Tag Archives: skin care

Coconut Oil

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Coconut oil: There is a lot to be said for coconut oil and unless you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years you have probably heard or read something about it. There have been countless stories, on television, the internet, and in health and cooking magazines, all proclaiming the hundreds of uses of coconut oil. So since they have probably said it all, I will simply say, I love coconut oil for many things.  When my husband says that something (usually mechanical in nature) needs lubricating, I will often joke, “get out the coconut oil.” Just in case you have just climbed out from under your rock, and happened to find my website, here is one article from natural news.

http://www.naturalnews.com/036156_Coconut_oil_superfood_healing.html

Most of the articles I have read do not go into detail about types of coconut oil, but here is a link the explains the difference in types of coconut oil.

What Type of Coconut Oil is Best? How to Choose a Coconut Oil

If you are not interested in reading the article for yourself I will summarize it by saying, if the label says “coconut oil” then it is probably a mass produced, mechanically refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD)coconut oil. While not necessary unhealthy it probably has lost a lot of the nutritional benefits during the processing.

“Virgin” coconut oil, on the other hand, has been cold processed and retains the nutrition value.

So if you are eating coconut oil for maximum health benefits you will want the much more expensive “virgin” coconut oil. However, in my opinion, it is not cost effective to use virgin coconut oil in making soap, when the less expensive RBD coconut oil will provide the desired effects while keeping products more affordable. So while I do not use virgin coconut oil in my products, I do use a food grade RDB coconut oil.

In soap making,  Soap-Making-Essentials.Com says:

“Coconut oil probably takes top spot as the most used soap making oil and for good reason.

Not only does it produce a rock hard soap with a fantastic lather but this oil is wonderfully moisturizing and adds a barrier to the skin protecting it from the elements.

It’s cleansing ability is amazing and is one of the few oils that produces a soap that will lather in salt water.”

I have discovered all of this to be true (not sure about lather in salt water, I haven’t had the occasion to test it.) I have experimented with making a soap that has only coconut oil as the only oil. The result is a soap that is so hard that it can not be cut. It will break into funny shapes with jagged edges. It does however provide great lather and cleansing power. I have a customer who uses this in her homemade laundry detergent. I have been testing it as a stain remover/pretreatment for laundry and am having great results.

I also use coconut oil in my balms. It is a wonderful moisturizer and protector for the skin and just feels sooo good.

So to answer two questions about this ingredient in my products:

Is coconut oil natural? Yes.

Can you eat coconut oil? Yes

Thanks for reading 🙂

Why Buy Handcrafted

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Handcrafted items are items or products that have been made by hand rather than being mass produced by machines. In my opinion there are many advantages to purchasing handcrafted items.

When buying handcrafted items you are usually buying something that is made by person who specializes in his/her craft. They have studied and practiced the art and  have become at least proficient if not a master of the craft. The crafter usually has chosen their craft because they enjoy it and find satisfaction in producing a high quality product made with tender loving care.

When you buy a handcrafted item you can and should get to know the person who made the  product. This allows you to ask questions about what goes into the product (materials or ingredients, time, processes) and you can determine whether or not you are getting you money’s worth. People usually love to talk about what they do and what they know. So ask questions.

It is easier to find exactly what you are looking for rather to make do with what is available. If you are looking for something made in a specific size, pattern, or to meet a specific need you are better off finding a handcrafter who will make what you want, than to spend your hard earned money on something that is not what you want.

When you buy from a handcrafter you know where your money is going. If you buy locally you are supporting your local economy.

An advantage to buying/using handcrafted soap is that the glycerin that is naturally formed during the soap making process is retained in the soap. Generally soap manufactures remove the glycerin from the soap and use it for other things.  So when comparing the cost of a bar of handcrafted soap, to whatever you may be using now, be sure to account for the added value of the glycerin.

There are a couple of potential disadvantages to purchasing handcrafted items. Many times the handcrafted items will be more expensive than the mass produced item. This is understandable considering that the handcrafter is not purchasing materials in high volume, also it  takes him or her much more time and effort to produce the product than if it were done by machines. But often the quality of the handcrafted product far out weighs the added expense.

The other potential disadvantage to purchasing handcrafted items is that you won’t find them in you big box stores. You will probably have to go to a specialty shop, a craft sale or seek out the handcrafter through other means.

Overall I believe there are great advantages to purchasing handcrafted items.