natural soaps Archives

WAHM Mondays: Cottage in the Woods Co.

2014/02 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Hey there natural product lovers! Alicia from Getting Green with Baby here to share with you a little about our Etsy store Cottage in the Woods Co.

Ever since our daughter was born in October of 2012, my husband, John, and I have been looking for more and more ways to live a greener lifestyle. Our biggest goals were (and still are) to make everyday products when we are able to save money (who doesn’t enjoy that?) and use products that don’t have a bunch of fillers and other nasty, unnecessary chemicals in them. We have enjoyed making these items so much and love spreading the word about natural and organic products that we decided to start offering some of them to the public!

Currently we are still a very small business (I feel kind of silly even calling it a business), but what we do offer are staples of everyday life. Plus, all of our bath and body products and all purpose cleaners are all natural! We currently offer bath fizzies, bar soap, liquid hand soap, body wash, shampoo bars, and, as I mentioned, all purpose household cleaners. We are constantly working on new recipes and products to offer, so be sure to check back often! We are always open for suggestions as well. 🙂

I have to say that our natural bath fizzies have been quite the popular item. You don’t have to take my word for it, of course, but I’m not usually one to toot my own horn. However, our bath bombs are the best ones I’ve ever used in my life! We use essential oils to scent everything naturally (except for our Vanilla-Orange scent, unfortunately. It does contain both fragrance and essential oils.) so not only do the fizzies make your bath and skin smell wonderful, it leaves your skin feeling silky smooth as well! Just in time for cold season, we released some Cold & Flu Natural Fizzy Bath Bombs last month as well! Let me tell you, these things are potent!

Natural Fizzy Bath Bombs

As you read above, we sell shampoo bars, which I’m really excited about! I first heard about shampoo bars some time around spring of last year. I was able to try one from a different company in August and fell in love with them instantly! I will admit it’s a little different using them at first, but I love that our shampoo bars offer a natural alternative to commercial shampoos. They don’t contain SLS, parabens, or any of that other nasty junk! They strip all of the bad oil from your hair caused by shampoo and conditioner build up, but still leave the good oil in your hair.

Lemongrass Shampoo Bar

Thanks so much for taking the time to read about our little business. I hope you find something you like or at the very least get inspired to make your own products!

#NurtureMe – Treat Yourself with Handcrafted Soaps

2014/01 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Since Declan’s arrival, I’ve admittedly not made a lot of time for myself. To be honest, carving out “me” time is a constant struggle, but I am slowly finding small ways to ‘treat’ myself. This week, I’d like to share with you one of the small ways I do something for myself: handcrafted soaps.

I’ve talked about how even putting on daily lotion can be a stretch, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: Stargazer Soaps. I’ve heard so many of my friends talk about being unable to even shower daily…and this is the one thing I refuse to sacrifice as a busy mom. My daily 10 minute shower is sacred. There is NO way I will let that little sliver of “me” time slip out of my daily routine. While both relaxing and revitalizing, the shower is also where some of my greatest ideas are hatched. Add in Stargazer Soaps natural, handcrafted soaps and those ten minutes are like a mini-spa!

I recently featured Nicole, the owner/artisan behind Stargazer Soaps, in my WAHM Mondays series, and was very interested to read about the soap-making process [and appalled to read about the chemicals that go into commercial soaps]. You can read more about Stargazer Soaps HERE.

I was sent three different soaps to review: two from the Purely Natural line (Lemongrass Butter & Grapfruit), and one from the Creamy Silk line (Rainbow). I have sensitive skin, and am very sensitive to smells, so the Purely Natural line of soaps is perfect for me (no artificial fragrances or coloring). I was also interested in trying the Creamy Silk line, made from coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, palm oil, and many other wonderfully natural ingredients that keep your skin silky smooth!

I started with the Lemongrass Butter Purely Natural soap by Stargazer Soaps and absolutely love the fresh scent and moisturizing effects. As previously stated, I have a sensitivity to smells, especially artificial fragrances. If I’m visiting a friend with a scented candle, or walk by the candle or fragrance sections in a department store, it’s usually a matter of minutes before I have a pounding headache and an upset stomach. My soaps from Stargazer Soaps, with their natural fragrances, are absolutely divine! The Lemongrass is such a bright scent that it is perfect for perking me up during my morning shower!

