Glossary of Soap Making Terms

We have recently added a Glossary of Soap Terms to GoPlanetEarth's Resource page. It's just another one of the many ways GoPlanet is working to provide our customers with the necessary tools of the trade. If you'd like to see other terms added, please let us know.

The glossary lists terms in alphabetical order for easy reference.

Mold Market Releases 3 New Designs

Mold Market (our favorite molds!!) recently released three new designs. We sold out of the Inspirational Stones within the first week. It definitely tops our list as a BEST SELLER.

Not only does Mold Market offers top quality soap molds, but they are also a strong supporter of the soap making industry in general. Their support includes the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG), Novi Studio, Saponifier magazine and a host of annual soap making conferences & events throughout the US. Best yet, all Mold Market molds are made in the USA. Here is their commitment to USA manufacturing:

"Mold Market is committed to providing jobs for American workers and to supporting domestic manufacturers and suppliers. Our molds are American made and we are proud of this fact.

Mold Market molds are produced in United State factories. Many mold companies in the industry have moved production overseas to take advantage of low labor costs and generally cheaper production and material costs. We are saddened to find that some companies are advertising "Made in the USA" when this is not true. Mold Market elects to provide jobs to the U.S. workforce despite the competition from lower cost imports.

We hope that you will support us in our effort to provide high quality designer molds for discriminating consumers desiring U.S products."

Currently, GoPlanetEarth is offering a special. Purchase 7 or more Mold Market molds and we'll include a FREE eco-friendly, reuseable tote bag in your shipment. The bag is perfect for the beach, groceries, or the gym. Get yours while quantites last.

Who are you and what have you done with my wife?

This was the question my husband recently asked when he noticed I was wearing a toe ring. I had been to the salon earlier for a pedicure and was talking to the staff about purchasing a toe ring. I felt a bit apprehensive about wearing a toe ring and they quickly reassured me that plenty of middle-aged women are wearing toe rings and to "go for it". My nail tech recommended a local establishment for the purchase and here you have it. I bought three. A dragonfly (pictured), a plain silver ring, and a faceted flower.

My husband wasn't quite sure what had happened to his wife as it's not something I would normally even consider purchasing, much less wearing. He was actually quite delighted. And no, you won't find me wearing a belly button ring!! At my age, you have to draw the line somewhere and that's DEFINITELY the line for me. I'll leave navel piercing to the younger generation.

Focusing on Product Safety

You trust Go Planet Earth soap making supplies to provide safe products, and we take that responsibility very seriously. That's why we want to give you an update on recent legislation aimed at increasing the safety of children's products.

Among other things, the new legislation strengthens rules for lead content and phthalates (a chemical used in plastic) in children's products, mandates third-party testing and provides more resources for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency that will implement the new requirements. The vendors and manufacturers that we work with have taken an active role in the legislative process by working with members of Congress and the retail and toy industries, all with the goal of strengthening the safety of children's products in the United States. Since we sell a good number of rubber ducks and other toy embeds for soap making projects, we wanted you to be assured that

• 100% of our toy products are tested before they ship to us. We do not authorize shipment of products unless they meet federal safety requirements.
  
• The toy products we sell are tested by one of the world's largest independent consumer product testing laboratories.
  

You can be confident that I am focused on the safety of our products and are doing all we can to ensure the safety of children.

Skin Nurturing Sushi Soap Roll

My husband is vegan and a big fan of sushi. Recently, he brought home sushi from our favorite Asian deli. Hmmmm.... I started thinking about how I could make sushi soap. The above photo shows the end result.

I used ground Adzuki beans (found in Asian food stores/health food stores), ground oats, and sea salt as exfoliants. Soy protein powder was also added to the mix along with Ginger Lime fragrance oil. I rolled the soap in Nori seaweed which is found in most Asian food stores or the ethnic section of grocery stores.

These soaps display nicely in the clear acetate soap boxes sold at GoPlanetEarth.com. You can shrink wrap the finished soaps or heat seal inside one of our new Eco Bags (bio-degradable cellulose bags that are Earth-friendly!). Position the finished soaps atop a bed of green paper shred or use with Bento grass.

View Instructional:

I've Been Busy with Baby Fischer

Probably no one more than my daughter has been counting down the days until the arrival of Fischer Michael. It was a rough pregnacy for her , but Baby Fischer and mommy are doing well. He weighed in at a whooping 9 lbs., 6 oz.


I won't have much extra time the next couple of weeks as I lend a hand to care for my other two grandkids so that Mommy can recover. Please be patient while I take some time to enjoy this wonderful celebration of life. I promise to be back up to full speed by August to once again answer your questions and assist you with your soap making endeavors.

About the FDA Globalization Act of 2008

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce released a Discussion Draft of the "Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008." The “Discussion Draft is meant to stimulate discussion about how to provide adequate funding and authority for FDA to ensure safety of . . . food, drug, medical device, and cosmetic” products.

While the bulk of the document addresses the safety of foods and drugs, there is a section on cosmetics that, if enacted as it is currently stated, will have an adverse effect on any cosmetic manufacturer - and that includes all of us who make any products that fall under the FDA definition of "cosmetic".

This video gives more insight about how this act will affect small businesses and why it's important to take a proactive stand against this proposed Draft Legislation. As it stands, the act would require small cosmetics companies to pay thousands of dollars a year in registration fees and comply with burdensome paperwork that would serve only to put them out of business.

