Spring through Fall are the better times for me to attend craft shows. I'll be posting as much information as I can with regards to events, news, and products.

Until next time,

Kristine

Christmas Time's A Comin'!

Do you have your lists ready for the holidays? I don't! There's always one or two people I just have no idea what to get *frowny face*. Luckily, Earth N Moon has something for everyone. Right now, I'm offering handmade custom soaps in singles as well as 4 lb loaves for the holiday season. You tell me what you are looking for, and I can work with you on getting you the perfect gift for the holidays (so far as skincare is concerned).

You can order your custom soap through any of the following:

Etsy
Facebook
Email Me

You'll be happy to know that I am offering a discount for the custom Christmas soaps. For all orders that are over $30, you can receive 20% off that order. The offer ends November 12th. See my event page on Facebook for details.

Also, if you are shipping within Roxboro and surrounding areas, all orders are eligible for FREE shipping.

So, there are lots of good things coming this holiday season including new offers as well as new items.

If you live near Roxboro, NC, you can also get our products from An Artisan's Emporium which is located in uptown Roxboro, NC next to VII's in a new section called Hall's Way. Check them out. They've also got unique and affordable gifts of all kinds which are handmade by local and regional artisans.

Keep checking back here or on my Facebook page for new items. The Etsy store is also updated regularly with new and upcoming items.

Until next time,
Kristine

My Bath Bomb Blow Up!

Yikes! What a disaster this morning! So, I wanted a pigmented bath bomb that would also turn the water a more vibrant color instead of a light color. I wanted the water color to stand out. Let me just say that I would NOT use food coloring to attempt to achieve this.....

I know there are a lot of DIY videos and "how to" instructions out there that do use food coloring for bath bombs and that's great IF you don't want a lot of color to your water. Now, I know some of you are wondering why I'm talking about the water and not the bath bomb itself. Well, people tend to like the colors the bath bomb makes in the water. That's most of the fun of when the bath bomb hits the water, fizzes, and makes cool colored bath water. What's NOT cool is having a blue or red tub afterward that won't come off or having pink wash cloths and towels that used to be white and they won't ever come clean no matter how much you wash them (yeah I know you can bleach them but after so much bleaching, clothes start to wear down and using too much bleach can actually eat your clothes up -don't ask me how I know that...).

What's mostly not cool is your skin having blue blotches or pink blotches that WON'T COME OFF for a few washes!! Yeah, that's NOT cool. Now, I know that most micas will transfer to skin or fabric, BUT they usually wash out or rub off and do not dye or stain. That is why they are approved and widely used for making bath bombs and soaps. Some pigments I have noticed may stain wash cloths, but not skin or your tub.

My advice to anyone looking to make bath bombs with food coloring, please, I urge you to use another colorant like a mica or a LaBomb bath bomb colorant. In fact, you can read up on the LaBomb colorants in the Soap Queen blog. The LaBomb colorants are actually a liquid colorant made with Glycerin (vegetable glycerin) instead of water. So, when you use them in your bath bombs, you won't have the fizzing reaction you get when you add water to mold your bath bombs. Now, you can use the lab colors from Bramble Berry, but they are made with water and you actually dilute them with water as well before you color your products. With that being said, I am going to try some bath bombs later on this month with the lab colors I got from Bramble Berry, so I'll update the blog on my findings.

Cheers!
Kristine

Beneftis of Handmade Soap

So, I know I haven't been keeping up with my blog and for that, I apologize. However, I have been working diligently on some new soaps and getting set up to be in the new An Artisan's Emporium store as well as finishing out my associates degree in Accounting, all while taking care of my 2 year-old.

I've noticed here, lately, that a lot of big name soap and cosmetic companies are listing their products as "natural". I feel that while some companies are using truly natural products and are able to deem their products as all natural, there are other companies who are being less than honest about the products they are selling to the public.

To truly be an all natural product, all of the ingredients used within products should be of natural origin, meaning no synthetics. I can not technically claim that my soaps are "all natural" because they contain Sodium Hydroxide that was not produced in the traditional manner of running water through ashes. Now, if you make your lye in this manner, then it is not lab made and you could use it for natural soap-making. However, the commercially produced lye is lab made. The process uses water, sodium, and electricity. Here is more about the process https://dow-answer.custhelp.com/app/ans ... ng-process.