While I will typically use almost any soap I can get my hands on (it’s faster and easier), my husband has a “thing” for artisanal soaps. Nicole sent me some soaps for him to try a couple of months ago, but at the time, I didn’t think about myself. One of the soaps that I ordered was Coffee in the Purely Natural line. Declan loved smelling the soap in its wrapper, and my husband has loved using it since opening. There is a Stargazer Soap for everyone in the family! (I’m just glad I now have the chance to treat myself)

I’m loving my Stargazer Soaps, as is my husband, and I’ve already got my eye on trying Lavender the next time we order. Take my word for it, do something nice for yourself and treat yourself to Stargazer Soaps’ natural, handcrafted soaps. Consider this ‘treat’ a necessary step in being good to yourself (sometimes it’s all about the little things). Stargazer Soaps make great hostess gifts too…

You can visit Stargazer Soaps’ website at http://stargazersoaps.com/. If you want to see Nicole at work, follow her on YouTube. For discounts and upcoming soaps, follow Stargazer Soaps on Facebook and Twitter!

Feeling lucky? Stargazer Soaps is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a soap pack containing: 1 Purely Natural bar and 2 Creamy Silk bars (of his/her choice of fragrance). You can enter through the form below:

Entry -Form

WAHM Mondays: Stargazer Soaps

2014/01 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

I’m excited to introduce this week’s featured work-at-home-mom: Nicole Farrell. Nicole is the artisan behind the beautifully handcrafted (and luxurious) Stargazer Soaps.

When I first thought about making my own soap, I never dreamed it would turn into a passion.

As a stay at home mom to 4, I am always looking for ways to save money. I thought making my own soap would be a large pocket saver. But when I started researching the process, I was quickly overwhelmed and gave up on the idea. A few weeks later, I read an article on some chemicals used in commercial soaps. It prompted me to research the products in my shower – the organic, natural, “safe” products I was using on my children. And I quickly had a purpose. Throw it all out and make my own soap!

I began reading as much as I could, and spent countless hours watching videos on YouTube. I ordered from several other soap makers, wanting to feel their product, (not to mention I wanted to toss our chemicals in the garbage as quickly as possible!) I will never forget the first batch of soap I made. I was scared to death! But one batch was all it took for me to get hooked. And I can say – I will never use commercial soap again!

And when I say commercial soap, I use that term lightly. Commercial soaps aren’t even soap, but detergent! If you look at the packaging, you will see terms like Beauty Bar, Body Wash, Facial Bar. Where is the word Soap? You won’t find it, because it isn’t soap. When soap is made, natural glycerin is produced. Commercial companies remove the glycerin and replace it with chemicals. And here is the scary part – it takes 6 seconds for our skin to absorb these chemicals. Ingredients that have many layers to them. One in particular is made up of formaldehyde – but you have to dig through several layers to discover that. I for one do not want to bathe my family in a product that uses chemicals intended to clean my shower. Read more about these chemicals on my blog at http://stargazersoaps.blogspot.com/.

So what will handmade soap do for you? It is different for everyone. I can tell you it can take up to six weeks for your skin & hair, (yes, you can wash your hair with handmade soap!), to re-balance. Your body is so used to having it’s natural oils stripped away it has to readjust. But stick with it. The benefits are very rewarding! I do not make medical claims, and cannot tell you how handmade soap will change your skin. I do know that it has changed my life, (who would have thought soap would change my life?), the lives of my family, and many others who have also made the change.

I am so blessed to be able to share my passion with others! Visit me on my website at http://stargazersoaps.com/. If you want to see me at work, follow me on YouTube. Stay informed of my discounts and upcoming soaps on my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter!

Soap Nuts…For My Hair?

2013/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

* I was provided a product in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own. This post does contain affiliate links.

I’ve written about using soap nuts for my laundry, and liquid soap nuts for both laundry and as a household cleaner, but only recently have I started using NaturOli Soap Nut Shampoo.

I have a dry, itchy scalp on a normal basis, which is exacerbated when I’m pregnant. I have tried a lot of different organic & natural formulas which help, but often contain ingredients that strip color from my hair or irritate my skin further — tea tree oil irritates my skin, and many natural shampoos contain citrus oils, which strip.

