Beer Shampoo

Our Beer Shampoo was reviewed with good results. Read about it here

What's New.!?

We have been soaping for the last past two days and still have a ways to go. We are gearing up for the new year as we prepare to phase out many of our fragranced based products and replace them with skin care treats scented with premium essential oils. Why? It is simple! We want to offer our customers the best product(s) that are formulated from as many plant-derived ingredients as possible. Not only will you see more essential oil scented body care products, you will also see new packaging for our soaps. We are nixing the soap boxes for 1) to help our customers save on shipping and 2) our new packaging will allow customers to see the product. What is the soap packaging replacement? Well, you’ll have to wait and see come the first of the year or you may visit us at Sanderson High School annual Christmas Craft Show on December 6 & 7. We plan to have our new packaging on display provided our old stock is “sold out” at the Christmas Carousel at the Jim Graham Building at the Raleigh Fairgrounds the weekend after Thanksgiving (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Here are a few of our new soaps. Oh, did we forget. We also have a new recipe for our soaps. Not that the old one was bad, but we wanted to incorporate Safflower oil for its moisturizing, nourishing and restructuring properties. And your skin is going to love it. Well here are a handful of our new soaps

New Clean Cut Soap

Our Clean Cut soap has more to offer than just a sensual smell. It is a gentle, pure and natural way to shave, bath and/or shampoo your hair. Great for shaving beards, legs, underarms or any place else that needs a razor smooth cut. The addition of mineral clays allows a smooth razor glide and a silky feel, while the Avocado oil and Cocoa butter lend a generous dose of moisture. Its beautiful aroma is anchored with a spicy, yet sensual essential oil blend of Sweet Basil, Pink Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon and Lime that can be appreciated by both male and female. Special Hint: Great for bathing and shampooing hair too.

Gift Sets Under $10

Come and check out our $15 and under gift sets for the Holiday season. Our gift packs are an affordable and excellent way to show that special someone you care. Great for co-workers, mail carriers, neighbors, hostesses gifts, and anyone else who loves and appreciates anything and everything handmade.

SLASHED PRODUCTS & PRODUCTS FOR THE NEW YEAR

We are gearing up for the holiday season and the new year, therefore, we have slashed prices on many of our products. Please check out our bargain bin for unbelievable prices on fabulous products.

Also, here is a sneak peek on what we have in store for the upcoming year:

1. New Hair Care Line (the feedback we have received from our testers has been remarkable. We hope you will enjoy our new hair care line as much as they did)

2. Olive & Honey Lotion – many of our customer remember the wonderfully moisturizing body lotion that we once offered in only one scent, Honey Almond. Due to the many request and us filling special orders for this lotion, we have decided to bring it back by popular demand, but with a twist. That twist is you will be able to order it in many of our fragrances you have come to love


3. Hand & Feet Rescue Repair – we have had this super nice cream on the market before as Glycerin Hand Cream. We will be reintroducing this as it is a fabulous product that not only keeps the hands soft and pretty, but is also excellent for the feet. This product is great for anyone who wants to minimize the application of hand creams after washing their hands

4. Shampoo Bars – for the longest time we only offered our Botanical Shampoo bar, which have done extremely well. We now have a Beer version of our Botanical Shampoo bar that has all the same benefits of our Botanical bar, but with the inclusion of beer. Now, for the New Year, we will have two shampoo bars, one that is geared towards dry hair, which will contain marsh mallow root extract, honey and a few other goodies. In addition, we are formulating one that is recommended for oily to normal hair. It will have lemon juice, chamomile tea and an essential oil blend that is out of this world.

New Hair Line in 2009

We have been mad busy the last past 3 weeks trying to get our hair care line in the hands of our testers (actually we have been working on this line for well over a year now). We anticipate launching in early to mid 2009 a hair care line that will nourish your hair with the best that nature has to offer, but in order to do so we need help from ALL of YOU. Here is how you can play an extremely important part. First, just let us know you would like to test our new products by sending an email to karesskrafters@yahoo.com. Second, take notes of how your hair performs while using each item. Lastly, send us anonymous, honest feedback via email or mail (this information will be included with the testers). Once all 3 steps are complete, we will take all feedback into consideration before offering our new hair care line to the public.

