Delivery

I am expecting a HUGE delivery of supplies today. Almond oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, and shea butter are all part of the order. I need more supplies to start another batch of soap. I'm hoping to make some nice heart shaped bars for Valentines day but I'll have to get busy. Keep checking the online store for Valentine gifts.

New Online Store!

There's a new feel to Lora's Beauty Online Store! Rather than displaying all products in one store and scrolling through them all, use the "Show" button to display the categories of products you're interested in. All items will be added together for one smooth checkout experience.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Watchmaker's Salve

Have you ever been working on a project with your hands when they became very dry? You don't want to stop what you're doing but what you're doing is making them even more dry. Lora's Watchmaker's Salve will help. It's made with all the natural ingredients all of Lora's products are made with. Olive oil, Avocado oil and Vitamin E oil really moisturize rough dry skin. It also comes in an 8 oz tin with a 3 inch diameter opening! So next time you're deep into a project, whether it's repairing watches, making jewelry, or knitting, dip your knuckles and/or the backs of your hands in Lora's Watchmaker's Salve and moisturize your hands without getting your fingertips greasy.

Beer Bar Shampoo is Great!

Last night I washed my hair with the Beer Bar Shampoo. It worked great! The bar provided plenty of lather to cover my hair and all the natural oils in it worked great to condition the hair. In fact, I didn't even use conditioner after using the Beer Bar Shampoo. I know I'm a little biased, but I would definitely recommend the Beer Bar Shampoo!

Lora's Beauty Review

Good things are happening at Lora's Beauty!

"So, in my opinion...Lora's Beauty is a company that offers very high-quality, clean, eco-friendly and hand made products. True beauty is found at Lora's Beauty "

Check out the latest review of Lora's Beauty products here!

Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop

Lora's Beauty is participating in the Welcome Wednesday Blog Hop.

Rainy Weekend

Spent most of this rainy weekend working on products for the online store.

New and Improved Body Butter! I improved the body butter, in my opinion, by adding a touch of olive oil to the already great ingredients. The olive oil will work as a great skin moisturizer and it will keep the butter a little softer so it will go on smoother. Because Lora's Beauty products are all natural, temperature and other outside conditions can affect the products. The body butter is particularly affected by temperature. Just like regular butter, it will get harder in colder conditions. The new and improved body butter with olive oil will help keep the butter and your skin a little softer in the colder winter months ahead.

A new and improved lip balm!. I added more cranberries to the product for a little more color. The lip balm is a must have in the cold weather. It will protect your lips from chapping and give them a nice, natural color.

More Soap! More of the safflower and honey soap is curing. This soap should be your go to winter soap. The safflower threads help soothe chapped, dry skin and the honey adds a touch of skin softener to the soap. It's also a beautiful bar and has a nice natural scent that's not too feminine.

Bigger Salt Bombs! Fulfilling a request from a customer, Lora's Beauty will have bigger Salt Bombs. These bombs will come in a two pack and will be good for two nice big, long soaks. The regular bombs will still be available in a package of three.

Holiday Shopping at Lora's Beauty

Lora's Beauty has added 3 new holiday gift sets to help with your holiday shopping this year. All sets are under $20 and are guaranteed one-of-a-kind!

There's a gift for the man in your life. A beer bar shampoo, soothing face balm, skin and saddle sore salve, and a wheat germ, milk & honey soap make up this great gift.

For the vanilla lover, a cocoa butter vanilla soap, vanilla body butter, vanilla sugar scrub, and a vanilla lip gloss combine to make a perfect gift.

Another perfect gift for the person who has everything is a four pack of Lora's best soaps. Lavender spa bar, cinnamon milk & honey, lemon verbena, and raspberry aloe vera soaps make up this gift set.

Don't forget the Cinnamon Holiday gift set as well.

Four great options for just about everyone on your list. All gift sets come with a holiday bag and raffia.

Choose Lora's Beauty for your holiday shopping!

Beer Bar Shampoo-- New

Currently curing is a Beer Bar Shampoo! This bar, made with all the great oils Lora's soap is known for, plus beer, honey, and glycerin will make a great shampoo. B vitamins, the proteins found in malt and hops are said to repair damaged hair and boost overall body. Meanwhile, the maltose and sucrose sugars in beer tighten the hair’s cuticles for enhanced shine. This bar should be available in the online store by Thanksgiving.

Lora's Beauty Home Page

Lora's Beauty has a new look. The online store was added to the home page. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Lora's Beauty

Ambiguity

I had a beautiful bike ride into work today. The weather was great; crisp and clear. The sun was rising and the sky was a mix of black, blue, and pink. I really must bring my camera in on my rides before the weather turns bad. I particularly want to get a picture of the Fremont Bridge when there's fog out. The bridge, complete with it's reflection in the water, forms what looks like a giant eye watching the city. Really beautiful.

So where's the ambiguity? I realized then, on my bike ride, that this was the best my day was going to get. Should I feel bummed that I reached the high point of my day at 7:00 am or should I be thankful that the high point was so excellent?

