GA Renaissance
Festival - 5 weekends down, two to go..... come out on Memorial
Day - it's a lot less crowded than everyone thinks! Posted an
Internet Coupon, good for 10% off at the fair.
Started
adding pictures from the fair, see "Extra-Pics-Renfest"
page.
Getting
close to the 5500-visitor mark for the site - sometime
in the next few days! (end of May)
Passed the 4000-visitors-since-launch
mark this week! (April 18, 2002)
Introduced new Honey Shimmer lip
balms with pearlescent mica colors.
GA Renaissance Festival begins
in two days, open April 20th-June 2nd plus Memorial Day (Monday,
May 27th) - internet coupon available on website for discount
at Lather booth at the fair.
January 2002: Lather-Soaps.com is currently
a day or two away from 1500 visitors since its launch
in November 2001.J No major updates.... just
saying "Happy New Year" to all! Currently working on
soap pictures for the site and the store; also working on some
z new products, such
as sparkly/colored lip balms and a yummy Ginger-Honey
body Sluffy (because I'm so pleased with the new
Zingiber soap!)
I really do hope to have the news
archives and newsletter content up soon, along with more Ren
Fest pics; right now I'm helping out with a new site for some
family-friends and dividing my time between here and there. (It's
www.kagenwood.com
, more about it when it gets going). Speaking of the Ren Fest,
the Lather site was added to the artist's links at the Georgia Renaissance Festival site back in
December. Looking forward to the Spring show now that everyone
will be able to visit me there and here.
added BigSoapFun
page, 12/02/01: a place for pics and quotes and "stuff"
that deserves a place of its own... find out which big brand
tastes best, what Brad Pitt has to say about soap... and more!
a Online
Store opened, 11/28/01: now, Lather is "24-hour Impulse-Shoppable!"
Click here to go to the store: http://www.lather-soaps.com/szw
created the Online
catalog page, a "portal" to all product, price
and order info pages, as well as a link to info on requesting
a print Newsletter.
added new page: Sources
and Resources, 11/22/01 - addresses of suppliers and names
of helpful books and reading materials
added
picture pages for the booth at the Renaissance Festival and soapmaking
to: Extras, Pics and Renaissance
Festival stuff , 11/18/01
Lather
website launched, 11/17/01.
News & New Stuff
First-year
anniversary of the Lather website - http://www.lather-soaps.com
The Lather website will
be one year old on November 16th of this year (woo-hoo!). If
you haven`t taken a look since the end of last year, be sure
to check it out now - quite a bit of new “stuff” added
over the course of the year, such as a picture catalog, Renaissance
Festival photo album, partial archive of past newsletters, and
an inventory page for checking on available stock. Oh, and of
course, the BigSoapFun page: full of interesting, trivial facts
that everyone should know.
The most important new
addition to the Lather site was the Online Store, opened in December
2001, shortly after the website launch. 24-hour shopping with
credit-card convenience! You can order everything available from
Lather through the store, and save a couple days or so in the
process - I`ll receive your order shortly after you place it,
rather than in a few days after the mail makes its way to me.
To get there, simply go to the site and click on any “Online
Store” link.
EMAIL ADDRESS: info@lather-soaps.com
You can also click an
instant email link at various points in the website.
back to top
NEW SOAP:
Lather's latest creation:
Lime and Bay, with Shea Butter.
This one`s so new it doesn`t even have its clever name yet (as
of the writing of this newsletter, anyway!). If you`d like some,
just order - yup, you got it - “Lime and Bay” soap,
and it`ll have its witty new name by the time you receive it.
These bars will be cream-beige with green swirls and available
in full and personal sizes.
* Shimmery, Glittery
goodies: back in the spring Lather introduced Honey Shimmer
Lip Balms at the Renaissance Festival (and they`re very popular!)
I started with the same hemp oil-plant oil-beeswax base found
in the the original lip balms, then added honey flavor and made
it in three different shimmery colors using pearlescent micas.
These balms come in 1/3 ounce cobalt blue tubes and with a choice
of Bordeaux (wine-red), Copper or pale Gold.
* Shipping times:
Many of the soaps are in production as you receive this so they`ll
be fresh and yummy-smelling when you give them as gifts (or keep
'em for yourself!). Shipping will begin the week of Thanksgiving,
on Monday, November 25th. If you need items sooner, please call
me so we can make arrangements. To ensure delivery no later than
December 24th, orders must be received by Wednesday, December
18th (via mail, email or online order).
* New payment option
for regular mailorder: If you wish to use your credit or
checkcard but prefer not to order online, simply include your
card information on the print order form.
* Sunscreen: I
know protecting our skin from sunburn is exactly what everyone
is concerned about at this time of year (okay, maybe not, unless
you`re on a ski slope!). Many people ask me if there is sunscreen
in my lip balms - the short answer is “no”, but I`d
like to elaborate on the “why”: while I do have the
capability to add a chemical sunblock, octylmethoxycinnamate,
(as opposed to physical sunblock, like zinc oxide), there are
very specific proportions in sunscreen formulations for levels
of SPF - and use of sunscreen (and claims thereof) would fall
under FDA regulation. As soon as I work out a way to add sun
protection to the balm without all the complications, I certainly
plan to do it.
back to top
Okay, so
much for the news portion of this newsletter….. now, in-depth
info on specific Essential Oils used in Lather products.
