Under the Umbrella

If you’re like me, you appreciate and seek out locally-made or designed products because you know the skill and talent that can produce them is where you live, and supporting your micro-economy is important to you.

Because of this, I am so thrilled to announce that A Little Soapy Business is now working with an Artisan Collective called Under the Umbrella that is located in the heart of lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver. Under the Umbrella is a gift and apparel boutique featuring a curated showcase of local talent found in the Greater Vancouver Area. You will now find our products along with other amazing local talent. Talk about a one-stop shop of perfect gifts and cool stuff!

I love this excerpt from their webpage:

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DIY Activated Charcoal Mask

In December, I created a beautiful black soap for the holidays that I playfully named; “Chunk of Coal” soap that was coloured with activated charcoal. I’ve been playing a bit with charcoal and plan to create a face cleansing soap that contains charcoal in the near future. In the meantime, here is some information on Activated Charcoal benefits and also a recipe for you to make at home any day, so that you can enjoy the benefits  of this fantastic ingredient!

While derived from common charcoal, activated charcoal differs because it is made specifically for medicinal use and is porous. These pores allow activated charcoal to trap chemicals and is used to treat poisonings, intestinal gas, nausea, and bile flow issues. It is also used in water filters to absorb the yucky flavors from the water and help purify drinking water. Activated charcoal also works wonders for the skin when applied topically: it keeps skin clear by drawing dirt out of pores and improves skin-tone by removing dry patches. Perfect for your dry winter or sun-stressed skin!

Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub Recipe

Fall is finally upon us and I love this time of year! The fresh crisp air, warm drinks and of course, pumpkin pie! All of the pumpkins that are ready to be taken home from the stores and yummy fall influenced desserts have inspired me to make an all natural Vanilla Pumpkin Spice Sugar Scrub. While it’s not the same as pumpkin pie, it is sure a nice way to enjoy the warm spices without the guilt!

Honey Body Wash Recipe

Lately I’ve been working on something pretty exciting! Not only am I making goodies to get ready for my summer event where locals can find me at the North Vancouver Canada Day craft show at Waterfront Park, but I’m also lucky enough to be collaborating along with others for a 30 day Beauty Detox Program! If that interests you, not only will this feature locally based wellness experts (to Vancouver), it will also be free! More on that in the next few days…

In the meantime… this collaboration inspired me to look making an easy soap based recipe. I’ve concocted a mosturising, good for your skin, Raw Honey Body Wash. Not only is this simple to make, but you can customize it with a scent that you love… such as Relaxing Lavender, Uplifting Sweet Orange, or Floral Ylang Ylang and Jasmine essential oils.

Good News + Bad News = GOOD NEWS!

I recently had a couple of chances for some really important feedback. The first was positive. I put my products in front of a jury for the first time and they were judging on presentation, packaging, originality, scent, price point, etc. I felt on top of the world having been approved to be in my city’s Craft Fair and I was relishing in their kind words. The other situation wasn’t as positive. I had shipped some product and I was upset to hear that they didn’t meet their expectations. It caused me to take a step back and I actually started wondering if I should even do my Little Soapy Biz stuff any more. Yep, I’m that dramatic.

As a person that is always striving to make the best natural goodies that not only works for myself, for my family, for my friends and for people I’ve never met; it was hard for me to receive some critical feedback since I put my heart and soul into this! I usually get really positive feedback and feel so proud of what I create. Heck, I use this stuff everyday and so do many others. I just haven’t had too much negative feedback and I’m used to being the main one criticizing my own work and then improving on it! However, I really appreciate it when people are candid and honest with me. While it may have taken me aback at first, I began to strategize on how to make those particular products even better.

Natural Dry Shampoo & Travel

From March 21st to April 6th, A Little Soapy Business will be closed for vacation! We will still be accepting orders and they will ship out upon return.

When planning for a trip, I usually think about compact sizes and items that I can take that won’t leak all over my clothes even if there is an altitude change (flight/mountain elevation) or that don’t need to fit into that tiny zip lock bag if I want to take my carry-on my luggage on the plane.

These are my top 3:

1. Conditioning Shampoo Bar – this great bar saves space because it’s not only a 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioning bar, but it’s actually a 3 in 1! You can use this great bar as a shaving bar as well. This is perfect for both women and men!
2. Solid Lotion Bar – amazing preservative-free moisturizer without the liquid.
3. Dry Shampoo – For those times I don’t want to or don’t have time to wash my hair, I can reduce the oiliness by using my trusty natural dry shampoo between washes. Find the recipe here below.

What do you find is the best in your travel kit? Add your comment below, I’d love to hear your ideas!

Here’s the dry shampoo recipe:

Ingredients:

• arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• baking soda
• cocoa powder – just make sure it’s unsweetened! Sweetened cocoa powder will turn your hair into a sticky mess.

