COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.

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Melanie Osborne
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a safer soap. a better way. COTTON CREEK SOAP CO. CON TAC T 792 RACY T GEB : Rea g a n Sp HART Sey mou r, T rings R TEL N.

com When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open

Continued on Page 2 Why Castile Soap. Continued on Page 3 Milk in Handmade Soap. Does it Really Make a Difference?

1 a safer soap. a better way. COTTON CREEK SOAP CO. CON TAC T 792 RACY T GEB : Rea g a n Sp HART Sey mou r, T rings R TEL N. 3 o EPH 786 ad ONE.766 EMA 9 TRA CY@ IL AB Spring/Summer Twenty-Eleven ET.CO TERSO M AP News From The Holler When our eyes see our hands doing the work of our hearts, the circle of Creation is completed inside us, the doors of our souls fly open and love steps forth to heal everything in sight. ~Michael Bridge IN THIS ISSUE Calendula Why It s One of My Favorite Herbs. Continued on Page 2 Why Castile Soap. Continued on Page 3 Milk in Handmade Soap. Does it Really Make a Difference? Continued on Page 4 Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants. William Osler Canadian Physician, Cotton Creek Soap Co. Great Smoky Mountains TN

COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 2 Calendula Why It s One of My Favorite Herbs. I love Calendula! It is my favorite herb because it has absolutely no precautions.

2 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 2 Calendula Why It s One of My Favorite Herbs. I love Calendula! It is my favorite herb because it has absolutely no precautions. It is as safe as safe can be, I love it s rich saturated color and so many wonderful products can be made from this beauty of an herb! I have used Cotton Creek s Calendula Soap as a shampoo bar for a few years now and my hair has never felt this healthy, shiny and it holds up my naturally curly hair. Let s explore this herb. Calendula - also known as Calendula officinalis, pot marigold, Garden Marigold, Gold-Bloom, Holligold, Marigold, Marybud, and Zergul. Calendula History - The calendula is an annual flower native to the northern Mediterranean countries. Its name refers to its tendency to bloom with the calendar, usually once a month or every new moon. The term "marigold" refers to the Virgin Mary, and marigolds are used in Catholic events honoring the Virgin Mary. The Egyptians considered them to have rejuvenating properties. In the Hindu world, the flowers were used to adorn statues of gods in their temples, as well as a colorant in food, fabrics, and cosmetics, and of particular interest, in the 18th and 19th century, calendula was used to color cheese. The calendula was originally used as food rather than as an herb. It adds flavor to cereals, rice, and soups. The petals can be added to salads. As recently as 70 years ago, American physicians used calendula to treat amenorrhea, conjunctivitis, fevers, cuts, scrapes, bruises, and burns, as well as minor infections of the skin. Parts Used - Dried flowers. Typical Preparations - Creams, teas, tinctures, infusions, compresses, and washes. Summary - Calendula creams and washes are still used to disinfect minor wounds and to treat infections of the skin. T h e a n t i b a c t e r i a l a n d immunostimulant properties of the plant make it extremely useful in treating slow-healing cuts and cuts in people who have compromised immune systems. The herb stimulates the production of collagen at wound sites and minimizes scarring. Gargling calendula water may ease sore throat. Because of the vivid and brilliant color of calendula, it was thought by many to possess many powers for the protection and benefit of humans. One of the more outlandish claims was that wearing an amulet or necklace made of calendula petals, a bay leaf, and a wolf's tooth would ensure that any words spoken to the wearer would be kind, peaceful and honest. An often overlooked application of this herb is the treatment of post-mastectomy lymphedema. The herb will not reduce swelling, but it will reduce pain. As for calendula, we shall never have a garden w i t h o u t t h e m, both for their own sake, and for the sake of oldfashioned folks, who used to love them. Cotton Creek Soap Co. Great Smoky Mountains TN

