Fragrant Fields

Smells like the holidays to me

2008-12-03T19:45:00.001-08:00

It's been a while, and my first pre-New Year's resolution is to be a lot more attentive to this blog. I'm thinking of relocating it to a web address I already own, like soapmold.com or aromacrafting.com. I think I like the latter option best. The blog could be renamed to match. I think I'd like the creative freedom a lot more, too, than the options available here at Blogger.

The holidays are upon us, that's for sure. Everywhere you go, Christmas lights are blinking, winking, nodding and generally driving me crazy. The houses that are overloaded with the bounty of Christmas decorations from Target and Walmart are the ones that amaze me most. What drives people to these extremes and how big are their electric bills?

I prefer my holidays a lot more on the subtle and traditional side, which is especially handy when the economy is in the duldrums. Several large companies have already announced trimming the annual holiday party from their budgets, including my old employer, American Express. Let me tell you, those AmEx Christmas parties were legendary. No expense was spared. I'm sure cutting the parties will save the company thousands and thousands of dollars. Like I said, I prefer a low-key celebration. Egg nog and brandy, orange pomanders, Secret Santas...these are a few of my holiday favorite things. This year, to save our company a few dollars, we're having the Snowdrift Farm Christmas Party at the Wallace residence, and I'm excited! I get to help plan and implement a party for the people I work with every day. Carly, my 14 year old daughter and Robyn, my niece and SDF's General Manager and I will have a blast thinking of fun and creative ways to celebrate the season.

Speaking of orange pomanders (nice segue, huh?), I used a 50/50 blend of our Orange Pomander fragrance oil with our minty Eskimo Kisses fragrance oil and believe I have reached holiday scent blend nirvana. Just enough sweet citrus scent to make the mouth water and just enough minty goodness to refresh and rejuvenate the senses and the spirit. The idea came to me as I was dispensing these oils into our 5 mL sample bottles to include with our Goody Bags (free with every order, while they last). We'll have to see what else I come up with. I have a bottle of Holiday Balsam and a bunch of labels sitting on my desk, and Carly seems to need a job to make some spending money for her trip to the mall this weekend...

Smells like the holidays to me

2008-12-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, and my first pre-New Year's resolution is to be a lot more attentive to this blog. I'm thinking of relocating it to a web address I already own, like soapmold.com or aromacrafting.com. I think I like the latter option best. The blog could be renamed to match. I thinkI'd like the creative freedom a lot more, too, than the options available here at Blogger.

Fresh-baked cookies and bread

2008-09-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the price of a loaf of bread these days? We're talking at least $4 here in Tucson for a loaf -- 16 oz. -- of some-kind-of-grain bread. When a loaf of bread or a gallon of gas costs $4, something has to give.

I already boycott Walmart -- haven't stepped foot in one since 1994. Now I embark upon a similar embargo of bread and other baked items. In other words, expect to see a lot more bread and cookie recipes here.

Carly (my daughter) and I began baking this morning right after the breakfast dishes were cleared. We started with chocolate chip cookies, but doctored them up with a little Muesli. The smell of the baking cookies filled our kitchen and great room and attracted Bill and Liam pretty quickly. They magnanimously volunteered to "test" our wares. I am happy to report they were both satisfied with the results.

Trina's Chocolate Chip - Muesli Cookies

These cookies not only taste good, but they are chock full of high fiber Muesli cereal, containing uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts. We used Bob's Red Mill brand Muesli.

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Muesli
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips; I prefer Nestle's

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the Muesli and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. I use three and keep them in rotation.

Bake for 9 minutes in preheated oven. They smell great when baking. If I could bottle this scent, I'd be a millionaire. In any case, cookies should slide right off the parchment. Allow cookies to cool before storing. Makes about 4-5 dozen.

We also had a plethora of aging bananas sitting on the kitchen counter. Five to be exact. Three of them were smaller and fairly well past their prime. Two others were of medium size and slightly old, displaying only a few black spots on their skins. I mashed them all together using our potato masher and had about 2 cups -- enough to make two loaves of Banana, Nut and Muesli Bread. This recipe will make 2 loaves of bread in 9" x 5" loaf pans. Since the oven was already set to the correct temp for this recipe, I made the batter up while the last of the cookies were baking. Once the cookies were out of the oven, the banana breads went in, continuing that wonderful scent of fresh baking.

Banana, Nut and Muesli Bread

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups bread or all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Muesli
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 9" x 5" loaf pans.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sour cream with the sugars until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the bananas and vanilla.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in Muesli and nuts. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Talkin' Melt & Pour Soap

2008-09-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a long two weeks since last I wrote. Sorry about that. School's started and we've had the Labor Day holiday in between, too. At this time of the year, I often think it's kind of like wiping the slate clean, tidying up and starting all over again -- my version of New Year's, I suppose.

Taking stock in our formulary, I noted that we are a little light on the melt and pour recipes, especially when you contrast it to the numbers of cold process soap recipes provided. Granted, I am a cold process soap queen -- even referred to as a master batcher (that's "batcher", not
"b-tcher") -- but there's a lot to be said for making melt and pour. Our friends at the Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild will bestow a certificate of mastery upon both Cold Process and Melt and Pour afficiandos.

To that end, our Accounting Manager, Kaye, has undertaken the reworking of our melt and pour instructions as well as creating new melt and pour soap kits. Why our Accounting Manager? Besides accounting, Kaye has a Master's Degree in Art Education (and a degree in Phys. Ed, too). She's already devised our newest kit, Halloween Soap. The kit is available in two versions: Autumn Pumpkin and Boo Bar. Kaye has painstakingly rewritten our melt and pour instructions, including tips on advanced techniques. Take a look at Kaye's work here, on our Pumpkin Rustica soap recipe. (photo below)

Kaye has also been tooling around with some gorgeous glittery oxides we received from Englehardt and Rona, lo these many years ago. To me, they seemed like eye make-up. Bill got these samples about 5-6 years ago, and while I experimented with them in cold process soap (what haven't I put into cp soap?) and lotions, I am not a big fan of make-up, so skipped over the mineral make-up thing. Kaye found them in one of my drawers and has been creating these gorgeous melt and pour soaps, coloring them with the glitz and glamour of these oxides. I think they look terrific, but I ask you, who would ever use them? They look like works of art. Kaye's convinced we need to include these in an upcoming soap kit. So, stay tuned and look forward to more new melt and pour soap kits from Snowdrift Farm. We'd love to hear your suggestions, too.

The Thing About Ginger...

2008-08-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

I think, sometimes, people have a certain idea of how an essential oil should smell. Even if they have never inhaled the pure volatile oil before, they still have it in their heads what the oil should smell like.

Take ginger essential oil (Zingiber officinale), for instance. And I have to admit, the first time I smelled it, I was a bit taken aback. I had it in my head that ginger oil should smell sweetly and not at all medicinal, not even in the slightest way. I was really sure of what ginger should smell like, and it took me a while to understand that real, true ginger oil has an earthy-woody quality to it that has nothing to do with candied ginger from the market. That's a whole different process. Ginger oil smells warmly, and is warming to the touch. It is spicy, but I would not call it sweet.

To get a little sweetness into ginger oil, consider adding some florals or citrus oils. Ginger oil blends well with eucalyptus, frankincense, rose geranium and rosemary, too.

Ginger is a great oil for massage therapy. I really like it mixed with a thin oil and rubbed into shoulders and knees. Between the friction and the warming action of the ginger, the heat feels fantastic.

A word of caution: ginger oil is somewhat photo-toxic, so please stay out of the sun for 24 hours after application.

Thai Ginger Warming Oil

Method:

Blend fixed oils in a stainless bowl. Blend essential oils and add to fixed oils. Stir and bottle in "squeeze" type bottles.

Oils

4 parts grape seed oil
1 part avocado oil
½ part wheat germ oil
1 part jojoba oil

Essential oils

sandalwood essential oil - 10 drops
ylang ylang essential oil - 5 drops
lemongrass essential oil - 3 drops
Ginger essential oil - 7 drops
Vetiver essential oil - 2 drops
Black pepper essential oil - 1 drop

The scent of this mix is rather earthy-spicy and warm. If you like it sweeter, add more ylang ylang and less sandalwood and only 1 drop of vetiver (or skip the vetiver entirely).

Amber Resins

2008-08-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Almost ethereal, a delight to inhale, I am pleased to report that Snowdrift Farm has sourced not one, but two exquisite amber resins for your consideration.

Floridly fragrant, our amber resins may be used in perfumery or burned on high quality charcoals. Both resins are imported from India and are made according to closely guarded, long-held family recipes and techniques.

The two resins contain a significant amount of benzoin and vanillin crystals, which give the ambers their characteristically sweet aroma. They may also contain essential oils and beeswax. Amber resins are often employed in perfuming, providing that special, impossible-to-define note.

Miscible in Artisan's, Perfumer's or Formulator's alcohols, amber resins melt down slowly in gently warmed base oils such as jojoba or sweet almond, too. The resulting oil may be used as is or in lotions, etc. You may also rub the resin, neat, over your pulse points. Your body heat will release the luscious amber scent and fill your head with exotic and sensual thoughts.

Krshna Amber resin

Our Krshna Amber is solid at room temperature. Rich and golden-looking, this amber contains a large amount of benzoin crystals which make it look like sparkling mica. The scent is light and sweet. The kaleidoscope of odors present in each whiff make it next to impossible to tell exactly what else is in there. The scent is hypnotic. I believe I detect a very light touch of patchouli, tree resins and a touch of rose.

Ganesh Amber resin

Ganesh amber resin is ruddy-brown in color. It is also a solid at room temperature, but is more waxy to the touch than the Krshna. Its scent is more musky than floral, though there is a significant benzoin content. If I had to make one distinction between the two ambers, I would class the Krshna as a more feminine base and the Ganesh as more masculine.

Dilute the amber resin in alcohol. Use the resulting solution in perfumes. You may also use the solution as a base note or part of your base note, if you are building a scent blend. Amber is the base note found in many Oriental and Floriental type perfumes.

