Red Raspberry Seed oil now in EFL

Enriching Face Lotion (EFL) is the most popular Skinflint product. It contains a beautiful blend of oils - jojoba, apricot kernel, macadamia and now, red raspberry seed.

Red Raspberry Seed oil is extraordinarily high in Omega-3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and is a superb anti-oxidant. It contains 83% essential fatty acids, the highest of all skin care oils.

Red Raspberry Oil is known especially for its prevention of gingivitis, rashes, eczema and other skin lesions.  It is useful in skin creams, bath oils, and tooth paste. Raspberry seed oil is emollient, lubricating, conditioning, creates a lipid barrier providing protection to the skin and provides moisture retention for the skin.  Its anti-inflammatory properties are greater than those of better known oils such as virgin Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Hazelnut Oil and Wheatgerm Oil. (Oomah, et al 2000.)

Red Raspberry Seed Oil may act as a broad-spectrum UV-A and UV-B shield.  It has shown an SPF of between 28 and 50 and thus is a valuable ingredient in natural sunblocks and sunscreens.  It has a long shelf life because of its high phospholipid content, and may increase the stability of other carrier oils when blended with them. (Oomah, et al 2000.)

Still at the same amazingly low price of only $25 for a generous 125g. Convenient flip top tube.

New Conditioner Formula

Skinflint Pure Moisture Conditioner formula has changed and now includes four conditioning agents with strengthening and shine functions.

The base is sweet almond oil, so the conditioner has no colour. It is Paraben-free; Sulfate-Free; Ethoxylate-free; propylene glycol-free, silicone-free, DEA-free, in keeping with Skinflint philosophy.

Now also provides extra protection for your hair with added sunscreen to help prevent sun damage.

The delicious mango fragrance is popular, so this will not change. The price is still the same too! $16 for 250ml and $29 for the 500ml bottle.

Try it today!

New Scent

I'm enjoying the latest soy wax melt scent burning in my office right now - Tayberry & Teakwood. This scent is quite complex, fruity, sweet and spicy. The official description from the supplier is, "A beautiful and complex combination of bamboo and teakwood enhanced with tayberries, blackberries, mulberries, cloudberries, and peaches, with a hint of red clover and sweetgrass".

 These melts are excellent for the quick removal of cooking odours or staleness from the home. They can burn for up to three hours with no smoke or residue. Each melt can be remelted many times before they lose their scent. Once a melt has lost most of it's scent, or you're simply tired of the same fragrance, pop it out and place a new one in the top of the burner.

Complementing Skinflint Soy Melts are ceramic oil burners. Just place a wax melt in the removable top and a tea light candle in the base and enjoy the delicious fragrance throughout your home.

Available in bright blue (pictured), black, white and mottled sage green. Only $15, making this a great Christmas gift.

New Cosmeceutical Product

For the last few months, I've been researching those ingredients that are used in so called 'cosmeceuticals'. They are complex and have specific formulation requirements to ensure that the maximum benefits are obtained from each of the ingredients.
Many of them work in synergy, that is, one ingredient on its own isn't as effective unless it's paired with another ingredient. This makes sense, as it's the way our body works too - iron needs Vitamin C to be absorbed into the body. Some ingredients can become unstable when the formulation isn't spot on.

After much soul-searching and experimentation, I've decided not to try to create my own cosmeceutical product, but to trial one that my supplier formulates. This complex formulation needs a qualified chemist, such as the one my supplier uses.

I've been trialling an anti-wrinkle Co-enzyme Q10 product for the last month and I have to say I'm very impressed with it. I'm a 'Wrinkle Change Sceptic', but this product lives up to its name.

I've noticed a definite softening of wrinkles, particularly that frown line. I've had no reaction to the product, though have found it isn't as moisturising as Skinflint Enriching moisturiser.
So, I only use it at night and use Enriching Face Lotion during the day. Since I also use Skinflint Mineral Foundation, I like the extra moisture that EFL provides.

I have been very hesitant to introduce this product as it is really expensive. Having researched and costed the ingredients, I've found that although it's costly, it isn't over-priced. It's packaged in a sensible re-lockable pump bottle made from food grade plastic, so you're not paying for fancy packaging.

This product will be available in the New Year and will be selling for $80. A hefty price tag, considering other Skinflint products, but this is a speciality product and is still cheaper than those on the market now with similar ingredients.

More info later on these ingredients and what they do for your skin.

MINERAL FOUNDATION SPECIAL - $15.00!

My supplier has sent 6g jars instead of 8g jars, so I'm reducing the price to only $15.00. This is great value and a good way of trialling Skinflint Mineral Foundation without having to pay too much.
The colours on the website are pretty accurate, but it does depend on your monitor as to how they will look when you view them. It's a good idea to try a couple to see which is best for your skin.
The ingredients of Skinflint Mineral Foundation are as follows:
kaolin, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, tapioca, silica. May contain: iron oxide brown, iron oxide
red, iron oxide yellow, FD & C red 40.
There is nothing irritating, no preservatives, no oils or fragrances and no petroleum products. This is as natural as you can get in make up.

Soy Wax Melts

My house is smelling luscious right now! I have a Skinflint Patchouli & Musk Soy Wax Melt burning. It's not overpowering, just a wonderful aroma that gently wafts through as you pass the oil burner.

