tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39117479076992194722024-03-21T02:55:48.217-07:00SkinTastic CreationsMelaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-64689326684795708152015-02-23T06:03:00.003-08:002015-02-23T06:03:59.333-08:00Moved<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
With the updates we have moved the blog onto our website. Visit the blog at:<br />
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<a href="http://skintasticcreations.com/blog/">http://skintasticcreations.com/blog/</a><br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-31157454930954076602014-04-17T09:00:00.000-07:002014-04-17T09:00:00.096-07:00First SkinTastic Video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Renae Christine at Rich Mom Business motivated me to make a product video. I wanted to be part of her new, exciting project. That's all I can say, but if you want to know more, here her big plan revealed.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Si9tPlF3Rac?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I happened to have my Cotton Candy Lotion ready to photograph. It had taken some preparation, because I wanted some pink cotton candy for the videos. But with three hungry teenage boys here, even if I got ahold of cotton candy it would never last long enough to get my pictures. So I dyed some stuffing pink. Can you tell?<br />
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And then then I used Renae Christine's suggestions to make a video. I ended up using different tools though. I used the video on my Samsung Galaxy 3 for the the video and then added sound and pieced it together on Windows Live Movie Maker and converted it to an mp4 for viewing. Here it is.<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i1.ytimg.com/vi/7MMJbfGd_2c/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/7MMJbfGd_2c?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/7MMJbfGd_2c?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Does that look like cotton candy? <br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-65388397348058094292014-03-31T09:53:00.001-07:002014-03-31T09:53:40.703-07:00SkinTastic Giveaway Winners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We have winners!<br />
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Michelle L. won the Awapuhi lotion and soap set.<br />
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Sarah T. won the Pixie Dust Soap<br />
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Alison R. won the Patchouly Soap<br />
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Beth R. won the Sunflower Soap<br />
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Holly E. won the Vanilla Lip Balm<br />
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Amber G. won the Cucumber Melon Lip Balm<br />
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Twas fun! Watch for more SkinTastic Promotions. If you want to be sure you aren't missing anything, subscribe to the newsletter. <a href="http://www.skintasticcreations.com/mailinglist.asp">http://www.skintasticcreations.com/mailinglist.asp</a><br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-17938563024205655792014-03-27T08:25:00.000-07:002014-03-27T08:25:39.720-07:00Soapmaking Classes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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For years I've been teaching people to make soap.<br />
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I've created handcrafted soap for over fifteen years, and there is such a fascination with that. Even people who don't want to learn to make soap are curious about the process. When people ask "How do you make it?" or "What's in it?" I struggle to come up with a quick answer. It's more involved than a ten second answer. Of course I usually say something about it being made of vegetable oils, water and lye. It's a general answer, but sometimes all they want to know.<br />
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Of course I would like to tell them about the properties of coconut oil and how it creates a big bubble lather. Or about combining it with oils like palm and olive to create the perfect hardness and mild conditioning properties. But mostly I want them to understand that I superfat with something cool like avocado oil to make it the perfect bar of soap that won't be drying to your skin. And there is so much more I want to tell them. But I have ten seconds.<br />
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However, some people really do want to know more. They want to get their hands on the oils and understand the process.Because of these requests and my love of teaching, I've decided to make my classes a more regular option.<br />
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The first one is scheduled for April 12. I've also scheduled a lotion making class on May 10.<br />
