Maker Monday: Zombie Repellent Soap

A few days ago we made our 2016 batch of Zombie Repellent! 

 

I love using micas from Mad Oils. This year we are doing a 3-layer neon green soap with layers of shimmery black mica in between.

 

 This green is so bright and vibrant! This bucket will be the bottom layer which gets the most color. After a few pulses with the stick blender, the soap base turns into a nice, vibrant green!

   

 Unlike our 2016 Rainbow Soap where we wanted nice, straight lines, I'd like there to be a bit of a wave in the final slice of soap. This particular scent blend - cinnamon, clove, musk, patchouli and anise - sets up pretty fast. We added the scent blend after making sure the color was fully blended. It's okay that we poured the mold at a thicker texture, because that's the look we were going for!

You can see in the pictures above where I am dusting this layer with some of the beautiful Black Oyster mica. This soap mold measures about 15 inches x 10 inches and in that area, I used about 2-3 teaspoons of the mica to fully cover the layer.


Once I poured the second layer, this cool little swirl happened from kicking up some of the mica on the bottom layer. Not completely what I expected, but I love the way it looks!

Below is the final soap! You can see the various shades of neon green, the nice, dark pencil lines across the layers and the wispy little swirls between the layers. I can't wait to get this year's batch of Zombie Repellent wrapped and on the shelves!

Feature Friday: Ylang Ylang Essential Oil

Today we're going to talk about ylang ylang essential oil!

Not only does ylang ylang smell wonderfully exotic, it also has many therapeutic and aromatherapy qualities. It is said to be an antidepressant, aphrodisiac, antiseptic - as well as being a great addition to perfume blends.

Ylang ylang has many distilling stages, each stage producing various qualities of the essential oil. "Extra" and "Superior" are often used for aromatherapy while ylang ylang complete - the blending of all stages, extra, superior, I, II & III - is used for various perfume purposes to attain specific scent notes.

At Halo Soap we love using ylang ylang to create various perfume blends. We currently carry a roll-on and a solid perfume using ylang ylang in the blend. We also use ylang ylang in an up-coming project to create a foaming facial wash so stay tuned for that!

There are a lot of ways you can incorporate ylang ylang essential oil into your every day routines!
- in a diffuser
- add a few drops to your favorite moisturizer
- create a massage oil by adding a few drops in a carrier oil like coconut oil or almond oil

My view on therapeutic grade essential oils - they do not exist. While I am not a certified aromatherapist, I have done extensive research on the issues and have conversed with those who are certified aromatherapists. The term "therapeutic grade" was coined by certain essential oils companies as a marketing scheme. There is no governing body on the term "therapeutic grade". You should make sure you are purchasing your essential oils from a reputable supplier who uses extraction methods that align with your intended use for the product as well as a supplier who uses quality raw material. Additionally, essential oils should never be used for consumption with out consulting a qualified medical professional.

I am not a certified aromatherapist or a doctor. You should always take caution when using essential oils.

Today We Make Beer Lotion!

We have a very simple method of creating beer lotion for our clients over at Miller Brewing Co. We replace a portion of the water in our Original Body Lotion recipe for beer! Then of course we blend a scent to match the theme of the beer we are using.

Our company follows GMP guidelines to ensure a safe product for customers. In addition to lot numbering, batch numbering and a lot of other tedious work, our process includes microbial testing. We swab both sides of an agar test plate, incubate it and keep an eye out for bacterial growth. When the test turns out clean, the bottles are ready to ship!

Many small makers are unfamiliar with or do not properly execute GMP processes into their business. A good way to indicate whether or not the business you are purchasing from may be following these very important guidelines is to check products for lot numbers. Always ask questions and be confident that the products you are using are created under proper conditions!

Stay tuned for our next post where we will be featuring Ylang Ylang essential oil.