The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 30, Soap 30

It’s (still) Day #30!

If you missed the announcement of the winners of The Lather Project Soap Giveaway, be sure to scroll down to today’s earlier post!

So, for the very last soap of the Project, I thought I'd finish up the last of the necessary inventory replenishment - with Red Rose & Ivy! I was down to a single bar! I’m now completely & fully stocked with all my regular soaps and have dozens of new soaps to offer to my customers and in my shops!

I’m sad to have The Lather Project end. I’m incredibly moved by all the support I received and I’ve enjoyed every wonderful comment that's been posted. I’m also pretty proud of myself for sticking with it and absolutely thrilled with the results! I’m already focused on dreaming up my next blog series…

I’ll be adding lots of post-Lather Project updates, including follow-ups to several soaps, some observations I noted during the series and I have a great list of interesting and fun facts to post - so be sure to come back and enjoy!

And for the very last time, here’s the description for Soap #30:

Our line of Botanical Infused Bath Bars are a special treat for your skin - infusing teas, flowers, plants and herbs in oil or water and using it to create soap not only imparts their amazing benefits, but also allows for the most nutrients and enrichment possible from the botanicals! And with real red rose petals, this soap offers gentle - and beautiful - exfoliation!

Our incredible Red Rose & Ivy Soap offers a harmonious blend of sweet, red rose petals in bloom and fresh green ivy. And in true Bellissima style, this is not your average floral rose scent! Intoxicating red rose, fresh geranium and tropical lily merge sensuously with cool herbs, lush greens and subtle earthy moss to deliver an unforgettable twist on a timeless fragrance!

Soap #30 is available for sale at my etsy store

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com!

Remember to use Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ to receive 10% off your Lather Project Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Use the Promo Code to receive a free sample bar of your choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Tune in Next Time for Post-Lather Project Updates!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Giveaway Winners!

Day 30 - the last Day of The Lather Project. And I am a bit sad…

I’ll be posting Soap #30 a bit later on, but I thought I’d go ahead and announce the Winners of The Lather Project Giveaway first.

I received almost 300 entries in the Giveaway (293, to be exact!) - and thank you to everyone who was kind enough to post a comment, blog about The Lather Project, follow me on Twitter, rate my Squidoo lenses, request Bellissima mineral makeup samples and Twitter about the Giveaway!

For anyone curious as to how I kept track of all the entries - I admit I had some help!

Did you know that TweetLater provides a great Twitter Service, alerting me with an email anytime I have a new follower, receive a direct message and especially useful for my Giveaway - provide me with a list of keyword alerts. I set up alerts so that any time a keyword is used on Twitter - such as ‘Bellissima’ and ‘Lather Project’, I’m notified.

This keyword alert is very similar to another service I use - Google Alerts. But Google will notify me of the use of any of my keywords across the entire web - blog posts, website references, online newspaper articles, and more.

These services helped me track all the entries, but I don’t trust that they catch absolutely everything, so I’m thrilled that most were kind enough to post links to their Tweets and blog entries!

Oh - and each comment, tweet, blog entry, etc. was assigned a number, and I used a true random number generator to choose the Winners! The numbers were: 211, 280, 92, 52, 259, 167

And it’s Time to Announce the Winners!

Drum Roll Please….

1st Prize Winner:

Brandon -2 Full Size Bars of Lather Project Soaps
2nd Prize Winner:

Baroness Bijoutery - 1 Full Size + 1 Sample Size Bar of Lather Project Soaps
3rd Prize Winner:

Mia - 2 Sample Size Bars of Lather Project Soaps

And, because there were just so many entries, I decided to award some Honorable Mentions, who will each receive 1 Sample Bar of their choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Honorable Mention:

Rose
Expressions by Devin

Snowflake Design

Congratulations to all the Winners!!! I really hope you enjoy your Lather Project Soap!