Here is a little information about what we will be offering:

Burdock & Neem Shampoo – a gentle and mild hair cleanser loaded with soothing and nourishing botanicals along with the miraculous African Black Soap

Herbal Hair Rinse – rid your tresses of any residue, while conditioning with natural ingredients

Burdock & Horsetail Leave-In Conditioning Spray – protect your hair from the harsh environment elements while maintaining healthy strong hair with a few squirts.

Herbal Hemp Hairdressing – great for protecting hair ends to minimize split ends and excellent for massaging scalp with natural oils and herbs

Hair Food Elixir – enhance your tresses and/or body with natural oils and herbs

Aloe & Flax Sculpting – need to add more volume or hold to your hair, but don’t want to use a product loaded with alcohol and synthetically derived ingredients. Then this is just right for you. We’ve taken natural Aloe Vera gel in a flax seed concoction with panthenol. Wheat protein and jojoba oil to nourish and protect your tresses .

Cocoa Butter Series of Products

New Products with Loads of Cocoa Butter!

Generally, we do not introduce new products until the new year, but we had to make these items available to you...a new line of products that has a heaping amount of cocoa butter for the most driest skin!

I am not sure how your childhood was, but for me whenever I would get a scrape or burn, my mom would always put cocoa butter on my wound everyday until the scar literally faded away. The cocoa butter not only healed my wounds (and I had many of them), it also toned my skin and moisturized it all at the same time. Thank goodness for a natural miracle product such as cocoa butter that has been used in skin care formulations for centuries.

Our Cocoa Butter is pure, food grade, prime pressed, golden butter obtained from the cocoa bean that has a beautiful, rich aroma of dark chocolate. It is a natural vegetable fat that melts on contact and is most often used to

• soften and lubricate skin
• help prevent and minimize stretch marks
• protect dry, chapped, sensitive skin
• heal wounds
• soothe irritated skin
• great for skin conditions, such as eczema
• helps skin reatin moisture (perfect for winter months)
• and MORE!

Take the time to care for your skin by cleansing with one of our moisturizing Butter Bars made with a generous amount of cocoa butter, then protect your precious skin from the harsh environmental elements with our Cocoa Butter Cream or our luxurious Whipped Honey-Cocoa Body Butter. This delightful whipped butter begins with prime-pressed cocoa butter, shea butter, a dab of mango butter, intertwined with avocado, macadamia, rice bran and um, um, good coconut oil infused with Mexican Vanilla Beans. Whipped Honey-Cocoa is an all natural body cream with a silky smooth texture that melts on contact. Don't forget those puckers. Keep them nice and moist with our Cocoa-Vanilla Lip Balm.

Lime Ale Beer Soap (made with real beer)

We have been hearing about BEER being used as the water portion during soap making. Of course our first thoughts were, yuck that would be an awful smell from the beer and sodium hydroxide and WHO would want to smell like BEER? Thankfully, neither was the case. Our finished Lime Ale soap smells nothing like beer. It has a beautiful aroma of lime with a hint of sandalwood due to the special blend that we created strictly for Lime Ale. And, the soap making process did not yield a yucky aroma, it was quite pleasant.

We wish we could take credit for thinking of adding beer to soaps, but we can’t, however, we can certainly take credit for our signature recipe of olive, coconut, palm, castor, soybean and shea butter. All of these skin-loving edible oils intertwined with the benefits of hops found in Beer yield a wonderful cleansing and moisturizing bar of soap. Since beer is primarily hops, many of this herb’s properties and benefits become a skin cleansing asset when added to soap and promotes clear skin. So why not get yourself a bar on Etsy or our online store.

Garner Creations for ALL your PROMO NEEDS!

We received our promo Scratch and Win cards last week from Garner Creations. Boy, when we opened the package and saw how nicely they turned out we were all oohing and aahhing. Garner Creations has a shop on Etsy as well as a website. They do great work, very professional, great communication, reliable service and FAST shipping. Everyone (we would imagine) in business knows how great it is to find a company who can not only deliver in a timely manner but also do exceptionally good work. Garner Creations is only one town over from where we live, which is a BIG PLUS to us because we LOVE to support LOCAL crafters. Thanks Garner Creations for a FABULOUS product and of course we will be back for more.

**Note** We have not taken a picture of the actual cards yet, but we will once we put them with the samples we intend to send in for September’s The Little Black Box give away. The picture here is a copy of the proof Garner Creations sent to us before printing.