Items you need:

• a funnel
• a container to store it in – I like using an old spice jar with a shaker top
• measuring spoons

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• Optional: 0-2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
  • For light hair, you don’t need to add any.
  • I usually add about 1 tablespoon as I have medium brown hair.
  • If you have dark hair, you can add 2 tablespoons.
• Optional: 10 drops Essential Oil for scent. I usually add lemongrass. Its such a great uplifting scent!

Combine the arrowroot powder or cornstarch and baking soda in a container. Mix well – if there are clumps, you can use a fine strainer to help remove them.

After the dry mixture is mixed, you can add your essential oil if you choose to. You will need to ensure it’s well incorporated as it will form clumps from the drops. I usually use my fingers and crumble the clumps to mix it in.

This will make a enough dry shampoo for many uses. If you seal it well, it can be stored in the bathroom.

Directions:

It is easy to use, but use it sparingly as a little goes a long way. Here’s how I normally do it:

1. Shake a small amount of dry shampoo out into your hand – approx 1/4 teaspoon.
2. Rub your hands together over your head to disperse the dry shampoo on top.
3. Pat the areas of your hair that you’d like to shampoo – I focus on the front bangs and the very top of my head.
4. Tousle your hair with your fingers and rub in the dry shampoo as best you can – you’ll want to really shake it up to get it all in!
5. Brush if you still see any spots of dry shampoo. I find a natural boar bristle brush works well.
6. That’s it!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know how it goes!

We’ve Turned 1!

I am so excited to share that A Little Soapy Business has just turned 1 year this month! It’s been such an incredible journey and I appreciate you all for sharing your feedback, being my guinea pigs and sharing my passion for natural products.

An anniversary can only mean it’s time for a give-away! Yeah!!!

Enter here to win an all-natural, preservative-free gift basket from A Little Soapy Business valued at over $100!

Gift basket includes:
– Handmade soap
– Natural pine soap dish
– Brightening face polish and mask
– Balancing skin toner
– Spritz on deodorant
– Solid lotion and massage bar
– Susan’s amazing herbal salve
– 2 hand-poured lip balms
– Bath truffles
– Bath salt fizz
– Sugar scrub cubes

Contest ends February 28, 2015

Click here for Contest rules and details.

Contest listed on:

http://www.allcanadacontests.com”>Canada Contests at AllCanadaContests.com

Bath Truffles

New! Bath Truffles

New bath treat made by a Little Soapy Business. These little bath truffles are a pure indulgence! They are handmade in small batches with ingredients like clay that is known for pulling impurities from the skin and skin softening baking soda which combined with citric acid adds a bit of fizz. Shea and cocoa butters in this little bath truffle will leave your skin feeling so soft and moisturized. Choose from scents like lavender or chocolate. Stay tuned for Rose Geranium that will be added to the collection in time for Valentine’s Day!

To order, contact us directly or order through our Etsy page here.

BC Family Day Pop-Up Market

A Little Soapy Business at the Family Day Pop-Up Market – Monday Feb 9

A friend of mine, and owner of Compass Fitness, is organizing a Family Day Pop-Up Market at South Bonson Community Centre in Pitt Meadows. Many local vendors and A Little Soapy Business will be there and it’s going to be a lot of fun!

If you’re in the neighbourhood, come check it out! This is a family friendly event and is a great way to support your local businesses. Also, Valentine’s day will be less than 1 week away, so you can find that something special for your Valentine!

For more details, the latest information or to simply RSVP for the free admission event, check out the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1528847790713912/

A natural homemade gift

With Christmas just a few days away, perhaps you’re trying to think of that perfect gift for that one last person on your list. I’ve got a great natural gift idea that you can make at home!

At the request of my cousin, I’ve been inspired to create a great facial scrub/cleanser that will leave skin feeling really clean and refreshed.

Here are the ingredients and steps below. Please let me know what you think! If you do not have clay, you can find cosmetic grade clay on the internet, or call around to local natural stores.

1/2 cup white (kaolin) clay
1/4 cup finely ground oats
1/8 cup finely ground, blanched almonds
8 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)

I would recommend lavender essential oil as its great for all skin types and helps with acne, aging, scars, oiliness, dryness and skin elasticity. Plus it smells wonderful and has a relaxing effect, which is perfect for this time of year!

Combine all the ingredients well – you may need to use dry, clean fingers to break up any lumps from the essential oil. Store in a glass container.

To use, put about a quarter size of the mixture in your palm, add water and stir into a paste. Gently massage it into your face, and rinse off with warm water. You can let it sit on your skin before you rinse it off for up to 10-15 minutes to let the clay activate. Use it 1-2 times per week. I would recommend to follow with toner and skin oil… Or you can simply use a face lotion.

I just tried it. It is SOOO amazing. my skin feels great, refreshed and very soft. I hope the lucky person you made it for enjoys it as much as I did!