Tune in Later today for Soap #30 - and don’t forget to come on back for some fun post-Lather Project follow up posts!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 29, Soap 29

It's Day 29 - and it’s hard to believe that The Lather Project is almost over! I’m a little sad, I think…

Today’s the last day to enter The Lather Project Soap Giveaway and tomorrow I’ll be posting both Soap #30 - the last one - and announcing the winners of the Giveaway! So get your entries in before midnight EST tonight!

http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lather-project-soap-giveaway.html

And I’ll be blogging about some fun post-Lather Project topics during the next week - so don’t forget to check back for the follow-up!

While I’ve had a blast developing new soap products, I can’t forget that I’ve got inventory to restock, as well! And one of my most popular soaps was getting low - only 2 bars left! So replenishment was in order…

Here’s the description for Soap #29:

Our amazing Melon & Ginseng Soap is incredibly creamy and full of lather with our triple blend of protein-rich milk (goat, cow & organic coconut), luxurious all-veggie oils and lots & lots of Shea Butter & Cocoa Butter to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Melon & Ginseng imparts the scent of a medley of ripe melons: canteloupe, honeydew, watermelon and cassaba. Bright citrus notes, herbal elements and an added touch of ginseng make this is a fresh & clean, crisp and refreshingly fruity, fun fragrance!

Melon & Ginseng, Soap #29 is available at our etsy store

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Remember to use Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ to receive 10% off your Lather Project Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Use the Promo Code to receive a free sample bar of your choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #30 & the Announcement of the Winners of The Lather Project Giveaway!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 27, Soap 27

We’re on Soap #27!

And only 2 Days left to enter our Lather Project Soap Giveaway! 3 fabulous Soapy Prizes and lots of easy ways to enter and WIN!

http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lather-project-soap-giveaway.html

Today’s soap is another inventory replenishment - well, restocking was one of the basic reasons I started The Lather Project, after all!

And it’s Blackberry & Hibiscus Blossom!

Hibiscus flowers and seeds have always been an important ingredient in Chinese herbal medicine and recently has been popularized by Ayurvedic

practices in India. One common belief is that the flowers and leaves contain many properties that benefit hair and scalp and help in the treatment of dandruff and hair loss. It is also believed to help restore the normal acid-alkaline balance of the skin and scalp and help in the elimination of toxins.

Hibiscus blossoms have been used in cosmetic formulations for years due to it’s high content of alpha-hydroxy and amino acids. And its anti-oxidant and exfoliating properties are ideal for soap!

So here’s the description for Soap #27:

Bellissima Handmade Botanical-Infused Blackberry & Hibiscus Soap

Our line of Botanical Infused Bath Bars are a special treat for your skin - infusing teas, flowers, plants and herbs in oils or water and adding it to soap not only imparts the amazing benefits to the soap, but also allows for the most nutrients and enrichment possible from the botanicals!

Our amazing Blackberry & Hibiscus Botanical Infused Bath Bar is enriched with luxurious oils to nurture your skin and real Hibiscus flowers to gently exfoliate and leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated. Bathe in fruity scent of blackberries and the sweet tropical florals for a fabulous, spa-quality experience!

Soap #27 is available in our etsy shop: http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Remember to use Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ to receive 10% off your Lather Project Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Use the Promo Code to receive a free sample bar of your choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #28!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 26, Soap 26

Day #26!

I wanted to try something creatively different and totally cool!

Don’t forget to enter our Lather Project Soap Giveaway! 3 fabulous Soapy Prizes and lots of easy ways to enter and WIN! http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lather-project-soap-giveaway.html

Hot-process soap can be a real bear to work with when it comes to design. The consistency of the raw soap is… well, ‘gloppy‘.

Remember the kid’s gimmicky toy (if you could call it that) ‘Slime’ from back in the ‘70‘s & ‘80‘s? It came in a little garbage bucket and it was basically green goop - it was gross, smelled funny and had virtually no purpose whatsoever. I was trying to explain it last night to my 10 year old step-daughter after a trip to Cracker Barrel Restaurant. My husband and I were reminiscing about all the retro toys and candy they had for sale and Slime just came up.

Well, anyway, raw soap is kind of the consistency of Slime - but really hot!

