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Soap Challenge – Circling Taiwan Swirl

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Circling Taiwan Swirl

Well, it’s happened. After months of debating, I’ve finally screwed my courage to the sticking point and signed up for Great Cakes Soapworks Challenge. Amy Warden of Great Cakes hosts a monthly contest, providing a theme, guidelines, pour parameters, and an instructional video for those unfamiliar with the month’s pour. There are some amazing soapers that participate in this challenge each month, and being a noob in the artisan world, I have been hesitant to throw my name in with such heavy hitters. When Amy announced the theme for this month’s soap challenge, however, I knew that I had to participate, if only to get access to some pro-tips for a pour I’ve had difficulty mastering.

This month’s challenge is swirl based – the Taiwan Swirl, to be precise. To be uber-precise, the Circling Taiwan Swirl. This is a process involving three or more colors striped in a mold and then skewered and swirled in a specific way. The end result is supposed to be a lovely interior swirl, as well as 2-4 Lotus Blossom end pieces. When done right, it’s truly a beautiful pour.

The Process

First up, I commissioned some stainless steel mold dividers from Mr. Soap & Clay. I’ve had success using cardboard dividers, but as this was for a competition batch, I thought it a perfect time to take advantage of one of my husband’s many skill sets. Next, I needed to decide on a color scheme and scent. I’ve been sitting on a delicious mint blend for some time and decided that this pour would fit the bill. To enhance the scent’s intricacy (and to further fit the intricate pour), I blended it with a bit of ripe blackberry to add a bit of sweetness to the crisp and refreshing mint.

Finally, the pour. I used my tried and true slow trace recipe that I use for all design batches. This recipe has always given me enough time to perform intricate swirl and design work, but just to be safe I soaped at a much lower temperature than I normally do (around 90 degrees). The batter stayed wonderfully fluid throughout the process. *whew*

circling taiwan swirl

Check out those dividers! Mr. Soap & Clay is handy with the stainless!

After pouring the colored soap into each slot, it was then time to remove the dividers. This can prove more difficult than it sounds. Up and out of the mold as quickly as possible works best. I finally got to move on to the fun part: the skewer. Taking a chopstick, I ran perpendicular to the divided soap, skewering the width down the length of the mold. I then ran the perimeter of the soap 6-7 times to pull the pattern in one direction, thus achieving the “circling” bit of the Taiwan Swirl. Clear as mud? Great! I then popped the soap into the oven for a nice warm cure to make sure the soap gels and the colors really popped.

The Results

A few days later, I cut into this beauty. I separated the log into four blocks, which I then cut horizontally to expose the pattern within. And what a pattern!

taiwan

Oooooooooooh

taiwan

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

The lotus blossom actually appeared on both ends of my soap. I think. Honestly I’ve been staring at the swirl for so long that my eyes have gone crossed and I’m seeing lotus blossom tracers in my vision.

taiwan

Lotus blossom? No? Octopus? Upside down Jelly fish? Maybe it’s abstract. Squint your eyes and tilt your head to the side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

taiwan

The interior swirl was also quite lovely. Here it is on the wifi soap dish. Momma Soap & Clay has embraced the 21st century.

All in all, I’m very pleased with the result. This was a great way to up my soap game, and I am officially hooked on the Taiwan Swirl!

 

FAQ Friday: Ingredients, Glycerin and Subscription Box

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FAQ Friday

Ingredients, Glycerin, and Subscription Box Announcement

How’s everyone’s week been? The Soap & Clay kidlets and I have been flying sans Mr. Soap & Clay this week while he’s living the road warrior life. Thanks for working so hard, hot husband. We appreciate the food and heat and stuff. While he’s been gone, we’ve spent our days practicing our spelling (I’m getting really good) and our nights enjoying floor picnics while watching Downton Abbey Super Why. I’ve enjoyed all of the extra girl time, but without my nightly relief, I haven’t had much time to focus on soap. As such, I’m behind on site updates and will be spending all day Saturday soaping to replenish my stock from the week’s orders. As additional such (yup), this week’s FAQ Friday will be as short as my three year old’s fuse when she needs a nap. Ready, steady, go!