Skinflint Soy Wax Melts have been released today! Right now there are six different fragrances to choose from:

Autumn Spice - citrus fruits and warm spices blend together beautifully in this delicious fragrance. Perfect for kitchen areas.
Coconut Lime - zesty top notes of bergamot, lime and grapefruit with sweet coconut on a background of sheer vanilla and clean musk.
French Pear - delicious fresh pear fragrance with a sweet green apple, peachy-citrus top note; a caramelized fruity middle note; and a soft earthy musky base note with a hint of cinnamon.
Patchouli Musk - warm earthy bouquet with light background notes of citrus, pine and musk.
Purity - delicious blend of coriander oil, eucalyptus, lavender, sweet orange, bergamot with the sweet seductive aroma of ylang ylang intermingled throughout. (You may recognise this as the Aveda Shampoo scent)
Secret Garden - The sexiest, muskiest, most intoxicating floral blend ever! Top notes of black currant and marigold give way to a floral bouquet of rose and jasmine. The dry down combines woody violet, sandalwood and musk.

I'll continue adding fragrances as I test them, so check my website regularly for updates:

www.skinflint.com.au

These melts will make great Xmas gifts. At only $2.50 each, they're a perfect gift for a teacher or as a stocking stuffer.
You can get 5 for $10, packed into a cute organza bag.

Oil burners will be available in about a week, I'm just waiting for them to arrive. I'll also have electric oil burners for those who like the convenience and extra safety of these.

All the best,
Megan

Oat Beta Glucan

Oat Beta Glucan is quite an interesting ingredient in skincare. It's initial use was for wound healing and to speed up healing of minor burns. Only recently has their been research indicating it's effectiveness as a wrinkle treatment.

Here's a great article about Oat Beta Glucan: Smart Skin Care Articles

Oat Beta Glucan is in Skinflint's Enriching Face Lotion at 1%, which is 10mg per gram, a high level compared to even high end skin formulae.

Linalool, limonene, geraniol - what are they?

The ingredients list on many products often contain one or all of these components. They are chemicals which are extracted from plants and used in perfumery. Limonene is found in many citrus plants, while linalool can come from lavender, mint and some other plants. Geraniol, as the name implies comes from geraniums.

The important thing to remember is the fact that these substances are isolated from the essential oil and shouldn't ever be considered even close to being essential oil. Lavender essential oil, for example, contains well over 100 constituents which work synergistically. That is, they work together to create something greater than any of the components on their own.

These components are becoming over-used in the personal care industry because they are cheap. Essential oils are expensive. However, it is this over-use that is causing problems. People are becoming sensitive to products containing synthetic fragrances such as linalool  because it breaks down and becomes oxidised. It is this oxidisation that causes allergies in people.

Read the following article for more information:

Linalool In Shampoos And Skin Products Causes Allergy And Eczema

By eNotAlone.com Published: April 22, 2009

Therefore, manufacturers have to add other ingredients to counter-act the oxidisation. The silly thing is, if they had just used lavender essential oil in it's entirety, no oxidisation would occur.


Essential oils not only fragrance a product but provide a host of benefits. Lavender is listed in Julia Lawless' book,' The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils' as being analgesic, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, deodorant, diuretic, insecticidal, tonic, stimulant, carminative etc. etc.
Ms Lawless also mentions lavender as being the most versatile essence therapeutically. Listed are the following uses:
SKIN CARE:  Abscesses, acne, allergies, boils, bruises, burns, dandruff, dermatitis, earache, eczema, inflammations, insect bites and stings, sores, spots, scabies, sunburn, wounds.
This is only for Skin Care!!

I was astounded to find that on the ingredients list of this product below there was linalool and limonene!

This company claims to have only the most natural ingredients. Not so....

The product below includes on its ingredients list not only linalool and geraniol, but d-limonene!

D-Limonene is an ingredient extracted from citrus peel and is used in those 'Yuk-Off' type products to remove sticky glue residue and grease.

I use the Eco Store laundry and cleaning products, but wouldn't for a minute consider using their personal care products if they put such low priced useless ingredients such as these in their baby products.

Sure, Skinflint uses fragrance oils in some products. Certainly not in any baby products, nor in any products designed for the face.
Skinflint uses high quality Brambleberry and Sweetcakes Fragrance Oils, imported from the US. These are known to contain high levels of essential oils. Last year when patchouli crops failed, the price of patchouli increased, and subsequently an amazing number of these fragrance oils increased due to their patchouli content!

Remember, be choosy, read the label and don't take any notice of advertising hype.

Changes to come in 2010

The new year is advancing quickly, and with harvest coming up and Christmas just around the corner, it's time to start reassessing Skinflint products.

From January 2010, I will no longer be making Sugar Scrub. The product is fraught with difficulties with it's low melting point and other issues, so it's time to say good-bye. Mineral Salts will still be available in five fragrances, Blackberry Sage, Lemon Verbena, Lavender & Green Tea, Rose Geranium and Vanilla Fields. Body Butter will only be available in the one fragrance, White Tea & Ginger. This is light and neutral, so won't interfere with perfume or aftershave.

Another product that will be deleted is the Mum2B Butter. This is due to the fact that Skinflint Body Butter has almost as much cocoa butter as well as nourishing Shea Butter and is just as good as the Mum2B Butter. I don't see any point in having two products, when one dual purpose product will do.

But, there's good news as I'll be introducing Body Lotion in a variety of fragrances! All your favourites, including Blackberry Sage, Vanilla Fields and Rose Geranium, plus some new ones which I'll be testing in the next few weeks.

2010 will also be the time to introduce another Home Fragrance option - Soy Wax Melts. These gorgeous little tubs of fragrance are popped into normal oil burners. They melt and release their beautiful fragrances for hours. I have a huge range of fragrances that I'll be testing in the weeks to come.

I'm also hoping to make fizzing bath bombs in a variety of fragrances, so my house should be smelling wonderful over the next few months! There's a special Peppermint Foot Bomb in the planning stages too.

My long awaited Family Shampoo &  Body Wash is still in the experimental stages at the moment due to problems with thinning once the fragrance is added. I've chosen a specific mild fragrance and will have to look at other thickening options in my next few batches.
I will no longer be making Shower Gel or Liquid Castille once this new product is released.