Marie Gale, President of the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild, has commited to making it a primary mission of the The Guild is to "give a voice to the handcrafted soapmaker". She states, "You can count on my making our voice heard on this matter in those hallowed halls of Congress!"

What can you do? Copy and paste the following Petition text and send it to Virgil Miller at virgil.miller@mail.house.gov. Mr. Miller is a Professional Staff Member with the House Energy & Commerce Committee. Make your voice count!

Petition Text:

We are the owners of small cosmetics companies, and the customers who love their products.
We understand that laws must be in place to protect everyone from unsafe products, but we are outraged by the Draft Legislation that would require small cosmetics companies to pay thousands of dollars a year in registration fees and comply with burdensome paperwork that would serve only to put them out of business.

If passed the legislation would deny thousands of families the ability to earn an honest living, and also deprive consumers of the variety of cosmetics and personal care products available to choose from.

We oppose this law and condemn any companies that support it as being interested only in creating an unlevel playing field where small and family owned businesses will be forced from the marketplace before they even get a chance to start out.

We urge you, as our representatives in Congress, to stop this law which would serve only to make it even harder for families to support themselves. We call instead for a real and meaningful discussion about how Congressional goals can be accomplished without enacting unfair laws that make it impossible for small businesses to survive.

In signing this Petition, we formally request that the Discussion Draft of the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 be marked up so that the legitimate concerns of small businesses and the consumers they serve can be translated into reasonable laws that protect consumers without also killing small businesses by making them pay unfair fees and comply with burdensome paperwork.

We sincerely thank you for your time.

New Lye Calculator offered by the Soap Guild

The Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild now has their our own Lye Calculator!

Unlike other lye calculators on the web, the HSMG Lye Calculator allows you calculate by the total amount of oils used OR by the percentage of oils within a specified batch size. You can also calculate sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) or a combination of both.
The Guild has licensed with the American Oil Chemist's Society to use the SAP values they have determined as standards for the oils. Since all oils vary from location to location and year to year, the AOCS provides a range of of acceptable values for each oil. In the HSMG Lye Calculator, you will see what those ranges are and what number is being used in the calculations. You will have the option to change the SAP value being used if you know the actual SAP value of the oil you have.

While there have been lye calculators available, there's never one like the new HSMG Lye Calculator when it comes to providing you with all the information and calculations you need to make the best possible batch of soap.

If you are not already a member of the Soap Guild, I encourage you to join! The Guild offers many valuable services designed specifically for those in the soap making industry. If you are already a member of the Guild, you can check out the Lye Calculator by logging in to the member area and you'll see a link in the top left menu bar.

There is also a non-member version of the HSMG Lye Calculator available in the "Industry" section of the website. It doesn't allow for specification of an exact SAP value and a few other things, but it's still a great lye calculator. This is an incredible tool for those of you making Cold Process or Hot Process soaps. I hope you take advantage of this FREE tool.

Soap Kabobs on Bamboo Skewers

This week our staff had fun making these "kabob" soaps. We elected to use three of our top selling soap bases.... hemp oil, olive oil, and organic. We wanted an earthy feel so we used "earthy" pigments such as red, yellow, brown and orange oxide, plus a small amount of kelly green. Since this was an Asian themed soap, we picked scents with an Asian appeal, like Teak and Sandalwood, Green Tea, Bamboo & Green Tea.


For visual appeal and texture we added medium coarse sea salts, ground oats, and caraway seed. We were pretty happy with the results. I am hoping that the pictorial video we put together will inspire. How about a fruit kabob or chocolate fondue kabobs? Try adding some ground loofah for texture, or botanicals.

If you don't want to use bamboo skewers, use a large-eye needle (found at most craft stores) and thread the soap pieces onto hemp or natural jute cord.

Step-by-step printable instructions should be posted on GoPlanetEarth web site within the next few days. You can view the pictorial video below.

Fun Cupcake Bath Set

Happy Birthday Chocolate Spa Cupcake $29.99

A whimsical Happy Birthday Chocolate Spa Cupcake filled with indulgent chocolate-scented treats, including bath gel, body lotion, foot scrub, a candle and more.

Consider using a chocolate theme for your own bath and body products. GoPlanetEarth's fudge brownie, chocolate cherry and chocolate fragrance oils are ideal for "chocolate" themed products.

Package your "themed" bath products in a large paper bucket available here. Decorate the unprinted bucket with cut-out shapes from up-scale wrapping paper. Adhere the cut out shapes with craft glue. Fill the bucket with colorful paper shred, arrange your product in the bucket and you're good to go. When marketing themed product, you want all of the product, including the bucket, to have the same color scheme.


The gift set pictured is availabe at Costco and includes the following:

16 oz. White Chocolate Bubble Bath
8.4 oz. Cocoa Chocolate Bath Gel
8.4 oz. Milk Chocolate Body Lotion
7.5 oz Chocolate Scented Candle in glass jar
4.4 oz. Chocolate Peppermint Foot Scrub
2.2 oz. Cocoa Chocolate Bath Salts
Plastic Pumps 2-pieces
White Poof Sponge

FREE Tote Bag Offer From Mold Market

Mold Market is offering a special promo. If you buy 7 of the Mold Market brand molds you will receive a gift tote made from recycled materials. These are truly quality molds!!

