January Sale

Are you looking to make a few new healthy choices in 2012? Let homemade organic soap be one of them. It is so good for your skin and indulgent at the same time. Hen N Chicks soap bars average atleast 5oz and are made with all organic oils and additives. Essential oils are 100% pure and if I use a fragrance oil I list it as that. Check my blog page to see the soaps that will be ready in January... but don't hesitate about placing your order as they sell out as soon as I list them. I have 6 standing orders already!

Let January be the month you give homemade soap a try. Help me reach 225 "likes" over at my facebook page and as soon as I do soap goes on sale for $3.50 a bar for the month of January (that goes for those soap orders on hold too).

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hen-And-Chicks-Soap/114909755257790#!/pages/Hen-And-Chicks-Soap/114909755257790

New Year ~ New Soap

Here is a list of soaps that will be ready in the New Year!

Jan 13
Honey N Oats
Lemony Lavender Castile

Jan 20
Almond & Cocoa Butter
Tea Tree, Rosemary & Clay

Jan 23
Cinnamon Orange
Tangarine & Eucalyptus

Jan 27
Star Anise
Blueberry
Soaps sell out fast so you are welcome to place an on hold order that will be billed when they are ready to mail.

Merry Christmas

Just in time for Christmas, enter to win 2 free bars of my homemade organic soap.

2 ways to enter:

1.  Go to my facebook page and like the page and become a follower.

2.  Share my Hen N Chicks facebook page on your facebook page.

Rosemary Anise

Rosemary Anise

Anise essential oils help ease bronchitis, colds and the flu.  Emotionally, Anise oil can be calming.

The aroma of Rosemary oil is warm and stimulating, being used to strengthen mental awareness.  For centuries Rosemary oil has been used for troubled skin and for improving hair growth, perhaps due to its possible skin regenerative properties. It can also be an excellent antiseptic and anti-microbial agent.

These soaps will be wrapped and ready to ship on December 1st.

Please don't forget to check out all the giveaways at Raising Mighty Arrows!  Also be sure to check out my homepage to see each individual soap listed.

Tangerine & Eucalyptus

Tangerine & Tangarine

The oil of Eucalyptus can help expel mucus, and may be a supportive remedy for sinusitis, coughs, colds, sore throat, and all bronchial conditions.

This wonderfully sweet, fresh and citrusy top-note essential oil is thought to promote happiness, and help with nervousness and anxiety.

These soaps will be wrapped and ready to ship on December 1st.

Basil Spearmint

Basil Spearmint



Basil Essential Oil has been referred to as the royal oil to strengthen the mind and heart.  Several essential oils exhibit antimicrobial properties that are effective in the care of acne. They seem to produce healing effects similar to synthetic preparations, but without side effects like drying and peeling. Basil happens to be one of them.

Spearmint oil is cleansing and uplifting, and the aroma will help sharpen the senses.  It is also considered an excellent headache remedy.

These soaps will be wrapped and ready to ship on December 1st.

Cinnamon Seed with Fir Needle

Cinnamon Seed with Fir Needle



Just the smell of cinnamon essential oil can help to boost brain activity and alertness. It has a powerful and intense aroma which will lift your emotions whether you are feeling depressed, fearful, lonely or just stressed out.

Fir needle essential oil's overall action is considered stimulating, and can be used to bring alertness to the mind.

Poppy seeds make a great exfoliate in soap.  They are small round seeds that are not rough on delicate skin. 

These soaps will be wrapped and ready to ship December 1st.

New Scents for November

Half the soap for November is already spoken for.  If you are looking for a personal, handmade gift to take to the hostess of the dinner during the holidays or that extra special Christmas gift this is it.

All soaps are handmade in small batches.  Organic oils of coconut, olive, palm, almond, sunflower and cocoa butter are used.  No soy!

Each bar weights on average 5 ounces.  Cigar wrapped in coordinating paper and stamped with a list of ingredients on each bar.  $4.00 a bar.

Coffee (kitchen sink bar)  10   8          
Star Anise                        10  6
Fresh Lavender Blend      10   5
Honey N Oats                   2   SOLD OUT
First Snow                         1   SOLD OUT
Christmas Punch                5   SOLD OUT

What does it cost to make a bar of soap?