Customers have been asking about small sized tubes and bottles for travel. I don't make these, as I find they are costly and very fiddly. I suggest you purchase the travel pack from Tupperware, or for a cheaper option, Woolies or Priceline. You can then just refill these small bottles as needed. I am happy to provide labels for you, just email or phone and I'll send some.

Check out the newly released Clay products and the specials on the website!!  www.skinflint.com.au

Welcome Eclipse Hair Design

Eclipse Hair Design (formerly Dianne Morris) is a stockist for Skinflint products.
Skinflint is proud to be associated with Sharon and Shay-Lee of Eclipse Hair Design.

I am looking for WA rural retail outlets to become wholesalers for Skinflint. If you're at all interested, please check out my website, try my products and register for a wholesale account. Be sure to read the Wholesale Conditions on this page.

Please contact me if you would like to talk about wholesaling Skinflint products at your place of business.

Breast Cancer Fundraiser

Girls' Day In is a National Breast Cancer Foundation approved fundraiser being held in my home town of Nyabing on October 17th.

There will be stalls and cooking demonstrations, a fashion parade, a Bra Art competition, wine tasting and lots of good fun for the girls.

Skinflint products will be available for sale along with Mary Kay, Tupperware, Intimo Lingerie, Pheonix Cards, Scrappin' Up and Total Learning. There will be cooking demonstrations with the wonder machine, Thermomix and a fashion parade featuring clothes from Salt N Sand Boutique from Lake Grace.

We have sponsorship from Noni B in Albany, Bunnings Albany, Farmers Centre Katanning and our wonderful stall holders will donate items for the raffle.

Elsie McDowell, our Thermomix demonstrator will donate $50 for every machine sold on the day or as a direct result of the day!!

Hope to see lots of my customers there!

Fragrance, Expo & Product Update

Following the results of the Fragrance Poll, I've removed two fragrances from my line - Tropicana and White Magnolia.
I was planning to introduce a Limited Edition fragrance every few months, but have been so busy that I haven't had time to investigate new fragrances, so this idea is on hold for a while yet.

Skinflint was on show at the Jerramungup Small Business Expo on Friday 10th October. This was a great day, showcasing all the little businesses in the region. All being run by very industrious rural women.
Thank you Janine Thornton of the Small Business Centre in Jerramungup for inviting me to take part in this inaugural event.

The Natural Balance Hair Care Range is only available while stocks last as it appears people prefer the Pure Moisture. Since the majority of my customers hair that is treated in some way (permed or coloured), PM Shampoo is the best option. Natural Balance Shampoo & Conditioner is on special until stocks are depleted.

I have also decided that I won't produce the Baby Massage Oil. I recommend that Mums use almond oil which you can buy from the pharmacy or health food shops. You can also use ricebran oil, available from supermarkets. Add a drop of Lavender essential oil and use it in the bath or as a massage for your baby.

All these changes are to make my business more streamlined. I will only produce items that you cannot make yourself without a great deal of equipment and ingredients. Only the most popular products will be produced in order to maximise my time, since I'm still a one (wo)man band!

The Skinny on: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

This is the first in a series of posts which are extracts from my 'The Skinny' newsletters over the years:

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, or SLS as it’s commonly known, is a surfactant that began its career as an industrial degreaser. It has powerful wetting and foaming properties and is extremely cheap.

It’s availability and low price made it a popular choice for the personal care industry. It is now found in shampoos, body washes and toothpastes.

Recent research suggested that SLS is not as safe as manufacturers lead consumers to believe. Studies showed that due to its low molecular weight, it could be easily absorbed into the skin. Other studies suggested that it could build up in the heart, liver and brain and cause major problems in these organs. Also of concern was comments that SLS caused improper eye development in young children.

Companies such as Neways and Amway made the most of these claims and introduced products that were SLS free. Statements were made of the  dangers of SLS in our products.

I have yet to be convinced of any of these claims. Many of the studies used massive amounts of concentrated product to try to prove it was irritating and dangerous. Huge amounts of concentrated soap can be irritating and dangerous!

Nevertheless, I choose not to use SLS, or ALS (Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate) or any of their derivatives such as SLeS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate). These are cheap and harsh surfactants that I don’t believe are the best option for use in my products.

I use a variety of very gentle coconut and sugar based surfactants such as Cocobetaine, Polyglucose and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI).

I also use other products to make the formula even more mild, such as Almond Glycerides and Glucose Cocoate.

Check the labels of even the highest price shampoos and you’ll find SLS is a major ingredient.

Why then is the product so expensive when the main ingredient is one of the cheapest available?

The answer is simple. The major brands have enormous marketing and advertising budgets that need endless funds. These advertising campaigns are simply to try to gain a larger market share. The actual ingredients make up the lowest cost in their production costs.

I keep my prices low because my margins are low.

My ingredients are the major component of my production costs, not packaging or advertising.

Read the label and choose the gentler alternatives.

Ingredients

I'll be starting a series of posts on my blog about the different ingredients that I use in Skinflint products. Some you may have already read in previous issues of 'The Skinny', but I do think they're worth repeating.
We're bombarded all the time with advertisements for 'miracle creams', and products with names like 'Miracle Lift'.
I'm appalled when I read all the ridiculous promises that are made by the advertisers of cosmetic products. Statements such as, ' complete lifting action', 're-meshing support' and wrinkle-releasing'.
Then follows the percentages: '88% more defined contours' etc. etc. These dubious statistics are self evaluated with no controls at all. Even the laboratory run testing uses a control with absolutely no moisturiser, so is able to state that the skin with the miracle cream is softer, smoother and wrinkles are less-defined. Well, duh... You can slather anything on and your skin will look better than it does without moisturiser!

