Frontier Angel Soap

Get ready to scrub!

2011-06-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what took me so long. I finally came up with a nice scrubby soap. Customers have been asking for years...for a gardeners bar, for a mechanics bar, for something to scrub feet...etc.

I think I've come up with something that fits the bill for all these uses. It's aptly named "Brimstone" because this thing will scrub the skin right off the devil himself. I've loaded it with red clay and bamboo charcoal, and lots of pumice of various grit size. The essential oil blend helps with cleaning too: eucalyptus, pine and lemongrass.

I've been having my mechanic friends try it out with great results. And I use it after I make soap. Making soap can be a very dirty job and I sometimes end up with oil and clays all over my hands. I also have a veggie garden, I'm a no-gloves kind of gardener which means that dirt really gets embedded. Using "Brimstone" and then slathering on my shea butter balm (coming soon), my hands are baby soft and ultra clean.

This photo is the test batch so it's a bit rough looking, the final version will be similar just a prettier. On sale in July 2011!

Shave and a hair cut?

2011-06-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

Ok...I can't help you with the hair cut part, but shaving? Got you covered!

Last year I carried a nice men's shaving soap. The reason I stopped carrying it is because I was having a hard time finding a decent brush to go with the soap, and I really want my customers to be happy. I'm thrilled to report that the search for a good brush is finally over! I recently purchased some badger hair brushes (SO much better than those cheap boar bristle brushes that shed).

Father's day 2011 will be the relaunch of my shaving soap PLUS a good starter brush. We will also sell the soap without a brush, for those who just want to restock their shaving mug.

About the soap...it's scented with a cooling blend of menthol and eucalyptus and I've added a touch of spice (clove and cinnamon). It's also got clay and Irish moss for "slip" so you get that extra smooth finish. This year, I've added beer to the recipe (hey, this IS a guy's soap), plus it adds to the lather.

So ditch those cans of shaving foam/gel and go for something more natural. You'll also be doing our landfills a favor since our soap is wrapped in biodegradable paper. Look for the soap to be available on our website about a week before Father's day. We'll also carry it at our farmers markets.

We love Dad!

North Star House Festival

2011-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

The North Star house in it's hey-day.

May was an insane busy month for me, as was April. June is looking pretty busy as well. But that's good because that means that the soap biz is booming! In April, we did Green Fest in San Francisco, it was an amazing event! We hope to return in November, but I gotta see if that will fit into our schedule. More on that later.

I also taught a couple soap making classes. I had awesome students because everybody did a fabulous job of making soap. I'm hoping to squeeze in another class in June and/or July, we'll see. If there is any interest out there, please let me know and I can notify you directly when class dates are set.

All that aside, there is another cool event coming up on Saturday, June 4th, 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. It's the North Star House Festival and the theme is "Race day at the house". There is a historic story behind that theme and I'll get to that later. For now, all you need to do is put this event on your calendar. Here's what's happening that day:

Live music!
Antique cars!
Free activities: games, prizes, magic, arts & crafts!
Picnic on the lawn (BYO or buy there)!
Growers market!

Pretty cool, eh? No fees for parking or admittance (how cool is that? a rare free event).

If you've never been to the North Star house, you'll want to check it out. Did you know that this historic structure was designed by Julia Morgan (of Hearst castle fame)? Built in the early 1900's by the Foote family, it was once a grand manor but over the years has fallen into disrepair due to neglect and vandalism. Such a sad story! But, thanks to the North Star Conservancy, it is slowly coming to life again, starting with the beautiful grounds.

Just one mile from historic downtown Grass Valley, it's easy to get to. If you're coming from out of town, come up highway 49 and take the exit for McCourtney Road / Nevada County fairgrounds. Turn left on Old Auburn road and drive about 1/2 mile. The entrance to the house is on the left, a gated gravel road. Head up the drive and be amazed by this jewel in the rough.

And the historic event? It's a celebration of the 100th anniversary of A.B Foote’s Model T race to Tahoe City in 1911. Pretty cool! So pack up the kids, grandma and grandpa, grab a blanket and a picnic lunch and head on up to the house on June 4th for a super fun time.

We will be there with our soap booth, since we're part of the growers market. So I hope you'll come by and say hello!

2011-03-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up that we will be vending at the Green Fest in San Francisco this spring! Here are the details:

Saturday and Sunday

April 9th & 10th, 2011

SF Concourse Exhibition Center

635 8th Street (at Brannon Street), S.F.

Better yet, visit the official website for more details! SF Green Fest!

We'll be in booth #847, I hope you'll come visit. We've got soap for sale and our usual free samples. It's a great show, we visited the November show and were just amazed by all the green vendors. Plan to spend all day, there's so much to see, learn, and do!

Flowers & Candy

2011-02-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

How can it be almost valentine's day? We'll it's true, the day is right around the corner. Are you ready? If you want to make it easy on yourself and give a truly special gift, take a look at our version of flowers and candy.

We've made up a special bar of soap, mint and chocolate. Sweet peppermint and real cocoa, trust me, it smells amazingly yummy. Pair that with our "Wild Irish Rose" and/or "Lavender Fields", there's your flowers and candy...no calories and your honey will be enjoying these soaps long after the flowers have wilted and the candy has been eaten.

We've also got a sale going on. 14% off until February 14th, just use voucher "LOVE2011" upon check out (or mention the code over the phone). And to sweeten the deal further, any order of 3 or more bars gets dressed up on a red box with a pretty white bow with tiny hearts.

We love our customers and this is just our way of saying 'thank you' and happy valentines day.

Buy Local this Holiday Season

2010-12-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

In these economic times, doesn't it just make sense to look to your own community for holiday gifts? It makes perfect sense to me and I always feel great when I can find exactly what I'm looking for in my own home town.

Why buy local? Well, for starters, you're helping a local business to grow and prosper. These are your neighbors, they live in your town, maybe even next door. Doesn't it feel great to know when you're buying a product that you're helping someone to pay their mortgage or put food on the table?

If that doesn't give you a warm fuzzy, then how about the benefits to your pocketbook? Buying local means never having to pay shipping. That not only saves you money, but the environmental cost of those delivery trucks zooming up and down the highway. Spare the air, ya know? How about when you can buy directly from the manufacturer of the product...you can look into their eyes, chat about family or maybe just about what crazy weather we're having. There's nothing like the face to face sale to make the seller and the buyer feel special.

Anyway, those are just some of my random thoughts on the subject of buying local. I'm sure there are other equally valuable reasons that currently escape me. But all in all, it's a really good thing.

Enrich your community by supporting your local artisan, crafter, designer, or small business. Happy holidays!

Cornish Christmas: A Grass Valley Tradition

2010-11-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know how it went from October to end of November so quickly! But here we are, the holiday season is officially upon us. I just wanted to take a moment to remind folks of a really fun event that happens every year in Grass Valley. Cornish Christmas, I believe it's in it's 40-something year. It's a vintage Christmas themed street fair, with food, kids activities, local arts and crafts, and music!

This year marks our 5th year in attendance, our booth is in it's usual spot at the exact corner of Mill and Main Streets (right in front of Dave's Shoes).

This is a real special event for us. Nothing is more heart warming than hearing how someone's daughter put our goat milk soap boxed set on her wish list, or how a family is heading out of town for the holidays and they want to take "a piece of Grass Valley" back home for the relatives. And the general good mood of all the shoppers, really puts us in that special holiday spirit.

So we hope you'll join us, come early because parking is limited and the streets do get crowded. Oh, and be sure you bundle up, it gets down in the 30's-40's here at night.

Cornish Christmas

Friday nights, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

November 26, December 3, 10, & 17, 2010

Historic downtown Grass Valley

http://www.historicgrassvalley.com/Cornish.html

Fall Home & Garden Show, Oct 16 & 17

2010-10-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Anyone coming to our soap making demos this weekend? Unfortunately we have to miss our regular Saturday market at the North Star house in Grass Valley, but you can find us all weekend long at the Nevada County Fair Grounds.

We'll have our soap display there for purchases and we'll also be doing one demo each day. Check out today's paper (The Union) for the special insert with all the details.

Here's a photo from last years demo, all chairs filled and folks standing in the back! Who knew so many people were interested in soap making?? I think it's great. Soap is like any other product, if you use it you should know what's in it. This year, I'm going to talk a little bit about why you'd want to make your own soap. I only get 20 minutes per demo, so I'll have to talk fast. I'm always available after the demo to answer any of your questions.

Should be way fun, see you there!!

Fall Finally!

2010-10-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of fall. After braving temps in the upper 90's to low 100's, I think it's finally come! Cloudy and cool weather, my mind turns to thoughts of soft alpaca scarves, peppermint mochas, red, gold, and orange leaves, and something yummy (preferably with apples or pumpkin) baking in the oven.