To much!  But when you love the art of making soap you forget to count the cost.  Sadly I am going to have to raise my price for a bar of homemade organic soap.  I have been selling my 5 oz. bars of soap for $3.50 a bar but beginning in November they will go up to $4 a bar. Shipping remains the same. But there is still time to order what I have left for October!  I am even going through my stash for you.  So here it is the last of the $3.50 bars:

18  10   8 Christmas Punch
3   Honey N Oats
2   Christmas Cookie
2   Christmas Tree
1   First Snow
2   Apple Jack Peel


Just for comparison.
Windy Hill Farm Naturals $3.25 for a 4oz bar
Miller Soap $3.95 for a 4 oz bar
Poplar Hill Farm $4.50 for a 4.5 oz bar
And these places don't offer ORGANIC soap, I do!


Scents coming in November:
Star Anise
Fresh Lavender Blend
Honey N Oats
First Snow Fall
Coffee (scrubby for the kitchen sink)

Christmas Punch soap

Christmas Punch soap
Saponified oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.  Fragrance oil.
Only 16 bars unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 21.

First Snow

First Snow soap
Saponified oils of olive, coconut, palm & almond.  ORGANIC cocoa butter & 100% pure peppermint and spearmint essential oils.
Only 3 bars left!  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 17.

Apple Jack Peel

Apple Jack Peel soap
Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.  Apple fragrance oil.
Only 7 bars unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 14.

Christmas Spice soap

Christmas Spice soap
Saponified oils of palm, sweet almond & coconut. 
ORGANIC cocoa butter & fragrance oil.
Only 12 bars unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 14.

Honey N Oats

Honey N Oats soap
Saponified oils of coconut, palm, sunflower & almond.  Raw Indiana honey, beeswax & ORGANIC fresh ground oats.
Only 14 bars unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 14.

Eucalyptus soap

Eucalyptus Soap
Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, almond & coconut.  ORGANIC cocoa butter, 100% natural eucalyptus essential oil.
Only 7 bars unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 10.
This bar of soap you will want in a warm shower when you have a cold!

Christmas Cookie soap

Christmas Cookie
Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.  Fragrance oil.
Only 14 unspoken for.  $3.50 a bar.  Ready Oct. 10.

Christmas Tree soap

Christmas Tree
Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, almond & coconut. ORGANIC cocoa butter, fragrance oil & bentonite clay for color.
Only 5 bars unspoken for. $3.50 a bar. Ready Oct. 10.

Pumpkin Spice soap

Pumpkin Spice
Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut. Fragrance oil & tumeric for color. Only 9 bars unspoken for. $3.50 a bar. Ready Oct. 7.

Hot Cocoa Soap

Hot Cocoa
Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, almond & coconut oil. ORGANIC cocoa butter, fragrance oil & fresh brewed coffee.
Only 11 bars unspoken for. $3.50 a bar. Ready Oct. 7.

Fall & Winter Scents coming soon...

First Snow Fall (think minty cold)
Anise
Eucalyptus
Applejack Peel
Christmas Cookies
Christmas Spice
Hot Cocoa
Pepperberry
Pumpkin Spice
Christmas Tree

These will all be ORGANIC oils.  Anise, Eucalyptus and First Snow Fall will be essential oil.  The rest will be fragrance oils.

There are already pre-orders in so you may want to make a list and check it twice.  Get it to me fast as they will be gone before the mad rush! 

They will begin being ready in 4 more weeks.

Clove & Orange Spice

Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, coconut, sunflower & olive. 

ORGANIC cocoa butter, 100 % natural clove and orange essential oils, ground cinnamon.

$3.50 a bar



Honey N Oats

Saponified ORGANIC oils of coconut, palm, sunflower & almond oil. 

Raw Indiana honey, beewsaw, fresh ground ORGANIC oats.

$3.50 a bar

These are my favorite facial bar.  Sensitive skin body bar too.



