Old People Smell

I was going over some fragrance reviews and I came across one that said "It was nice and fresh, not a old people's smell."
She was talking about a men's fragrance not having an "old spice" scent.
It made me think, about how scents trigger the memory. 
When I smell a bay rum scent, it reminds me of my childhood when I would get a haircut. The barber putting a splash of tonic on my head and rubbing it in.
For me if it does not have a "old people's" scent I don't think of it as manly!
My oldest son is more of a "Cool Water" type.
I guess in 30 years a Cool water type scent will trigger memories for him.
Another scent review was for a "dirt" scent.
I was surprised of all the positive reviews on it. People were talking about how it reminded them of their childhood, making mud pies.
Just thinking about how a dirt scent would smell, triggered memories of working in my grandparents garden when I was a young boy.
What kind of scent triggers memories of your youth?
I am tempted to buy some "dirt" scented fragrance. A dirt soap, some dirt bath salts  for a mud bath? Maybe there might be a market for it to pig farmers!

Find Out Why Homemade Soap Is Healthier For Your Skin!

Author: Suzanne Currie
Homemade soap definitely have an edge over factory produced bars - it's gentle on our bodies and a lot cheaper. Thanks to the natural ingredients used in making homemade soap. Start making soaps and you can enjoy healthy, safer soaps with all your favorite scents and ingredients.
The Glycerin Gap
A bar of commercial bath soap can last you two weeks but a bar of clear glycerin soap has a lifespan of three to four days. Commercial bath soaps are harder because the naturally-occurring glycerin, a by-product of the soap preparation is removed and used in beauty creams and shampoos. Animal or vegetable fat and lye is the major ingredient in basic and easy soap making.
Animal and vegetable fat contain naturally occurring glycerin; lye is the by-product of ash and water. In commercial preparation, salt is added to lye and animal or vegetable fats concoction to separate and extract glycerin. In contrast, homemade soap preparation leaves the glycerin in the mix. The glycerin removed from commercial soap is used as an important ingredient in creams, lotions, and shampoos because glycerin keeps the skin and hair soft and smooth.
A commercial soap bar does not contain glycerin whilst your homemade soap is loaded with this important natural skin softener. Try using commercial bath soap on your hair, and you have dry coarse hair. To solve the problem, you lather your hair with expensive shampoo. However, glycerin soap can be used on the hair aswell and you get fantastic results.
Glycerin is a natural humectants. It is non-oily sweet-tasting liquid that attracts moisture in the environment. It is also colorless. When mixed with water or alcohol, it dissolves easily but not when combined with fragrant oils. This explains well why glycerin soap melts faster than commercial soap and why it is a favorite with scented creams, moisturizing gels and lotions.
Humectants keep the skin smooth and supple. Since this is not a man-made chemical, glycerin is does not irritate the skin. In fact glycerin soap is always recommended for individuals with sensitive to dry skin. As beauty soap, it keeps the facial skin smooth and clear. Hence, glycerin spells the big difference between commercial and homemade soap.
Baby Care
Babies and young children benefit from homemade soap because it does not contain toxic chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate or SLS. SLS causes the foaming in soaps. This chemical is used also in shampoos and degreasing agents to remove grease from engines. If this chemical can remove grease, it can remove the body's natural oils, causing dry skin which leads to skin rashes and irritations, and eczema. Also, would you want your baby's tender and sensitive skin to absorb this chemical? Definitely not.
A 1983 report from the American College of Toxicology showed that a minute concentration or 5% of SLS can trigger skin irritation and higher levels of the chemical caused severe skin irritation and skin corrosion. Can you imagine your baby taking in all those chemicals and poison everyday?
Therefore, making soaps gives you complete control in deciding what ingredients to use. You can choose ingredients that are safe for baby's hair and scalp, too. High quality organic ingredients are always used for homemade soap. You can make them yourself or order these online from experienced homemade soap makers.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/find-out-why-homemade-soap-is-healthier-for-your-skin-2139238.html
About the Author
If you would like find out how how you can get started in making homemade soap as mentioned in the above article then go here http://www.startmakingsoap.com

It seems that everything has a trend. Fashion, hairstyles, food, and yes even soap!

I am a member of several soap making forums.