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If you are one of those people who is interested in understanding the process, and you are close enough to get here, I invite you to join us.<br />
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Read more about it on our website. <br />
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<a href="http://www.skintasticcreations.com/classes.htm" target="_blank">http://www.skintasticcreations.com/classes.htm</a></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-19887164034526395862014-03-25T06:31:00.000-07:002014-03-25T06:31:16.066-07:00Lotion Making Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have seven new varieties of lotion on my SkinTastic shelf. Here you see the seven batches at the cooling phase. At this point I am stirring and using the stick blender to work them into that perfect consistency as the emulsion sets and becomes stable.<br />
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What are the new fragances?<br />
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Drumroll please...<br />
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Red Roses<br />
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Juniper Breeze<br />
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Cotton Candy<br />
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Ocean Breeze<br />
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Huckleberry<br />
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Moonlight Path<br />
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Pear<br />
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My husband and kids all have their favorite of the new batches. My sixteen year old son loves the Red Roses and Pear. My seventeen year old son likes the Juniper Breeze and my husband always loves Huckleberry.<br />
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Which is my favorite?<br />
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Oh! That is so hard. Kind of like choosing a favorite child, which my children always try to get me to do, but I never could. The Cotton Candy is fun. The Red Roses really do smell like roses. And the Moonlight path is surprisingly sensual and soft. But if I absolutely had to start choosing favorites, I might be able to narrow it down to Juniper Breeze, Huckleberry and Pear.<br />
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Which one would you love to try?</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-78260885983067141252014-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:002014-03-15T09:00:02.766-07:00Growing Calendula<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Calendula easy to grow. Here you see my calendula already starting to grow on its own. It's located in a warm spot on the south side of my house and tends to show up with my early blooming daffodils. However I'm starting more inside also. This gives it a warm start and gets it going more quickly.<br />
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To do this I mix half peat moss and half perlite for my soil. It is spread into my growing tray. Sometimes I fill the tray all the way and then poke holes where I'm dropping the seeds. However, this time I only filled it most of the way and then sprinkled the seeds on top. Then I covered it with a thin layer of soil.<br />
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The great thing about calendula is that it starts growing quickly. This is less than two weeks growth. They are ready to separate. <br />
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To separate the seedlings, remove them from their tray and gently pull the plants apart.<br />
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Prepare the new tray with soil. Make sure it is moist, but not too wet. Poke holes in the spots you are transplanting and insert the seedling. Plant it deep enough that most of the stem is underground. Press the soil gently around each plant and water.<br />
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Make sure your plants have enough water and sunlight every day. If the stems seem like they are getting too long, the plants need more light.<br />
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By fall these seedlings will have produced the flowers that will be made into and herbal balm.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-60925603848968362102014-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:002014-03-14T09:00:00.737-07:00Collecting Calendula Seeds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You don't have to buy new calendula seeds every year. Collecting them from your existing plant is fun and easy. It's almost as easy a harvesting the flowers, but you wait a little longer before you pick them.<br />