Snowdrift Farm offers these two lovely resins in 5, 10 and 25 gram sizes. Drop us a line and let us know what you think.

Green Cleaners

2008-08-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Green cleaning is all the thing. We have several good customers who own maid services and cater to those who prefer only natural cleaning techniques and supplies.

While you can purchase green cleaning supplies at markets such as Ike's Markets, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, green cleaners are easy to make. Try our recipes and see for yourself how much fun these cleaners are to make and how nicely your home smells!

Provencal Ironing Water
Be sure to use purified or distilled water, for best results.
32 oz. distilled or purified water
1/16th to 1/8th teaspoon lavender essential oil (prefer Bulgarian)

Mix essential oil with water and shake vigorously before decanting into steam iron. For special gifts, this water, along with the laundry powder andlaundry rinse above, make a wonderful set. Great for linen collectors, and those who live away from home, like your college kids! Dispense into 16 oz. bottles with a special label: Shake vigorously before dispensing into iron.

Essence de Lavande Laundry Powder

All measures by weight (scale).

1 pound, very dry, grated cold process soap
8 oz. washing soda (not baking soda)
8 oz. boraxlavender essential oil - 1/2 oz. (I prefer lavender, but you can also use eucalyptus, or a blend.)

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl with gloved hand. Add essential oil by sprinkling on top. Mix again and dispense into containers. Ball Jars work well if you are giving these as gifts. Tie off with raffia at lid and attach a handmade tag with these instructions: For light loads, use 2 tablespoons; for sheets or heavy laundry, use 1/4 cup.

Include a wooden scoop, to complete the package.

Easy Sunny Citrus Counter Cleaner

Nothing will brighten your home more quickly than the fresh scent of citrus peel oils.
Do not use on finished wood.

7 oz. distilled white vinegar
1 oz. Perfumer's Alcohol
1 teaspoon polysorbate 20
20-30 drops lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit or sweet orange essential oils, or a combination

Place ingredients in a PET bottle with a sprayer attachment and shake vigorously.

Essence de Lavande Laundry Softener

All measures by volume (measuring cup).

Phase A:

32 oz. white vinegar
32 oz. baking soda
64 oz. distilled or purified water

Phase B: (optional)

1/2 oz. essential oil. (I use either eucalyptus or lavender, to go with the laundry powder.)

Mix the baking soda into the vinegar over a sink or other contained area, in a large glass or plastic jar. The two materials, when mixed together, will cause a "fizzing" reaction. Add water and essential oil and stir again. As gifts, dispense into plastic bottles and label with the following directions: Use 1/4 cup per load. Add in rinse cycle.

Five Recipes Based on Alba Botanica Lotion Base

2008-08-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Made by Alba Botanica, this unscented lotion base is lab tested for purity. Snowdrift Farm has reduced prices on Alba Botanica Very Emollient Unscented Body Lotion by 20% through August 31, 2008.

You can add up to 3% of your favorite essential oils or fragrance oils for a truly "scentual" experience and without adding any extra preservatives. If you add extra water or water based materials, such as proteins or juices, you will want to add more preservative, too. I recommend using either Optiphen or Cosmocil CQ. Both these preservatives are parabens-free. Additional preservative should be added at 1% of the weight of the additional water-based materials you are adding. As a general rule, if you add 3 tablespoons of water-based material, you should add 3 drops additional perservative.

Alba can be re-heated to approximately 120F to ensure ease of incorporation of additional materials, such as vegetable and nut oils, colorants, fragrances or texturing agents. Slight heating will enable an easier "pour" into your bottles or jars.

Rhassoul, Grapefruit and Lavender Mask (normal skin)

An AHA mask, with a twist. Refreshing grapefruit adds alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to clear away dead skin cells; rhassoul to pull impurities and excess oiliness; lavender to soothe and clarify -- all mixed in our Alba Botanica lotion base to maintain skin's delicate moisture balance.

If you mix up the recipe at the proportions below, you should have enough for one use. No additional preservatives are needed if you use up this batch and do not store it. If you store it and do not wish to add more preservative, keep it refrigerated and dispose if it after 2 days.

Clay Phase

1 tablespoon rhassoul clay
1/2 tablespoon pulverized lavender buds

Lotion-Juice Phase

2 oz. Alba Botanica unscented lotion base
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
8-10 drops Bulgarian lavender essential oil or rose absolute
distilled water, as needed

Process

Mix together clay phase. Set aside. Mix lotion-juice phase and add to clay phase, using a sterile kitchen whisk. Add distilled water as needed to make a smooth consistency. Wet face and apply cheesecloth to face, avoiding eyes and nose. Cover face and neck with mask. Apply it as thickly as you like. Lie back and relax, allowing mask to set on face for up to 15 minutes. Remove cheesecloth and mask, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Finish with a fresh toner.
Click here for more rhassoul clay ideas and formulas.

Alba Botanica Face & Body Dairy Mask (for normal-dry skin)

Allow this mask to soak in for up to 15 minutes. Yogurt contains alpha hydroxy acids to help slough off dead cells, leaving skin refreshed and clear.

Place 2 oz. Alba Botanica lotion in a sterile bowl and add:

bentonite, 1 tablespoon
yogurt of your choice, 1 tablespoon
lemon essential oil, 10 drops

This makes one batch and does not require additional preservative. If you store this, keep refrigerated and dispose after 2 days.

Alba Botanica Overnight Repair Cream(for severely damaged skin)

Use this very special lotion on chapped, chafed, wind- or sunburned skin. Excellent on rough spots. Use nightly on cracked heels. Apply liberally and massage in. Cover feet with light cotton socks.

Place 2 oz. Alba Botanica lotion in a sterile bowl and add:

tamanu oil, 1 tablespoon
emu oil, 1 tablespoon (optional)
5 drops each Bulgarian lavender and Tea Tree essential oils (optional)

Alba Botanica Nutrient-Dense Lotion (for all skin types)

Excellent all-purpose lotion - perfect from head to toe.

Place 2 oz. Alba Botanica lotion in a sterile bowl and add:

evening primrose oil, 1 tablespoon
rosehip seed oil, 1 tablespoon
15 drops each carrot seed and sea buckthorn essential oils
neroli essential oil, 5 drops
jasmin absolute, 5 drops

Alba Botanica Buffing Creme (for use on rough skin only)

Buffing creme reduces calloused skin. Do not use on your face! Great for feet and elbows.

Place 2 oz. Alba Botanica lotion in a sterile bowl and add:

sweet almond oil oil,
1 tablespoon pumice, triple fine (XXX) 1/2 teaspoon
15 drops each rosewood and tea tree essential oils

Happy Halloween!

2008-08-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

I know it's not the season yet, but I love to get started early on Halloween. It's always been a favorite holiday for me, and now that my kids are thinking they are too old to go "trick or treating", I'm beginning to worry. Where will I get my October chocolate fix?

But I digress. Summer is coming to a close. It's time to rethink your line and consider some new ideas for fall and winter.

Color, texture and scent are three ways you can bring a touch of autumn to your soaps and more. Earth colors found in oxides and clays are a perfect way to color soap.

D&C Orange No. 4 adds lovely shades of orange to cold process soaps, melt & pour soaps, lotions, creams, sprays and more.

If you prefer natural colorants, check here for a complete list of colors from herbs, spices and minerals that withstand cold process and other rigors of lab.

Certain fragrance oils also give color. The vanillin in our Vanilla Bean FO will turn your CP soaps and lotions and creams tan to brown. Try our Pumpkin Spice FO, too, for an aromatic journey to Grandma's autumn kitchen.

Essential oils lend scent and color, too. Try our 5-fold Valencia Orange if you're making an orange-colored soap. You'll get a lovely shade of orange using just 3% of this remarkable essential oil. Use in leave-on products, too, without fear of photo-sensitization -- the turpenes are greatly reduced. Sweet Orange, Pink Grapefruit and Patchouli also add lovely yellow and orange colors to cold process soaps.

Calendula petals and ground rosehips are examples of herbs and botanicals that will compliment your autumn soaps and sundries. Use at about 1-2% of the batch weight.

More ideas for Halloween are on the way, so stay tuned!

Make Our Caress Overnight Beauty Serum

2008-08-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our Caress Overnight Beauty Serum contains emollients, nutrients and a skin brightener (licorice root extract) to lighten dark spots and undereye circles and rejuvenate skin.

Caress Overnight Beauty Serum

This recipe is written in "parts". A part can be any measure you'd like: teaspoons, ounces, pounds or drops.

Oil Phase

Matcha Green Tea Butter 5
Horsetail Butter 5
Citroflex 1
Planell oil 3
Evening Primrose oil 1
Jojoba oil 5
Emulsifying wax NF 8
Cyclomethicone 1

Combine the ingredients in the oil phase and melt and mix well.

Water Phase

Water 60
Hydrovance 3
SDF Hydra 1.5
Panthenol 50 % 2
Marine collagen 1
Silk Protein 1
Licorice extract 1
Optiphen 1

Combine the ingredients with the water in the order shown. Mix well after each ingredient addition. Warm slightly to 120 F.

Fragrance

Stella 1

Additive

Dry-Flo AF 1

Begin agitating the water phase with a stick blender. Slowly add the oil phase. Add the fragrance. Continue mixing for 1 minute. Allow the mixture and stick blender to rest for 1 to 2 minutes before mixing again.Add the fragrance during the second mixing. Add the dry Flo AF and mix well.

Pour into jars or bottles equipped with serum pumps.

All About Tamanu Oil

2008-07-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

Is it a trendy new darling or one serious contender?
What exactly is tamanu oil -- and how does it work?

Tamanu is also known as Calophyllum inophyllum, or the ati tree, the kamani tree, true kamani and foraha, throughout its native region. This "driftnut" is indigenous to SE Asia and Polynesia, tamanu also flourishes along the Indian coastline, and as far north as Hawaii. A member of the mangosteen family, this is a thick tree with crackled, dark bark and sturdy, roundish green leaves. It produces beautiful, aromatic white flowers, followed by a large nut, with a green outer skin. The spread of the Ati occurs via water - the trees thrive in coastal areas and drop their nuts into the water. Time and tide deliver the nut to a new shore, and voila! More tamanu.