The saponification process is what happens when lye water mixes with oils to produce soap. Sodium Hydroxide, caustic soda, and lye are all the same thing. While lye is used in soap-making, there is no remaining lye left in the end product, which is soap. So, you are not washing with lye, you are washing with soap. Think of it in terms of cooking. When you are making bread and you use yeast as one of your ingredients, yeast was used to make the bread but the end result is bread. The yeast has been incorporated throughout in order to give you bread. It is what helps your bread rise. Sodium Hydroxide or lye is an important ingredient in making bar soap. Without it, you would just have a complete mess of oils, butters, and whatever else you used.

In fact, there are different grades of Sodium Hydroxide. There is the tech grade of Sodium Hydroxide that is used for making paper, rayon, industrial strength cleaners, etc and then there is the food grade of Sodium Hydroxide  that you can use in soap making, pretzel making, olives, soda breads, and other types of foods. Here is some more information on the differences between tech and food grade Sodium Hydroxide that may be helpful https://soapingwithstyle.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/technical-vs-food-grade-sodium-hydroxide/

I happen to use food grade Sodium Hydroxide. In fact, I have never used tech grade. Both are caustic and corrosive. So, which ever you choose, please be careful and take all precautionary measures to ensure you do not mishandle it and get burned.

Now that we know what Sodium Hydroxide is and the difference between food and tech grades, let's get down to the benefits of using handmade soaps.

Because most handmade soaps contain food grade ingredients such as oils, fats, and butters, the handmade soaps tend to be more mild than commercial soaps. Also, commercial soaps are considered detergents, not soap because of the chemicals used in the process. Handmade soaps typically do not contain chemicals and preservatives. In fact, real, handmade soap does not need a preservative at all. Although it may contain water and oil combinations, the ingredients are saponified, so , no need for a preservative. Your handmade soaps generally last about a year after being cured. Here is some additional information on the difference between commercial and handmade soap:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026110_soap_natural_clay.html

Now, just based on my experiences with soaps, I can tell you automatically the difference between handmade and commercial:

1. Handmade soaps are typically softer than commercial soaps
2. Handmade soaps should never be drying to the skin, no where near the way commercial soaps dry skin. Why is this? Commercial soaps, or should I say detergents, contain any of the following toxic ingredients: Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS)- A known carcinogenic and skin irritant (yuck!). Triclosan- A pesticide that is commonly used as an antibacterial agent. (what?!). Dioxane- Another carcinogenic that is derived from coconut which can be toxic to the brain, liver, and kidneys (this is getting scary, guys). Diethanolamine (DEA)- When combined with other chemicals and preservatives in soap, it creates NDEA which is a dangerous carcinogenic. According to Rain Victoria with Natural Essentials, "NDEA is a potent carcinogenic, and it is most strongly linked to the development of kidney and liver cancers. In addition, pregnant women should be especially cautious of DEA, as it is capable of interfering with your body’s ability to absorb a nutrient called choline. Unborn children need choline if their brains are to develop properly. All of these concerns are also likely to apply to triethanolamine (or TEA), which is a derivative of DEA." Formaldehyde- A known toxic ingredient that can lead to weakening of the immune system leaving the body less able to fight off infectious diseases.
3. A lot of handmade soap makers use organic ingredients that contain no pesticides.
4. You can really tell a difference in the texture and complexion of your skin when you used handmade soaps vs. commercial soaps. You don't get any flaking, peeling, burning, itching, rashes, dryness, and your skin actually is more hydrated, more radiant, softer, and smoother.
5. Handmade soaps clean better. The commercial facial soaps used do not take makeup off as well as handmade facial soaps. Based on my experience, I still had to use a makeup remover with a commercial soap, but not with a handmade soap.

Handmade soaps normally do not contain these very toxic and potentially dangerous ingredients. This is some scary stuff. I would definitely urge anyone and everyone to look at the ingredients of not just their soap, but their skin care ingredients as well. It is definitely up to you what you choose to put on your skin. However, I just wanted to everyone to be aware of the chemicals that can be used in some commercially made soaps that are passed off as "natural".

Just try a handmade soap once and you'll definitely notice the difference. Plus, your skin will thank you. In a world that uses chemicals for everything, they definitely do not belong on your skin. It's not necessary and it can actually do more harm than good.


