Soap. That’s right soap. I find it to be fascinating! I love making it, love it’s history, and love the science. Over the years I have been asked many times what is soap? Where did it come from? Why is your soap different than from what I can buy in the store and many, many more! As such I have decided to do a series called The Dirt On Soap answering those and other questions. Sharing with you my knowledge and passion about soap may be just that random little bit of information that makes a weird conversation interjection work. I love interjecting conversation with random bits of knowledge. Let’s get started in this post about What Is Soap!
Inquiring Minds Want To Know: What is Soap?
Soap is a mixture of fat or oil, water, and an alkali, or basic salt. Yep three ingredients is all it takes. Soaps are mixtures of sodium or potassium salts and of fatty acids which can be derived from oils or fats by reacting them with an alkali (such as sodium or potassium hydroxide) at 80°–100 °C in a process known as saponification. Now some like it to have amazing scents, others are allergic to smell and want it plain, to those who don’t care as long as it gets them clean….. scent is 100% optional. Absolutely the best part of soap is making up your own formula/recipe combining many different fats or oils that contain different properties to make a customized purpose and scent. While finding the right balance of the ingredients is key to making awesome soap!
Ingredients Are Key
Oils & Fats
As mentioned above you can make soap with any fat or oil. These can be acquired from all over the world from plants, seeds, nuts and even from animals. Every culture has a way of making soap and have used ingredients readily available to them for as long as history is written. In today’s world we have access to thousands. Markedly each fat/oil has been studied and tested and has a list of the benefits and properties that make each one desirable. Although some oils date back to being used for soap before Christ and are still used today other oils are newly being discovered so there is always new oils to explore. I love learning about each oil and doing research and formulating with them!
Alkaline Salt
There are two different types of alkaline salt commonly used in soap making. There is Sodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide as known commonly as Lye or Caustic Soda. For you inquiring minds sodium hydroxide, NaOH, is a compound of Na (Sodium), O (Oxygen) and H (Hydrogen). It is used to make Cold Process Soap otherwise known as Bar Soap.
Potassium Hydroxide is commonly known as Lye or Caustic Potash. You’ll find the scientific name is KOH and it is a compound of K (Postassium) O (Oxygen) and H (Hydrogen). This form of lye is used to produce your liquid soaps like Shampoo and Bodywash.
Water
Water. Cool clear water. It is equally important as the oils/fats and the alkaline salt but it’s what’s in the water that truly makes the difference! But you are thinking water is water right?! A point often overlooked is that water contains trace elements. It is important to realize these because they make all the difference when combined with the oils, alkaline salt and scents you add. Specifically trace elements act as a buffer and for example one cause your soap to get too hot or not hot enough. These can be a pain! Besides, in the water and depending on where it is sourced, city water or ground, add some chemicals, like fluoride, chlorine, even pesticides, that you are even aware of to your products. Ummm…..ewwwww…..just sayin’. On the positive side though using filter water is always best practice to control just this.
Scents
To scent or not to scent that is the question. Surely each person has an opinion on scents they like and don’t like. Granted for those allergic to all smells the answer is “Don’t even think about it!”. From there people have such array of what smells they like. There are fruits, florals, woody, earthy, and spicy to name just a few of the descriptive words used to describe what smells you enjoy. In fact you can use essential oils or fragrance oils individually or in your own combination to make a unique scent that is all your own.
I love, Love, LOVE blending scents! Not all are worthy of using in my products. In fact some are really, really bad. Although when I do a good job and it comes together amazingly…wahooo! Blending is definitely trial and error but it let’s my creativity flow. As a matter of fact scents are very personal and you should be exploring them. Surprisingly every person has an undetectable “scent” call pheromones and different scents blend differently with your body’s chemistry. That is why some can wear let’s say vanilla and it smells amazing while others smell horrible.
Pure Soap
Pure soap. That’s what we make! We do not use any chemicals, detergents or petroleum to make any of our products. Additionally all of them are made without parabens, phthalates and sulfates too. You will only find the highest quality of organic ingredients (some are all natural because they cannot be obtained organically, for example the lye.) in our soap. Because of this method and standard you can use our soap from your hairline to the soles of your feet and all the places in between! Our pH is 7.25 so it cleanses and doesn’t strip your skin reducing the need for additional moisturizers. We offer a wide variety of scents to choose from that include therapeutic grade essential oils, a blend of these, a high quality fragrance oil or a blend of an essential oil and fragrance oil.
