What? Another giveaway? Already?
I know, we just did one. Well, two, actually. And now we're offering another giveaway.
I haven't gone nuts, really, but I did want to try out the Facebook-approved giveaway app, since they've put some guidelines into place. (I don't *think* I was breaking the rules before...) It's...interesting.
I will admit right up front that I don't like the look of it, and I'm not fond of the interface. It looks...cheap and kind of spammy to me. I entered the giveaway that an Etsy cohort is running and it doesn't seem to actually BE spammy, but if this app were a person, I would probably describe them as "smarmy". Does that even make any sense?
Anyway. The point was to talk about the giveaway, not bash an app. ;) So.
We're doing a giveaway! This time it's for three full-sized soap cakes (approx 3 oz each), flavor chosen by the winner from the list found at the Etsy shop. (Available flavors can he found in this listing, here.)
If you'd like to enter, visit here and follow the directions.
Contest runs through April 15, and supposedly the app will randomly choose a winner. As a bonus, if you refer your friends to the contest and one of them happens to win - you get a set of soaps, too!
Good luck and we'll announce a winner on the 16th!
Showing posts with label all natural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label all natural. Show all posts
Monday, April 2, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Body Scrubs
Thanks to the success of our soaps (and, let's be honest, all the great pictures on Pintrest), I decided awhile ago to dabble in body scrubs. This is one of those areas where R&D ended up being a whole lot of fun. I did a lot of reading up on the subject, looked at a ton of really pretty pictures, took a whole bunch of notes, gathered some supplies and spent an afternoon with my mom and sister, mixing things up and testing them out. It was a blast. We discovered some ingredients that should *never* be mixed together, but also found some combinations that we really liked.
Here are the best, currently available in the Etsy store:
(The low down: All of these scrubs are made from 100% all natural ingredients, no chemicals or yucky preservatives. They include skin-safe essential oils and, in some instances, plant-based colorants. They wouldn't taste good, but are safe enough to eat. Full ingredient lists are included on the packaging or are available upon request. Packaged in 4 oz shower-safe jars.)
Sugar scrubs are great, but sometimes a good salt scrub is really what you need.
And, just in case none of these flavors grab you, we have several other flavors in the works - including a really interesting coffee combination.
Here are the best, currently available in the Etsy store:
(The low down: All of these scrubs are made from 100% all natural ingredients, no chemicals or yucky preservatives. They include skin-safe essential oils and, in some instances, plant-based colorants. They wouldn't taste good, but are safe enough to eat. Full ingredient lists are included on the packaging or are available upon request. Packaged in 4 oz shower-safe jars.)
Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub
This one is my personal favorite. It smells so good and leaves my skin SO soft and smooth!
Peppermint Sugar Scrub
This one's a great wake-me-up, for your senses and your skin. Especially nice for use on legs and feet.
Orange Sugar Scrub
This is another that's going to wake up your senses - a nice splash of citrus to start off your day.
Lemon Sea Salt Scrub
Sugar scrubs are great, but sometimes a good salt scrub is really what you need.
And, just in case none of these flavors grab you, we have several other flavors in the works - including a really interesting coffee combination.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Hemp Oil Soaps
Keeping on the subject of soap, I'd like to talk about the soaps that I make myself for frog loves monkey.
Years ago, on a whim, I tried making soap. The glycerin-based melt-and-pour kind that you can pick up at pretty much any craft store. It was kind of fun and we ended up with a small stash of neat shaped and brightly colored soaps. Eventually, we used them up and went back to buying "regular" soap from the grocery store. I didn't really think much about it again until after our son was born. I'd been researching what was actually IN the soaps we were using and the ingredients lists were pretty horrifying. My husband suggested that I try making soap again. (I had no idea that he'd actually really liked the soaps I'd made that first time. That was a cool discovery!) Off to the craft store I went...and came home empty handed. Turns out the glycerin stuff that you can pick up at the craft store is pretty much garbage and just as full of scary stuff as the mainstream, chemical-laden soaps that we were trying to avoid.
Thus began an exhaustive search for GOOD glycerin-based soap ingredients.
Eventually, I stumbled across what we were looking for. (Yay!) Plant-based glycerin that wasn't stripped of all the good stuff. In fact, the company that I found added MORE glycerin to their soap base. This makes the finished soaps feel fabulous. Really luxurious. (Yay!) Everything was all-natural, vegan (with the exception of honey and goat's milk), hypo-allergenic, biodegradable, non-comedogenic, detergent free, surfactant free, sulfate free, and there was no SLS in sight. (YAY!)
