A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting with Jason at RJ Rockers Brewery in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They make a peach beer that we were very interested in turning into soap. Turns out, they were very interested as well. The beer is called “Son of a Peach” and is described as unfiltered American wheat ale with mean peaches. We had to laugh because they have nicknamed the beer “S.O.A.P.”, so we would be making S.O.A.P. soap for them.

We made a test batch, and it was a very nice soap with a great smell. When talking with Jason, we discussed that maybe adding an essential oil to the soap could enhance the peachiness of it. After much back and forth with our apothecary, Eva, at Down to Earth Oils in downtown Wilmington, we decided on a mix of orange and clove essential oils. Let me tell you, it truly did what we were hoping for, the soap does smell like peaches with a hint of clove. It smells wonderful. We will be hand delivering the first batch to RJ Rockers tomorrow because we were fortunate to get tickets to the Panthers/Steelers pre-season game. I'm sure there will be some "smack talk" between the two of us on the way, since Gayle is a big Panthers fan and I will always pull for the Steelers.

RJ Rockers became Spartanburg’s first brewery in 1997. They have a long standing tradition of producing high quality brews by hand. In fact, their slogan is “HANDCRAFTED. EVERY BEER. EVERY DROP. EVERY TIME.” They no longer have a brew pub, but the beer can be purchased in locations throughout South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, DC, and Maryland. The folks there are terrific people! If you ever find yourself near Spartanburg SC find out about taking a tour of the brewery. For your reading pleasure, you can also check out blogs written by some of the employees.

You might be asking yourself, why beer in soap? Aside from the novelty of it; the ability to take your favorite beer home in a different form, there are some “skin healthy” qualities to using soap made with beer. Since beer is made from different grains, the mineral rich qualities of these grains are transferred to your skin, giving it a healthy glow. The hops are full of amino acids that are very softening and soothing to the skin. Many people with sensitive skin, and even eczema and psoriasis love the beer soap for its healing properties. In addition, hops are very relaxing herbs, so using it in the tub or shower can calm and relax your mind as well as your skin.

If you are excited or even intrigued about the Son of a Peach Beer soap, give it a try. It will not disappoint.

Jenn

Wrigley here! What an awesome weekend! The Glynne’s Soaps crew spent Saturday at the 1st Annual Dog Wash, put on by the Dog Club of Wilmington. It was set up sort of like a car wash, but without anything scary. Just good clean fun. People brought their dogs for a bath and a manicure or pedicure and the proceeds went to Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue. I don’t know about you, but I love to see other four legged kids get rescued. In fact, 10% of Glynne's Soaps profits go to dalmatian rescue. There was food, (Paul’s Place Hot Dogs, which made us snicker since everybody there was a hot dog) music, and vendors. We had a great time meeting new people and selling some soap. I got a very good looking bandana from the Monty’s Home booth. We also spent some time talking with Karen from Dog Perils. Our booth was next to her's at Paw Jam in the spring, and she is from right here in Wilmington. She makes pants (well, she calls them Uh-Oh Bands") for male dogs with potty problems. We bought two for my brother George because he is getting old and sometime dribbles through the house. These pants will make us all happier! Plus, they come in lots of great designs so he can be almost as fashionable as I am in my bandana.
Here's a picture of us (with our new attire) with Momma (AKA Soapmaker)

We were a bit worried while packing up the night before that there would be too much rain for the outdoor event, but by Saturday morning, the skies were clear. It was a great day to take a bath outside. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to take my bath. I was too busy selling soap so others could get clean. By the end of the event I was exhausted. Thankfully I was able to nap on the ride home.

Thank you Dog Club of Wilmington for the great day.

The week ahead is busy too. We will be visiting some new shops that are interested in our soap and also checking in on some established places to see how sales are going. Sounds like the perfect job for the sales manager. Hopefully I’ll get to meet lots of folks while I’m out. And I’m sure there will be a trip to Aunt Kerry’s Pet Stop, which means I’ll get to visit my friends Roxy and Leo.

The other totally fun thing that happened on Saturday was that I signed up to take some Agility Classes. I’m sure I’ll be talking about what I’m learning, so stay tuned. In the mean time, don’t forget to get some soap for yourself and your pup on our website

Don’t forget, you can e-mail me anytime at Wrigley@glynnesoaps.com

Wrigley
Sales Manager

For the longest time, we have kept a bar of our Java Scrub soap near the kitchen sink. The coffee soap was great for removing odors from our hands while cooking. Smells from foods like onions, fish, and garlic were gone with a quick wash. It was great! Then we learned from a friend of ours, who also does a lot of aromatherapy work with her spa clients, that the caffeine in the coffee soap can also reduce cellulite. A bar of Java Scrub soap was immediately carried to the shower.

Approximately 85% of all women have some cellulite on their bodies; that lumpy, bumpy, cottage cheese look just under the skin. It occurs more frequently in older women or larger women, but even those with low body fat can usually find some cellulite. Dr Ava Shamban, who owns the Laser Institute for Dermatology and European Skin Care in Santa Monica, Calif., states that cellulite "is a structural problem. It's not only the fat, but it has to do with the connective tissue. The connective tissue acts as a mesh to keep the fat close to the legs, which happens for men, but not so well for women. So, in women, sometimes this connective mesh opens up and the fat bulges out. That gives you the cellulite." (http://www.cbsnews.com “Caffeine is Latest Cellulite Weapon”)

The theory behind the benefit of caffeine is that it will increase your metabolism, which will reduce fat. The caffeine also will reduce some of the swelling or edema of the fat cells by drawing out water, making your skin smoother.