So it’s pretty difficult to work with, and once it starts to cool off and you add fragrance and colorants, it begins to harden into more of a play-dough texture. So you can imagine how tricky it is to try and get it into a mold and then have it come out looking gorgeous!

Well, I wanted to try to represent sort of a floral bouquet - pinks, yellows, purples and greens - since the fragrance I blended is Flowers & Ferns. It kind of ended up looking more like scooped sherbet, but I’m okay with that! It was fun!

Here’s the description for Soap #26:

Bellissima Handmade Triple Milk Blend Bath Soap in Flowers & Ferns

Our amazing Triple Milk Blend Soap in Flowers & Ferns is incredibly creamy and full of lather with our triple blend of protein-rich milk (goat, cow & organic coconut) and luxurious all-veggie oils like olive, high-oleic sunflower seed and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Flowers & Ferns delivers a bouquet of sweet, bright flowers and earthy, herbal greens. Morning Lily, Jasmine, Geranium, Hyacinth and Violet blend beautifully with green mosses, clover, rosemary, patchouli and cedar. A touch of zesty lemon adds an element of surprise to this clean, floral, ultimately fresh scent!

Look for Soap #26 at our etsy store http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com in the next few days!

Remember to use Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ to receive 10% off your Lather Project Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Use the Promo Code to receive a free sample bar of your choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #27!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 25, Soap 25

Today is Day 25!

Don’t forget to enter our Lather Project Soap Giveaway! 3 fabulous Soapy Prizes and lots of easy ways to enter and WIN!

http://bellissimasblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/lather-project-soap-giveaway.html

Soap #25 is another cut and dry case of inventory replenishment.

And calendula is one of the very best botanicals, in my opinion, in soap. Did you know that calendula is better known by it’s more common name: Marigold?

Calendula flowers have been used on injuries to reduce inflammation and as an antiseptic against infection. It has also been used as a remedy for a variety of skin problems ranging from skin ulcerations to eczema. It provides one of its greatest benefits in relieving eruptive skin disorders such as shingles, a viral infection. It’s considered by many to be an effective detoxifying herb that can help with the toxicity associated many severe fevers and infections.

Calendula may also be helpful in healing minor skin wounds and sunburns.

Research continues as I write, but I don’t need a scientist to tell me how good it feels on the skin!

So here’s the description for Soap #25:

Bellissima Handmade Botanical-Infused Cucumber & Calendula Bath Soap

Our line of Botanical Infused Bath Bars are a special treat for your skin - infusing teas, flowers, plants and herbs in oils or water and adding it to soap not only imparts the amazing benefits to the soap, but also allows for the most nutrients and enrichment possible from the botanicals!

Our amazing Cucumber & Calendula Botanical Infused Bath Bar is enriched with luxurious all-veggie oils like olive and rice bran to nurture your skin and real calendula petals for added benefits and for gentle exfoliation to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Look for Bellissima Botanical Infused Cucumber & Calendula Bath Soap for sale at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com in the next few days!

And remember to enter Promo Code 'Lather Project' to receive 10% off your Lather Prject Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a sample bar of your choice of Lather Project soaps!

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #26!

The Lather Project Soap Giveaway!

We’re on Day 23!

And with only 7 Days left in The Lather Project, I’m officially announcing a GIVEAWAY!

Yes, I’m going to give away 3 'Scent-Sational' Prizes:

1st Prize is 2 Full Size Soap Bars from The Lather Project - Winner’s Choice!
2nd Prize is 1 Full Size Bar & 1 Sample Size Bar - Winner’s Choice!
3rd Prize is 2 Sample Size Soap Bars - Winner’s Choice!

The Winners will each get to select two of the 30 Bars we’ve made during The Lather Project!

How do you get in on this sweet deal, you might ask?

Well, if you’ve already commented on any of The Lather Project Posts, you are automatically entered to win! Surprise! I appreciate every single person who has taken the time to comment on posts, blog about The Lather Project or feature Bellissima on their site - and every single one of you has earned one entry in the Giveaway!

