The Joy of Soap

Gardener's Hand Scrub

A garden is a delight to the eye, and a solace for the soul ~ Sadi

Lately I have had the luxury of spending many hours outdoors tending to the garden, and so far all of the work has involved cutting, pruning and weeding. Thankfully I can say that the garden no longer looks like an emerald carpet with branches poking out here and there; I can see the earth now. In the process of cleaning through the jungle we uncovered some poor plants and bushes struggling to survive, and now hopefully they have a chance to grow stronger.

My back has been suffering throughout the garden clean out process, and my hands look and feel a bit like sandpaper. To help soothe my hands before they become cracked I am going to whip up a batch of moisturizing hand scrub. The oatmeal is a good cleanser and exfoliant. The honey moisturizes the skin, and the oil softens and cleanses too.

Gardener's Moisturizing Hand Scrub
Ingredients
1 T oatmeal
1 t honey
1 t grapeseed or jojoba oil (or other oil you may have at home)
1 T lemon juice (juice of 1/4 lemon), or more if needed
1 T herbal infusion* (Optional)

*Some people might like to add 1 tablespoon of an herbal or floral infusion. This ingredient provides an additional skin soothing benefit, and is not required if you do not have the ingredients or the time to make the infusion. For example: If I had the ingredients at home, and the time, I would make a small amount of marigold flower infusion to provide an added benefit for my dry hands.

Mix all of the ingredients together.
You can add more lemon juice if you feel the mixture is too dry.
Scrub your hands and rinse off with warm water.

This recipe makes enough scrub for one use.
Enjoy!

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Feature Friday - Organic Handmade Home Textiles

Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity ~ Bo Bennett

In my search for new pot holders and oven mitts I found these beautiful handmade organic cotton home textiles at katherine j lee's Etsy shop. Aren't these gorgeous? Katherine J. Lee is an artist based in San Francisco and her current home accessories line (including bed and table linens) is inspired by Katherine’s original illustrations. The designs are intended to be both funny and beautiful—a means of encouraging engagement and pleasure with objects found in the home every day. I just love that all items are hand-sewn, hand-stenciled, and hand-printed by Katherine on 100% natural cotton, linen, and flax.

Check out more of her designs in her shop. Here are a few more of my favorite items.

Katherine uses water-based inks and reminds us that all of her items are handmade and that "because these patterns are made through a hand-printed process, please don't be concerned by slight irregularities. Each difference is a beautiful reminder that a *human* made these, not a machine." Nice.

                   

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Power of Calendula

Earth laughs in flowers ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

At The Joy of Soap one of our most popular handmade soaps is Feeling Frisky, and many people ask about the petals and their purpose in the soap. These are calendula flower petals. In addition to providing a nice looking element to the soap, and a mild exfoliant property, the flower petals also provide anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties as well. What a powerful herb! It is the essential oils and salicylic acid naturally found in calendula that make this a wonderful skin-healthy source for people to treat external infections and skin problems.

With all of these powerful properties you will find skin soothing calendula not only in soaps, but also in creams, tinctures and salves used to treat burns, infections, rashes, and eczema. Calendula contains an important phytochemical, carotenoids, which are known to accelerate healthy skin cell repair.

Calendula-infused tea (made from the flowers) is used internally to help the immune and lymphatic system fight bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitic infections. Please consult a medical professional for more information and appropriate dosages before attempting to treat yourself.

Calendulas, also called pot marigolds, are an aromatic herb that are easily grown from seeds. They grow quickly and if left alone and are treated with some love they should continue to grow year after year.

Some people also recommend rinsing your hair with calendula tea to help bring out highlights in blond and brunette hair. For bath fans, you can easily put some dried flowers and/or petals in a muslin bag, soak the bag in the warm water and then squeeze the bag to bring out more skin-soothing benefits. Personally, I have soaked calendula flower petals in grapeseed oil for a few weeks, and then used the strained oil for making a homemade skin soothing cream.