FAQ Friday

Ingredients List

Do you have a list of ingredients used in your products? I have noticed that many soap companies don’t list them.

Answer: I am a big fan of transparency. So yes, everything I put into my products I list on my site and on the individual packaging. The reason you haven’t seen ingredients listed on other sites or products is because, simply put, we aren’t legally required to. Soapmakers are currently living in an FDA shade of grey; we don’t have to list our ingredients as long as we don’t claim our products have any medicinal or curative properties. I do think this relative freedom will soon come to an end, however, and we will all be required to list our ingredients per FDA regulations. Which I personally think is a great thing; don’t you have a right to know what you’re putting on your skin?

Glycerin

ingredients, glycerin and subscription box

Singer. Sexy man. Soapmaker. Why not.

Isn’t glycerin dangerous? That’s a chemical that is really bad for your skin.

Answer: No. Nope. Not so much. No. I have heard this quite often at trade shows and events. Glycerin is a byproduct of the saponification process – where the oils mix and mingle with the sodium hydroxide solution to create soap. Before being introduced to the soaping process, glycerol exists within the oils themselves, as the backbone of fatty acid chains (triglycerides). The glycerin byproduct of the soapmaking process is actually great for your skin – so much so, in fact, that many commercial companies remove the glycerin from their detergent bars and use it in high-end, expensive skincare products. Soap & Clay leaves all of that skin-loving glycerin in each and every bar we make, giving you exceptional skin with no upcharge! For more information the benefits of topical glycerin, check out this link.

Subscription Box, Part Deux

ingredients, glycerin and subscription box

Look at all of that awesomeness!

In last week’s FAQ Friday, I answered Sudser questions regarding Soap of the Month boxes. This week, I’m happy to announce that Soap & Clay will be teaming up with Lavish Bath Box for all of your skincare needs (and wants, and desires, and guilty pleasures), conveniently boxed together and delivered to your door. This monthly subscription box will be full of bath and shower goodies – from artisan soaps and scrubs to bath bombs and bubble bars, even tubside perks like candles and dishes will find their way into the line. I am over the moon excited to be a part of this! For more information on the bath box, follow the link and enter in your email address. You’re not going to want to miss this!

 

All You Need is Scrubbed – Part Two: Face Exfoliants

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Exfoliation Series – Part Two: Face Exfoliants

Another weekend has come and gone! We spent the past few days enjoying some much needed sunshine, working on the Soap & Clay kidlets’ gardening skills (which at this point consists of digging giant holes in the flowerbeds), and watching some exciting football games. How ‘bout them Bengals??

face exfoliants

That wasn’t very nice. Better luck next year, guys.

Moving on.

I spent my kid-free time this weekend researching the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. In case you missed it, this bill bans microbead exfoliants from cosmetics and cleaning products as they are pretty awful for the environment. I read an article from the United Nations Environment Program that states several body washes have been found to contain more plastic in microbead form than in the packaging! There’s no doubt about it, microbeads turned out to be a pretty bad idea.

How do I get my daily scrub on now?

While it’s great that microbeads are being phased out, most of us are left feeling incomplete; how do we survive without our daily miniscrubbers to keep our skin so fresh and so clean clean? Fear not, scrubbers – natural alternatives have existed for, well, ever. Exfoliants such as sugar, salt, pumice, seeds, and coffee are all environmentally friendly and provide skin benefits far superior to little plastic beads.

In the first of the exfoliation series I provided a basic overview of exfoliants commonly used in artisan soap and scrub products. In Part Two, I will be focusing on face exfoliation additives and the benefits of each. As you’ll likely be needing to replace your favorite face scrub soon, read on for some eco and skin friendlier options.

Pumice

I have vivid memories of a dull green bar of soap sitting on the ledge of a mudroom or garage sink in every home I visited as a child. I tried this soap once, and my tender 8 year old skin immediately regretted it. Abrasive, drying, and nasally offensive, this soap scrubbed off 17,000 layers of my skin, leaving my hands red, dry, and itchy. I have avoided pumice since that day.