I'll be updating my blog more regularly now that I have some extra free time.
Until next time,

Cheers!
Kristine

Resources:

• Natural News- http://www.naturalnews.com/026110_soap_natural_clay.html
• Natural Essentials- http://www.botanicskinessentials.com/uncategorized/toxic-soap-ingredients/
• Soaping With Style- https://soapingwithstyle.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/technical-vs-food-grade-sodium-hydroxide/

New & Upcoming Items!

I feel like I haven't written a blog post in years, but it's only been a little over a week. That's terrible! I am sorry for keeping everyone in the dark. I have been working diligently on reorganizing my workspace, restocking materials and supplies, keeping up with custom orders, shipping orders, and planning new projects all while being a mommy and wife. How do I do it all? I don't even know how I managed to get dressed and function properly every day!

So, here's what I've got going on right now. As you may have read from my last post, I've got some new fall scents for my soaps and some new fall flavors and fair flavors for my lip balms. These are absolutely amazing. I will say that my favorite fall scents are the Butter cream and Apple Toffee. Those smell like heaven if heaven were a tasty sweet treat.

I've also got some gorgeous new eye shadows coming out. Yes, they've been made, but I'm not releasing them until August because I like the suspense. They are metallic and sparkly. So, you get the best of both worlds. These are darker shades. They've got a shine and shimmer with a darker throw to them. I love them.

Now, the lip balms are what I've been getting great feedback from. Not to say the soaps aren't good, but people seem to love the lip balm. However, I have had a few that prefer to have the lip balm taste like the real deal. Well, guess what I cam across- realistic Butter Popcorn flavoring and realistic Pepperoni Pizza flavoring. Yes, these are lip balm approved, and yes, I did try the flavoring right from the bottle (I used disposable, clean droppers to taste test! I'm not the type to drink from the carton guys!). I swear, I did not detect the least bit of synthetic taste to these flavoring oils. To be quite honest, I was really nervous about straight testing them from the bottle because the flavorings in the past tasted terrible from the bottle but smelled absolutely divine. So, this has lead me to believe that people are confusing flavor and scent for lip balms.

Whatever the case, I am going to start hoarding these new found flavoring oils because I have finally found some realistic flavors approved for lip balms. I have stumbled upon a massive find here. I am in awe. It's like when your life's work is complete. You feel immense joy and satisfaction. You can finally rest easy! Hallelujah!

Black Dahlia Soapery logo
permission granted by Black Dahlia Soapery

Yeah, it's that great of a newsflash. Anyway, so I wanted to give you a heads up as well. If you all see
this logo to the right, check these folks out. They're an awesome soap company based out of the same city as myself only their products feature a more Gothic, darker theme. I love the darker scene myself. They've got some cool products coming to Etsy. It's going to be epic.






So, for now, I'll try to post some more blogs by the week if not sooner. I still will post some educational articles for why handmade products are better for your skin than commercial products. I'm still compiling my research for that. Yes, it is most definitely homework, but it's worth it to give the gift of knowledge and to share my research with others is very rewarding for myself. I hope you all benefit in some small way from my posts and my shared knowledge.

Cheers!
Kristine

Coming Soon! Fall Favorites!

I am super excited about Fall! I love everything about Fall from the gorgeous colors and the cooler weather to the many spiced or warm flavored foods. Everything is magical during Fall and I wanted to capture that Fall favorites in some new lip balms. These will actually be a Fair line and will be available for a limited time (throughout Fall).

The Fair Flavor choices include:

Buttered Popcorn

Cotton Candy

Pepperoni Pizza

Red Candy Apple

Caramel Apple

Vanilla Ice Cream

Sound yummy? They are! You can pre order them here in our Etsy store! Please know that we are not releasing these until the first of September. However, you can pre order yours and they will be shipped out by the release date.

That's not all we've got going on this Fall! Here are some of our Fall Flavors we will be releasing in August:

Chocolate Almond

Creamy Caramel

Red Apple

Cinnamon Roll

Buttercream

Pumpkin Pie

I, myself, am excited about all of these new seasonal flavors. Yes, they will be seasonal. So, get them while you can. That also means that the following will be gone until next Spring/Summer:

Blackberry
Black Cherry
Apple Martini
Mango Margarita
Honey & Clove
Strawberry Sorbet
Watermelon

Our year-round lip balms will include:

Lemongrass
Cool Peppermint
Tea Tree
Naturally, Honey
Original (Plain)

We've also got some new soap scents we will be introducing for the changing season:

Autumn Woods

Bonfire

Spiced Pumpkin

Buttercream

Fallen Leaves

Acorn Harvest

Pumpkin Bread

Apple Toffee
Hunter's Soap (earth scent-it really smells like dirt!)