Lip Balms Placed 3rd Place

Recently, we submitted two of our best seller lip balms (Lavanilla and Mango) to Products of the Day for a contest they were hosting. Boy were we surprised that we placed in this contest because the competition was tight. Shortly after the winners were announced we received quite a few orders for our lip balm both on Etsy and our Main Site. One of the buyers, who we did not know at the time, was one of the competitors in the contest. Not only did we get rave reviews from the folks over at Products By the Day, we also we receive excellent compliments from one of the contestants. We're not sure how you may feel about it, but we feel REAL GOOD. You can find out more about it here

Butter Bars Made with Cocoa and Shea Butters

NEW!

Our butter bars are formulated in small batches using the cold-process method with YOUR beautiful skin in mind! We use only premium vegetable oils along with African Fair Trade shea and cocoa butters for their skin softening and moisturizing properties. Cocoa butter absorbs quickly into the skin to soften, lubricate, moisten and nourish the skin while shea butter penetrates into the skin to help provide a lasting protection. Each bar is enhanced with a beautiful aroma derived from quality fragrance oils and enlighten with approved colorant or herbs.

Rid Summer Blues with Blue Passion

This month's featured scent is Blue Passion, which can be found in our wholesome olive-based handmade soaps, luxurious bath bombs, hydrating lotion and jojoba-based roll on perfume. Talk about layering your scent! Well, you will certainly be buried in a beautiful aroma that is offered in an array of fabulous products.

So why not..........

Soak
Cleanse
Moisturize and
Smell Good All Day Long

with an aroma that is beyond SEXY! It has a delightful harmony of toasted caramelized sugar and vanilla blended with woodsy notes of cedar and Tonka beans. You will surely please your senses and those around you!

Lip Balm

What is a lip balm?

According to Wikipedia, a lip balm is a substance topically applied to the lips of the mouth to relieve chapped or dry lips, and cold sores. And guess what? Our lip balms do just that. Our lip balm, which is often referred to as lip smacker, is not your ordinary lip treatment. It is made with wholesome ingredients that will moisturize dry lips with just the right amount of glide while lending a staying power that lasts longer than most balms. Each lip balm is hand produced in our home and come choked full of beeswax, sweet almond oil (or apricot kernel), hempseed oil, castor oil, shea butter, Vitamin E and irresistible flavor/essential oils with no artificial color. A perfect treat for those who want to pamper and nourish their lips with the finest oils, butters and flavor nature can provide. Our lip balm is Da Bomb and others feel the same way.

Recently our lip balms placed 3rd in the Best Lip Balm contest hosted by Products of the Day. We were very delighted to receive this honor as we were among many crafters who have taken their businesses globally (we didn’t think we would top them). To be able to stand out from what we consider some of the big guys makes us feel extremely proud of what we do. You can read all about it here

Blue Passion Da' Bomb

Da’Bombs are different than the others on the market!
Think of Da’bombs as a combination of fizzing, scenting, and moisturizing all wrapped together in a 2.5” ball that is handmade fresh daily and eager to get into the tub with you! Create a relaxing and soothing spa experience in your own bathroom without spending a fortune. Da’Bombs are not only therapeutic but are a fun addition to any bathtub. Containing shea butter to moisturize the skin and Sodium Bicarbonate to soothe, Da’Bombs are a great way to enjoy a relaxing bath. *Note Da’Bombs are an excellent way to enjoy a foot soak!

How It Benefits You:

1. Soothing and relaxing
2. Highly Moisturizing (no need for lotion after bathing)
3. Loads of minerals and vitamins

Fragrance: This fragrance is the long awaited marriage to our famous Sugar Passion fragrance that is way beyond SEXY! This sweet unisex fragrance opens with a delightful harmony of toasted caramelized sugar and vanilla blended with woodsy notes of cedar and warm Tonka beans. The heart of the fragrance is nicely balanced with Patchouli, Licorice, French Lavender, Heliotrope and Coriander and freshened with crisp bergamot and mandarin with dried down notes of mandarin and anise.

Botanical ShamPOO Bar

It’s not easy being GREEN, which is why we (Karess Krafters) went on a quest to create a GREEN shampoo. We began our research because we often wondered why our hair always appeared to look unclean after it had been washed several times. It always appeared weighed down or heavy without any volume. Well, thankfully we found the answer. It was the type of shampoo and conditioner we were using. We will not give any product details of the items we poured down the drain many years ago, but we will say that they were commercial items that caused a build-up that did not rinse away with wash after wash.