Lora's Skin and Saddle Sore Salve Samples

Planning on going to the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show this weekend? Check out the Rad Finishes display to sample and/or purchase Lora's Skin and Saddle Sore Salve!

New Products Available!

Now available in the online store the Raspberry Aloe Vera soap that's been curing. The oil from raspberry seeds is rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 25-50. Combined with the skin benefits of aloe vera, to aid in skin healing, reduce the signs of aging, and to moisturize. This soap makes a great beauty bar.


Also available in the online store is a Facial Sunscreen Cream. A wonderful light sunscreen great for face and body. SPF 30 with all natural ingredients including aloe vera, olive oil, shea butter and 15% zinc oxide. This sunscreen is free of suspect chemicals like parabens, oxybenzone, PABA and retinyl palmitate. Nothing prevents wrinkles and the signs of aging more than protection from the sun! Comes in 4oz container.

More new products for bath, skin and hair:

New Soap:

A raspberry aloe vera soap is currently curing. A beautiful bar complete with the health benefits of raspberries; the oil from raspberry seeds is rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 25-50. Combined with the skin benefits of aloe vera, to aid in skin healing, reduce the signs of aging, and to moisturize, this will be a great beauty bar. Look for the bar in the online store around Halloween! 

Facial Cream with Sunscreen:

Lora's working on a new face cream that will contain sunscreen.  This cream will contain all the quality natural ingredients you've come to expect from Lora's Beauty and sunscreen to protect you from the sun's harmful rays.  Lora's cream will not contain vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate, which may speed up the cancer that sunscreen is used to prevent.  Look for this new product in the online store around the middle of October!

Hair Conditioner:

Fulfilling a request from a customer, Lora's Beauty is branching into more hair products.  A new hair conditioner will be added to the online store by November.  This conditioner will contain olive oil,  aloe vera gel,  floral water,  glycerine, and henna in a shower safe bottle.  Natural henna is the best hair conditioner of all.  It will make your hair heavy, thick and silky.

photo by YimHafiz / Hafiz Issadeen

Loras Skin and Saddle Sore Salve

Spend a lot of time in a saddle bicycling, motorcycling, horseback riding? Then you’re probably familiar with saddle sores and rashes. Those awful little boils (somewhat like a large pimple) on your most sensitive area.

While yes, it helps to make sure you’ve got a good saddle and nice riding shorts or pants, let’s face it, if you spend enough time in a saddle and go enough distance, you’re likely to get saddle sores.

Bag Balm has been a popular choice among riders to help prevent and cure sores, however did you know that the active ingredient in Bag Balm, 8-Hydroxyquinoline Sulphate, may contribute to cancer risks and has unknown effects on the skin when left on for extended periods of time, according to the Environmental Working Group? As more and more research becomes available, sulphates are being singled out as a cancer risk, especially breast cancer, even when applied to the skin.

Lora’s Skin and Saddle Sore Salve is made from completely natural ingredients and no sulfates! Olive oil, avocado oil, vitamin E oil, and beeswax make for a very healing, soothing, and safe salve. For best results, lather some on your saddle before hitting the saddle! After your ride, take a warm shower, and reapply Lora’s Skin and Saddle Sore Salve.

Lora Loves Her Customers!

Check out the feedback Lora's Beauty has been receiving from her customers. Keep the comments and suggestions coming!

Raspberry Aloe Vera Soap

A raspberry aloe vera soap is currently curing. A beautiful bar complete with the health benefits of raspberries; the oil from raspberry seeds is rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 25-50. Combined with the skin benefits of aloe vera, to aid in skin healing, reduce the signs of aging, and to moisturize, this will be a great beauty bar. Look for the bar in the online store around Halloween!

New use for Lora's Lotion Bar

Lora's Lotion Bar also works great as a hair styling wax. Apply a small amount on finger tips and use to separate or smooth hair. Works great and no need to spend a fortune at the hair salon for products!

More Soap!

In anticipation of Fall, a new highly scented, cinnamon, milk and honey soap is curing. This soap can be used in a gift package that will contain cinnamon sugar body scrub and cinnamon body butter.

Also curing is a wheat germ, milk and honey soap. A slightly abrasive soap with a wonderful patchouli/citrus scent will be an excellent soap for sensitive winter skin.

Look for the new products to be available around the Autumnal Equinox (September 23).

More information on Breast Cancer and Body Products

Time to stop using those store bought body care products and soaps. The evidence is piling up to suggest that the 'environmental estrogen' found in these products cause breast cells to divide. Watch this video for more information and buy natural. Lora's Beauty uses no 'environmental estrogen' causing products in our soaps, body butters, or any products.