History of Soap

 
 
2200 B.C. - Although it is believed by many that soap's history actually began around 2800 B.C. in Babylonia (where historians found a barrel containing a soap-like substance) unarguable proof of soaps existence was first provided by a 2200 B.C. Mesopotamian clay tablet with an actual soap recipe inscribed on it. This ancient soap making technique described mixing potash and oils to form a cleaning agent.
 
1500 B.C. - Egyptian manuscripts describe a matter created by combining animal fats and vegetable oils to create a soap-like substance. The ancient documents go on to explain another type of soap that is used in the production of wool.
 
200 A.D. - The very first allusion to soap making in literature occurred by a famous Greek physician named Galen.
 
600 A.D. - soap making guilds were formed and the modern formula for soap that we use today was created.
 
900 A.D. - soap started to be produced commercially and sold for .3 Dinars per bar.
 

c1700-c1800 A.D. - During the industrial revolution, soap began its production in factories and stopped being produced in the home kitchen.

Currently - Soap is being produced in the same way as it was centuries ago after the industrial revolution. As almost all people in this modern age purchase and use commercially manufactured soaps, the history of soap making is at somewhat of a standstill.

Estrogen Dominance

THE CAUSES OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE

Strictly speaking, it's possible that we are all -- men, women and children -- suffering a little from estrogen dominance, because there is so much of it in our environment. You would have to virtually live in a bubble to escape the excess estrogens we're exposed to through pesticides, plastics, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat, soaps and much of the carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with indoors every day. You may have on-and-off sinus problems, headaches, dry eyes, asthma or cold hands and feet for example, and not know to attribute them to your exposure to xenohormones. Over time the exposure will cause more chronic problems such as arthritis and premenopause symptoms, and may be a direct or indirect cause of cancer.

This is part of an article regarding the effects of estrogen dominance in our bodies. What has this got to do with homemade soap? Well after some research and going through premenopause myself I have read that lavender and tea tree oil both mimic estrogen. So while I will still make lavender and tea tree soaps just know even good things can be over done. Don't just take my word for it, educate yourself.

Anise & Orange ~ Limited scent ~

 

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive, almond & castor. 

ORGANIC cocoa butter & 100% pure orange and anise essential oils.

Average 5 oz. bar

$3.50 each

Sleep Tight ~ Limited scent ~



Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, coconut, palm & olive! 

100% pure peppermint, eucalyptus & camphor essential oils.

Average 5 oz. bars

$3.50 each

July special

July Special (while supplies last)

Buy as many bars as you want all for $3 each.  All you have to do is:

Follow this blog and share with 5 friends. 
If you already follow this blog you can like my facebook page or share my blog on your facebook page.

Happy July 4th ~

Farmer's Market ~ Winfield Indiana

This picture is from our 3rd day at the Winfield Farmer's Market.  Notice the sunny day.  The first days were storming but we went anyways.  The boys complained and said it wasn't worth it.  This lead to a conversation about what makes success.  If I had sold 20 bars would that have been successful?  How about just trusting God.  Well there was one lady who ventured out and bought a bar of soap that first day.  The only bar I sold.  But on the the third Wednesday that same lady came back and bought 2 bars.  That is success. 

Review of my soap at Faded Country

http://countryfarmgirlsarah.blogspot.com/2011/06/hen-and-chicks-soap-review.html

Review of my soap at Angela's Sewing for Sanity

http://angelassewingforsanity.blogspot.com/2011/06/home-made-soap.html

Review of my soap at Grammy's

http://blicktx.blogspot.com/2011/06/home-made-soapyeah.html

Reveiw of my soap by Linda @ Lindas Lunacy

Reveiw AND a chance to win a free bar of my soap!  Check out her rules for entering.
http://lindaslunacy.blogspot.com/2011/06/hens-and-chicks-soap-giveaway.html

New Review at Busy Hands Busy Minds

Another review of my soap!  Thanks Anita.

http://busyhandsbusyminds.blogspot.com/2011/06/homemade-soap-review-hen-n-chicks-soap.html

Soap Box

My oldest is a great woodworker.  He built my wooden soap box and also sells them to the ladies that take my soap class.  This box has many great features that will be important to a soap maker.  First of all you can make a small 1 lb. bar or a 5 lb bar!  You can also make two different scented soaps at one time if you so choose.  I have also gone through all the trouble of figuring out volume so you will know exactly where to put the blocks for each batch of soap you make.  At the end of the box there are slots big enough for a knife to slice the bars so that you get a nice 5 oz bar each cut.  You can also adjust the mark if you would rather have a smaller bar.  The last feature is that the box is made of wood!  It will last a lifetime of soap making. 