3 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 3 Why Castile Soap. As I thought about this question and how to answer it, so many things came to mind. So it s probably best we begin with the basics. Castile soap is named after the Castile region of Spain. True Castile soap uses only 100% olive oil as the base soap-making oil. Today, pure olive oil soaps are rare. Many people claim to make Castile soap, in part because the name Castile defines quality, purity and gentleness but not all Castile soaps are pure! If you re about to purchase a bar labeled Castile, check the ingredients on the back. If there is more than one oil and if they both aren t olive oil, then it isn t a pure Castile soap. Many soapmakers do not make Castile soap today. I believe the two main reasons for this is the cost of olive oil and the time involved in the process verses using a recipe with 3-5 base oils. When using stand alone olive oil, mixing to a trace (pudding/gravy like consistency) takes a little longer and if you re not using a stick blender, this could mean more than an hour stirring by hand, depending on the size of the batch. At Cotton Creek, we make your Castile Soap using 100% Olive Oil and we don t mind hand stirring. :-) Do we sell much Castile Soap? I would say we hit middle ground on that. I usually have to persuade a customer to try it for the first time, after that they usually order 2-3 bars for Summer and Winter. Now we come to the question, why? I ll tell you why I use Cotton Creek Castile Soap. Main reason, I m 45, I am perimenopausal and I have found as I get older my face is more sensitive to perfumed products, which only leads to more dryness. Even some soaps made with Essential Oils will cause a slight breakout, whereas twenty years ago I wouldn t have had a problem. Castile Soap doesn t leave a film, therefore allowing your skin to carry out its natural functions such as sweating and shedding dead skin. At the same time it acts as a humectant, attracting moisture from the air, helping to keep your skin moisturized naturally. Because Castile Soap is so gentle, it is usually a newborn baby s first soap. Most soapmakers have heard one of these statements at least once from customers: "It feels slimy," or "I can t get it to lather like other soaps." This would be true with both statements. Pure Castile Soap does not contain coconut or palm oils, the two main oils which cause soap to bubble. As for the slime, I m not sure I would actually call it that--it s more of a creamy lather. If you want your Castile soap to lather you must use a wash cloth or one of the readily available nylon scrubbies on the market. I ve never had a problem getting Castile Soap to lather this way, and I do like a lather when shaving. If you happen to be the kind of person who feels that your face soap must lather like the local car wash, then Castile Soap is probably not for you. But you can bet that the same chemicals and harsh detergents found at your local car wash are in the beauty and moisturizing bars found on the shelves at your favorite retailer. They ll even sell you a moisturizer! And they can, because they have plenty of glycerin. They skimmed the natural glycerin from your soap and used it in your moisturizer, or they sell it off as a commodity to another company.and yes, they ll sell you moisturizer :-) I m going to end this article with a true story from just about a week ago. Eric and I were sitting in the family room, on the sofa watching TV. He put his finger on my forearm and asked what s this? I replied, I know, I keep forgetting to take a bar of soap into the bathroom, and I ve been using Sarah Katie s Tone soap for the last three days. My skin was so dry, it was ashy and looked severely dehydrated. I stood up and immediately replenished my soap supply in the bathroom. So I ask, why not Castile Soap? Cotton Creek Soap Co. Great Smoky Mountains TN

COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 4 Milk in Handmade Soap. Does it Really Make a Difference? This is the question to be sure. And it doesn t have to be just milk we re wondering about.

4 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 4 Milk in Handmade Soap. Does it Really Make a Difference? This is the question to be sure. And it doesn t have to be just milk we re wondering about. Does any additive that soapmakers add to their soaps survive the saponification process? I think the answer has to be yes. As a soapmaker I can certainly tell the difference between one bar of soap and the next. There isn t any question that from the point of adding lye to any liquid, the temperature reaches 200 degrees almost instantly. When adding goat s milk, buttermilk or even coconut milk it heats up even more. While I don t have a degree in chemistry, as an experienced soapmaker I can tell the difference in a bar made with the same basic recipe but the water has been switched out for a milk liquid. It s smoother and has a creamier lather. I don t believe it moisturizes any better than other handmade natural soaps. Any true handmade soap is going to retain its naturally produced glycerin thus giving you the best in moisturizing properties. I think if anything, using a milk additive in handmade soap bumps up its value with vitamins. Goat s milk contains vitamins A, B6, B12 and E. Goat s milk has 3 times more betacasein than cow s milk. Caseins are easily absorbed into the skin and allow for quick hydration of dry skin. The content of triglycerides, capric, caprylic and caproic acid helps balance the skin s natural ph and promotes natural exfoliation of dry skin. Coconut milk has a very high fat content but is also very high in natural fatty acids. These fatty acids make it a natural antiseptic that gently deep cleans impurities without over-drying even the most sensitive skin. In cleansers, coconut milk clears dirt and oils form the skin and rinses clean for a soft, smooth complexion. Whether we are making Goat s Milk or Coconut Milk soap we only use organic, never diluted or in powder form and both are purchased from our local food co-op. Both Goat s Milk and Coconut Milk from Cotton Creek are stand alone soaps. We use buttermilk, also organic, in our Soothing Soap Cake, scented with Lavender and Sweet Orange. Cotton Creek Soap Co. Great Smoky Mountains TN

COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 5 Spring has sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where all the flowers iz. NO SPRING WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS QUOTE Well, were you thinking Spring would never arrive?