Production of tamanu oil is a two-step process. Mature trees can provide up to 225 pounds of oil annually, or roughly about 40 pounds of oil. The nuts are collected, then cracked, exposing a yellow kernel with virtually no oil present. The cracked nuts are left to dry on racks for 3-5 weeks. During oxidation, the nut kernel becomes a darker yellow-brown, and develops a viscous, sweet-smelling oil. The oil is extracted via pressing, and delivers a nutty-sweet green-brown colored product, very soothing to the skin.

Tamanu trees were revered by ancient Polynesians and are widely cultivated throughout the area today. The oil, as well as decoctions and tinctures from the rest of the tree, have been used traditionally as medicines and wound healers. The oil is renown for its healing qualities, particularly useful for treating scarified areas or keloids (scar tissue/skin that forms over the site of a wound).

According to A. C. Dweck, “Tamanu oil can be applied on skins as well as mucous membrane lesions. It heals small wounds, such as cracks and chaps, but is also efficient on more serious cutaneous problems: atonic wounds, physical and chemical burns, radiodermatitis, anal fissures or post-surgical wounds. Tamanu oil activity was studied in numerous clinical cases. Those healing, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties make Tamanu oil an excellent raw material in cosmetics, in regenerating and protective formulations. The oil is especially recommended for all kinds of burns (sunburns or chemical burns), most dermatoses, post-surgical cicatrisation, certain skin allergies, acne, psoriasis, herpes, chillblains, skin cracks, diabetic sores, hemorroids, dry skin, insomnia, hair loss, etc.” (1) The tamanu plant contains many chemical components which have proven to be helpful in the restoration and regeneration of skin tissue. The chief proponents are calophylloloids and upon saponification, calophyllic acid. It also contains significant levels of benzoic and oxi-benzoic acids.

Snowdrift Farm ensures a fresh, pure tamanu oil at an affordable price by directly importing this product from Tahiti, where is it organically grown and processed. We do not add other oils to our tamanu oil.

Formulating with Tamanu

Tamanu oil adds a distinctive flavor to this lip treat. Use small jars. This is not the "stiffest" lip balm, and won't do well in tubes. For larger batches, change the grams to ounces. Add up to 3% in flavor oil.

Tahitian Lip Treat

Ingredients:
carnauba wax - 1/2 oz.
mango butter - 1/4 oz.
shea butter - 1/4 oz.
evening primrose oil - 1/8 oz.
tamanu oil - 1/4 oz.
castor oil - 1/8 oz.
jojoba oil (wax) - 1/8 oz.
optional - 1/4 teaspoon flavor oil - I used a chocolate-type.

Process:

Melt the waxes in a sterile microwave safe bowl for 2 < minutes at 50% power. Keep heating in short bursts til waxes are completely melted together. Stir. Add butters, oils. Reheat for a short time (about 30 seconds or so at 50% power) til all is melted together. Stir. Pour, while hot, into waiting lip balm tins. Cool thoroughly before using. Makes approximately 3 oz. of product.

Tamanu Tropical Skin Mousse

Follow the directions for Ylang Ylang Chiffon Body Souffle, substituting tamanu oil for the hemp seed oil called for in the recipe. We suggest scenting with either Plumeria or Frangi Pani fragrance oils.

Hint: Scenting tamanu

If you're making a lotion or other body care product with tamanu, I'd
suggest holding it to under 5% of the total weight. I'd also suggest a mint or
cinnamon, clove, any citrus oil, or anything like rosewood, ylang, patchouli,
vetiver or black pepper, coriander or cardamom as good scent matches for tamanu.
I haven't tried it with the florals only because it doesn't seem to equate very
well, scentwise. But I'm sure it would be OK with lavender. Almost everything is
OK with lavender.
Hint: Because tamanu is helpful in alleviating common skin eruptions such as acne and hemorroids, we recommend that you use the oil "neat" and without fragrancing for these types of applications. Apply with cotton ball or pad.

Harvesting the Prickly Pear (Opuntia)

2008-07-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

Opuntia is a very large genus of cacti, native from Canada to South America, but now found also in other dry, desert terrains throughout the world. Their native American name is Nopal (or Nopales), but the common name is Prickly Pear. If you live in western North America or the Middle East, chances are very good you have access to Opuntia.

Opuntia are chock full of essential amino acids - 17 in all! High in B vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron, Nopal has long been used as a basic food by native American people. It also contains lots of insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion and keeps you regular. Currently, medical researchers are investigating the possibilities of using Opuntia to stabilize blood sugars in Type II diabetics.

On a personal note, I love the challenge of harvesting these fruit. The process is long and arduous and really, kind of annoying, with those little hairy glochids all over the place. But you can’t get fresh prickly pear juice otherwise, can you? And the juice is wonderful, as you will see from the recipes below. As I mentioned, Opuntias are also called Prickly Pears -- and rightfully so. Opuntias have small, thin barbed spines-barely visible to the human eye -- called glochids. Glochids are this plant's best protection. Even a small movement near the prickly paddle can result in sending the glochids through the air. They deposit themselves on your skin and are very irritating and difficult to remove. Be VERY CAREFUL when handling the fruit of this cactus! I find that wetting them down before beginning to harvest works best. AVOID harvesting on windy days!

How to Harvest The Fruit of the Opuntia

Equipment:

· Goggles, or at least sunglasses

· The LONGEST rubber gloves you can find (or similar)

· Long sleeves and long pants, socks and shoes (no sandals)

· Bandana - to cover your nose and mouth

· 2 buckets: one for the fruit you are harvesting, and another for the cleaned fruit

· A torch or BBQ or some other controllable form of heatfrom a flame (a small or culinary blow torch is perfect)

· Tongs for holding the fruit while heating

· Water supply

· Paper towel and tweezers to remove errant glochids

Process:

· Get suited up

· Wet down the Prickly Pear you are harvesting

· Using the tongs, remove the pear from the plant as carefully as possible. Place in bucket. Repeat until you have removed sufficient numbers of prickly pears for your projected needs. I usually take about 24-36 annually, and end up freezing the juice and pulp.

· Rinse pears under running water to remove as many glochids as possible. Air dry.

· Roast the pears. Hold pears, one at a time, over the open flame, and rotate them over the flame for even exposure. It’s OK if you char them a bit on the outside. In fact, I look for the glochids and try to burn them off first and then go about the business of finishing off the roasting. When pear becomes somewhat malleable (like a roasted pepper), it is done. Repeat til you finish roasting all the pears.

· Peel off the pear skins and reveal the beautiful, lush cranberry-magenta colored pear flesh beneath. Dispose of the pear skins carefully - glochids!

· I rinse my peeled pears quickly under running water to remove any escaping glochids then into the “clean” bucket for final processing.

Final Processing

Your clean fruit is now ready to be incorporated into lovely skin confections!

I recommend slicing or quartering the pears and allowing the red juice to run from them. This is best accomplished using a shallow glass, plastic or stainless steel pan. Place cut fruit in the pan and sprinkle with a .3 - .5% potassium sorbate or .5% methylparaben. Stir and cover. Allow to rest in the refrigerator overnight. You can freeze the juice and pulp, if you like, and use it later. Or separate the juice from the fruit using a sieve. Ice cube trays are wonderful for this, and then you will have small cubes of fruit and juice to melt, as you need them.

Click here for Prickly Pear Cosmetic Recipes!

Essential Oils, Absolutes & CO2 Extracts:

2008-07-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

We are often asked the difference between the numerous fragrant plant extracts we carry at Snowdrift Farm. At this writing, we carry essential oils, absolutes, CO2 extracts and floral waxes.

Essential Oils:

An essential oil is the aromatic and volatile extract of a plant. The essential oil may be liquid, semi-solid or solid, depending upon the product and climatic conditions. Oils are obtained through expression or steam distillation of the plant. We use these oils in soap and lotion making, as well as candles, potpourri, aromatherapy and perfuming. According to Jeanne Rose, “Some essential oils are not in the living tissue, but are formed during the destruction of the living tissue. Certain botanical species have little scent, but they produce a volatile or essential oil when macerated begins a fermentation (destructive) process. The macerate is then distilled the volatile oil comes off.” (1)

Concretes:

Concretes are highly concentrated solid or semi-solid perfuming materials. They are waxy to the touch. Concretes are made by alcohol or ether extraction of the essence of the plant material from an existing source, such as a pomade or enfleurage. We use concretes in perfuming and to make absolutes.

Absolutes:

An absolute is a complex material. To obtain an absolute, you must first have the concrete, as described above. Absolutes are extracted from concretes via alcohol. Most absolutes are liquid, but certain ones are semi-solid or solid. “Absolutes can also be obtained from the water of the distillation process such as Lavender water-absolute or Rose water-absolute…The part of an absolute one can steam distill is called an absolute oil.”(2)

CO2 Extracts:

CO2 extraction or supercritical CO2 extraction is another method of capturing the essence of the plant material. CO2 extracts are usually semi-solid to solid, though there are a few liquid examples. CO2 is vaporized and dissipated into the plant material, leaving only the extracted material behind. Some perfumiers prefer CO2 extracts believing the method is purer (no alcohol or solvents are used) and less heat intensive. Although the cost of CO2 is reasonable, most CO2 extracts tend to be expensive. Most handcrafters use CO2 extracts in fine toiletries and perfuming.

Resinoids:

Used in perfuming, resinoids are obtained from naturally resinous materials, such as fir, pine or balsa trees, via hydrocarbon extraction. Oleoresins: Oleoresins may be obtained naturally, as seepage or exudation, from plants. Most commonly, oleoresins are obtained through the solvent extraction of the plant material. They are used widely in food preparation and cosmetics and toiletries. These concentrated resins are usually colorful, so be prepared for a color shift in your product if you use these materials.