If you would be interested in buying a soap box made by Dalton please email me at henandchicks@live.com

They are $30 plus the actual shipping cost and we accept pay pal. 

Cinnamon Orange

Saponified ORGANIC oils of coconut, sunflower, olive & sweet almond oil.  ORGANIC cocoa butter, 100% pure cinnamon & orange essential oils, paprika for color.

$3.50 a bar

Cocoa Mint with camphor

Saponified ORGANIC oils of olive, coconut, palm & sweet almond.  ORGANIC cocoa butter, 100% pure peppermint & camphor essential oils.

$3.50 a bar

Reveiw of my soap by Jill @ The Praire Homestead

GIVEAWAY: Hen and Chicks Soap

Someday, I plan to attempt an adventure into the world of soap making. Someday. I keep saying that it will be next on the list. After the cow calves, after I master cheesemaking, after I perfect sourdough bread, after the garden harvest/canning is complete, and when I don’t have so.many.plants to water and weed.

So yeah. It might be a while.

I was thrilled when Angela from Hen and Chicks soap sent me a bar of her homemade, all natural, organic Honey N Oats soap to try.

First off, can I just say that I LOVE the look of handmade soap? The hand-cut appearance of the bars is so delightfully rustic.
Check out the ingredients of the Honey N Oats soap: Organic sunflower, coconut, and olive oils, Almond oil, raw unfiltered honey, beeswax, and organic oats.

You know something is good when you could practically eat any of the ingredients! (Ok, so the beeswax wouldn’t taste great, but you know what I mean!)

It has a wonderfully mild scent, not offensive or perfume-y like commercial bar soap. It lathers beautifully and washes off cleanly. This is good stuff, folks!

One surprising thing I liked about this variety is the exfoliating feel of the oats (there are REAL oats in here, folks!). Even the hubby is in love with it. When I told him I was giving the second bar away, he tried to convince me that I should give it to him (he totally missed the point)…



And… I get to give away a 4.4 oz bar of the Honey N Oat soap to one lucky reader!

4 Ways to Enter:

1. Visit the Hen N Chicks blog, and leave a comment telling me which variety you would choose if you were to purchase a bar.
2. Subscribe to The Prairie Homestead by RSS or email, then leave a separate comment saying you did.
3. Follow The Prairie Homestead on Twitter and tweet this: The Prairie Homestead is giving away organic Honey Oat soap! @homesteader http://bit.ly/jvgLNz. Leave a separate comment saying you did.
4. Follow the Homemade Natural Soaps blog. Leave a separate comment saying that you did.
Giveaway ends Friday, June 24th at midnight. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Contest only open to U.S residents.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a bar of soap to review. I was not compensated in any other way for writing this review. All opinions expressed here are true and accurate.

Raising Mighty Arrows: Giveaway-Homemade All Natural Soap

Raising Mighty Arrows: Giveaway-Homemade All Natural Soap:

Angela at Homemade All Natural Soaps is a new friend of mine.  I recently had the opportunity to try a bar of her lovely soap.   I'm so excited to announce that Angela is generously giving away a bar to one lucky winner!  

                                           Saponified ORGANIC oils of olive, palm & coconut.

100% pure lavender & grapefruit essential oils and
naturally sourced beeswax.

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.

100% pure cinnamon essential oil & poppy seeds.

  Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, coconut & sweet almond. 
ORGANIC cocoa butter and
100% pure orange essential oil.

I know that whoever wins will be very pleased to add this product to their home.  My 3 year old even loves it.  She wants to use the homemade soap now instead of the store bought.  I couldn't agree with her more.