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As the bright yellow and orange calendula blooms start drying up and fading out, watch for the seeds to mature at the base of the petals. At first the seeds will be green. For best results you want to leave them on the plant until the seeds turn brown. Then pick the dried up flower from the plant.<br />
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The seeds will almost fall off into your hand. If not, rotate them between your fingers to encourage the seeds to pull away from the base. Collect these and save for next year. Or sometimes I just sprinkle them back into the garden. They may not do as well this way as if you grow them inside in the spring, but many of them will grow.<br />
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Propagating new herb plants can be fun.<br />
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Some other great herbs to collect seeds from are basil, fennel, parsley, mullien, chamomile and dill.<br />
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Have you collected any of these? Or any others?</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-561293887931236162014-03-13T06:57:00.000-07:002014-03-13T06:57:20.556-07:00Using Calendula<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My favorite flowers to grow are the ones that are beautiful and useful.<br />
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Calendula definitely fits that description. These bright flowers are easy to grow and add a splash of yellow or orange to any herb garden. But their blossoms are more than just pretty. They offer a multitude of health benefits. It's an herb that has been used for centuries in Egypt and Europe.<br />
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Calendula is used for diaper rash, minor wounds, skin irritation, scrapes, cuts, acne, bruises, insect bites and stings, dry skin and chapped lips. It has also been been used for conjunctivitis and earaches.<br />
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One of the nice things about calendula is its mildness. It's an herb you can choose for children. It's fun for the kids to help harvest too. Think about it. Kids love picking flowers and this is the time it's encouraged. As the flowers blossom you just pick them and dehydrate. In the dry climate of Utah, I just lay them out on the counter for a day, or until they are dried. Or you can put them in a dehydrator on a low setting. That's all it takes. Then I gather them into a jar to save.<br />
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How do you use calendula once you've preserved it? This herb can be made into tea, oil infusions, tinctures, balms, eye washes, poultices and more. If you aren't sure how to make these, stayed tuned into my blog. I will be doing posts on all of these in the upcoming weeks.<br />
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For now....plant your calendula. In some areas it's getting close enough to spring to soon plant outside. But if you want to give them a nice warm head start, plant inside and transfer them out in a couple weeks. That's my plan.<br />
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Have ever planted calendula before? What is your favorite thing to do with calendula?<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-25616945049939511782014-03-11T09:51:00.000-07:002014-03-12T06:28:41.963-07:00Free Room Spray or Lip Balm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BqNcLwMUFlnn-Lcx8dPOv3jpU71GAXzVU2WQENe2agVTfADXdPFQNqmtwv96cRk1lsNf3zmKW9S5-LpX7wKM3U-GIS8fDxMMNDrRhR5ou7PWpJRjJIsk8dol2eqbHwSPuEDbRvX1yO1m/s1600/2014-03-11+08.14.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BqNcLwMUFlnn-Lcx8dPOv3jpU71GAXzVU2WQENe2agVTfADXdPFQNqmtwv96cRk1lsNf3zmKW9S5-LpX7wKM3U-GIS8fDxMMNDrRhR5ou7PWpJRjJIsk8dol2eqbHwSPuEDbRvX1yO1m/s1600/2014-03-11+08.14.24.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
This is the week for giveaways. Not only can you sign up for our <a href="http://skintasticreations.blogspot.com/2014/03/skintastic-giveaway.html" target="_blank">online giveaway,</a> but if you live anywhere close to Tooele, you can get a free SkinTastic gift, just by participating in our simple Product and Marketing Survey.<br />
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What's the gift?<br />
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You have a choice of an 8 oz. room spray or a lip
balm. Either is absolutely free if you are willing to fill out the one-page survey and return it to me at the boutique I will be participating in this Saturday, March 15, between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. <br />
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I will be at SHS JLTC Spring Boutique held at the Tooele Armory located
at 16 S. 1<sup>st</sup> Street.<br />
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<a href="http://www.skintasticcreations.com/product%20survey.pdf">Here's the link to the survey.</a><br />