And here’s how you can earn an entry - or additional entries into The Lather Project Giveaway (there‘s no limit to the number of entries you can earn!):

1. Post a comment on any Lather Project Post from Day 1 to Day 29
2. Write a blog post about The Lather Project or The Lather Project Giveaway (counts for 2 entries)
3. Feature Bellissima’s Etsy Shop on your Blog/Site - http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com (counts for 2 entries)
4. Follow Bellissima on Twitter: http:/twitter.com/BellissimaMMU
5. Rate and comment on any of Bellissima’s Squidoo Lenses (see sidebar for links)
6. Visit

http://www.bellissimamineralmakeup.com and request your FREE Mineral Makeup samples
7. Make a purchase from our etsy shop and use Promo Code ‘Entry’ in Notes to Seller http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com (counts for 2 entries)
8. Buy any Lather Project Soap using the discount codes found on our Blog (counts for 2 entries)
9. Twitter about The Lather Project providing a link to this Blog: http://BellissimasBlog.blogspot.com
10. Twitter about Bellissima’s Etsy Shop providing a link to my Store: http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

So Enter as many times and ways as you can! Be sure to let me know if you post about The Lather Project or feature Bellissima's Shop on your Blog - it’s the only entry we may not be able to track!

The Winners will be randomly chosen from all the entries and announced on Day 30!

Good Luck to Everyone!

Soap #23 will be posted a bit later on today - so don‘t forget to Tune In!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 19, Soap 19

Today is Day 19!

Given the option, I will choose a milk soap over any other (oh, and a goat’s milk soap with shea butter wins every time!), so I decided to make a few in some of my favorite scents. Well, I could never make for others what I wouldn’t use myself, could I?

And, as you’ve probably noticed, I have an awful lot of faves. But that’s because I base a lot of my fragrance selections by mood:
~ If I’m tired and need a pick-me-up, I enjoy fresh and fruity.
~ If I have a lot of work to get done, I like crisp and refreshing.
~ If I’m tense and need to relax, I go for earthy and herbal.
~ If I’m feeling down or a bit blue, I prefer florals.
~ If I’m feeling romantic, I always choose spicy and exotic.

That makes sense, doesn’t it?

So I was torn between fresh & fruity and crisp & refreshing for Soap #19 - and decided on Prickly Pear! If you’ve never seen the Prickly Pear Cactus or tasted the fruit, you’re missing out on a sweet delicacy!

I tasted my first Prickly Pear while living in Arizona - I worked at the Grand Canyon Resort for a few years in my youth and fell in love with it. The flowers of this particular cactus ripen into fruit (also called Indian Figs) that can be eaten and prepared in a variety of different ways. Prickly Pear juice, candies, jelly, pies - even margaritas and mojitos (did I mention I was a Bartender while at the Grand Canyon?) - are simply delicious.

While it depends on the variety, I think prickly pear tastes most like a cross between strawberries, melon, bananas & fig - and what a delicious cross it is! If you ever have the opportunity, give it a try!

Here’s the Description for Soap #19:

Bellissima Prickly Pear Cactus & Coconut Milk Handmade Soap

Our amazing Coconut Milk Bar Soap in Prickly Pear Cactus is incredibly creamy and has impossible lather due to lots & lots of organic coconut milk! Our lavish blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils keep this bar vegan friendly and luxuriously nourishing. I include olive & coconut to make this wonderfully cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Prickly Pear delivers a fruity, sweet-tart aroma with notes of melon, strawberry, plum, banana and fig that blend harmoniously with a hint of aloe & mint and nuances of glorious herbal elements and green florals. Refreshing and clean, this is a cool, crisp invigorating scent!

Look for Prickly Pear & Coconut Milk Soap for sale at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com in the next few days!

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #20!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 18, Soap 18

It’s Day 18!

And we’re still talking about using milk in soaps.

Adding milk - just about any kind of milk - to soap just makes it so much richer and creamier. It’s all about bathing your skin in luxury when it comes to milk soaps.