Soap Is Simple
In conclusion you can see soap is pretty basic. Now how does soap work? Join us in our next post about How Does Soap Work in part 2 of our Get The Dirt On Soap series. Make sure you sign up for our blog so you don’t miss a beat!
Besides our blog get to know me better by finding Cimarron Creek Essenitals on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter and don’t forget to sign up below to get each and every blog post.
From my soapiery to you,
Tracy
Fall is my favorite time of year!
Cool crisp nights, warm sunny days colored by the changing of the leaves which are seriously the best reasons you need to visit Colorado during Fall. Yes, you will have the occasional snowstorm that whitens the mountains and the planes but it only sticks to the high mountain peaks in preparation for the Winter season! In addition to the beauty, amazing smells come along with it. Let’s see there are the apples, ginger, pumpkins, ginger, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, ginger (I don’t think I’ve said that one yet) and so much more that warms the inside while you play outside. Oh and then there is ginger! Whew……. I almost forgot that one!
Smells of the Season
What’s your favorite smell of Fall? I have soooooo many it is hard to choose but I will say that as a whole it is everything spicy. Don’t get me wrong I love the smell of the falling leaves (yes they have a smell!) and the rawness of the bountiful harvest that comes from the garden my husband labors in all summer. Harvest around our property consists of pumpkins, walnuts, zucchini, apples, pears, honey and so much more. Don’t forget the spice when it comes to these amazing foods. They are key to what I, and others, claim to be the best smells of the Fall season. I add in plenty of spice when it comes to mixing it up in my kitchen to my soaprie with flavors of ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and clove.
Fall Cooking In My Kitchen
What’s your favorite dish of Fall? Ok, so I don’t think I could actually narrow it down to just one dish so I have linked a couple of my favorite dishes to this part so you can try out one or all! First, let’s go savory with Butternut Squash Soup. Oooooooh yeah, my all-time favorite Fall soup. *slurp* I get hungry just talking about it. It’s rich and creamy and a perfect warm up to that crisp Fall day or on the day snow has been falling, chilling down the these beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Now, how about those sweet and spicy additions to our Fall menu? My husbands’ favorite thing, regardless of the time of year, is Apple Pie. Mine? Soft and delectable Ginger Spice cookies. My boys? Pumpkin Bread. As you can see the debate is a good one in our house when it comes times to make that Fall dessert! We usually end up drawing from a hat the first time around. Next is Rock/Paper/Scissors decides the second (with a vote for Apple Pie always) and the third just has to suck it up until the time comes around once again to bake that next scrumptious, spicy Fall yummy. Even though there is fierce competition for their choice of what to make, there isn’t any complaint when any are made that’s for sure!
CCE Soaprie Spicing It Up
Whaaat?! How about not only eating fabulously spiced things but stepping into that warm shower/bath and enlivening your senses with those amazing spices? That’s what I’m talking about! Woot Woot! Adorn your body with the same great smells and aromas too. Lavish in awesome my handmade soap, lotions, lip balms and bath bombs that arrive every Fall with our Spice Line.
All of you Made In America, apple pie aficionados, our Hot Apple Pie scent line will be your Fall favorite. Tart apples, vanilla, cinnamon with a touch of sugar. It will get your mouth watering in anticipation after washing with this great scent. Want the pie but don’t want the calories?! Think of this as your zero calorie dessert while you bathe away into spicy apple bliss. (Um…..side note…..don’t eat the soap! Even though it smells good enough to eat. HA!)
Hey my Ginger fanatics (yes I classify myself here) I haven’t forgotten you by any measure with our Ginger Spice scent line. It has a load of ginger with a smooth blend of vanilla. Bam! Best smell in all of the world. That’s right y’all this is my scent when it comes to Fall. You can have your apples (pleasing) and your pumpkins (squash is made for soup) but watch out as I spice it up with the sharp, sweet smell of ginger. SPICY!
Last, but by no means least, is Pumpkin Spice. That’s right all you Pumpkin Spice lovers we have you all set. With our very own scent….sweet pumpkin and vanilla combine with cinnamon and nutmeg, you can truly live (and bathe) in the Pumpkin Spice world. You can have your PSL to drink, keep your lips soft and kissable with our Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm, wash the world away with our delicious soap, then keep the scent with you all day with our hand & body lotion. Yep, your addiction is safe (and fed) with us!