I put in a small order to test out some soap just for us...and fell completely in love. After much testing, I've found a few soaps that I really, really enjoy - and enjoy making.
Across the board, the hemp soaps tend to be my favorite. The hemp oil soaps have a really nice amber color, a very light, naturally clean smell and lather beautifully. And every combination seems to make a finished soap that I (and my skin!) like. Of the hemp-based soaps, the Hemp with White Tea and Lemongrass are my favorite. After some friend and customer feedback, frog loves monkey carries two versions.
The exfoliating version has rather large chunks of dried white tea and lemongrass suspended in it as an exfoliant. I love this, but some people can find it a little off-putting. The dried leaves are somewhat large, so the soap will shed a little bit with use. It can also be a shade rough the first use. I like it. But I understand wanting the benefits of the ingredients without the exfoliants.
The non-exfoliant version tends to be somewhat lighter in color, and offers the same yummy, natural scent and rich lather without being the least bit scratchy.
These soaps are shaped to fit very nicely into the hand and weigh in between 2.6 and 3 ounces each. You can find them in the Etsy store, or order via email or our Facebook page. $3 each, or less if several soaps are ordered at once.
Ingredients: Grade A extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, kosher glycerine of vegetable origin,hemp seed oil, purified water, sodium hydroxide, sorbitol (from berries), sorbitan oleate, soybean protein, dried white tea leaves, dried lemongrass, lemon oil. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Years ago, on a whim, I tried making soap. The glycerin-based melt-and-pour kind that you can pick up at pretty much any craft store. It was kind of fun and we ended up with a small stash of neat shaped and brightly colored soaps. Eventually, we used them up and went back to buying "regular" soap from the grocery store. I didn't really think much about it again until after our son was born. I'd been researching what was actually IN the soaps we were using and the ingredients lists were pretty horrifying. My husband suggested that I try making soap again. (I had no idea that he'd actually really liked the soaps I'd made that first time. That was a cool discovery!) Off to the craft store I went...and came home empty handed. Turns out the glycerin stuff that you can pick up at the craft store is pretty much garbage and just as full of scary stuff as the mainstream, chemical-laden soaps that we were trying to avoid.
Thus began an exhaustive search for GOOD glycerin-based soap ingredients.
Eventually, I stumbled across what we were looking for. (Yay!) Plant-based glycerin that wasn't stripped of all the good stuff. In fact, the company that I found added MORE glycerin to their soap base. This makes the finished soaps feel fabulous. Really luxurious. (Yay!) Everything was all-natural, vegan (with the exception of honey and goat's milk), hypo-allergenic, biodegradable, non-comedogenic, detergent free, surfactant free, sulfate free, and there was no SLS in sight. (YAY!)
I put in a small order to test out some soap just for us...and fell completely in love. After much testing, I've found a few soaps that I really, really enjoy - and enjoy making.
Across the board, the hemp soaps tend to be my favorite. The hemp oil soaps have a really nice amber color, a very light, naturally clean smell and lather beautifully. And every combination seems to make a finished soap that I (and my skin!) like. Of the hemp-based soaps, the Hemp with White Tea and Lemongrass are my favorite. After some friend and customer feedback, frog loves monkey carries two versions.
The exfoliating version has rather large chunks of dried white tea and lemongrass suspended in it as an exfoliant. I love this, but some people can find it a little off-putting. The dried leaves are somewhat large, so the soap will shed a little bit with use. It can also be a shade rough the first use. I like it. But I understand wanting the benefits of the ingredients without the exfoliants.
The non-exfoliant version tends to be somewhat lighter in color, and offers the same yummy, natural scent and rich lather without being the least bit scratchy.
These soaps are shaped to fit very nicely into the hand and weigh in between 2.6 and 3 ounces each. You can find them in the Etsy store, or order via email or our Facebook page. $3 each, or less if several soaps are ordered at once.
Ingredients: Grade A extra virgin olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, kosher glycerine of vegetable origin,hemp seed oil, purified water, sodium hydroxide, sorbitol (from berries), sorbitan oleate, soybean protein, dried white tea leaves, dried lemongrass, lemon oil. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Cold Process Soaps
I love handmade soaps. And I love to make soap, but cold process soaps are something that I'm not quite ready to tackle in my house right now. With a baby and a three year old who likes to be very hands-on with whatever I'm doing, messing around with lye just seemed like a bad idea.