Luckily, pumice processing has evolved since childhood. This little volcanic rock can now be ground into a super-fine powder that, when dispersed throughout soap batter, becomes an effective exfoliant that is gentle enough to use on your most delicate feature. Pumice powder works hard to buff away dead skin particles, opening pores and allowing them to breathe. Testers that used pumice powder products regularly reported a decrease in breakouts, smaller pore size, and brighter skin.

If bright, clear skin is your goal (and it should be, really), check out Soap & Clay’s Face Polish!

Colloidal Oatmeal

benefits of oatmealI love me some oatmeal. Love, love, LOVE me some oatmeal. While rolled oats are a great exfoliant for total body care, I prefer to stick to the colloidal variety for face products. Colloidal oatmeal is finely ground rolled oats, which makes it an ideal additive for soap as it can be evenly dispersed throughout a batch. The benefits of oatmeal in skincare are numerous, but it makes a particularly effective face exfoliant because of its mild properties. Gentle enough to use every day, colloidal oatmeal sloughs off dead skin while adding moisture and normalizing the skin’s pH. Additionally, oatmeal can lighten acne and blemish scars with regular use.

For more information on the awesome properties of oatmeal, check out this article.

Clays

Clays are another member of the non-abrasive exfoliant family. Unlike particle based exfoliants, clays such as Kaolin or Bentonite don’t rely on friction to remove dead skin. Instead, they act as magnets, binding to impurities and debris and pulling them from pores, leaving behind fresh and bright skin. In addition to mild exfoliation, clays have natural cleansing properties, they remove toxins and stimulate circulation, can reduce inflammation and even skin tone. Incredible, right?

Because clays are so great for overall skin health, I include them in each and every batch of soap. I will talk more about specific clays and their benefits in later blog posts, but if you’re needing information right away, be sure to check out this link.

A Note Regarding Sugars

"Sucre blanc cassonade complet rapadura" by Romain Behar - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sucre_blanc_cassonade_complet_rapadura.jpg#/media/File:Sucre_blanc_cassonade_complet_rapadura.jpg

While I do not include sugar in my list of recommended face exfoliants, several people (myself included) have found it to be gentle enough to use on delicate areas. Sugar is a natural humectant, a natural source of glycolic acid, and is great for polishing away debris and brightening skin. My only concern with sugar is the irregularity of the granules, which can cause tears in the skin (this leads to premature skin aging!). As sugar readily dissolves in water, however, it is unlikely that this will occur. I am not a dermatologist though; you know your skin and what it can handle!

 

FAQ Friday: Solid Shavers, Custom Orders, and Soap of the Month Club

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Solid Shavers, Custom Orders, and Soap of the Month Club

FAQ Friday

It’s Friday, and the first FAQ of 2016! My new year has been a great kind of hectic – the Soap & Clay parental units have been visiting us in the PNW, Mr. Soap & Clay took some time off of work to spend with his little family, and I have spent every free second in the soap shop, scheming. Soap scheming is the best, yeah? I have big plans for the new year, and am excited to launch new products (including solid shavers!), promotions, and Sudser deals!

On FAQ Friday’s agenda today: solid shavers, custom orders, and a SOTM Club. Ready to get to it? Me too!

Shaving soaps for the ladies

I have been using my husband’s solid shaver to shave my legs, and I love it! Do you have any shaving soaps for women?

 

solid shavers

Can’t you just see these sitting side by side in your bathroom?

Answer: I have been working on expanding the shaving line for the past few months. My testers have, well, tested, and I am pleased to announce that I will be rolling out new shaving soaps for men and women in the coming months! First up will be a women’s solid shaver. The pumice powder provides a gentle exfoliation, opening up hair follicles for a closer shave without clogging your razor blades. The clay blend provides good slip for your razor and draws impurities from the skin, ensuring nothing gets trapped in the pores. The moisturizing oils and butters nourish and protect your skin – no more razor rash! This supersoap will be making her debut in the Valentine’s gift sets, which will be available for purchase in about a week.

Custom Orders

I love your products and think they would be great for an upcoming event. I’d like something themed. Do you do custom orders?