The bag is constructed of 100% non-woven soft textured polypropylene with the look and feel of cloth. Measures 12" x 16" x 6". This bag sports stitched seams for durability, side and bottom gussets for extra room. Tear resistant and water repellent. Perfect for the beach or a day of shopping. Blue color. Hurry.... while quantities last!

Check out a few of the Mold Market mold designs:

Instructional Video: How to Color Sea Salts

Looking for an easy way to color your bath sea salts? This short video may help. The "Sea Salt Dyes" from GoPlanetEarth.com are exceptional. They are a special blend of glycerine and FDA approved lake colors and come in a concentrated form. A 50/50 ratio of water to salt dye can be added to thin it down.

It's OK to use regular tap water. The water will make the product less intense, and easier to blend into the salts. Because glycerine is a natural preservative, you may dilute the product in advance and keep it on your shelf with no fears of it going bad as long as you dilute the salt dye with no more than half water.

Life gets crazy... 7 tips to help you stay focused

My life has been so crazy lately. On a 'crazy" scale of 1 to 10, I'm nearing the 10 marker. There is so much going on and I find myself losing focus. At the end of the work day, it seems I haven't accomplished much of anything. In my opinion, this whole multi-tasking thing is WAY over-rated. Last night I sat down to take stock of what I needed to do to stay focused so that I'm not living everyday in the fast track. I want my life back and here's what I'm doing to help "ME" do just that.

1) Accept what you have. The problem with many of us is that we always think that we’ll be happy when we reach a certain destination — when we get a certain job, or retire, or get our dream house. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there, you might have a new destination in mind. Instead, try being happy with where you are, with who you are, and what you have. To do that, instead of comparing what you have with other people, or with what you want, compare yourself those who have less, with those who are going through tragedy, with those who are struggling. You will see that you actually are extremely blessed. And this can lead to more happiness with your current situation.


2) Limit your information intake. In our lives today, we get a tremendous amount of information through email, blog feeds, reading websites, paperwork, memos, newspapers, magazines, television, DVDs, radio, mobile phones and Blackberries. Not only can this be overwhelming, but it can be distracting and can fill up your life until you have no time for more important things. Go on a media fast to get control over your information intake, and to simplify your life.


3) Don’t compare yourself to others. This is hard to do, but it can be a great way to accept who you are and what you have. Whenever you find yourself comparing yourself to a co-worker, a friend, or someone famous (those models on magazines with amazing abs), stop. And realize that you are different, with different strengths. Take a minute to appreciate all the good things about yourself, and to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.


4) Single-task. I don’t believe in multi-tasking, at least not on a day-to-day basis. Instead, focus on one task at a time. This leads to greater productivity and less stress. You can’t go wrong with that kind of combination.

Instead:

Plan your day in blocks, with open blocks in between for urgent stuff that comes up. You might try one-hour blocks, or half-hour blocks, depending on what works for you. Or try this: 40 minute blocks, with 20 minutes in between them for miscellaneous tasks.


First thing in the morning, work on your Most Important Task. Don’t do anything else until this is done. Give yourself a short break, and then start on your next Most Important Task. If you can get 2-3 of these done in the morning, the rest of the day is gravy.


Savor the little things. Sure, the big things can bring big pleasure, but there are so many more little things in our lives. Savor them when they come up. It’s a way of practicing being present — stop and notice what you’re doing right now, what’s around you. And take time to enjoy it.


5) Enjoy the journey. Goals are important, but not at the expense of happiness now. It’s important to maintain a balance between going where you want to go, and being happy as you go there. It’s easy to forget that, so be sure to remind yourself of this little, but important, tip as you make your journey.


6) Pare your To-Do list down to the essentials. If your list has 20 things on it, just choose three for today. But you want to do five or seven? Be ruthless. Prioritize, and only choose three. Write those three on a separate piece of paper, and that’s your to-do list for today. Be sure that at least one of them leads to your short-term goal for this week. The other two should definitely be starred tasks — those really, really important ones.


7) Instead of taking on every request that comes your way, learn to say no. Only accept those tasks that really must be done by you, that are worth your time, and that will give you the most benefit in the long run. Say no to all the rest, as hard as that may be. Or delay — tell them to ask you again next week. Often the request will go away.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

My parents celebrated their 56th wedding anniversay this past Saturday. Many of you know from my posts that my Dad is ill with cancer. He's been fighting the disease for nearly three years now and is pretty much bed-ridden at this point. He's a man of strong faith and refuses to give up hope. He never complains, but instead chooses to keep a merry heart. There are few things I "hate" in life, but cancer is one of them.

I'm fortunate to have both parents living and I treasure every moment spent with them. Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

Weight Loss: Week Six

I haven't posted lately as I've been out of the office for the last week. I was curious to know how I would do with my weight loss while away. I did manage to squeeze in a few walks, but I certainly wasn't counting calories like I usually do.

The good news is no weight gain! Now that I am back into my normal routine, I hope to move forward. I have lost 1/2 of my weight goal. The weather in Michigan has finally warmed up so I should be able to do some walking outdoors. The treadmill is fine, but it would be nice to walk in fresh air for a change. Crossing my fingers I can lose another pound this week.

