Beer! Beer! Beer! For Those That Like Beer

I'm personally not a drinker, and I never acquired the taste for beer.  But it's something that my hubby enjoys from time to time.

Beer soap is not a new concept and soapmakers have been making bath soaps using beer as the liquid for quite some time.  And likewise I have been using beer in my shaving soaps for some time as well.   Just like you expect with my other shaving soaps you can expect the same with my beer shaving soap as well.

The beer adds an earthy aroma to the soap that can morph some scents when beer is used as the only liquid in the soap.  But to help prevent this from happening I have decided to use half the liquid as beer and the other half as water.

I make each of these different shaving soaps in about 4-5 lb batches and they are made from scratch in my kitchen. I will make various shaving soaps in various scents that are ready to ship. In the title look to see what beer is used to make each particular RTS shaving soap. But if you are ordering a custom shaving soap you will be able to select the beer of choice that you want your shaving soap made with.

I have been using Blue Moon Beer for some time now......

But now I will be adding two more beers to my options.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager.......

and Guinness Extra Stout.......

So for you beer lovers, I hope you enjoy these added options.......

`Cheers`

Non-Tallow Shaving Soap

In an email on ebay this morning I was asked if I offered a non-tallow shaving soap.  While I do have my DdC soap which is more of a croap than a hard soap and my KISS cream which is a soft cream I decided to bring back my non-tallow shaving soap.  The shaving soap will become very hard just like my tallow & lanolin version after the excess liquid evaporates out.

I just made up a batch and poured it into a log mold that weighs a bit more than 2 pounds.   From that just like my other shaving soap can be taken and scented an individual products.

The ingredients below are given in alphabetical order in the different categories to help showcase the different ingredients that are used.   However they will be correct on the product label in accordance to the FDA regulations.

Liquids Used : Aloe Vera Juice
Oils Used : Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Jojoba, Palm Oil, Unrefined Shea Butter
Other Ingredients Used : Glycerin, Kaolin Clay, Raw Silk Fibers, Sodium Lactate, Stearic Acid, Sugar, Tocopherols
Scent : Fragrance Oil or Essential Oils are optional

The oils in this shaving soap are saponified by both sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.

This will be available as soon as I can create listings for this new product and it will be available in sample pucks, all the various sizes of the pucks that I offer, shave sticks and in jars.
  

Personal Updates AND 2 New Ready To Ship Shaving Soaps Added

WOW it's been a long week.  Last week I didn't get a lot accomplished because I was nursing our dog back to health.  Well it's not as bad as it sounds, but our one dogs did injure himself and needed a bit of attention.   He was trying to jump up on our higher than normal bed and didn't make it.  He fell backwards onto his hip and thankfully it was just a sprain and not broken or dislocated.   So I had to coddle him and carry him around a bit.  When he went outside (to attend to business) he only could walk so far, and needed to be carried in.   Or so he thought, but it was quite painful for him.   Monday he started walking more normal and today he's back to running, although it is still sensitive.  But he won't even attempt to jump up on my bed anymore, he won't even go close to it and stands in the doorway and yips, because that's where he sleeps at night.  By my feet so I have to lift him up there yet.   But I did bring up from the basement the step stool that my dad made my oldest daughter when she was a toddler so she could wash her hands at the sink herself.  It's well crafted and made from solid wood and has two steps to it to put by the bed.  Later when he's gotten over his shell shock I plan on teaching him to use the step to get up onto the bed instead of jumping.  We have had the bed for over a year and this is the first time he did this and it scared the daylights out of me.   I hope it's the last time because Jack is my cuddle bug.   He's not a big dog, just a terrier mutt about 20 pounds.   I'll get a photo of him later to add.


Yesterday my daughter called me from school because she remembered that she signed up to take treats to the basketball game concessions after school!  Yikes, that put me in a pickle because as I was planning on working on orders I ended up baking cupcakes instead.  I made white cupcakes (thanks Duncan) then I frosted them with red frosting (school color)  that was doodled on with a piping frosting tip and sprinkled a bit of regular white sugar on top.   But I did make the frosting from scratch as I can't stand the stuff in the jars in the stores!   They did turn out very nice looking at least.  But did you know that cupcakes cool very quickly when placed out in the garage when it's ten below zero out.  Thank goodness because they cooled nice and quick so I was able to get them frosted and up to the school without being too late.  She needed them by 3:30 when the game started, but they actually got there about four.  But it was worth it!

