Let's Talk Dish Washing

One of my best selling products lately is my dish washing bar and it was a review I received on this item that got me to thinking.

The review wasn't exactly glowing, which is fine, I learn a lot from all my reviews and really do try to make changes when I see suggestions. Anyway, here's the review:

"Smells great but doesn't go terribly far and had a tendency to make the fat sit on the surface of the water instead of emulsifying. Everything will need rinsing."

There were a couple things I pondered about this review but the last sentence stopped me in my tracks, "Everything will need rinsing."  Doesn't everyone rinse their dishes after washing them? To answer that question, I did the next logical thing and googled it and I learned something!

Come to find out, no, not everyone rinses their dishes after washing them and it appears to be a cultural difference as pointed out in this article:

Home debate: Do you rinse the soap off your dishes after they've been washed?

I always knew people had their preference when it came to washing dishes. Some like to fill a tub of water with soap and wash all the dishes in that water while some (myself included) wash dishes under running water. A person could argue the environmental benefit to washing dishes in a tub of water, but I'm not going to judge, I just never knew there was ever a debate as whether to rinse the soap off or not so I thought I'd share and ask, have you heard of this before? Are you in the rinse or no rinse camp?

I have got many great reviews on my solid dish bar even though I decided not to share those,  all the same I've included a video of how I use the bar to wash dishes, I think it works best this way.

I've now added a new listing to my etsy store for 3 bars of Solid Dish Soap (one of each scent) for $20!

Soap Dishes Stocked!

I'm happy to report that the handmade soap dishes designed for the solid dish washing bar are now in stock and available in my Etsy shop!

There are a few varieties to choose from:


Black turtles

Terracotta turtles

Terracotta leaves

Terracotta dragonflies

Black flowers

Black dragonflies

Blue turtles

Blue leaves

Black leaves

Terracotta flowers

Each dish sits on silicone pads to prevent slipping.

These dishes are so beautiful and functional and went fast last time they were in stock!

More Soap Dishes On The Way and the World Today

Hello and welcome, I want to start this post by saying that yes, there will be more of the handmade pottery soap dishes on my etsy site soon! I've been told they'll be ready 'the middle of June' and I will be sure to update this space once they're available.

I'm not surprised they were popular as they're very well made and beautiful but don't take my word for it, read the reviews!

Finally, I want to end this short post with a comment on the protests going on across the US as I think it's important for people and businesses (even very small ones) to speak out and let the world know where they stand.

As the daughter of a retired and recently deceased police officer, I feel and I know my Dad would feel, that police brutality is real and is NEVER ok! For far too long African American men have been targeted and it is my hope that these protests will finally move us to a more equitable, hospitable country for ALL.

Although I don't feel comfortable right now joining thousands of people in the streets (#Covid19), I will instead be donating to the NAACP and as always, to the ACLU. If possible, I encourage you to do the same!

New Ceramic Soap Dishes!

Hello world. It's been two months now in quarantine and aside from the people I live with, everyone else I've talked to have either been on a phone, computer screen, or 6 feet away. Life goes on though even if it feels like I'm watching it from the outside.

Some people, like my friend Bob, have been busy creating beautiful things like the new soap dishes I've added to my etsy shop!

These soap dishes are one of a kind and specially designed for use with my solid dish washing soap. Each one has a pattern on them to hold the block of soap securely to the dish.

Choose between sweet turtles,

beautiful dragonflies,

psychedelic flowers,

or delicate leaves.

Each dish sits on silicone feet that limit slipping as you work up a lather and a small lip keeps soap contained.

I've been using one of these myself for several weeks now and love how the soap and the dish stay put as I apply soap to my brush.

These dishes  will look so much prettier sitting next to your sink than a plastic bottle and will be eco-friendly as well!

Supplies are limited and each dish is different. Check out the selection available now here.

New Shampoo Bar and Dish Soap!

Great news! There are now new varieties of my most popular items; the shampoo bar and dish soap!

Let's start with the shampoo bar because hair > dishes!

A lifetime ago (really it was only three weeks but it seems like a lifetime) we were in Hawaii on the Big Island. Our first morning there we had breakfast at the hotel restaurant and I ordered a papaya. I promise this is about a shampoo bar, I'm just setting the scene.

Oh. My. Gawd. That papaya was the best thing ever! I felt like James Cook must have felt after landing in Hawaii and tasting the fruit. Needless to say I had papayas every morning I was there. One morning, as I was removing the seeds, I had an epiphany. Why do we throw papaya seeds away? Are they good tasting? Yes, I ate one. Are they good for you? Hells yes! I googled it. Then I wondered, are they good for your skin and hair!? A double hells yes to that! I decided right then and there that when I returned home I was making a shampoo bar with papaya seeds.

I was hoping to make one with the seeds whole but buying whole seeds was not going to happen. The best I could do was get ground seeds.

With out further ado, let me introduce you to the new Orange and Papaya Shampoo Bar. Like all my products, this bar is scented with pure essential oils, in this case, orange. This bar also has all the hair loving ingredients of my other shampoo bars, like avocado butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera water, however, this bar also has a few tablespoons of ground papaya seeds which color the bar a beautiful chocolate brown.

Papaya seeds contain a protein called papain which is great for strengthening hair and promoting healthy growth. Some say papaya seeds help hair grow faster as well.

The new Orange Papaya Shampoo Bar is available now in my etsy store or on my website!

Now, on to the new dish bar...

I was pleasantly surprised how well my Lemon Dish Bar cleaned and sold. Apparently there are many people out there looking for an alternative to plastic oil-laced dish detergent. Because of that I decided to offer a new scent! It's the same bar, just a new scent; rosemary mint to be exact. Again, this bar is scented only with pure essential oils and the rosemary mint scent is so fresh and divine!

The Rosemary Mint Solid Dish Bar is also now available in my etsy store or my website!

Soap and the Coronavirus

Ok things are crazy right now and it's hard to know just what to do. I'm not going to pretend to have the answers but I'm going to try and do something to help.

Since just about all the experts agree that washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best defenses against coronavirus and since I make soap, I'm knocking the price down on the bar I have the most inventory of; Round Cinnamon Goats' Milk Soap,

This listing is for five bars of soap for $10! This is 50% off and provides no profit for me, therefore this pack of soap will come with only one bar labelled. If you want all bars labelled, I have a listing of the same bars for $15 here.

Please limit your order to 15 bars (3 orders of 5.)

I've linked below a few articles I found regarding the use of soap and water to prevent coronavirus. Thank you and stay safe and healthy!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants

https://www.today.com/health/how-wash-your-hands-prevent-flu-coronavirus-more-t172753

https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200306/power-of-hand-washing-to-prevent-coronavirus

Vacation Discount Code!

Last day in Hawaii (as in the Big Island) today 😑. We had a wonderful time! I got to swim with turtles, sharks, and eels! We did some hiking, drank lots of beer, and tried to immerse ourselves in as much Hawaiian culture as we could.

I'm also coming back with a new shampoo bar idea; papaya seed, honey, and coconut!

I'm ready to jump back into it so to celebrate the end of a wonderful vacation I'm offering a discount of 10% off all Lora's Beauty listings! Just use the discount code 'HAWAII' at checkout. Discount is good now through the end of March.

Unfortunately, the new shampoo bar won't be ready for another month but there are plenty of other great products to choose from. Aloha!