Melt & Pour Soap: Butterfly Curl Soaps

After a long, cold winter, we Northerners are always anxious for signs of Spring. The first spotting of a colorful butterfly signifies that Spring has arrived. This project features a clear glycerine butterfly soap embedded with colorful soap curls. This project can be completed in as little as 60 minutes and makes a wonderful gift for Mother's Day, Easter, or just for yourself!

Here's what you need:

• Mold Market's Butterfly Sheet Mold
• 1-lb Clear Glycerine Soap- will yield approximately 4 butterflies
• Soap Curls or colored soap scraps. You will want at least 3-4 different colors.
• 2 teaspoons fragrance oil per 1 lb. soap base- this recommendation is based on the fragrance oils we stock. You may need to adjust the amount if using another supplier's fragrance.
• Soap Thermometer- absolutely essential when working with embedded soap
• Glass Measuring Cup
• Microwave or Aluminum Melting Pot
• Rubbing Alcohol in a spray bottle

VIEW STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONAL:

Melt & Pour Soap: Learn to Make Sea Shell Embed Soap

Here in Northern Michigan the first signs of Spring are evident. Warm beach weather isn't far off and we'll soon be heading to our beach houses or cottages along the shorelines of the Great Lakes.

This shell embed soap is perfect for summer beach houses no matter where you live. And, it's very easy to make. All the supplies for this soap project can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com.

We've provided a step-by-step pictorial video below. Prinatable instructions will be availabe on the Projects Page at GoPlanetEarth very soon.

Weight Loss: Week Four Weigh In

Well, it's now been one month since I started my weight loss plan. Here is what I lost this week (shown in soap, of course).

That BIG block of soap shown (left) in the photo is the amount of weight I hope to lose. To the right of the BIG block is the amount of weight I've lost in the last three weeks. When you add the above block of soap, you can see that I am making progress. I'm very close to the halfway mark. Last week three people asked if I had lost weight. That was encouraging. Personally, I still don't note any changes in how I look or how my clothes fit. I do have more energy though.

I've increased the pace on my treadmill walks and have added some upper arm resistance training. Also started some ab excercises this week. WHOA! my stomach is sure feeling the burn.

How to Make Soap Curl Embeds

Once you've mastered how to make Soap Logs, you can then have the option of making soap curls. Soap curls are great for embedding in molded cavities. Use only 'non-bleeding' colors when making these embeds. You don't want the colors from your embeds migrating into your soap overpour. If you look at the picture below, you will see how the clear soap (the overpour) has remained just that, clear. The pigments used in the soap curls were non-bleeding colors. The color stays put!

Most of the liquid gel colors sold at GoPlanetEarth are non-bleeding. The above picture shows some of the beautiful, bright colors you can achieve with liquid gels. Curls pictured (above) were all achieved using FLX Formula white soap base. You can use FLX white or FLX clear bases to create soap curls. Which base you use will depend on the colors you want for your curls. The dark purple and mulberry curls in the rectangle soap were achieved by coloring FLX clear base. FLX white base was colored for the lavender and rose curls.

VIEW INSTRUCTIONAL:

Embedding Soap Log in a Loaf Mold

In my last post I showed you how to make a soap log and a ribbon embed for use in a Mold Market loaf mold. This post will show you how to make the loaf of soap. For this demonstration a soap log colored with Neon Bright Pink liquid gel was used. The overpour is white soap; no additional color added.

Supplies for this project can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com, including the loaf mitre box and straight soap cutter. A wavy soap cutter can also be used with the mitre box.

VIEW INSTRUCTIONAL:

How to Make Soap Logs and Ribbon Shaped Embeds

In January 2008, GoPlanetEarth discontinued the production of ready-made soap logs and ribbon embeds. We were the only company online offering these types of embeds 'ready-made'. The order volume was overwhelming, and simply put, we just couldn't keep up with production. Since discontinuing the embeds, emails come in daily from customers wanting to know how to make these embeds. My response is always "an instructional is forthcoming". Well, that day has arrived!

We have produced a step-by-step instructional on how to make, not only, these embeds, but how to use them to make a loaf soap. There's also a bonus instructional on how-to make 'soap curls' for use in molded cavities. Printed instructions are in the works and will be posted on our web site shortly.

I definitely recommend purchasing our FLX Melt and Pour soap base when creating these embeds. It has a slower set up time which allows you to manipulate the soap base before it becomes to brittle to shape and form. FLX soap base is available in both clear and white (opaque).

VIEW INSTRUCTIONAL:

Weight Loss: Week Three Weigh In

This week I hit the goal I had set for Week Five. That's good news; but, I'm still not feeling the weight loss when I put on my clothes. I'm going to add another day of walking to my regimen and see what happens.

I'm still eating very balanced meals and sticking with five small meals a day. I'm starting to get more creative in my meal planning. Today was my first time eating out in three weeks. We went to a Mexican restaurant of all places. There wasn't much on the menu in the low-fat neighborhood, so I ended up with a chicken taco salad. I did splurge on a Corona Light. Would have opted for a Marguerita but the calories would have put me back a few days.

I would love to lose another couple of pounds this week.

The Phthalate Debate

I received the following email from a customer concerned about Phthalate issues. I have posted my response on the blog in response to other emails and phone calls I have received about this 'hot' topic.

Denise:

You know, it's was surprising last year that most of the vendors I utilize for my M&P soap making hobby, even know what Phthalates were. Now, it seems to be some are changing and some are not. That's ok. I still have some questions that I'm hoping you can help me with. I'm sure this is a major undertaking... I am looking forward to hearing from you. I currently have a drawer full of fragrances I need to use up, and reassess the direction I'm going.