However, in a few months in the world of soapmaking I will be beginning the plans for the Autumn/ Winter 2011 season.

5 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 5 Spring has sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where all the flowers iz. NO SPRING WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THIS QUOTE Well, were you thinking Spring would never arrive? Winter was an event, wasn t it. I am so excited about the Spring/ Summer season here at Cotton Creek Soap Co! However, in a few months in the world of soapmaking I will be beginning the plans for the Autumn/ Winter 2011 season. But first I will enjoy the warmth and sunshine, plant my crops and gardens and put away for winter. I have decided to take a year off from traveling the show schedule and my local farmer s market. I would like to concentrate on online sales and my local customer base. And although I do have help, as the only soapmaker it has become increasingly difficult to produce enough soap to cover our commercial accounts, online sales, shows, markets and local sales. Cotton Creek had two opportunities recently to move into retail space, and as much as I would love to have my own brick and mortar with a Cotton Creek shingle hanging out front, I only have three years left of my children being in high school and I would like to be here at home for them and have those memories and all experiences.even the teenage drama :-) I wouldn t miss this for the world. This decision will allow me to build more stock for you, tinker with new products and being a bit selfish, be at home. Cotton Creek will have a lot of new Herbal Soaps this season, some of which were named by my husband Eric and a life-long friend Debbie. Eric looked at the ingredients and named them after local spots, creeks and waterfalls. I think he did a great job. Along with the new herbal soaps we will be introducing a line of soap for men and women, soaps scented with naturally derived fragrance oils, balms, solid perfumes, a hand and body cream and a few other surprises. These new products will be introduced as they become available and as a customer who signed up for this bi-yearly newsletter you will always receive free samples to try any new product! Continued on page 6... Cotton Creek Soap Co. Great Smoky Mountains TN

We have suppliers who have raised their prices, we have some who have not and we have (thank goodness) our two main suppliers who have bundled any increase in price to include shipping.

6 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO.! PAGE 6 Cotton Creek has not raised their prices in over four years, in fact when the recession began we lowered our prices by $2.00 in order to provide our customers a way to still afford our natural herbal soaps. We have suppliers who have raised their prices, we have some who have not and we have (thank goodness) our two main suppliers who have bundled any increase in price to include shipping. In talking with the owner of one of those suppliers she explained to me how she was able to do it and still only have a marginal increase. I have adopted that method with Cotton Creek so I can continue to serve my customers and remain in business. We have increased the price of our soap bars by $1.00 and now shipping is free when you spend $25.00 With this increase, please keep in mind that customer service is a priority with me, in the event our economy improves, Cotton Creek will always price our products to reflect that change. With the decision to concentrate on local and online sales Cotton Creek Soap Co. will have more of an online presence and we are excited about that! We will be teaming up with other businesses to increase traffic for them and Cotton Creek. These give-a-ways will be limited to FB to begin, so please make sure you visit our FB page and Like us. With our redesigned website we have included a blog, on each page you have the option to receive updates via or RSS. We hope you will visit us there as well and sign up. We are on Twitter and have a blog on Blogger.com. I know it seems crazy to be everywhere, but I have come to realize that not all customers want to be on FB or have a Twitter account, so we ve decided to come to you in whatever way you are most comfortable. Thank you once again for your loyalty to Cotton Creek Soap Co. and for supporting independent business in the south, we appreciate you! Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it. It is what the client or customer gets out of it. Peter Drucker Cotton Creek Soap Co Great Smoky Mountains TN

7 COTTON CREEK SOAP CO. Thank You So Much! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Most phone calls and questions sent via are answered within twenty-four hours. We welcome any and all communication with you. Contact: Phone tracy (at) abettersoap (dot) com You are receiving this newsletter because you have great taste in handmade natural and herbal soap! We applaud your choice to use an earth friendly personal care product for you and those you love. Cotton Creek Soap Co. a safer soap. a better way. FROM: COTTON CREEK SOAP CO. 792 Reagan Springs Road Seymour, TN Spring/Summer Twenty-Eleven MAIL TO: Friends and Family of Cotton Creek Soap Co. a safer soap. a better way.

Creams, Ointments, Scrubs & Soaps

Creams, Ointments, Scrubs & Soaps An ointment is beeswax melted in an oil. You get a lotion, if you add a cup of clean water and blend it slowly together. You need to use an electric blender that the emulsion