So, to help you sift through all the non facts and the real facts, I'll attempt to break down the information on some of the ingredients in the cosmetic industry so that you can make an informed decision. Advertising tells only one part of the story, you need to hear it from the other side.

RRR Network News

I'm thrilled to have been asked to contribute an article about Skinflint to the RRR Network News. My story has appeared in the Spring edition and can be downloaded here

So many people came up at the Newdegate Field Days after seeing the article, it was great to note everyone's interest.

It's interesting to read all the other stories in the Network News. So many clever women, I'm honoured to be amongst them!

Newdegate Field Days

Skinflint will be at Newdegate Field Days this year in the Family Interest Pavilion. Come along to stand 48 to check out all the new products.
I'll be doing free 'quick makeovers' with Skinflint Mineral Foundation.
Every 10th person to come to my stall each day will receive a FREE showbag full of wonderful Skinflint product samples.

Newdegate Field Days is held Wednesday 2nd September and Thursday 3rd September.

I look forward to seeing you there!!

Vote for you Favourite Fragrance

I'm planning to reduce the number of fragrances I offer in my Body Care Range.

The Body Butter will now be available in one fragrance only, a lightly scented everyday scent that, hopefully, will suit everybody. I'm designing this so it won't interfere with perfumes that you want to wear.

Have your say on which of the Skinflint Fragrances you love by voting in my poll. I would like to reduce the Sugar Scrub and Mineral Salts fragrances to five. Every few months I'll introduce a Limited Edition fragrance that will only be available for a short time.

My first Limited Edition will be launched at the Girls Day In on October 17th in Nyabing.

Mineral Foundation available now!

Yes, I've finally received my lovely labels, thanks to Daimo Designs, my label printer and have my stock ready to go! 

The Foundation comes in 9 different colours: 3 warm colours, 3 cool colours and 3 neutral colours. I have testers available in my workshop for those who live nearby to try.

I will try to get some photos up on my website to indicate the different colours.

I'm also planning to get some small sample bags which will be for sale for only a couple of dollars so you can try two or three colours to find the right one for you.

Also on offer is a custom blend option which includes a one-off fee of $25 to make a foundation which is just for your skin. You'll need to get a photograph to me taken in good natural light with no make-up in order for my manufacturer to accurately gauge your skin colour.

Kabuki Brushes are also available. They are small handled fat brushes made from soft goat hair that are used to apply the foundation evenly. 

Click Mineral Foundation to find out more and to view ordering details. 

New Scent for Reed Diffusers

I'm still working on the Spiced Orange Scent as it isn't as strong as I'd hoped it to be. In the meantime, I've come up with a delicious new scent - Yuzu. This is a wonderfully fruity scent which will also be good for kitchen areas. It's wonderful in the bathroom too!
Reed Diffusers are now available in 2 sizes: mini and regular.
Mini Diffusers are ideal for small rooms and are only $12.00, including reeds. Regular Diffusers are suited to medium sized rooms and are available for $20.00, including reeds and a wooden cap.
Check them out at my website: 

Reed Diffusers

For more information on Reed Diffusers, scroll right down to my other blog post.

Pure Moisture Shampoo

Today I made some fabulous Pure Moisture Shampoo. This shampoo is designed for a variety of hair types. If your hair is long or dry or thick or coloured, Pure Moisture Shampoo is the one for you. 

I've designed my shampoos to be gentle. If you, like me, can't use other shampoos without getting an itchy, flaky sore scalp, it means you're unable to tolerate the harsh cleansing agents that are used in commercial shampoos. 
I can't use anything with Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or it's derivatives. When I decided to make shampoos, I researched surfactants and came up with the most gentle as well as finding ingredients that made them even more gentle.

Pure Moisture Shampoo contains three different mild surfactants, all derived from either coconut or sugar: sodium cocoyl isethionate, cocobetaine and decyl glucoside. Added to this are mildness agents, coconut, olive and almond derived: glyceryl cocoate and almond glycerides and olive esters. Wet combing ability is helped with a quaternium compound and proteins are added to smooth down and strengthen each hair strand. Panthenol also helps strengthen hair, making it resistant to splitting and protecting it from being damaged by heat from hair dryers and straighteners.

Something new I've decided to do is add a different fragrance each time I make a batch. Customers have told me that although they love the shampoo, they get tired of the same fragrance. Rather than have fragrance options, I've gone for the surprise factor! This batch has been scented with a tropical mango fragrance.

Soap Making

LEMONGRASS & TEA TREE SOAP

If my High School chemistry teacher had introduced the subject by making a batch of soap, I would have been hooked for life. I've found it to be one of the most fascinating processes and I enjoy it immensely. I'm still amazed at how the oil and lye mixture comes together to make something that produces a creamy, bubbly lather!

I've had a number of people ask me how soap is made, so I've put together a series of photographs of my soap making process.

Soap is made with caustic soda, or lye. As the name suggests, it's highly caustic and will burn if it comes into contact with skin. Protective wear is a must. I wear thick rubber gloves and glasses. Once the crystals are mixed with water, the lye solution is especially dangerous as it can splash onto skin or into eyes. Children, pets and soap making do not mix!
All equipment and ingredients need to be collected and kept close at hand. A basic equipment list includes:

Plastic jug for lye mixture, wooden spoon, plastic wrap, stainless steel stockpot, oils, butters etc., additives such as colours & fragrances, stick blender, mould, protective clothing, towels and blankets.

1. Measure out water in plastic jug and place in sink.
2. Measure out lye crystals.
3. Slowly add lye crystals to water and stir to dissolve, making sure you keep your face away from the fumes. I just take a deep breath and hold it!


