Holiday Discounts & New Soaps

Well I am a little behind this Thanksgiving weekend, BUT.... a few discounts to share!

Small Business Saturday - November 30th 2013.  25% off the Twilight collection!  

Code Twilight

And Cyber Monday - December 2nd, 2013.  Free shipping on all orders! 

Code FreeShip

And don't forget - 20% off all orders over $30 until December 15th, 2013!   

Code Holiday2013

I have been busy soaping!  I have sold out of so much lately, I have had to make tons of soap!  And with the exception of 2 remakes, they are all new!  Including a Vanilla Beer Porter Soap!   AND..... BIGGER BARS!  YAY!

Why Beer soap?  Well there are many reasons really.  There are a lot of benefits to beer in soap.  But as I don't make claims other than my soap will clean, I cannot go into that here.  You will need to do some research!  You can research online, or order a bar and see for yourself!  While the Vanilla Porter Beer soap is geared toward men, I wouldn't hesitate to use it myself!

Next on the list is Umbriel soap.  Name for one of the moons of Uranus, this creamy silk soap is fragranced with McIntosh apple, steamed milk, pure sugar, caramel candy, toffee pudding, apple butter, fresh nutmeg, vanilla bean & soft musk.  

This is Neptune. Neptune is a masculine soap fragranced with a spicy, cultural blend of crushed cloves, cinnamon sticks & crisp pine needles, with a sweet orange freshness. 

This is Ariel.  Named for one of the moons of Uranus, Ariel is a creamy silk soap with a stimulating blend of Citrus, including Grapefruit, Lemon & Lime, with hints of fresh Cucumber & Jasmine, and a touch of Pineapple, Blackberry & Champagne. 

  

Callisto begins with a creamy top note of coconut, followed by a warm middle note of buttercream and a well rounded with a base of note dark cocoa.  Topped with real cocoa, this is certainly a chocolatly treat! 

Designed completely by my girls, Cartwheel soap is named for the Cartwheel Galaxy.  This fun soap is fragranced with top notes of fresh bananas & juicy grapefruit, middle notes of kiwi, juicy bubblegum, strawberries, with a hint of vanilla as a base note.  

Don't miss out on these amazing soaps!  A stay tuned... more coming soon!

Fragrance

I have been getting a lot of questions about fragrances.  What are they?  How are they different?

I use two type of fragrances in my soaps.  In my Purely Natural line, I use Essential oils.  In my Pure Silk Soaps, I use Fragrance oils.

How are they different?

Essential oils are purely natural.  The oils are extracted from plants.  Many believe essential oils can be beneficial for many things, such as medicinal purposes, acne, mood, illnesses just to name a few.  I do not use essential oils for a specific purpose other than scent.  However, I may chose to use one bar over another one day because of the essential oil used in the soap, not just for the scent but for the purpose of the oil itself.  As I do not make claims as to what essential oils or my soaps can do for you, I recommend you research the oils.  There is a wealth of information online, and in books.  I have found multiple free Kindle books on Amazon about essential oils.

Fragrance oils are a wonderful way to achieve a scent not possible with essential oils.  For example, you can't capture the smell of bubble gum with essential oils.  Fragrance oils contain both natural and synthetic ingredients.  I choose high quality fragrance oils from companies I trust.  My whole family uses soap from both of my lines.  

I am very sensitive to fragrances & perfumes.  I use half the recommended amount of fragrance and essential oils in all of my soaps.  I prefer a light scent to something you can smell from down the street.

I hope this helps explain the difference in scents!  If you ever have a question about an essential oil or fragrance oil, contact me!  http://stargazersoaps.com/contact.htm  I am always happy to answer any questions!

Holidays & Twilight

All of my holiday soaps are finally listed on my site!  As well as my Twilight soaps!  I thought a long time about how to list my Twilight soaps.  Individually, in pairs or as a set?  More than one option?  Well, I decided you can't have Bella without Edward, and Jacob without Forks, so a collection it is!  All 12 soaps will be offered as a collection, along with a discount code! 