Earlier this summer, I asked Jessica, from NaturOli, whether their soap nut shampoo worked well with color. Jessica responded with an emphatic “Yes”, and sent me a bottle to try. I hope she doesn’t mind me saying, but she is a red head (one of the fastest fading hair colors & difficult to maintain), and said that soap nut shampoo works really well with her red color.

Jessica warned me that the shampoo would take a little getting used to, as a.) no sulfates means little to no suds, and b.) my hair would likely take a week to detox and be a little wonky. Before I talk about how great this shampoo is, I’d like to share the ingredient list with you:
– Sapindus Mukorossi Aqueous Extract
– Aloe barbadensis Gel
– Vegetable Glycerin
– Lauryl Glucoside
– Saponified Olea europaea Oil (Olive Oil Soap)
– Panax Ginseng Extract
– Japanese Green Tea
– Olea europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract
– Nasturtium officinale (Water Cress) Extract
– Hibiscus Leaf Extract
– Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
– Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract
– Olea europaea (Olive) Oil
– Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum
– dl-Panthenol (Provitamin B5)
– Citric acid
Nothing scary, right? All of those chemicals, fragrances and dyes are what likely cause the annoying (and sometimes embarrassing) scalp irritation I have on a regular basis. When I’m pregnant? Forget it – my scalp is an absolute mess. Thankfully, I’ve found a product I can trust to help my scalp and bring it back to normal: NaturOli’s Extreme Soap Nut Shampoo.

I’ve got to tell you, I noticed results after my first use. I have curly hair that I often straighten. When I straighten my hair it gets really dry (blow dry w/ a ceramic brush and then finish with a straightening iron), so I’ll skip a day of washing my hair. By the evening of the second day, I just have to wash my hair, so I’ll do a quick wash without putting conditioner in it. For some reason, I view skipping the conditioner and product as giving my hair a break (plus, I’ll be washing it again in the morning). Typically, my hair will be insanely frizzy (no shampoo+no product=scary hair). However, the first time I used NaturOli shampoo, my hair was not super frizzy afterwards.

NaturOli’s Extreme Soap Nut Shampoo did take a little getting used to. I love that the shampoo looks as clean, clear, and natural as it really is. But, I didn’t create a soapy lather full of bubbles, while washing my hair – it was a little like rubbing conditioner into my hair and waiting for it to lather. Once used to that (and mentally convincing myself that my hair was, indeed, getting clean) I realized that less really is more with soap nut shampoo. I do have short hair, but I really don’t have to use a lot to get my hair clean. After a couple of washings, I noticed that my hair was looking shinier (rather than dull), and had a bit more body. I’m assuming that these were the effects of detoxing and getting rid of buildup.

I’m two months into using soap nut shampoo and my scalp is doing great! No irritation, no super dryness. I highly recommend giving NaturOli Soap Nuts Shampoo a try if you are prone to dryness or sensitive scalp issues. The shampoo comes in two different formulas: Dry to Normal (this is what I use) and Oily to Normal. What about my color? Despite the shampoo having citric acid in it, I’ve noticed that my hair color hasn’t faded as fast as it usually does. Win-win!

NaturOli is offering my readers a special coupon code to try Extreme Soap Nut Shampoo at 10% off! This coupon runs from now until midnight 8/7. Only one code per order. To redeem, enter the code at the bottom of the shopping cart where it says, “Redeem a discount coupon,” then click “submit”:

For Oily to Normal formula shampoo: OILY2013
For Dry to Normal formula shampoo: DRY2013

You can connect with NaturOli, for the latest product information and specials, via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Feeling lucky? NaturOli is giving one of my readers a 16oz. bottle of Extreme Soap Nut shampoo (Oily or Dry formula)! Enter below for a chance to win:

NaturOli Extreme 18X (Review)

2013/06 By Lauren B. Stevens 2 Comments

**This post contains affiliate links

Last month, I had the opportunity to try Naturoli Soap Nuts, and fell in love with this ecological and highly effective laundering option. Along with the soap nuts, I received a sample of Extreme 18X, a liquid concentrate of soap nuts.