Check Snowdrift Farm’s essential oils, absolutes and CO2 extracts here!

(1) Jeanne Rose, THE AROMATHERAPY BOOK, p. 54, c 1992, North Atlantic Books
(2) Ibid, p. 45

Making Milk Soaps

2008-07-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Goats milk soaps are easy to make and worth the little extra effort. Full-fat milks such as goats milk provide extra emolliency and have a lush and creamy lather.

If you have access to fresh goats milk, you are lucky. That said, I have made fresh goats milk soaps -- up to 200 pounds at a time -- but it is difficult to maintain consistency between batches. The fat content in fresh goats milk can vary between 5-12%, depending upon the breed and the feed.

Fresh goats milk soaps can be made using anywhere from .5 to 100% goats milk instead of the water. Simply deduct the amount of goats milk used from the water called for in the recipe. You can add the goats milk with the water and then add your lye, or you may choose to withhold the goats milk until you have added your fixed oils. What's the difference?

Adding the goats milk with the water and then adding your lye will subject the milk to longer contact with the lye. Milk contains proteins and sugars and when they mix with the lye, they will burn. The smell does not appeal to many people. The proteins will become orange and the fats will become a deeper orange-amber. Depending upon how much fat is in the milk, the milk may develop a fat layer that will congeal. You can break it up using a stick blender.

If you add your milk after your fixed oils are in, you will not detect the same burning odor from the milk. Also, the proteins and sugars are not subjected to the intense heat and caustic action of the lye.

To maintain consistency between batches, I use Meyenberg canned milk at the rate of one 12 oz. condensed milk per 20 pounds of oils. I prefer to use the canned variety best, followed by the reconstituted powder. After that, I try to get the pasteurized and/or homogenized variety from the grocer's refrigerator. Milk that has been processed can be relied upon to be the same from batch to batch.

Click here for our cold process goats milk soapmaking recipes.

If you are using fresh goats milk, you might consider freezing the milk into ice cubes. The colder the milk, the longer it will withstand the heat and the less damage or color shift you may expect. You can add the frozen milk to your lye-water. Don't worry, it will melt down quickly. You can add the cubes at any time during the soapmaking process.

One way to lessen the darkening effects of adding milk to your soap mix is to add a small amount of titanium dioxide. I use 2 tablespoons of titanium dioxide per 20 pounds of oil. Even this small amount lightens your soap mix and can bring your soap color back toward white if it is becoming too tan. I add the titanium dioxide in the beginning of the process, as soon as my lye-water is mixed. Titanium dioxide is a mineral and is impervious to the rigors of lye.

Fragrancing materials seems to take on a deeper, sweeter scent in cold process milk soaps. My favorite blend in milk soaps is a mix of lavender, patchouli and 5 fold Valencia orange essential oils. I tend to use equal parts lavender and orange and add a touch of the patchouli to anchor the scent.

The FDA Globalization Act of 2008

2008-07-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

I’d like to preface this by stating that I’m probably going to catch some of flack over this from my husband the chemist. And others, as well, I am sure.

That said, it seems to me that the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 was written to help put some teeth in the FDA’s bite – or lack of bite, as it were. And that, to me, is a good thing.

We’ve all witnessed the pitiful job FDA has done in bringing to the current salmonella outbreak to a close. And I mean pitiful. It took FDA 14 weeks and a thorough bashing of US tomato growers to finally track the source of the salmonella to a jalapeno farm in Mexico. If the FDA were better funded, perhaps things would have gone better – and more quickly. Or maybe not, but after all these years of underfunded-ness, it seems that Congress finally wants to make a course correction and pump some badly needed money into the FDA.

Some people would like us to believe that giving the FDA greater authority and funding is a bad thing, and that those of us who would like to see improvements in record keeping and manufacturing processes should be “condemned”. They seem to think that anyone who agrees that something needs to be done is a “big business”. Well, I’m here to tell you that not everyone who finds good in this Act works at P&G or Revlon or Publix Markets, or brings home a six figure salary, for that matter.

I’m all for sending money to the FDA. Here’s a department of the US Federal government that is charged with regulating the safety of food, drugs and cosmetics within our borders. Not just the domestic side, but importers, too. That’s an awesome responsibility – think about it. What mother in America would not spend whatever it takes to ensure the food she prepares for her children to eat, the drugs they take when their tummies hurt and the mascara their 15 year old daughters are wearing doesn’t meet the highest standards? But all that takes money.

So, where does this money come from? The FDA Globalization Act of 2008 will require makers of lotions, shampoos and other such finished products to pay a $2000 annual registration fee, provide written testimony about and pass a physical inspection of their facility and adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP: writing down everything you put into your products and the process you used to make them). They will also require the same fee, documentation and inspection from ingredients vendors, such as Snowdrift Farm. If you make and sell or import a cosmetic or the materials needed to do so, you are required to register with the Secretary of Health & Human Services. You think $2000 is a lot of money? Importers pay $10,000! So, if you manufacture lotion and directly import an ingredient you use in the manufacture of that lotion, from say, Madagascar, then you will pay $10,000 to register your ingredient. It’s too bad that Congress can’t come up with the funds elsewhere – or at least help defray the cost of registration to the small manufacturer. Maybe Congress could charge manufacturers and sellers on a sliding scale: instead of imposing the same fee on every company, base your fee on last year’s sales. Alas, no one is exempt.

Well, no one except the soap makers, or so it would seem. Though I have read plenty on internet web sites opposing the Act that infer that classic, cold process soapmakers are included, as long as your soap is cold process and you make no drug claims (like, washing with your soap will make you skinny), your product is exempt from the Act. That’s because, according the FDA, lye-based soap is not classified as a drug or a cosmetic. No registration, no $2000 fee -- unless Congress decides to redefine soap, I suppose. If you know something I don’t know about soap and the Act, please tell me.

In the meantime, the rest of us will need to decide if we should drop the ancillary product range and go for soap and soap alone, or pay the fee and adhere to the provisions of the Act. Honestly, the GMP piece is long in coming. All of us should be keeping good records of our processes, ingredients, lot numbers, batch samples, anyway. But how’s that going to get enforced unless the FDA can hire more inspectors? Well, it can’t.

I understand that many small producers can not afford the $2000 annual fee. Some may not be interested in keeping copious records, either. (While researching, I saw the Act’s GMP requirement referred to as “burdensome paperwork” on the Indie Beauty Network blog. That blew me away! If you’re going to make a product, take pride in it and keep those records!) For those people, it would seem that going out of business or flying under the radar are your choices. Those who can afford the $2000, being registered with the FDA and passing an inspection is part of the price paid to keep non-contaminated ingredients and finished goods out of our markets and hopefully, out of existence. I know the price is high. It is going to force many people to take a long, hard look at what they are doing and how much it means to them and how hard they are willing to work to continue and grow. Many will have to change business plans to adapt to the changes in the law. And it will probably mean a rise in prices in order to pay the fees.

And it’s not just the cosmetic manufacturers who are getting socked with this. Title I of this Act deals with food safety. It requires that even small, kitchen counter producers of cookies, candies and salsa get registered, same as lotion makers. It requires the same of your local food co-op and CSA. Many of these businesses will not be able to afford the $2000 fee, either.

Despite my support of GMP and inspections, I am not in favor of this Act, at least not at this time in American history. When citizens can least afford to spend (even more) money to start a business, Congress is compelling us to fork over $2000. Maybe they could wait until the recession is over before they try to put the kibosh on small businesses? As far as those GMPs are concerned, I say, bring them on. Our sister and brother soap and lotion makers in the European Union have long been compelled to pay fees, record batch numbers, keep samples and disclose their formulae in return for the privilege to sell skin, hair and body care products. And it has made the trade more reliable. We could use some of that here, too.

2008-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Blending Fragrance Oils

You can make your own fragrance oils by blending fragrance oils together or adding in essential oils, too. We've used fragrance oils that we sell at our website. Take a look at our list -- you'll be inspired to mix up a few of your own, too.

We've left the measurements on the oils used up to you. If you prefer one oil in the blend over another, use more of it. Write down everything you use and how much in a notebook for future reference.

ORIENTALS
Amber Romance + Sandalwood Vanilla
Amber Romance + Chocolate Amber
Amber Romance + Chocolate by Matsushima
Amber Romance + Aromatics Elixir
Chocolate Amber + Vanilla Bean + Patchouli EO
Stella + Chocolate Amber
Stella + Aromatics Elixir
Stella + Amber Romance
Stella + Chocolate by Matsushima
Wild Rose + Amber Romance
Wild Rose + Aromatics Elixir
Wild Rose + Sandalwood Vanilla
Wild Rose + Chocolate Amber

FLORIENTALS

Jasmine & Roses + Patchouli EO
Jasmine & Roses + Vetiver EO
Fleurs d'Oranger + Amber Romance
Jasmin Neroli + Chocolate Amber

FLORALS

Jasmin Neroli + Wild Rose
Jasmin Neroli + Lavender Fields
Jasmin Neroli + Frangipani
Jasmin Neroli + Awapuhi Seaberry
Jasmin Neroli + Orange 5 Fold EO
Jasmin Neroli + Jasmine & Roses
Jasmin Neroli + Lovely
Jasmin Neroli + Pleasures Delight
Jasmin Neroli + Stella
Stella + Wild Rose
Puakenikeni + Frangipani
Puakenikeni + Peach Passionfruit
Puakenikeni + Awapuhi Seaberry

FOODY & FRUITY

Black Raspberry Vanilla + Cherry
Cherry + Strawberry + True Cranberry or Pomegranate

Mojito Mixes:
Coconut Lime Verbena + Spearmint EO
Coco Mango + Spearmint EO
Frangipani + Coco Mango + Lime EO + Spearmint EO
Island Coconut + Lime EO + Spearmint EO

Demeter Cake Batter + Peach Passionflower
Demeter Cake Batter + Peach Iced Tea
Demeter Cake Batter + True Cranberry
Demeter Cake Batter + Peach Iced Tea
Demeter Cake Batter + Pear Glace
Green Apple + Ginger Snap + Vanilla Bean
Green Apple + Cinnamon Leaf EO
Island Coconut + Chocolovers + Synthetic Bitter Almond = Almond Joy
Oatmeal, Milk & Honey + Cinnamon Leaf
Papaya Basil Lime + Island Coconut
Passionfruit & Guava + Papaya Basil Lime
Peach Iced Tea + Sparkling Lemonade
Pear Glace + Island Coconut
Pear Glace + Vanilla Bean
Pear Glace + Tahitian Vanille
Pink Sugar + Tahitian Vanille
Pumpkin Spice + Vanilla Bean
Pumpkin Spice + Tahitian Vanille
Strawberry + Vanilla Bean
Strawberry + Tahitian Vanilla

GREEN/HERBAL

Fresh Cut Grass + Citrus Sage

WOODY

Sugared Spruce + Vanilla Bean
Sugared Spruce + Tahitian Vanille

...to be continued

Blending Citrus Peel Oils

2008-07-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Fleeting comes to mind when I am asked to describe the characteristics of most citrus peel oils. These lovely, fresh scents spring to life as top notes within a blend, but tend to fade away rather quickly, unless they are anchored. I include the grapefruits, the lemons, the oranges, the limes, bergamot, pettitgrain and mandarin/tangerine in this class.