The giveaway will end on Friday, June 17th at 11:59 p.m and will be announced on THIS post.  The winner will be selected by random.org.  The winner will then email Angela and tell her which bar she would like to receive, as well as provide her shipping information.  Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

To enter, please leave a comment below.  Extra entries are as follows:

• Visit Homemade Natural Soap's blog and tell them which bar of soap you're most interested in
• "Like" Hen & Chicks Soap Facebook page
• "Like" Raising Mighty Arrows Facebook page
• Follow Raising Mighty Arrow's blog
• Follow Homemade Natural Soap's blog.
• Share on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog

Please be sure to leave 1 comment for EACH extra entry you participate in.  Good luck!!!

Link
Raising Homemakers
A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa

New Review At Living Beautifully Simple

Check out another great review of my soap at Living Beautifully Simple.  Rachel is a new blogger so hang around and leave a note of encouragement.

Don't forget to subscribe and keep up to date on soap flavors.

Lavender~Grapefruit Castile

Saponified ORGANIC oils of olive, palm & coconut.

100% pure lavender & grapefruit essential oils and

naturally sourced beeswax.

$3.50 a bar

Cinnamon Seed

Reviews of my soap at

Living Beautifully Simple

Raising Mighty Arrows

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.

100% pure cinnamon essential oil & poppy seeds.

$3.50 a bar

Also have Orange Cinnamon, Black Licorice, Orange Dreamsicle & Lavender~Grapefruit Castile.

Link - Homemaker By Choice

Black Licorice

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, olive & coconut.

100% pure anise essential oil and bentonite clay.

$3.50 a bar

Orange Dreamsicle

Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, coconut & sweet almond. 

ORGANIC cocoa butter and

100% pure orange essential oil.

$3.50 a bar

Links
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Laundry Soap

Read a review of my all natural body soap at Raising Mighty Arrows
Check out all the soaps Ioffer Homemade Natural Soaps

What does laundry soap and homemade soap have in common?  Well if you suffer from allergies or skin irritations you know what you wash your clothes in matters.  Most homemade clothes soaps use Fels-Naptha or Ivory.  Both are pretty strong smelling.  You can use homemade soap!  I make a nice one with a lime bar and it is so light and gentle you can use it to wash baby clothes in.  So I share my recipe and you can substitute any homemade soap you find agrees with your skin type.  I make a really gentle Honey N Oats with no added scent too!

In a big pot boil 6 cups of water.  Add 1 whole grated bar of soap of choice here.  Stir until dissolved.

Add 1 cup Borax & 1 cup Washing Soda (not baking soda). Stir until dissolved.

In a big 5 gallon pail add 6 cups boiling water and the soap in the pot.  Add to that 2 1/2 gallons of warm tap water.  Stir and let sit overnight. 

Become a follower and keep up on all soap varieties when they are ready!


Links
A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Like A Bubbling Brook
Strictly Homemade

Review of my soap at Raising Mighty Arrows

Check out the latest review of my soap at Raising Mighty Arrows.

If you have tried my soap please feel free to forward this to your facebook page to share. 
Thanks!

Benefits of Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet almond oil, as the name suggests, is extracted from the seeds of almond trees by cold pressing the kernels. The fact that it contains several essential vitamins such as vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and E makes it very useful for treating skin conditions. All these vitamins rejuvenate the skin and promote hair growth.

Several skin disorders can also be prevented and treated by using sweet almond oil. It can be used by all except those who have a nut allergy.  It provides a subtle scent as well as cures many skin problems like itching, drying and skin inflammation. Almond oil soap makes a smooth and creamy lather, which is the result of  healthy ingredients present in the almond oil soap that actually cause chains of unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are very effective for total skin care. There are no harmful chemicals present in the almond oil soap, making it safe for babies and facial skin as well.

The soaps I make that contain ORGANIC Sweet Almond Oil.
Honey N Oats
Cocoa Mint
Orange Cinnamon
Almond & Cocoa Butter
Orange Dreamsicle

Fun Fact

Almond oil is similar in make-up to the oil that babies excrete to keep their skin naturally soft and smelling great.

A Little Bit of Spain In Iowa
day2dayjoys
Raising Homemakers
Like A Bubbling Brook

Almond & Cocoa Butter

Saponified ORGANIC oils of palm, olive & sweet almond.  Cocoa butter and almond FO.

