Talk on Herbal Skin Care

Good Day, friends.

First, how do you like my new Etsy finds? If anything here catches your eye, just click on the picture, and it will take you to the item you clicked on within their shop. I'm sure they would appreciate you stopping by to see them.

I'm a little late with this, but I took advantage of the great weather this last weekend and worked outside until I could no longer stand two days running. Oh, the work George and I did! I am so glad for this time together and time on my herbs and garden.

So, yesterday I played catch up, and today I am back to work. I was going to make shampoo bars today, but I thought I should start here with my promised blog, list some new items, and wrap some soaps to make room for the new ones.

Herbal Skin Care

I called my talk Herbal Skin Care. My partner and I cultivate an acre of herbs, as well as harvest (with a conscience) wild herbs. It is not by accident I live in an area abundant with a variety of wild herbs. So, I approach my skin care products with an herb point of view.

In my talk, I introduce my self by telling my group how I became interested in herbs, and then how that interest progressed to where I am today. A short history, so to speak. Sometimes, a talk becomes so involved, we have to go through the aids in a hurry. And, sometimes, the aids become the talk.

I like to include the herbs I use in skin care - at least most of them. This visual aid lets them see the herb, smell the herb, even touch the herb. I include exotic herbs I use but do not grow, too. Wouldn't you want to see what frankincense and myrrh look like? ☺

Butters always fascinates people. Oils have to be extracted, but natural butters have only to be scraped out of a nut shell. Shea butter is still an unknown, and I like to tell my groups all about Shea - origin, process, size of nut, etc. And, exotic oils go over well. I show Emu oil, vitamin e - dark and viscous, macadamia nut oil, etc.

And, I like to contrast oils and herbal oils.

And, oils! Ah, how to present oils. First, I used bottles with dropper caps. No, after a time, the rubber erodes. Second, I used caps on my bottles. No, after a time of taking cap on and off, the oil will leak. This is my best idea so far - a roll on. You do not risk spilling the oil, and people can try it on their wrist or arm without a mess, a win-win situation. And, they look very attractive, they cost little, and so far very practical.

You can use your own additives/herbs/powders, etc in the bags above. I think additives, like seeds, oats, pumice, kelp, and more would make interesting visual aids and topics in a soap talk.

The same can be said of the butters and oils. I showed some herbal oils that some soap makers do not use. But, some soap makers can show olive oil colored with annatto seed. That would make an interesting visual aid.

I find people just love it if they are able to use their senses to enjoy what you are talking about. Of course, I brought my product, too. But, the raw materials used today to make homemade soap represent the exciting aspects of soap making. And, they may be used to excite the imagination of your group, just as they are used in your daily excitement of soap making.

I hope this bit of information helps. You cannot write down a whole talk, because so much material comes from the groups themselves. The easiest talk is when you are allowed to answer questions. If you have an interested group, this will become the best part of the talk.

Thanks, as always for coming by. I am seriously considering writing a couple more blogs. I'm not sure if I should have my head examined over this, but I find a couple of ideas I would like to pursue...1) a blog on shampoo bars from the Soap Makers' perspective, and 2) a blog on craft shows/display set ups for soap and skin care vendors. I would love to hear what you think on that? :) Kathleen (and how about a blog on herbs - uh, uh, isn't my plate full enough?)