Join CCE In The Spiciness of Fall
Because I love Fall and I love spicy scents I have combined the amazing products handmade in my soaprie into some Fall deals that will have you taking the walk with me on having a spicy Fall in your bath and showers. I have made amazing combos that will only emphasize the love of spice and the love of Fall! Each of the scent lines mentioned above come in soap and our hand & body lotion. The Hot Apple Pie and Pumpkin Spice have the added bonus of a matching Lip Balm. Click here to check them out! Just remember that these great spicy scents are a limited edition. Once they are gone they won’t return until next Fall.
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read it this blog post! I love to share my passions for cooking, creative things and what is coming out of the CCE Soaprie. You can get to know me better by finding Cimarron Creek Essenitals on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter and don’t forget to sign up below to get each and every blog post.
Til’ Next Time….Happy Fall Y’All,
Tracy
Sweet Pea flowers are in full bloom and so is the heat of the summer! During summer here in the Rocky Mountains you can always tell when we have achieved hot weather when the Sweet Peas burst forth and cherries are in abundance. With that in mind join us in celebrating our favorite early summer flower by lavishing your body in our Sweet Pea line of products!
Ahhh Sweet Pea…
Sweet Pea is one of our most popular fragrance lines. Our offerings include our large bar of soap, 1/4 bar soaps and hand and body lotions. As to be expected each of these products are made with the highest quality all natural/organic based raw goods you have come love about Cimarron Creek Essentials. Even though this product line is made with one of our fragrance oils rest assured that it is paraben, phthalate and formaldehyde free. Be sure to check them out plus here are some other fun facts about my beloved Sweet Pea.
Flower Power
Did you know, according to teleflora, the meaning of the Sweet Pea, in the language of flowers, is “Delicate or blissful pleasure.” This enchanting flower remains a favorite fragrant blossom used in many types of arrangements and bouquets. There is a wide variety of species to choose from. They have been around since the 17th century and have been cultivated since.
Although not native to Colorado, and are actually considered to be a weed, I still love these flowers! They are vibrant and beautiful and truth be-told not fragrant but add a huge “pop” of color to any flower bouquet.
In Celebration
Save 10% for the month of July on all Sweet Pea products! Stock up now so you have this amazing fragrance all summer long. Did you know you can send it as a gift to friends, family or use it in your guest quarters to share?! We are more than happy to pass it around. Don’t forget to use the coupon code: SOTMJ17 at check out.
I to look forward to enjoying the Sweet Peas while they last and adding my soap and lotion to my own bathrooms to keep relish in them as much as possible!
Thank you for taking time out of your day to read it! If you are excited to get your own bar Sweet Pea products simply click here. You will be redirected to our store where you can find this and many other wonderful products. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter and don’t forget to sign up below to get each and every blog post.
Til’ Next Time,
Tracy
Oatmeal Honey: April 2016 Scent of the Month
We are excited to announce that our Oatmeal Honey Product Line is our scent of the month for April. This widely loved scent is available in a wide variety of the products we make. You can find it in our handcrafted soap, both in the standard bar size and quarter bar size, our hand and body lotion, in both sizes, and our body polish!
The fragrance we us is a blend of essential oils and fragrance oils. It is a heavenly blend that smell like Almonds and Cherries. In addition to the wonderful smell we use organic rolled oatmeal in our soap for that every use exfoliation! The oats make the exfoliation a little aggressive so be sure not to rub the actual bar on your face or use on babies or small children. It also lends it’s amazing properties to the soap for healthier skin too.
Benefits for Skin and Hair
Oats are amazing for your skin and hair! When it comes to your skin, oatmeal calms red irritated skin from rashes, dermatitis and eczema by helping reduce the itch and promote healing due to its deeply penetrating moisturizers and it’s naturally occurring anti-inflammatory. Having trouble with an uneven skin tone? Oatmeal has shown that its properties lend it to lightening the skin tone of your skin. This natural proteins help to as a natural skin protector against chemicals and UV rays. It is filled with vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and A. Not only do these benefit your skin but are amazing for your hair. They all promote healthy hair growth and even helps in regeneration! Look for oats in your next shampoo to benefit from all of it’s amazing vitamins and minerals.
Savings for you
As we stated above Oatmeal Honey, in the full line, is on sale this month at 10% off! Click on the banner below to be redirected to all of the products in our store. I am sure you won’t be able to live with out any of them. Happy shopping!
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‘Til next time,
T
