Tools of the Trade from The Soap Kitchen

So, I posted a short video on how I fill each of our amazing lip balms by hand, and I wanted to share my helpful tools with you. I found a test tube tray that's just about the right size for the standard 0.15 ounce tubes, and each tray holds 50 of them!

Pair it with the little lazy suzy, and it makes filling the tubes so much easier! I had to put a small cutting board on top of the lazy suzy because the tray didn't fit quite perfectly, but no big deal.

What the heck. I might as well share my favorite lip balm tubes here, too, so you'll have all you need to create your own handmade lip balms. The Keepie Factory lip balm tubes are REALLY great quality, FDA APPROVED, Non Toxic, BPA Free, and most importantly, MADE IN USA!

So the only thing missing is your own lip balm creation! The possibilities are endless there, so I'll leave that to you to experiment and have fun with!

If you'd like to buy ours to try, here's a link to my favorite flavor!
Ultra Rich Mint Verbena

Links to the products on Amazon are below. This is my first time linking to Amazon, so I'm not sure how this works, but I do believe I may get a small commission if you buy from them. We'll see!

Did you know that we, and by we, I mean I, fill each of our amazing lip balms by hand? #madewithlove! 😘💕

A post shared by The Soap Kitchen (@thesoapkitchen) on Oct 17, 2017 at 4:54pm PDT

           

FDA Ruling on Antibacterial Soaps

Have you heard the latest FDA ruling on antibacterial soaps?

Click to see the full news coverage on KCAL9.

The Soap Kitchen has been doing it right all along!

We were interviewed by KCAL9 during their coverage of the latest FDA ruling which bans antibacterial soaps because studies show that these soaps may be doing more harm than good. Click on the video above to learn what the FDA says is still the best way to fight germs. Hint: It's been around for centuries and hasn't changed much.

To see our full menu of all natural soaps, please visit our shop in Old Pasadena or our website at www.TheSoapKitchen.com.

Orange is the New Black Shampoo!

Late night soaping gets spooky! This half and half batch of Orange Vanilla and Black Gold Shampoo will be ready just in time for Halloween!

This is a custom order for new shampoo flavors. If all goes well, we could be adding these to our line of shampoo bars. Yay!

But for now, if you're looking for our Black Gold body and face bar, you can find it here:

And for something orange to go with it, try our Orange Clove & Cinnamon Spice!:

What do I do when my soap gets too small?!!

I know this might be a silly post, but I frequently get asked this question! "What do I do when my soaps get too small? I don't want to waste them!" Some collect a bunch and put them into a soap saver. Others have tried melting them to form a larger bar. This is what I do, and it almost never fails, because even I hate to waste soap!

*Note: This works best with one new bar and a thin used bar. You need a nice flat surface to stick to. :)

The soap featured in this video is our Tea Tree Wake Up, one of my all-time favorites!

Click on the photo below to find it on our site.

Melting Soaps! Ahhh!!!

Hello Soap World! Here is an email from one of our long-time customers:

We have purchased and happily used your products since your store opened. I'm preparing to place a new order, but have a question before I do so: Is one of the kinds of soaps-olive oil or shea butter-better for holding up in the bathroom and shower? We have a persistent problem with "melting" soap-halfway through the bar it begins to melt and disintegrate. This is unsightly for the bathroom sink, and messy in the shower. Is there any way to prevent this? Is any one soap better at holding its shape than another (we like all your soaps :)).

My response:

Thank you for email! I understand your frustration with the melting soaps. I've found that it makes a big difference what soap dish I use. In the shower, I have a Simple Human (will not rust) wire shower caddy that keeps the soaps well drained so I don't experience the "melting soaps" problem there. At my sinks, I use a dish with river rocks to keep the soaps off the bottom and away from moisture. I will send you one of these, along with our wooden soap dish. If the river rocks get messy, just fill the dish with warm water and let the rocks soak for about 5 minutes, rinse, drain, and it's as good as new. :)

This is our Made in the USA wooden soap dish, and you can find it here:

The Soap Kitchen - Wooden Soap Dish

Here is the tall shower caddy on Amazon:
Simple Human Tall Shower Caddy

This one is great, too, if you only want a small caddy:
Simple Human Shower Caddy

I've found that it doesn't really matter if it's our Olive Oil or Shea Butter Soaps. They pretty much react the same and last longer when they're allowed to dry between uses. I have noticed that the longer our soaps cure, the harder the bar gets, and the longer it lasts, however, the scent won't be as strong. Some of our customers stock up quite a bit and let our soaps continue to age, like fine wine or cheese. :) Hope this helps!

All the best,

Dali