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.