Answer: I sure do! I have enjoyed working closely with Sudsers to create custom soaps, bath bombs, or gift sets for various events. From gender reveal bath bombs to monogrammed wedding soaps, I’ve dabbled in a bit of it all. I love the creative ideas customers bring to me! I do require a minimum of 4 weeks lead time for custom orders, however; most of my products require curing time before they can be used. If you’d like more information about custom orders, send me a message!

custom orders

Soap of the Month Membership

I have a hard time choosing between your products and would like to try them all! Do you have a membership program where you send me soaps each month?

Answer: I will soon! I love subscription boxes (Stitch Fix is a personal favorite) and have planned on having a monthly offering of my own since Soap & Clay was in the planning stage. I’m very close to rolling our SoapBox out but am working through a few of the finer details to ensure a smooth launch. In the meantime, sign up for Soap & Clay’s newsletter for access to our existing promotions and exclusive specials. I will likely announce the SoapBox subscription to my Preferred Sudsers first via the newsletter, so sign up today!

That’s it for me today, Sudsers. Don’t forget to check out the January special – 25% off of all full-sized scrubs! Have a great weekend!

xoxo

Chantine

Artisan Soap: Cruelty Free, Vegan Friendly, Gluten Free…?

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Soap Science: Gluten in Skincare

Good morning, Sudsers! This week has zoomed by, right? I’ve been busy with holiday orders, activities with the Soap & Clay kidlets, and booth events. I’ve spent the past few weeks at vendor events around the greater Seattle area, and I loved mingling with members of the community, chatting about soap and skincare needs. I tend to field a set of basic questions regarding my soaps multiple times throughout any event, questions I can readily answer and provide takeaway literature for, but the lovely community members in Bellevue, WA threw me a curveball on Saturday. I still got the basics: are your products responsibly sourced and cruelty free, do you have any vegan offerings, do you stock anything for sensitive skin, but there was one question I wasn’t prepared for. Are your soaps gluten free? 

Gluten free? Hunh. Admittedly, my first thought in response to this question was, you don’t EAT soap. Please don’t eat my soap.

gluten free

Don’t be like this kid.
Who also happens to be my kid.

Gluten free?

I answered as best I could, which was basically an inelegant stammering consisting of “I don’t use flour in my soap recipes, so I think I’m gluten free…wait, is oatmeal gluten? No? well it’s likely that I don’t…I want to say yes, but I’m really not sure.” Surprisingly, in spite of my less than stellar speaking skills, this customer still purchased some items and I sent them on their way, but not before collecting their email address to get them a definitive answer on the gluten question. A few minutes later, another patron asked the same thing: are your soaps gluten free? Four other customers asked about gluten over the course of this event, so the moment I got home, the research began.

What is Gluten?

First off, I obviously needed a better understanding of gluten and what those with gluten sensitivities actually need to avoid. My belief was that gluten sensitivity was a food concern; anything that a person ingests that contains gluten can have a negative impact on their body’s overall health. And while this seems to be the general consensus in the medical world, there is also a case to be made for removing gluten from skincare products as well. Which makes sense; every soap in my line has been designed to produce specific, topical results as the skin readily absorbs many things. In this day and age, there are even drugs that are administered topically because certain components can and do enter the system through the skin. So gluten in skincare products? Could be a concern.

So what is gluten? According to celiac.org, gluten is the name given to the elastic proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and various other grains to a lesser degree. For those with Celiac disease (about 1% of the population), this protein can cause a number of health problems if ingested. Through further sleuthing, however, I came across a number of articles discussing potential problems with Celiac patients and gluten found in topical products. The Mayo Clinic has some interesting information regarding topical gluten, which you can find here.

So is there gluten in soap? How about other cosmetic products? Yes, in large part. Turns out it’s pretty difficult to find commercial products that don’t contain gluten (another way of adding insult to injury for the gluten sensitive among us).

How about Soap & Clay products?

Well, that depends. Soap & Clay soaps contain no gluten. My basic soap recipe contains olive oil, coconut oil, responsibly sourced palm oil, canola oil, and sweet almond oil. I then add extra goodies, mostly in the form of oils, butters, and exfoliants. So according to this list of safe vs unsafe products for those with Celiac/gluten intolerance, Soap & Clay does not use any ingredients that contain gluten in the soaps themselves (**see below for a note about bath bombs). However, a number of Soap & Clay soaps contain oatmeal, an item that is listed on both sides of the safe/unsafe list. The reason for this is cross-contamination; any oatmeal that has been processed in a facility that also processes wheat, barley, or rye can come into contact with gluten. I use gluten-free oatmeal in my soap recipes, so by happy accident I can say that we are gluten free!