$3.50 a bar

Vanilla Mint

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, coconut, plam & olive.  Vanilla crytals and 100% pure wintergreen essential oil.

$3.50 a bar

Lime Mint Sorbet

Saponified ORGANIC oils of coconut, sunflower & olive.  100% pure lime and wintergreen essential oils.

$3.50 a bar



Why bother with handmade soap? Is it really better for you?

Have you ever tried a bar of old-fashioned handmade soap? Are you worried you will burn your skin or have scaly itchy dry skin when you hear of lye in handmade soap? Well, let me ease your fears and tell you exactly what real handmade soap is. Soap can not be made without lye. Oils and lye mix in a process called saponification resulting in soap. The soap cures for 24 hours and is ready to cut and there are then no traces of lye left. Soap is cured depending on the soap maker between 3-6 weeks. This lets the soap rest and harden. The longer it sets the harder and milder it becomes.

Now that is the short of it but there are many different oils and additives you can put into your soap. I basically use 5 ORGANIC oils, olive, coconut, sunflower, sweet almond & palm. The basic additives I use are ORGANIC cocoa butter, raw unfiltered Indiana honey, ORGANIC fresh ground oats, poppy seeds, and 100 % pure essential oils. I have made a bar of blueberry that is from a fragrance oil.

There are many differences in handmade soap and store bought soap. Handmade soap has tons of natural glycerin in it. Factory soap makers take the glycerin out to make lotions and skin creams which is why after a shower using store bought soap you have to put on lotion! Handmade soap leaves all the good stuff in it. Handmade soap uses no chemicals or detergents. Factory soap is mostly detergent and adds so many chemicals you would have to put each one into the Environmental Working Group database to find out the danger of each ingredient. Which is what I have done for you.

If you take a stroll down a Wal-Mart isle you will find many selections of bar soap. Dove, Olay, Ivory, Caress, Yardley of London, Camay, Canus Goat’s Milk, Tone, the options keep going. EWG rated all these soaps based on the ingredients in them.  The scale ratings are 0-2 as low hazard, 3-6 moderate hazard and 7-10 high hazard. Now you understand we are rating hazardous to our health people!

Lever rates an 8
Olay rates a 6
Everyone else rates a 5

What are the ingredients that are hazardous? Let’s look at some.
Lever 2000 ingredient list from packaging:
WATER, AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE, AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, GLYCERIN, FRAGRANCE, PEG-10 SUNFLOWER GLYCERIDES, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E ACETATE), RETINYL PALMITATE (VITAMIN A PALMITATE), PANTHENOL (PROVITAMIN B5), PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT (GINSENG), COCAMIDE MEA, PEG-5 COCAMIDE, POLYQUATERNIUM-10, AMMONIUM CHLORIDE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, TETRASODIUM EDTA, ETIDRONIC ACID, METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE, METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE, BLUE 1 (CI 42090), GREEN 3 (CI 42053).

We will look at just a couple of these ingredients. The fragrance used could cause neurotoxicity, allergies/immunotoxicity at a level of 8 on a scale of 0-10.
The synthetic form of Vitamin A which is retinyl palmitate has been shown to cause cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), biochemical or cellular level changes. Again at a risk level of 8 on a scale of 0-10.Now are you going to get cancer from using these products? Maybe we should be asking another question. Are you okay with moderately risking your health ever single time you shower?

I also looked up some soap companies with a rating of 0 and 1. I also listed if they were organic (OG) and the price per bar and ounce.
By Valenti True Castile right near here in Shamburg, IL (Chicago area) rates a 0 at $7 for a 5oz bar/OG
Kiss My Face rates a 0 rates a 0 at $3.99 for an 8 oz bar NOT OG
Trader Joes Oatmeal & Honey
Coastal Creations Oatmeal which is the face bar I use to use rates a 0 and is now $9 per 3.5oz and is NOT OG
Aubrey Organics Evening Primrose rates a 0 at $5.95 for a 4 oz bar and the only OG ingredient is the evening primrose oil!
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint rates a 1 at $4.49 for a 5oz bar/OG　

We personally test our soaps on ourselves so we know it will be gentle to your skin. We also put in each ingredient at the EWG database and our soap rates a 0. You can also feel good about buying a bar because each recipe is thought out and each oil has different health benefits. Each bar is hand cut, weighed, stamped and wrapped. You are buying the best product we can provide for the best possible price.