Here is the frosting recipe that I used.
3 sticks + 2 tablespoons Butter, softened
3 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons Milk (I only used 1 tbs but I used half and half instead)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract*

* real vanilla is best.  I made mine just before Christmas by using real vanilla pods in bourbon.  I'll post the recipe and instructions in another post. 


Whip the butter with a hand mixer on medum high speed for six minutes.  The butter will turn a nice light yellow color and the butter will be very soft and creamy.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk adding one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.    This is a very light and creamy frosting and whipping the butter first really makes a big difference on how it tastes.  It's much better than just whipping the butter for a minute before adding the powdered sugar.  I want to say it doesn't coat your mouth with the butter when it's whipped for that six minutes.   I'll be using this recipe more often!

I didn't get pictures of the cupcakes because I was so busy trying to get them done and out the door.

But last night I did work on some orders that I had so I could get them out in the mail today!!!  Yay!   I've decided to increase the batch size of my Tallow & Lanolin Shaving Soap that I make.  Normally I made smaller batches more often.  But my last batch earlier earlier in the month I did increase it some from the size I normally made.  But last night I made it even bigger!  The total weight of the batch made to over 13 pounds!  That's a LOT of shaving soap and it will save me quite a bit of time.  Since the whole recipe is based on percents the batch will be exactly the same regardless if I only used 500 grams of oils or as this batch was 3,000 grams of oils.   I have a special way that is long and drawn out technique to prepare the shaving soap that I make into the scented pucks that are desired.  Because of it's time consuming process I have chosen to fill those orders that are made to order (called custom on my site) shaving soaps.  While I am working with it I make extras to list as ready to ship (RTS) shaving soaps.

Each batch of shaving soap is given a batch number and a born on date.  That's the date in which the batch of shaving soap was made, not the date your particular order was scented.   I keep the actual recipe sheet of that particular batch in a binder for future reference if needed.  On each package of shaving soap, either puck or put into a jar, that number and date goes onto the side.   I decided to do this because a number of years ago I was falsely accused of selling shaving soap that was lye heavy.  That means that there was too much lye in the product.  That was simply untrue and was a ploy to hurt my business.   The person also refused to send the soap back at my expense to me so I could test it myself and instead chose to post it all over any and all shaving soaps as further attempt to hurt my business.  Also there was no one else who came forward with the same accusation and my batches at that time were very large to accommodate a lot of customers as I was just starting to sell my shaving soap and getting caught up with orders.  Similar numbers go onto other products as well, but are on the actual label.

  


The mold that I use for my pucks has 6 cavities in it, (I used 2 molds) and I needed to make 10 pucks for customers so the two left over cavities didn't go to waste.  I used them to make pucks to add to my store in the ready to ship section for the Tallow & Lanolin shaving soap made with aloe.
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=40_121
At the time this is written I currently have 25 listings of shaving soaps that have already been made up and are ready to be shipped!  You will find scents here that are not in my current listing for something different and unique.

Or I can make a custom one for you that is made to order with one of the numerous scents that I carry.
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=40_122


But if you prefer your shaving soap to be made with Blue Moon Beer, I do have several that are ready to ship.  The scent does not smell like beer but it has it's own unique scent that can morph any scent added to it.  This happens to be my husbands favorite shaving soap at the moment.   The beer does add to the lather of the shaving soap in a very positive way.  So the beer isn't added just for label appeal or looks.
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=40_123
At the time this is written I currently have 3 listings of shaving soaps that have already been made up and are ready to be shipped.  That have been made with my Beer version of my Tallow & Lanolin Shaving Soap.  The scents currently there are ones that I have as a part of my normal stock with the exception of the beer scent. 
I can also make shaving soap for you with the beer in any one of the scents that I carry.
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=40_124



The two pucks that I made up and added to my store are............
Both made with the Aloe version of my Tallow & Lanolin Shaving Soap

  









French Lavender Essential Oil ~
Lavandula Angustifolia imported from France. Lavender essential oil is native to the Mediterranean region and is cultivated in France, Spain and elsewhere. It has been used for aromatic purposes by the Romans in washing water and baths. Lavender essential oil has uses in culinary, cosmetics and medicine. It is effective to cure headaches, especially when related to stress, to clear depression associated with weakness and depression. Externally, lavender essential oil has been used as a stimulating liniment to help ease aches and pains of rheumatism.
Link To French Lavender EO Shaving Soap

Lemongrass & Sage ~
A fresh clean perfectly balanced mixture of lemongrass and sage. Top notes of ozone, zesty lemon, grape, muguet and lemongrass. Middle notes of jasmine, rose and sage. Powder and musk at the base completes the fragrance.
Link To Lemongrass & Sage Shaving Soap



This afternoon I'll be working on a PIF giveaway on my website.  I'll make another blog post about that once I have it ready to go! 
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=119

Ready To Ship Shaving Soap Pucks Added To My Store

Today was my day to work with my shaving soap and fill those orders that have come in over the past week.   So while I was working with it I also took the time to make up some additional shaving soap pucks to add into my store for immediate purchase and shipment.  That way you don't have to wait for my Tuesday work day and also you may find scents there that are not a part of regular scents that I offer.

 http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=40
Click on the above link to see all the shaving soaps that I have made up that can be mailed out right away.  Select if you would like the the liquid to be aloe vera juice or blue moon beer.