This time of year with my business means that everything pumpkin turns up on the "to do" chalkboard in the workshop. Pumpkin soap and pumpkin sugar scrub...made with real organic pumpkin, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon essential oils.

Why pumpkin? Well, not only is pumpkin the quintessential vegetable for this time of year, but it's also good for you. It contains lots of anti-oxidant vitamins A and C, as well as zinc and beneficial alpha-hydroxy acids. So lather up with pumpkin soap, slough off dry skin with our frosting like sugar scrub, end up smelling slightly sweet/spicy, and enjoy softer, healthier skin. A great way to start the season!

An Event for Your Calendar

2010-08-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

Here's an event you don't want to miss! October 16 and 17 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds is the Fall Home & Garden show.

Even if you don't have any plans for home improvement projects, come for the "Back to Basics" section of the show. Demos and workshops will be going on all weekend, here are some of the subjects you can learn more about:

Weaving
Quilting
Soap Making
Canning
Sustainable Living
Jam Making
Composting
Gold Panning
Raising Livestock
Organic Gardening

I don't know about you, but ALL of these subjects sound super interesting to me. For the soap making demo part, well, I'll be your instructor. I'm on the schedule to do two demos, one each day. Here's the schedule:

Saturday, October 16, 1:15 - 1:45
Sunday, October 17, 2:00 - 2:30

Thirty minutes doesn't leave much time for question and answer, so if you have something specific you want to me to talk about, please post it on our facebook fan page and I'll be sure to address it during the demos.

The event is free (might have to pay for parking, I'm not sure about that). I'll also have my full line of soap (etc.) for sale at the event. So if you need to start your holiday shopping, we'll be there to help you out.

We had lots of fun at this event last year, hope you'll come on out and learn how soap is made...among other cool topics.

New Soap!

2010-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Summer has been busy for us! We acquired a couple more stores (A.P.P.L.E. in Nevada City, Eco Centric in Graeagle, and Davis Food Co-op in Davis) so I've been quite busy keeping things in stock.

However, I was able to carve out some time to create a new soap. I've been getting requests for a patchouli soap, just patchouli. If you are a customer of ours, you know I like blending essential oils and I don't use any single notes in my soap. However, I listen to my customers because they know best! So here is "Granite", steam distilled dark patchouli from Indonesia mixed with real (and it's beautiful stuff) Dead Sea mud from Israel. My inspiration for this soap came during a leisurely swim in the Yuba river this summer. If you're a local, you know that granite is sprinkled all over the river bed, it's just gorgeous. Anyway, I cut the soap today and it should be available in a couple weeks.

I'm mixing it up with my goat milk box set. I'll be keeping three of my original soaps: "Chilled Lavender", "Lemon!", and "Sweetheart". But the two other slots in the box will be filled with two new soaps! Not announcing them until they're ready, but they'll be nice compliments to the existing three.

In September we're launching a new product. It's been in development and test phase for over a year now, and I believe it's ready to meet the world. The clue is to "think outside the tube".

Summer cleaning

2010-07-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

We did summer cleaning today in the workshop...since I missed spring cleaning. Average temps of 95 degrees, hubby and I were out there doing our twice yearly clean up. Wiped down counters, scrubbed the floor, installed a big new fan, put down an anti-slip mat (yeah!), and consolidation of supplies. It feels great to be organized and I cannot wait to get out there later tonight and make soap!

You'd hardly think I'd have the energy, I mean it was HOT today and we were both getting pretty sweaty and very dirty. But I've got a clean and organized workshop. I cannot express how happy and energized that makes me!

I have a long list of things to make this week. Starting with 'Pacific Blue' and 'Lemon Bouquet', then moving on to 'Yuba Wild' and 'Garden Mint'. Our shaving soap is coming back as I've had quite the demand for it lately. Pretty low on goat milk soap, all flavors. And I'd like to make a couple new ones...something with coffee oil and something with almond. This may not seem like a very big list to some, but for a one-woman-operation like mine, that's a pretty tall order.

I may be absent for several days, as it appears my schedule is fairly full.

Eco friendly packaging

2010-07-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about product packaging and shipping material a lot lately. Once you start down the road of all things eco-friendly, there really is no end. Once you find one solution, you want more!

I make a pretty good soap that meets my idea of sustainability, and a few years ago, I decided to change my soap wrappers to paper that was made with 75% post consumer waste and 25% hemp fibers. Awesome! But I wasn't satisfied to stop there. When I ship orders to my out of state customers, I used to use recycled packing peanuts (non dissolving kind). Not good enough. So recently I found this new packing product that I can get behind with a clear conscience. It's called "paper nuts". According to the manufacturer, they are:

"PaperNuts® are made from 100% recycled materials - old corrugated cartons (post consumer) and paper processing production waste (post industrial). PaperNuts® will begin to degrade when exposed to moisture."

So next time you mail order from Frontier Angel, you will find paper nuts in your box. Please recycle, reuse, or put them in your compost. I will still recycle traditional packing peanuts that I receive from supply vendors. A local shipping company takes these off my hands and puts them to use.

What's next in my journey down the path to sustainable packaging? My goal is to get rid of as much HDPE plastic packaging as I can. I am confident that I will find solutions for my eco-friendly packaging needs, I'm a pretty good problem solver.

Castile Soap

2010-07-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried castile soap? Traditionally, "castile soap" is a name used in English-speaking countries for soap made with olive oil originating from the Castile region of Spain.

My castile soap is made from locally grown and pressed olive oil...so what would you call that? Grass-tile? Anyway, it's 100% olive oil, which makes this soap super gentle. The kind of stuff you can safely use on babies and folks with extra tender skin.

In this batch, I have infused lavender, yarrow, chamomile, calendula, and nettle. Each of these herbs gives off it's own skin pampering essence. There is no scent to the soap, just a clean soapy smell. It's really quite decadent in it's simplicity.

Some extra care is to be taken with this soap. Since it is 100% olive oil, if you let it sit in a pool of water, the soap will get "snotty". Yes, a gross term but it is an accurate description of castile soap as it dissolves. Be sure to keep this one well drained and you are assured a long lasting, beautiful bar.

It's not ready for sale yet, since it will need a few weeks to cure. I'll be sure to shout it from the roof tops when it's ready. And as always, once it is ready, free samples at our market booths.

Our Newest Market...

2010-06-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post a photo of our set up at the Nevada City Farmers Market. Since I work the Grass Valley North Star House market at the same time, my husband Ivan works the Nevada City one.

We were at this market during it's very first year in 2008, we skipped 2009 but missed it so much (and the wonderful people that organize everything so well) that we decided to split forces and do both Grass Valley and Nevada City. So far, it's been going great!

Hope to see you at one of these markets, they both run every Saturday morning, 8:00-12:00 for Grass Valley and 8:30-12:30 for Nevada City.

Where did the time go?

2010-06-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

Wow...was my last posting really in April?? Well, I apologize to anyone who may be out there reading. I'm more active on Facebook, it's easy to login in there and post a one or two liner. If you care to join me over there, just search for "Frontier Angel Soap" and "like" us. I'm on just about everyday for a minute or two, so I'm always available to answer any questions.

What we've been up to? Getting ready for the markets and finally working them all. We have quite a busy schedule this year. Check it out:

May through October
Nevada County Farmers Market
Every Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Northstar house off McCourtney (follow signs), Grass Valley, CA

June through October
Downtown Nevada City Farmers Market
Every Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
off Broad Street in Nevada City, CA

June through August
Thursday Night Downtown Farmers Market
Every Thursday, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Downtown Grass Valley, CA

June through October
Folsom Certified Farmers' Market
Every Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
East Natoma and Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA

I am loving these markets! Each one has it's own specialness and I really enjoy getting a chance to meet my customers and talk a bit. Hope you'll come see us and please feel free to ask for a free sample. We always have 'em, unless it's late in the day, we do eventually run out.

Spring Open House!

2010-04-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last November, a couple crafty friends and I put on a holiday open house that turned out rather well, so we thought we'd do it once again for spring.

If you live in Nevada County or surrounding areas, you are invited to our open house! Here are the details:

When: Saturday, April 24
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: near downtown Grass Valley

Not only will you find Frontier Angel soap for sale, but lovely re-purposed vintage items and beautiful handmade jewelry, all made by local artisans. My friend Feather, she makes the vintage items, is leaving for China this summer, so this will be the last opportunity to purchase her amazing work.

Our focus is on spring and Mother's Day (which is May 9). Bring Mom with you and share in some free refreshments, shop at your leisure or just come by to visit. Since this is mainly my shindig, my soap will be discounted for this event only.