May Special
$10 for 3 bars
$13 for 4 bars
$15 for 5 bars

http://likeabubblingbrook.com/2011/05/biblical-womanhood-friday-4th-ed/
http://jasmine-aboverubies.blogspot.com/2011/05/domestically-divine-homemaking-link-up_17.html
http://raisinghomemakers.com/2011/homemaking-link-up-30/
http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2011/05/danger-of-bloggers.html
http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2011/05/mondays-homestead-barn-hop-this-weeks-happenings/
http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/traditional-tuesday-blog-hop-may-31-2011/

And the winner is...

Random.org generated the winner.  That number is 18 ~ Bobbie Jo Wilkinson!  Congratulations! 

Please contact me with your mailing address and I will mail your bars of Peppermint Patty & Orange Creamsicle. 

Thanks to all those who participated and supported my new business endeavour.  Truly you will never know how I appreciate your support.

Love,
Angela Czepinski

Honey N Oats

Saponified ORGANIC oils of coconut, palm, sunflower & sweet almond oil.

Raw unfiltered Indiana honey, naturally sourced beeswax, organic fresh ground oats.

Average weight 5 oz

$3.50 a bar

This is the first soap recipe I made.  My children and I were tested for allergies and found out that we are all sensitive to milk (yes, even raw) and wheat.  I began trying to eliminate these things from our diet.  I also began to research alternative things to use for our body care regimen to help our immune systems get a break to repair themselves.  At this same time I started menopause and I started having breakouts on my chin and neck.  I had been a faithful user of Dove sensitive soap for many years and I began to notice it just wasn't helping with my acne.  I was told by a friend about a company who made a face soap with a 0 on the EWG scale.  I tried them and loved their soaps.  I started buying them and had my teenage son start using them and he noticed a difference.  At the time I was paying $6 for a 3.5 oz bar but over the next few months they increased the price to $8 a bar.  Plus I was paying $10 for shipping from California.  We were also hooked on Dr. Bronner's Peppermint bar for the bath.  So we were spending alot on soap and shipping.  I am always trying to figure out how to do the things we do better or for less money so I began to read about soap making.  Would you believe with our recent move God placed in my life a friend I knew from a while back who made soap!  We talked and talked and I read more and read more.  Made my first order of essential oils, bought oils, made it to Menard's to buy lye, round up my spare pots and measuring cups, watched a few videos and made my first batch of soap.  I went by the ingredient list of the face soap I was using.  It wasn't as creamy but when I washed my face, nothing happened.  No break outs, no burning just fresh soft clean skin.  I was hooked from that first bar of soap. 

I have since made a batch of Cocoa Mint to replace Dr. Bronner's and several other favorites like Lavender Castile and Cocoa Butter & Almond.

I hope you will try my handmade soap and fall in love with the quality and love that goes into each batch. 

Blueberry Soap

Saponified ORGANIC oils of coconut, sunflower & olive.

Cocoa butter & blueberry fragrance oil.

Average weight 5.1 oz

$3.50 a bar

Giveaway ends tomorrow!

Did you know?  Do you care?

Most soaps available in the store today are not really soaps at all, but detergents. Detergents are a petroleum based product, like gasoline and kerosene. Detergents tend to leave your skin feeling dry, itchy and tight. Certain ingredients in mass-marketed soap have been proven harmful to human health and can cause severe skin irritations in some people. Do your own research.  Visit Environmental Working Group and find out how the products you use are rated.  Take inventory of the things you use and see if there are better choices you can make.  Even if only one thing at a time. 

Handmade soaps offer so many options.  There are different oils to use for different sensitivities.  Additives can help with things like dry itchy skin, skin soother & acne to name a few.  Don't forget the many aromatherapy benefits too.  Lavender is calming while mint is exhilarating. 