The mixture will become extremely hot. The picture shows the thermometer reaching almost 90 degrees C:


4. When completely dissolved, cover with plastic wrap. I then leave the mixture to cool for about 8 hours or until it reaches room temperature.
5. Measure oils into stockpot. Gently heat to melt. Stir occasionally. Allow to cool to room temperature. Below is my blend of olive, palm kernel and castor oils:
6. Collect additives, mould and stick blender. Have vinegar and cold water on hand in case of any splashes. Raw soap is caustic.
7. Lay butchers paper or newspaper down on bench. Place pot of oils on bench and insert stick blender. Slowly pour in the lye mixture while continuing to blend:



Once the mixture becomes thicker, stir with the stick blender off. Continue blending and stirring in this way until the soap becomes like thick custard. To test, lift the blender out of the mixture. Blend in essential or fragrant oils and colour.
If the dribbles from the blender stay as a distinct mark in the mixture, it's ready. This is called 'trace'. It's like a thick custard:

8. Pour into mould.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and lay it in and cover with a bed of towels and blankets. Allow soap to stay in it's insulated mould for 18 to 24 hours. It will go through a process called gelling, where it heats up and becomes almost transparent. I don't gel my soap as I like it to look creamy. Gelling can make the soap look more translucent.
11. Remove insulating materials and unmould. Cut into slices if soap is hard. If it's still soft, leave for another 24 hours before cutting. (I will post pictures of my soap once it's read to unmould)
12. Store on paper towel covered wire or wooden racks allowing room for air to circulate. Soap must cure for at least 4 weeks to allow the lye to totally dissipate.
13. When you use soap, place it on a wooden rack to dry in between use. This will stop it from dissolving too quickly. Home made soap has a high glycerine content, which is why it's so nice on your skin when compared to supermarket soaps where the glycerine has been removed.

Reduced Price and New Scent

I'm so pleased to announce a reduced price on Skinflint Diffuser Reeds. I've been able to source a better priced diffuser oil, so can subsequently reduce the price of my product.

The 50ml Diffuser Reed Kit is now called the Mini and retails for only $12! A new larger version will be available soon and will only cost $20. This is substantially cheaper than the high quality kits I've seen in department and specialist stores.

I only use the highest quality fragrant oils, imported from the US. I'd love to use essential oils, but unfortunately, many of these are too thick to be absorbed into the reeds. They also evaporate much faster than fragrant oils, and, of course are far more costly. Many of the Brambleberry Fragrant oils contain essential oils, which is why they are more expensive and of superior quality.

The new scent coming soon is Spiced Orange. This is delicious blend of citrus oils, clove and cinnamon fragrance. Delightful in the kitchen, the scent is is quite mouth-watering, yet fresh and light.

Baby Balm

I'm down to my last jar of Baby Balm, so needed to make another batch.
Baby Balm is fairly messy to make as it doesn't have water in it, so no emulsifier, which makes clean up more difficult. The Zinc Oxide seems to go everywhere!

I came up with the Baby Balm formula after reading about the old fashioned Zinc and Castor Oil Balm that people used to make years and years ago to protect babies tender bottoms.

I looked at other creams on the market and could only find balms and creams which contained petrolatum, or petroleum jelly (Vaseline). So many people want to avoid ingredients derived from petroleum, so I decided to create a balm which included an infused oil. Chamomile is the most soothing of the herbs, so I chose to infuse this in olive oil. To provide a barrier which prevents urine from sitting next to the skin, beeswax is my choice of wax. It still allows the skin to breath, unlike petroleum jelly.

Zinc Oxide is a natural mineral from the earth. It has mild antiseptic properties and acts as a physical barrier when applied to the skin. It's often used instead of chemical sunscreens as it absorbs ultraviolet light.

Castor seed oil comes from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. Castor seeds have been found in Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 4000 BC being used mostly to fuel lamps because of the slow burning oil. Herodotus and other ancient Greek travelers have noted the use of castor seed oil for lighting, body ointments, and improving hair growth and texture. Cleopatra is reputed to have used it to brighten the whites of her eyes.

Added natural Vitamin E and Vitamin A make this balm more healing than others on the market. Vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol) is an antioxidant with skin moisturising properties.
It is also photoprotectant. In addition, it serves as a preservative for oils. Vitamin E is effective in preventing irritation.
Vitamin A is a keratinization regulator, meaning that it helps to improve the skin's texture, firmness and smoothness. Once absorbed into the skin the retin esters convert to retinoic acid and this provides anti aging benefits. This is why I use it in the Face Lotions and Rosehip Recovery Serum. Surface application of Vitamin A helps prevent skin dryness and scaliness. When combined with Vitamin E its skin regeneration properties are enhanced.

Skinflint Baby Balm contains a blend of essential oils. German chamomile, lavender and sweet orange combine to create a light fragrance that is soothing and has healing properties.
Check the ingredients of commercial balms. It's very unlikely they contain any herbal benefits, essential oils or vitamins.

At only $14 for a long lasting 100g jar, it's excellent value!

Hand & Nail Cream

I have made Hand & Nail Cream today in between a meeting with our local pollie finding out about the Govt's plans for amalgamation of councils and cooking curry for tomorrow night's sports club tea!
(We're not planning on amalgamating, by the way!)

Hand & Nail Cream is formulated with luxury sweet almond oil and light, nourishing rice bran oil. Virgin Shea Butter is added for it's soothing properties, while dimethicone assists with the absorption of the nutrients.

Lillypilly extract is high in Vitamin C, essential for healthy skin and Oat Protein assists with strengthening of the nail bed as well as encouraging collagen production. Added Vitamin E provides antioxidant properties, while d-Panthenol (Vitamin B5) is moisturising and protective.

I've scented this cream with a delicious Frangipani fragrance. As I poured this batch, I thought of those who are sensitive to fragrances, so I made a few without any scent.

If you require an unscented product, please let me know in plenty of time. If I happen to be making that product, I can set aside some unscented bottles or tubes.