You can contact me on my website for directions (www.frontierangel.com). Hope to see you there!

Follow up: Laundry and Deodorant

2010-03-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Busy out in the workshop today...restocking 'Pacific Blue', 'Garden Mint' and 'Lemon Bouquet'.

I also whipped up a batch of 100% coconut oil soap. While this might make great soap for sailors (it's the only soap that will lather well in cold, salty water), I actually made this batch for my laundry. Once its ready, I'll grate it fine, add some washing soda and borax, then give it a spin (literally!). We're planning to use our laundry greywater for the garden this summer, so I'm looking for something without artificial fragrances, sulfates, or preservatives.

I'm on to formula #3 for my version of body deodorant, and I think I've found a keeper. The first two versions were to "wet" feeling, batch #3 feels just about right. It will go into testing mode (on us, friends, and family) and if I get thumbs up, then it will be added to our summer product line. So far, I've been loving it. The ingredients are all food grade items and the essential oils were chosen for their anti bacterial properties. Here are the ingredients:

Mango butter, coconut oil, arrowroot power, tapioca starch, kaolin clay, essential oils of sage, lavender and cedar.

I plan to make one other scent, tea tree/lemongrass. And, I have this awesome idea to save on packaging waste! I'll share that another time...

Green Living - Laundry

2010-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

As long as I can remember, I have always had what I like to call 'a pioneer spirit'. I love having a vegetable garden, tending fruit trees, putting up the harvest, sewing, baking my own bread, and living as frugal as possible. So I'm always on the look out for articles on how I can go even further in my effort to live simply.

Here's my latest find: dryer balls. In the summer, I line dry all our clothes. But on the wet and cool days, I've got to use the electric clothes dryer. It takes at least an hour for my clothes to dry...just think of the energy that's being used there!

I ran across an article in the paper today about dryer balls. Basically, they are felted balls of wool that you throw in the dryer with your wet clothes. They supposedly help reduce drying time, reduce static cling and soften clothes naturally! Sounds good! You can buy them online at places like etsy, or if you're like me, try your hand at making some. You can use 100% wool yarn from old sweaters and socks. I just happen to have a small stash of wool scraps from a previous felting project that I think will work great.

I can't vouch that these dryer balls will work, but I'm willing to give it a try of it will help reduce my energy bill! For those who use commercial dryer sheets, you really ought to give these a try. Those dryer sheets are made from petroleum, plus they're loaded with artificial fragrances and have been linked to headaches, rashes, nausea and other health concerns. Try a more natural alternative for your health and that of your pocketbook.

Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls

The Great Deodorant Debate

2010-03-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

To antiperspirant or to deodorant? That is the age old question. Do you buy into the marketing hype of the big commercial companies and the tag line "never let them see you sweat"? Or do you prefer a more natural product? What choices do you have today and are they really safe? Good questions!

Since I am a big proponent of using real soap with essential oils for scent and products that don't need a preservative, I've always got my mind on the big picture. If it's important to make healthy life style choices, why am I using potentially dangerous after shower products on my body?

Hence our antiperspirant boycott! My husband and I have shelved our previously preferred antiperspirants (those big brand named ones, I won't mention them but it's no Secret and I'm Sure you know which ones I speak of). My husband has chosen to go au naturel. Me? I'm a bit of a chicken, so I have picked up a fairly well known brand of deodorant from our local natural food store. Here are the ingredients:

Propylene Glycol, Water (Aqua), Stearic Acid, Cyclomethicone, Talc, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed OiI, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Coriandrum Sativum (Coriander) Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinal (Ginger) Root Extract.

Hmm...most of these ingredients I can identify, but there are a few which concerned me and I felt they really didn't belong in a supposedly "natural" product. Here are a few:

Propylene Glycol

A cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

Talc

Talc is a mineral, produced by the mining of talc rocks and then processed by crushing, drying and milling. Processing eliminates a number of trace minerals from the talc, but does not separate minute fibers which are very similar to asbestos.

I think this product will soon be shelved as I don't care to have antifreeze ingredients in my arm pits! So why do I mention all of this? Mostly to help educate and encourage others to question the ingredients in their personal care products. Don't take any one's word for it, do your own research.

I didn't mention much about antiperspirants...for me, it's a no brainer. Never forget the link between aluminium chlorohydrate (the active ingredient in commercial antiperspirants) and Alzheimer's disease. Pretty scary. I've even read about a possible link to breast cancer.

So what's next in our natural deodorant quest? Something made in my workshop, most likely. I'll share more as I continue with my research and testing. In the meantime, what are you using and have you ever read the ingredient label?

My soap spoke to me today...

2010-01-26T09:15:00.000-08:00

Imagine my surprise, as I'm wrapping soap for a wholesale account, when I see what appears to be a word in my soap! A greeting, just a simple word: "Yo!" (exclamation added by me). Visions of 'Rocky' and the voice of Sylvester Stallone in my head for a brief moment.

I often get smiley faces and what looks like the Arabic alphabet. Once, I even got a dragon with a tail shaped like a spade. All of these "designs" are serendipitous. See, I make soap in big 60 pound blocks and while there is some effort to make artistic flourishes with color and texture, any words or pictures created inside the soap is just a happy accident.

This soap is now on the shelf at one of the local stores that I sell to. I hope whomever buys it, will see the greeting and smile.

Yo!

Eat tomatoes and improve your skin

2010-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

Study underlines how lycopene can lead to smoother skin

I adore garden fresh tomatoes and dream all winter about them. I love all kinds, especially those unusual heirloom type. My favorite salad: chopped tomatoes, EVOO, fresh basil, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Yum.

Research shows that eating foods rich in lycopene (like tomatoes) will make your skin smoother (see link to article). So this summer, hit your local farmers market, indulge in tomatoes of all types and make yourself beautiful!

'Passion into Action'...a women's conference

2010-01-19T21:21:00.000-08:00

If you're in Grass Valley this weekend and you're looking for something to do, there's a women's conference happening at the Holiday Inn Express on Saturday, January 23. It's called "Passion into Action; everyday women doing extraordinary things for the planet". Sounds pretty cool!

There's a pretty impressive line of up speakers and workshops, see their website and blog for more info. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Briarpatch co-op or the website referenced.

I'll be there in the expo room, handing out samples of soap and my new brochure that I really love. I'll also have soap and whipped shea butter for sale. I believe the hours are 8:30 to 5:30. Hope to see some of you locals there!

You washed your hair with what??

2010-01-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

This story starts out with me running out of shampoo. There was nothing in the shower but bars of soap and an empty shampoo bottle (by the time I noticed this it was too late to rummage through the cupboards). So I thought, what the heck, I'll try out my goatmilk soap on my hair. I mean, it's nice on my skin, might be nice on my hair, worth a try!

It lathered up nicely and felt good in my hair, even upon rinse out. I have some highlights in my hair, so it tends to feel straw like if I use the wrong product. Well, I didn't get any of that "straw hair" feeling. I added a tiny bit of conditioning, rinsed and wrapped my hair in a towel.

Comb out, no tangles. Nice! Still no straw hair, thank goodness. It dried nicely and hubby said my hair looked great! Even the next day, it felt pretty good. Which got the old gears turning...why don't I formulate a soap bar specifically for hair??

Now I want to preface all this with a couple things...first, bar soap does not work for everyone's hair. I did some reading and it seems that folks with hard water don't get good results with bar soap. Also, it is recommended that an acidic rinse follows the shampoo. Something like diluted apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid. Even then there is no guarantee that bar soap will work for you. But, if you are one of the lucky one's who's hair LOVES bar soap, you will never go back to the synthetic bottled stuff. I mean, why would you?

So I got something down on paper for a bar soap designed for hair. Something with plenty of castor oil, olive, coconut, jojoba and maybe wheatgerm. I also want to infuse some hair loving herbs like rosemary, maybe add some milk or silk to the mix. Still researching, but it sounds good to me so far!

Other advantages to using shampoo bar soap on your hair: no artificial ingredients or preservatives (liquid shampoo is made from surfactants, water is added which needs a preservative), no plastic packaging so there's nothing to junk up our landfills.

Anyway, I have plenty to do before I play with this, but I'd really like to try this out soon. I will report back when I get something made, maybe even offer up a free trial if there is interest.

Clean the World!

2010-01-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

I learned of a non-profit yesterday called "Clean The World". They collect used soap and shampoo from hotels, clean them, repackage the bars and ship them to poor countries like Haiti. It's a win/win situation...everyone knows that hand washing with soap helps prevent disease, and by repurposing this soap, it's less garbage in our landfills.