**A note about bath bombs: I’ve been unable to find definitive information regarding corn products and Celiac, so in the spirit of full disclosure and transparency, a word of caution for those concerned with gluten: all of my bath bombs contain cornstarch. If you have been told by your medical professional to avoid cornstarch, either topically or internally, please avoid Soap & Clay’s bath bombs.

So there you have it, Sudsers – all of the information you never knew you needed about soap. Remember – check your labels, know your labels, and if you have any questions, please contact me! Don’t forget – we have FREE SHIPPING through December 16th and gift boxes are still on sale. I’m hearing “craft time” turning into “mess time” in the kitchen, so I’m off to wrestle a glue stick away from a Soap & Clay kidlet. Enjoy the rest of your day!

gluten

Glue stick. Not gluten free.

Your Mom Loves Oatmeal

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…and you should too!

benefits of oatmeal

See, even cell phones love oatmeal.

The Benefits of Oatmeal

Everyone loves oatmeal! It’s warm, it’s creamy, it’s packed with super nutrients that give you super powers (check the box, super powers are clearly listed), oatmeal is the perfect addition to your day. We’re well aware of the internal benefits. But what does it do for your skin? A lot! Read on to learn why you should make oatmeal a staple in your grooming routine.

Skin Soother

From rosacea to eczema, acne to a bad sunburn – red, irritated skin is painful. Oatmeal contains natural antioxidants that can help reverse the damage caused by inflammation. When applied topically, oatmeal soothes the skin and aids in the healing process. When used regularly (like in soap), oatmeal can improve skin tone, calming angry red splotches associated with a variety of skin conditions. This makes oatmeal an ideal soap ingredient for even the most sensitive of skin!

Ultra Moisturizer

One of the greatest benefits of oatmeal in skincare is the ultra moisturizing properties these powerful little oats contain. Oatmeal contains polysaccharides, a form of complex carbohydrate that morphs into a gel-like substance when mixed with water. This new substance is capable of penetrating deep into the skin, pulling water with it and providing moisture to even the driest of skin. This means that itchy, dry, rough and cracked skin has met its match.

benefits of oatmeal

Sup.

Cleanser & Exfoliator

Oatmeal contains its own natural cleansers and lathering agents, and the “oat milk” created when oats meet water makes a mild exfoliant that removes dead skin and debris. Oatmeal’s pore purging properties make it an excellent, gentle addition to soaps designed for sensitive or acne-prone skin. Seriously, what doesn’t this little oat do?

Skin Protectant

Remember that oat milk mentioned above? Well, not only does it cleanse and deliver moisture deep into the skin, it leaves behind a fine layer of skin protecting vitamins and nutrients! Cool, yeah? This protectant helps balance your skin’s pH levels, guard against free radicals, and lock in moisture all day long.

Liz Lemon

This little bar? Full of MAGIC! Also known as oatmeal.

Benefits of Oatmeal: Recap

To recap, oatmeal heals, soothes and protects irritated skin. Oatmeal gently cleanses and exfoliates even the most sensitive of skin. Oatmeal moisturizes, removes debris, and locks in moisture. And when found in a Soap & Clay bar that is designed to moisturize, heal, cleanse (seriously, have you SEEN our bubbles??), nourish, and exfoliate? This little super-oat gains super powers!

For a list of Soap & Clay products that contain oatmeal, click here. And that’s it from me today, Sudsers. After all of this oatmeal talk, I’m off to make a giant bowl of steel cut.

benefits of oatmeal

Mmmm breakfast

If you’re craving oatmeal after reading this post, make sure to check out Jen Grothe’s amazing oatmeal cookbook, 75 Ways to Love Your Oatmeal. It will change your life.

Caring for Artisan Soap + Soap Scrap Ideas

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Caring for Artisan Soap (and ways to reuse scraps)

Wait, what? Caring for my soap? Don’t I just, you know, leave it?

