I've had to slack a bit on my blogs over the holiday season since that is the time of year I am busiest, but I will be back in the routine of things soon. The New Year is just around the corner and I've got lots of things planned for 2010. Starting with a trip to Vietnam in mid-January. This trip will be part business and part pleasure. As you all know each year I plan trips to discover and collect ingredients for my soaps. Asia will be the focus of this years trips, I am sure I will be inspired to create all kind of different exotic soaps.
I already have a few new soaps in development and I'm also working on an organic line. I will be unveiling all of my new creations some time in mid-March. So stay tuned for my Vietnam adventure and new soaps in the New Year. I will be blogging while on my trip with videos, photos and more.
I wish you all the happiest of New Year filled with joy, success and love!
PS. I heard from Sara Valor (the winner of my soap of the month free for a year giveaway) last night and she received her first soap yesterday. I'll be looking forward to hearing how she likes it.
Well it's been a whole month and a half of tweeting, facebooking, blogging, etc. and everyone has worked hard at trying to win that FREE YEAR OF SOAP!! The time is here and I have to say I'm not surprised at the winner as she has worked so hard and wanted that soap so bad that I think she lost sleep over it ;-)!
Sara Valor is the big winner of a whole year of soap. Congratulations Sara, you have certainly earned it. Your first soap will go out this week. So pamper yourself every day this year as more soap will always be on the way LOL!!
I want to thank everyone who participated. This was really a lot of fun and there will be plenty more fun giveaways in the New Year so keep following and you might be the next winner!!
Ok I know, I know I've been slacking on blogging. I've just been so busy getting ready for the season, making, wrapping, and packing soap that I'm exhausted at the end of each day and haven't been able to get myself motivated to blog. So I'm going to make it up to you all with a giveaway!! This isn't just any giveaway, this is a whole year of free soap from me.
Here's the deal, I have a soap of the month club on my website Soap Club. I have just recently started promoting it and have had several people sign up, but I really want to get the word out. It's a great gift idea since it is only $6.75 a month, which helps a lot if you don't have a lot of money to lay down at Christmas but still want to give a substantial gift. If you add the entire year up it comes to $81, but it's easy on the wallet at only $6.75 a month. That special some one will be remembering you all year long when a new delicious gourmet soap shows up in their mailbox each month.
Now not only is it great for gifts, it's great to treat yourself to something like this too. It's a nice inexpensive way to pamper yourself every month. Since I've had so many people comment on it I thought that I would have a giveaway to promote it. So I'm giving away one of my soap of the month club subscriptions.
YOU MUST BE FOLLOWING THIS BLOG TO ENTER! So if you aren't following please follow now if you would like to participate. From now until December 15th-- tweet, blog, facebook, etc. about my soap of the month club, be sure to include a link to my soap club page DeShawn Marie Soap Club in your promotion. Then come back to this post on my blog and make a comment including the link to your promotion. Each time you do it will give you more chances to win. You can enter as many times as you want, so tweet away, blog away, facebook, digg it, stumble it all you want, just be sure to let me know in a comment to this post so I can put each of your entries in the hat to draw December 15th! Only entries that include the link to their promotion will be entered. As you enter I will put them in the hat each day and then draw the lucky winner on December 15th. So what are you waiting for?...tweet, blog, etc. and you are on your way to a year of free soap from me! :-)
***THE WINNER HAS TO EITHER LIVE IN THE USA OR HAVE IT SHIPPED WITHIN THE USA UPON WINNING.**
Well the moment you've all been waiting for is here. (at least I'd like to think you were waiting for it LOL) I've finally unveiled my NEW exotic soaps. They are now listed at my Etsy shop deshawnmarie.etsy.com I will work on getting them listed on my website, artfire and other online shops, but for now they can be purchased at my Etsy shop. I was so excited that my first day I listed them I sold several. I am very proud of these new babies so I won't waste any more time and will get to the good stuff, the pictures!