And it works so well because milk contains vitamins A, B and D and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Milk also has alpha-hydroxy acids which helps in exfoliation - essentially softening skin, making it more supple, leaving it rejuvenated for a younger-looking appearance.

My favorite milk to add to soaps is coconut milk. Not only do you get most of the advantages of goat’s milk, but the higher sugar content in the coconut milk really boosts up the lather! Soap made with coconut milk makes a great shampoo bar, too!

Now, I’m a best-of-both-worlds kind of girl (something me and Hannah Montana have in common), so I actually like to blend goat milk and coconut milk together, and then add in cow’s milk so I can replace all the liquid in my soap with milk. And of course, the obvious choice for a milk-blend soap (for me, anyway) is Oatmeal, Milk & Honey!

The softening and silkening benefits of the milk, the exfoliating and soothing qualities of the oatmeal and the ability of the honey to draw and trap moisture is a triple threat in a bar of soap!

So, here’s the description for Soap #18:

Bellissima Handmade Triple-Milk Blend Oatmeal & Honey Soap

Our amazing Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Exfoliating Bar Soap is formulated to be as gentle as possible and is luxuriously creamy with our triple blend of protein-rich milk (cow, goat & coconut) and our lavish blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this wonderfully cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Our Oatmeal, Milk & Honey Exfoliating Bar has no added fragrance or colorants - just pure, natural, gentle soap with finely ground oatmeal to lightly exfoliate and real honey for added moisturizing! And its mild cleansing is great as a facial bar or for your whole body.

Look for Soap #18 for sale at http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com in the next few days!

Tune in Tomorrow for Day 19!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 11, Soap 11

It’s time for Day 11!

I’m so fortunate that everyone I know is a fabulous cook! The kitchen was always the busiest room in our house when I was growing up and there was constantly something on the stove or in the oven. And having married into an Italian family has just reinforced this tradition - although the aromas are just a little bit different from my family’s Irish cooking!

The biggest complaint that any cook has - while certainly not every one - is the lingering scents left on your hands after cooking with particularly pungent ingredients. Fish, garlic and onions leave odors that are really difficult to get rid of - and I'm embarassed to admit I’m guilty of even taking steel wool once to try to eliminate these overpowering smells!

So, in honor of my family of fabulous cooks, I decided on a Kitchen’s Companion for Soap #11. I chose oils that would be highly cleansing and provide lots of lather. I used double-brewed black diamond coffee and added a few tablespoons of coffee grounds, since coffee works wonders to absorb odors and the grounds work to gently exfoliate.

Oh, and if you choose to believe everything you read, coffee grounds are fantastic for helping to smooth cellulite! So it's not just for use in the kitchen!

Here’s the description for Soap #11 on Day 11:

Bellissima Kitchen Companion - Handmade Black Diamond Coffee Exfoliating Soap

Our amazing Black Diamond Coffee Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing, castor oil for extra lather and lots & lots of mango butter, grapeseed oil and sweet almond oil to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Black Diamond Coffee is a gently exfoliating hand soap made with double-brewed black diamond coffee and lots of finely ground fresh coffee beans. This soap is fabulous for nourishing the skin while eliminating grease and removing strong kitchen odors. Some of the coffee aroma remains, but I’ve left it fragrance-free to give you a pure, refreshingly cleansing experience!

Tune in tomorrow for Day 12!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 10, Soap 10

Today is Day 10 of The Lather Project!

Time is just flying by and there’s still so much I want to do! So many soaps, so little time…

Soap #10 is a bit of a follow up to yesterday’s hot-process soap making tutorial (Day 9). We used a very simple recipe, ready available tools and even an cardboard box mold to show how accessible soap making is for the home crafter.

So, I wanted to use the same 3 oil recipe for Soap #10, but show how we can dress it up! And even though iron oxide colorants, additives and fragrance oils are not as readily available, I still wanted to show that even a simple recipe can produce a beautiful bar of soap with a little creativity!

I know from past experience that my Lemon fragrance oil will, over time, darken my soap to a deep brown shade. Many fragrance oils with a vanilla scent base will do this. There are color stabilizers and non-discoloring fragrance oils, but I prefer to use some ingenuity in combating this issue.