Other reports suggest that the benefits of the caffeine in soaps or creams can be enhanced by massaging and rubbing the needed areas. This breaks up the fat cells and decreases the lumps and bumps even faster. Our Java Scrub soap contains real coffee grounds which, aside from being exfoliating, can aid in this massaging process.

Still one more benefit of the Java Scrub lies again with its caffeine content. Just like drinking a cup of coffee, showering with coffee soap gives you that morning pick me up. Inhaling that great coffee scent will help wake you up in the morning and also can provide the afternoon boost without having to drink a cup of coffee.

So, head on over to www.glynnesoaps.com and pick up some coffee soap for you and all your friends. It’s benefits are far reaching.

Jenn
soapmaker@glynnesoaps.com

Last week, Gayle and I found ourselves playing tourist in Chico, CA at the Yo-Yo Museum. One of the items on display was a 256 pound working yo-yo. It had actually been dropped from a crane and had “yo-ed” 10 times. “Big-Yo” (Yo-Yo Museum) also performed the “walk the dog” trick. The museum was filled with interesting memorabilia and a teenager that was performing some tricks and testing out some of the new yo-yos. His tricks were very impressive.

However, we did not make a week long trek across the country just to visit Big-Yo. The main purpose of our trip was to throw a party for my parents for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. And everything went wonderfully, if I do say so myself. We had a reception in the afternoon with cake and finger foods. Gayle had put together a slide show of pictures from the last 50 years that was running on a big TV and there were other pictures used as decorations. The crowd consisted of friends and family from all over the U.S. Some had been friends of my dad’s for 60+ years. That evening there was a dinner for any interested at a restaurant right on the Sacramento River. The theme of the evening was a 50’s diner complete with Cherry Colas and music to “twist” to. A great time was had by all, and I know my parents appreciated seeing people they hadn’t seen for many years.

After all the party planning, we still managed to get in some sightseeing. We spent some time in Chico and Paradise (if you need a quiet, beautiful getaway I would highly recommend Paradise, CA) and also a day touring San Francisco before we flew home. The best times were those spent reconnecting with friends that I hadn’t seen in years.

We are now back home and working again. Yesterday was a busy Glynne’s Soaps day. We met with 2 companies that are thinking of partnering with us on making some custom soaps. We are very excited about both opportunities. Be on the lookout for these new soaps, coming soon! We will also be unveiling our Christmas scents in the near future, and new beer soap from a brewery in South Carolina. Exciting things are happening!

Jenn
soapmaker@glynnesoaps.com

The average adult has 21 square feet of skin. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and it is very good at absorbing most of what it comes into contact with. This includes any toxins that might be in the soaps, lotions and makeup that you are using. If you look at the ingredient list on the back of your store bought soap, you will probably see the following items.

SLS (Sodium Laurel Sulfate) – used to create foam and lather, can be an irritant

Lauric Acid – irritating to mucus membranes

Pentasodium pentetate - used as a water softener, emulsifier and dispersing ingredient in cosmetic cleansing creams, lotions and soaps, can be an eye irritant

Tetrasodium EDTA - synthetic preservative

Trisodium etidronate – a preservative and possible irritant

BHT - (butylhydroxytoluene) - synthetic antioxidant to keep oils in formula from going rancid, it has been linked to tumor formation and liver enlargement

Triclosan (or triclocarban) – this is found in most anti-bacterial soaps and is registered with the EPA as a pesticide. (It does kill the bacteria. All the bacteria, even the good stuff you need to stay healthy) Commercial manufacturers of anti-bacterial soaps will tell you that it is used at such low levels that it is not harmful, but it has been shown that Triclosan can be stored in your fat cells and it will soon reach a toxic level.

“A study at Virginia Tech discovered that products containing triclosan produced either chloroform or other chlorine byproducts when exposed to tap water.1 In fact, triclosan decomposes into chlorine byproducts in as little as one minute when exposed to chlorinated tap water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit.2 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers the triclosan byproduct, chloroform, to be a probable human carcinogen that could cause cancer.” (www.bodyecology.com/07/09/20/avoid_dangerous_triclosan.php)

Another reason to stay away from commercial soaps is that most of them are not really soap. Look carefully at the label and you will see the words “beauty bar”, “cleansing bar”, “deodorant bar” or something similar. This is because these products are not soap. They are detergents.3 The glycerin that is a natural by-product of the soap making process is removed so it can be made into lotions and other products that can be sold for a higher profit. That natural glycerin is very moisturizing and when left in the soap, can keep your skin soft, reducing the need for lotions. Using a commercial detergent strips your skin of the natural moisturizing oils that your skin needs, leaving it dry and irritated.

So, the next time you are at the store buying soap, take a look at the ingredients and consider an all natural alternative that is much safer and better for your skin.

Visit our website at www.glynnesoaps.com to see our selection of all natural soaps. Our soaps contain no chemicals and are very gently and safe for your skin.

Jenn
soapmaker@glynnesoaps.com

References:
1 Gutierrez, David, "Antibacterial soap ingredient triclosan may be harmful to humans," 15 Mar 2007, NewsTarget.com. http://www.newstarget.com/021703.html
2 ibid
3 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-glycerin.htm