Luckily, there are some very talented people out there who make some really fabulous all-natural CP soaps! Our supplier uses organic and vegan ingredients when possible (noted per type of soap) and essential oils instead of chemical alternatives. I love, love, love these soaps and had a really difficult time deciding which flavors to carry. In the end, I chose five that I felt offered a nice balance to the soaps made in-house. I'm looking forward to expanding our offerings at some point.
Unscented oatmeal goat's milk soap - Exfoliating ground oats blended with, our rich three milk soap recipe make this bar perfect for scent-sensitive skin. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Fresh Goat Milk, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Oats. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is an all natural soap.
Chamomile neroli aloe - Sweet, floral chamomile and soft neroli essential oils will uplift you to sweet dreams of blooming hills. Sweet and complex. Ingredients: Organic Palm Oil, Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Sunflower oil, (Natural) Fragrance, Chamomile Powder. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Citrus cedar sage - This essential oil blend will have your mind racing through fields of lemongrass and oranges, with sweet petitgrain, cedar and sage in the passing wind. Made with organic vegetable based oils, this natural handmade soap contains 85% organic ingredients. Ingredients: Organic Palm Oil, Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Olive Oil, Lemongrass Essential Oil, (Natural) Fragrance, Cedarwood Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Rosehip Powder. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Honey almond - Rich bitter almond and sweet honey and citrus notes make this natural Essential Oil Blend a treasured classic. Natural almond blends tend to fade over time, so please expect a more mild almond scent than synthetic fragrances. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, (Natural) Fragrance, Turmeric Powder. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is a vegan, all natural soap. (Note: This is a vegan soap despite the title. There is no honey in this product, this is just the "title" because it smells like honey and almond.)
Sandalwood - This all natural eo blend is earthy, mildly sweet and aromatic, with rich woody notes of sandalwood and frankincense with mildly exfoliating rosehip powder. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Fragrance. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is a vegan soap.
Currently, these soaps are available from frog loves monkey via email or message to the Facebook page. Each soap is $5 per bar, or discounted if multiple soaps are purchased at the same time.
Luckily, there are some very talented people out there who make some really fabulous all-natural CP soaps! Our supplier uses organic and vegan ingredients when possible (noted per type of soap) and essential oils instead of chemical alternatives. I love, love, love these soaps and had a really difficult time deciding which flavors to carry. In the end, I chose five that I felt offered a nice balance to the soaps made in-house. I'm looking forward to expanding our offerings at some point.
Unscented oatmeal goat's milk soap - Exfoliating ground oats blended with, our rich three milk soap recipe make this bar perfect for scent-sensitive skin. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Fresh Goat Milk, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Oats. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is an all natural soap.
Chamomile neroli aloe - Sweet, floral chamomile and soft neroli essential oils will uplift you to sweet dreams of blooming hills. Sweet and complex. Ingredients: Organic Palm Oil, Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Sunflower oil, (Natural) Fragrance, Chamomile Powder. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Citrus cedar sage - This essential oil blend will have your mind racing through fields of lemongrass and oranges, with sweet petitgrain, cedar and sage in the passing wind. Made with organic vegetable based oils, this natural handmade soap contains 85% organic ingredients. Ingredients: Organic Palm Oil, Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Olive Oil, Lemongrass Essential Oil, (Natural) Fragrance, Cedarwood Essential Oil, Clary Sage Essential Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Rosehip Powder. This is a vegan, all natural soap.
Honey almond - Rich bitter almond and sweet honey and citrus notes make this natural Essential Oil Blend a treasured classic. Natural almond blends tend to fade over time, so please expect a more mild almond scent than synthetic fragrances. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, (Natural) Fragrance, Turmeric Powder. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is a vegan, all natural soap. (Note: This is a vegan soap despite the title. There is no honey in this product, this is just the "title" because it smells like honey and almond.)
Sandalwood - This all natural eo blend is earthy, mildly sweet and aromatic, with rich woody notes of sandalwood and frankincense with mildly exfoliating rosehip powder. Ingredients: Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Oil, Soy Oil, Sunflower Oil, Shea Butter, Fragrance. May Also Contain Tocopherols (natural vitamin e) and Stearic Acid (vegetable source). This is a vegan soap.
Currently, these soaps are available from frog loves monkey via email or message to the Facebook page. Each soap is $5 per bar, or discounted if multiple soaps are purchased at the same time.
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