The soap giveaway ends tomorrow click the link for rules.
http://homemadenaturalsoaps.blogspot.com/2011/05/soap-give-away.html

I am giving away a bar of Peppermint Patty & Orange Creamsicle! 

Soap Giveaway & a peek at next week

• There are only 3 more days to enter for a chance to win a bar of Peppermint Patty & a bar of Orange Creamsicle. 

• For all those friends out there that have already used my soap and left a comment on the face book page but come here to my blog and leave a comment under the soap that you like I will enter your name again!  I am trying to combine everything here in the future.

• After the giveaway I will be running a special Thank You to anyone who has bought or placed an order by Sunday May 15.  If you have bought soap and refer a paying friend who orders after May 15 you will automatically receive a free bar of soap.  That special will run the rest of the month of May.

• Soap scents for the week of May 16 are:

          Blueberry (the only one I make with fragrance oil)
          Honey N Oats (the bar that began my passion for handmade soap)

Newsletter from EWG

Here is the latest newsletter from EWG.  Just another reason why it is so important to know what is in what you put on your skin.  If you can wear a patch for birth control, hormones, nicotine addiction, heart medications what ever you put on your skin enters your blood stream.  I only use nutritionally healthy organic oils, organic additives that are good for your body like beeswax, raw local unfiltered honey, reverse osmosis water, organic oatmeal, cocoa butter, almond oil and essential oils to name a few.

Dear Angela,

Myth: If the store sells it, it must be safe.
Fact: The government has no authority to require companies to test personal care products for safety before they reach the store shelf.
This is not news to you, because you rely on Skin Deep to guide you to safer choices that help protect your family from chemicals that could be harmful.
But do you ever stop and think; shouldn't the government be looking out for us?
Click here to sign EWG Action Fund's Safe Cosmetics petition. It's time for Congress to take action and make sure that personal care products are safe for our families.
Right now, the industry can use almost any ingredient in its products without testing it for safety. And at a time when some people are applying more than 100 different ingredients every single day, it's important to make sure they're safe before they reach the market -- and our skin.
The industry's self-policing panel, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, hasn't bothered to evaluate more than half of the thousands of ingredients that companies put in their products. And the government stays out of it.
But EWG doesn't. We're looking into these chemicals -- and you won't like what we've found. Our research suggests that 22 percent of all personal care products, including those made for children's use, may contain the cancer-causing contaminant, 1,4-Dioxane. Vitamin A added to sunscreens speeds the growth of skin tumors. Cancer-causing formaldehyde shows up in hair straighteners. Labels vaguely cite "fragrance," a catchall term for undisclosed blends of ingredients. Studies have even found lead in some lipsticks.
Congress needs to take action today. Tell our lawmakers not to leave you, your family and all consumers unprotected.

Homemade Natural Soap giveaway. Only 5 days left!

Hey guys!  I am giving away 2 free bars of homemade natural soap on my blog Sunday.  Only 5 days left to enter. 
1.  Become a follower on the blog for an entry into the drawing. 
2.  Post it to your facebook page for another entry
3.  Share with a friend for another entry
4.  Place an order for an entry

Prize will be a huge bar of Peppermint Patty and a huge bar of Orange Creamsicle.  Both smell like the real thing and I now use organic oils!

One more chance to win!

One more way...if you blog share this giveway and link back to my blog for another chase to enter you name in the drawing.

Soap give away!

Wanna win 2 free bars of soap?  The rules are simple.  You can enter your name as many times as you participate.  Give away will end Sunday May 15.

Here are the ways:
1.  Become a follower of my soap blog
2.  Like my soap facebook page for Hen and Chicks Soap (hit the facebook link at the top of my blog)
3.  Have a friend become a follower of my soap blog
4.  Have a friend like my soap facebook page for Hen and Chicks Soap
5.  If you have used my soap leave a comment on my soap blog
6.  Place an order this week
7.  Have a friend place an order this week

Please let me know how you share my soaps!

Orange Creamsicle

Saponified ORGANIC oils of sunflower, coconut & olive. 

Orange essential oil & vanilla crystals.

Average weight 5.6 oz

$3.50 a bar