Pure Purrfections

Good Morning!

Pure Purrfections had a great day at the Mableton Community Day on May 21, 2011.   Although it was hot, like 95 degrees hot, we were cool as cucumbers under the tent with the fans blowing.

 We met a lot of new friends, and gave away over 100 samples of soap and pamphlets.  We sold a lot of soap too!  We completely sold out of Lavender & Chamomile soap so we are busy making more of that one.  Our new Lemongrass and Hemp blend was also a big hit.  There were many requests for Hippie Chick but we were all out (due to curing times).

I just want to extend a great big thank you to all of our customers who came out to see our soaps hands on.  I was also VERY happy to see the folks who came by when the first arrived and decided to shop around.   After shopping around, I was thrilled to see them come back to buy our soaps!  Some of the biggest selling points we had were the all-natural ingredients.  Although we did sell some of our nearly naturals soaps, our all natural stuff really moved. 

Overall, we consider the even a huge success and cannot to see you guys at the next show.  We are busy making plenty of soap so we can offer you a large variety of scented and unscented, and natural and nearly naturals.

We hope that you can come see us next time.

Thank You

Pure Purrfections

(please note, all comments are moderated and any spam and unrelated comments will be deleted)

There are many aspects to Handmade Soap and All Natural Products that people should be aware of. When buying handmade soap, knowledge is the key in getting exactly what you want.

Distinguishing natural from commercial, here are some key points:

1)    When considering a natural soap, if the ingredients are not listed, you should avoid using it.  If a company is advertising a product as all natural, they will be proud of their ingredients.  You will find their ingredients clearly listed.

2)    If it does not look like a natural color, be sure to read the label ingredients.  There are many different types of colorants available for use in bath and body products.  There are “dyes” that are available to color soap.  Dyes can be listed as FD&C#65, or just colorant but you will have no way of knowing what exactly it is.  You can be sure, it is not natural.

3)    Mica has been used for many things in bath and body products like eye shadow, and soaps. We use a few shades of mica in some of our soaps.  Mica is actually a questionable natural colorant due to some processing that takes place to add color to mica. Our Hippie Chick soap used to contain Mica but we now use Iron Oxide to give it a nice red color.

4)    If scents are listed or described as “type” there is a good chance your potential purchase is not all natural. These designer fragrances cannot be replicated with all natural substances.

5)    If there is the word “fragrance” in the ingredient list, it is not all natural. Soapmakers will list the essential oils used in the soap process proudly as the scent. Fragrance can mean anything from high quality commercial fragrances to some blend picked up at the flea market.

6)    Glycerin is a natural substance.  But, if it has a bright purple color, there is a chance it may not be natural. Check the ingredients.  Often you will find glycerin soaps made or mixed with milk. This will make it a cloudy white color and that is natural.  Glycerin is a clear substance that is a byproduct of soapmaking. Glycerin is often mixed with other fragrances and colorants to create decorative soaps.

7)    Handmade does not equal all natural.   Soap can be handmade, but once additional ingredients are added, it can no longer be called all natural.  I have discovered during market research that some companies count on this misconception in selling their products.  I have been misled by some very popular companies into believing that their products are all natural when they are not.  This does not mean that the product or company is bad; they are just using the potential customers’ lack of knowledge to their benefit. 

At Pure Purrfections, we believe knowledge is power and want you to find a soap that suits you and your skin type.  Even if you choose not to purchase our products, we want to arm you with information that will aid you in finding the right product.

If at any time you have questions concerning our products before or after purchase, we will be happy to answer them.   If you need assistance in finding the right soap for your skin, let us and know and we gladly point you in the right direction.

Thank you for reading

Pure Purrfections

Paraben Preservatives (para-hydroxybenzoic acids)  
What it is:  Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, or benzylparaben) are preservatives used in many products and widely used in cosmetic to prevent microbial organism growth.  FDA does not regulate the usage of parabens in bath and body products at this time
Health concerns: Research has shown that commonly used parabens can mimic your body’s natural hormones and disrupt your endocrine functions. In 2004 a study published in Darbre, in the Journal of Applied Toxicology revealed parabens in breast tumors. This study has not been proven to be accurate, but has also not been disproven and research still continues.
Alternatives: Limit use of cosmetics containing preservatives. Make only enough soap to use or sell and prevent the need for preservatives. Using natural or organic handmade cosmetics and body products can limit exposure to parabens. Shelf life of soap made without added preservatives can be 1 year to 18 months.

Phthalates (DEHP, MEHP, DBP, DINP, DIDP, DnOP)
What it is: An industrial chemical grouping that can be found in numerous products including bath and body products, cosmetics, toys, homes, cars, nearly everywhere.  Phthalates have been under scrutiny in recent years due to reported health concerns pertaining to overuse in our environment. Concerns arise from over exposures and build up of these chemicals in our bodies.
Health Concerns: Research has reported concerns ranging from damage to male sperm counts to cancers. These findings are still in debate due to new research. Limits have been imposed as to how much and where these chemicals can be used.
Alternatives: Your best bet is to avoid using these chemicals when possible. While they cannot be avoided entirely, avoidance can reduce your chances of build up. When making your handmade soaps, verify that any fragrance oils or labels do not contain these compounds.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)
What it is: A surfactant used in body products as a foaming agent and is a known irritant. SLES is also commonly used in toothpaste.
Health concerns: SLES may worsen skin problems in individuals and cause canker sores when used in toothpaste. Research continues about possible carcinogenic (cancer causing agents) effects of SLES but effects are unsure.
Alternatives: Use products that do not list SLES as an ingredient. Coconut oil has been used often in handmade soaps to increase the lathering effect as well as many other oils. Use natural toothpastes if you are prone to canker sores that do not contain SLES and perform your own experiment.

Triclosan
What it is: Wide spectrum antibacterial and antifungal agent.  It is a polychloro phenoxy phenol. Used in hand soaps and sanitizers.
Health concerns: Reports have suggested that triclosan can combine with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas, which the United States Environmental Protection Agency classifies as a probable human carcinogen.
Alternatives: University of Michigan School of Public Health study showed that regular hand soaps are just as effective at removing bacteria when used properly. Many essential oils have been found to remove bacteria.

We recently read this article on the overkill of anti-bacterial soap containing Triclosan.  This is very interesting information... Please read!

http://www.livablefutureblog.com/2011/02/antibacterial-soap-poses-environmental-health-risks-doesnt-clean-any-better/

Thank you for stopping by. It has been a long day of trials and tribulations for all but we thought we would take a moment and share some information we have been collecting. Over the years of soapmaking, we have noticed a few "bad" ingredients that you may want to avoid putting on your lovely bodies.  Some of these ingredients are iffy, as in, research is ongoing and debatable but nonetheless, important.
    There are so many soap companies and soapmakers that we thought a little education may help you in your handmade soap adventure.  Many commercial soap companies (and even some handmade soap companies) use these ingredients since they are not especially regulated by the FDA, and if they are, they are for limited use.
    Even if you decide not to purchase our soaps, we hope that you can use this information when window shopping.  Our Pure Purrfections soaps are completely natural and do not contain any additives or colorants so if that is what your skin desires, then enjoy your read, and head on over there for an herbal retreat.  Our Nearly Naturals soap line does include colorants, and fragrances but they do NOT contain the ingredients we will be discussing here.

Thank you for reading,
Pure Purrfections