With the recent disaster in Haiti, the need for soap is even more essential. This weekend, I'm packing up a big box of soap to ship to Florida, and then it goes on to Haiti. I am thrilled and feel so blessed to be able to help in some small way.

Check out this youtube video to see more about "Clean The World" and their efforts in Haiti. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7LzNOXKi0A&feature=player_embedded

Weather Watching

2010-01-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

I am a compulsive weather watcher. I love going online and checking out the forecast, the live radars, I even watch the Caltrans live traffic cameras for clues on what's going on up the hill. Okay, so that's one weird thing you now know about me. Why am I mentioning it? Well, we've got some severe weather ahead next week and I'm concerned about getting orders out. I will, of course, get them out. I mean that's what four-wheel drive was invented for! But gee, navigating roads where the residents are not accustomed to driving in snow (we only get 3 or 4 good snows per winter), it can be nerve wracking. So here's hoping the weatherman is exaggerating!

Good news, though. I got the oil that I needed so desperately, it came today. That was good news to wake up to, I tell ya. So I'm back out in the workshop tomorrow! Yes! A few restocks, 'Yuba Wild' (very popular) and 'Lavender Fields' (an oldie but goodie). Then I can play with new scent blends, and THAT is what I'm really looking forward to.

Until next time, stay warm and dry out there.

Inspiration and Impatience

2010-01-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am bursting with ideas for new soap...I should be thrilled, right? One big problem: I am out of one of my main soaping oils. Argh! Ok, no problem, quick on the phone and order up some oil from a fine semi-local supplier. Since this particular supplier isn't that far away, I expected a quick turn around. A few days later, no oil. After several calls and several promises to get it out asap, I am still looking for a delivery. I am praying it shows up tomorrow, because I am (almost literally) on fire to get down to the business of making soap!

Well, I suppose it's my own fault...in all the frenzy of getting the holiday orders tied up, I missed restocking ONE item. Not too bad considering all the different raw materials I use. However, this one oil, I cannot make soap without it, it's critical to my formula. So I'm waiting and watching...patiently.

On the positive side, in all the long hours of waiting for my delivery, I have brainstormed yet another new soap to my long list of possible new flavors. If I love them all as much as I'm thinking I will, half will be launched in late winter (February-ish), and the rest just as the summer markets kick off in May.

Can you be patient with me? It will be worth it, I promise!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Twenty ten! Yep, it's gonna be a good year I can feel it in my bones. I am so energized and ready to hit the workshop, but the end of year chaos left my workshop and office in disarray. So it's organizing and cleaning this weekend, only then can I begin creating my spring soap line. And I'm very excited to get started, but the dirty work first.

Just because I can't get out to the workshop doesn't mean that I've been idle! No sir. For the past week, I have been brainstorming every free moment I get, consulting old notes and jotting things down. I think I have a good workable list of possible new soaps ready to be tested.

Right now, I'm looking at six new soaps; 2 old favorites and 4 brand new blends. I'm leaning pretty heavy toward citrus this year...I'm bringing back an old favorite (I just got too many pleading requests to ignore it any longer), 'Ginger Lime'. No fancy name here, just good fresh ginger and snappy lime. It's a pretty soap too, half green, half peach color. All natural colorants, of course. It costs me a bit more to make, but I feel it's worth bringing back into my regular line.

Also, another soap returning is 'Lemon Bouquet': lavender and lemongrass. Sweet and fresh smelling in a mosaic of colors. No reason it dropped off my radar, except that it's a bit more labor intensive. That was probably it. I happen to love this particular blend, but my hand aches for days after I make it. Why? Because of all the hand cut pieces of colored soap (see photo). I have to chop up LOADS of it. It's worth it though, it's a lovely soap.

Now you'll have to wait for the other four. I have to keep some suspense going here! Plus these last four are truly brand new blends. Somewhere between paper and creation, some things might need to be tweeked before final release. I am a perfectionist and I have to hit a blend exactly how I "visualized" it, or it won't make the cut to final production.

Another change I'm planning is to up the amount of shea butter I include in my soap. I love shea butter...unrefined, raw, fragrant and good for you shea butter. I think we can all benefit from just a tad more shea in soap, so I'll hang the extra expense and go for it. After all, I use this soap too and want only to use the best.

What changes will you be making this month?

Holiday Break!

2009-12-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

Our website is officially closed for the year. I want to thank all my faithful returning customers for their continued business this year, and to all the new customers that have found their way to our little soap business. Welcome and thank you too!

I am not done working, not by a long shot. My wholesale customers are still clamoring for more soap before "the day" arrives. The last of the web orders are going out tomorrow (Saturday). And a few miscellaneous orders are to be delivered next week about town. Busy, busy!

I can fit in that very last minute order up to the 24th if you live in Nevada County, just give me a call. After that tho, I will be incommunicado from December 25th through January 4th. Hey, even your humble soap maker needs a rest.

Anyway, thank you again for supporting our business with your purchases. I look forward to a busy 2010, I'm already planning my spring soap line, very exciting!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Frontier Angel Soap. May 2010 find you healthy, happy and prosperous.

Rained Out...

2009-12-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

For the first time in *four* years vending at Cornish Christmas, we were rained out. Bummer. I hate missing a show. We actually did set up our booth. It was exciting getting the lighting plugged in and up while pools of water were collecting in the roof of our awning. I count it a blessing that no one got electrocuted. I put out my shelf displays and noticed that everything had a fine mist on it already. I looked up, my two faithful and non-complaining helpers were drenched, as was I, and I knew it was time to call the game on account of rain.

I hope no one was disappointed and looking for my soap. I'm hoping that next Friday, our last night vending, will be much more pleasant. If anyone needs soap before Christmas, please call 530-274-3711. I can get it to you if you are in or around town.

The photo posted is from Cornish Christmas 2007.

Signs of the Season

2009-12-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

Winding down now to our last two shows of the year. December 11th and December 18th are the last two nights of Cornish Christmas. Join us in historic downtown Grass Valley for some holiday cheer the old fashioned way...roasted chestnuts, carolers and more.

A fine selection of local crafts are being sold, a few of my favorites; bags of handmade toffee, yummy baked goods, reindeers made from twigs, and faux fur head warmers with matching scarves. In the food department, it's hard to beat our neighbors to the left of our booth, they sell the most amazing tacos. Down on Main Street, look for the deep fried pretzels. Sinfully good, I ate two of them last Friday night.

So see, there is plenty of old time holiday fun to be found in the heart of the gold country.

I forgot to mention, we got our first nice snow of the season. You might catch a glimpse of the white stuff on the way up, but rest assured, the roads are clear and safe to travel.

Limited Edition Holiday Soap!

2009-11-22T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have to confess up front, I originally had four limited edition soaps planned for the holidays, but it's been quite busy and I only got two done in time. That's ok, because I'll save the other two flavors for a treat sometime next year.

What I do have is two new holiday soaps to offer:
1) 'Magi', REAL frankincense and myrrh with a bit of "gold on top, and,
2) 'Darling Clementine', sweet clementine orange and clove, the orange color comes from organic carrot juice.

As a special treat, these two soaps have had their shea butter content boosted to approximately 20%! This is an awesome soap for cold weather. Pared with our whipped shea butter, you're sure to beat old man winter and keep your skin nicely conditioned.

Our last sale of the year is approaching...it starts the day after Thanksgiving (aka "Black Friday") and runs through "Cyber Monday". The dates are November 27th through November 30th. Don't miss out on a 10% discount AND free shipping for any order over $25.00. As a internet shopper myself, I adore sales that offer free shipping. So it's my treat to you.

Happy Holidays!!

First Annual Holiday Open House!

2009-11-15T22:52:00.000-08:00

We held our open house this past Saturday, it was a total and complete success!! Thank you to Frontier Angel loyal customers, friends, and family, for your continued patronage. We are already talking about doing another show in the spring so stay tuned.

Busy in the Workshop!

2009-11-07T19:50:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year, the last of my restocking before the holiday rush. I'm almost ready to reveal my newest holiday soap, but not quite yet (I'm still working on packaging).

In the meantime, feast your eyes on the newest batch of 'Queen Bee'. This soap is fairly new, I launched it this past summer. It's an essential oil blend of ylang-ylang, spearmint, orange and lavender, and a bit of local honey (that's the "bee" part).

I can't wait to cut into this one!

Demos done!

2009-10-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

We're back from the Fall Home & Garden show out at the fairgrounds. Great crowd and lots of people interested in how soap is made, standing room only! Here I am in the middle of my demo. The theme of this demo was "How to make soap with grocery store ingredients". Since the theme of the Back to Basics portion of the show was sustainable living and self sufficiency, I thought a simple soap formula was in order.