Why are these oils fleeting? Citrus peel oils oxidize more rapidly than an Olympic track star can run a 50 meter race. They contain turpenes, such as limonene and pinene: multiple double bonds that react with oxygen. There's not much you can do about that, unless you are able to exist in an oxygen-free world.

So, what's the workaround? One secret to maintaining a citrus peel oil or blend is to anchor it with a middle and/or bottom note that will blend beautifully and fix it in place. Essential oils such as sandalwood and orris root are excellent fixatives, but they are costly. Try oakmoss, patchouli and vetiver for a less expensive, deep bottom note that adds a resinous, stick-to-it characteristic to your blends. For a lighter anchor, consider using an oil that contains citral, a lemony-scented constituent that works well as a middle or heart note in a blend. Lemongrass and litsea cubeba are both high in citral and blend seamlessly with the family of citrus peel oils. Geraniol is another constituent, floral in nature, that blends well and anchors nicely with turpene oils. Geranoil is prevalent in rose geranium oil. Grassy-lemony oils rich in citral and citronellol fix and blend well, too. Find them in citronella, lemongrass, litsea cubeba (May Chang), lemon eucalyptus (E. citridora), melissa (bee or lemon balm), and palmarosa.

For those who are adamant about using only citrus peel oils or want a single citrus note only, consider using folded citrus oils or turpeneless citrus oils. Folded oils have the turpenes removed or drastically reduced through redistillation. Turpenes have low boiling points and flash off quickly in redistillation. Bergaptene-free bergamot is turpeneless single oil while 5 fold orange and 5 fold lemon are folded (reduced) 5 times, effectively reducing the turpenes to nothing, but leaving the fragrant constituents intact. As an added benefit, folded oils deliver beautiful color more intense than their single-fold cousins.

Most citrus oils do not fare well as soliflores -- or single notes in formulation. Use our blends as inspiration or a starting point for your own creations. Mix your citrus peel oils as you wish using any amount of grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine/mandarin, orange or other citrus peel oils you please.

Citrus & Floral I

1 part lemongrass

1 part palmarosa

2 parts citrus peel

2 parts rose geranium

Citrus & Floral II

1 part lemon eucalyptus (E.citriadora)

1 part citronella

3 parts lavender 40/42

3 parts lemon

1 part bergamot

Citrus & Floral III

2 parts ylang ylang

1 part litsea cubeba (May Chang)

1 part vetiver

4 parts grapefruit (I prefer pink)

1 part pettitgrain

What's up with NAHA.org?

2008-05-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Now, to be sure, I am not a great joiner of groups. I'm talking here about groups that may (or may not) support the industries in which Snowdrift Farm is involved. I like to stand back and observe more than I like to get into the day-to-day grind of the group or organization at hand. I learned the hard way several years ago that not everyone who is involved in the hierarchy of a membership group always has your best interests at heart. C'est la vie.

At this time, Snowdrift Farm belongs to one trade membership group: the Handcrafted Soap Maker's Guild. Our relationship with the HSMG is great and we frequently refer customers to their website. But there have been rough times -- not just for us, but for other members of the Guild, too. In my opinion, for whatever it is worth, this strife was a product of poor leadership. Thankfully, this unhappiness is in the past and the current leadership at the HSMG is doing everything it can to ensure it never happens again. In a way, I am hoping the current leadership decides to stay forever, though I know this is unfair to most everyone, and highly unlikely.

That said, I lightly tread along a path to locate other membership/trade organizations in which Snowdrift Farm might have an interest and become a valued member. Basically, I am relying upon my memory (!) and the internet to find organizations that might be a good match for us. I get this bug every now and then to go out and look.

In the past, we have joined the Artisan's Perfumer's Guild, but we were basically pooh-poohed for selling SD40 alcohols. Apparently, according to the powers-that-be, only grape alcohol is an acceptable diluent. As a dues-paying, SD alcohol-selling group member, I sure didn't appreciate being told that only grape alcohol is acceptable for making perfumes. I don't happen to share that opinion, and didn't savvy being shot down every time I posted a message to that group's Yahoogroup regarding SD alcohols. I figured, once our annual membership had run out, we needed to move on. And so we did. SDF's Making Perfume Yahoogroup is an outgrowth of that period.

I mention these experiences because, in the end, I find that a group's leadership is the most important thing. The leader sets the agenda. For me, a non-profit's goal should be to support the industry. It should widen the possibilities of its membership, be they buyers or sellers.

Today is Sunday. Kind of a not-too-rushy day, so I decided to look for some non-profit trade organizations. Pulling from my memory, I thought of NAHA.org, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. I know that Jeanne Rose is a past president, and that's good enough for me.

So, I googled NAHA and the first thing to come up was http://www.nahaexposed.com/. I clicked and read that their basic mission was to stop http://www.naha.org/ 's current leadership (we're talking 2004 here) from doing anything. The claim was that the president was taking advantage of her position and using the group for her own personal gains. There is a petition on the website with 131 +/- signatures, including Jeanne Rose's, asking the IRS and the State of Colorado, in which this 501 C is formed, to investigate the petitioners' claims of dishonesty on the president's part.

Uh-oh. A leadership problem.

But again, this stuff is from 2004, and we're now almost halfway through 2008. The Naha.org website contains a blog. As there was no mention on the "directors" page of the group's leaders, and apparently no conference in recent history, I clicked on the blog to see if there was anything going on over there. I wanted to see what had happened since 2004. Had the leadership changed? What happened to the petition? You get the idea.

Well, I guess I am too late to play catch-up. The current NAHA.org website does not offer an outcome to the seeming 2004 debacle with http://www.nahaexposed.com/, and the nahaexposed.com website doesn’t either. Nor have they removed their content. Interesting.

I clicked on “Join NAHA” and there I found a ton of information that satisfied many of the questions I had pondered, including their conference schedule (I am guessing they are not having one this year, though they state they are held every 2 years, and 2008 would be a year an “on” year, I think), membership fees and insurance plan. They also offer an updated class schedule. While I was unhappy that none of Jeanne Rose’s classes were listed, I was pleased to see the formerly blasphemed past president listed several times as a teacher of aromatherapy classes therein. Things are OK in the family, then?

Frankly, joining these groups has become a research project for me. Joining any group, really. Just this spring I was threatened by (I’m sure, well-meaning) soapmaking folk who wanted me to withdraw SDF’s sponsorship of a certain soapmaking conference. They were quite vehement in their disparagement of Snowdrift’s participation in this conference, and while I don’t usually back down to threats, there seemed to be something to their complaints. But really, did I need the stress of being threatened by soapmakers and not fully informed (OK, I probably should say “lied to”, but I won’t) by the conference’s leadership?

So, who’s got a favorite trade organization – not-for-profit is best – that they’d like to share with me? Is NAHA worthwhile? I’m open to all suggestions.

Musings on Lavender

2008-05-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Lavender is a lovely thing. There are so many versions of it from different countries -- literally different soils. Then there are the hybrids and cousins. And different extraction techniques, too. At Snowdrift Farm, we sell 3 different kinds of lavender essential oils, plus spike lavender, lavender absolute and lavandin. I would love to stock more varieties, and we just may, if I have my way. We also stock the No. 1 lavender buds -- did I mention that? We really like lavender.

I like lavender. It has a clean, green scent with a touch of floral, but not too sweet. And yes, I do find it relaxes me. Not to the point of unconsciousness, but I do like to inhale deeply of it. Especially when I find a lavender with a wonderful bouquet.

Happily, I have found three examples of really nice lavender from three different countries. All three are L. angustifolia. My favorite is the English. We procure it from a co-operative distillery in Norfolk, England. The soil where it is grown is near sea level. A moist, peat-y soil gives the lavender a round, sweet note. It's used extensively in perfuming, and many local farmers distill lavender for sale in small amounts to the tourist trade. Just about everyone has heard of English Lavender. It's the only lavender oil I use in perfuming.

Our Bulgarian lavender is grown on higher ground than the Norfolk. It too has a rounder, sweeter note than the French, but not as sweet as the English. I like to blend the Bulgarian with the Norfolk in certain soaps and in most lotions. The Bulgarian is expensive enough, but if a private label customer asks me to quote on an English lavender batch, I always recommend using the Bulgarian, and maybe adding in a small amount of the English.

Our French 40/42 is our biggest seller. It's got a stronger camphorene note than the Bulgarian or the English. At around 7% camphorene, compared to 1-3% with the Bulgarian or English, it needs a little sweetening up, in my opinion. I use it as is in cold process and melt & pour soaps, and in some lotions. I like to blend it with other linalool heavy oils, such as basil or rosemary. I'm OK with it in a rose fragrance, but have a hard time justifying the use of rose absolute or otto with the 40/42.