So the ultimate question is Do you read the labels of your shampoo? Or better yet, Do you know what is in your shampoo? Probably not, because most of the ingredients listed on shampoos are long with words that spell check cannot fix, let alone the online Webster tool pronouncing it for you. Not only are the ingredients full of big words, the front label (the one that really catches the eye) says “Lather Up and Rinse”. Umm! Sounds simple enough…right? This task is so simple that it fails to mention that rather than “clarifying” and “de-frizzing”, your simple “Lather Up and Rinse” shampoo may be washing chemicals in your hair oppose to out of your hair, which is why we created a very simple all natural Botanical Shampoo Bar made from ingredients that can be found in your local Health Food Store or even your local grocer.

Our Botanical Shampoo Bar is formulated with botanicals, rich vegetable oils and premium essential oils that your hair will love and appreciate. Here are a few benefits from some of the ingredients found in our shampoo bar:

1.Olive Oil – nourishes, conditions, and improves the strength and elasticity of hair
2.Coconut Oil – great for dry, itchy scalp
3.Avocado Oil – rich in vitamins and excellent for dry hair
4.Hempseed Oil – the riches source of EFAs (essential fatty acids) that increases volume, elasticity, softness and shine
5.Castor Oil – penetrates deep to soften hair, provides moisture and restores natural sheen.
6.Rosemary Herb – encourages hair growth
7.Burdock Root – soothes irritated scalp
8.Nettle – reduces itchiness
9.Chamomile – soothes irritated scalp

We have included a lot of “earth-friendly” ingredients in our Botanical ShamPOO bar that cleanses gently and thoroughly, without harsh detergents that can strip hair. They are also packed with botanicals, African Fair Trade Shea Butter, and Premium Essential Oils to help maintain moisture. To use, saturate hair well, and separate into sections. Then work bar into a lather directly on your scalp, and work the mild lather through the hair. For best storage, keep bar dry between uses.

Note: Please ensure that you rid your hair from any product build-up. To do this, mix ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to 1 gallon of distilled water. Shampoo and rinse as usual. Pour 2 cups over the scalp and let mixture saturate your hair. Finish with a cold-water rinse. Store any left over mixture in a refrigerator and use it every couple of weeks.

Goat's Milk Citrus Blossom Glycerine Soap

After many months of researching and testing we are pleased to announce our new line of Goat’s Milk Glycerin soap. Goat’s Milk contains over 50 nutrients, including the vital vitamins of A, B, and E, minerals, calcium, and amino acids along with a variety of other nutrients that nourish and revitalize dehydrated skin. It also has a pH level similar to our own which protects the skin from harmful bacteria and chemicals. Goat’s Milk and glycerin works extremely well together by bringing the natural vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbable to the skin.

Why Use Goat’s Milk Soap?

1. It is noted as the most highly sought after soap for its legendary skin healing and moisturizing properties.
2. Generates a creamy lather that nourishes the skin and leaves your skin silky smooth with a soft feel
3. Milk has long been used for its moisturizing properties and is an ancient beauty treatment. Cleopatra was known for her beautiful skin resulting from her famous milk baths.
4. Has AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) which breaks down the glue holding dead skin cells together. AHA is well known for softening skin and leaving it rejuvenated for a youthful appearance.
5. pH level is similar to our skin, which helps protect the skin from bacteria and chemicals.
6. It is noted that people with skin conditions, such as eczema, are frequent users of Goat’s Milk soap.

Try a bar or two of our Goat’s Milk Glycerin soap TODAY in A beautiful, clean summer-y aroma of grapefruit blossom with hints of mandarin

FIRST ANNUAL YART SALE ON ETSY, JUN 11 - 20

Today kicks off the First Annual Summer “Yart Sale” Kickoff on Etsy. The sale will run from Wednesday, June 11 to Friday, June 20.

What is Etsy?

Etsy is an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Their mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers that would build a new economy and present a better choice. Buy, Sell and Live Handmade!

What is Yart Sale?
Yart Sale is an Artistic Slant to a traditional Yard Sale.

How do I find Yart Sale items?

To find Yart Sale items go to Etsy’s homepage and type “yart” in the search box and choose the appropriate category from the Etsy drop down menu (handmade, supplies, vintage or all items) to view and purchase items you’re looking for.

Do I have to be a member to purchase from Etsy?

Yes and best of all it is FREE and will allow you to shop for unique handmade items found around the world in one convenient place. Happy Shopping!