For this demo, the soap I made was vegetable shortening, olive oil and coconut oil with oatmeal and honey. I chose those oils specifically; olive oil is great for your skin, coconut I prefer to boost the lather and the vegetable shortening was chosen as a base filler, helps with the firmness of the soap. Oatmeal is soothing and honey is a humectant, so those are good choices for additives.

The only thing is, lye still needs to be mail ordered. I remember a time when it could be bought at the grocery store. It stopped being available that way a few years back, unfortunately. Anyway, the demos were fun and I love meeting everyone and answering questions. It always thrills me a bit to dispel the bad rap that real soap has gotten in the past and put to rest some untruths.

Next up is our First Annual Open House! If you live in Nevada County and wish to attend, there is a registration form available on the front page of my website. I will have my full line of soap and gift boxes for sale. And, as a special treat, I have invited a few crafting friends who do real quality work. Hope you can come!

Back 2 Basics: Soap Making Demo

2009-09-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a chance for local folks to watch me making soap and to learn how to make it themselves! This is all part of the "Back 2 Basics" part of the Nevada County Home and Garden show. Follow this link to 'The Union' website for more information.

We will be there Saturday and Sunday, doing demos both days and also selling at our booth. New holiday soap will be available, so come by and see whats new.

More details to come!

Staying healthy...

2009-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

With all the recent news about the new flu strain making it's way north, it's time be sure that we're doing all we can to keep ourselves and our families healthy.

One very simple thing to help ward of disease is to be sure that hands are washed with plain soap and water several times a day. In our house, any time we come home from shopping or playing at the park, the first order of business is to wash hands thoroughly using soap and warm water.

Some essential oils help to prevent the spread of flu type viruses. These oils can be added to a liquid natural soap or diffused in the air. We do NOT advocate using essential oils internally or applying them directly to the skin undiluted.

Tea Tree
Scientific Name: Melaleuca alternifolia
Associated Chemical Properties: Antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti fungal, decongestant, expectorant, immune stimulant.

Eucalyptus
Scientific Name: Lavandula latifolia
Associated Chemical Properties: Antiseptic, antimicrobial, bactericidal, decongestant.

While we don't carry a tea tree soap (yet!), we do use eucalyptus in 'Garden Mint' and 'Yuba Wild'.

Wishing you continued health!

Soap with a smile

2009-04-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

I love making soap...it's a satisfying creative process for me. From an idea scratched out in my note book to the final product, every phase of the process is enjoyable for me.

Every now and then, I'll get a unique image that naturally appears in my soap. This time, to my amusement, I got soap that is smiling back at me! This bar of soap made it's way to one of my local wholesale accounts...I wonder who ended up with this bar and did they notice the smile? I hope it brightened someones day as it did mine when I discovered it.

Herbs as Natural Colorants, part 2

2009-02-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here is the final product in our "Herbs for Natural Colorants" series. This is 'Siren' (pronounced sahy-ruhn), bergamot, ylang-ylang, and amber resin. The color is all natural, as it came from the herbal infusion of alkanet in olive oil. Pretty cool how it begins blood red and turns purple once it's in soap.

The inspiration for this soap is my love of Greek mythology. Here's the defination of a siren and a snippet of a myth:

Sirens are creatures with the head of a female and the body of a bird. They lived on an island and with the irresistible charm of their song they lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding their island.

When Odysseus' ship passed the Sirens, he had the sailors stuff their ears with wax. He had himself tied to the mast for he wanted to hear their beautiful voices. The Sirens sang when they approached, their words even more enticing than the melody. They would give knowledge to every man who came to them, they said, ripe wisdom and a quickening of the spirit. Odysseys' heart ran with longing but the ropes held him and the ship quickly sailed to safer waters.

I named this soap appropriately as it has it's own siren song, beautiful and tempting, sure to please. Rest assured, destruction will not follow those who choose to answer this siren's call.

Herbs as Natural Colorants, part 1

2009-02-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

The picture I've posted today is of an herb that I infuse in oil to get a real nice natural color for soap. This is a shot of my herbs soaking in oil. Initially, the color of the oil becomes a dark red. But once it gets mixed in with other oils and the lye water, it turns a purple-blue color.

The herb I'm using here is alkanet root. According to folk lore, "it helps such as are bitten by venomous beasts, whether it be taken inwardly or applied to the wound" and "It helps bruises and falls, and is as gallant a remedy to drive out the smallpox and measles as any is; an ointment made of it is excellent for green wounds, pricks or thrusts."

That may well be true (or not) but today I'm using it as a natural colorant for my 'Siren' soap. Later, I'll post a picture of the final product.

Facts about soap

2009-01-09T11:26:00.000-08:00

According to a report in the January issue of the Harvard Health Letter, regular soap and water is just as effective as hand sanitizers and antibacterial soap when used correctly and frequently [ Link to article ]

Who knew that humble soap could help prevent disease? Make it a habit to wash your hands frequently and stay healthy!

Back to Business!

2009-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning! Ok...more like good afternoon, but I've been busy today and time flys when you're on the computer. I just wanted to announce that our website is back online. Some of the soap is 'out of stock', but I'm busily working on that.

Anyway, website is back up, feel free to browse at your convenience. Ask any questions or email me any comments you might have. I'm always happy to get testimonials...if you have one, send it along and make my day!

Frontier Angel Website

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, but I just love the new year. It's a clean slate for all of us, a chance to begin anew. A time to reflect on the year just past...what did we learn? What do we want to do differently in the new year? What new skills do we want to aquire or new hobbies to research?

The photo I've posted is a shot I took while hiking new years day. It made me think, what's up ahead in 2009? What new adventures are in store, what new friends shall we meet along the way, what new wonders will be discovered?

Life is full of challenges, may we muster the courage to meet them head on. Always with an open mind and open heart. Loving those around us. Giving to those in need. Learning and growing on a daily basis. Living every day as though it was our last.

Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity in 2009 and beyond!

Stay tuned for our website re-opening on Monday, January 5th.

Workshop closed for Christmas

2008-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd put a blog notice up that I've closed the workshop a bit early this year, and my online web store too.

The weather is very wet and snowy, I just don't trust my ability to get to the post office in a timely manner in this kind of weather. Right now, my car is surrounded by *a lot* of snow and it may be a day or so before I can get it out. According to the news, the snow and wet weather will last for the next week, maybe more. eek!

So in the interest of good customer service, I've decided to close a few days earlier than planned. For anyone local looking for my soap, you can always find it at these retail locations:

Aimee Taylor Handcrafted
Mill Street
Grass Valley, CA

Being Green
In the New York Hotel
Nevada City, Ca

BriarPatch Co-Op
Sierra College Drive
Grass Valley, CA

California Organics
Argall Way
Nevada City, CA

If you don't find what you're looking for or need something special, please feel free to call me. Contact info is on our main Frontier Angel website.

Anyway, happy holidays to all! May 2009 bring you health and happiness.

Welcome VOA listeners!

2008-12-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

I got a call the other day from a representative at 'Voice of America'. For those of you not familiar with this organization, here's a quote from their website:

The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of 134 million people.

Their representative wanted to talk to me about soap. To me, that was exciting, I'm always happy to talk to anyone about soap! It turns out VOA wanted to do a quick broadcast to listeners worldwide on how soap is made. My blog was mentioned (mostly because of my "Why Lye" post, see link below).

Anyway, welcome VOA listeners! I hope you visit my blog on occasion. After the first of the year, I want to post some more educational information about soap. But in the mean time, check out some of my older posts:

Our TV spot - See a soap making demo I did for NCTV

Why Lye? - An article on the use of lye (sodium hydroxide) in soap

I have other articles that I posted in another venue and I need to add them to my blog. One of the articles is called 'Scent Sense: Essential Oils versus Fragrance Oils'. In it, I write about the difference between the two and why I prefer one over the other.

Thank you for visiting my blog! Feel free to comment if you have any questions and I'll get back to you.

Cornish Christmas...chilly...crazy...crowded

2008-12-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Cornish Christmas has begun...tonight is the second night and there are only two more after that. If you live in northern California, Cornish Christmas is an awesome event to attend if you need some Christmas cheer and to do some gift shopping.

Now that gas is cheap (I paid $1.86/gallon today!!), it's easy to drive up here to have some fun. To me, a bay area native, Grass Valley is a hidden jewel. Just 45 minutes outside of Sac, up highway 80 then jump on highway 49. As you drive up 49, the oak trees are replaced by pines, the higher up you go, the thicker the pine trees get. Then you get to our beautiful valley, with a quaint old gold rush era town in the dead center. That's where Cornish Christmas is held.