Spike lavender (L. latifolia) has a sharper, more pungent scent than any of the other lavenders we sell. Personally, I find it inferior to the others. Still, it blends well and because it is a little bit less expensive (generally) than the others, it's cost effective. It's good to blend with green oils, as well.

Then there's lavandin. A hybrid between L. Officianalis and L. latifolia, lavandin can be grown at lower elevations than common lavender. I like the clean scent of lavandin. I use it in soap -- a lot -- and recommend it to my soap customers, too, instead of common lavender oil.

Finally, there's the absolute. A dark blue color, lavender absolute can add color to your perfumes. I doubt many soapmakers, including myself, would use it in soap, but if we did, it would add a lovely color to the base.

What's your favorite lavender?

Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild Meeting 2008

2008-05-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

It's a long way from Tucson to Burlington, Vermont, home of the 2008 Handcrafted Soapmaker's Guild (HSMG) meeting and annual convention. I wish I could have attended, but having chemo every three weeks put the ka-bosh on that idea. Instead, our longtime employee, Kaye, went to represent Snowdrift Farm.

From all reports, Kaye enjoyed herself immensely. Though she is not a soapmaker (Kaye prefers lotions), she learned a great deal and met lots of friendly people. Sounds like she'll want to go back again next year. Rumor has it the 2009 event will be held in sunny California -- a mere car drive away (if we can afford the gas!).

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who attended this year's meeting. Every year, the meetings get bigger and better. Snowdrift Farm hosted "movie night" with coffee and dessert, airing Dr. Bronner's "Magic Soap Box" at the local theater across from the Inn at Essex where the annual convention was held. We hope to provide another sponsored event at the 2009 meeting, and believe me when I say, I will be there with bells on.

If you attended the 2008 HSMG event in Burlington, please drop us a line and let us know your impressions. If you want more information on joining the Guild or attending the 2009 event, please log on to the HSMG website.

New Fragrance Oils for Spring

2008-03-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air -- and that's not all! We've just debuted seven new fragrance oils for soaps, body and hair care and cosmetics at Snowdrift Farm.

Maybe it was the long, hard winter of 2007 that made our customers think of all things green and fragrant, but I have to tell you, we've received dozens of requests for some basic fruity and floral notes. As most of you know, Snowdrift Farm is known for our designer perfume knock-offs. Because we specialize in perfumery products, including perfume grade alcohols, most of our budget for new fragrance oils is spent on duplications of popular perfumes. For instance, we were the first to bring you Stella (MacCartney's signature fragrance), Vera Wang's Princess and so many more. So, this venture into basic notes was something that, well, went by us for a while.

We are pleased to present Cranberry, Green Apple, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Cherry, Honeysuckle and Gardenia fragrances. You can find them, listed in alphabetical order, beginning here. Though we sniffed our way through lots of different versions of these scents, only a few candidates made it through to testing. In making our final selection, we strived for the realistic, true nature of these plant fragrances. Nothing cloying or annoyingly sweet.

And because we know that money doesn't grow on trees, we looked for the most economically convincing fragrances -- without sacrificing quality. I think you'll find we've achieved these goals. Care for a "sniffy sample" of any of our fragrance oils or essential oils? We've got lots. Visit our sample policy page for more information.

Your opinion counts at Snowdrift Farm. Let us know how you used our fragrance oils and what you think of them. And don't forget to tell us what you'd like to see on our fragrance oils menu next!

Chanel No. 5

2008-03-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Now, if I were smart, I probably wouldn't write about Chanel No. 5. So many better noses than mine have offered their opinions over the years. But this is not a review -- more of a personal memoir.

Chanel No. 5 happens to be the first "grown-up perfume" my father ever bought for me. I was probably 16 or 17, and easily impressed. And it smelled so good! I did not know the history of this fragrance, and probably if I did know that it was the first ever synthetic perfume to hit the big time back in the 1920's, it wouldn't have meant much at the time. Who was Coco Chanel?

I still like Chanel No. 5 because it smells grown-up. But now I know why it smells the way it does -- an aldehydic floriental. The mix of neroli and ylang ylang with the aldehydic top note really carry through the blend with middle notes of jasmine and rose and a lovely sandalwood-vetiver-vanilla bottom. And it's very tenacious. A little perfume goes a long way. Probably due to the synthetic civet used as a fixative in the blend.

In any case, I think I have always had at least a small bottle of Chanel No. 5 in my collection. It's one of my favorites.

Lotionmaking 101: The Movie

2008-03-07T09:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Bill and I have finished our second how-to video, which we call Lotionmaking 101. We started the thing just before I became really sick last year. Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we've had time to turn back to those things we really love to do.

In the video, we show you how to make our Easy Cocoa Butter Lotion two ways -- with a commercial preservative and preserving by use of alcohol. You can easily transfer the basic lotionmaking process information into any lotion made with emulsifiers.

Take a look at our video and let me know what you think. Suggestions may be edited into the video!

Trina at Snowdrift Farm

Remember me?

2008-03-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Long time, no blog...

I have a good excuse, really. Back at the end of October 2007, I was (finally) diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Stage 3C. Not bad, eh?

Since this is a blog about perfuming, hair and skin care and related subjects, I won't go on and on about the state of my health, except to say it is vastly improved after 3 surgeries and a bunch of chemo. I'm still in chemo, but that should end in May or June. My cancer marker is very low -- in the normal range -- but the protocol is to finish the chemo, no matter what.

I have greatly missed blogging here and look forward to writing more in the following days. Thanks to all of you who have sent me notes of encouragement along the way. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated.

On with the show!

Trina at Snowdrift Farm

Minding the Mint

2007-10-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

peppermint (pep er-mint, -ment) n. 1. a kind of mint grown for its strong, fragrant oil used in medicine, candies, etc. 2. the oil itself 3. a candy flavored with this. (1)

Well that may be what the dictionary says, but happily, and as you probably surmised, I have more to add.

The word “peppermint” itself dates back to the 17th century England. It is a compound word invented to describe the flavor and scent of the herb that is a cultivated hybrid between two wild mints, Mentha viridis (aka spearmint) and Mentha aquatica (aka water mint) now known as Mentha piperita. But the herb has roots in ancient Egypt, and is found extensively in food and medicinal references throughout Greek and Roman histories.

Throughout history, peppermint has been used as an aid to relieve colds, nausea, vomiting and stomach maladies. Maybe it’s the grassy-minty scent, or maybe it’s the effects of menthol on the human system – whatever it is, peppermint seems to work wonders, more often than not.

From Iowa to Italy, peppermint is cultivated worldwide, but thrives in rich, moist, dark soil. The best oils and extracts come from northern regions. Here in the United States, our northern central and northwestern states grow superior quality peppermints, including my favorite, Yakima (Washington, USA) peppermint. I love the Yakima type for its round, sweet note and low menthol count. While menthol is undoubtedly the reason why mint smells so minty, too much of a good thing can be a problem. Yakima peppermint offers a lovely, balanced note, reminiscent of peppermint candy. It’s the only peppermint oil we sell at Snowdrift Farm – and it’s on sale throughout October, along with our peppermint herb.

Wondering how to use peppermint in your daily routine? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Create a Foot Fetish! Add several drops of peppermint oil and ¼ - ½ teaspoon to 2 ounces of moisturizer. Massage into feet and ankles. Rinse. Follow with peppermint foot spray: mix 8 oz. distilled water with 40 drops of peppermint essential oil and .1 oz. of potassium sorbate (as a preservative). Dispense from a pretty spray bottle.

2) Have a cup of peppermint tea to relax and soothe you

3) Make your own toothpaste by mixing one tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide and 5-7 drops peppermint essential oil

or, consider these formulas from Snowdrift Farm:

Lavender (& Peppermint) Linen Spray

Whipped Shaving Cream Soap

Doggie Dry Bath & Deodorant

Gently Moisturizing Self-Heating Mask

Restorative Herbal Mineral Soak

Cooling Aftershave

Thick Gel Hand Sanitizer

The Original Beach Time Foot Scrub

Herbal Astringent

Footnotes:

(1) Oxford-American Dictionary

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

2007-10-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

When you see ingredient names such as "iodopropynyl butylcarbamate" or "DMDM hydantoin" on the label -- what questions run through your mind? How do I pronounce this? What does it mean? And why would I want to use a multi-syllabic ingredient on my body or in my simple, basic formula? Is it even safe to use? Good questions!

Typically, when big international industries such as cosmetics and body care are involved, one of two things will occur to regulate their actions: a) a governmental agency is set up, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and/or b) a non-governmental agency is set up (NGO), such as the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA). In the USA, both the FDA and the CTFA take active roles in assuring the public that the ingredients and finished goods they purchase are safe for consumption.

CTFA is an international body, an NGO with broad powers. In the USA, the USFDA relies upon CTFA to screen new products applicants and once approved, to assign “INCI names” 0r nomenclature (a fancy word for "name").

The INCI name should be used in labeling. It is provided to end any confusion the consumer, whether they live in the USA or anywhere else, may have regarding exactly what is in their product. The INCI name is the "real name" for a good. For instance, I might have a new moisturizer that I want to market, that no other company or person has ever produced. I'd submit my paperwork to the CTFA along with my fee, and they will research the material, and if appropriate, grant an INCI name to that product. I would then print that INCI name on the ingredients panel of my label. This process aids the consumer in deciphering exactly what is in the product they are considering. For instance, instead of reading "Glydant Plus", which is meaningless, they will read "iodopropynyl butylcarbamate" or "DMDM hydantoin" -- names that can be researched.

Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? The consumer is protected, the government is happy and the fee for approval is paid by the individual petitioner. What more could you ask for?

Just as with all things in life, your individual happiness with this system may vary.