Shampoo

I finished the Natural Balance Shampoo today. It's a long process requiring an overnight cooling for the first phase of the method for making this shampoo.

The Natural Balance range is designed for people with oily, thin hair. It has a light balance of conditioning ingredients and a little more of the stronger surfactants to cleanse the hair and scalp. These are balanced with mildness agents of almond glycerides and glyceryl cocoate.

Nettle extract reduces scalp irritation, nourishes the scalp and hair follicles, stimulates circulation and promotes healthy hair growth.
Wheat protein has elastic and binding properties, helping reduce the irritating effect of surfactants. Wheat protein moisturises and conditions skin & hair.
Escentials of Australia

Scented with beautiful blend of essential and fragrant oils, including lemongrass, this shampoo is gentle and effective. It can be used every day and won't strip the hair of it's natural oils. I've also found that my colour lasts much longer since using my own shampoo.
Skinflint shampoos contain only coconut and sugar based surfactants. No sulphates, no SLS or SLES and no parabens.

Those with longer, treated hair may be better using the Pure Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner and only conditioning the ends of the hair if the scalp is oily.

Hair Conditioner

Today I made more Natural Balance Conditioner and Shampoo.
The Natural Balance range is designed for those with oily to normal hair that is fine and short to medium length.
Natural Balance Conditioner contains salicylic acid for it's Beta Hydroxy Acid properties. BHA's exfoliate within the pores of the skin, breaking down dead hair, skin cells and oil build-up.
It also has oat protein which can be absorbed by the hair cuticle and strengthen hair, while d-Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) is also a hair strengthener. Rosemary Extract has been used over the ages in hair products for it's rejuvenating and anti-oxidant properties.
Scented with pure lemongrass essential oil and added fragrance, this is a wonderfully light conditioner.
Leave on for one minute to allow time for the hair to absorb all the nutrients. You can also do a treatment, especially if your hair is longer or is treated. Apply thickly to hair and cover with a shower cap. Leave on for up to an hour. Rinse well.

Replenish

I made a batch of Replenish today.
This is a great moisturiser for dry, damaged skin, especially if you have a skin condition such as eczema or psoriasis.

Ugh, I'm not a photographer! I need to work on my photos...

People with skin conditions need to keep their skin moisturised all the time and it's difficult to find a product which won't irritate, but is emollient enough.
Many go for petroleum based moisturisers such as Vaseline Intensive Care, Melaleuca Renew or even just plain Sorbelene. These are safe and generally won't irritate, but they don't moisturise. Petroleum based products just coat the skin. They are unable to penetrate at all as the molecules are too large.

Moisturisers containing plant based oils and waxes can penetrate the skin and are therefore more able to prevent the skin from drying out too much and becoming even more damaged."Carrier Oils", Les Price

I spent some time researching the different oils, plant & herbal extracts when I created the formula for Replenish. I chose ricebran oil since it is light and non-greasy. The oil has been infused with calendula flowers since calendula is a powerful healing herb. Added to this is Evening Primrose oil which has a high level of gamma linoleic acid. If your skin is deficient in GLA's it can lead to dryness. Super healing allantoin is an extract from comfrey root and is known to help heal and soothe damaged skin. With added urea and aloe, this lotion can be used for everyday application anywhere on the body.
Olive leaf, calendula & golden seal extracts have been proven to be effective in the treatment of skin conditions and are added for the benefits they provide.

I've made this cream even more effective by adding a blend of tea tree and geranium oils. These are antiseptic and soothing and both have been used over the years to treat various skin problems such as dermatitis and eczema."The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils", Julia Lawless

During the testing phase for Replenish I had some great reports from my testers saying how this product had helped keep damaged skin moist and prevented further damage.

Replenish is also a great moisturiser to use after waxing. It soothes reddened and irritated skin and is antiseptic, so helps prevent further irritation.

Please note that Skinflint products cannot treat or cure your eczema. This information is not meant to replace any medical advice you may have received and if there appears to be any infection or you are concerned, it may be best to see your doctor or natural practitioner.

New Product - Reed Diffusers

Skinflint Reed Diffusers are fabulous for giving your home a light fresh fragrance, safely and cleanly. No dangerous oil burners. No need to buy sprays. Just sit your bottle on a bench or shelf and insert the reeds. Turn the reeds regularly at first, then once a week or so after that.

Available in four delicious fragrances:

Cotton Blossom is a Bath & Body Works type fragrance. A sweet and subtle blend of jasmine, violet and gardenia, with a sparkle of lemon zest on a dry down of vanilla. Gives an impression of clean laundry fresh from the clothes line.

Red Tea & Lychee has a subtle nuance of dew fruit and a unique finish that makes your mouth pucker and water at the same time. Mixed with Red Tea (also known as Rooibos), this blend finishes with the white florals of geranium and lily.

Salty Sailor is a crisp ozone type fragrance, with hints of salty sea spray. Smells like the ocean in a bottle. A unisex fragrance suited to bathroom or boys room.

White Tea & Ginger is another Bath & Body Works type. This fragrance has top notes of Bergamot, Lemon Peels and Green Daylilies. Base notes of Ginger, Nutmeg and Warm Musk keep the depth of the fragrance soft and smooth. White floral notes, such as Hyacinth, Freesia and Peony complete the mix. This fragrance is unique in many ways and it is difficult to pick out individual notes, but I'd say it smells like a bunch of fresh flowers and greenery.

The pack comes with the little triangular shaped glass bottle filled with the diffuser oil of your choice, five reeds, a cap and instructions for use. Introductory price is only $18.00 for the set and refills are available for an introductory special of $25. These will refill your bottle twice.

