New Product Spotlight ::: Soap Savers

Ever go to take a shower or bath and your handmade soap is stuck to the soap dish or still soggy from the last time you used it? I have, and it's not really that pleasant. Some soaps are softer than others depending on the main oils used, and I would like to think that my bars are long lasting, yet gentle, but water is still an enemy of handmade soap. Here to save the day are my very heroic Soap Savers. Doing two jobs in one, they are not just a pretty face (although, if I do say myself, they are pretty nice looking).

These guys are all made from 100% cotton and hang from your shower head, or any little spot with a hook. They let the air circulate around the soap, helping it to dry quicker, therefore making it last longer. These soap savers won't only save you your soap, but they'll help keep money in your pocket by making your soap last that much longer. Another great thing about these guys is that they are also a built in washcloth. Just slip in the soap and scrub away all that dirt and grime. You don't even have to grab a washcloth, saving you time and laundry (a great thing for the mom in your life).

They come in a range of different colors, 4 currently available, fitting all the different cuts of soap I currently carry (including round, heart, travel size, and my bigger bars. They are approximately 3 by 5 inches, and cinch at the top, keeping your soap from falling out during all the scrubbing.

Add one of these Soap Savers to your shower today! Only 4 dollars at cloud9bathbody.com- and while you're there, grab a soap or two to put in it!

Facebook and a Giveaway

Hello Fellow Soap Lovers! Did you know I am on Facebook? Well, I am. If you like to know what is being made in my soap kitchen, and hence, what will soon be available on my website, then you should "like" me on Facebook.

Plus, once my Cloud 9 Bath & Body page hits 50 "likes" I will be giving away a soap basket worth over 20 dollars!! You can't miss this. Whether for yourself or to giveaway as gifts during the Holidays, this is a gift worth going after. So head on over...you won't be disappointed.

Holiday Season!!

{Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer Soap}

The Holidays will soon be upon us and that means the busy time of the season for us artisanal soap makers. I have been in my soap kitchen a lot the past week whipping up bars of soap for family, friends and customers. I say {but maybe I'm a bit biased} that soap is the perfect holiday gift. No, it isn't a giant T.V or any electronic that may be on your wishlist, but it is a vacation. A trip to a place I like to call paradise. Depending on your taste it could be a relaxing bath with Lavender {soap or bath salts, that's up to you} or an invigorating shower with Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer soap. Whatever your choice {Citrusy, deep, energizing} it is a vacation away from the everyday. Starting your day off on a positive note can have a huge effect on the rest of your day. When I "wake up on the wrong side of the bed" nothing seems to go right for the whole day- but a shower to wash away that bad start and breathe fully for a second can turn it around in the 10 {okay, maybe 15} minutes it takes me to shower. That shower is my do-over, the saving grace of my day.

 

And....you can give that to someone for Christmas. It isn't just another present, but peace of mind. It isn't another thing to store away, but a sliver that nourishes in the cold months ahead. Speaking of cold months ahead...and the dry, possibly cracked skin that comes with it..well this is the solution. My soaps are made mostly of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Olive oil is a very moisturizing oil, drawing moisture to the skin and keeping it there {which is exactly what we need in the coming months}.

Cinnamon + Coffee + Beer Soap Bar}

{Amber +Rose + Ylang Ylang Soap}

Plus, you're helping to keep the diversity of small business by buying handmade, and that says a lot. We all tend to shop at big box stores more than we should {myself included}, but by keeping "mom and pop" shops, one-woman shops, and small businesses alive, we are keeping diversity of market alive, which is very important.

So, visit my website {www.cloud9bathbody.com} to check out what's in the shop or will be soon. I'm working on stuff ever week, so there will be more to come. I'm very excited about what we're doing around here, and I hope you all are too! I'll be blogging a bit more during this time to update everyone on new products, so stick around and check back in!!

Spring Cleanin Sale Ends Soon

The scheduled end date for the Spring Cleaning Sale is May 1st. It has been on for pretty much 3 weeks and my stock is going down, so I will be ending it the beginning of next month. If you still haven't made your order, get it in now while you can snag almost double the amount of soap for half the price. Happy Soap Shopping!