FIRST IS THE ANISE CLOVE
I'll have to admit I consider this soap my masterpiece. 6 months of research and collecting the right ingredients went into developing this prized beauty.
This isn't for the vanilla ice cream girl, this is for the more adventurous. For those who like to take a walk on the wild side. Very exotic aroma with intoxicating qualities. Contains ground anise from China, anise oil, clove oil and ginger oil to fill the air with an aroma that will keep everyone coming back for more.
SECOND ON THE LIST IS THE SUGAR LIME
I've wanted to make this soap for a long time. The picture of what I wanted it to look like has been in my head for almost a year and then voila I finally got around to it!! Smells fantastic too!
It's like sipping on a Mojito on a hot summer day. Bursting with Lime essential oil this soap is a real refresher. Sugar and mint leaves are embedded throughout the soap for exfoliation and a true Mojito experience. It's an absolute delight in the shower. Very refreshing and a great picker upper when you are feeling a little down.
THIRD IN THE LINE UP IS ORANGE SPICE
Ok now I know most soap makers have an orange spice type soap and I should have had one by now, I've wanted to make one for years, but others just ended up taking importance over it. Now I know why, I didn't want it to be just another orange spice soap. I wanted it to be special. So here it is!
Just like the name sounds. A big burst of oranges with hints of cinnamon, clove and ginger. Dusted with orange peel and cinnamon for exfoliation. Perfect for the fall season, warming, calming and sweet.
FOURTH COMES THE EUCALUPTUS LAVENDER
Now this isn't just your ordinary Eucalyptus Lavender, I've put a bit of a twist on it and added some spices. It makes the aroma much more intriguing and interesting.
It's like Sri Lanka met the Australian outback. With therapeutic aromas such as Eucalyptus and Lavender coming together with a spice blend you are bound to have something unique and special. It's a very interesting combination, for the daring and wild at heart
LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS MY NEW ORANGE ROSE SOAP
At first it seemed like an odd combination to try, but then when I started playing around with it I fell in love. Definitely one of my favorite new ones. It's just so different and exotic.
Imagine walking through a market filled with Roses, Oranges, Vanilla and a splash of Nutmeg. There now do you picture it better? It's a complex but pleasant aroma. Soft but full and not to mention this soap is a real looker ;-)
Well there you have it 5 new soaps for the holiday season. I might surprise you and squeak in a few other new ones before the holidays, but not sure yet...the ideas are in my head, we'll see if I can get it done before the holidays. In the mean time soak up these new babies and enjoy. They are my pride and joy :-)
Seaweed powder is a rich source of vitamins including vitamins B12 (not found in land plants), vitamin E, amino acids, minerals, trace elements, and other nutrients. Seaweed powder makes for an effective cleansing and exfoliating agent. When applied to the skin, Seaweed treatments act as a powerful detoxifier that draws out toxins and impurities while adding beneficial nutrients. It helps to stimulate the body's metabolism and circulation which gives skin a healthy, revitalize and glowing appearance. Seaweed contains fatty acids to combat skin irritation and inflammation; and may assist with skin ailments such as acne, psoriasis and eczema.
I have been making my Sea Salt Kelp Soap for over a year now and really enjoy it. I use whole Seaweed strips in the soap to get the benefits of the seaweed embedded into the soap.
I've recently played around with some other ways to use seaweed. I have made seaweed powder by taking a coffee grinder and putting the seaweed in it and grinding it for about 30 seconds. You can buy seaweed at the health food store or also some grocery stores will have it for making sushi. Grind it into a powder for the following recipes. It should look something like this when it is ready.
Seaweed Face Mask
Combine 1 tbsp of seaweed powder to 2 tbsp of water and 1 tsp of aloe vera gel to form a paste. Apply to the skin and leave on for about 10 minutes before washing off with warm water.
You will be amazed at the results you will get with this mask.