Sincerely,
A.B

Here is my post:

There has been much debate in recent years about the use of 'phthalates' in cosmetics, fragrances oils, and medical equipment. Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds used in plastics and as fragrance stabilizers. The discussions concerning the use of phthalates have increased lately due to a report published in the Pediatrics Journal about the alleged health effects of phthalates in children. The Journal conducted a study in Seattle that analyzed urine samples from 163 infants for the presence of phthalates. The presence of at least one phthalate molecule was found in every urine sample, while 81% of the samples had measurable amounts of more than one phthalate. Those infants exposed to multiple fragranced baby products tended to have the highest level of phthalates in their urine. Based on this, it was concluded that the topical application of fragranced baby products was the culprit.

A rebuttal was issued to these finding by the Personal Care Products Council. They stated that the results “do not make sense because only one of the seven phthalate compounds reported is even used in baby care products. This suggests that most of the phthalates found in the urine samples came from another route of exposure…” DEP (diethyl phthalate) is the phthalate used in fragranced baby-care products which is regarded as safe for use. The researchers responsible for the published study did not test any baby-care products for the presence of phthalates (only urine samples were examined) and their research did not account for other potential means of exposure. The mere presence of DEP does not equate to genuine risk.

The FDA continues to evaluate data on DEP and has not taken any action to restrict the use of DEP in fragrances. Extensive research on DEP has shown no evidence of being a reproductive toxin or endocrine disruptor as suggested. Even the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) which provides scientific advice on the safety of non-food consumer products has concluded that DEP is safe for use in cosmetic products in the present practices of use and concentrations and represents no quantifiable risk for the consumer. The SCCP is the regulatory arm of the European Union comparable to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).

GoPlanetEarth realizes there are individuals who may want to advertise a Phthalate-free product. Over the course of the next few months we will be adding a line of Phthalate-free fragrances to enable buyers to make fragrance choices based on their marketing niche and customer base. GoPlanet's current fragrance selections will remain unchanged.

Sources:

http://www.fmafragrance.org/sub_pages/071112truthaboutphthalates.pdf
http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/phthalates_summary.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/sccp/documents/out168_en.pdf
http://www.phthalates.org/yourhealth/personal_care.asp

Melt & Pour Soap: A Beginner's Primer

I've been in the soaping business for so long that I sometimes forget there are many newcomers who are clueless to the basics of melt and pour soap making. Just this week I received an email from a customer wanting to know just that...the basics. A 'primer', so to speak. GoPlanet put together this no-frills short instructional video for those just discovering the world of melt and pour. After viewing the instructions, you should be able to make your first bar of soap without a hitch.

Questions? Just email. The crew at GoPlanet will be glad to answer any questions pertaining to this primer or help you select the supplies needed to get started. A printed version of this primer will be available on the web site project page in the couple of days.

WARNING: Melt & Pour soap making can be addicting. Once you get started, it may be hard to quit.

Weight Loss Weigh In: Week Two

Well, I'm still on track! I've been walking on the treadmill 4x a week for 35 minutes and eating 5 small meals a day. Also started using a soy protein powder. I'm adding 1 scoop to 8 ounces of liquid or sprinking on my morning oatmeal or cereal. I'll let you know if the soy protein mix is worthy of the advertising hype. Still haven't started any resistance weight training, mostly because I barely have time to schedule in treadmill time. I have a niece who's a certifed personal trainer; I think I'll schedule her for 2 sessions to set up a resistance training regime.

So far, I'm happy with my results. It's a good start, but there's still many more pounds to go. I have a feeling that the weight loss won't be so dramatic in this next week. I'm trying to stay encouraged, but I'm not noticing any changes in how I look or how my clothes fit. Maybe next week!

What's the Scoop on Organic Labeling & Marketing

Organic, Organic, Organic

Everywhere we turn there’s some kind of "organic" product being marketed and sold. My local grocery store stocks several aisles of organic product, not to mention a whole fruit and produce section. Organic products are not just limited to food stuff. Lately there has been a myriad of cosmetic and toiletry companies introducing "organic lines". So what does this mean to you, the consumer? What exactly is organic and does it differ from certified organic?

First, it is important to understand that there is no agency or governmental branch that regulates a "Certified Organic" product. Currently the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) works from a Food Industry list that includes food products deemed safe as certified organic raw materials. It’s called the 205.605 list. That works for the food industry, but many of the items on the list are not choices for the toiletry or soap industry. The word "organic" is not properly regulated on personal care products as it is on food products.

By law, you must go through a third party company that has been commissioned by the USDA to certify your product as certified organic. So even if a certified organic lab creates your product, in order to carry the seal, you must involve an independent party to certify your product. It is costly and at this point in time, does not mean any more than following USDA guidelines. This is why you almost never see a product with the actual certified organic seal.

Currently, if your product contains 70% certified organic ingredients, you can legally call it an organic product. This does not mean the product carries a “Certified Organic” seal, it only means that the product contains 70% certified organic ingredients. To carry the Certified Organic seal the product would still need to go through a USDA approved independent for certification approval.