November 1st - December 15th 2013, all orders over $30 qualify for a 20% discount!  Use code Holiday2013 at check out!  (For those in the local area, use code LocalHoliday2013 if you would like to pick up in the Vancouver, WA area!  No shipping charges!)

What is available right now?  All of my soaps are posted for order on my website!  If not already cured, all soaps will be ready for shipment November 30th.  Plenty of time for Christmas!  

Let's meet some of my Holiday soaps!  (Be sure to visit my website stargazersoaps.com to see my full line!  There are several warm, winter scents to chose from!  Pumpkin spice anyone?  Mulberry perhaps?)

Named Aurora for the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, this amazing silk cream soap is fragranced with topped with berries and sugar, and toned down with the addition of Rose and Carnation notes. Just like Holiday Candy! 

 Juicy, ripe crimson pears sprinkled in caramelized brown sugar with fresh churned maple butter, drizzled with honey and vanilla. Simply amazing!  Mouthwatering!

Christmas fragrance that blends pomegranate, strawberries, raspberries, with a subtle hint of fresh peppermint leaves and fresh vanilla.

 A pure silk cream soap scented with a blend of fresh essential oil of peppermint and huckleberries, hints of violet and white florals, with creamy base notes of vanilla marshmallow. The yummy peppermint oil leaves a slight tingly feeling - yum!

 A pure silk cream soap fragranced with rich, dark chocolate swirled with ribbons of buttery caramel and vanilla creme, sprinkled with toasted almond slivers and creamy hazelnut. Topped with buttery, toffee caramel. Smells good enough to eat!

 A pure silk soap fragranced with strong notes of buttercream vanilla and hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. 

A pure silk soap fragranced with fresh lime and menthol, notes of Douglas fir and lavender; with full-body base notes of eucalyptus and pine. Freshly fallen snow in the forest! 

Twilight soaps are finally ready for preorder!  YAY!  

They will be ready to ship November 30th!  

To see the full collection, click Here

Shop early, and don't miss out on the discount!  Soaps are moving quickly!  

I haven't soaped in 3 weeks - I was busy moving my soaping room!  But more soap is planned very soon!  Yay!  Purely Natural Lavender?  Restock of my Purely Natural Lemongrass Triple Butter?  Something fun for the kids?  (My girls are planning a soap!)  Stay tuned!

What's in my shower?

Today I grabbed a new bar of soap for my shower.  I usually have 3-6 bars to choose from in the shower, and about as many around my sinks in the home.  But as I was moving my soaping room this weekend, (more on that later!), I couldn't help but stop and smell every bar on my curing rack.  A newly cured soap is Polaris - A pure silk soap fragranced with strong notes of buttercream vanilla, and hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.  I have to admit that I washed more than once - it was just yummy!

So..... what's in your shower?  All of my Fall, Winter & Holiday soaps are available to order!  http://stargazersoaps.com 

New Soaps

I took advantage of some quiet time today and made 4 batches of soap!  My last holiday soap, (really!  It is actually the last one!), an amazing Mulberry, and the last two Twilight soaps of the series: Jasper & Edward.

 Aurora (Aurora Borealis - The Northern Lights)

 Nebula - An amazing Mulberry!

 Jasper - A Twilight Soap

 Edward - A Twilight Soap

All four soaps gelling in their molds!

Can't wait to cut these!

Colorants

What do I use to color my soaps?

Well, there are many options available to soapers.   Clays, Micas, Oxides, Ultramarines, Herbs, Titanium Dioxide, Dyes.  

What are they?   Micas, Oxides, & Ultramarines are all Minerals found in the Earth.  However, they are not safe to use in their pure form.  They are processed in a lab, and can even be created in a lab.  Some contain dyes, some do not.  Bottom line is most are synthetic since they are most likely created in a lab.  

Titanium Dioxide - I recently did a post on this colorant Here.  But this is also a mineral found in the earth.  You simply cannot have white without it.  Unlike Micas, Oxides & Ultramarines, it is not lab created.  It is processed to remove impurities to make it useable, much like salt.

Clays & Herbs are natural colorants that can also be used in soap making, and are a wonderful addition to soap.  I use clays in all of my silk soap.    

