CURAT HANDCRAFTED SOAPS Est. 2010

Looking for a great stocking stuffer or White Elephant gift? Come pick out a couple bars of my Soleseife soap!

This luxury sea salt brine bar comes in three wonderful scents and it's sure to please that special someone on your list!

My name is Misty. I'm the creator and soapcrafter for Curat Romania. Curat is on extended hiatus, although, due to demand by my hair clients I have made 3 soaps for the holiday season.

These are available in my hair studio HAIR by Misty Al-Eryani for a limited time only. These are new soaps, new recipe and come in three scents. If you are interested in purchasing one or a few, please leave a comment below.

Have a great holiday season with family and friends as tou stay safe, happy and healthy.
May God's light shine on you today and always!

M☆

Original FB post:

Ok, here are soap descriptions, I know it took too long, lol..but I have been busy getting my house in order and such!

Mazuk- amber, frankincense, myrrh and vanilla

Friskh- lavender, vanilla and mint

Corfu- Japanese grapefruit, cassis, Osmanthus, watercress, honeysuckle (fresh clean scent)

The bars are hefty and beautiful. I am very pleased with them! Now look, I am not mass producing! Not like the Curat days at all. I'm a full time hairdresser with a studio! Maybe 20 bars here and there after I get a bunch made for Christmas, that's it, so I am targeting the ones who love my soap, love me and keep asking about them. Here they are, I created these for you!

Revving up. Soaps are available periodically @ HAIR by Misty Al-Eryani studio. Have a great spring people!

God willing, and if the creek doesn't rise. A big big comeback!

Still around. Shucking and jiving.

Remembering all of the precious members of our Armed Forces who we lost while they served.

Thank you to them and their families for the sacrifice that was made, not only insuring our freedom, but also while protecting other countries that needed their help.

Thanks to all the faithful Curaties who placed orders this week! They will be shipped out Monday with gratitude.

After receiving messages and comments, I will be releasing the Crescent City Soaps to be sold separately as well! I am glad to hear feedback. These soaps are LIMITED EDITION and will not return, so make sure you get your fill while you can.

*Next Up "HELLO MR. RITCHIE!"

Most of you know about my fondness of a certain performer from Michigan. If you don't, consider yourself lucky to not witness my my antics, but hey, I can't control it sometimes! Anyway, I am really working on making this bar pretty darn special and unique. After I create and release it, I will wrap myself as soap and ship me to his place. (You think I'm kidding?)

More cool news to come, keep communicating and sending me requests, I surely love to hear whats on the mind of Curaties, the most awesome handmade soap connoisseurs on the planet!

Packaging time.

*all rubber stamps are custom made by Indianapolis Rubber Stamp Inc.

Red pepper, warm milk, cinnamon, honey..what you think? What does it remind you of, or, what simply comes to mind...let me know people...new offerings are coming!

Herbal Blends Help Condition of Skin!

For centuries herbs have been applied to the skin to help with healing and preventing skin problems. With the "natural movement" in the cosmetic and beauty industry gaining a huge following, one concern I do have is the quality of the products being used, and if they are really effective in overall treatment.

When I started "soaping", I used the cold process method. Meaning, no heat source is used to make the soap. You mix fixed oils (coconut, olive etc) with a sodium hydroxide
solution (water and lye) and allow to saponify for up to three weeks. This method is a good way to make soap. I had no problems, and it was relatively easy to do. But then I thought about the materials I used to enhance my soaps and if they were being utilized properly. Meaning, were the herbs making a difference or were they being demoted to mere decoration.

For an herb to have any effect, it's properties must be able to get to the skin,and most need the help of carriers. Not only that, it has to be absorbed. Now taking a fresh mint leaf and rubbing it on your skin doesn't give you the full benefit of the herb. But if you release the properties of the mint leaf effectively, the essential oil, then it becomes absorbable and you would have the true benefits of mint available to you.

I switched to hot processing my soaps because I wasn't getting the full effect of the dried herbs I used. Yes, I also use essential oils, but I really like the benefit of having an all-natural product in it's natural form as well. When I add the herbs to my fixed oils and heat them, they release their healing qualities effectively. Not only that, but after the mixture has "cooked", the product is stable. I ensure the chemical process is finished, and I can actually use my product immediately. I know if a batch is good right away, and this prevents alot of wasted effort.

I have a history of cystic acne, and many of my friends have various skin conditions they suffer with. The leading culprits are acne and eczema. I used Acutane for awhile, and it wreaked havoc on my face, I mean the side effects were devastating. Raw irritated skin followed by dry peeling skin. It effected my mood, my digestive system, but I continued with the prescription because I wanted clear skin. After a year I just couldn't deal with the effects and switched to using medicated skincare. Some worked, some didn't. It was trial and error.

My grandmother told me of natural remedies and I tried tinctures and decoctions (teas) and these really helped my condition. Healing teas are becoming more common placed again, but one has to be very careful and armed with knowledge, as well as the a-okay from a physician to proceed with a personally made formulation.

Herbs in soaps and body products, for me, was a great way to receive all-natural benefits that were consistent and readily available. Also the repetitive use of the product also helps to improve the skin effectively. I suggest reading more about herbs and the healing properties they possess.

A great book I suggest to everyone is actually endorsed by the Herb Society of America, "Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses" by Deni Brown. Deni is a botanist and freelance horticultural writer. The book is very informative and I have had mine for over 11 years. If you are willing to invest the time to discover the benefits of herbs and how to use them effectively it is well worth it.

Do You Need "LYE" To Have Soap? YES!

"Properly made handmade soap has no lye left in it but cannot be made without it. Our ancestors made up a weak lye solution from wood ash to produce their handmade soap." - a soapcrafter
...................................................................................................
This statement is true. Many people think that lye is a horrible "chemical" that is best to avoid in soap. But let me ask you this....does your soap lather? If yes, then it is made with lye. It is impossible for it not to be.

There are "no lye" soaps on the market, but they are made with harsh detergents. But natural soap (void of these manufactured detergents) is great to use everyday and can be very moisturizing.

The most common practice of soap-making is 'cold process'. With this method, the lye(sodium hydroxide) and fats are mixed then set in molds to cure. The curing process can take up to 3 weeks. After this time the soap is safe to use. This is great to make lots of batches in a small amount of time. Also many crafters use this method to take advantage of the artistic capabilities it offers. The visual effects that are possible are endless. You can swirl, use a vast array of colors and the soaps can be molded in many shapes that are not possible with 'hot-processed' soaps. But the crafter must be attentive to the curing process. The lye and fats come together(saponify) to create soap, so this process must finish before exposing to skin.

I have used the 'cold-process' method many times. And it produces a great bar of soap. I prefer the 'hot-process' because after my soap has cooked, I know it is ready for use by the next day. The saponification has finished and it is safe to use.

Another soaping method is "melt & pour". This is commercial soap offered in large blocks that can be melted down to add herbs, scents and colors. Many hobbyists use this method to produce personalized soaps. But they are not handmade.

The next time you purchase your soaps, ask which process your crafter uses. If they are proud their products they will be more than happy to tell you. If not, you may want to think about what you are purchasing.