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Just print it off, fill it out and bring it to me that day.<br />
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Hope to see you there. </div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-24227540769000075302014-03-04T10:35:00.000-08:002014-03-13T09:58:19.393-07:00SkinTastic Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's a SkinTastic Giveaway with Rafflecopter. I'm excited to sponsor our first giveaway. Pictured above are the handcrafted soap, lotion and lip balm we are awarding to the winners. Be sure to <a href="http://www.skintasticcreations.com/mailinglist.asp" target="_blank">sign up for our newsletter</a> to get the big value points. Also, you can get daily points by tweeting about the giveaway.<br />
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It ends March 31. Product will be shipped only within the continental US. <br />
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Looking forward to your comments below.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/6418c01/" id="rc-6418c01" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-61115225930073467952014-02-19T11:30:00.000-08:002014-02-19T11:30:00.641-08:00Upcoming Boutique<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This Saturday, I'll be participating at a boutique in Magna. Mention this blog when visiting my booth and get a free lip balm. If you're in the area be sure to stop by.<br />
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Where: Our Lady of Lourdes - 2840 S. 9000 West, Magna, Utah. <br />
When: February 22, 2014 from Noon to 7 p.m.<br />
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Hope to see you there.</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-19387381841907891652014-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:002014-02-13T10:00:02.035-08:00Soap on a Rope Failure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The soap on a rope didn't work out so well. In November I <a href="http://skintasticreations.blogspot.com/2013/11/saved-soap-batch.html" target="_blank">posted about a batch of soap</a> I saved. I'd forgotten to superfat the batch and couldn't sell it that way, so I grated it up and experimented with adding castor oil to it. Since I was experimenting I tried making soap on a rope. Here you can see a partially used one. It started out looking like a round ball of soap on a rope, but the problem is, as you can see here, that they knot is causing issues with the use of the soap being pleasant.<br />
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Live and learn.<br />
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However, I molded the rest of the batch and we've been using it.<br />
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Amazing what that castor oil did for the batch. Because of that I made a new batch of honey oatmeal a few weeks ago and formulated castor oil into the batch. The honey oatmeal is about cured and can be packaged soon.<br />
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As for the soap on a rope, there is probably some other way to do this.<br />
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Do people even use soap on a rope?<br />
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Would you?</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-72597670106911621752014-02-08T09:58:00.000-08:002014-02-08T09:58:13.634-08:00Blog Tour Giveaway<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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SkinTastic Creations is sponsoring the Blog Tour hosted by Lucinda Whitney to promote <i>Rules of Engagement.</i> We are donating lotion and sugar scrub for the giveaway. They are both sweetly scented with Brown Sugar and Spice. Yum!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyLLY8ESKIy8uefPn5ZpXj-SbwvWOB_97gv_0pz4MuHWd0KeKvZepJzeSCTVw3JRU4PGT2IX0g4taLtBKaX2z5WcDFDZs7NZXzGSYkfS4NwcAwethTKTzGkC5xWfZZ0tGaRiRqaV3S3-G/s1600/Rules+of+Engagement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyLLY8ESKIy8uefPn5ZpXj-SbwvWOB_97gv_0pz4MuHWd0KeKvZepJzeSCTVw3JRU4PGT2IX0g4taLtBKaX2z5WcDFDZs7NZXzGSYkfS4NwcAwethTKTzGkC5xWfZZ0tGaRiRqaV3S3-G/s1600/Rules+of+Engagement.jpg" height="250" width="320" /></a></div>
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The sugar scrub is a fabulous way to exfoliate the dead skin while moisturizing. I love the feel of my skin after a sugar scrub. And the lotion is smooth and creamy, and made with plant-based oils that soak into your skin. Of course. We never use mineral oils or other petroleum products.<br />
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So join in the blog tour. I hear it's a fabulous book and can't wait to read it myself.<br />