One vendor, who shall remain nameless, is obviously unhappy with this system. This person had published a statement regarding the use of parabens, which are mold, yeast and fungi inhibitors (classed as preservatives) in a description of a product they and we and I am sure, numerous other entities sell. This product is supplied as a 1% solution. Their claim was that they do not use parabens in their product, however, any other company or person that sells this product is lying to you if they say there are no parabens in their product. Not only that, the writer continued, but the rest of us are either stupid or liars – or maybe we are stupid liars? – because we are not disclosing the entire ingredients list. After all, there is 99% water in the product, and that does not show up anywhere on the ingredients list. They say they are being “ethical” and they are “uncomfortable” with the INCI naming process. The unwritten message is that the rest of us are unethical and comfortable with “lies”.

Hello? My first reaction was, “how does this person know what I am selling? Or where I purchase it from?” My second reaction was that the writer obviously did not do any research before issuing this claim nor do they exhibit an even rudimentary understanding of chemistry.

The truth is, the writer of this preposterous statement has no clue where any of us purchase anything. All they truly know about, we hope, is what they do, or what they seem to be doing. While I respect the writer’s position regarding their feelings about CTFA and INCI, and fully endorse their right to say it, I note that my recent visit to their webpage shows a less emotional statement than they originally had published, though still wholly unacceptable and inaccurate.

In fact, CTFA dictates what the ingredients label will read, and not the individual petitioner or vendor of the product. I did not wake up one morning and decide what INCI name I would give this product, nor did my manufacturer. I am informed of INCI names by the manufacturer, who receives them from CTFA. If I manufactured this product from the dry powder form, which I could easily do, and which this other vendor claims they do, then I could simply to go to the CTFA ingredients list and see if the materials I am using are named there. If they are, I simply list the named ingredients according to FDA rules regarding product labeling. I do not have to apply to CTFA for a new INCI name. I can just use the materials and list them according to INCI nomenclature. Typically, with small manufacturers, no tests are performed to see if the product works as advertised.

In addition, certain things are “givens” in the wonderful world of INCI. Things like water, for example, are considered obvious and not listed in a product that is referred to as a “you-name-the-percentage” solution, such as Sodium Lactate 60% solution. It is a given that the sodium lactate represents 60% and water or aqua represents the remaining portion. Water is the norm. I am not hiding anything here. Water is the only solvent that does not require labeling, according to CTFA.

Then again, CTFA does not list incidental ingredients – such as preservatives added to the product at the time of processing – in the INCI nomenclature, either. These types of materials are considered processing aids – in other words, you could not reliably make the product without the use of these materials and the remaining amounts in the finished product are so infinitesimal that they do not warrant being listed.

Dendritic salt is a wonderful example of this INCI process at work: the INCI name for dendritic salt is sodium chloride, the same as table salt or pool salt or kosher salt or pretzel salt. It’s all got the same name because it’s all made up of sodium chloride. Most salt is mined from the ocean and either kiln or solar dried. To make dendritic salt, the sodium chloride undergoes an additional process. It is crystallized under special conditions. A trace (less than 3 ppm) of yellow prussiate of soda is added to modify the way the salt crystals grow. The crystals grow at the corners rather than the faces, which produces star-shaped crystals. Only sodium chloride will fit into this crystal matrix, leaving incredibly pure salt crystals with micropores in them. The yellow prussiate of soda is removed before the crystals are dried.

Additionally, dendritic salt is treated with sodium aluminum silicate, to assist in flow.

Neither of these ingredients are listed under the name "dendritic salt". CTFA calls dendritic salt “sodium chloride”. So do we and so does everyone else in the free world. Does that make us unethical or liars or stupid? I sure hope not. We are, after all, abiding by the law. Funny thing is, the writer in question also sells dendritic salt. And they list the INCI name as “sodium chloride”. Period. What about that yellow prussiate of soda and the sodium aluminum silicate? Where are their ethics now? I mean, if you are going to issue an incendiary statement about how the rest of the world is lying and not disclosing or is ignorant about what they are selling, then perhaps you should be more careful of what is growing in your own backyard?

There are plenty of reasonable and effective methods to challenge CTFA and INCI nomenclature without slamming the rest of the industry. Contacting the CTFA comes to mind immediately. If that doesn’t appeal to you, or you think you may be rebuffed (doubtful), then look to other organizations for help. On the internet, the Environmental Working Group offers a free, searchable database of ingredients used in the manufacture of cosmetics and body and hair care. Called “Skin Deep”, it “pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind.” Don’t expect miracles, though. I ran several searches for ingredients well-known for use in preservatives, and got zilch in return. These things take time, and they are working on it. Click here to read more about how the EWG system operates.

Still unhappy? Take action at the EWG website! They offer a challenge to the INCI process in the petition form which is easy to complete and send along to your Member of Congress.

Laws and rules are created to protect us. They are not put into place to lend credence to unethical behaviors or measure the reliability of a certain product or vendor. Using an ordained process as an excuse to indict everyone who observes that process as a liar is unconscionable and inappropriate. The way to change the law is to get to the root of the issue, not to slander others.

What do YOU think?

Back to Central

2007-09-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

I love the scent of freshly made soap, especially if it contains essential oils -- or fragrance oils. The right fragrance oils. Even though I am committed to making a batch of soap with each new fragrance oil we bring on at Snowdrift Farm, I am partial to essential oils in cold process soap.

We've had a slew of new fragrance oils lately, so I have to admit that my production of cold process soaps containing essential oils has been wanting. I was reminded this week just how much I miss the essential oils while making private label batches for a local customer I'll call "V".

V's company provides "green housecleaning" services, but she loves the soap, and peddles it at every chance. She just doesn't want to make the soap. That's where I come in. V and I have spent many hours determine exactly what she wants in her soaps, and she wants everything to be natural. The first two batches contain Sencha and Gemaicha Teas, amongst a litany of other yummy ingredients, and have decidedly citrusy essential oil blends in them.

When I formulated these soaps with V, I kind of turned my nose up at her essential oil blend suggestions. After all, they were not the Oriental/Floriental blends of which I am enamored. In the end, V won out. They are her soaps. I just had it in my head that I would not like the smell of them. Boy, was I wrong.

Batch no. 1 contains a preponderance of lemongrass topped off with a splash of Roman Chamomile. Batch No. 2 is scented with a citrus accord of tangerine, pink grapefruit and bergamot with an inference of Chinese ginger in the background. Paired with the teas and a few other natural texturizing and coloring ingredients, they are beautiful. They smell beautifully, too.

This experience has brought me back to central. I like FO's, but I love EO's. And that's just the way it is for me.

Harvesting Lavender

2007-09-08T14:48:00.001-07:00

At one point in the past 10 years, I noted to my business coach that if I had to rename Snowdrift Farm, I'd probably choose The Lavender and Shea Butter Company. Lavender essential oil outsells almost every other essential oil, absolute and CO2 extract that we sell, nearly 2:1. There's a reason for that.

Of course, I'd love to boast that Snowdrift Farm sells an oil apart from others that are available on the market today, but the truth is that our best-selling lavender essential oil, our French lavender 40/42, is a standardized material. This means that the lavender 40/42 you purchase from Snowdrift Farm should be of the same quality as any lavender 40/42 in the world. The numbers 40/42 refer to the linalyl acetate/linalool count -- that odor which makes lavender oil smell like, well -- lavender. Essential oils of citronella and eucalyptus are similarly categorized.

What makes Snowdrift Farm's 40/42 different from others out there is our consistency. We have been purchasing from the same source for over 10 years. From distillery to distillery, oils differ, even if ever so slightly. There's a lot to be said for consistency. The same with our Bulgarian lavender essential oil. It's a beautiful oil, with a rounder, sweeter note than the 40/42. Our Bulgarian lavender has a camphor count of about 2%. That's pretty low and its relative absence adds to the sweetness. By contrast, the 40/42 is in the 6-8% range. I use the 40/42 for soapmaking and reserve the Bulgarian for perfumes, lotions and other such goodies.

Lavender grows all over the world in the temperate zone. They say the 'best' lavender is cultivated in the Mediterranean, where the soils are rocky or sandy and drainage is optimal. Hot weather encourages the plants to flower and bloom. Harvest and distillation take place quickly during the summer months, June through September. Here in the USA, plenty of good lavender is cultivated and celebrated. There seem to be an awful lot of lavender farmers located in Washington and Oregon, though. Our friends at Pelindaba Lavender and Sequim Lavender celebrate lavender yearly with festivals and fairs. Now, that would be a fun road trip.

Hierbas de Ibiza

2007-09-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ibiza is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea and belonging to Spain. Ibiza's claim to fame is its everlasting summer of love and fun. Every summer, free spirits from all over the globe gather here to party. There are plenty of designer fragrances that invoke the name of this island, in an effort, I believe, to get you to believe you are (almost) there when you wear them. Escada's Ibiza Hippie (great name!) and Cathy Guerrera's Ibiza come to mind immediately.

Hierbas de Ibiza was the brainchild of Antonio and José Torres, two Ibizan brothers -- and jewelers. They perceived a need for a signature fragrance for the island -- from the island -- and in 2005, Hierbas de Ibiza was born.

Packaged in the apothecarian style, this "agua de colonia fresca" or eau de cologne is appealing to both men and women. Made from an artful blend of plant extracts that are indigenous to Ibiza, this colognes' fresh and sparkling citrus accord opening magically morphs into a sweet orange blossom middle and a sweet and luscious bottom. The background of jasmine, geranium and lavender gives this fragrance beautiful support and the sweet cinnamon and vanilla help keep the drydown sweet and low. Very nice.

I purchased mine at Aedes. We're going to have to see if we can knock this one off at Snowdrift Farm.

Beauty at the Beach (short how-to movie)

2007-08-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Not the best audio out there, but it's our first attempt at a how-to video! We had fun.

The sand at Sanibel Island is pinkish white, and fairly fine. It makes a great exfoliant for rough and callous feet. Probably the best of the beaches I have visited, so far. I wish I had packed essential oils, but as usual, I was in a rush to pack and leave. If I had thought about it, I would have brought some peppermint and spearmint oil, as well as a bit of Bulgarian lavender. Any of these oils or a blend of them would have made this beach scrub aromatic and more invigorating.

If you have trouble viewing this movie here, try this link.

