Wildcrafter

If you're looking for a lavender essential oil that stays well in soap, use lavandin, not lavender. Lavandin is also called spike lavender. It is a true lavender and sticks very well in soap.

I got lye solution ready for a couple of batches last week and then realized that I didn't have some of the ingredients needed to make soap. So....it's now a full week later and I'm ready to make soap. Is the lye still ok to use? It's been sitting on top of my oil drums in stainless steel pots.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Good-Natured-Earthling/85786527923

www.stjohnsbotanicals.com has vanilla essential oil that works very well in my creams and soaps. Ain't nothing like the real thang, baby!

I only use EOs. Lemongrass EO is cheap and it's the real thing, baby.

I have my own website and don't utilize etsy for a number of reasons. The primary is that, in my opinion, every site looks the same as all the rest since they are all in the same format. Of course, pictures and products are different, but to stand out you really need a website that pops.

Don't pay those kind of people any attention. I've been doing farmers markets and craft fairs for 14 years and I've seen and heard it all. Even a gal who took a soap making class from me and a month later showed up at a street fair (she applied before knowing how to make the soap!) and one of the farmers markets I do. People who have bad attitude and/or talk down their "competition" are not going to make it in the long run. I have seen many soap/bb people come and quickly go over the years. Keep making your best quality products, put your best face forward, be kind, professional and generous to customers and you will be the one left standing at the end. This is how I have always run my business and it consistently keeps the roof over my head.

I tried a silicone mold this week and the last week and the soap didn't want to come out and some of it stuck to the mold. Am I supposed to lube it up before pouring in the soap?

Wow, what fine work!

I sell a Comfrey Calendula salve on my website. I have many many happy customers who use this with very good results with eczema and psoriasis. http://goodnaturedearthling.com/catalog.htm?category=Balms%2C%20Creams%20%26%20Salves I grow the comfrey and calendula myself, harvest the balm of gilead in the wild and use absolutely no synthetic scents, colors, preservatives or petroleum ingredients in any of my products.

Ask your supplier. If they don't know, or won't say, then I would not do business with them. Ethically speaking, I find that it is of utmost importance to know exactly what is in every single one of my products so that I can honestly share the information with my customers. I don't have to give them my formula, but the ingredients, yes.

Good one!

Yep! Here's the email she sent to me. Anyone know her? Subject: Sales Question Regarding your Facial Products I'm putting together a lot of gift baskets for family members and work associates for events in 2010 and a bunch of them in 2011. Many of the events are centered around taking better care of oneself and learning to relax and take it easy and I am planning on including a variety of spa items in each basket. I'm wondering if you ever mail out small samples of your products so a consumer can test them out before they purchase anything? I'd really like to put products in my baskets that I've sampled myself and am interested your Bath, Body and Face products! I make baskets for events all year round and am always looking for stellar products. Thanks so much and I hope to hear from you! Christianne Amato (Richboro, PA)

I think it was Christy, Christine. Something like that.

There's a gal that sends out blanket emails with "exciting news" about how she's going to be doing amazing amounts of B&B baskets and wanting samples of everything I make. I've gotten them before over the years and have either deleted them or sent something about how I'm a one woman business, too much money, etc. etc, blah blah blah. I was just about to delete this one and then decided to mess with her. I emailed back: I will sell you sample sizes of my products for $10 each. I am eager to hear back from you! So far, I haven't gotten a single check in the mail........