I know, it seems a bit nutty that I’d devote an entire blog post to soap care, but I would be remiss to ignore this important piece of handmade sudsing. Unlike commercial soaps, artisan soap does not contain preservatives and hardeners. Additionally, handmade soap is loaded with naturally occurring glycerin, which is great for your skin, but doesn’t play well with standing water.  Read on for a few quick tips to extend the life of your soap, as well as what to do with those soap scraps once your favorite bar has rocked your world and rinsed away.

care

My favorite world rocker. This week.

Soap Care

Artisan soap is created using natural lathering agents and cleansers. In well balanced, precise soap recipes, the saponification process (where the oils and lye meet and mingle to create soap) creates a moisture rich, skin nourishing, ultra cleansing yet gentle bar of soap. Full of lather, loaded with glycerin, handmade soap is great for your skin, without a doubt. But with the lack of preservatives found in commercial soaps comes a price: shorter shelf life. Glycerin is a natural humectant, and as such, it tends to break down in standing water. This means that a bar of artisan soap needs an opportunity to dry out between uses. No real effort is required to facilitate this process; a draining soap dish or soap rack in your shower or on your countertop allows your soaps to sufficiently air out when not in use. These items are readily available on Etsy (Soap & Clay will have a line soon!). Sudsers have also used a dry washcloth to set their bars on between uses as well, with great success.

care

Backstock also rocks my world.

Unused Soap

For the soap that you’ve purchased but have yet to use (backstock is AWESOME!), storing as you would any other bath product will suffice. Under cabinets, in drawers, in linen closets – any area that is cool and dry is perfect to ensure that your precious bar of artisan soap is as fresh as possible when you are ready to use it. Remember, though – handmade soap should be used within six months of purchase. No preservatives, remember?

Soap Scraps – Reuse Ideas

If you’re anything like me, you hate to see anything go to waste, especially your beautiful soap! But eventually even the hardest, biggest slice of soap wears down to an itty bitty scrap, a mere shadow of its former glory. Sigh. To the trash it goes. NO!!! There are loads of creative ways to get the most out of every little bit of soapy awesomeness.

care

Laundry soap. Another world rocker. My world is easily rocked.

Laundry Soap

Personally, I’m a big fan of turning my soap scraps into laundry soap. I throw a few tablespoons in with each wash, and I’ve found that my clothes are cleaner and I haven’t needed to pretreat stains (a huge bonus, considering the Soap & Clay kidlets dirty clothes faster than I can clean them). To make a basic laundry soap, you need two things: shredded soap scraps and baking soda! Using a 1:1 ratio, mix the two together in a bowl and boom! Phenomenal cleaning power without chemicals and detergents. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!

Here are a few other fun ways to get the most out of your soap scraps.

  • Gather soap scraps in a mesh bag, and use the bag as a washcloth/sponge.
  • Tie scraps in an organza or linen bag and hang over your tub faucet for a soapy bubble bath
  • Place soap scraps in a small bag and put in drawers or cabinets for an air freshener
  • Any seamstresses out there? Keep soap scraps in your sewing box to mark fabric and smooth seams.

And there you have it: basic artisan soap care and some nifty ways to reuse soap scraps in one little blog post. Soap & Clay, saving you money every day. You’re welcome.

FAQ Friday

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FAQ Friday

Buy-3 Get 1 Free

It’s Friday, Sudsers! I hope you have a ton of awesome activities planned for your weekend! Soap & Clay girl-child #1 is turning 3 on Sunday (where did the time go?), so our weekend will be full of celebratory activities, and cake. Lots of cake.  This week has been full of celebratory activities, too, just not of the birthday variety. We’ve had a great launch week and I have LOVED all of the communication I’ve received from you. One of my favorite parts about the soaping world is assisting others in finding their perfect skincare products. I’ve been over the MOON excited to answer Sudser questions this week, and I thought that it would be nice to post said questions (and answers!) on the interwebs for the benefit of others. So without further ado, I present to you the first installment of FAQ Friday!