The dining is great...my favorite place on Mill Street is The Owl. Grass Valley's own steak house with amazing food. For dessert, I'd walk down Main Street to Dorodo's Chocolate and choose from their gourmet selection of hand made chocolates. Then for coffee, there's Carolines on South Auburn Street, they roast their own coffee. After you're full and caffinated, take a stroll down Mill and Main streets enjoying the sights and sounds of Cornish Christmas.

It's usually pretty crowded at this event, and cold! So dress warmly and be prepared to wade through the crowds. But as your reward, you'll be greeted by mouth watering smells wafting from the kettle corn booth...or if you're still hungry, there's the taco stand or polish sausages with all the trimmings. Hot cider...roasted chestnuts...oh, and there's awesome handmade soap available that is perfect for stocking stuffers or as a gift for your favorite friend or loved one.

Come see us Friday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.!

Black Friday / Cyber Monday

2008-11-21T09:39:00.000-08:00

It's coming...black Friday. You know, the official first day for holiday gift shopping. And cyber monday is the day shopping on the internet increases. In that spirit, Frontier Angel Soap will be offering some really cool specials starting Friday, November 28th and running through the weekend (special ends December 2nd).

I don't want to give away all my surprises, but here's a sneak peek what we'll offer: a discount with every order over $15, loads of FREE soap samples, and raffles that will run throughout the weekend. A purchase will give you one entry into the raffles. Yes, there will be more than one chance for you to win free soap!

I may throw in the random free shipping on a couple lucky shoppers just for fun. Even if you don't get free shipping, everyone will come away with something extra. I'm looking forward to this event, I hope you'll join us! I will be online all day Friday and Monday to help anyone with questions, please feel free to email me. Bookmark our website now!

And for those of you who live in Nevada County and surrounding areas, don't forget that Cornish Christmas begins Friday, November 28th, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Our booth is located in the usual spot, the exact corner of Mill and Main Streets, in front of Dave's Shoe Repair.

Products that we're offering this year:

Shaving soap with brush (for him)
Single gift boxed soap, ready for giving, gift tag included
Special edition goat milk soap gift boxes
Whipped shea butter
Complexion soap
And our usual selection of essential oil soap sold per bar

We may offer a few other items, but you'll just have to come visit us to see what's new!

Pink is the color of October

2008-11-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

The "Paint the Town Pink" event on October 30th was a big success! It feels really good to contribute to a good cause, meet new people (and many current customers), and snack on goodies. I'm not sure how the event organizers knew of my love for Lazy Dog ice cream, but they put my booth right next to their signature pink truck! They had this great display of pink topped cupcakes and cookies...I must confess that the temptation was too great and I helped myself to more than one.

I had plenty of soap samples to hand out. I filled my big punch bowl numerous times. It made my heart happy to see people rooting through there looking for their favorite scent. Many took more than one sample, but hey, somehow I totally understand.

If you'd like another opportunity to buy our soap, I have a couple shows coming up. A real small one at Eskaton Village in Grass Valley. It's being held Saturday, November 15, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. I'll have a very small display there, along with my gift sets. Coffee and snacks are being sold, proceeds going to the Arthritis foundation.

Also, Cornish Christmas is approaching FAST! It starts Friday, November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving. I'll have my usual booth set up. I'm not sure of my location yet, but I'm hoping for the same spot as last year. The corner of Mill and Main streets, right in front of our friend's store, Dave's Shoe Repair.

If you've never been to Cornish Christmas and you live in California, this event is worth the drive (45 minutes north of Sacramento). If everyday life has depleted your Christmas spirit, this event will cure even the most humbug of moods. You'll meet folks dressed in victorian costume or maybe you'll even meet an elf! Food, local crafts, carolers, musicians...you name it, we've got it. It's usually pretty chilly, so dress warmly. Come and get some Christmas cheer!

Speaking of Cornish Christmas, I still have plenty of work to do before then. Excuse me while I get back in the workshop...more later.

End of market season...

2008-10-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

So sad that last week was the last Saturday market in Nevada City. But we had a *great* time...this is by far, my most favorite venue. Can't wait to get back to it next summer!

I thought I'd post a quick photo of my market set up. The soap on the left shows the new soap size and orientation, the soap on the right is what I used to do. My soap is different from the rest "out there", it's actually really good stuff. So I wanted to make it visually a bit different than the standard soap bar.

I'm busy getting ready for "Paint the Town Pink" event tonight. If anyone is reading this today (Thursday, October 30th), you can still go to this event. It's being held at the Nevada County fair grounds (inside the big main building). The cause is breast cancer...all funds go to helping further cancer prevention and cure. The tickets are $30 at the door. Not only are you doing something good with that ticket purchase, but you'll have fun too! Lots of freebies, fashion show, food and wine. I've got two full boxes of soap samples and I want to give them ALL away tonight!

If I get a chance to take pictures, I'll post one sometime over the weekend.

Fall Festivals in Full Swing!

2008-10-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

We attended a really cool event yesterday...the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center Autumn Shindig. Wow, was that fun! I kick myself for not bringing the camera, there was so much to see.

My favorites were the organic cotton candy and yummy tamales, The Anderson Family bluegrass, and Penny the award winning face painter (she was *amazing*). There were organic farms with their beautiful fall veggies, jewelry, woven rugs, leather workers, and me, the local soap maker.

The weather was perfect, that filtered fall sunlight that makes colors seem more intense. The location, up in the hills on the way to Malakoff Diggins. It was a pleasure to be part of this group of vendors...several of which I know from my Saturday farmers market. The locals that we met were so friendly and fun, we're already looking forward to attending next year!

Hey, next Saturday, October 25th is our last Saturday market on Commercial Street in Nevada City. This market should be an extra fun one...costumes encouraged!

Fall is here...

2008-10-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

I love fall, don't you? The burgundy, gold and orange leaves on the trees, the weather turning slightly chilly (ok, not today, but definitely at night), the occasional rain storm that leaves the air smelling fresh and earthy....it's the best time of the year.

In the spirit of all that, I've created two new soaps. One is returning from last fall, "Pumpkin Harvest". It's scented with essential oils of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, and it's loaded with fresh pumpkin puree. I only keep this around for the holidays, so after December, it gets retired once more.

The second new soap is "Carrots, Oats & Molasses". This soap is layered, top half is made with organic carrot juice and oats, the bottom half contains molasses and buttermilk. I left this bar unscented because the carrots and molasses lend their own sweet/nutty scent to the soap. I adore this one.

Soap 101 - Why lye?

2008-10-02T11:32:00.001-07:00

I've been getting quite a few questions from customers about the use of sodium hydroxide (lye) in handmade soap. It's great that people are reading labels and questioning ingredients, I'm all for that. However, people need to understand that ALL soap (big emphasis on ALL) is made with lye.

Even the big companies, their soap has it's roots in lye. Some people may tell you that their soap has no lye in it, well to some extent, that's true. There is no lye in my soap either, because once the fats/oils/water/lye go through the chemical process called 'saponification', there is no lye left in the final product. But we all use lye to make the soap. Believe me, if there was a way I could eliminate one more expense, I'd do it (by not purchasing lye). But it's chemically impossible to make soap without it.

Legally, a soap manufacturer doesn't need to list 'sodium hydroxide' on their label. There are other ways to label that excludes the exact words 'sodium hydroxide', so I think this is where some of the confusion lies (no pun intended). I personally feel that it's more honest to list all ingredients used to make a product. That's why sodium hydroxide is on my soap label.

I wrote a one page hand out that explains soap and some of the more common misconceptions. I hope you find it an interesting read.

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The Truth about Soap…

Most of the cleansing bars that you buy at the store are detergents, not soap at all. In the industry, they are called “syndet bars”, or synthetic detergent bars. They are made from synthesized chemicals, fillers, petrochemicals, synthetic dyes and artificial fragrances.

On the other hand, real soap is made from plant oils (such as olive, coconut and palm) and is a gentle cleansing product more appropriate for use on skin than detergent. Animal fats can also be used to make soap, but we prefer to not use animal products.

Real soap is made by combining sodium hydroxide (lye), oils and water in a process known as "saponification". Some people may question the use of lye in handcrafted soap. The fact is, all soap is made with lye. Yes, ALL soap. What needs to be made clear is that once the process of saponification is complete, the lye and oil molecules have combined and chemically changed into soap and glycerin. There is no lye present in the finished bars of soap.

Saponification simply explained:
Water (or milks, herbal teas) + Fat (oils) + Lye (sodium hydroxide) = Soap with glycerin retained.