Last, but not least are Dyes.  Dyes are FD&C dyes, and are chemicals.  I do not use any colorants that contain dyes at all.  I make soap to avoid chemicals, so using these colors defeats my purpose!

Some may have concerns about the use of synthetic colorants.  Well, keep in mind that Fragrance oil is synthetic too.  This is why I choose to offer 2 options.  I have my Silk line which uses color and fragrance oil, and my Natural line which uses natural color if at all, and natural essential oils.  

I personally use both soaps in my home for myself and my children.  But you must make the decision that is right for you!  We have loads of fun with colors and fragrances.  But I can tell you in my shower you will find both natural and silk soaps!  

One more thing to note - your eyeshadow, lipstick, nail polish?  All contain Micas, Ultramarines, Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, and can even contain Dyes!  

Soaps!

I finally soaped last weekend.  Yay!  Here are the rough images.  These were taken just after I cut them, so they haven't been smoothed yet.  

 Milky Way - Chocolate, Vanilla & Caramel - YUM!

 Gemini - A fluffy Peppermint, huckleberry, light floral & vanilla marshmallow. 

Rosalie & Emmet - Rosalie - Lavendar, Violet, White Rose & iris. Light and feminine. Emmet  - is a very masculine scent of bay rum, lime, mahogany, amber, vanilla and bergamot.

Milky Way and Gemini will be available to ship November 18th.  Watch my website for pre-orders!  Stargazer Soaps

More Soaping

Last weekend I made 4 more Twilight soaps - Esme, Carlise, Jacob & Forks.  I am pretty happy with how they turned out!  They are cut and waiting to be cleaned.  Cleaning soap?  Yes I know how that sounds!  More on that later.

Esme & Carlise

Forks & Jacob

I had said that I was done with my holiday soaps.  That was before I discovered Peppermint Candy and Holiday Candy fragrances!  So today I am planning on making Peppermint Candy, 2 more Twilight soaps, and perhaps something chocolaty....  Milky Way maybe?  I think yes!  

Youtube

It's been a while since I have posted!  It has been crazy in our household.  Everyone is asleep except me, and while I am nursing a migraine I decided to take a few moments to catch up!

As most know, I have a Youtube channel.  I don't film 100% of my soap batches, but do film most of them.  I have found the videos help me later when I need to remember how I made a soap.  

I always find it interesting when people comment.  Some are so nice, others not so much.  Thankfully most all of the comments I have received have been positive.  Some soaper friends I follow have had some nasty comments - it's easy to hide behind a computer screen.  

Tonight I had some comments on a video that caused concern for me.  The commenter stated that Titanium Dioxide is as natural as dog poo.... and that my caffeine isn't safe as we shouldn't use products from China.  He went on to instruct me that I should be testing my products prior to selling to the public.  He happily shared more thoughts on how I should make soap, finishing with he has never made soap himself.  Well that explained a lot!  

So to put the minds of my customers at ease - I do not purchase caffeine from China!  It is an American made product, and does not contain fillers or any junk.  It is 100% pure.  

I have done extensive testing, and tweaking and more testing, and continue to do so.  I test every batch of soap I make.  If I wouldn't use it on my family, I would not sell it and allow someone else use it.  

Titanium Dioxide.   Titanium Dioxide is a mineral.  (So is Salt!)  It is perfectly safe, and 100% natural.  Though I would not eat it in the pure form, it can be found in products we consume.  Organic and non organic alike.  Look at your labels - vitamins?  You may be surprised at what you find!

I began soaping because of the research I did on chemicals in soap.  The products I use have been throughly researched, and I am careful with what I chose.  I disclose 100% of my ingredients so you can have the tools you need to make an educated decision.  I want my customers to have confidence in my soap.  I use products that I find acceptable to bathe my children with.  Everyone in my household uses my soap on a daily basis.  

I encourage everyone to do their own research, decide what is and is not acceptable to you, and use the products that meet those needs.  

Anyone wanting to see my videos on Youtube, can find me Here.

