Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Name Change??
After some deep thinking - some might say TOO much - I have come to the conclusion that Juju's Magickal Soaps may just be too specific a name for me to accomplish what I want. Eventually, I want to have multiple lines (zodiac, Wiccan/pagan, Asian, yoga/tantric, Ancient Egyptian, Moroccan ... just to name a few; I'm a busy-minded gal), so I'll want something that can include all those things. All of my products will be naturally based, made-from-scratch, with no artificial dyes or additives: holistic and rooted in what Mother Earth has to offer. I'll keep everybody updated with every development, and as always, suggestions and ideas are welcome!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Why I Make Soap
When I was in college, I was poor, as most college students are, and coming up with Christmas presents that were not going to break the bank was a challenge. I've always kind of been a crafty type of girl, so I spent a lot of time browsing through Hobby Lobby, which was about two blocks away from where I worked at Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble's illegitimate, and defensive about it, brother. Even back then, soap making wasn't really the rage in comparison to flower arranging and scrapbooking, so I missed the section that was dedicated to it. And by section, I mean, like half a shelf. A few weeks before Christmas, I was frantically searching for some cheap crafts to make for my mom, as I had already bought my dad and sister's gifts, and I ran across the sad excuse of the soap making selection: a few plastic containers full of glycerin, some cheap scented oils, and some micas to use for colorants. I figured, what the hell? Can't hurt!
My mom LOVED her present. I made her five, travel-sized bars of soaps, each one with a different scent and additives (I bought a kit, okay? Geez.). Both my mom and I have very sensitive skin, so I had to be sure that I wouldn't make something that would cause her to break out. She used all of the little soaps and even asked a few years later if I was planning on making more.
That began my obsession. I wanted to craft good-smelling soaps that I could use. I made gift baskets with these little soaps, none of which I would sell now. God, they were horrible. I didn't know anything about emulsifiers, traces, measurements, etc., and a lot of times, additives like oatmeal and poppy seeds would just kind of sink to the bottom of my molds. It didn't bother me then, because, hey, they were gifts. I hobbied away with the idea of someday, maybe, making it into a business. Then, the recession hit. I lost my job; I had to move in with my parents; it was a dark time in the Force. I spent nearly seven months with no job and very few prospects. Absolutely no one was hiring, except eventually the Department of Human Services. I had been spending so much time trying to figure out the employment issue, that I didn't really even try to do anything else, even after starting the job. I am an artist at heart - I draw, paint, write, create - but the recession dampened my desire to do any of it. Even though it remained dormant, it was always there. And then around six months ago, a friend of mine reminded me of my soaps. I had started drawing again, and I was getting reacquainted with my sorely ignored notebook. I can't remember exactly what went down that day, but I do remember coming home, thinking, "I'm going to start trying to set up my soap business!"
It also helps that I have a fabulously dedicated and supportive husband who has spent so much of his time fostering this little endeavor of mine. He has gotten behind me without any hesitation, so I think part of the reason I am doing this is because of him. For him.
But it's a bit more complex that. I want to bring as much comfort as I can to others, with something as simple as a lavender soap easing tension after a long day. It's kind of like what I talk about with my hairstylist (and by hairstylist, I mean, the stylist at Heads Up who I usually get for some reason): being able to help someone feel better about themselves, even for just a moment, is a wonderful gift. And THAT is why I make soap.
My mom LOVED her present. I made her five, travel-sized bars of soaps, each one with a different scent and additives (I bought a kit, okay? Geez.). Both my mom and I have very sensitive skin, so I had to be sure that I wouldn't make something that would cause her to break out. She used all of the little soaps and even asked a few years later if I was planning on making more.
That began my obsession. I wanted to craft good-smelling soaps that I could use. I made gift baskets with these little soaps, none of which I would sell now. God, they were horrible. I didn't know anything about emulsifiers, traces, measurements, etc., and a lot of times, additives like oatmeal and poppy seeds would just kind of sink to the bottom of my molds. It didn't bother me then, because, hey, they were gifts. I hobbied away with the idea of someday, maybe, making it into a business. Then, the recession hit. I lost my job; I had to move in with my parents; it was a dark time in the Force. I spent nearly seven months with no job and very few prospects. Absolutely no one was hiring, except eventually the Department of Human Services. I had been spending so much time trying to figure out the employment issue, that I didn't really even try to do anything else, even after starting the job. I am an artist at heart - I draw, paint, write, create - but the recession dampened my desire to do any of it. Even though it remained dormant, it was always there. And then around six months ago, a friend of mine reminded me of my soaps. I had started drawing again, and I was getting reacquainted with my sorely ignored notebook. I can't remember exactly what went down that day, but I do remember coming home, thinking, "I'm going to start trying to set up my soap business!"
It also helps that I have a fabulously dedicated and supportive husband who has spent so much of his time fostering this little endeavor of mine. He has gotten behind me without any hesitation, so I think part of the reason I am doing this is because of him. For him.
But it's a bit more complex that. I want to bring as much comfort as I can to others, with something as simple as a lavender soap easing tension after a long day. It's kind of like what I talk about with my hairstylist (and by hairstylist, I mean, the stylist at Heads Up who I usually get for some reason): being able to help someone feel better about themselves, even for just a moment, is a wonderful gift. And THAT is why I make soap.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Welcome!
Eeeee! The first Juju's Soaps blog post. I'm not going to try to fit everything in here all at once, because, well, this is the internet, and I essentially have an eternity of posts that I will be able to use.
For starters, I'm Juju, the slightly eccentric creator of handmade soaps and hopefully, one day, an entire series of bath product lines. Since I'm just getting started (officially since November 2011), I'm trying to focus on the basics. I have a few soaps that people have fell in love with that I will most likely keep in stock regularly or readily able to be made:
I try to experiment as often as possible and have actually had a lot of success with those. There have also been duds, like my original ginger soap that was just ... not good. I've tried to write down most of my recipes, but honestly, I go by intuition a lot of the time. And my recipes are more like guidelines, anyway, if I may quote "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Anyway, this blog is mainly going to be updates for my soaps, but I'm also going to write about other things that are pertinent to what I'm doing: buying local, making your own soap and other household products, natural alternatives for cleaning, etc. I'll probably be looking for guest bloggers, too, so if you are interested, shoot me an email and we'll figure something out!
Here's looking to an awesome adventure!
For starters, I'm Juju, the slightly eccentric creator of handmade soaps and hopefully, one day, an entire series of bath product lines. Since I'm just getting started (officially since November 2011), I'm trying to focus on the basics. I have a few soaps that people have fell in love with that I will most likely keep in stock regularly or readily able to be made:
- sandalwood and jasmine, with cornmeal exfolient
- rosemary and sage
- lavender and oatmeal
- milk, honey, and olive oil
I try to experiment as often as possible and have actually had a lot of success with those. There have also been duds, like my original ginger soap that was just ... not good. I've tried to write down most of my recipes, but honestly, I go by intuition a lot of the time. And my recipes are more like guidelines, anyway, if I may quote "Pirates of the Caribbean."
Anyway, this blog is mainly going to be updates for my soaps, but I'm also going to write about other things that are pertinent to what I'm doing: buying local, making your own soap and other household products, natural alternatives for cleaning, etc. I'll probably be looking for guest bloggers, too, so if you are interested, shoot me an email and we'll figure something out!
Here's looking to an awesome adventure!
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