New in the Shop - Crocheted Facial Wash Pads

I've wanted to crochet some facial wash pads to put in the shop for a little while now, and I finally got around to doing it.  They're a great way to cleanse the face and the lightly textured surface that results from the crochet is great for gentle exfoliation. Also they are washable, which makes them reusable - another tick in their favour.  Finally, as well as being useful they're so pretty; like cute mini doilies. Who wouldn't want a stack of these in their bathroom?

So why not add a little beauty to your beauty regime and buy a set?

Artistic Soap - Flowers

My soaps are not visually artistic.  I like to think that their artistry lies in the combination of ingredients that I have chosen to use to make the soap, and in the essential oil combinations.  But there is a lot of visually stunning soap out there, which I thought that it would be fun to share.  So this will be a new feature showcasing the world of artistic soap.  If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I love flowers, so it seemed fitting to start this series of posts off with some beautiful flowers hand carved in and from soap.

Image via www.pankesum.com

Image via www.pankesum.com

Image via fruitscarving.wordpress.com

Image via fruitscarving.wordpress.com

Image via www.soapcarvingart.com

Image via garnishfood.blogspot.com

Did You Know?...

...It takes three tonnes of Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) herb to make 500g of essential oil! That's why it's so expensive.  Some commercial oils that claim to be Lemon Balm have been mixed with lemongrass or citronella so buyer beware!

Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family, is easily propogated and is very attractive to bees, so consider planting up a pot for the garden.  It's calming while also being uplifting, has anti-inflammatory properties and very powerful antiviral properties with proven effectiveness against cold sores.  For more information on the properties of lemon balm take a look at this article from The Guardian.

Look out for lemon balm essential oil in some of my new products, hopefully coming soon!

Image courtesy of guardian.co.uk