I split the raw soap into two batches, coloring one with a little yellow oxide and adding the poppy seeds - but no fragrance oil - therefore no discoloring. I then added the fragrance oil only to the second half of the soap base, after removing about 2 tablespoons of raw soap. Then I swirled in the leftover 2 tablespoons - since this soap has no fragrance oil either and won’t darken, I’ll get a beautiful brown & cream swirled bottom half with a yellow-poppy seed top half.

I hope. it’ll actually take about 10 days to 2 weeks for the fragrance oil to completely discolor the soap, so I’ll have to update you at the end of the Project! But you can actually already see a bit where the soap will darken.

So here’s the description for Soap #10 on Day 10:

Bellissima Handmade All-Veggie Oil Lemon Poppyseed Soap

Our amazing Lemon Poppyseed Soap is incredibly lathering and luxuriously creamy with our simple blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. Coconut oil makes this soap super-cleansing and one third olive oil leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Lemon Poppyseed Soap delivers a citrusy-fresh and totally tempting bakery-style fragrance! Tart lemons, a hint of orange & lime and just a pinch of mint merge harmoniously with buttery graham, sweet vanilla cream and spicy nutmeg & cinnamon to produce a rich and deliciously inviting scent! Poppyseeds add a touch of gentle exfoliation and dash of authenticity!

Soap #10 won't be available for sale until the color finishes 'developing', but be sure to look for it in about 10 days at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 11!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 9, Soap 9

We’re on Day 9!

And I thought now would be the perfect time for a hot-process soapmaking tutorial. While I enjoy all methods of soap making, I find that the hot-process method allows for greater control over the finished product and satisfies my need for immediate gratification!

First things first:
Step 1. Assemble all your tools and ingredients. For this tutorial, we’re using:

4 Quart Crockpot
Postage Scale
Stickblender
2 Plastic long-handled Spatulas
1 2 Quart Plastic Container
1 4 Cup Plastic Container
1 2 Cup Glass Container
Rubber Gloves & Protective Eyewear

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
Soybean Oil
Sodium Hydroxide
Distilled Water

This is a take on the soap recipe fondly known in soap making circles as the ‘Walmart Recipe’. It’s known as such because all the oils are readily available and can be purchased at Walmart as well as many grocery stores and wholesale clubs.

Here’s how my 2 ½ lb Recipe looks, and it will yield almost 3 1/2 lbs of soap:
14oz Olive Oil
14oz Soybean Oil
12oz Coconut Oil
15.2oz Distilled Water
5.7oz Sodium Hydroxide
*Remember when soap making to run every recipe through a soap calculator to avoid any errors or oversights.

Step 2. Measure out the Olive Oil, Coconut Oil & Soybean Oil. Melt the oils in the Crockpot on the Warm setting.

Step 3. Measure out distilled Water and in a separate container measure out the Sodium Hydroxide. Be sure to don your gloves & goggle before handling lye. I prefer to freeze my distilled water (or any liquids) before adding the lye because it cuts down on fumes and keeps the temperature from climbing too high. Slowly add the lye - I add in 1/4ths - to the Distilled Water, carefully stirring the entire time.

Step 4. Once the oils are melted and the lye water is almost clear, carefully pour the lye solution into the crockpot with the oils. Use the stick blender for about 1 minute to ensure all the lye is incorporated.

Step 5. After about 15 minutes or so, your soap will start solidify - it looks to me like a very thick pudding. I tend to hand mix a bit at this point, but it’s not necessary.

Step 6. After another 15 minutes or so, the next stage the soap will reach is a ‘mashed potato’ stage - it will still be thick, but more grainy-looking rather than smooth. Time to stickblend again for about 1 minute.

Step 7. After another 15 minutes or so has gone by, the soap will thin out and have a clear and chunky texture - commonly know as ‘applesauce’ stage. Here is when I take the stick blender and mix for about 1 minute.