FAQ Friday

Question #1: Sensitive skin concerns

I have very sensitive skin. I break out easily and find most products irritate my skin. Can you recommend a bar that is gentle enough for everyday use that won’t leave me itchy or red?
Answer: I get the sensitive skin concern, most definitely. There is nothing worse than trying a new product only to find it causes inflammation, dries your skin, or even worse – makes you break out! Really, most Sudsers should notice a marked improvement in their overall skin health from using any of Soap & Clay’s products, mainly because our soaps don’t contain synthetic fillers, harsh detergents, or pore clogging preservatives you’d find in commercial soaps. That said, our BetaSudsers spent months testing products, and these five seem to yield the best results for super sensitive skin. The Black & Tan, C’mon Get Happy, and the Raspberry Stout all contain colloidal oatmeal, which is a great skin protectant that reduces inflammation. The Lavender Bar and The Liz Lemon also contain colloidal oatmeal but have the added benefit of lavender, which has anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties. Any of these bars would be great on sensitive skin; the C’mon Get Happy is a local (PNW, whaddup?) bestseller for its skin calming properties. Let me know which one you like the best!

FAQ Friday

THAT is a field of MAGIC!

Question #2: Exfoliation

I’m interested in purchasing your soaps, but I really love the exfoliation I get from my body wash and scrubs. Do you have a product that would compare?
Answer: Do I ever! I’m more than somewhat addicted to exfoliation products, so I’ve got a ton of exfoliant options in my line. I’m currently loving pumice powder, which is a super fine (but super effective) exfoliant that is gentle enough to use on the face. If you’re looking to replace your body wash and scrubs specifically, I’d recommend checking out our whipped sugar soaps. Sugar is an amazing exfoliant, and our whipped soap is light and fluffy and a perfect replacement product for the body wash purists. They also smell good enough to eat, which is a big bonus in my book. Just don’t eat it.

Question #3: Shipping Information

I’ve placed my order. When can I expect it to arrive?
Answer: Thanks for placing an order! *happy dance* As for shipping, Soap & Clay guarantees all in-stock items will be shipped within 72 hours of order acceptance. We currently ship Priority USPS, so you should expect to see it within 3 days of shipment notification. For more information on our shipping policies, as well as the rest of our policies, check out our About page and navigate from there!

Well Sudsers, that’s all from me today. Don’t forget: our Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale is in full swing until November 30th. Deals!

What is Artisan Soap? (And why you should care)

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What is Artisan Soap?

I think the term “artisan soap” can be confusing. Those unfamiliar with the soap world (which would be most of us, really), see these pretty slices of soap with their bright colors and fun patterns and assume that they are paying for the artistry that goes into the soap, not necessarily getting a product that will change their lives (or at least their skin). Art, right? It’s right there in the name. Thus the pretty little soap in front of you goes straight to the “novelty” section of your brain and, let’s be honest, if you’re going to buy a novelty item you’re going to head over to thinkgeek.com and buy something cooler than soap.

Artisan soap

Like this. Way cooler. I own two.

This was my first experience with artisan soap. I was at a street fair and was drawn into the soap booth by the amazing smells dancing in the breezeway. I picked up a bar. Gave it a sniff. Ahhhhhhmazing. It was purple. I love purple. I looked around for a price. $10. Wait, what? $10? For a bar of soap? I don’t even use soap!

Artisan Soap

And neither does this kid.

I looked for the booth owner, who was screwing around on her phone, otherwise engaged, and then left. Having received no information from the soapmaker, her pretty little soaps became novelty items in my mind. Pretty but not useful. And I was wrong. So, so wrong.

Artisan soaps are pretty, yes. But they are also extremely useful, in a lot of ways! I’m going to give you four, because that’s how many minutes I have left to type before the Soap & Clay kidlets start flinging their breakfast across the kitchen.

  1. Artisan Soap is real soap

    In the simplest of terms, artisan soap is real soap. Commercial stuff? Not so much. They don’t even label it as soap. Because it’s not soap. It’s a detergent! Akin to the stuff you put in your dishwasher or washing machine. Who wants that on their skin, every day, multiple times a day? Commercial soaps are filled with synthetic lathering chemicals and detergents and pressed into bars after being pumped full of preservatives to ensure they have a shelf life that will survive nuclear fallout. They’re drying, irritate the skin, and leave behind a film that continues to wreak havoc on your skin’s natural ph level.