These are going to rock your world this Fall! We'll make sure to have them in our CP soaps as well as lotions so you can enjoy soap and lotion combos. Sets may be available as well. We're also going to feature them in the Artisan's Emporium shop in Roxboro, NC as seasonal items.

With that being said, you may see some of our other soaps going out to make room for these new seasonal soaps. No worries though, our popular soaps will come back. We definitely aren't getting rid of our facial or psoriasis soap, so no worries about that! We're also keeping all of our clay masks.

Can't wait to start heading into Fall to share all of these perfectly delicious scents! Get ready!

Cheers!
Kristine

Happy Wednesday!

No, I don't like the words "Hump Day"- it just feels gross in my mouth (haha). Anyway! Today is Wednesday, the middle of the week, the day that gives you a little light of hope that you will once again be able to rejoice in time away from the hectic, stressful, and dreadful for two whole days. Now, I know that some people work the weekends as well, but I hope that you will also be able to get your well deserved time off .

Since it is the middle of the week, let's do something relaxing like putting our feet up and shopping with your favorite store (hint, hint).

We've actually made some new products for you to enjoy.

We've got new milk baths in the Etsy store. One is scented with Oatmeal, Milk & Honey. The other is scented with Heather & Hyacinth. Both are made with cow's milk, colloidal oatmeal, arrowroot powder, and argan oil. The Oatmeal, Milk & Honey contains actual whole oats while the Heather & Hyacinth contains real heather flowers.

1. A new vegan facial soap- Facial soap with French Green Clay and Kaolin Clay, Coconut Oil, Sandalwood & Lavender-infused Olive Oil, Kukui Nut Oil (to balance moisture levels in the soap- French Green Clay can be a little drying to skin depending on the skin type), Avocado Oil, and Mango Butter as well as Tea Tree Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, and Grapefruit Essential Oil.
2. Another soap we will be making is a vegan formulated body soap for soothing, gentle moisture that contains Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Vegetable Glycerin and Mango Butter. It will be unscented and contain Colloidal Oatmeal. So, it will be our take on the Aveeno Bar Soap.
3. Indigo Child- soap made with Indigo powder and scented with warm Amber, soothing Lavender, and uplifting, fresh, citrusy Bergamot.
4. Bamboo & Citrus- A glycerin soap scented with fresh bamboo, spicy wasabi, and energizing orange. This soap also contains Jojoba beads to help lightly exfoliate skin.
5. Apple Sage- Another glycerin soap scented with the same Apple Sage fragrance as our hand and body lotion. So, feel free to pair the two!

These new items will all be available on the store soon!

Also, don't forget that we can custom make gift baskets for you! Just let us know and we can make one as pictured right. The gift basket pictured is a donated basket to the Cause for Pause event to help foster animals in need! We will be attending the Cause for Paws event in Roxboro, NC this Saturday from 11 am- 6 pm. So, if you are in the area, stop by and see us!

Check back with us over the next few weeks as our posts will get a little more technical as to what goes into making handmade products vs. commercial products.

Cheers!

Kristine

This Month's Sample: Fresh Citrus Lotion

From July 6 to August 6, our new sample-of-the-month is our Fresh Citrus Hand & Body Lotion.
We will send out 1 sample of Fresh Citrus lotion in each order placed. Made with juicy, sweet Valencia Orange Essential Oil as well as fresh and perfectly tart Lemon Essential Oil and Grapefruit Essential Oil for a refreshing start to your day. Need a little pick-me-up to get you through the workday? No problem! The energizing scent and luxuriously rich moisture from our Fresh Citrus lotion is the perfect remedy for those 2 pm work blues!

Our Fresh Citrus lotion is also great for moisturizing dry, rough feet. Think of our samples as a "try before you buy" type of thing. This isn't the only scented lotion we make and we can customize the lotion to fit your needs. For those with scent allergies, we also offer an unscented lotion, so you can have fabulously moisturized, healthy skin without suffering from scent-related allergies.

Order with us today on Etsy and receive your sample today!