Be sure to check out our Yart Sale

Apple Spice Handmade Soap

Add a little spice to your life with our new soap “Apple Spice”. Formulated in small batches using vegetable base oils of olive, palm, coconut, soybean and castor oil along with a hearty helping of African Fair Trade Shea Butter, this soap will surely uplift your senses and perk up your skin! It has a spicy aroma that is refreshing, yet warm and cozy all at the same time. The delightful blend opens with the crisp, tart goodness of apples with added zing of orange peel that is topped off with the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It is by all means a wonderful long lasting fragrance that can be appreciated anytime of year.

Oil Benefits found in Apple Spice
* Castor Oil is rich in fatty acids and is soothing and lubricating. It is a humectant that attracts moisture to the skin that lends emolliency to our soaps

* Coconut Oil will not clog pores and absorbs readily into the skin as it provides wonderful fluffy lather to our recipe.

* Olive Oil is a good cell regenerator that attracts external moisture to the skin and still permits the skin to properly release sweat, shed dead skin and release sebum.

* Palm contributes to the hardness of bar soap thus making it last longer

* Shea Butter is reputed for its ability to moisturize and retain the elasticity of the skin.

* Soybean has long been cultivated for its protein which makes an effective moisturizing agent.

Give your skin the attention it deserves by Karessing and Cleansing Naturally. After all it does make SCENTS!

Researching and Formulating

Today was a day of researching and formulating. Tonight, I jumped in and made another test batch of Jojoba-Mint Natural Shampoo made in a base of coconut, castor and jojoba oils with hints of mint and Panthenol. If this batch passes our test (meaning if our willing, tried and true testers say “yay”) then it will be available by mid Fall. Just in time for the gift-giving season. We also have been working behind the scenes formulating a Hair Pomade that would not only benefit the hair but the skin as well (not sure what we will call it). As of today’s date it is has passed all the test phases (thank God!). If all goes well with our Jojoba-Mint Shampoo, the Hair/Body Butter (Pomade) will be available by mid Fall as well. The best thing about both products is they both are all natural, handmade in the USA and will be available for local pick-up at Locs of Love in Raleigh.

Since my mind was in overdrive and I have spent nearly 4 hours making the Jojoba-Mint Shampoo, I had to find something fun to do while I waited for the soap paste to do its thing. Anyways, I created two items that will be included in every order once they are printed and in our hands. This is something we are already doing, but wanted to spruce it up a bit. We will have a Soap Pamphlet printed that tells a little about our soaps and how to maintain them. In addition, we will be printing a new post card to include in every order that offers customers 15% off of their next online purchase (only one use per customer). The good thing about this is customers who have already taken advantage of this offer will receive a new card with a new code. This could not come at a better time with everything around us sky-rocketing. Many of us can appreciate a DISCOUNT!

Gardening and Cleansing

Yesterday was work in the garden day. Hubby and I planted some beautiful flowers in a corner in our backyard. We plan to turn it into a meditation area complete with a hammock and water fall. It will be a quiet area where we can go to clear our minds, collect out thoughts, and rejuvenate the thinking process. Of course after spending hours in the sun working with soil I felt really gritty and grimy so I was in desperate need of a good soak and my body, particularly my arm pits, thanked me for it. My hair was in need of some TLC also. So here is what I did:

1. I washed my hands with our Garden & Kitchen soap which contains cornmeal and grits that gently scrubbed my soiled hands clean and gave a nourished, polished look due to the hearty helping of shea butter.

2. Since my hair requires what I consider a pro-long rinse (rinsing hair for about 15 minutes after it’s washed), I have to wash my hair in the shower. I ran a warm, others would say hot, shower and just stood under the shower head while allowing the warm water to open my pores. I stood there for about 5 minutes. Then I grabbed my favorite shampoo Rosemary Mint from LaVida Given By Nature and used only a quarter size to wash my entire head of hair, which is dreaded and about shoulder length. This shampoo is so concentrated that only a small amount is needed to produce loads of lather, which gets my hair squeaky clean. Therefore, you save money and most importantly it is all natural and Vegan friendly. Be sure to get yourself a bottle TODAY!