Here are the soaps in the scents that I added today!   You can find them on the link above and each listing has a written description of what the scent smells like that was written by the supplier where I purchased that fragrance from.

These are ALL Tallow & Lanolin Shaving Soaps
Ingredients In Alphabetical Order
Liquids : Aloe Vera Juice
Oils Saponified By Both Sodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide : Castor Oil, Jojoba, Lanolin, Tallow, Unrefined Shea Butter
Other Ingredients Used : Fragrance, Glycerin, Kaolin Clay, Sodium Lactate, Stearic Acid, Sugar



Pumpkin & Vanilla ~ Rich pumpkin pie with whipped vanilla topping

L'Occitane Homme ~ A masculine blend of lavender, nutmeg, cinnamon, tonka bean and musk.

Blue Sugar type ~ Fresh citrus creates a shimmering lift for this sensual vanilla based scent.  A romantic floral bouquet at the heart of the fragrance intertwines with fresh green tones and rich patchouli.  The vanilla signature at the base of the scent is balanced with soft musk and warmed by exotic woody tones for lingering sensuality. 

Hinoki Wood ~ Here is the low down on what this scent is like: warm essences of blonde wood, cedar and patchouli are enhanced with vanilla musk, cinnamon, clove and uplifted with notes of fresh eucalyptus, lavender, orange blossom, jasmine and rose.

Woodland Ice ~ Woodland Ice is a refreshing, outdoors kind of scent. Think evergreen and ozone, moss and musk, wildflower and herb. This masculine scent is easily crossed over for a unisex scent. I suspect that most women will want their man to wear this because it is sexy, clean and masculine.

Jacob ~ Jacob is a blend of evergreen woods, moss, patchouli and sensual musk. It is a deep, yet fresh scent and entirely masculine.

Scottish Heather ~ A delicate floral that will send you back to the Scottish moors. Imagine standing in a field of this delicate flower as the mist rises – relaxing and fragrant.

Leather ~ Rugged and masculine, this leather suede scent will take you back to the old west.

Chocolate Dreams ~ Warm sweet rich chocolate.

Lime ~ Sharp, citrusy green. The perfect skin cooler on a hot summer’s day!

Dragons Blood ~ Smells just like the essential oil. Dragon's blood truly has a smell all its own.

Sage ~ A wonderful fragrance reminiscent of fresh herbal sage leaves.

Juniper Breeze ~ A bath and body works type scent. It has an ozony balance of floral, green and fruity notes with a slight musk undertone.

Frangipani ~ The Hawaiian floral – a lush sweet tropical flower. This is a strong clean floral that is unique and loved by many.

Sweet Grass ~ The ozony aroma of fresh cut grass, clover with a hint of wisteria.

Mountain Dew ~ Soda with a jolt, this classic lemon/lime fizzy pop is so good you will swear you can smell the caffeine and feel the bubbles tickle your nose.

Tomorrow I'll be making up my Tallow & Whiskey Shaving Soap.  Made with a very generous portion of Chivas Regal 12 year Scottish Whiskey as the liquid.  Whiskey is actually the 5th ingredient out of 13 ingredients used!   Scented with Scottish Heather of course.   This scent is described as "A delicate floral that will send you back to the Scottish moors.  Imagine standing in a field of this delicate flower as the mist rises - relaxing and fragrant."   So watch for that !!!!!!!!!

Faux Vintage Williams Shaving Soap (Walters Shave Soap)

I've been busy in the kitchen the last few days and I made up 4 batches of my Walters Shaving Soap.
http://prairie-creations.com/pc/index.php?cPath=95

Lemon

Rose

Lavender

No Added Scent

This has gotten wonderful reviews from my customers!   Give it a try for yourself!

I took this on as a bit of a dare, to try to reproduce this wonderful product.  The current shaving soap does NOT lather the same as the vintage.    Here is a list of ingredients that are on the vintage Williams Shaving Soap box. 