Important! Always Read the Ingredient Label
Just because the ingredients do not include the word lye (or sodium hydroxide) - doesn't mean it wasn't used. Soap ingredients can legally be listed three ways. Each example is the same bar of soap:

Ingredients: Water, Olive Oil, Tallow and Lye
Ingredients: Saponified Oils of Olive and Tallow
Ingredients: Sodium Olivate and Sodium Tallowate

Make certain you purchase soap from a soap maker or company that discloses the list of ingredients on the package. If the soap label states, “Vegetable Glycerin Soap”, there are other ingredients in that product that are not being disclosed.

The clear type of soap that is commonly referred to as “glycerin soap” or "melt and pour" is often mislabeled or not labeled at all. Here is a common ingredient list for this product:
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate , Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid and Sodium Chloride.

And another (these folks get points for listing sodium hydroxide!):
Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerine, Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Sorbitan oleate, Titanium Dioxide.

This ingredient list is a collection of surfactants (synthetic foamers) and other chemicals I’d encourage you to look up. Often time’s alcohol is added to make this product meltable when heat is applied. Real soap does not melt in hot weather or direct sunlight.

Here’s another “soap” ingredient list, it’s for Dove’s sydnet bar:
Ingredients: Sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate or sodium palm kernelate, water, sodium chloride, sodium silicate, magnesium sulfate, and fragrance.

Here we have saponified beef fat, some vegetable oils, sodium silicate is a water glass or liquid glass (from Wikipedia), magnesium sulfate is more commonly known as epsom salt, and a synthetic fragrance. There is lye in this bar, they just choose to label their product to disguise this fact.

Compare these ingredient lists to real soap (in this example, Frontier Angel’s Soap formula):
Ingredients: olive oil, water, palm oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, sodium hydroxide, rice bran oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, essential oils.

Real soap labels are much more pure and contain more natural ingredients than sydnet bars or clear “glycerin” bars, not to mention, they are easier to understand.

Last word of advice about ingredient labels…*always* ask the soap maker what's in their soap if it’s not listed. You wouldn’t eat something without knowing what’s in it (how much sodium/fat/preservatives), right? The same concern over ingredients should apply to soap as well.

There is no such thing as 100% glycerin soap
Sorry, it's true - there is not one on the market today. Glycerin is a clear thick liquid, similar in texture to corn syrup. It doesn't produce any lather or cleansing properties whatsoever. It is simply chemically impossible to make soap using only glycerin.

Bio-diesel soap is not made from 100% glycerin, contrary to what the makers of this product usually claim. Bio-diesel soap should never be used as a cleanser for the body due to trace quantities of methane, food particles and other undesirable waste products. This type of soap should be reserved for industrial use only.

Reproduction of this content is expressly forbidden unless permission is granted by Frontier Angel Soap
Copyright 2008

2008-09-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand...our flat rate shipping deal! No matter how much soap you order, shipping is only $5.00! And if you order $75.00 worth of product or more, shipping is free. I hate fudging around trying to calculate shipping. So I'm making it easy for both of us...you get the deal and I don't have to weigh anything. Call me lazy, but I'd rather spend my time in the workshop making great soap.

Our fall pumpkin soap will be listed on our website next weekend. This bar is the first to showcase our new packaging and new soap size. I've been wanting to change things up for quite awhile and I'm pleased with the results. Our soap is now a bit larger (about 125 grams) and shaped just a little differently than before. I believe the soap we make is different from the rest 'out there' and so I wanted to give it a visual look that is a bit different...sort of upscale rustic. We're keeping our same cool label since we get so many compliments from our customers. I just didn't have the heart to change the label design.

While the soap may look different, it's still the same quality product. We still make soap with the same luxury oils and scent generously with our own proprietary essential oil blends. I make soap the way I like it. If I were going to spend $5 for a bar of soap, I want it to give me healthy skin, lather like crazy, and smell amazing. I think we've achieved that goal.

2008-09-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek of a new soap that I made for a special project, it's called "Lemon Bouquet"... a lovely blend of lavender and lemon/lemongrass, with soy milk added. The photo shows this soap somewhere in the middle of it's long process to completion. It's one of my more intense soaps as I have to hand cut all the flowers. Ouch! My hand gets really sore, but the final look of the soap is worth the effort.

"Lemon Bouquet" is going to be sliced into 700 small pieces and handed out to the attendees of "Paint the Town Pink", a Women’s Expo benefiting breast cancer research. I've met some really brave women at this event, I'm inspired to help and honored to be included as a vendor.

My seasonal pumpkin soap is done and curing, it should make it's debut on my website and at the market next week. This soap contains pumpkin puree and spicy essential oils: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove. I'm only making one large batch of this, so when it's gone, that's all there is!

Endings and beginnings....

2008-09-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my big market is over for the season. The downtown Mill Street market was a blast, as usual. Ray and Cherri did an awesome job organizing it, thank you!

We have one last summer market, it's every Saturday morning in Nevada City from 8:00 a.m. to noon. I adore this market...there's something about being outside early, coffee and breakfast burritos in the air, the colorful array of produce; fruit, veggies and flowers, and the sounds of local artists serenading us. And probably the most friendly group of vendors that I've ever met.

The Sac Bee recently published a blurb on this market, here's what they have to say, I tend to disagree...this market is definitely worth the drive. It's an upscale, hip, country farmers market at it's best. Our family favorites are; organic wholegrain bread, heirloom tomatos, cucumbers, and the last of the gala apples. This market runs though October...hope to see you there!

Thanks to everyone who entered our anniversary drawing. We picked five names, they are:

Sue of Westminister, CA
Karen of Grass Valley, CA
Shannon of Reno, NV
Linda of Freeport, FL
John of San Francisco, CA

You lucky people will be receiving your Frontier Angel Soap in the mail very soon, so keep an eye on your mailbox.

Busy, busy in the workshop. I've decided to bring back my Ginger-Lime soap (made and curing), and Country Meadow (making that today). Pumpkin is on the list next...I discovered that my container of clove bud essential oil is dangerously low, so I'm waiting on a delivery...patience...

Frontier Angel is Celebrating 5 Years in Business!!

2008-08-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Frontier Angel Soap is celebrating 5 years in business! And we are celebrating the ENTIRE month of August, because we just love parties!

This is what we've got going on right now:

5% of all retail sales goes to the Nevada County Food bank (this is one of our favorite charities)

Enter the drawing now (online or at the market)...because 5 lucky winners will win *free* Frontier Angel Soap

Come see us Thursday night, August 28th at the Mill Street market in Grass Valley and receive a free slice of our anniversary "cake" (pictured here). It's over 16 pounds of soap, made from the same ingredients we use in our bar soap.

A small give away for our first 50 customers

See the theme here? Five...it's all about celebrating our first five years. I think that's a pretty big accomplishment, but we couldn't have done it without our wonderful customers. So thank you for supporting our small local business! I hope you come by for your free "cake" slice, because we made the cake for YOU!

* our drawing is now closed, thank you for entering! *

There are only 3 more weeks left before the market is over...so come celebrate with us!

New Soap

2008-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I've added some new soap to the Frontier Angel soap line...here's what is new and available now on our website:

Dreamtime: lavender, clary sage and vanilla

Gold Rush: almond and "gold" (in the goat milk line)

Cool Silk Shaving Soap: camphor, cinnamon, clove and eucalyptus, with an Irish moss infusion, clay and silk fibers.

The market has kept me pretty busy stocking my standards, as soon as I get some free time, even more new soap will be added to our line. It's time consuming coming up with new essential oil blends. I go through many, many small test batches before I decide a soap smells good enough for production. But I was able to identify a few nice blends. After the blends are finalized, I dream up the look of the soap (colors, texture, design). And of course, then the soap gets a name. So that's my creative process in a nutshell.

Stay tuned for information on our 5th birthday bash! Frontier Angel has officially completed 5 years in business. We have some special things planned, I just need to iron out the details. But I'd like to make it fun and different. I'll blog about it later...

Today is the day I go to pick up more fresh goat milk...a pleasant drive to the farm is just what I need after a busy evening at the market.

Time Flys....

2008-06-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? It's June already and a bit of time has passed since my last posting. Well, that's good news. I've been very busy in the shop and out making deliveries, which means business is booming!

Our summer farmers' market has begun...it's every Thursday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., downtown Grass Valley on Mill Street. Our booth is right in front of the Old Town Cafe.

I love this market...the beauty and history of the location, the interesting and unique people we meet, and the food! My favorites are the bread from the Flour Garden, ice cream from Lazy Dog, and OG salads from BriarPatch. Yum! Grass Valley has some awesome local merchants...it's so easy (and pleasurable) to shop local.

Regarding soap...I have new soap to offer and five more coming. Here's the line up of new things...