NOTE: Do not use if pregnant or nursing. People with allergies to plants in the Aster/Compositae family, such as ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies, may have an allergic reaction to calendula.

Please feel free to share your homemade calendula inspired recipes.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Feature Friday - Contemporary Handmade Throw Pillow Covers

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes homes and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow ~ Lyn Yutang

Recently I have been looking at our old and tired pillows in the living room thinking that it may finally be time to recover them. We use these pillows daily, and frankly we can't hide the stains very well at this point. So, yes, it is time to look for updated decorative throw pillow covers.

Of course I am looking for handmade covers and found this great shop on Etsy - Lynne's This and That. Lynne hand makes beautiful (and reasonably priced) throw pillow covers using quality fabrics. You will find great funky and retro patterns. Take a look around her gallery.

Here are some of the fabrics that caught my eye.

      

Please let me know if you have other suggestions of where I should look for handmade pillow covers.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Soothing Bath for Eczema

Your mind will answer most questions of you learn to relax and wait for the answer ~ William S. Burroughs

Many people ask me what I can offer or suggest to them for treating eczema. The Joy of Soap's mild all vegetable soaps do work well for many people, and there are other people who cannot tolerate essential oils or additives of any kind. For these people here is one suggestion to help with treating eczema as well as other irritated skin conditions. There are several types of eczema, and keeping the skin moisturized can help with symptom relief and healing.

This is a very simple homemade recipe that you can easily put together followed by a soothing warm bath.

Ingredients
1 tsp dried chamomile flowers (you can also use a bag of chamomile tea if this is what you have at home)
8 tbsp oats
Small cotton/muslin bag or square
String (if you do not have a small bag)

Combine the chamomile flowers and the oats in a bowl.
Place the contents of the bowl in the bag, or on the cotton square.
If you use a cotton square gather the ends together and tie with string.

Run a warm bath and soak the chamomile and oat filled bag in the water for a few minutes.
You can rub the bag directly on your skin if you wish although you should avoid rubbing the bag directly on any irritated skin.
Squeeze the bag and leave in the water.
Soak in the bath for at least 10 minutes.

Simple, right?
Please share your ideas and homemade treatment methods for soothing eczema and irritated skin.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Homemade Lemongrass Insect Repellent

In heaven you won't hear the mosquitoes ~Finnish proverb 

Similar to citronella oil as a natural insect repellent, fresh lemongrass also provides added antibacterial and anti-fungal properties to your homemade insect repellent.

Here is a quick and easy recipe for making your own insect repellent at home.

Ingredients
10-12 lemongrass stalks
Approx. 15 citronella leaves
4 tsp whole cloves
14oz sunflower oil (other oils you have on-hand will work OK too)

Wash the lemongrass and citronella leaves.
Lightly chop the lemongrass and citronella.
Place chopped items in a blender with the cloves and blend.
Pour the blended mix along with the sunflower oil into a heatproof bowl or a pan (a double boiler is what we're setting up next) and mix until all     ingredients are well blended.
Place the bowl or pan over a pan of boiling water and cover tightly.
Let boil for an hour, and then cool.

Strain the cooled mixture through a fine sieve or similar tool/material.
Pour the strained mixture into a pump spray bottle.   

To Use       
Shake well and spray liberally over all exposed skin areas.
Avoid the eyes.
Always reapply after washing.
If any irritation occurs wash off immediately and discontinue use.

This insect repellent will keep for about a year if stored in a cool and dry location.                                                           

Some people grow their own lemongrass from stalks purchased at the market, and if you can do this all the better for you. Maybe you can make some extra batches of the repellent and share with your friends and neighbors.

Other uses for lemongrass include herbal tea made from an infusion of the chopped herb soaked in boiling water and then strained. Used in this method lemongrass is good for helping reduce fevers, stomach cramps, and as a general digestive aid.