Here is the list of my own ingredients.   Tallow, Stearic Acid, Water, Coconut Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Fragrance (optional), Titanium Dioxide

I don't claim this to be exactly like the real vintage shave soap, but personally after trying the real vintage Williams shave soap I do like my version better.  I think it provides a much better lather that isn't prone to dissipating. 

Next week I will be making several more batches in different scents!  Something for everybody!

Give it a try for yourself!

Shaving Cream Samples

Have now been mailed out.  I'm very impressed with the lather on this new version that I came up with.  I sent out 6 samples to guys who are members of DSF Damn Fine Shave  So hopefully I will be getting some reviews back shortly on those.

I sent our 4 samples in each of the boxes.  Inside were the following.

• A sample of the tallow shave soap that I would like to replace the current version with.   The current version has palm oil in it, and I want to drop the palm out of the recipe but before I do that, I want to get the opinion of others on what they think.  This version also has avocado oil and safflower oil in it.
• The next sample is the shaving cream.  This shaving cream was left unscented and it also contains avocado oil but it also has unrefined shea butter in it as well.
• The next sample was made with the same unscented tallow shaving cream as above but it had a specific percent of menthol added to it. 
• The last sample was also made with the same unscented tallow shaving cream as above but it had a higher percent of menthol added to it. 

So for you gentlemen who want/need their tallow and their menthol I hope to get some feedback for you soon on when these new products will be launched.   I will not be charging extra for the added menthol to your order.

Tallow Shaving Cream (still in testing)

This is something that I have wanted to do for awhile now, but just haven't taken the time to do it.  Although I have dabbled with liquid soaps I had never attempted to make a cream soap before. 

My first batch didn't work out as well as I wanted.  In fact, I believe the whole lot will find a home in a trash bag and placed in my trash can outside.  The lather was lousy to say the least.  But it wasn't a complete waste because it did get me thinking to set me in the right direction.

My second batch was made up, and I'm actually quite impressed with it.   I've had a chance to play with it a few times.  It really likes water, but when you give it what it wants, or is that needs the lather just explodes before your eyes. 

Today I built up my lather and left it for awhile to see what it would do.   The kids are home, and lest to say I became distracted and it was forgotten.   When I came back a few hours later the lather was still in my bowl.  Not only was it in my bowl, but I swirled my brush around and the creamy lather was just as great if not even better.    So I'm hoping i get some good reviews from those that are going to test this for me. 

You can find the results here,
http://www.prairie-creations.info/product-tester-comments-reviews-f10/blue-tallow-shave-cream-sample-2-t2.htm

If not it's back to the drawing board. 


Oh and did I mention this isn't just a tallow shaving soap, but it also contains avocado oil as well as unrefined shea butter.   I know I've been asked about those two ingredients a time or two.

Samples - shaving soap

I recently received a new slab mold to make my shaving soap samples in.  These will be different than the bath soap samples sent out.

The shaving soap samples will be square in shape and will measure 1.9" square, which will be a nice size for lathering with your brush, or it could be used directly on the face if you prefer a shave stick. Plenty for several shaves.  They will weigh aprox 1/2 ounce as well.    They will be packaged in a glassine bag as shown.

I do plan on tucking a little something extra into your packages when I can.  So if I happen to forget please forgive me.   But it's something I plan on doing.  But it might not always be shave soap, but could be a sample of the many other products that I make.   My bath soap samples will continue to be larger and will be rectangular in size.  Although I do have some shave soap samples that are rectangular as well, so read the label if you should get one.

I haven't decided if I will offer samples for sale or not yet.   IF i do, they will be on limited scents depending on what I have made up or what is requested that I add.  With the idea in mind that someone would buy them for travel or so someone can test the quality of the soap before committing to a larger purchase.  Each batch of samples makes up 16 square samples, so I don't want to get into making every single flavor that I have.    I could make the samples larger if needed as well,   

One idea that I have been tossing around, is to have a sampler package. Each sample square would have a larger weight of 1 ounce, and you would receive one of the tallow shave soap, and one of the tallow & lanolin shave soap.  Possibly a 1 oz sample size of my ASB or ASM or both, as well as part of the set.  Maybe even a sample of bath soap and lotion as well.  There would be no scent option but rather what was in stock at the time as these sets would be made up ahead of time.  However I would post what they were scented with so you would know ahead of time before they were purchased. 

If you have any suggestions or input regarding selling samples to try the quality of the product before buying a larger size, (or for travel) please post a reply to this blog entry. 