Breast Cancer Video

Lora's Hot Oil Hair Treatment

Whew! It's been in the upper 90's for a couple days now and even though I love the warmth it tends to make my hair pretty dry and frizzy. Last night I experimented with a hot oil hair treatment. I mixed together some olive oil, avocado oil, glycerine, and essential oils and heated in the microwave for about 15 seconds. I then coated my hair with the oil and put a shower cap on. I left the oil in my hair for about 30 minutes then washed it out. This morning my hair feels significantly softer. I'm working to perfect the treatment (perhaps add some honey). Once I've perfected it and tried it a few more times look for the new product in Lora's online store.

New use for Lora's Soap

I was searching the other day at the grocery store for shampoo that did not contain sulfates. Strangely enough almost all shampoo contains this harsh chemical detergent. It is added to shampoo, usually as Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), to produce better lather. What it does to your hair, however, is to dry it by stripping essential oils and damage the hair follicles which could lead to hair loss.

During my search, I asked myself why do you wash your hair anyway? To clean it obviously. What's a good cleaning product that contains all natural ingredients and the best oils available with no sulfates? Lora's bath soap!

I left the store without buying shampoo and later that night I tried washing my hair with the bath soap. It works great! My hair was left clean, soft, and best of all no harsh chemical was used!

I highly recommend using Lora's bath soap for your hair as well! Give it a try!

My mom's website

My mom now has a website of her own! She spends a lot of time in thrift stores so I started this site for her. Check it out often here.

Breast Cancer and Chemicals

Watch this video from last night's NBC news.

Breast Cancer Video


It emphasizes the need to know what chemicals you put in and on your body. Some of them may cause cancer. All the more reason to buy natural!!

Now order from the blog!

Lora's online store is now up and running on Lora's Beauty Blog. Check out the website for more information on the products or just order from the blog!

New Products!

Coming soon! Lora's beauty has new, larger bars of soap. A new soap, Lavender Body Bar, contains fresh-from-the-garden lavender! Lora's also expanding into hair products with a sea salt and olive oil hair spritzer. Check the online store for availability.

Making Soap part 11

Finally, after the soap is hard, which usually takes a day at room temperature and a then few hours in the freezer, the finished soap can be removed from the molds and cut. It will take about 2-4 weeks for the soap to become fully cured and ready for use.




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Making Soap part 10

The soap is now ready to be poured into another mold. It will then need to cure for a day or two before it can be removed from the mold.


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Making Soap part 9

Once melted, the soap is then stirred until it has a smooth consistency. This is when any scents, colorings, or additives (herbs, oatmeal, etc) can be used.



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Making Soap part 8

The soap and milk are melted over very low temperature.






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Making Soap part 7

The soap, once grated is combined with milk and in this case, melted cocoa butter.




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Making Soap part 6

After the soap has cured for a couple days, it is ready to grate. Grating the soap is just like grating a block of cheese. This begins the 'rebatching' phase of soap making.




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Making Soap part 5

The soap once it's hard can be removed from the original mold and will now need to cure for a day or so before it can be rebatched.




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Making Soap part 4

The soap, once it reaches the consistency of pudding, can then be poured into the molds. It doesn't matter at this point what molds are used because this soap is not the final product. This soap, once it's hard, can then be rebatched (grated, melted, and molded again).


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Making Soap part 3

Once the oils and lye mixture are at the right temperature, pour the lye mixture into the oils and stir until there are trailings. Basically, the soap takes on the consistency of pudding.



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Making Soap part 2

The lye and water mixture needs to cool to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. While this is happening, I melt the oils. The oils, once melted, will also need to cool to 100 degrees. It's important that both the oil and lye mixture reach the 100 degrees mark at the same time. It may be necessary to use a cool water bath for one or the other to attain the desired temperature at the desired time.
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Making Soap part 1

The biggest trick with making soap is handling the lye safely.

I begin by marking a pitcher to ensure it never gets used for anything but lye.

The pitcher contains a lye and water mixture.

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Making Lotion

Memorial Day weekend and it's raining here in Portland. I spent most of Saturday making lotion and soap.

To make the Coffee Facial and Body Lotion I start by melting the oils (olive, avocado, castor, and shea butter) and the emulsifying wax. I then heat the coffee/aloe vera gel/glycerine mixture.

Finally they are mixed together using a hand blender until the mixture cools. The germaben and essential oils are added last. It's really pretty simple.

First Online Sale

The first online sale was processed through today without a hitch! So far, so good. It's a little disappointing that I won't have a dollar to frame since it all happened electronically. I guess I could frame the google checkout invoice...probably not as impressive though. Oh well, a good start none the less!

Pictures

I took the day off. It's my son's 16th birthday!!! Hard to believe.

I've been adding pictures to the online store and taking inventory of stock. Need to make some peppermint bath scrub as well.

Happy 16th Alec!

Store Opening

Just finished getting the Lora's Beauty online store up and running at www.lorasbeauty.com. Now I need to get busy making some more, larger bars of soap. I've had difficulty finding the perfect soap molds, however I had a brainstorm the other night. I pulled out my latex bread pans and washed them up really good. I think they will be perfect to make a 'loaf' of soap in. Can't wait to try it!