A little change

Hello! It's been a while since my last post. Being a mom comes first and foremost and the end of school is near. Summer is coming and I will be vacationing in Hawaii with family and spending time at some of my mom's properties. This all mean what exactly?! Well, I won't be working much.

On a different subject, I wanted to talk about my packaging. I will be the first to admit that I am a novice at all of this. Whether it be networking, advertising, blogging- it's all new to me. Packaging is including on that list. I know what I like when I'm in a store, in terms of packaging and I know what I don't like. Many articles state that packaging is more important than the product itself, although I think it is the product that keeps you coming back. I don't want to "waste" my time with packaging, really. I don't want to waste resources (I love Mother Earth) and I don't want to spend extra money in a place where I would be fine if all my bars were naked. Just sitting in a basket, naked, waiting for some lovely person to scoop them up and give them a good home (or shower/bath).

What I was finding with my packaging, though, was that it was not "clean" looking. I wanted my product to look streamlined. Whether it be for shelf packaging or sending in the mail, it needed to be put together and not looked crumpled if it had to sit a while or take a long ride in a box.

So I decided to change it a bit. I give you a picture of my old packaging: 

If you look in the above photo you can see how the tags can get a bit bent, and reach past the soap, so they don't have any solid backing to prevent crumpling. I also would tie them with a bow, which adds more time when I am packaging my soap. Time = money, as they say. Honestly I have no clue if packaging them the new way "saves" me any money, I just like it better. So now I give you how I am currently packaging my soaps:

This way the tags never get bent or torn and I can package them in a box nicely. They stack nicely for store shelves and display tables and it's simple and "clean" looking. I am no longer doing the bow, although I still think it's a cute touch. Everything else is the same: white tissue paper, raffia, recycled paper with description. By the way, if you didn't already know, all of the packaging material is compostable or burnable (I'm a fire lover and fireplace owner, but I know a lot of city folk aren't). Please don't throw away the packaging. You can do so many things with stuff you think is useless. So, do you like? Let me know what you think in the comment section.

Spring Cleaning Sale!!!

Today I put everything on sale, up to 50% off for some of the soaps. These are amazing prices for soap that has organic extra virgin olive oil and organic responsibly sourced palm oil. I am trying to usher out these bars to bring in new spring scents and to make some space in my soap room. Is a friends' birthday coming up? Want a nice Easter gift for a friend or family member? Need to stock up for yourself? Now is that time. I can pack 4 bars into a flat rate USPS box for 5.20 and a single bar ships for just over 2 dollars. Also, if you are local to Santa Rosa, ca or Fort Bragg or Mendocino, I will deliver and refund any shipping costs that you payed online when you ordered. Check out all the different soaps that are available:

And even more on the website! Go check them all out at: www.cloud9bathbody.com

{In the Kitchen} with Lemon Poppyseed

I don't know about all of you, but I'm yearning for Spring (well, Summer, really) and warmer days, more light hours, sunshine, and did I mention warmer days? Making this Lemon Poppyseed soap was just what I needed to perk up my spirit and remind me that those days will be here soon enough, but for now I can enjoy a daily shower with Lemon Poppyseed.

With its golden yellow streaks playfully dripping down the bar it reminds me of drinking cold Lemonade drinks on a warm Summer day. This soap also has poppyseeds to shine up that rough Winter skin just in time for those warmer Spring days and hot Summer nights. In my opinion, poppseeds aren't as abrasive as coffee, cinnamon or another spice that can be added to soaps. Poppseeds are round by nature, unlike other spices that are ground, and therefore have sharper edges. Poppyseeds roll over your skin gently exfoliating those top layers of dead skin so you can show off shiny, smooth skin .

You can use the top for more exfoliation or the larger side for less.

Whichever side you use, you are going to love this soap.

This soap will be available mid April on my website: www.cloud9bathbody.com. Are there any scents that remind you of Summer? Are you longing for those long warm nights just as much as me? Meet me in the comment section, we'll chat there.