NativeSisterSoap
New Member
My name is Colleen, I live in Michigan (Upper Peninsula) and have been making soap for over 25 years. My focus is to make a product that is beautiful visually, has wonderful scent qualities and is mild and nourishing to the skin. I also make several unscented soaps for folks who are sensitive to essential oils. I don't use FO's, oxides, aquamarines, etc. for color...only ingredients
like spiralina, annatto seed, alkanet root, etc. I use organic ingredients where feasible. Started off cold-processing soap, then did about a year of hot-processing, now back to cold processed soap. I use a modified water amount and have soap ready to use in 24 to 48 hours...except 100% olive oil bars. They take about 3 days to set up. Recently discovered a neat way to cut soap (olive oil qualifies and also recipes with a goodly amount of cocoa butter and some essential oils) that tends to get brittle before cut into bars. I've been putting it in the oven on 170 to 200 degrees F. for about 1/2 hour until just warm and then it cuts beautifully with fishing line. Hope this info helps someone who's been having trouble with corners breaking out when cutting bars.
One of the projects I've been involved in is to capture the feral cats in my neighborhood. I've been taking them to UPAWS in Marquette, a no-kill shelter. Where they are rehabilitated if possible, spayed or neutered, tested for leukemia and if negative, vaccinated. They are then adopted. Now some of the cats I've trapped will never be adoptable and instead of returning them to my neighborhood (unsafe with coyotes and a couple of cat hating neighbors), I've turned a acre of my land into a cat-proof fenced sanctuary. There's a heated water bowl, warmed up canned food (for extreme cold weather conditions here to keep it thawed as long as possible) and several straw filled and insulated cat shelters. So far there's a population of two wild kitties who are doing very well.
About soap making...I've been selling to some natural foods coops in Michigan, a few gift type stores in the mid-west, a few spas and during the season at farmer's markets near home. I'm experimenting with some new soaps to add to my line and have posted a question regarding vetiver usage in soaps.
Happy soaping everyone,
Colleen
like spiralina, annatto seed, alkanet root, etc. I use organic ingredients where feasible. Started off cold-processing soap, then did about a year of hot-processing, now back to cold processed soap. I use a modified water amount and have soap ready to use in 24 to 48 hours...except 100% olive oil bars. They take about 3 days to set up. Recently discovered a neat way to cut soap (olive oil qualifies and also recipes with a goodly amount of cocoa butter and some essential oils) that tends to get brittle before cut into bars. I've been putting it in the oven on 170 to 200 degrees F. for about 1/2 hour until just warm and then it cuts beautifully with fishing line. Hope this info helps someone who's been having trouble with corners breaking out when cutting bars.
One of the projects I've been involved in is to capture the feral cats in my neighborhood. I've been taking them to UPAWS in Marquette, a no-kill shelter. Where they are rehabilitated if possible, spayed or neutered, tested for leukemia and if negative, vaccinated. They are then adopted. Now some of the cats I've trapped will never be adoptable and instead of returning them to my neighborhood (unsafe with coyotes and a couple of cat hating neighbors), I've turned a acre of my land into a cat-proof fenced sanctuary. There's a heated water bowl, warmed up canned food (for extreme cold weather conditions here to keep it thawed as long as possible) and several straw filled and insulated cat shelters. So far there's a population of two wild kitties who are doing very well.
About soap making...I've been selling to some natural foods coops in Michigan, a few gift type stores in the mid-west, a few spas and during the season at farmer's markets near home. I'm experimenting with some new soaps to add to my line and have posted a question regarding vetiver usage in soaps.
Happy soaping everyone,
Colleen
Very nice! My son lives in Marquette and if Mother Nature cooperates I will be going to Marquette on Sunday.