Sadly because of such lax regulation, many personal care products have the word "organic" in their brand name or otherwise on their product label. However, unless these products are USDA certified, the main cleansing ingredients in particular are usually made with conventional not agricultural material, combined with petrochemical compounds.

For now, "organic" means whatever manufacturers say it does and may fall short of the promises implied by the label. There are people working to organize this industry to have agreed upon standards to carry the organic seal, but they do not yet exist, so everybody is working off of the 70% organic standard. This means that 70% of the ingredients in formulas are Certified Organic raw ingredients. Again, this does not mean that the formula is Certified Organic. It does mean that it is an Organic Product.

Presently, as of January 2008, the NSF organization is working to define organic labeling and marketing requirements for organic personal care products. They are working for standards in materials, processes, production criteria and conditions to be met in order for the organic label and marketing claims to appear on products.

NSF is an independent, not-for-profit organization that develops standards that are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment systems.
You can have a voice in this whole organic debate. Visit the following link and sign the “Coming Clean Petition’ to pressure the Organic Trade Association and USDA’s National Organic Program not to codify or implement extremely weak standards for organic cosmetics
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/action.cfm

You will find additional information about Organic Regulations, product and safety information at:

Organic Trade Association
http://www.ota.com/index.html

Organic Consumers
http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Personal Care Council
http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/

NSF Organization
http://www.nsf.org/

How to Wrap a Bar of Soap

I thought it odd the first few times I received emails from customers about how to wrap a bar of soap. I thought, doesn't everyone know how to wrap soap? As I considered my customer base, I realized I have a great number of customers new to soap making. Many have no idea that melt and pour soap needs to be wrapped or what wraps are recommended.

Melt and pour soap must be wrapped to prevent it from sweating. Left unwrapped, little moisture droplets called 'glycerine dew' will appear on the surface of finished soaps. These are perfectly harmless, but not so pleasing to the eye. Melt and pour soap base contains glycerine. By nature, glycerine draws moisture from the air which creates unsightly little water beads on the surface of unwrapped soap. The only way to prevent this from happening is to wrap the soap.

Some soapers prefer to use shrink bags or shrink wrap. My personal favorite for wrapping melt and pour soap is basic stretch wrap (I prefer the Saran brand, red box, I swear by it). The following video takes you through the process of wrapping a basic square soap. I'll cover how to wrap circles, ovals, and odd shaped soaps in a future post. Once you master the technique, you can wrap a number of bars in no time flat. The secret is to not pull too hard on the stretch wrap and the have the stretch wrap cut to fit your bar. You don't want a bunch of extra wrap on the backside of your soap.

Stenciling on Soap

This week I experimented with our soap stencils using colored mica powder as the medium. Sapphire blue and 24 kt. gold mica powders were used for this celestial star soap. I used a plain white square soap (a Mold Market mold), but any basic shape can be used as long as the surface is flat.

The secret to stenciling with mica powder is controlling the amount of powder on your brush. You must use dabbing, stippling motions with the brush and make sure that your stencil is pressed tightly against the face of the soap. Mica is like dust and the particles want to go everywhere.

Pictured is a stenciled soap with a ribbon design (ribbon stencil available from GoPlanetEarth.com). These would make great soaps for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

VIEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO:

Soap Motivates Weight Loss

"Blocks of Soap Motivates Woman to Lose Weight". Reads like a headline on the cover of a tabloid magazine. In this case, the headline reads true.

For most of my adult life I've been fit, trim and worked out at the gym regularly. I was a perfect size 6. The key word here is WAS. When middle age hit and all the hormones went wacky I was suddenly thurst into the battle of the bulge.

For a number of years I've been telling myself I need to lose weight. My intentions are good but I never follow through and every year I add a few more pounds. I never step on a scale unless it's at my annual physical. Well, last week I was forced to step on a scale and was shocked. Certainly that scale wasn't calibrated properly.

A few days later while cutting and weighing blocks of soap I had an epiphany. All those neatly stacked soap blocks equaled the same number of overweight pounds I was carrying. It was a frightening thought. No, let me rephrase that. It was a horrifying thought. In that epiphany moment, I visualized that enormous mound of soap as my body fat. Suddenly that soap became my motivator and I immediately committed myself to losing these middle age pounds. The treadmill has come out of storage and my eating habits are being revised.

I will be posting a weekly blog progess report in the hopes it will give me added incentive to stay on track. My goal is quite realistic. Two to three pounds a week. I hope you'll cheer me on.

Here are the results for Week One.

As you can see, I have a long way to go. The amount I lost this week pales in comparison to what I need to lose. I start excerising on the treadmill tomorrow to step up my metabolism to a fat burning level so I can burn additional calories. Not sure where I will fit this routine into my hectic day, but where there's a will, there's a way!

A Conversation with Chris from Bathanicals

Chris Dzyngel, owner of Bathtanicals, has a fabulous spa-quality product line. For those of you just starting out in the soaping/toiletry biz, she's an inspiration. Chris started small (like many of us) and has successfully grown her business to include a full line of products that has more than achieved her goals. Here is my conversation with Chris....

Chris, we've been acquainted for a number of years and I know that your business and web site have been an evolution. What processes have you gone through to reach your goals?

Bathtanicals has been in business for about ten years and has evolved from a part-time avocation to a full-time vocation. As a part-time avocation, it was a great stress reliever during my career as an automotive engineering designer. As a full-time vocation, it is an activity I choose to do after retirement.