Although this recipe does not call for either lemongrass or citronella oils please note that neither oil should be used directly on the skin; they should always be diluted.

This is just one variation of a homemade insect repellent. Please feel free to share your own recipes.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Whimsical Wednesdays

In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats ~ English Proverb   

I am always impressed and inspired by people designing, developing and making wonderful handmade items beyond the bath and body world, and I'd like to show off some of my favorite things starting with the Couch Bumper Cat Scratcher. This is a cat scratcher that will save your couch!

Some people are lucky, and their cats use scratching posts and cardboard boxes without any issues. For those other cat guardians who have tried towers, standing scratching posts, double sided tape, negative aromas, aluminum foil, and both positive and negative reinforcement with no luck this may be the solution for both you and your cat/s.
The Couch Bumper is hand constructed with much care and attention to detail and the highest quality materials are used. Look for these details:

* Staples used to attach scratching material - no glue in order to allow the piece to last longer.

* Heavy-duty 4mm braided, hand-wrapped sisal rope.

* High quality Baltic Birch wood, no particle board, so it will withstand your kitties abuses while being attractive to you.

* Sturdy base that sits under your couch leg making the bumper stable and secure.

* Attractive and neutrally stained to fit any room décor.

* Catnip infused sisal to attract kitty right away.

The Couch Bumper is available in two heights: 18” and 22”.

You can find all of the details on couchbumper's Etsy page.

If you have other cat scratching remedies please share them.

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Whimsical Wednesdays

Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.  ~Lillie Langtry

As a fan of glass and handmade home goods I would like to introduce you to BPR Designs and their unique handmade fused glass creations. They make some beautiful soap dishes, both large and small sizes, in addition to dishes, platters and other home decor pieces.

Here are some of my favorite soap dishes:

Blue and White Streaky Glass Soap Dish by BPR Designs

Clean and White Glass Soap Dish by BPR Designs

Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us.

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses

   
 

Beauty Benefits of Kokum Butter

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. ~Ashley Smith

When I started to make my own body care products a few years ago I started to experiment with different ingredients in lotions and creams, and I really fell in love with Kokum Butter. You will find Kokum Butter in lotions, creams and body butters that advertise skin healing properties because Kokum Butter is composed of many compounds that help to regenerate skin cells.

Kokum Butter is rich in essential fatty acids, which aid in cell oxygenation and make nutrients more readily available for use by skin tissues, and also contains antioxidant vitamin E. And, yes, Kokum Butter is non-comedogenic (non pore-clogging) so it it helps with quick absorption. I find that the addition of Kokum Butter adds a more lush and silky texture to lotions and creams and makes my skin feel super smooth and soft for much of the day. Because Kokum Butter helps regenerate tired and worn skin cells and supports skin elasticity it is used in health and beauty products that advertise the ability to prevent dry skin and wrinkles. This is a great ingredient to look for if you have mature or dry skin.

The Kokum tree is a tropical evergreen fruit tree that provides culinary, industrial and medicinal uses especially in ayurvedic and eastern medicines. The trees are found in the forests of Goa in India. The dried outer skin is used as a culinary spice. The seeds, fruits, and extracted oils of and are used in curries and syrups. The bark and young leaves provide astringent benefits.

NOTE: We recommend that if you have persistent skin problems, such as eczema, please consult a physician before using Kokum Butter. Not recommended by those with nut allergies.

Enjoy and remember,

Pamper Your Skin

Indulge Your Senses

Tell us what inspires you.

Whimsical Wednesdays

Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants. ~William Osler

Summer is almost officially here in the Bay Area which means time for shoes and socks and not flip flops beacuse fog season is approaching. ugh..

Maybe this soap dish would help interest the little ones to wash their hands more? Nah, that's just wishful thinking I'm sure, but it sure is cute!

I found this at Target.

Photos of your favorite funky bath and beauty items are welcome. Please share them with us at joyofsoap@gmail.com

Pamper your skin   Indulge your senses