Past newsletters have included articles on soapmaking, natural
ingredients and the difference between essential and fragrance
oils; these articles and other items can be found on the website,
in the site map under “News and Newsletters”, or I`ll
be happy to send you a print copy at your request.
The following is a listing
of every essential oil that I use in the making of my soaps,
lip balms, muscle balm, powders, and inhalers. I wanted to provide
a little background info on the characteristics and uses of those
most frequently found in Lather products. This is by no means
a complete reference, but rather an overview to help you choose
items suited to your specific needs and tastes. At the end of
this article is a listing of source material for further reading,
and the essential oil article from last year`s newsletter is
available online.
Listings read as follows:
essential oil; plant source; a primary physical effect or
use for such;; a primary aromatherapy or emotional effect or
use for such; and Lather product(s) where they can be found.
For scent descriptions, check the product listings on the mail
order form or online.
(Disclaimer: this information
is in no way intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of
any disorder or symptom; it is provided only for insight into
traditional and historical uses of these oils.)
Balsam Fir - distilled from needles; antiseptic,
deodorant;; stimulating; Icelandia soap.
Bay - steam extracted from leaves
of tree; astringent, tonic used to promote hair growth;; stimulating;
Caledonia and Lime-Bay soaps.
Benzoin - a tropical tree resin produced
by cuts in the tree`s trunk; anti-inflammatory, and fixative
for other scents;; de-stressing; Gold-Frankincense-Myrrh and
Tunisia soaps.
Bergamot - cold pressing of the peel of
a small citrus fruit found primarily in Italy; flavor for Earl
Grey tea; antiseptic, especially for oily skin conditions;; anti-anxiety,
antidepressant; Morocco soap.
Black Pepper - steam distilled from peppercorns;
circulation, sprains, stiffness;; energizing; Muscle Balm.
Camphor - steam distilled from woody
parts of camphor tree, then further refined into white, brown
and yellow camphors; congestion, muscle aches;; stimulating;
Muscle Balm and Fresh Aire Sinus Inhaler.
Cardamon - extracted from the dried ripe
fruit (seeds) of the flowering herb; stimulating, both physically
and mentally; Shangri-La soap.
back to top
Cedarwood - steam distilled from the wood,
stump (and sawdust!) of the tree; stimulates circulation;; calms
(sedates) nerves; Caledonia soap.
Cinnamon - distilled from the twigs and
leaves of the evergreen cinnamon tree; stimulates circulation;;
helps nervous exhaustion; Morocco soap.
Clove - water distillation of the dried
flower buds; warming (by increase of circulation) and antiseptic;;
uplifting, esp. in combination with other oils, such as orange;
Morocco soap and Body Spice Powder.
Eucalyptus - distilled from the tree`s leaves
and twigs; very helpful with colds and respiratory problems;;
energizing; Fresh Aire Sinus Inhaler.
Frankincense - resin collected from cuts in
the bark of the frankincense shrub; balances skin (dry or blemished);;
calming, even meditative; Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh soap.
Ginger - extracted from the root of
the herb (same part used for the spice); increases circulation
- making it a very warming essential oil;; stimulating; Zingiber
soap.
Grapefruit - oil is expressed from fresh
peel of the fruit; astringent;; helps depression and headaches;
Sol soap.
Juniper - steam distilled from the berries
(used in making gin); skin toner;; helps anxiety and stress;
Caledonia soap.
Lavender - probably the most widely used
essential oil of them all; steam distilled from the flowers;
balancing for all skin types and all manner of skin conditions;;
esp. good for headaches and to help restful sleep; Provence
soap; Lavender Powder; Muscle Balm.
Lemon - expressed from outer part of
fresh peel of fruit; used in folk medicine as a 'cure-all', good
to prevent colds, and helpful with oily skin conditions;; uplifting,
refreshing; Sol soap.
Lime - oil is extracted from peel
of unripe fruit; uses are much the same as lemon; Lime-Bay
soap.
Myrrh - resin drawn from cuts in trunk
of myrrh shrub; one of the oldest known traditional/folk medicinals;
anti-inflammatory;; relaxing, warming; Gold, Frankincense
& Myrrh soap.
Patchouli - steam distilled from dried
(and usually fermented) leaves; this well-known essential oil
is very good for oily skin conditions and cracked/open skin problems,
such as wounds or chapping;; antidepressant; Tunisia soap;
Body Spice Powder.
back to top
Peppermint - Steam distilled from flowering
herb (all this time I thought it was the leaves, too!); good
for dermatitis and acne, plus headaches - when used in small
quantity;; helps stress and fatigue; Zealand soap; Fresh Aire
Sinus Inhaler; Tea Tree/Peppermint Lip Balm.
Rosemary - steam distilled from fresh
flowering tops; promotes hair growth and aids dermatitis, and
alleviates muscle pain;; helps stress-related disorders; Muscle
Balm.