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<a href="http://lucindawhitney.com/2014/02/blog-tour/rules-of-engagement-blog-tour/">http://lucindawhitney.com/2014/02/blog-tour/rules-of-engagement-blog-tour/</a></div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-59163610031015967762014-02-06T10:46:00.000-08:002014-02-06T12:34:44.955-08:00Bath Bombs Galore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We had a big bath bomb making day and rolled out a bunch of them (my husband is so wonderful to help). We did several small batches with a variety of fragrances. Here are the fragrances we did.<br />
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Sunflower<br />
Huckleberry<br />
Ocean Breeze<br />
Mango<br />
Pearberry<br />
Sandalwood Vanilla<br />
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Unfortunately a large portion of them cracked and can't be sold. Time for a big spa party at my house I think.<br />
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When the bath bombs don't crack they look beautiful though. One of these days I'll figure out how to consistently keep them from cracking down the middle. In the meantime I'll be giving a lot of bath bombs away.<br />
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Anybody want to soak their feet?<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-33668705201020898122014-02-05T07:54:00.000-08:002014-02-06T12:35:02.390-08:00Do You Have Eczema?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you have eczema?<br />
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Many people do. I never knew how many until I started putting this sign out at my boutiques. Now people passing by stop and tell me about their grandchild or friend who struggles with eczema. Or better yet, they lift their pant leg or push up their sleeve so they can show me the struggle they are having with this annoying skin condition. Often they've tried everything from prescription creams to whatever else they can find that might work.<br />
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Eczema is complicated. Generally it is caused by some factor that can be hard to identify. Your doctor may have recommendations about changing your soap or what you put on your skin. If the condition persists they may begin testing for allergies or other things that may be triggering the miserable rash.<br />
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Over twenty years ago my oldest daughter started having problems with eczema. We would lube her up with lotion, not having a clue that the mineral oil and other petroleum ingredients in the product we were using only complicated the condition, instead of helping. When we changed to a natural soap and better skin products it all went away. Our struggle was a small one.<br />
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One of my favorite stories to tell is of a dear friend, who at age 65 had been struggling with eczema on his feet for twenty five years. He was using a combination of a quality cream on the market and a prescription cream. By doing this he had been able to manage the eczema, but never get rid of it. He decided to give our herbal balm a try. He religiously used the balm a couple times a day and was able to clear the rash completely for the first time in twenty five years. I suspect the reason this worked so well for him was that he was using a product with no preservatives or other additives, and certainly no mineral oil. The simplicity of the five ingredients of the balm are what make it so effective: olive oil, beeswax, calendula, comfrey and chickweed.<br />
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What have you tried for your eczema? What success have you had?<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-35363583684508653222014-02-03T14:03:00.000-08:002014-02-06T12:35:18.915-08:00Apples for Healthy Skin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFawZ7zOsYTDAJWylBE41mENp18hkysynJ8Dus-qGG4zCcKJPFhUaquyHu5ypTzS8eVRkk32Zqs_LCr9ZI8XLSo1ERQgQZg20MzkA-Xwb3JoQq_pKxVo12IZykOhUxyKhr9TCmZNOQvp2M/s1600/2014-02-03+08.00.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFawZ7zOsYTDAJWylBE41mENp18hkysynJ8Dus-qGG4zCcKJPFhUaquyHu5ypTzS8eVRkk32Zqs_LCr9ZI8XLSo1ERQgQZg20MzkA-Xwb3JoQq_pKxVo12IZykOhUxyKhr9TCmZNOQvp2M/s1600/2014-02-03+08.00.17.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Eating right influences the health of your skin as dramatically as what you put on it. One source of skin loving nutrients is an apple. The vitamin C in an apple helps your body produce the collagen needed to give the skin elasticity and a plump appearance.<br />
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Apples are fabulous fresh, but the apple is versatile and adds the right touch to many dishes. Here's one idea for adding apples to breakfast.<br />
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When you have an abundance of apples, core and peel them, then cut them into bite-size pieces and dehydrate them. I use a Nesco dehydrator, which lets me dehydrate eight trays at a time.<br />