3. So after washing my hair with loads of lather, I just stood under the shower head for about 20 minutes allowing the water to rinse the lather away and allowing my body to relax. I followed by washing my body with our Sunshine Handmade Soap that really gave my grimy, gritty body a good cleanse. The olive-based bar left my skin feeling very hydrated and the beautiful aroma from a proprietary essential oil blend allow my senses to continue to appreciate a natural aroma (remember the first natural aroma was from the flowers planted, then the Rosemary Shampoo, now the Sunshine soap).

4. My cleaning regime was not over. I had to protect and nourish my hair, so of course I used my favorite Ginger Juice and Berries from Lavida Given By Nature on my naturally dreaded hair. It has the perfect balance, not too thick, too oily or too heavy. Just the right amount of herbs and oils that coat and protect my hair from the environmental elements while still nourishing and strengthening my hair.


So check out Karess Krafters and Lavida Given By Nature to get yourself a natural cleanse from head to toe.

Cast A Spell

Cast A Spell is a very romantic fragrance that mixes a sweet bouquet of mandarin, bergamot and orange enhanced by luscious hints of peach and berries with an undertone of musk. A true aroma that is soft and sensual just in time for hot summer weather. Enjoy the wonderful fragrance with our wonderful bath bombs while relaxing in your tub full of shea butter after a long day. Then lather up with this beautiful aroma with our gentle and mild olive-based handmade soap. Typically after bathing with our bath bomb a moisturizer is not required, however, if you desire to slather yourself with pure moisture-binding luxury our SheaMonoi is perfect for your hydration needs. Available in a clean crisp fragrance or enjoy the natural aroma from its quality ingredients.

Why Handmade Soap?

So what is the big deal with Handmade Soap and why should we use it?

Well, commercially made soap usually contains detergents, fillers, chemicals, petroleum, high animal fat content, and irritants. Thus making them less eco friendly and generally less expensive that impacts your skin and the environment in a less than desirable way.

Natural handmade soaps popularity is growing. Many people are beginning to discover the benefits of handmade, chemical free soaps. Handmade natural soaps are made with vegetable oils, have a high content of glycerin, and are better for you and the environment. In addition, no fillers or detergents are added for the sake of cutting cost and they are never tested on animals.

Benefits of Handmade Soap
• Are noted for healing those with skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema
• People who have sensitive skin or are hypoallergenic often times find immediate relief
• Most handmade soaps are made from vegetable oils, such as olive, coconut and palm
• Do not contain harmful chemical or fillers
• Has natural occurring glycerin (which is often extracted from commercial soap and repackaged in higher priced beauty products)
• Gives your skin the care it deserves. By the way, the skin is the largest human organ
• Bathing is gentle and soothing
• If stored properly, it can last twice as long as commercial soap


As you can see, using a bar of luxurious handmade soap makes sense. It is not only good for you and your skin; it is good for the environment.

Soapmaking Methods

Often times we get asked the question, how do you make soap? We simply answer our soaps are made by combining oils (olive, palm, coconut, etc.) with sodium hydroxide. Once the ingredients are combined, a chemical reaction takes place called saponification. The final result is soap, which is technically Sodium Palmitate (a salt) that has natural occurring glycerin in it (glycerol). So now that the process is out there, so what method do we use and how many are there? Well, you can make soap using the Cold Process (our preferred method), Hot Process or Melt & Pour method. Obviously, like everything each method has its pros and cons. So we will attempt to give you a brief overview of each, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Cold Process

If you have heard stories about Grandma’s soap, then the method she used is “Cold Process” often referred to as “CP” soap. It is made by combining fatty acids (olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, etc.) together with sodium hydroxide (lye). All ingredients are then blended together until what is known as trace (everything is well mixed with no streaks of remaining oil) occurs. Most soapers add fragrance/essentials, color, herbs, etc. at the point. Once all ingredients are blended together, the soap is poured into molds. It then set up in the mold until hard enough to remove (generally within 24 hours). After it is removed, it is then cut and set out to cure for a minimum of 4 weeks before it is ready to use. During the curing process the soap hardens thus allowing for a mild, gentle bar of soap. Just like fine wine, the longer the soap cures, the better it is.


Pros:
• Control over ingredients to use
• Ability to enhance bar with color swirls and layers.

Cons:
• Cure time
• Precise measuring
• Sodium Hydroxide (lye) can cause severe chemical burn and should be stored carefully, particularly away from small children.