Baby Massage

Baby Massage is a wonderful way for Mum and Dad to connect with their baby as well as being a way of soothing, relaxing and aiding digestion. Here's a few pointers to to consider before you start:

• If you happened to listen to soothing music when pregnant, it's a good idea to play that same music softly in the background.

• Make sure the room is warm and only dimly lit or lit from outside. Keep a rug or towel ready to drape over areas which aren't being massaged.

• Ensure that you are in a comfortable and safe position. Lay baby on a folded doona on the floor or on your lap while you lean your back on a wall for support.

Here's a link to an Australian Parenting Website showing how to massage baby. If you right-click the link, choose "Open in New Tab" or "Open in New Window":

Baby Massage

I found some time to make Baby Massage Oil today. I used a blend of apricot kernel oil, ricebran oil and fractionated coconut oil. To this luxurious blend I added my blend of luxury essential oils: Rose damask, sweet orange, rose geranium & lavender.

The main oil is Apricot Kernel which is rich in essential fatty acids and Vit A, D & E. It's an elegant and luxurious carrier oil with great penetration , while ricebran is credited with being a promoter of collagen formation and is naturally high in vitamin E. Fractionated coconut oil is emollient, softening and protective. Fractionation allows more penetration and makes a much lighter, less greasy oil.



I've packaged it in a lightweight aluminium pump bottle. Since these are quite expensive, I will make refills available in cheaper PET bottles so customers can just refill the aluminium bottle.

Choc Orange Truffle Soap

Got organised and made my Choc Orange Truffle Soap today in my Nizzy Mould. It came together beautifully, but the cocoa swirl had gone to heavy trace while I was pouring the orange base part of the soap. So it was a bit of a different swirl, spooning the cocoa soap rather than pouring. It seemed to swirl quite well still, so only time will tell. It's in the freezer still to stop the gelling process.
Turned out really beautiful:

I've also been working on making room sprays. I've been playing with a few different essential oil blends. I have two favourites that I use myself in the house. One is a toilet spray with rose and eucalyptus and the other a room spray with orange, patchouli, black pepper and clove.
I'm trying to formulate a spray that won't separate and need to be shaken before use.
I've had no success with this, so will only be making it for our house at this stage.

Baby Massage Oil and Blackberry Sage Soap

Yes, I know I'm meant to be working on my Clay Masques, but my neice wants me to make her a Baby Massage oil. That doesn't require too much formulation or experimentation. I already make the essential oil blend for babies with chamomile and lavender, so it's just a bit of a play with different oil blends.
I'm planning to use almond and apricot kernel blended with coconut oil. I'll use the fractionated coconut since it's very light and non-greasy. I like the 250ml PET spritzer bottles, so will use those with a flip top. I'm ordering in some nice pumps to go with these bottles, available as a separate one-off purchase to be re-used.

I have taken a photo of the Blackberry Sage soap I made recently. It really is gorgeous, but a little too large. I'll have to modify the batch size for this new mould I have.

Glycerine

At the recent Wagin Woolorama a customer told me she liked to avoid anything nasty in her skin care products. I asked her for an example and she replied, "Glycerine".
I was taken aback as glycerine is simply a by-product of soap making and is a superb moisturiser.

"Glycerine or, as the American's spell it, glycerin, is one of the most versatile and valuable chemical substances known to man. It possesses a unique combination of physical and chemical properties that are utilized in myriad products. Glycerine has over 1,500 known end uses, including many applications as an ingredient or processing aid in cosmetics, toiletries, personal care, drugs, and food products. In addition, glycerin is highly stable under typical storage conditions, compatible with many other chemical materials, virtually non-toxic and non-irritating in its varied uses, and has no known negative environmental effects." www.cleaning101.com

Since it has a sweet taste, glycerine is used in commercial foods as well as things like toothpaste. It doesn't contain the calories of regular sugar, nor will it raise blood sugar. It's E number as listed in ingredient lists is E422.

Glycerine is a fantastic humectant. A humectant draws water to itself. If you left a container of glycerine in your bathroom for a week or so, it would attract water to the point where it would become 80% glycerine and 20% water.
It is for this reason that it is used in skincare products. Water is what keeps our skin supple and soft. As we age, our skin loses the ability to retain water and we can suffer from TEWL, trans epidermis water loss. This leads to dry skin, wrinkles and can be further aggravated by harsh detergents and poorly performing moisturisers.

Home made soap contains a high glycerine content. Commercial soaps have the glycerine removed in a complicated process where salt is added to the lye and oil mixture. The soap is then much harder, but also very drying to the skin.
Handmade soaps are slightly softer and may dissolve if left in water since the glycerine performs it's humectancy trick and absorbs water.

Perhaps it received a bad rap since it was mostly produced from commercial soaps which were generally made from beef tallow. Therefore, it was technically an animal by-product.
Commercial soaps are still made from tallow. If you check the ingredients label, it's listed as sodium tallowate. This means that the tallow has reacted with lye (sodium hydroxide) to become a new chemical.

These days, only vegetable glycerine is commercially available. Skinflint products that contain glycerine are:

Natural Balance and Pure Moisture Shampoos
Baby Bath
Replenish
Hand & Nail Cream
Mum2B Belly Butter
Shower Gel
Enriching and Clarifying Cleansers
Enriching and Claryifying Face Polishes

Glycerine is also a good solvent, better than water at dissolving many ingredients. This may be why it's a good cleaning agent.

You can also make a super cleaning product with bi-carb soda and glycerine. Add enough glycerine to moisten the bi-carb to make a paste. Use as a gentle scouring cleanser or apply to stains and leave for a while before rinsing off. Add some lemon juice if cleaning bathroom tiles. Put in a little Tea Tree essential oil if using as a disinfecting scrub for the shower.