Sage - steam distilled from dried
leaves; a cleansing herb in some spiritual traditions; deodorant,
anti-inflammatory;;anti-depressant; Zealand soap.
Sandalwood - water-or-steam distilled from
roots and heartwood (interior portion): “the tree must be
over thirty years old before it is ready for the production of
sandalwood oil”; has been used in perfumery/incense for
over 4000 years; aids all manner of skin imbalances; anti-depressant;
India soap.
Sweet Orange - expressed from outer peel of
the fruit; good for oily or dull skin; aids nervous tension;
Morocco soap; Sol soap; Fresh Aire Sinus Inhaler; Tangerine/Orange
Lip Balm.
Tea Tree - possibly the most useful of
all essential oils (widely known as a 'medicine chest in a bottle`);
obtained via steam-or-water-distillation of the leaves and twigs
of the small tree/shrub; has anti-bacterial and anti-viral action;
known for its physical medicinal effects (rather than emotional);
Zealand soap; Muscle Balm; Fresh Aire Sinus Inhaler; Tea Tree/Peppermint
Hemp Oil Lip Balm.
Tolu Balsam - steam or dry distillation of
the sap of the tree; aids dry, cracked skin; warming scent; Body
Spice Powder.
Vetiver - plant is a tall grass, oil
is steam distilled from roots; aids cuts and oily skin; deeply
relaxing; Shangri-La soap.
Ylang-Ylang - steam or water distillation
of the freshly picked flowers; stimulates scalp/hair growth,
skin care, all types; antidepressant, anti-stress; Shangri-La
soap.
__________
References & Reading
Material:
The Encyclopedia of Essential
Oils, by Julia Lawless, 1992.
Holistic Aromatherapy,
by Christine Wildwood, 1986
Sources & Resources
- go here
Newsletter copyright 2002
by Kathleen McGloin.
~~~~~~~~~~~The
following piece originally ran in the 2000 newsletter; because
essential oils are fundamental to Lather-craft, I think it's
information worth sharing again.
Essential Oils: a little
chemistry & aromatherapy lesson by
Kathleen McGloin
Lather products feature
Essential Oils - and the difference between synthetic fragrance
oils and Essential Oils is a distinct one.
An essential oil is a
complex blend of anywhere from 15 to 150 or more substances -
including fatty acids, alcohols, terpenes and sulfurs - extracted
from plant material and characterized by a distinct odor. That
said, what you smell when you smell a rose, or an orange, or
cinnamon, is the blend of natural chemicals that is essential
oil.
Essential oils are very
powerful, very potent substances that are used in perfumery,
as food flavoring, for medicinal and therapeutic purposes and
even for industrial purposes. The primary method of obtaining
essential oil, or EO, is steam distillation. Some EOs such as
sweet orange are easily distilled and abundant, while others
are rare and quite costly: it take the petals of two thousand
or more roses to obtain one drop of rose oil, which can cost
hundreds of dollars an ounce.
Essential oils, while
found near the end of the ingredient listings of Lather formulas,
are probably the most important (and expensive) substances found
in any natural product. They are present for their distinct scent,
their healing effects, and in some part their antibacterial/preservative
characteristics. or example, Lavender oil - long used for its
calming, uplifting effect and to promote restful sleep (aromatherapy);
good for balancing skin conditions and speeding healing of scrapes
and bruises (natural medicine); and widely used as a fragrance
component - often standing on its own - for both men's and women's
toiletries (perfumery).
Tea Tree oil, from the
Australian Melaleuca alternifolia, is such a versatile and effective
healing agent that it has long been known as a "medicine
chest in a bottle". Antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic,
this clear, medicinal-smelling essential oil can be used for
all manner of skin conditions - acne, cold sores, insect bites,
athlete's foot and poison ivy or oak - as well as to clear up
scalp conditions and help clean your hair. It is considered nontoxic
and can even be used internally on occasion, for upset stomach.
"Synthetic
aroma chemicals were first used as inexpensive extenders of natural
oils and are still used to stretch the limited supply of essential
oils. Aroma chemicals are not always synthetic.
Natural essential
oils are sometimes used as the source of a single chemical which
is produced by physical and chemical separation methods. Examples
would be Eugenol from clove leaf oil or cinnamon leaf oil...
menthol from peppermint oil.
Despite their
widespread use, synthetic aroma chemicals will never completely
replace essential oils. Some oils, such as wintergreen and bergamot
are relatively easy to copy synthetically, but others such as
patchouli and sandalwood have no satisfactory extender. Essential
oils are complex mixtures of many chemicals and compounds. It's
the diversity of these compounds, some perhaps only present in
trace amounts, that gives certain essential oils that unique
richness and character that can't be duplicated.
Climate, economics
and politics...can greatly influence the availability of natural
oils. Essential oil prices will vary due to several different
reasons. They may be reflective of their respective distillation
process, climate and/or crop production or failure, the constantly
changing commodities market, and/or when a particular company
may have purchased the oil and at what price."
- excerpt
in quotes reprinted with permission from
Lavender Lane (see Sources & Resources)
back
to top