Seaweed is commonly used in body wraps due to it's ability to extract toxins from the skin. It is very helpful in combating cellulite too.
Seaweed Body Wrap
Combine ½ cup seaweed powder, 3 tbsp jojoba oil and 2 drops of lavender oil in a bowl. Slowly add water while stirring the mixture until it forms into a paste. Apply paste to various parts of the body and cover with plastic wrap. Leave on for 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly with warm water.
Orange Peppermint Lotion Recipe
1/2-cup mint water
1/8 tsp. borax
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. beeswax
8 drops orange oil
3-4 drops peppermint oil
Make the mint water by boiling fresh or dried mint leaves in water and then letting the mixture cool. Strain off the mint leaves. Use 1-cup fresh mint (1/4 cup dried mint leaves) to 1-cup water.
Then mix together the mint water and the borax, stirring until well mixed. Set aside. Mix together the grapeseed oil, coconut oil, and beeswax in a glass measuring cup. Place the cup with the oils--beeswax mixture in a pan of water (about 1 to 2 inches of water), making a water bath. Heat over medium heat until the beeswax is melted (8 to 10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
When the wax is melted, bring the mint solution almost to boiling (put the glass cup with the mint water/borax in the microwave on High for 1 minute, or use a water bath on the stove top).
Remove the oils-beeswax mixture from the water bath. Slowly add mint water/borax to the mixture in the blender and whip.
Allow the lotion to cool completely. The consistency may seem a bit thin, but it will thicken as it cools. Now add the peppermint and orange oils. Pour the lotion into a clean container with a lid.
I want to thank all of you for being so enthusiastic about my giveaway. It was a lot of fun since every one was trying so hard to win. Due to this I am offering all of you that participated in my giveaway a special at my ETSY shop. I was so happy to see every one involved I felt it was only fair to do something special for the rest of you. So only for giveaway contestants I am offering a buy 2 get 1 free special at my ETSY shop To redeem this all you have to do is purchase 2 soaps and then when checking out tell me in the message to seller the 3rd soap you would like and I'll stick it in for free!! Oh and also be sure to mention that you were a giveaway contestant. This offer is good until Sept. 30th.
Again congratulations to Kat and thank you to all of you!!
I'm so happy that everyone is enjoying my blog that I've decided to give another soap away. It's super easy to win too.
First off you must be following this blog to win, so if you are not please do. Secondly, once you are following all you have to do is twitter about one of my soaps on my website DeShawn Marie Soap and include a link to it in your tweet. If you'd like you can also twitter one of my soaps from my Etsy site too DeShawn Marie Etsy Once you have twittered about any of my soaps (make sure you include a link to the soap) then just add a comment to this post with the link to your tweet. It's that easy. Make sure with your comment that you leave a way for me to contact you if you win.
You can tweet as often as you want just be sure to leave a comment back here with each tweet as the more you tweet the more chances you have to win. You can enter as many times as you want. This giveaway ends on Wednesday Sept. 16th. That evening I will put all the names in a hat and draw a winner. So tweet all week and next week you might have one of these gorgeous soaps in your home. Winner gets to pick which ever soap they would like.
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
I've made a lot of different massage oils, but this one in particular is one of my favorites. I particularly enjoy the addition of the hazelnut oil as it is easily absorbed into the skin. The aroma of this is very sensual and exotic. Hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup hazelnut oil
cinnamon oil
orange oil
ylang ylang oil
Instructions:
Mix together a half-cup of olive oil and a half-cup of hazelnut oil in a bowl. Then add 10 drops of cinnamon oil, 10 drops of orange oil, and 20 drops of ylang ylang oil. Bottle the mixture immediately after blended, as essential oils evaporate quickly when exposed to the air. Store your massage oil in a glass container since the essential oils tend to break down plastic over time. Also, keep it away from heat and sunlight. All vegetable oils can go bad over time, but heat will make them go rancid rapidly so be sure to keep in a cool dry place. You may keep them in the refrigerator too.
