Tag: batches

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Lotions – More – 29 Nov 2020

Here are the latest updates for Lotions now available for sale…

Lotion No. 11a is made with macadamia nut, hempseed, and jojoba oils, stearic acid, BTMS, and allantoin. Scented with Musk Rose, which smells clean and fresh.

Lotion No. 12a is made with fractionated coconut oil, monoi butter, isopropyl myristate, stearic acid, and BTMS. Scent is provided by the Monoi butter, which is derived from a tropical flower similar to plumeria or gardenia.

Lotion No. 13a is made with fractionated coconut and tamanu oils, isopropyl myristate, olive squalane, stearic acid, BTMS, and allantoin. Scented with rosemary. The tamanu oil itself has a clean earthy smell.

The Tamanu oil, used in No. 13a,  is reputed to have special healing qualities, as does olive squalane. That said, all of the oils we use are renowned for being especially skin friendly.

Lotion No. 14a is made with walnut, olive, and jojoba oils, isopropyl myristate, stearic acid, emulsifying wax, and allantoin. Scented with Rockrose (Cistus essential oil).

  • Vitamin E and a minimal amount of preservative/germicide is added to all our lotions.
  • All have a medium consistency, neither thin nor thick.
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Lotion Update – 18 Nov 2020

Now available for sale is Lotion No. 10a which is made with meadowfoam, mineral, and jojoba oils, isopropyl myristate, stearic acid, BTMS, and allantoin (see link below). We add vitamin E and a minimal amount of preservative to all our lotions.

This batch is lightly scented with litsea cubeba, which is a refreshing, rejuvenating essential oil with a lemony aroma. We will have unscented lotions available as well.

No. 10a is a moderately thick* lotion. It absorbs moderately quick and leaves a soft powdery feel. Hands stay comfortable even after washing.

*Update – 29 Nov 2020: I would no longer classify this lotion as thick. Like all of the lotions we have made recently this one is about right in the middle, neither thick nor thin. – John

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New News on Lotions – Allantoin

We recently made our first batch of lotion using an ingredient called allantoin. I wanted to post a little information about it so you would know what it was. The following description is from one of our suppliers…

Allantoin is a synthetic, free-flowing hygroscopic powder widely used in cosmetic, dermatological and pharmaceutical formulations for its soothing and anti-irritating properties. Allantoin has a moisturizing and keratolytic effect, increasing the water content of the extracellular matrix and enhancing the desquamation of upper layers of dead skin cells, increasing the smoothness of the skin; promoting cell proliferation and wound healing; and a soothing, anti-irritant, and skin protectant effect by forming complexes with irritants and sensitizing agents. Allantoin stimulates healthy, normal tissue formation even at low concentrations.

While allantoin is present in botanical extracts of the comfrey plant, it is generally chemically synthesized to meet worldwide demand. Our Allantoin is a nature-identical, synthesized product made to USP specifications. It is non-toxic, non-irritating, and non-allergenic.

Allantoin has been classified by the FDA as an Over-The-Counter (OTC) Category I (safe and effective) active ingredient skin protectant. It is FDA approved for this use at 0.5% to 2.0% in formulations. If you include it in your formulations and on your ingredient labels, but make no drug claims for it, it remains a cosmetic ingredient and need not be declared as an “active ingredient.”

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On Testing Batches — S-No.s170 Cananga Silk

from behind the curtain…
By the time I mixed batch # 170 I was sure that this combination of oils, at these ratios, would create a soap that was equal to or better than any batch yet. Maybe we succeeded with this formula, or maybe not — soap is a pretty subjective thing. That said, I was initially disappointed in this batch when I tested the first bar at about a 3 week cure time. It just didn’t lather like it should have. In hindsight, this was great information. On a whim however, I grabbed a bar off the rack a few weeks later, and, having had more time to cure, it performed beautifully.

Regarding this particular soap, the custom blend of Bergamot, Tangerine, and Ylang essential oils is reminiscent of orange mixed in vanilla cream. Ylang has always seemed overpowering to me, and I was determined to appreciate it… to use it in a way that accentuated its lustiness, while maintaining good form. In this I believe I succeeded.

I hope this soap — this formula, No.s170 — becomes a great seller, but if it doesn’t that’s okay. We have so many great soaps, and many of our simplest formulas are some of our best. Please try a number of them, and let us know what you think. Thank you for your business.

— John, Lost in Minnesota