I'm going to try to make this as simple as I can. My mind is very complex and so answers to questions are usually in-depth and time consuming. Today I hope to discuss and educate a little on what goes into my products. My original recipe has evolved over the last 16 or so years. It's a standard recipe in my head and not complicated, though some have asked how in the world can I remember everything. Certain things in life I can remember very well, from my first week at boot camp to doing stupid things to kill time on a boring day. Something about that particular moment in time makes us remember it. My memory is photographic with recipes. Once I make a recipe, try it, have it tested, and tested again, if it works, I memorize it. If it doesn't work, I remember why and make it work.

Before I developed my recipes, I first researched each component for allergic reactions, then I researched the percentages of how many people are allergic to what. If the majority of people were allergic to that specific oil, I didn't use it. From then on, I singled out certain oils that did work for certain products which in turn focused on a specific problem like dermatitis. I then combined oils and recipes to combat more problems in one recipe. That's why my soaps for instance can be used to shave, bathe and shampoo. But my soaps also combat skin ailments, not just one, but many. That way I eliminate what soap is good for what. They all work for the same ailments. Yes, no two bars of soap are the same in visual affect, but two bars and three are the same for curing a majority of skin ailments.

Same goes for scent. Essential oils, not natural fragrance oils are used in all my products. What is the difference between the two? I could talk all day about this, but I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to make it too complicated. Essential oil is using the whole plant and is 100% oil. The essential oil has not been diluted, mixed or processed. Essential oils are organic. Now natural fragrance oils are also organic but to a degree of 1% organic. Meaning 1% of the plant is used thus its a concentrated version of natural oils. This is very misleading to those who don't pay attention to the ingredients. Natural doesn't always mean organic. In this case, natural fragrance is synthetic. The 1% is combined with synthetic oils to bring out stronger scent and to make scent that normally couldn't be achieved with essential oils like blackberry, apple, bubblegum, cactus, cucumber. Essential oils are good for the body, for the skin and organs. Synthetic scent is never good and can lead to health problems. Don't let natural mislead you and where ever you see "fragrance" in the ingredients, it's synthetic.

Herbal powder I use for two different things. Coloring and infusions. Coloring for instance makes my soaps somewhat less dramatic, less eye catching, less bold. The colors are more muted or matte. However, herbal powder is great for the skin, body, the hair, the organs, nails, bones, blood vessels. I'll speak coloring tomorrow since it's a whole different animal from the oils I use. Infusions, however, are in my products. Don't let my ingredients fool you. Just because I have what appears to be a standard recipe on my labels in all my products, nearly all the oil is infused with dandelions. Olive oil, Safflower, Grapeseed, Sunflower, Canola, Jojoba, Argan, all are infused with herbs. But I also use yarrow, black walnut, goldenrod, plantain, calendula, mullein, chamomile, rose, lambs' ear, St. john's wart, lemon balm, catnip, cattail and even mugwort. All these herbs are infused in soap, salves, lip balms, body butters, solid perfume, and lotions. Every herb is healthy for the body and on top of that, the above herbs have very limited allergic reactions. Of course, taken internally, some people cannot use St Johns Wart, but topically they can. Why? It's diluted. Allergic reactions happen most of the time with undiluted oils, matter. Essential oils for instance, should never be applied directly on the skin because the oil is just too strong for the skin to handle, thus you dilute it in oil because the oil soaks into the skin easier, thus it takes the diluted essential oil with it into the skin.

Shea butter is one of many ingredients that are purchased from Fair Trade establishments. I use unrefined because I want all the nutrients, all the vitamins, all the minerals to be included. Refined minimizes these nutrients. Shea butter, in natural form is an off yellow. Refined shea butter is white. Unrefined is more expensive and I obtain my shea butter from Ghana. Why? Why not American? Why a different country? In Ghana, by purchasing Shea Butter, I help women who have never worked, become employable. Remember my motto? To help, not harm. I help where I can, no matter how big or how small. I help to some degree. That is my mission. That is my goal, that is my passion. Herbal Soap N Salves is about helping not just for health reasons, not just for education, but for truly joining with others to help others in different circumstances.

All my products have a purpose and sometimes that purpose runs deeper than just offering healthy products. My ingredients, why I use what essential oils, why I infuse, why I chose what to use, all have a deeper purpose that many people will never know. All my ingredients are healthy, to help promote a healthy body and sometimes my products, my ingredients are about helping in a deeper sense as well.