Hot Process or HP

In essence this method is the same as cold process, but heat is applied to accelerate saponification. The soap is therefore, thoroughly cooked until saponification is complete. Once this is achieved, the soap is then scooped into molds. We use the word scoop because often times HP soap, once it is cooked, is like gooey, taffy that can be difficult to transfer from the cooking pot to the mold. However, the cure time is not nearly as long as CP soap making.

Pros:
• Shorten cure time, can generally used right after unmolding
• Just as CP, complete control over ingredients to use


Cons:
• Color/design control is limited
• Need to work extremely fast because soap can rise out of pot
• Just as CP, Sodium Hydroxide (lye) concern

Melt and Pour or MP

MP soapmaking is made from a soap base. However, each soap base is not created equal. Therefore, many MP soap crafters have searched out and tested many bases that offer the same beneficial, skin-loving ingredients found in soaps made from the CP or HP method, which yields a mild, gentle bar of soap. In addition, the eye appeal creation is limitless.

Pros:
• Can use soap immediately
• No use of Sodium Hydroxide

Cons:
• Limited to base of choice

Shea Monoi - the ultimate natural moisturizer

Our SheaMonoi is the ultimate all natural moisturizer for your skin. Its light and fluffy texture is derived from the highest quality; naturally extracted African Fair Trade unrefined shea butter.

We begin our SheaMonoi with 80% of unrefined shea butter. Then we add Monoi de Tahiti Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, and Vitamin E. Once all ingredients are carefully weighed, it is double whipped into the consistency of frosting making it a luxurious cream with a light, silky smooth texture that melts into your skin on contact, thus creating an intensive moisturizer to pamper your skin. You can enjoy the natural aroma from the fine ingredients or a fresh, clean aroma.

This product is highly concentrated, so a very little goes a long, long way. Be sure to apply less than what you’d need and you’ll be pleasantly surprised as to how far a dab will go.

Benefits:

Unrefined Shea Butter – restore skin’s natural elasticity, protect from UV rays, help prevent stretch marks, nourish hair and scalp.

Monoi de Tahiti Oil – beautifully scented, penetrates and hydrates

Virgin Coconut Oil – yummy aroma of coconut, moisturizes and protects skin and hair


Recommended Uses:
Massage
Daily Body Moisturizing
Dry Skin Relief
Irritated Skin (unscented only)
Razor Burns
Chapped, Red skin
Sunburn
Eczema (unscented)

May is all about the Feet

Too many of us are inclined to forget that we have feet until something brings our attention to them, such as exposing our toes through peep-toe shoes. Walking with confidence in your flip flops or strutting in your strappy pumps with charming to the eye beautifully formed feet is only moments away with Karess Krafters foot care line. Just in time for the summer shoe season!

A good foot care regimen includes: soak, scrub, wash, dry and moisturize

Soaking your feet helps soften the skin and allows the botanicals and oils to penetrate while you pamper yourself as well as take care of your feet. The nicest foot soak to use are the ones with Dead Sea Salt and mint because the salt draws out impurities, relieve swelling and comfort tired feet while the mint refreshes your tootsies. Our Foaming Foot Soak is a well-balanced formula with hints of mint, Dead Sea Salt and botanicals that lavishly soften, condition, and revitalize feet.

Following an invigorating foot soak, wash and exfoliate with our Pumice Foot Soap that has been formulated with natural exfoliants of blue cornmeal, pumice, and walnut shell to help improve rough and calloused areas of your feet. The inclusion of Cocoa and Shea butters lends a moisturizing, yet gentle soap for sore feet and hardened heels combined with Tea Tree essential oil because of its reported natural infection-fighting properties that ultimately reduce foot odor. *Note: the use of a pumice stone may be required for stubborn calluses.

After you have soaked, washed and exfoliated your feet, it is very important to dry your feet thoroughly, especially between your toes.

Finally, use our Lemon-Mint Foot Balm to moisturize and soothe your feet. Our formula is designed for rough, dry, peeling or cracked feet. The beneficial and healing addition of the miraculous Emu oil, skin-loving Fair Trade African Shea Butter and moisture-binding Jojoba oil lends an extremely rich and penetrating balm that will revive your feet. *Note: If you are doing this at night, a special treat is to heavily apply the balm and then put on cotton socks to allow plenty of time for the ingredients to absorb.

Come See Us

Where: Bond Park, Cary, NC
When: Sat, April 26, 2008, 9 - 5
What: Spring Daze

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Local Artist to look for:
Karess Krafters
Brooks Boutique
Orange Cat Art
Cork & Cotton
Vintage Scrap

April is about Karess-My-Face

It is April and it is all about getting your face in radiant order for the warm months to come with our Karess-My-Face product line. This month we will share tips on how to care for your skin and introduce our facial care line that will help you achieve your skin goals.