Every season change there will always be questions on what is every ones  best seller, what will be the next "big" Scent in bath and beauty products. Are salt baths in? Scrubs? I really like the questions that go around asking something with out trying to just come out and ask .  Such as " What is your favorite scent in soaps?" Which means " What do you sell the most of?"

In most of the forums soap makers will tell you what  their best sellers are, with out batting an eye.

Because we all have our different markets, or as in my case I make soap because I like creating different types and scents.

A few months ago I made a really nice soap, combining several fragrance oils. I was trying to create a signature men's line.  A day after I cut the soap loaf into bars, I noticed a funky smell. I could make out one of the fragrance oils, but the other or the combination of the two had a off funky smell.

After about 6 weeks it had mellow out, well the funky smell did.  As always I took a few bars to work and laid some out on the kitchen counter. A week later a guy I work for, said the soap had a fishy smell to it. I told him that I thought the scents were still morphing. ( Which they were) Now 4 months later the funky smell is completely gone, and I have a great manly smelling soap that leave a fresh clean scent! Yes I do hold some soaps for months, smelling and testing them. When I make soap I always make  an Oatmeal Honey all natural soap. Then  I put my Dr. Jekyll coat on and do some creating.

I break even on my soap making, most of the time.

I don't charge much more than a bar cost to make, I use several "luxury oils and butters" in my soaps.

As any soap maker will tell you " I don't do it for the money" (Well most of us.) 

So for me I always have the same soap trending. Which is Oatmeal Honey, made with Olive, grape seed, palm, coconut, jojoba and castor oils. With a nice amount of Shea, mango and coco butters.

Yes they do cost more to make. I do cut corners to keep the price down, such as no labels, no packaging, no fancy pictures or booths. Just your plan luxury soap. If someone has a special request, I will do my best to make it. What they don't buy I will sell or give the rest away. I am not in it for the money. ( Well not at this point.) I do it because I love doing it! When I get that signature men's line down, then I might start working on the packaging, with the fancy labels! This week I will be working on that signature line, along with some Oatmeal Honey, an All Natural unscented lard soap (Just like my granny taught me over 40 yrs ago!) and some Organic Rosemary  green tea soap. If I don't drink all the beer, I just may make some beer soap!

Soaping for Family's Health

When I was growing up, I had the chance to live on a working farm. 
Chickens, pigs, cows, horses, a pea patch, along with just about every other veggie.
A few weeks ago I saw a video about a chicken farm not far from where I live. They raise their chickens  as farmers did way back. They just let them wonder around the farm, eating insects, grasses and such. They talked about how much more flavor the chickens have, along with how great the eggs were.
One thing I do remember about growing up on a farm is the Great food! I have yet to find a store bought chicken that tasted as good as those farm hens. I decided to buy a farmed raised chicken, along with some fresh farm eggs. The eggs run about $6.00 a dozen. The chicken was about $ 9.00.
This weekend I will see if it is worth the price!
Well it got me to thinking about how much someone is willing to pay for something that is more healthy for the body.
Which brings me to why I soap.
I guess the main reason, is that I know what is in my soap.
Using natural ingredients that benefit the skin.
I found out that  I will be a grandfather for the fourth time this fall. So I started shopping for natural ingredients  to make some baby soap, baby diaper cream, and baby oil.
I only want the best!
It will cost a bit more, than if I was making a plain soap.

 The last batch of soap I made was a Lavandin Grosso, Rosemary, and Patchouli with poppy seeds. I used mango, and shea butter, along with some olive, and grape seed oil.
Looking over my cost to make this wonderful moisturizing soap I realized that with the added luxury butters and oils it only bump the cost up fifty cents per bar.
For me, when it comes to my family's well being and health it is worth the extra price, rather it be food, or body products.
Back to basics and the simple life for me.
If you have a chance head out to the local farmers market this weekend and stock up on some healthy items. The extra cost is worth it. As you watch your family grow, knowing that you did your best for them you will have an inter peace that you did do your best!

Would Chuck Norris be caught using Handmade Soaps?

Would Chuck Norris use Handmade Soaps?

 A lot has been wrote about Chuck Norris, it all comes down to one description "Bad Ass!"

If you were to google "Handmade soaps" and look at all the pictures you would see most of the handmade soaps are geared towards females. Nice pretty soaps, pinks,violets and other girly colors, and let not forget about the scents! There is Lavender, Latte mocha, and many other non-manly smelly soaps.

