Mar/Apr Issue of Saponifier Magazine is Out

If you don't read the Saponifier Magazine, you really are missing out on a lot of industry information, plus tutorials and recipes. Many of you know that I write a couple columns for this magazine - Herbal Wisdom and Chandler's Corner, and somethimes a feature. The magazine has a number of other fine bath and body editors/writers and was very helpful to me when I was getting started in the bath industry.

This issue's theme is Expanding Your Business with the following articles:

• Expand Your Business Through E-Books
• Saponification Demystified Part II
• Growing Your Company With Candles
• Forget Mainstream, Go Premium For Higher Profit
• Retail Toolkit: Selling Internationally
• In Memoriam: Rita Scheu
• Slow & Steady
• So You Want To Sell Wholesale
• Collecting & Caring For Your Natural Ingredients
• Summer Product Line-Up
• Bison Tallow Soap
• Egg Shell Candles
• The Cost of Acquiring a Customer
• Soap Socks
• Herb Monographs: Lovage and Rue

If you want to learn more about this issue, a subscription, or back issues of the magazine, be sure to visit the website by clicking here.

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Sunday Spotlight - Oatmeal Soap, Soaks, Bombs, and Scrubs

Oatmeal has got to be one of the most popular soaps right up there with lavender. In fact, I featured 43 artisans in this post. Oatmeal is very gentle and extremely good for the skin, so it's no surprise that there are quite a number of lovely soaps, soaks, bombs, and more for the oatmeal lover. Here are just a few of the many artisans and their yummy bath and body products. I tried to seek out some fresh artisans including some newbies.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Amber's Ambry

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Wicked Soaps

Lavender Oatmeal Soap by Vervain Savon
Apples and Oats Soap by Two Rivers Soap

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Tierra Verde Soap

Milk and Honey Cocoa Butter Soap by The Soap Seduction

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Stout Beer Soap by The Beer Soap Co.

Oatmeal Bath Soak by Tasham Spa

Oatmeal and Almond Milk Soap by Tallulah's Soaps

Milk Bath Soap with Oatmeal by Strouse Made

Oatmeal and White China Clay Face Mask by Strawberry Tops Spa

Ballad of the Bombardier Complexion Bar by Sonata Soaps

Blood Bathory Salt, Oatmeal, Milk Bath by Solstice Scents

Lavender and Oatmeal Soap by Skin Beautiful Soaps

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Sinami Bath Co.

Oatmeal Face Soap by Shifflett Studios

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Relic Soap Co.

Oatmeal Mint Shaving Cream by Red Sunflower Designs

Vegan Complexion Bar by Orange Fuzz Boutique

Vanilla Cream Soap by Naturally Up North

Oats, Milk and Honey Bath Bombs by Mooka Soaps

Lavender Oatmeal Soap by Maple Hills Farm

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey by Luxuriously Soft

Cinnamon and Oatmeal Milk Bath by Lark and Sparrow

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by KB Shimmer

Zesty Oatmeal Soap by Jen San Candles

Oatmeal and Honey Soap by Good Enough to Eat Soaps

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Anderson Soap Co.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Bath Bomb by Delight Society

Oatmeal, Milk, Honey and Coffee Bean Swirl Soap by Crowley Manor

Sugar, Honey and Oatmeal Facial Scrub by Cozy Moments

Oatmeal, Honey and Almond Milk Soap by Cottage Garden Therapies

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Clean Queen Soap Co.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Cellar Door Soap Co.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Bath Bombs by BK Soap Co.

Oatmeal Soap by Birch Berry Farms

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Castle Co.

Peach Cobbler Oatmeal Soap by Bubbles Up by Bethie B.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Soap by Beautiful Soaps

Cocoa Butter and Oatmeal Soap by Beacon Creations

Oatmeal Scrub Bar by Amelia's

Oatmeal Soap by Amaryllis Juane

Oats and Honey Gourmet Soap by Abbey James

Whew! That was a huge spotlight. I haven't decided my theme for next week, but always feel free to promote your soaps and bath products on my Flickr Photo Pool (click here). Be sure to leave your website address with any photos you post.

NOTE: If you are sharing your soaps, please remove any security measures to keep people from stealing your photos. If you're that worried, email them to me. While I understand you are trying to protect your work, it's extra work for me to circumvent your security so that I can feature your soaps and such. It's a catch-22, if you know what I mean and obviously not fool proof since there is yet to be a photo I have not been able to extract from the net. There's more than one way to skin a cat, ya know. :-P

The Bonnie Bath Co.

Natural, handmade bath and body products

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Our Hearts Go Out to Chile

Boy if it's not one catastrophe it's another. Haiti's suffering continues and another country is plunged into disaster.

As you know, Chile suffered an 8.8 magnitude earthquake last weekend, tied for a record 5th strongest earthquake since 1900. 1.5 million people are displaced, hundreds dead, and a long road to recovery after bridges, buildings, and homes collapse. Thankfully, Chile's government, building codes, and economy are stronger than that of Haiti's, but that doesn't change the fact that Chile must now begin to come to terms with this devastation, death, and loss of normality.

Therefore, Chileans are in our hearts. There is not much more I can say, but know we care and many of us will be doing what little we can to ease your pain and suffering. Stand strong and hang on.

On a side note, the world should not let their guard down. This began with the massive tsunami caused by an earthquake in the ocean near Indonesia in 2004. When pressure in plates builds up in one area and is quickly released as an earthquake, it applies added pressure to other plates in the world. The pressure will only dissipate with more earthquakes. And it has, in Pakistan, Haiti, and Chile. My guess would be to watch the west coast of North America next, followed by future quakes in East Asia. There is not much we can do to prepare, but we shouldn't let our guard down for the next few years.

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Super Behind

I live a busy life, like the rest of you. My life goes in spurts, so my blog posts do as well. When I get very busy, you will see little to no posts. When things slow down so I can catch my breath, I sit down and do some blogging. Now that I have a couple hours to breath, I will give my blog some much needed attention because I really do appreciate each one of you readers. Here are some upcoming topics, not necessarily in this order.

• Tribute to Chilean earthquake survivors
• Saponifier articles
• HSMG announcements
• My trip to St. Augustine in photos
• Oatmeal product porn
• And more...

Whew! I better get started...

The Bonnie Bath Co.
Natural, handmade bath and body products

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