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Then add the apples to an instant oatmeal mix, like the oatmeal packets you can buy for the microwave. Here's the recipe:<br />
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2 cups oatmeal<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar <br />
1/2 cup powder milk<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1 cup dehydrated apples.<br />
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Mix this all together and store in an airtight container.<br />
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To prepare measure:<br />
2/3 cup instant oatmeal mix<br />
3/4 cup water<br />
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Microwave for 2 minutes and enjoy your apples and one more way to healthy skin.<br />
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What variations of this oatmeal mix have you seen or tried? <br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-32133642425359098002014-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:002014-01-01T08:54:33.423-08:00A New Look for my Site<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I finally have a new look for my SkinTastic website. It's been a long time coming. Here's a peek.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiBu7_wJrwC6kcnlpBXOgWIKKwCkMH8RBhJ1sM0tIvBnJXJlc22uO6ys9mO4IeNTQpaEiJZmPl6MYb_aSp2PHk1rpymnVbdWI0ckOHQswV_cT13buo8VLlyvQnyEbJsKvym3aK1Pp7iv4/s1600/newsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUiBu7_wJrwC6kcnlpBXOgWIKKwCkMH8RBhJ1sM0tIvBnJXJlc22uO6ys9mO4IeNTQpaEiJZmPl6MYb_aSp2PHk1rpymnVbdWI0ckOHQswV_cT13buo8VLlyvQnyEbJsKvym3aK1Pp7iv4/s400/newsite.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's more to see at <a href="http://www.skintasticcreations.com/">http://www.skintasticcreations.com</a>. And still more to come. We are working on adding all our products to the site again, as well as leaving them on Etsy, thus offering two easy options for purchasing.</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-81493318915574185492013-11-14T14:38:00.000-08:002013-11-14T14:40:43.207-08:00Photographing White Lotion Bottles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLN3eKV0jHq4X6ZQM5sQXagtIoYPChx1TyHkYThY1g2Nz2qNaR3AMzxZmEOioVNhyphenhyphensiB0mK64pyLZk93vFZQLgE3wk_9dAW5rCBIX-AcfA0VeiZMhY4FyeE38U8Qj9sG2jl5U4lbDWeqB/s1600/product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLN3eKV0jHq4X6ZQM5sQXagtIoYPChx1TyHkYThY1g2Nz2qNaR3AMzxZmEOioVNhyphenhyphensiB0mK64pyLZk93vFZQLgE3wk_9dAW5rCBIX-AcfA0VeiZMhY4FyeE38U8Qj9sG2jl5U4lbDWeqB/s320/product.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This morning's project was a new picture for my Etsy banner and Facebook page. The struggle has been that I usually photograph on a white background. That worked well for my other Etsy shop, Mulberry Junction, but not so well with my white lotion bottles. </div>
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In the picture below you can see how I do my photography for most of my products. I built this light box with some carboard boxes, white fabric, white paint and spray on glue. I use it next to the window you can see in the picture and then add light with my halogen work lights. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvc0wpGomki_iRrEB1AUcLHonQGgSVFFbJtY7BfW8t70gH09-fEy-keYRK7AqIczd3uolxFWFp8aXq8ILkFk5skGGlRRf4c_5gx_IyvZMdXn99iEZzC0seWv6O5Pt7IT_LzXtB3-hZd5r/s1600/2013-11-14+14.10.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvc0wpGomki_iRrEB1AUcLHonQGgSVFFbJtY7BfW8t70gH09-fEy-keYRK7AqIczd3uolxFWFp8aXq8ILkFk5skGGlRRf4c_5gx_IyvZMdXn99iEZzC0seWv6O5Pt7IT_LzXtB3-hZd5r/s320/2013-11-14+14.10.45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, as you can see in this picture, I pinned green fabric to the backdrop to make my white jars and bottles stand out more. I added some color with calendula flowers and threw in some peppermint and a comfrey leaf, all herbs I use in my lotions and balms.</div>
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Any thoughts on improving the picture? How do you make your online pictures stand out? Do you have any photography tips to share?</div>
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-91879995155526703942013-11-09T09:00:00.000-08:002013-11-09T09:00:02.719-08:00What is Castille Soap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8kuDAGcOpvD_kaBQgGZAZlCl7Er8CXmTa24snzhvmRyn1y58GnMdDDpScjGMaCMV5ZmtLjuSqFZe-escNulbWYFEoPiZDkgZ9-j37USKOvUnpbY9Ui3BaLyqyoY1Kr6nwk53Gl7_Dvl0/s1600/castile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8kuDAGcOpvD_kaBQgGZAZlCl7Er8CXmTa24snzhvmRyn1y58GnMdDDpScjGMaCMV5ZmtLjuSqFZe-escNulbWYFEoPiZDkgZ9-j37USKOvUnpbY9Ui3BaLyqyoY1Kr6nwk53Gl7_Dvl0/s320/castile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the batch of Castile soap I'm in process of packaging right now. Castile soap is a simple soap that is made with olive oil. Although the history of Castile goes way back, it is believed that the soap was first made in Castilla, Italy. This makes sense when you understand that in that area they grow olives and have easy access to the oil. Evidently at a time when the rest of Europe was using rendered animal fats to make soap, the soap in this part of Italy was made from olive oil. Eventually it became the popular soap for the rich all over Europe.<br />