Just picture in your mind Mr. Bad Ass soaking in the tub scrubbing  off  kick ass grime  with a nice bar of Lavender soap! (By the way I do make a bad ass Lavender soap.)

Lets face it today's market of most products are marketed towards females. 

I think we men need to start setting aside a few dollars every payday  for ourselves. (no need to tell the wife.)

I am taking it one step further.

No more making girly soaps! ( That is till someone orders some.)

From now on Eros Soaps will be making Man Soaps! 

Manly colors, Manly scents, and Manly clean!

No more of the wife twittering about me soaking in the tub using a nice floral scented soap!

So this weekend this Bad Ass Soapmaker will be soaping nothing but Bad Ass Soaps! 

(Mr. Norris you Lavender soaps will be mailed out tomorrow)

 

Healing Soaps

There are a lot of handmade soap makers that make the claim their soaps have healing properties. If that was so, you would have to get a prescription from a doctor. We do use herbs that have healing properties, but as far as I know it has yet been proven that those healing properties make it past the saponification process.
That is until now!
Every soap that Eros Soaps make, has healing abilities.
That is that they help in healing a wounded heart.
Eros Soaps will donate 20% of profits to the American Widow project.
My father always told me to "Be proud of your country, even if you do not agree the way it is ran."
There seems not to be a lot of proud Americans these days, especially when it comes to our military. I served proudly for over 13 yrs in the U.S. Air Force. Women and men that put their lives in harms way serving our country. Some do so proudly, other do not.
As Americans we need to support out women and men in uniform, even if we do not agree with why we are at war. Everyday a service man or women dies for our country, leaving behind a parent, wife, husband, partner or child. Those that are left behind struggle with a great lost.
It is hard for the surviving loves one to carry on, to provide, and sadly to move on.
I ask that you take the time and check out American Widow Project, who is helping the surviving love ones of a military member.

EROS SOAPS

Certified Soap Makers?

I am starting to see a lot of people adding to their websites that they are "Certified Soapmakers"
It would seem that their are different levels of the certification process.
In searching the web I have only found one site that offers certification for soap making.
While their intentions are good I think that it is unfair to those that have been making handcrafted soaps for years now.
Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has developed the program, which is offered to their members.
The certification program seems very well covered.
I think even this soap maker of over 40 years, might learn a thing or two!
The only drawback would be that only people that make handcrafted soaps and follow the handcrafted soap industry would know what the certification process covers.
As it is stated on their website "to encourage and promote the highest professional standards among HSMG members."
Does that give HSMG members an unfair advanage ? Being able to add to their websites that they are certified soapmakers, without adding that it is for HSMG members only, it would make people assumed that there is a standard when it comes to making handcrafted soaps.
I agree that there should be a national standard for soap making, along with shampoo, sugar scrubs, body lotions, and all the other bath products.
I think the FDA covers most of it. I would much rather see a government certification program, if there are to be any.
I now have the choice of joining HSMG and pay to take their certification test, which if I passed would give me the right to say I am a "certified soapmaker" on my websites, blogs, facebook and twitter.
I did email the president of HSMG voicing my concern that "certified soapmaker" might give the general public a false impression that there is a set standard for soapmakers. She was kind enough to reply."As the only non-profit trade association for handcrafted soapmakers, we have developed the Certification Program to help the industry as a whole by creating a set of standards. Our logo as well as the HSMG Certification logos clearly have the HSMG symbol in them and are very similar to each other making it very clear where the program originated."
HSMG has even hired a DC Advocate to help be a voice for handcrafted soapmakers and setting standards for soapmakers.
Should there be a national standard for soapmakers?
From the handcrafted soapmakers that I know, we all take pride in creating our handcrafted soaps. We know that selling our soaps, we have to be consistent with all of our products. I am sure that there are some soapmakers that take shortcuts just like any other industry. They will be the ones that will not get repeat sales, or they will stop taking shorcuts.
Now I could join and become a " Certified Soapmaker", or I can choose not to and say "I am not a certified soapmaker", with over 40 years experience in making handcrafted soaps. Who knows one day I might, but until then I will still take pride in the way I make my soaps, knowing that only the best will be given to family and friends, because If my soaps are not good enough for my family to use then I know they are not good enough to be sold.
To all my fellow soapmakers that take pride in crafting the best handcrafted soaps I give you the title " Master Soapmaker!"