I wanted to share this recipe with my readers as it is very easy, but also because it is as good as any store bought scrubs. This is a very nice body scrub, not too harsh. Very nice on your skin. I love the lemon and brown sugar combination it really gives it a nice natural aroma. To tell you the truth I just love it!!
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon of lemon
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon of honey
Mix brown sugar and salt, then add the lemon juice, virgin coconut oil and honey, mix well. There you have it a nice easy body scrub made just for you!
Keep in mind when making this fresh at home that you must use it quickly (within a couple of days) or store it in the fridge. The coconut oil will solidify in the fridge so allow time to defrost when going to use it next.
With this recipe you can find most of the items at your local Whole foods or health food store. This is a great idea to make for little giveaways for a party or shower. It's super easy and natural
1.5 oz of beeswax beads
1 oz of coconut oil
0.8 oz of sunflower oil
0.3 oz of lanolin
15 drops of Vitamin E oil
10 drops of Honey or honey flavored oil
Small lip balm containers or tubes
Melt all the ingredients in microwave safe container such as a
glass measuring cup. Remove when the beeswax has melted.
Add flavor oil and color, if desired. Slowly pour into lip balm
containers or tubes. They will harden immediately. Label and seal.
This is a fun one to do with kids too!
Photo above is my freshly made Perfect Rose soap that I have been packaging all week.
If you are a crafter you probably already understand from the title what this post is about.
Every year at this time I am busy, busy, busy preparing for the hectic holiday season ahead. I've never understood that whole Christmas in July sale stuff as I can barely prepare for the real Christmas in December. This time of year is the time in which I am making soap non-stop day and night. During August and September I practically package soap in my sleep so that my little golden boxed creations can make it to some one's stocking or under some one's Christmas tree this year. I've been doing this 12 years now and I still never feel prepared enough for the tidal wave of new fans that discover my creations every year from receiving them as gifts or by searching online for that special something to give to their loved ones.
Today I am making my Orange Vanilla soap and my whole house smells like creamsicles...Mmmmm another big part of why I love this time of year :-)
Due to all of the corporate greed and major financial mismanagement going on in this world there has been a movement to support handmade and the little guy like me. When grabbing those handmade holiday gifts this season remember all of us that prepared and worked all year long to bring these creations to you. We don't have big machinery, huge factories or 100's of employees, we bring you these creations from our hearts and our genuine desire to create them for you. As I sit here this morning tying bows on gifts to prepare, I have a smile on my face knowing some one is truly going to love receiving this as a gift this year. Some how from day to day that keeps me going. The pure joy of creating and bringing something beautiful into the world with my own 2 hands for others gives me a satisfaction that is hard to put into words. I truly love what I do, but I couldn't love it without you and your support. A big thank you to all of you that support handmade and crafters this holiday season.
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
Here's a really nice and easy bath treat to make. I love bath teas as they really make you feel like you are bathing in nature. This is one of my favorite ones. You can substitute items to come up with your own special bath too.
Mix all ingredients together and then place in small muslin bag. Tie tightly and place in hot running bath water.
You can scent it with any essential oils you would like, but this is my favorite combination for this tea. Have fun though, play around and come up with your own personal bath tea.
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
Moisturizing Lotion Bars You're gonna love me for this recipe. These are my absolute favorite for the winter months and they are super easy to make.
4 ounces mango or shea butter 4 ounces beeswax 5 ounces liquid oil (jojoba or grapeseed are both excellent choices) 2 teaspoons of essential oil or fragrance oil
For those of you who have tried lotion bars before and made them with cocoa butter you know that it can have a strange smell. Well you are in luck as this lotion bar does not use cocoa butter so you can use any fragrance or essential oil that your heart desires and not have a chocolate over smell. INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt the beeswax in a separate container and the butter/oil in another container. Add together, mix well, stir in any fragrance oil or essential oil you like. Then pour into containers, tupperware or rubbermaid works fine. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less 'pocks' you'll get in the bars.