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The nice thing about a soap made with olive oil is that it's mildness. This fabulous oil has many properties that should make it an oil of choice, not only in the kitchen, but for our skin. Because of it's mildness it is a perfect soap to use for babies and others with sensitive skin. The squalane in olive oil helps it absorb easily and quickly into the skin. The high content of oleic acid gives olive oil humectant properties, meaning that it pulls in the moisture from the air. The oleic acid also help the skin to regenerate. Overall it's an amazing oil for the skin. <br />
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Soap made from olive oil makes a fine, creamy lather. If you expect large bubbles, you may be disappointed. But if you want a gentle soap that pampers your skin, it doesn't get better than Castille.<br />
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The soap that is pictured above also has goat milk added in place of the water. This makes it even more luxurious. <br />
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What properties do you like in a bar of soap? Feel free to comment.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-9010975563222501992013-11-08T15:19:00.000-08:002013-11-08T15:19:07.026-08:00Castor Oil Bubbles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I re-batched the soap I talked about in yesterday's post, I learned something.<br />
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I needed to add the oil I'd forgotten to add when I first made the soap. I was initially going to use avocado, but had recently read something that reminded me that castor oil helps give great lather. When I read this it reminded me that years ago when I made shaving soap that was one of the key ingredients. So just for fun I decided to see what would happen if I added half castor oil as the superfatting oil and half jojoba.<br />
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Do you see the bubbles above. This was what happened after I poured the soap in molds and filled the crock pot with water. What a fabulous lather.<br />
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Now I can't wait to use the soap.<br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-85308767657055440532013-11-07T08:10:00.000-08:002013-11-07T08:10:51.835-08:00Saved Soap Batch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_U63CmMj5BoxbkMqwYy8X39vVZM5v4vDtT2UunnfKk81njMimYti1Wh3ZboYkZOtxgtO_hg6JoFOM9fCxM0unxDNQeQWcJ8O9uTPLtfi20rCW-cxJcNWDq7zZuMxOozKrbgnG1W8L0ol/s1600/remelted+cool+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_U63CmMj5BoxbkMqwYy8X39vVZM5v4vDtT2UunnfKk81njMimYti1Wh3ZboYkZOtxgtO_hg6JoFOM9fCxM0unxDNQeQWcJ8O9uTPLtfi20rCW-cxJcNWDq7zZuMxOozKrbgnG1W8L0ol/s320/remelted+cool+water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Several months ago I made a batch of soap and forgot to put the avocado oil in at the trace stage to superfat my soap. This is a pretty important step if you want a soap that is mild and not lye heavy. I don't really want to be making "Grandma's scary lye heavy soap". The sad thing is that it smells so good and I'd love to try it.</div>
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Frustrated I left the batch to cure, not knowing how I was going to fix the problem. At some point I decided it would probably work to re-batch it by melting the soap down with some water and adding the missing oil into it. Yesterday I tried it. I grated the bars of soap into the crock pot, added water and the missing oil and patiently stirred it for a couple hours while it melted to a liquid consistency. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCXRjWeODuYOImr-0sAE6qvGSppiYsJPiYSUghtvXwHNekw7uPoZIcRUUBgGmjTwsPhX9eH7aCU1UftG2L0keK4Qp0GHDoQuEamtWdlJOJOAhmKtO0uJzO6fDo5JisNM-pqCaBTkPbt6x/s1600/soap+on+a+rope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPCXRjWeODuYOImr-0sAE6qvGSppiYsJPiYSUghtvXwHNekw7uPoZIcRUUBgGmjTwsPhX9eH7aCU1UftG2L0keK4Qp0GHDoQuEamtWdlJOJOAhmKtO0uJzO6fDo5JisNM-pqCaBTkPbt6x/s320/soap+on+a+rope.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once it was all mixed together I let it cool and harden til it was a good consistency to mold with my hands. Then I formed it into a ball around a rope. I just molded it with my hands. I also tried pressing the soap into a mold with the rope in the middle. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFD4cB5oJJZoRpcREUGXsGJcDzD2549Tr4cxgKcWL3ih7g_FCCHtNWyaXXv4uXFC2diKvdM1YrNuoECfhqvoCm9usIUw-sLwEgEBDYz-VwIuNFvS3feVPG5DWQkaJWXa8hDIRIzwphCKP/s1600/moldedcoolwater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFD4cB5oJJZoRpcREUGXsGJcDzD2549Tr4cxgKcWL3ih7g_FCCHtNWyaXXv4uXFC2diKvdM1YrNuoECfhqvoCm9usIUw-sLwEgEBDYz-VwIuNFvS3feVPG5DWQkaJWXa8hDIRIzwphCKP/s320/moldedcoolwater.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The ball is kind of fun, but I quickly decided to remelt it and pour it into molds. The bars look and smell great (Cool Water fragrance). I'm looking forward to trying it out after they cure and harden again.</div>