In the goat milk line:
- Red Dirt Road: Lavender, Spearmint, Orange, Petitgrain & Patchouli
- Yuba Wild: Eucalyptus, Fir Needle & Lavender

In my core line (yet to be named soap):
- Geranium & Cinnamon
- Lavender, Clary Sage & Vanilla
- Tea Tree & Lemongrass
- Lemon, Sweet Basil, Bergamot & Rosemary
- Almond

And then there's Persian Lime, which made it's market debut last week. I happen to adore this soap and I'm always very pleased when a new soap is met with enthusiasm from my wonderful customers.

See you at the market!

Seeking inspiration...

2008-03-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

I recently took a Friday off. I figured that being a soap artisan, I'm allowed the occasional day off, time to clear my mind and look for inspiration.

This photo is most of my soap family arranged next to the south fork of the Yuba river. Locals can probably spot where on the river this picture was taken.

It's a breathtakingly beautiful spot...and yep, I got inspired. First new soap from my workshop will be a Yuba inspired soap. I'm thinking green/blue and white all mixed into a sometimes serene, sometimes frenzied mix. Scent wise, I'm testing blends with eucalyptus.

Oh, not sure if any of you have noticed, but my bars are larger now and I give them a beveled edge. They almost look like gems to me.

History Fanatic

2008-02-13T11:31:00.000-08:00

Besides making soap, I am a huge history buff. I'm currently interested in the 1850's gold rush era. I'm reading a really great book called "They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush". It's basically about adventuring men, women, and children that braved the hazards of traveling westward, all with the hope/expectation of finding GOLD! Many diary excerpts throughout the book make it really personal.

I was amazed by the story of one family who took a route, a supposed "short cut", that lead them through Death Valley. One diary spoke of the mother in a family who made the trek through the desert carrying one son on her back, a second son was carried in her arms and lead a third son by the hand. The book includes a family portrait after their journey was over. They had all made it through...not the typical scenario.

I'm currently putting together a little presentation for my docent training class on this history of Grass Valley with an emphasis on the gold rush. If you've never been to Grass Valley, then you're missing out. I've been to just about every gold rush era town in the mother lode and Grass Valley is a true gem in comparison to many.

A nicely preserved and restored historic downtown (where you can buy my soap, by the way!), surrounded by beautiful trees, gently rolling hills and beautifully restored historic homes, and amazingly unmarred by urban sprawl. The museums and state parks in Grass Valley give a very complete view of life here during the 1800's. If you're an outdoors type, there is an amazing array of nature to explore. You can still get the traditional "home town" feel here. Can you tell I love it here?!

Anyway, this is my long round about way of explaining the picture I've posted today. It's Grass Valley circa 1860, on Mill Street looking toward Main Street. This is where my summer farmers market is held. This picture doesn't look much different from what it is today...the streets are no longer planked of course, but paved. And the sidewalks look different, better now actually.

Come visit us this summer!

Let it snow....

2008-01-31T13:09:00.000-08:00

I don't remember it snowing so much last year as it has this year. While that cold white stuff causes inconvenience, it sure is beautiful. Yesterday was a "snow day" for the kids in town. We took a break to play...we got home just in time, check out the storm on the horizon!

Today the snow has started falling again. I'm in the office where its warm and I have easy access to hot beverages, a nice window on the gently falling snow, and I'm busily packing boxes of soap to be shipped later in the afternoon.

What a nice winter day...

Our TV Spot

2008-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

Last November, I contacted NCTV (Grass Valley's local television station) about the possibility of doing a soap making demo on one of their programs. I love sharing my craft, even though I may not be the most polished speaker, I love what I do. At the market, many people asked me how soap is made so I thought it was time that I got something down on tape to refer to.

So here it is, my soap making demo and second tv appearance (the first appearance was a segment on local Comcast and a visit to my workshop). During this demo, I didn't give away my soap formula (sorry, it's confidential) or any tricks of the trade, but it's a basic demonstration of soap being made in it's simplest form which is still pretty interesting. The second half of the segment is just the host and I yaking on about personal stuff. Feel free to skip over that part if you like!

Taking a quick break for lunch

2008-01-17T13:02:00.001-08:00

I've been very busy in the workshop, but I'm taking a quick 5 minute break to rest my muscles and grab a bite to eat. I'm making my large batches now. Each batch is about 50 pounds. Whew!

Anyway, I often get questions about the shea butter that I'm always going on and on about. Many people don't know what it is or where it comes from. In a nut shell (no pun intended), shea butter comes from the nut of the fruit that grows on a karite tree. These trees cannot be cultivated and grow naturally in Africa.

A friend of ours took a trip to Ghana last year and brought back some wonderful pictures of the native people processing the shea butter by hand. I'm posting a picture of the karite tree, I think they are quite beautiful.

The shea butter we get comes from Ghana and is not refined in any way. Any time you buy a product that includes shea butter, be sure that it's *unrefined*. Solvents are used to refine most shea butter, which means that all the skin loving goodies are stripped out, along with the golden/greenish color and natural nutty scent. So basically, its a waste of money to buy a product that uses unrefined shea because all the beneficial nutrients are gone. Along with the possibility of lingering traces of solvent. Yuck!

So that's a little quick blurb on shea butter. Oh, did I mention that our shea butter is fair trade also?

Ok, break over. I made 'Pacific Blue' and 'High Sierra' today because I'm out of stock on these. I'm also breaking in a new soap...my new lime soap...I think will be named 'Persian Lime'. This one is my current favorite and it should be up on my website in about a week.

Cheers!

Aloha from my workshop!

2008-01-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

Why aloha? Well, the sun is finally out today...or more correctly, it atleast made an appearance, which is really nice after all the rain we've gotten. It put me in a "beachy" mood. I put some surf theme music on the cd player and went to work. There's nothing like some Dick Dale to get things moving in the workshop!

Just a few pictures of what I'm working on today. A couple batches of my goat milk soap and a couple small batches for a private label.

This picture shows everything all weighed out and ready to melt. These are the hard oils, liquid oils are added later. And my soap tools; a knife for carving up those hard oils (like cocoa butter), spoon, and my indispensable stick blender for mixing everything together in a nice homogeneous blend. To the extreme right, you can just see a couple of my soap molds. They're way cool...wood box with a silicone liner. Today, it's 'Chilled Lavender' and 'Mineral Mud' going into these molds. The other two batches go in small molds (not pictured). Easy stuff today, it's Friday after all.

Happy weekend!

Back at work

2008-01-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

The holidays are over...I don't know about you, but I'm kinda relieved. Don't get me wrong, I *love* Thanksgiving, Christmas and New years eve, but I'm very excited to finally be starting 2008.

To me, the new year means a fresh slate, a new 'to do' list (both personal and professional), brainstorming new products, and snow...all very fun things.

So what's new in the workshop? I've got 2 new soaps coming out very soon. One is 'Cold Snap'...it's an in-your-face mint soap, stark white with eucalyptus, menthol and peppermint. It might be a tad early for that one...all you have to do around here is take a step outside for a bracing cool down! But come summer, this one will be awesome after a workout or just being out in the hot summer weather. It's ever so slightly tingly on the skin.

Soap #2 is my new "guy bar". It's a blend of lime, vetiver, patchouli and spruce. It smells very manly to me, but I personally adore it and I've been using that one exclusively. Only problem is, I'm having a heck of a time naming the soap. Usually, the name, color and essential oil blend all come together in this cohesive mix in my head...but the name for this one eludes me. Got any ideas? If someone can come up with a creative name that I like (and use), I'll send them a free bar.

A couple other soaps are in the works. Another citrus and a floral, both are still just ideas on paper.

I spent the morning putting my website back online. I've retired a couple soaps, but they'll be replaced by new ones. A couple soaps I'm out of stock on (sorry! it's been a very busy holiday for the company), but tomorrow I'm back in the workshop getting things made. Check out my updated website:

Frontier Angel Soap

I don't have any pictures from the workshop to share with you. But aside from making soap, I love exploring the out doors. We have some of the most beautiful areas to hike in Nevada County. Up top is a picture I snapped a couple weeks ago while climbing the mine tailings at Empire State Park, the sun was setting. See the little "survivor" tree growing out of the rock pile? Nature makes something beautiful from man's industry...amazing isn't it?

Have a good week!
Diane @ Frontier Angel Soap

Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

December 2007 marked our 5th year in the soap business! I'm planning to celebrate our 5th anniversary *this* year because the holiday season was so busy for us, I just didn't have time to plan a proper celebration. I have this idea to make something special...can't share the details now, but I'll post about it here and in my newsletter (subscribe to my email newsletter from our website).

Stop on by my website (re-opening Monday, January 7th) to see what's new. I've got a couple new soaps that I'll be launching very soon, along with most of my offerings from last year.

You can also watch a video of me making soap on our local tv station. Check it out!
http://www.frontierangel.com