Tubéreuse by L’Artisan Parfumeur

2007-08-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

The term soliflore refers to a single flower or floral note perfume. Tubéreuse by L’Artisan Parfumeur, created by their founder Jean LaPorte in 1978, is a great example of a soliflore.

Tubéreuse is anything but subtle. The minute you spray it out of the bottle, the beautifully full and lush scent of blooming tuberose is upon you. And stays upon you -- so you'd better really like it.

I happen to love the scent of tuberose. But I am not accustomed to a lot of tuberose all at once. L’Artisan’s version is ever-present and mostly true, but perhaps a bit too much. Or maybe it’s just that I use too much, because it is intoxicating and you find yourself wanting it more and more. Most notably, the squarely buttery middle lingers longest and keeps you sniffing your wrist.

But, Tubéreuse is a single note, and not a note in a blend. As long as you understand that going in, you will not be disappointed. It is what it is. Or is it?

The first time I ever sniffed tuberose absolute, it was sampled to me by a friend who brokers precious oils through India. My head spun. It was stunningly floral and buttery, but also a bit spicy and green. There was so much going on through that lusciously buttery floral from that one single plant. The absolute is, of course, derived from the natural plant source. L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Tubéreuse is not. It is rather one note-ish, though a lovely one note. But there is no dimension to it.

The bottom of the box lists these ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Aqua (water), Parfum (Fragrance), amyl cinnamal, benzyl salicylate, hexyl cinnamal, linalool, benzyl benzoate, hydroxycitronellal, farnesol, cinnamyl alcohol, geraniol, limonene, eugenol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl cinnamate, isoeugenol. There’s nothing “natural” in the bottle. Maybe I’m a little disappointed because with a name like L’Artisan Parfumeur, I thought there might be some natural ingredients involved.

The bottle itself does not disappoint. The pretty, etched, 7-sided glass bottle with a hot pink label is surprisingly heavy to pick up. The bottle feels good in your hands.

But what about a lovely tuberose absolute at 5% mixed with Perfumer’s alcohol and water? I think that would make the best tuberose soliflore. I will have to try that. In the meantime, I’ll keep the bottle of Tubéreuse nearby, and probably use it up.

Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens

2007-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

Got a care package a few days ago from Aedes. Actually, I had to pay for it, but it was worth it. The Tubereuse from L’Artisan Parfumeur came along with several samples of different Serge Lutens fragrances –something for winter -- that I had requested. We’ll get to the Tubereuse a little later. I’m too compelled to discuss one of the Serge Lutens samples: Miel de Bois.

Before I started writing this, I googled Miel de Bois to see what other people might think about this perfume. It is different. By and large, the jury does not seem to be with this one. This doesn’t surprise me, but I am a bit disappointed. Different does not have to mean awful.

I really like Miel de Bois, but it's unusual, oh boy. I mean you either love it or you hate it, from the reviews I have read. It’s kind of like a study in black and white -- set in a Catholic Church. Right out of the bottle, Miel de Bois opens with a fragrant blast of sweet wild honey immediately tempered with the pontifical scent of guaiacwood. What? That’s right. Guaiacwood. For the uninitiated, guaiacwood is a smoky, deep, woody scent, highly reminiscent of the incense that Catholic priests wave through the air on high holidays. I am sure there are lots of other notes in between the honey and the guaiacwood, but I’ll be darned if I can smell them. I sense myrrh and frankincense and perhaps a tip of the hat toward galbanum.

The drydown on Miel de Bois is the best part. The smoky scent of the wood melds into the honey and takes on an ephemeral, powdery dimension. I find the scent to be fleeting in drydown, but when I inhale deeply at a pulse point, I can smell the guaiacwood again and it seems to linger.

Miel de Bois is a puzzler. It works well for both men and women. I am wondering how it might smell as a soap – if the scent will transfer nicely, or if it will morph into something else.

A girl can dream, can't she?

2007-08-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to go on a really special trip for some time. It's my fantasy. On this journey, I do nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, other than spend every day pursuing fragrance. What started as a means to scent soap has turned into a real obsession for me. I want to pick lavender in the fields in France, buy incense at the street market in Bombay, travel the world and smell all the wonderful things one can only dream about from one's arid, dusty Tucson backyard.

I recently discovered that an acquaintance and fellow vendor of aromatic products -- someone who buys really rare oils in really small lots directly from distillers in-country -- is hosting a trip to Oman with the possibility of a side trip to Yemen in 2008. Suddenly, I want to go. I am thinking of all the scents I will be able to inhale. I would never have considered a trip to the Middle East before. It's not that I don't travel, it's just that I don't travel as much as I used to before the kids came along.

I'm seeing myself alone on this trip. No Bill. No kids. Just me and those exotic, hypnotic scents of frankincense and myrrh. Imagine inhaling deeply of Gold by Amouage, a true oriental, and arguably the most expensive perfume in the world -- right there, where they make it. (At € 290 or about $400 USD for a 50 ml bottle, it's not cheap. You should see the bottle.)

You get the idea. This would be a once in a lifetime trip for me.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens

2007-08-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

Serge Lutens is an icon.

For a long time, I had no idea who Serge Lutens was -- if he was alive or dead, or even a fictional character. Turns out he is alive and real and living in Marrakesh, at last report.

Serge Lutens is a French fashionista. A photog by profession, he worked for Vogue and other high profile fashion mags in the early 1960's, and collaborated with Avedon and other notable photographers. By the end of the 60's, Dior commissioned him to create a "revolutionary" line of cosmetics.

Lutens' star as a photographer rose, and by the mid-1970's he was directing "art films", good enough to be judged at Cannes. By the 1980's, Lutens was working for Shiseido, a Japanese cosmetics firm that wanted to improve their international image. And improve they did, under Lutens careful guidance. He created several winning marketing campaigns for them, and began to create make-up and perfume for them, as well.

Since the 1990's, Lutens' train has been gathering steam. He has received numerous awards and citations for his work in perfume, film and cosmetics, including, in 2006, the prestigious title of “Commandeur" in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. Though he conceives perfumes on his own, he collaborates closely with Christopher Sheldrake, the R&D man at Chanel. It's good to have friends in high places, don't you think? You can find all of Serge Lutens wonderful perfumes at Salons-Shiseido.

But, like I said, I had no idea who Serge Lutens was until I visited Aedes de Venustras in the West Village during a summer shopping trip several years back. It was just supposed to be a sniffing expedition. Walking around Greenwich Village, you can inhale a huge assortment of odors. Mostly good, some bad. In any case, my niece Robyn and I had just finished a delicious meal at Ray's Famously Original Pizza (yes, I know....), and we decided to walk it off. We noodled around the Village, and by the time we got to Christopher Street, I was ready for some refreshment.

Just entering Aedes is a treat unto itself. The life size peacock (taxodermied, of course) in the display window in front gives you an idea of the splendor of things to come, but I was taken aback by the ancient grandeur of the place. Lots of velvet and leather. Mahogony display cases filled to the brim with the most unique, rare and inspired perfumes from all over the world. And an ever so attentive staff. We had entered Heaven on Christopher Street.

So much to smell, so little time. My niece and I split up. She took one half of the room, and I took the other. We met somewhere in between and after about two hours of non-stop sniffing and sampling, left with three bottles of perfume: Tann Rokka, Ofresia by Diptyque and Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens. Oh, what a wonderful day!

Now, I am a floriental gal all the way. It literally takes an Act of Congress to convince me to wear anything other than a variant on Valentino or Pink by Nanadebary. Leaving Aedes, though, I knew I had been enchanted by a buttery-citrusy-floral with a wildly ethereal sillage that lasts for hours. I like the Ofresia, but I love the Fleurs d'Oranger. It is still my most favorite perfume. My niece took the Tann Rokka home with her. I have never worn it.

So, what makes Fleurs d'Oranger so different and attractive to me? The scent, the color, the way it smells as soon as it leaves the bottle and how it smells as soon as it touches your skin. It is sexy and clean, buttery and bright, all at once. Such a bundle of contradiction. The heady rush of sweet oranges is masterfully tempered by the most incredible scent of buttery tuberose ever created. I thought it might be massoia bark, so buttery it smells.

Fleurs is addictive. You just have to keep smelling it. You just want to keep smelling it. The drydown is incredible -- lusciously buttery and sweet. It goes on and on. One caution: though tempting, do NOT overuse this fragrance. It can overcome a room.

I love this scent so much, I had to make soap with it. I recently commissioned a fragrance house to dup the scent and we now have a very close version of Fleurs d'Oranger at Snowdrift Farm. I made a large batch of soap for sale to the public, as well. If you're lucky, you can catch the tail end of that batch right here. Or, try the recipe for yourself: Savon de Fleurs d'Oranger.

My First Post

2007-08-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fragrant Fields, a blog about the way things smell.

I know, this may seem a bit far-fatched, and certainly, I won't be discussing the smell of everything -- just the things I like to smell: always perfume -- and frequently, food.

My name is Trina Wallace, and I co-founded Snowdrift Farm, a labor of love that has become an S-corp over the past 12 years. Not bad for a music major from New York, eh? At Snowdrift Farm, we are soap, lotion and perfume maniacs. My husband, Bill, is a chemist, and got me started on soapmaking back in the late 1980's. Let's just say we've progressed a bit over the years, and we are now a leading supplier of materials used in the manufacture of soaps, lotions and perfumes. From essential oils and absolutes to packaging to ethyl alcohols, you name, we've got it, or can get it. Try me!

So, what's up with this blog? Like I don't have enough to do. I love to write, though, and I really love to write about perfume. I figure it's a good way to share what I know and learn more about what I don't know. I could be all wrong about this. We'll have to wait and see how it goes, n'est pas?

I thought that a good way to start is to talk about things I know about. I love to create perfumes as well as buy them, but I thought I might start out with perfumes that are available for purchase, rather than those you make yourself. Stay tuned....first up is Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens. Then, maybe a chat about Aedes de Venustras, my most favorite perfume shop in the entire universe.