SOAP - Brambleberry's Soap Panel - Melt and Pour Soap

I am working on testing the Brambleberry fragrances as part of the SOAP panel. See the previous article by clicking here.

Today I worked on melt and pour soap samples. Each bar is made of a mixture of 100% natural shea butter and goat's milk melt and pour soap base. Each soap is only 1 ounce and contains fragrance at 5%. This is not what I normally scent at but I wanted the fragrance to be very strong so I could really smell them in a product as opposed to the bottle.

I immediately noticed that some of the fragrances were going to tint the soap, so I made one of the soaps without any fragrance as a control for comparison. The photo shows the control in the center with all of the soaps in a circle around the control.

Here is what I noticed about each soap:

1.  Gardenia - Yellows the soap a lot but not as much as the other 2 gardenias.  It smells the most like gardenia.  Still lacking the sweet stuff, but it definitely is the best out of the 3, although as gardenias are white, I wouldn't want to use a fragrance oil that tinted the soap yellow in this case.

2.  Gardenia -Yellows the soap a lot.  Smells nothing like gardenia and while I liked it in the bottle, I don't care for it in the soap.  It smells powdery mixed with something green or melon like.

3.  Gardenia - Yellows the soap a lot and smells nothing like gardenia.  It has a very green scent.

4.  Very slight yellow tint.  Not enough to worry about.  My problem with this fragrance is it didn't want to blend with the soap base.  I kept pouring it out and remixing it.  This might not happen with a lower dose, but it does at 5%.  It smells very green and melon like, perhaps a little like cucumber.  I don't care for melon scents but they are popular.

5.  Yellows somewhat.  Still smells like very sweet tea.

6.  No tinting at all.  Still light and airy but a lot different than in the bottle.  It was my favorite from the bottle, but in the soap, I no longer like it as much.  I'm having a tough time describing this one.

7.  Minimal tinting if any.  It smells a lot like oranges.  I really like this one.

8.  Minimal tinting if any.  It is a refreshing scent.  Before I described there being a slight eucalyptus scent to it, but in the soap it smells a little minty, but still floral.

9.  Minimal tinting if any.  Definitely smells tropical and slightly fruity.


10.  Yellows somewhat.  This is a strong scent similar to jasmine or honeysuckle.  Again, these flowers are white, so if this fragrance is supposed to be one of those scents, I would not want one that tints soap yellow.

Next, I will be testing lotion, bath bombs, hopefully some goat's milk CP soaps and some body scrubs.

I invite you to see what the other ladies are finding in their tests of these fragrances. Their blogs are listed below.

Holly with Lotion Bar Cafe

Ruth with Sirona Springs Handmade Soap

Ann with Pitter Patter Designs

Catie with Catie Beth Bath and Body

Meghan with Dreaming Tree Soapworks

Amber with Addicted to Crafting



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Herbal Spa Treatments - Massage

Nothing is quite as relaxing as spending a day at a spa. Whether you stay at a resort spa or you attend a local day spa, you are in for quite a treat with treatments such as massages, facials, body treatments, salt glows, and more. Their downfall for many people is price. Spa treatments are on the expensive side forcing most to skip these special body luxuries or to opt to do them at home. By creating your own line of herbal spa treatments, you can provide an affordable alternative for those looking for an indulgent experience at home.

Here is a crash course in some of the body treatments people are looking to experience at a spa, with a few recipes to get you started.

Massage

By far, the massage is the most popular body treatment. Not only is touch soothing to the body, but gently massaging tired over-worked muscles is excellent for relaxing and relieving stress. The key to a good massage is using oil that is light enough on the skin but provides enough lubrication to smoothly work out tension in the muscles. Grape seed is an excellent oil for massage. Sweet Almond oil is also a good choice.

Most people enjoy a little scent in their massage oil. Not only is a scent enjoyable but using the right essential oils can produce different effects on the person receiving the massage. For example, some scents will relax, some will energize, while others are sensual. Massage oils can also be infused with herbs and botanicals thus giving the oils the properties of the plant.

To make an oil infusion, follow these simple steps.

Place your herbs in a crock pot (or use a heat diffusing mat with a regular pot on the stove). Add enough oil to just cover the herbs. As a starting point, try 1 part fresh herbs to 1 part of oil OR 1 part dried herbs to 1 part oil. Allow to heat at a temperature of 120-130 degrees. The “warm” setting on the crock pot should achieve this temperature, but as brands vary you’ll need a thermometer to be safe until you’re sure of your crock pot’s settings. Do not “cook” the herbs, as this will deplete the properties of the plant. Simmer at this temperature for 2 - 3 hours. Once the oil has cooled, strain the herbs out of the oil using a couple layers of cheesecloth.

Don’t like the hot method of infusion? Try this cold version, which works just as well. Sterilize a mason jar, or something similar. This can be accomplished by placing the jar in boiling water or by running it through the “antibacterial” cycle on your dishwasher. You can either pack your jar with herbs and then pour the oil over the top or, for smaller recipes, use 1 part herbs to 2 parts of oil. Seal the jar tightly with a clean lid. Place the jar on a windowsill with lots of sun for 3 - 4 weeks. Give the jar a quick shake once daily. The object is to keep the jar warm as the herbs steep in the oils, so if you live in a cold climate, take that into consideration.

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