Holiday & Winter soaps

I just finished the last of my holiday soaps.  And I am so in love with them!  The scents are just amazing.

And they have inspired me to make some more warm, winter scents.  I am anxiously awaiting for some new fragrances to arrive later this week!  In the meantime, I have 8 Twilight soaps to make.  Busy week ahead!

Why handmade soap?

Why handmade soap?  

• Chemical Free - It takes 10 seconds for our skin to absorb the chemicals in commercial soap - Formaldehyde being one of them!
  
  
• They are naturally moisturizing
• Commercial soap companies remove the glycerin that is made during the soap making process and replace it with chemicals
• Commercial soap companies add detergent to soap - to clean your shower while you use it!
• Stargazer Soaps are absolutely chemical free - using only oils, minerals, clays, etc.  No dyes, no detergent, no formaldehyde!
• Soap - true soap - requires oils/fats & an alkali in order to make soap. Most commercial bars are labeled as "beauty bar" or "body bar".  This is because they are made with detergents, and are not true soap.  This includes body wash.  Again, not soap!
• If soap is not labeled as "soap", it does not fall under the strict soap FDA guidelines.  By claiming it is a cosmetic product, they can hide ingredients and make all sorts of claims.  The laws are different for each label, and much stricter for soaps.
• We only use natural ingredients in our bars, however what sets apart our purely natural line from our silk line is that the purely natural soaps use essential oils whereas the silk line uses a combination of fragrance oil. 

Try our soaps today and see what your skin has been missing!  Visit us at www.stargazersoaps.com

Winter Soaps

I haven't posted in a while - been super busy in our home with back to school and new schedules!

I did make some new soap last week!  I made two winter soaps.  Hard to wrap my mind around needing to make Christmas soaps this week!

 Polaris

 Winter Solstice 

Alice - A Twilight soap

Purely Natural Coffee Soap

Some exciting news!  A blogger posted an amazing review about my soaps, and is hosting a giveaway!  Be sure to check her out at: http://thepierogiemama.blogspot.com/2013/09/natural-soaps-with-stargazer-soaps.html 

AND more exciting news!  My website is finally up and running!  Find me at www.stargazersoaps.com!

Hoping to soap today... fingers crossed my littles nap today so mommy can play!  I have some Christmas soaps planned with new techniques, and a couple Twilight soaps!

Jupiter & Draco revisited

A few weeks ago I posted about soaping flops.  I had made Jupiter and Draco, and had to throw them out.  Last week, I gave it another go.  And I am thrilled to report they were a success!  Whew!

Draco - Fragranced with Juicy Red Apple

Jupiter - A spicy fall delight!  Containing nutmeg, cinnamon and clove, this is a perfect fall scent!

How to store your soap

Handmade soap does not last as long as commercial soap.  It lacks the detergents, preservatives and other chemicals commercial companies use.  The life of Handmade soap will depend on many factors.  How do you use it?  Loofa, washcloth, or direct to skin?  Where do you store it?  How is it stored?  

What to use with your soap is up to you.  Where and how you store your soap is really the important factor.  Keeping your soap dry in-between uses will prolong the life.  I suggest using a well draining soap dish like this one I found for $.99.   

 

If you have it on your counters, you can put it in a pretty soap dish to keep the water off your counter.  Don't store your soap under your shower head, but instead keep it away from possible drips and puddles.

On average, fully cured handmade soaps should last 1 week per ounce.  This is for one person, so if you are sharing this will be less time.  

Our testimony

As I have mentioned before, I started soaping to save my family money.  But I am not saving money.  Soaping has become a passion, and it is a very expensive hobby!  While I love to make soap, there is a bigger reason to continue.  My family.

I posted a list of ingredients in a commercial bar of soap, and what those ingredients actually are.  I also posted the ingredients I use.  For me, I do not want my children bathing in detergent and formaldehyde.