Step 8. You’ll see that the soap starts to become glossy after about another 15 minutes. It should be somewhat translucent and shiny. This is the first time you can check to see if you’ve got soap! The best way to tell if all the lye has cooked out is to take the ‘tongue-test’ - touch your tongue to a bit of cooled-off soap. If you feel a tingling (or ‘zap’), lye is still present and you must continue to cook. Continue cooking and check again after every 15 minutes. If you feel nothing and it has a soapy taste, you’ve got soap!

Step 9. Once your soap passes the tongue-test, it’s time to put it in the mold. I’m using a cardboard box that Domino’s sandwiches come in lined with a garbage bag to show you don’t need anything fancy! Carefully ‘glop’ your hot soap into the box, banging on a hard surface after each addition to eliminate any air bubbles.

Step 10. Cover your soap with a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a folded towel to smooth the top. Allow to cool and unmold.

You can trim and slice your soap as you please!

Stay Tuned Tomorrow for Day 9!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 8, Soap 8

We’re on Soap #8!

I can’t believe we’re already on Week #2 - the first week went by so fast! Over 20 lbs of soap down, less than 70 to go!

The last few soaps in the Project have had kind of a pale palette, and I realized I totally needed something bold and colorful - a true feast for the eyes! I wanted some serious eye candy!

Since I normally only use cosmetic grade mica, oxides and ultramarines for soap colorants, I know I’ll never achieve some of those brightly hued soaps that are produced by using liquid soap dyes. What I also know, however, is that some amazing colors can be achieved through completely natural sources - things like alkanet, turmeric and even pumpkin puree can create gorgeous colors in soap. And I can’t wait to experiment with them to see what I can create!

I also thought I’d try more layering with Soap #8. Now, layering hot-process soap is not an easy task. At the end of the cooking process, the soap is a hot, thick, glossy mass that has to be maneuvered - I believe the technical term is ‘glopped’ - quite carefully into the mold to prevent air bubbles and other catastrophes. Scenting & coloring hp soaps are skillful talents in themselves, but layering adds a higher degree of difficulty. And because I’m an unbelievably impatient person, this is always a particularly tricky challenge for me.

But it was so much fun! And I love the festive, ‘ice cream cake’ quality of the soap loaf!

So, Soap #8 on Day #8 is:

Bellissima Handmade All-Veggie Oil Blend Bath Soap in Exotic Orchid

Our amazing Exotic Orchid Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our lavish blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Exotic Orchid delivers the lush, heady aroma of fragrant orchids and notes of ylang ylang, frangipani, white lily, hyacinth, gardenia and creamy vanilla add interest and complexity to this delicious fragrance. Passionate and romantic, vibrant and intoxicating, luxurious and exhilarating, this is an incredibly unique and distinctively glamorous scent!

Soap #8 is available for sale at http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off of your Exotic Orchid Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Exotic Orchid Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 9!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 5, Soap 5

Soap #5 is purely for stock replenishment - and one of my scent faves!
It's so complex & sophisticated!

I was down to one bar of my Avocado & Lime Soap and couldn’t relist it in the shop until I made more!




I tend to sell my soap in pairs - it may not be the smartest marketing choice, but I think it gives buyers the most bang for their buck! I can ship two bars for slightly more than it costs to ship one, so I can offer a much better deal to my customers on the purchase of two bars. And with the size of my bars, it’s like getting four bars for the price of two!

Now, I could possibly sell more by offering them as single bars… probably would sell more. And actually, I have this internal debate quite often, but I feel like I’m being a bit stingy sending out one bar or a single soap sample - irrational and ridiculous, I know. And I am honestly so passionate about the benefits of handmade soap that I really should be doing everything I can to get some into the hands of potential users.

Okay, this is it. I am officially announcing that Bellissima will now be selling sample bars and single bars of handcrafted soap! Aahhh, I feel so much better now that the decision’s been made!