That's right, we've got a winner!! I put all of the entries into a hat and drew out a name. I'm happy to announce the lucky winner is Sweet Water Gifts!! I've just sent her an announcement of her winnings on twitter. Congratulations Sweet Water Gifts. Who happens to be a jewelry designer from Texas. Now I'm curious which lovely soap she is going to want?? Hmmm waiting in anticipation ;-)
Thanks to all who entered. If you didn't win, don't worry there will be other chances in the future :-)
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
Salt scrubs can be a bit harsh on skin, sugar is actually a gentler exfoliant, which makes it better for an all-over body scrub. Use salt scrubs for the rougher parts of your body like elbows, heels and knees. This recipe is easy to make and fun to use.
Note: Only make what you will use within a couple of days otherwise it is best to add a natural preservative like grapefruit seed extract or even a synthetic preservative. It will go bad if you don't.
Super Sugar Scrub 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup oil (virgin olive oil or almond oil are recommended but any light, odorless oil you have on hand will work) 1 TBS baking soda (optional, but it makes it a little effervescent) 5 drops essential oil for fragrance or aroma therapy. We suggest citrus oil.
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly mixed, put into a sealed container to store. Use just before your next shower and enjoy your soft new skin. Be sure to scrub the tub or shower floor thoroughly - it will be slick from the oil and can be dangerous if you don't.
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
My last post about lavender was so popular I thought I would share some Chamomile recipes and uses as well.
Cheerful Chamomile Tea
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried chamomile flowers
1/2 cup dried calendula petals
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup dried peppermint
1 tablespoon whole cloves
honey to taste
Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. To brew use 1 1/2 tsp. of tea with 1 cup (8 ounces) boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey to taste.
Winter Chamomile Tea
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients:
1 tsp. dried chamomile
1 tsp. dried mint
1 tsp. dried lavender
honey
Combine the herbs in your warmed tea pot and add 2 cups boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes and strain. Add 1 tsp. of honey to each cup of tea. Notes: I put together this simple mellow tea one winter afternoon. I like it with the honey, but lemon would be fine too. This makes 2 cups of tea, but it can easily be doubled and tripled.
Chamomile Shampoo
You will need:
2 tsp.. dried chamomile
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup baby shampoo (or another mild variety)
Pour the boiling water over the chamomile and steep for 30 minutes, strain, then mix into the shampoo and use as usual.
Chamomile Hair Conditioner
You will need:
1/3 cup chamomile flowers
1/3 cup olive, safflower or sunflower oil
Clean jar with lid
Combine the chamomile and oil in a jar with a lid. Place on a sunny windowsill and shake the jar at once a day. After two weeks, strain out the herbs. To apply, use about 2-4 teaspoons, depending on the length of your hair. Brush out your hair and apply to the hair ends, avoiding the scalp. Leave on about ten minutes, then shampoo out.
Chamomile Hair Rinse
You will need:
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. chamomile flowers
Pour the water over the chamomile; steep until it cools to lukewarm. Strain out the flowers. This will soothe your scalp. To use pour over your hair as a rinse after shampooing.
Herbal Foot Soak
You will need:
2 ounces mixed fresh herbs-peppermint, rosemary, chamomile
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon borax
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
Roughly chop the herbs. Put in a bowl, pour in boiling water. Let stand 1 hour; strain. Place the "tea" water into a tub or bowl large enough to hold both feet and another 6-7 cups of warm water. Stir in borax and Epsom salts. Soak feet 15 to 20 minutes. Add hot water if needed to keep the temperature as warm as desired. Afterwards use a good lotion and place cotton socks on your feet for the evening!
I hope you enjoy these! Oh and don't forget to enter to win a free soap from me in the post below.
If you are reading this in a Facebook note, a reader or some other format then go to my blog at DeShawn's Blog to see the original post.
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