Before I started using my soap, I began taking a medication that removes all of the moisture from your skin.  I was applying lotion several times a day, with no relief.  My skin was dry, cracking and bleeding.  It was miserable.  Finally my soap was cured and I could use it.  I noticed a difference right away.  My skin was softer, and no longer constantly flaking.  I continued to use my soap, and my medication tripled over the course of a few months.  And what did I notice?  I rarely apply lotion, and my skin is soft and moisturized.  I am still on the medication - again triple the amount I was on before I started using my soap.  My Dermatologist is amazed at how good my skin looks.

One of my girls has severe eczema.  She is no longer on special lotions to help with her skin.  Her skin is soft, and her eczema is almost non existent.  

For us, we will never use commercial soaps again.  I only wish I hadn't waited so long before making the switch.

Handmade Versus Commercial

Handmade Versus Commercial 

Have you ever googled the ingredients on a bar of soap?  Here is a list from a very popular bar - 1/4 moisturizing beauty bar. 

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate =  is an anionic detergent and surfactant 

Stearic Acid = Saturated Fatty Acid

Sodium Tallowate = Animal Fat 

Lauric Acid = a crystalline fatty acid occurring as glycerides in natural fats and oils 

Sodium Isethionate = salt that functions as a skin cleanser

Water

Sodium stearate = sodium salt of stearic acid. 

Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) = compound derived from coconut oil and dimethylaminopropylamine. It is a zwitterion, consisting of both a quaternary ammonium cationand a carboxylate. 

Sodium cocoate = generic name for the mixture of fatty acid salts (acid salts) of coconut oil that is used in soap making.

Sodium Palm Kernelate = sodium salt of the acids derived from palm kernel oil.

Sodium Chloride = A colorless crystalline compound, NaCl, occurring naturally in seawater and halite; common salt.

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid = widely abbreviated as EDTA (for other names, see Table), is apolyamino carboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is named ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve limescale.(Detergent)

Tetrasodium EDTA is a preservative that’s made from the known carcinogen, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide. It is also a penetration enhancer, meaning it breaks down the skin's protective barrier, going right into your bloodstream. Many companies trying to be "natural" will use Tetrasodium EDTA instead of parabens to preserve their products. In my opinion, Tetrasodium EDTA is just as bad.

Where in any of this is the 1/4 moisturizing ingredients?  And Formaldehyde?  I don't know about you, but I don't want to be rubbing my family in Formaldehyde.  Notice how many ingredients come from oils.  This is because commercial companies don't use the pure ingredients.  They use part of them, and then remove further ingredients after the soaponification process.

Now let's compare to Handmade.  Here is a list of ingredients I use, (not all soap contains all the listed ingredients.  This is a list that I may use in my products)

Water
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Sustainable Palm Oil
Avocado Oil
Shea Butter
Cocoa Butter
Almond Oil
Castor Oil
Essential Oil
Fragrance 
Silk
Kaolin Clay
Natural Colorants (no Dyes!)

I began soaping to save money.  I now soap to protect my family.  

Now you decide.  Which would you rather use?

www.StargazerSoaps.Etsy.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/StargazerSoaps

Twilight

Recently I heard of a fragrance company that did a line of fragrance based on the Twilight series.  And with a house full of girls who are crazy about Twilight, I just HAD to have them.  They arrived yesterday, and we sat on the floor smelling them, and talking about colors.  Tonight I soaped our first Twilight soap - Volturi.  It is described as Timeless lemon, lime, lavender and amber combine with cedar, clover and patchouly.  It is a rich, sexy and enticing scent.  It actually smells very nice.  It is a very light fragrance, and pretty masculine.  We chose to use gold, red and black.  I was prepared to soap quickly, and I had heard the scent was a big seizer.  But thankfully, I had no issues with it!  I am SO excited to cut into it to see what we have!  I am working on uploading the video now!

Galaxy

Today I decided to try a new technique - In the Pot Swirl.  I have seen this done several times, and was intrigued.  Yet I hadn't been brave enough to try myself.  Some of the soaps I have seen made this way come out muddled, and others are breathtaking.  The other morning while getting ready for the day, an idea popped in my head.  Galaxy soap.  Blue with orange and yellow accents.  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to attempt the ITPS - In the Pot Swirl.