After several years of researching and observing we put together a business plan to take on Bathtanicals, full time. But, just before transitioning from a part-time to a full-time business, my husband and I were faced with a major health issue. In fact, the diagnosis came in, one week before full-time lift off! We adapted by putting our plans on hold to concentrate on medical treatments. Being able to adapt is an important quality in running a small business. Two years later, we are back to manufacturing and selling bath products. With a revised business plan, a refined product line, and an updated web site we are back at it with a (hopefully) bit more experience but still enthusiastic.

You seem to have a healthy attitude about the things life can throw your way. We all know life deals us a 'monkey wrench' once in awhile. How do you stay focused?

For me, the glass is always full! And the empty half is just waiting to be filled up!! I believe it's critical to have a business plan in place. Over the years, ours have evolved and changed many times. But that business plan keeps us on a path to our goal.

What advice do you have for others just starting out in business, or those wanting to start their own product lines?

Good customer service is very important. It is critical to be knowledgeable, honest, courteous, and available when a customer has an inquiry. That will make your company stand out from a competitor.

We use prototypes help us determine when a product is ready to be added to the line. By actually formulating and packaging a product we can ensure the validity and stability of that product. Prototyping protects against unexpected changes after the product leaves our facility. Some scents can change or discolor a product; the wrong combination of packaging and product can cause shipping or shelf life problems.

Bathtanicals products are based on exclusive formulations, created as natural as practicality allows from the best quality ingredients. We pride ourselves on presenting products without filler or unnecessary ingredients.

Where do you sell your products?

We retail and wholesale to shops, and direct sell on our web site, http://www.bathtanicals.com/. It is important to understand that web sites must morph to adapt business changes, product changes, style changes, new technologies, etc., etc. Once you launch a web site you have a full time job changing content, researching competitors, learning, learning and more learning. You will not get the full potential of your site if you launch it and never maintain it.

The Bathtanical product line is pretty extensive. There are a number of items that piqued my interest.... the Glacier Ice Cold Process Soap with essential oils, the Bathtanicals Hydrating Cream, and the Sole Salvation gift set.

Each handcrafted soap cold process soap has a different formulation and a different purpose or texture…Sweet Milk Lather shaving soap, Berry Orange exfoliating soap, Glacier Ice Bath and Body (invigorating) and Almond Honey Bath and Body (luxurious texture).
We also handcraft bath salts, scrubs, soaks, a spritz, body butter, gift collections and carry bath accessory items. Because we all are so busy we currently are marketing under the "I need a time-out" theme.

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Chris, thank you so much for taking time to share with me. Customers like to read about someone who has successfully marketed their own product line. It inspires them and keeps their dream alive.

If you're looking for quality ready-made bath products with an obvious respect for nature you will want to visit http://www.bathanicals.com/.

Soap Frosting Revisited....

In a previous soap making instructional we showed how to make soap frosting using MP soap base and whipped soap. There was quite a bit of soap frosting left-over from that project and we weren't sure what to do with it. Could it be re-used, re-mixed, remelted, or was it a total waste? We did some experimenting to find those answers.

This video shares some of our initial findings....

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Soap Frosting

What fun! Soap frosting. This instructional video from Squeaky Clean Productions and GoPlanetEarth.com gives the basic instructions for making soap frosting. Use to frost soap cupcakes, decorate the top of loaf soaps, or just do your own creative thing.

Supplies for this instructional project are available at GoPlanetEarth.com.

There was quite a bit of soap frosting left over from this project.


















We will be doing some testing to see how and IF any left-over frosting can be reused. We'll keep you posted.

Web Site Update

We're wrapping up the final details of the new web site face-lift this week. Our "live" date is sooner than expected and we hope to have everything in place within the next two weeks.

As you can imagine this has been an enormous task. We're hoping for a smooth transfer, but I expect "fixes" will be needed as we become aware of issues.

In the process of upgrading the site, we have added some new product and laid to rest some old. I believe you will be delighted with the overall look and feel of the updated site. Your feedback will be appreciated once the launch takes place.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Easter!

Overpackaging... where do we draw the line?

This week we had a couple of warehouse workers off for Easter break. I decided to help since there was a backlog of incoming stock. YEOW!!

I was appalled at the excessive amount of packaging used by a number of suppliers. One company in particular packaged every item in its own individual (unsealed) poly bag and then used 4 interior boxes to package 12 identical items. Crazy and excessive to say the least. Just cutting down the packing boxes from this one order took considerable time.

I understand that companies want to distinguish one brand from another which is done using cardboard, polystyrene or plastic wrappings. And certainly there’s nothing wrong with reasonable packaging as it's absolutely necessary to protect goods during transit. But as cited above... packing each item in its own poly bag or using excessive interior boxes is over the top.

Rest assured, I will be contacting this manufacturer directly to voice feedback. It's just a small step, but hopefully it will encourage them to take action to reduce the amount packaging they use, especially if I point out that a competitor has a more ‘environmentally friendly’ packaging.

Obviously, we want to ensure that product arrives safe and sound. But, it doesn't have to have all that extra branded packaging. This is where GoPlanetEarth is commited to buying in "bulk" whenever possible. If we can purchase items without cardboard headers or that isn't packaged inside individual bags or boxes, we will. This means less frills for you, but are all those bells & whistles important to the purpose and functionality of the items being purchased? All that branded packaging just gets tossed.