Just a few updates-
As many of you may know already, we are switching our email and web address by the end of this month. The website will still look the same and contain the same information (aside from the email address). However, we feel that our website needs to look more professional. Also, our email address is changing to earthndmoon@gmail.com. You will still be able to email us at the old address (kmdnc879@gmail.com), but the email will be forwarded to our new email address from where we will also respond.

Also, we have not changed our logo. It will remain the same. However, we like a fresh look on occasion and our headlines, icons, and site graphics may change from time to time to reflect the season and/or holidays.

We'd also like to share upcoming events with you as we come across them. Pictured right is a list of events we will be attending from now through September. These events are also located on the left side of the blog as well as on ourFacebook page.

The July 16th Cause for Paws events featured at Palace Pointe will be holding a silent auction. One of the items available at the silent auction will be an Earth N Moon gift basket that contains 1 Eucalyptus Mint lotion, 1 pack of 4 lip balms, 1 pack of 3 eye shimmers, 1 Cucumber Melon Whipped Soap, 1 Beauty Mask, 1 Clear Complexion Body Bar, and 1 Clear Complexion Facial Bar. This gift basket is a complete body/spa treatment package!

Next time, we will be focusing on a series of posts that feature information on the specifics of why handmade is better for your skin than commercial or factory made. Come back soon!

Cheers!
Kristine

Honey: Multi-Purpose Natural Skincare

Did you know that honey can be used for many different uses in your beauty regime? From clearing blemishes to making your skin feel smooth and soft after a bath, honey is the perfect natural beauty treatment for virtually any skin type.

Where does honey come from?

The honey we are all familiar is produced by honey bees. The worker honeybees forage nectar from flowers and store this nectar in their stomachs. The bees then carry the nectar back to the hive where groups of bees work with together to fill the honeycomb in a cycle of regurgitation and digesting the nectar. This partially digested and regurgitated nectar becomes food for the bees and the bee larva (Suarez, Lighton, Joos, Roberts, and Harrison, 1996).

So, what we can all gather from that bit of information is that honey = bee vomit. Nice! I can say that with every bite of my honey-slathered biscuit, I tried hard to erase that mental picture after I found out the first time.

Bees do more than just provide vomit for us humans to consume, they also help pollinate flowering plants by transferring pollen that clings to the little hairs on their legs and bodies from one flower to another flower. I won't get into how flowering plants reproduce, but bees are a big part of the reproduction of flowering plants.

So, with all of this honey being harvested from hives, we can actually use it for more than just eating.
Honey is great for relieving blemishes due to it's antibacterial properties and pore unclogging properties. For blemishes, just take a bit of raw honey and dab it onto the blemish for an overnight spot treatment. A little goes a long way. The honey also seals the blemish better than OTC acne creams and doesn't dry your skin out like OTC acne creams. It also helps reduce inflammation of blemishes. Makes sense when one of the major food sources of honey bees is clover. Clover flower is used in many handmade ointments and salves for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Honey can also be used to help heal minor cuts and burns! I like to use a mixture of honey, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice to help relieve sore throats and coughs. Works pretty well!

In fact, honey is great in your bath and as a cleanser. For those who use Coconut Oil to cleanse, try adding some honey to Coconut Oil and use the mixture in place of an OTC face cleanser. Your face will feel smoother, cleaner, moisturized, and healthier. The cleanser also helps remove oils and bacteria that have built up as well as unclogging pores. Best thing- no unnecessary harsh, dangerous chemicals to worry about!

You can also add honey and about a cup of baking soda to your bath to help smooth, soften and clean skin. Making a honey scrub for bathing or showering is great too. Use a 2:1 ratio of  2 parts honey to one part of either baking soda, sea salt, or raw, unrefined sugar. These relatively inexpensive ingredients can usually be found at your local supermarket. This can be used as a lip scrub as well. For bath and shower scrubs, you can also use herbs in your honey scrub such as lavender, rose petals, or heather flowers for soothing properties.

You can even apply raw honey straight to your face as a facial mask. Just layer the honey on in an even coat as you would any other face mask and let it set for about 20 minutes. Then, rinse off and enjoy healthy, beautiful skin.


Check out the next post on the difference between handmade and commercial products.

Cheers!
Kristine



References
Suarez RK, Lighton JR, Joos B, Roberts SP, Harrison JF (1996). "Energy metabolism, enzymatic flux capacities, and metabolic flux rates in flying honeybees". Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 93 (22): 12616–20. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.22.12616. PMC 38041.PMID 8901631.