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I'm crazy about the Cool Water fragrance. Do you have a favorite fragrance? Share it with us.</div>
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-67307622272768271092013-07-05T06:51:00.000-07:002013-07-05T06:51:32.072-07:00Growing Comfrey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Comfrey is one of my favorite herbs to use in my herbal balm. It is known to help regenerate skin cells, making it a great plant to promote healing. The caution with comfrey, or any product containing the plant, is that you must be sure a wound is clean before using it. You wouldn't want to promote healing and find that you had healed contaminants into the wound. <br />
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I've struggled to grow comfrey as nice as at our previous home. I really think it is a struggle to keep it with enough water to thrive. So this year I have tried something new with the comfrey. I took my small struggling plants from the front yard and figured I'd plant them in the garden, in a spot where I new I was watering the plants in the grow box consistently. There was an open spot of ground right next to the grow box that was getting watered and it seemed worth trying.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that my struggling little comfrey plants has divided into many new plants. So instead of three plants in a new spot I have about ten. And they are doing so well in their new home with all that space and consistent watering.<br />
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I'm pretty excited to make some great herbal balms with some of these leaves.</div>
Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3911747907699219472.post-68809631578110738132012-12-29T17:42:00.002-08:002012-12-29T19:07:28.814-08:00Back to Soapmaking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Once a soapmaker, always a soapmaker.<br />
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Three years ago I made a really difficult decision to close SkinTastic Creations. I had to for personal reasons. The business had reached the point that I needed to hire somebody and let it get bigger or to make it smaller. In the end I closed it and sold as much as I could for a discount.<br />
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But an interesting thing has happened lately. Once the lotion ran out my own family started wondering if I was ever going to make lotion again. People contact me periodically looking for the products I no longer make and beg me to make some for them. Sometimes I've been able to help them, but usually not.<br />
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However...<br />
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It's time to start making soap, lotion and the works again. The time is right. But we are doing it a little different this time, most of the promotion being done on Etsy and online.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTUBKKdTVSAbgMy4n_T8KIH7bXZMlwdLS78bGg5LgGuk5mR44-guYAARR6w4lVuWbgTYjnBrangLwKXFqpb-wKLajA0y1XBCzZ6_wT_L1GhKp7JljXLxaz32wjEtTRoGXSmtO1DLiWL-f/s1600/coppersoap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTUBKKdTVSAbgMy4n_T8KIH7bXZMlwdLS78bGg5LgGuk5mR44-guYAARR6w4lVuWbgTYjnBrangLwKXFqpb-wKLajA0y1XBCzZ6_wT_L1GhKp7JljXLxaz32wjEtTRoGXSmtO1DLiWL-f/s320/coppersoap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Needless to say, I've been busy making soap. I love the color of this one as it went into the mold. I'm anxious to cut it up.<br />
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So watch the blog and the website, as well as the Etsy store where we have a grand total of two products listed so far. We are incorporating a new look to the soap packaging.<br />
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If your anxious to get your hands on some of that amazing balm though, you'll find it at the Etsy store. Use the discount code "blogspecial" to get 10% discount.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_844422186"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/skintasticcreations">http://www.etsy.com/shop/skintasticcreations</a><br />
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Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173430045924898012noreply@blogger.com0