It was actually a lot of fun!  I am SO excited to see it cut!  I am working on the video now!  I learned a lot while making this soap.  I am excited to try it again!  

When soap goes bad

So what happens when you soap with distractions?  Well.... beautiful soap goes BAD!

I have a rule.  When I am measuring my ingredients, kids know mom is out.  I don't want to get confused.  I always double and triple check my measurements, even though I know my recipes by heart.  Well, I have learned I need to make sure my husband adheres to the same policy as the kids!  

Last weekend I decided to make a couple of fall soaps.  I also tweaked my recipe just a bit.  I began measuring, and my husband sat in the room chatting with me.  I kept getting pulled away due to various things, (crying baby, husband needing help, etc).  But I kept going, hoping that I was keeping track of where I was.  You see, making soap is pure science.  And requires precise measurements.  You need a certain amount of oil and liquid for the saponification process to occur.  Not enough oil, and you end up with Lye heavy soap.  Not what you want to bathe in!  (ALL soap is made with Lye, but it does not remain.  More on this later!)

So I set up my camera and soaped away.  I made 2 beautiful loaves of soap.  Everything seemed to be going perfectly.  The next day I checked my soaps, and realized the loaves seemed smaller than usual.  My soaps should fill the mold, and these were quite a bit smaller.  I un-molded them, and began to cut my first loaf.  That is when I realized there was a problem.  Instead of a beautiful, smooth soap, I ended up with a crumbly mess.  I was shocked.  And confused.  I sat with my recipe, and went over my numbers again and again.  And that is when it hit me.  When measuring, I didn't add enough of one of my oils - I read the wrong line.  And now I was stuck with 2 loaves of expensive, pretty, yummy smelling, lye heavy soap.  

Some soapers will re-batch.  (Melt it down and add the oils and re-mold it).  But I just couldn't bring myself to put my beautiful soap into a pot, and watch it turn brown from the colors mixing.  You see, I mix my own colors.  I spent well over an hour mixing until I found the perfect shades for these soaps.  Watching them mix while re-batching  - I just couldn't do it.  But I found some soapers across the country who couldn't wait to get their hands on my soap.  So I mailed that to them last week!  I am excited to see what they do.  

For me, time to soap!  I am going to attempt to re-create my soap, Jupiter and Draco, and hopefully will have better luck this time!  

Happy Soaping!

Hello!

I have been talking about writing a soaping blog for some time now.  I figured this is a good time!  

I will start with an introduction!

I am a busy stay at home mom of 5.  Yes, 5!  As a stay at home mom, I look for ways to save my family money.  I cloth diaper, use reusable cloth paper towels, and only use reusable snack bags.  One day I got a bee in my bonnet, and decided to try my hand at soap making.  Well, after some research I thought there was no way.  It was complicated, and time consuming.  I discarded the idea.  But I kept hearing little bits of information about the soap we were using, and suddenly my research was back on.  But this time it was not just about saving money, but protecting my family from harmful chemicals.  

My first batch was scary.  I remember lining up my ingredients, and going over my instructions a dozen times.  I intended to make a small batch, but ended up with 10 pounds of soap.  And it isn't pretty, but it is a nice bar of soap!  I had so much fun, I had to try it again. I think my husband realized before I did that this was going to quickly become an obsession.  

Several days later, I had 2 more batches of soap under my belt.  And they were even better than my first batch!  And I knew I was in trouble - I was hooked!  

I cure all of my soap for 6 weeks before we use it.  It was so hard to wait for those first few batches.  I checked them every day.  I almost caved a few times and used it early, but resisted.  In the meantime, I began experimenting with colors, and tweaking my recipe.  I wanted to find something that was my very own creation.  

While I have had some flops, (more on those later!), I have been pretty lucky and most of my batches turn out beautifully.  I always feel like a kid waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve while my soap is in the mold, just begging to be cut.  

So that is how my soaping journey began.  I will post more about the chemicals and my flops soon!  

A quick note - making my own soap has NOT saved me any money.  In fact, quite the opposite!  It is a very expensive hobby!  I am thankful I have been able to turn my passion into my business - and am able to mostly support my habit!