Did you know you can make your own Magnaplasm? If you don't know what Magnaplasm is, it's a commercial preparation that is applied to boils to draw them to a head. Simply mix 2 parts magnesium sulphate (Epsom Salts) with one part glycerine. You can purchase glycerine at the supermarket.

Next time you notice glycerine as an ingredient in anything, you'll know it's a safe, non-toxic ingredient that is great for skin!

Pretty Soap

Finally made some soap today. A beautiful batch of Blackberry Sage. I used the second hand mould I got from a soaper on a forum that I subscribe to. It worked really well. I lined it with garbage bags, not the best, but all I had at the time. I hope to get some acetate to line it with in future.
The soap went straight into the freezer and looks fantastic! It smells divine too...
It popped out of the mould perfectly some 18 hours later looking superb - pure white with purple swirls. Can't wait until it cures. It takes 4 weeks, so I have a bit of a wait!
In the meantime, I'll be making a Choc Orange Truffle, then hopefully I'll be able to experiment with my new soap with the clear chunks. Just not sure of colours and fragrances yet. I may just go with a spearmint or peppermint, but not sure what to put with these...

Skinflint Toner

Well I finally got some time to get into my workshop and make some products today!
I made 6 litres of Toner, 3 of each sort. Skinflint Toners are a beautiful blend of natural essential oil distillates, the water left from the production of essential oils. Enriching Toner has a blend of neroli and rose hydrosols, while Clarifying Toner is a blend of tea tree and lavender hydrosols. I also include herbal extracts and sodium lactate.

Many people ask me if toner is a necessary part of the everyday skin regime. My answer is that it's adding extra water soluble goodies to your skin. Sodium Lactate is a fantastic humectant and the herbal and plant extracts have different qualities they bring to the skin.

Toner also helps remove any left over dissolved dirt and cleanser that may remain on the skin and prepares it for moisturiser.If you dampen a cotton pad with toner and wipe your neck after a day's work, you'll be amazed at the dirt that's collected.

New Soap Mould

I went all out and bought a large mould in January so I can make larger batches of soap. My soap has been proving very popular and I sold out of pretty much everything over Christmas.

I made a 4kg batch of Black Tea & Clay, my shaving soap for men. All went well until it was time to unmould. It would not budge. I tried everything to remove the perspex dividers. In the end, I had to get Steve, my husband to chip it all away. Because the soap has a high coconut percentage, it gets hard fairly quickly and this made it difficult to remove from the mould. He ended up breaking one of the dividers. I was annoyed that the mould wasn't what I expected and emailed the manufacturer. After a bit of back and forth, with photos, they finally agreed that it shouldn't have happened and sent me four new dividers for free.



I then made my Oatmeal, Milk & Honey in the mould. This one popped out easily! I think the fact that I put it in the freezer to prevent gelling made all the difference.
Gelling occurs when the soap goes through its chemical change. It heats up and turns opaque. I don't gel my OMH because the buttermilk causes the soap to overheat.

In the meantime, I'd contacted an Aussie soapmaker who makes and sells soap moulds. Nizzy is based in NSW and has a website: http://nizzymoulds.com. I told him my sad tale and he was absolutely brilliant, giving me a discount on the making of his special dividers to go into my wooden mould.

So then I made my Lavender & Green Tea, which doesn't go in the freezer, but is quite a soft soap due to it's high olive oil content. I left this in the mould for a while because of it's softness. Nizzy's dividers didn't quite fit and some of the soap leaked underneath, making it a bit difficult to remove the dividers, but nothing like the trouble I had previously.

I had mentioned on my favourite Soapmaking Forum about my issues and one of the Aussie girls offered to sell her Nizzy moulds to me. I took up the offer on one of them:



I hope to make my soap later today or perhaps tomorrow in this mould.

Wrapping Soap

That's what I have to do today. I have two lots of soap that need to be wrapped and labelled for sale. It's a real pain because it takes so long, but I love to look at a big pile of cellophane wrapped soaps!
I also need to photograph them since the shape has changed now I'm using a new mould. I'm really useless at photography, but thought I might sit them on a philodendron leaf.

Here's an Oatmeal, Milk & Honey photo:


Then I'll make up a lye solution for another batch of Blackberry Sage soap. This soap is one of my best sellers. Each of my different soaps has a different formula and the BBSage one is high in coconut, providing great bubbles and hardness, but with enough olive to make it skin softening.

Office Renovations

This is what's been keeping me busy and out of my workshop:



Carpet being pulled up


Tiling completed, new mat.

It's pretty much completed now, just need a computer desk then I can put my laptop out there. At the moment, I'm in the living area at the dining table.
Should only be another week. Then we go to Albany to pick up our bedroom furniture and the office desk. Still a sofa bed to come.
I've had a ball buying bits and pieces for the bedroom and the office.

But, I MUST get into my workshop! I have a few things to make that are either in low quantities or completely run out. Clarifying Face Polish has now sold out, so I'll be making a 4 litre batch of this. All out of the 125ml Replenish and nearly out of the Hand & Nail Cream. Also totally out of both Toners. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to get in there this weekend.

Finding time to experiment

It's so hard to find the time to make my products, let alone experiment!

I'm really desperate to make more soap, but am too busy getting my house back into order after having the office renovated and bedroom carpeted and painted.
I have a second hand Nizzy soap mould from a soaper on the Soapdish Forum. I just haven't had a chance to make some soap and use it.

I'd like to try a soap with some clear swirls in it. That would mean making a cold process soap and then pouring some clear melt and pour through it. I've seen some soaps like this and they look great.

I'm also experimenting with fizzing bath salts designed just for feet. I'm having trouble keeping the fizz after the epsom salt has been added. I may just use sea salt instead. If there's no salt in it, the mixture clumps, like a bath bomb. Jess, my daughter, suggested I make bath bombs instead.