So, onto the description of Soap #5 on Day #5:

Bellissima Handcrafted All-Veggie Blend Avocado & Lime Soap

Our amazing Avocado & Lime Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Avocado & Lime - thinking Guacamole? THINK NOT!!! This incredible scent offers one surprise after another: an amazingly complex blend of ripe avocado, cilantro, sweet lime, sugared lemon, mint and lots of delicate white florals. This is a bright & confident, refreshingly different and oh so sparkling fragrance!

Soap #5 is available for sale at http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Avocado & Lime Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Avocado & Lime Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 6!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 4, Soap 4

Soap #4 is a special request by my husband.

When I first started on my soap making journey years ago, I had made this soap with him in mind - and it‘s been his favorite ever since! He’s not a coffee drinker - strictly tea. Me, I’m a coffee-by-the-pot kind of girl, but I enjoy drinking tea occasionally.


What I do love about tea, though, is all the anti-oxidants! Rich in polyphenols, Vitamin C and Vitamin E, tea just might provide as many benefits when applied to the skin as when ingested internally! Honey, too, has anti-oxidant as well as anti-microbial properties - and is famous for, among other things, it’s natural ability to attract and retain moisture which may aid in maintaining skin’s softness and elasticity.

And this is another soap for our all-natural line!
This one’s not vegan, however, due to the honey, but it has no synthetic fragrance and no colorants. I love when I can scent and color a soap without using additives!

I used strongly brewed mix of earl grey tea (for the aroma & color) and green tea (for the benefits) as the water element of this soap, and then added about 3 tablespoons of honey once the cook was done. The soap is a rich, deep caramel brown shade as a result of the tea - and the scent is both delicate and distinctive.

So, here’s the description for Soap #4 on Day #4:

Bellissima Handcrafted All-Natural Sweet Tea & Honey Soap

Our amazing Sweet Tea & Honey Soap is all-natural with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. We incorporated brewed tea and lots of honey for the wonderful skin-healthy benefits, used lots of olive & coconut oil to make this gentle but cleansing and lots of sunflower and rice bran oils to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Sweet Tea & Honey imparts the scent of traditional earl grey tea - a relaxing blend of citrus with a hint of bergamot. With the golden amber, slightly floral perfume of honey and the aromatic notes of fine, black tea leaves, this is a uniquely subtle and highly sophisticated fragrance!

Soap #4 is available for sale at
http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com
Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Sweet Tea & Honey Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Sweet Tea & Honey Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 5!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 3, Soap 3

We’re on Soap #3 - and a yummy #3 at that!




When I ordered this particular fragrance oil, I was really looking forward to the first sniff. It was named Tropic Winds (or something similar - ‘name changed to protect the innocent‘). Having been a travel agent for over 10 years, I’ve inhaled the breeze on many islands and I really looked forward to all the fabulous memories this scent would bring back!

When it arrived in the mail I swiftly opened the bottle and took in a huge whiff - and it smelled nothing like Tropic Winds! Certainly not of the winds I had ever experienced tropically. Oh I sensed an undercurrent of hyacinth, maybe a touch of hibiscus, but nothing that resembled the ‘winds’ of any island I had visited. I was expecting red florals, a touch of tropical fruit, a bit of exotic greenery and lots of ozone and sea air.

But didn’t it smell exactly like my favorite Red Sangria from my very favorite Spanish restaurant!?! And once I soaped it, the fruity, wine-y aroma prevailed… and there we have it!

Oh! And this was my first attempt at layering hot-process soap - I have to work on my technique quite a bit, but overall I was pretty pleased!

And so, Soap #3 on Day #3 is:

Bellissima Handcrafted Red Sangria All-Veggie Oil Blend Soap

Our amazing Red Sangria Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Red Sangria imparts the scent of a medley of fresh fruits and the invigorating aroma of a variety of red florals. Pineapple, tangerine, plum & lime mix melodically with hibiscus, amaryllis, hyacinth & even sweet orchid. The robust undercurrent of smooth, red wine makes this a unique, brisk & energizing, fun & fruity fragrance! And the mica-tinted top layer makes this soap a visual delight!

Soap #3 is available for sale at
http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com
Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Red Sangria Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Red Sangria Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment.)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 4!