Lanolin Shave Soap - Coming THIS WEEK

For all the guys who have been itching for me to come out with my lanolin shave soap.... the moment is here at last.   I've made several batches and mailed them out to testers and I've finally decided on a recipe to go with.

It will be available on Wednesday April 7th.  

I've decided on using the following ingredients for this version.
Liquids : Aloe Vera Juice
Oils : Tallow, Lanolin, Castor Oil and Safflower Oil
Other Ingredients : Lye, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Kaolin Clay, Raw Silk Fibers, Sugar and Sodium Lactate


It will be found with my other shave soaps and you can choose your base by the drop down menu selection to choose either the aloe base or my new lanolin version.  The price will be the same as my aloe version for the different sizes and types that I offer for those who are wondering about that.  

When I add in my lanolin shave soap I will also be adding in my new fragrance oils as they are due to arrive Tuesday the 6th.   I can't wait to smell them.


.

Lanolin Shave Soap Test Batch #2

Well my second round of shave soap has been sent out and the comments are coming back.   It's still not what I had envisioned.   So I've tweaked it again and it's almost ready to be mailed back out to the gents (and lady) who were so willing to be testers.

I know exactly what the problem was so I know how to fix it.  So keep your fingers crossed that this batch recipe will be the one that gets thumbs up reviews.  If it doesn't then I will go back to the drawing board until I get it right.

Lanolin can be difficult to work with, but it's extremely moisturizing to the skin so it's worth the effort.

As soon as I get the thumbs up from my testers I will begin production of it and offer it for sale on my website.  The price will be the same as the others.

the ingredient list is going to look something like this

Liquids : Aloe Vera Juice
Oils : Tallow, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil and Lanolin
Other Ingredients : Lye, Sodium Lactate, Kaolin Clay, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Sugar and Raw Silk Fibers
May also include Fragrance or Essential Oils

Tallow & Lanolin Shave Soap is back in the testing mode

I've had my tallow & lanolin shave soap on the back burner for awhile now and it's time to complete that goal.  The first batch that I made didn't quite measure up so I took it back to the drawing board and tweaked my recipe.

I've already made up that new recipe and it looks promising. I'll be testing it out tonight and if it looks good to me it will be mailed out to my testers.   I have 6 people who have been asked (and agreed) to test this new version of shave soap for me.   Those will be mailed out soon and I hope to get some results back soon from them.


But I won't be just adding the lanolin into shave soap, but also into my bath soap as well.   I have found that in a bath soap it makes a noticeable difference in how it moisturizes the skin.

Old Spice Tallow Shaving Soap Available Now

 all the shaving soap seen pictured has already

been made and scented with Old Spice FO.

Because you asked, I answered and ordered the Old Spice fragrance that many of you like. It has been delivered and you can place your orders directly on my website when your ready.

Here is the direct link to that page.
http://www.prairie-creations.com/shop/index.php?cPath=30

Because many have asked me about taking alternative payment options other than paypal I am adding that you can mail a money order and that o

Publish Post

ption is a payment option as you go through the checkout process. International shipping rates will also be figured out by my shipping module.

Tallow Shaving Soap

I just wanted to post what some of my shaving soaps look like after I make them.   To save on time I don't make several pucks of the same scent.   Instead I now make them in one block and leave them unscented.   As I work to fill orders, they are cut up and melted down and scent along with hydrolyzed wheat protein is added and it's poured into the container or mold.   This is not a melt and pour type soap but my own recipe using tallow and other oils along with lye to create my own shaving soap.  Yes I do melt it down and while it doesn't melt into a liquid like melt and pour soap it softens into a consistency that I can work with.


Here is my aloe vera version.  This particular block weighs 6 pounds and 5.5 ounces
When I need to make it up I make up 2 of these at once(total 12 pounds 11 oz)  and my particular mold for this is a plastic shoe storage container.  Just to give you an idea of the size, but I also put a jar of that I use for the shaving soap on top just to give you a visual.

The tallow shaving soap made with beer that I made up today weighs 4 pounds and 2.5 ounces.  The beer that was used is made by Boulevard and is a Unfiltered Wheat Beer.  100% of the liquid used in this soap is this particular beer.   The rectangular mold on the bottom is a silicone bread loaf pan.  Then because I needed more I used other silicone molds that I had which is why the top ones are an odd shape.   And like the aloe shaving soap this is handmade by myself and will be cut up and "melted" down so scent and hydrolized wheat protein can be added to it before pouring it into the jar or mold of choice.   The jar that is used for my shaving soaps was added into the picture so you can get an idea of size.

Hope you enjoyed seeing a little of what the raw state of my shaving soap looks like.