Rest assured GoPlanetEarth will continue to provide you with ingredient labels and any other packaging critical to soap making or safe handling. However, molds and many items from our packaging menu will be void of carboard headers. We'll label when necessary, but don't expect any "fancy smancy "promo packaging.

Well, there you have it... my two-cents on overpackaging. I'm sure glad I had a chance to get out into the warehouse. It was an eye-opener and certainly made me much more aware of some "green" issues I would like our company to address. Every little bit helps.

Happy Easter!!

Every few months I host a "Soap Night" for some of my close friends. This week we linked up to make Easter soaps. We made Easter duck soaps (using the Mold Market Duck Pond mold). I've posted a couple of the finished soaps. Other Easter related bath products and soaps included the Sea Salt Parfait project and bendable Easter ducks. It was a great time!!!

Want to host a "Girl's Night Out Soap Night" for your friends? Contact us, we'll help you select the right products for a night of good, clean fun.

New Mold Market Molds have Arrived!

It's always exciting to receive Mold Market's new designs. There are some really neat molds in this bunch. My favorites are the pirate, sunflower and dog print. They are all way cool. Mold Market molds continue to be our top selling mold line and are always putting out new designs. Guess that's why the company slogan is "There's always something new in the works at Mold Market!"

I encourage my soap making customers to support this mold line as they are one of the primary sponsors for the April 28-30, 2008 Handmade Soap Makers Guild (HMSG) conference.

You'll want to take a peek at the latest Mold Market designs that just arrived at GoPlanetEarth.

Melt & Pour Soap Making: Pouring Soap in Layers Part 3 (final segment)

Here is the final segment on pouring soap in layers. There are so many possibilities when working with layered soaps. This three part soap making series provides a basic understanding of the "concept" of layering soap embeds to create dimensional soaps. Hopefully it will inspire you to experiment with new and creative ways to make signature soaps that are both fun and functional. Supplies used in this 3-part project will be listed on our web site within the next couple of days and will include EZ links for purchasing.

Bragging Rights!!! Here's our Gerber Baby

Forgive me, but I just can't help myself. I've gotta brag. This is not soaping related, BUT you must admit that this is a really great pic of my daughter and granddaughter doing butterfly kisses. If there was a mother & child 2008 poster of the year, this photo should win. I'm a wee bit prejudice; ya think??

Here's a shout out to the Gerber marketing department. Should you need a toddler to represent your baby food line... here's your girl. What more could you want? Turquoise blue eyes, a winning smile, out of control curls.... and yes, those curls are all natural. I swear it takes a half bottle of conditioner and detangler when shampooing those golden locks.

This post is actually a "Bravo" to my daugher who just completed her Master's program in education. As you can see, she's pregnant and due to deliver "Baby Boy Fisher" in late June. Fisher will be our third grandchild.

OK, OK... I'm giving away my age. Doesn't matter!! I've earned every single year and wouldn't trade one minute of my fabulous life.

Melt and Pour Soap Making: Pouring Soap in Layers Part 2

Hey fellow soapers! This is part 2 of a 3 part series on pouring layered soap. Part 3 should be online in a couple of days (gives you something to look forward to!!!).

Part 2 shows you how to prepare layers of soap for embedding in a multi-cavity mold.

The entire GoPlanetEarth crew recommend using the Mold Market brand of molds for this soap project. These molds are durable, flexible and withstand repeated use.... not to mention they have an incredible selection of designs. We used the heart and oval for this project, but you can use any of the designs from this branded mold line.

Supplies for this project can be purchased at GoPlanetEarth.com. I will be posting a printed instruction sheet on the "Projects" page of our web site that lists the ingredients used for this project including links on where to shop for these items on our web site.

Melt and Pour Soap Making: Pouring Soap in Layers Part I

This is the first in a melt and pour soap making mini-series on using layered soap as embeds. Part I shows how to pour multiple layers of colored soap. The creative possibilites are endless. Part II of the mini-series will show how the layered soap was used to create some really awesome looking soaps. It should be posted in the next day or two.

All of the product used in this instructional video can be purchased at http://www.goplanetearth.com/.

Ooops! How NOT to Pour Melt & Pour Soap Layers

Well.... things didn't quite go as planned when pouring layered soap for an upcoming project. A little faux pau on my part. A chunk of white soap wasn't completely melted. In the process of pouring the soap, that one little unmelted soap chunk did a cannonball dive into my soap layers. This short video tells the story. Anyway, here's what NOT to do when pouring soap layers. Not only should your soap be cooled down (so it doesn't break through the colored layers), it should also be completely melted. As you can see, even experienced soapers have bloppers. Only goofy gals like me film it.

A snapshot of things to come...

You may have noticed that the blog has received a face lift. It's just a sneak preview of things to come. We have been working with our web site design firm for several months to bring a whole new look to the GoPlanetEarth web site. Just this week we finalized proofs and will begin the work of transferring data from the old site to the new. As you know, our web site is pretty extensive, so this will take some time. We are employing a number of trained specialists to assist with the transition. If all goes well, we are hoping to go live with the new design early summer. It's a massive project, but once completed, we believe you will find the site even easier to navigate.

This new, jazzy and fun look reflects the attitude of our company and those we employee. Staff voted on the proofs they liked best. Their vote played an important role in the final design selection.