Discover the art of soap and candle making at
Violet Grant Soapery Blog.

Dive into topics like creating beautiful candles and soaps; tallow's benefits and crafting exquisite skin and
hair care products.

While facial hair is not for everyone, the associated manliness and ruggedness beards often tend to exude makes it an option for many men. In my mind, beards are always in style. Have you ever noticed that the hair on a man's face is a teensy bit more twisted and wirier compared to the hair on his head? The reason for this is genetics and the hair follicle shape. Generally speaking, men have higher testosterone levels than women (obviously), and follicles on the face are

Yes, you read that correctly. You can wash your hair with CLAY!! I am loving this awesome clay and just how wonderful it makes my hair feel, so I thought I would share a mini focus on it here. The Cosmetic Properties Rhassoul Clay is loaded with many mineral components that are known to have extremely beneficial properties for both the hair and skin, and its' natural absorption ability allows deep, yet gentle cleaning of both. Rhassoul Clay acts only by absorption, and the

I have been fascinated by our ability to grow long hair and have often wondered why some women can grow long hair quite quickly, and others seem to struggle to do so. Personally, my hair has grown in length in the last 10 years from being quite a short, cropped style to now being hip length (long enough to get caught in the car door). I have used hair colour for many years but ceased this naughty (and expensive) practice and am now 'au naturel '. I also can't remember the

The History of Soap The creation of soap can be traced back to around 2800BC. Babylonians, Mesopotamians, Egyptians, as well as the ancient Greeks and Romans all made soap by mixing fat (usually animal fat), wood ash and water. Read an extensive history of Soap here . From its beginnings until the 1800s, soap making was monopolized by a few groups using exclusive techniques unknown to the general public. As the demand for soap was high (still is) this made the cost of soap

Essential oils are extracts from the roots, stems, leaves, bark, flowers, wood and resin of plants. They are highly concentrated oils consisting of volatile chemical compounds that contain the essence of the source from which they are extracted. Essential Oil Safety As many soap makers are inclined to create other products such as bath bombs, body scrubs, lotions and creams etc. it is important to note that all essential oils should be diluted in either a carrier oil or in a

Clays are wonderful ingredients for adding to cold process soap. They are reported to bind to essential and fragrance oils to assist...

Creating soap using the cold process method can be quite satisfying and very addictive. The cold process method is ideal for preserving the benefits of plant-derived oils and butters and can be customized down to the last ingredient! Step by Step Cold Process Soap Please read through the following prior to making your soap SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Lye or caustic soda is an alkaline chemical that can cause chemical burns to any exposed part of your skin. It is a dangerous and cor

The most abundant organic acid in lemons is citric acid. Lemons and lemon juice are one of the most concentrated sources of natural citric acid. A whole lemon contains about 3 grams of citric acid. Around 140 grams of lemon juice will contain roughly 6 grams of citric acid. Citric Acid in Soap Making ~ What's the Point? When citric acid and sodium hydroxide lye (NaOH) are combined, sodium citrate is created. Sodium citrate works as a chelator in soap. A chelator traps meta

Whether you use a traditional soap mold or some other container, you can calculate just how much soap you need to make to fill that particular mold. Soap Calculators ​There are a number of great online Lye/Soap Calculators to assist you in making sure that your soap batch is going to fit your mold. Click on the links below to check out these calculators to see which is your preferred option. LyeCalc (my favourite and the one I typically use when creating a new recipe) Soap

Handmade soap is often costly and worthy of taking a little effort to help make your investment last a little longer. ​ Keep your soap dry with a self-draining soap holder where the air can circulate around the bar Apply the soap bar to a washcloth or loofa and use that to lather yourself. Before use, store your soap in a cool, dry, preferably dark area. Avoid direct light, excessive heat, and humidity. Store scented soap in a container, such as a carboard soap box. Use your

I know, I know - what on earth am I doing placing a blog post on this subject when I haven't tried this since high school, where I can only remember three ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil and sodium hydroxide - yikes! This blog is aptly named 'The Creative's Blog' and I can't help myself - I try just about every genre of art and craft to expand my craftiness and keep myself deeply satisfied and informed regarding creativity options. I have been diligently researching this