    Artisan soap doesn’t contain fillers, preservatives, or synthetic lathering agents. All of the bubbly goodness in handcrafted soap comes directly from the responsible soapmaker’s recipe of carefully balanced oils  and fats and how they interact with the liquid and lye necessary for all soapmaking. Artisan soaps naturally moisturize, cleanse, and lather; no synthetics needed!

  2. Glycerin

    Commercial bars are missing the absolute best ingredient found in real soaps: the glycerin. Manufacturers actually remove this natural moisturizer from their bars and use it in high-end skin care product lines. So you’re left with nothing but a watered down, chemical laden block of synthetics. Boo!

    A proper artisan soaper does not use synthetic bubblers or preservatives; the former isn’t needed as handcrafted soaps are full of natural lathering agents and the latter is usually omitted to keep the soaps chemical and irritant free. Further, artisan soaps are absolutely loaded with glycerin as it is a naturally occurring byproduct of the saponification process. This yields a super cleansing, gentle, moisturizing , irritant free soap. Now, doesn’t that sound better than washing your face with laundry detergent?

  3. High Quality ingredients

    Artisan soapmakers tend to take their ingredients very seriously. At Soap & Clay, we splurge on ingredients, ensuring that each and every bar we create is made from high quality, stable, uncontaminated oils and fats. We also put extra (natural!) goodies into our soaps to up the skin loving, super cleansing, moisturizing, and exfoliating properties of our products.  As an example, each and every bar of soap in Soap & Clay’s Hey Girl line contains rice bran oil, which is known to be a natural antioxidant and anti-aging ingredient. We care about your skin, and work hard to deliver a quality bar of soap that promotes your skin’s health.

  4. Low Impact/No Harm

    Unlike large commercial facilities, artisan soap makers work in small batch form with little to no equipment. This means a minimal environmental impact and no overseas sweat shops. And you have the added benefit of buying from a peer and thus promoting small business. I recently read on the interwebs that 68% of money spent with a small business goes right back into the community, promoting economic stability and growth for everyone. Can large corporations say the same?

    Artisan Soap

    We can’t. We really can’t.

    So sudsers, there you have it. Artisan soap is more than just pretty, it’s pretty awesome. Head over to Soap & Clay and check out our lines. Your skin will thank you!

Look out, Interwebs – Soap & Clay is LIVE!

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Launch

Ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls, SUDSERS!

I have an announcement to make.

It’s a big one.

You’re going to want to sit down for this.

Maybe grab a coffee.

Grab one for me, too.

You ready?

Soap & Clay has LAUNCHED!!

Launch

Ter-dah!!

The research has been done. The recipes have been meticulously crafted, tested, and adjusted. The soaps have been cured (the waiting was tough). The website has been designed, reworked, coded, formatted, prettified, and pored over until our eyes bled and our brains overheated. The Betasudsers, having spent months soaping, scrubbing, buffing and polishing, have issued their seals of approval. The point:  after months of preparation, we are LIVE!

So what does this mean for you?

Well, it means you have something else to browse when Facebook is slow. It means you now have access to some pretty special artisan soaps  that will give you cool superpowers. Not really; just seeing if you’re still paying attention. It means your skin is about to embark on a journey of epic proportions. (that bit is true).

It also means deals! We are running a Buy 3, Get 1 Free promo for launch. That sale is sitewide; every product on the site is eligible. Even sale items! Additionally, we are participating in Movember/No Shave November by donating a $1 to the Movember Foundation for every bar of  Shave & a Haircut we sell.

So I guess it means a lot of pretty great things. I’ll keep working on the superpowers bit. It’s in testing.

This guy's helping. Because, SCIENCE!!!

This guy’s helping. Because, SCIENCE!!!

At any rate, head over to soapandclay.com today and look around! And, you know, take advantage of our awesome deals. While you’re there, sign up for our blog for loads of super cool soap tech, as well as our newsletter for loads of supercool Preferred Sudser deals! I’m thrilled to be at this point and look forward to the next step. We’ll be rolling out some fun promos, giveaways, and chances to score some additional deals in the upcoming weeks, so be on the lookout.

Happy Sudsing!

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