Your skin is the largest organ of your body that can be damaged by what it is exposed to and is closely dependent on what you eat. Before deciding on what to do with your skin, you will need to find out what skin type you have, which may be sensitive, oily, normal, combination or has been damaged due to the sun and the heat.

The basic facial care regimen should contain: cleaning, toning and moisturizing

Step 1: Cleanse

Cleaning the skin is one the easiest things you can do. You’ll need to find a cleanser that will give you good results without causing your skin to become irritated.


Our Karess-My-Face facial bar gently cleans and exfoliates all at the same time. The addition of rosehip powder deeply removes dead skin cells, while leaving the complexion clean, refreshed and best of all healthy looking. For an even deeper radiant glow, the use of our complexion brush with boars bristles will stimulate lathering action from our facial bar, ensuring a deep, thorough cleansing. Don’t want to lather up to get a good cleanse, then try our Honey O' facial cleanser in a convenient dispensing bottle.

Our Karess-My-Face Honey O’ cleanser is formulated for sensitive skin with organic aloe juice, oat extract, wheat protein, glycerin, honey and other skin-loving agents to assist in cleaning, lubricating, healing, protecting and moisturizing your skin so that it may function properly. Properly functioning skin is beautiful, clear, and glowing and makes your skin stand out from the rest.

Tip: If you wear makeup, you should carry out the routine of cleaning, toning and moisturizing each evening, as well as washing the face in the morning.

Step 2: Tone

Toners main power lies in their ability to wipe away any traces of dirt, make-up or cleanser that remain after cleansing. Of course, the majority of residue are removed during washing, but following up with a toner finishes the job. It balances skin pH, and tones your complexion while maximizing your skin’s capacity to absorb your favorite moisturizer. Our Botanical Toner brings Organic Aloe Vera juice together with an array of extracts and glycerin to soothe and balance the skin. Cucumber extract moisturizes and restores radiance, while organic black willowbark extract aids in skin renewal.

Tip: Use morning and evening after cleansing to refresh, tone and deep-clean pores

Sept 3: Moisturize


Without moisture, the skin will not remain smooth and supple. The face is exposed to the drying effect of the weather, so moisturizers - which form a film over the skin - contain and augment the natural moisture. Our Karess-My-Face Orchid Facial Serum is an amazing cocktail of natural oils and emollients working in perfect harmony to add moisture to your skin and regenerate new cells, while improving skins elasticity, hydration and smoothness.

Tip: Apply to damp skin (face and neck)immediately after toning

While supplies last, we are offering our facial care products in trial sizes packaged in a convenient take along bag. The set includes a facial bar, honey o' cleanser, toner and serum, just enough product to get a feel of our facial line. As always, spot test any new product.

Designer Market Downtown Raleigh

School has been kicking me in the rear this semester, thankfully it is Spring Break for me and I can get some much needed work complete. Before we get into what has been happening with Karess Krafters, let me say this year is starting off with a BANG! We have tripled the amount of business from what we did last year and have been getting orders via our home site (www.karesskrafters.com) weekly. We have also had quite a few interests on how etsy site (www.ccrafters.etsy.com). So what is new?

We have brought back our Aloe Body Wash that is a 2-in-1. It can be used as a body wash or a shampoo, which is an all in one treat for a remarkable price of $4.99. Enjoy Aloe Vera Juice with Glycerin and Extracts of Lavender and Chamomile. A true treat that will work your body from head-to-toe!

Also, our long anticipated wait for a full facial care line is over. In addition to our well-received Karess-My-Face Facial bar with Rosehip powder, we have added a Honey ‘O facial cleanser, Botanical Toner, and our super, super, nice Orchid Serum. Give your face the fresh, radiant, and most important healthy glow it deserves.

If you’re in the Downtown Raleigh area of NC on Saturday, March 22, come check us and many other indie shoppers (see list to the left) at the Designers Downtown Market on West St.

Pix of Latest Soapmaking for the New Year

Well during the Christmas and New Year holiday, I was soaping like crazy. Wanted to get a headstart on soaps for the upcoming craft season as well as try out some new soap flavors. Anyway, here are is pic of our newest flavor, B. Paradise