6 Reasons Why You Should Use Handcrafted Soap

Sara WagnerTips, Tricks & Tutorials2 Comments

Natural and sustainable living is becoming very popular these days. Everyone is becoming more mindful of what they consume, and how they consume it; why should body care be any different? Handcrafted soap has been in existence since the early days of humanity. For thousands of years, humans have craved the pleasant feeling of a well made soap, and we … Read More

The Shelf Life of Oils

Sara WagnerTips, Tricks & TutorialsLeave a Comment

Let’s talk about shelf life! When formulating your product, understanding the shelf life of the oils you are using is an important step in ensuring quality and longevity for your customers. If you’re anything like me, I don’t usually need to worry about the expiration of my cooking oils because I seem to go through them very quickly; that is, … Read More

What’s Up at the HSCG: March 2017

Sara WagnerMembership & BenefitsLeave a Comment

2017 has and will continue to be an exciting year for the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild! In early 2017, we were very excited to introduce a new, lower cost insurance option through Veracity Insurance Solutions. Even with a price point $100 less than the standard coverage option, this lower cost policy still covers handcrafted soap and cosmetic makers in … Read More

Common Scents: Vetiver

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Welcome to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a series of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils, and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting; in this edition of Common Scents, we’ll take a look at vetiver. Revered by Indian culture and referred to in Sri Lanka as the “Oil of … Read More

5 Ways To Be a Boss, and Maintain Your Well-Being

Sara WagnerBusiness & FinanceLeave a Comment

Being an entrepreneur is a difficult, but rewarding path. When you own and run your own business, you have almost complete control over your schedule, and how your time is managed. Furthermore, many handcrafters have their working space right in their own home, which can make “going to work” more convenient. While you are working hard perfecting your recipes, narrowing … Read More

Beer Soap For Beginners

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Today, we are going to talk about making soap using a popular alcoholic drink; beer! I used the hot process method, but these observations will apply to those of you that use the cold process method, too. Let’s get started! Considerations for Beer Soap  When I first began doing research about beer soap, I found many conflicting articles and conflicting … Read More

All About: Exfoliants

Sara WagnerTips, Tricks & TutorialsLeave a Comment

Let’s face it; making beauty products is like a giant science experiment in your kitchen. (Well, unless you are already a pro and you have moved onto bigger and better things!)  One of my favorite parts of making beauty products is experimenting with different exfoliating ingredients.  There are literally so many different exfoliants to choose from you will never be … Read More

Common Scents: Rose Absolute

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Welcome to our series, Common Scents! Common Scents is a series of articles exploring the history of commonly used essential oils and how they became so popular in modern day soap and cosmetic crafting. This week, we’ll be talking about Rose Absolute! Think of a flower. Was it a rose? If it was, that’s no surprise; the rose is one … Read More

A Beginner’s Guide to Castile Soap

Sara WagnerTips, Tricks & TutorialsLeave a Comment

Castile soap is arguably one of the most simultaneously simple and complicated soaps in existence! From debates on its origin, to arguments about what it should and should not contain, castile soap means something different to just about every soap maker. The Debatable History of Castile Soap  It is difficult to find a definitive answer as to where castile soap … Read More

Color Me Clean: Colorants in Soap and Cosmetics

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If you make your own soap and cosmetics, and especially if you make soap and/or cosmetics with bright colors and beautiful patterns, I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “It’s so pretty, I don’t want to use it” more than once! While breaking the barrier between decoration and usable product is a challenge in its very own category, another challenge that … Read More