I made a batch of soap a while back with lilac fragrance, following the directions precisely (which I rarely do with food recipes) and with heart a-flutter, I added the ultramarine violet color at the end. There's little I love more than pretty colors and floral scents. With my stick blender, I whipped the color throughout my soap mixture and poured it into the molds. Imagine my disappointment when my lilac scented soap looked tan-brown. That would have been fine if I were making sandalwood or a woody soap, but it was lilac...delicate, floral, deliciously dreamy lilac. Brown lilac wasn't what I had in mind.
I was disheartened. . .Maybe soap making wasn't for me.
It reminded me of when I saw a cake pictured on a magazine cover. "Easy as 1, 2, 3, dot, dot, dot." Wow, I can make that! So I collected all of the ingredients. After spending a week's worth of groceries for a family of six, I realized I couldn't go back so I charged ahead to make the cake.
Half an hour into the recipe, I realized that the "dot, dot, dot" that came after 1, 2, 3 were actually steps 86, 87 and 88. By this time, the kitchen was upside down, the kids were asking for the hundredth time about dinner and I had cinder blocks at the end of my ankles. No matter. I was going to finish this cake.
The finished project resembled something a six year-old would make in the backyard sandbox. Worse yet, it tasted like it, too. So, back to my soap. Brown colored lilac scented soap. Not a winner . . . until I took my yellow tinted goggles off. What a difference yellow makes! There before me was lavender colored soap. Beautiful, wonderful purple soap that smelled like a bush ablaze with lilac blooms. And so much easier than that elusive, super-duper cake. What joy. I did it.
This emboldened me to try more, risk more, experiment more, and to remember how wearing yellow goggles colors my soap.
I don't want the "colored goggles" of failure to keep me from taking risks, experimenting and exploring. When someone asked Thomas Edison about his failed attempts of inventing an incandescent light bulb, he said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."
I wonder how many inventions or discoveries were preempted because of fear of failure. Never give up~
Neem is a tree that originated in India and thrives in poor soil and damaged areas, which sounds perfect for our Georgia red clay except that it loves hot weather (up to 120F) and can tolerate infrequent cold spells (down to 35F). Every part of the tree is used in Ayurvedic medicine, an alternative medicine from India.
The more I learn about this tree, the more I incorporate it in my bath and body products. It does everything, but raise the dead. It's used: *to eliminate internal and external parasites, *for dental health, *as an insect repellant (for chewing and sucking insects), *as an antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal agent, *to eliminate dandruff, lice and scalp problems, *as a blood purifier, *for malarial treatment, *for heart disease and hypertension, *to heal ulcers, *to alleviate arthritis and inflammation, *for Diabetes, *for pneumonia, *for acne and other skin problems *as a spermicidal (DO NOT ingest this if you are pregnant or are trying to conceive) The picture above is of neem leaf powder that I bought for $3.79 at an Indian grocery store. You can also purchase it online. I use neem oil or powder in my "Shampooch" bar (dog shampoo bar) and in some bath products. (See links below. I have more in the pipeline that I'll be listing for sale soon.) You may have seen neem insecticide in the garden section of stores. While this repels and eventually kills bad bugs, it's harmless for people, pets and beneficial bugs. Amazing! When an insect ingests it, its hormonal system is messed up, causing the bug to forget to eat or mate. Eventually, the population dies out. So, if you can endure the time it takes, you will be rewarded with a bug-free yard that's also toxic-free. You can make a paste of the powder and use it to treat acne, or make it into a tea to treat intestinal problems. Its uses are versatile, a good staple item to have in your medicine drawer. Thankful to Him "who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy" and to be healthy. (I Tim. 6:17)
I'd like to hear your experience with neem, if you've used it.
Soap: https://www.etsy.com/listing/211888075/lavender-tea-tree-gentle-soap-lavender?ref=shop_home_active_11 Shampooch: https://www.etsy.com/listing/219461875/dog-shampoo-shampooch-dog-soap-dog-soap?ref=shop_home_active_22 Underarm lotion stick: https://www.etsy.com/listing/161023041/sale-while-supplies-last-underarm-lotion?ref=shop_home_active_22 - See more at: http://www.alphaomegasoaps.com/blog/whats-in-a-neem#sthash.JnW0jCoN.dpuf
Last week I posted a recipe for dishwasher detergent. (Here's the link: http://christinekenyon.blogspot.com/2015/04/diy-dishwasher-detergent.html) Following up is this recipe for laundry detergent that you can make yourself and is better for you, your clothes, the environment and is more economical than commercial laundry detergent. If you're like me, you're jumping straight to the recipe. For those still reading, here are four of the most toxic chemicals in commercial detergent: 1. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and/or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)2. 1,4-dioxane 3. NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate) 4. Phospates I'm not an expert in this, but I think that the prevalence of these toxins in so many cleaners and bath products (soaps, shampoos, liquid soap, etc.) is partly responsible for the spate of skin disorders and asthma. So, here's the recipe for Homemade Laundry Detergent: 1 (4 lb. 12 oz.) box of Borax 1 (3 lb. 7 oz.) box of Super Washing Soda 1 (3 lb.) container of OxyClean 2 (14.1oz.) bars of Zote or Fels Naptha soap, grated 1 (4 lb.) box of baking soda 2 (55 oz.) bottles of fabric enhancer crystals--optional Grate the soap, mix the ingredients together and store in a large bucket or double bagged garbage bag. To mix it more easily and evenly, spoon a layer of Borax, then Washing Soda, etc. and stir. Repeat this until it's all mixed. For top-loading machines, use 2-4 tablespoons; for front loading, use 1-2 tablespoons. I make laundry soap bars of 100% coconut oil and use that instead of Zote or Fels Naptha. The coconut oil soap bars are naturally highly cleansing and double as stain remover sticks. I also add eucalyptus essential oil, which is purported to help with grease and oil stains. Our clothes look and smell cleaner. If you try this out, let me know what you think. And, happy Soaping!
P.S.--I have this detergent for sale on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/227841004/eucalyptus-laundry-soap-laundry?ref=shop_home_active_22
Who doesn't love a tutorial that actually turns out the way it's touted? I found a DIY dishwasher detergent and made a batch. Even though the glasses were a little cloudy and speckled with automatic dishwasher memorabilia (the glass on the left), I asserted to my unimpressed family that this dishwasher detergent was natural and better for us than the store bought; however, behind closed doors, I agreed with them and was about to say "uncle" when I came across suggestions to improve the detergent. I ditched some things and added others and now have a recipe that leaves the dishes spotless (the glass on the right). It's easy to make, more economical than commercial detergent, and is better for you and the environment. (Do not use this on fine china or silverware, something we don't have to worry about.) So, here it is: 1 cup Borax 1 cup Washing Soda 5 packets unsweetened lemonade or 1/4 cup citric acid 1/4 cup Oxyclean Mix together and keep in an airtight container. Use one tablespoon per load, plus a squirt of liquid dish detergent. And when the load is done, you can show off your spotless dishes. If you have hard water (which will leave a milky film on your glasses), add 1/2 cup kosher salt to the recipe. Also, I tried the citric acid, but prefer the lemonade. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. (For natural bath and body products, check out my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlphaOmegaSoaps )
