Category Archives: Products

Tablescapes fundraising event…

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DSCN1809We worked for several months designing this table in conjunction with a fundraising event for Arts Illiana which is a local organization which helps to fund art programs in the Wabash Valley.  The title of our table was “Pure NATURE by Pure GRACE Soap”.  We incorporated moss, greens, dried flowers, vines, pine cones and flowers in our table design.  We also built from scratch the centerpiece which symbolizes our Pure GRACE Soap birds in a metal birdcage up high and on display.  If you look closely you can see their purple tail feather peeking out of the cage.  DSCN1844

We accessorized the table with three tablecloths.  The bottom was a full length white cloth, which we added a sheer tan cloth with beautiful embellishment to and topped the table off with a cream color tablecloth that had a silver sheen to it.  We layered them in a manner so you could see them all and they looked rustic and natural.

programThe dinner plates were cream with a raised design and emphasized with burlap chargers.  We found wonderful steak knives with bone handles.  The napkins were handmade and featured through wire napkin rings.  The wine glasses were some from our personal collection and we included a bar of spa soap on each place setting.  We finished the look with dark brown wood chiavari chairs which we draped and tied in tan colored scarves.DSCN1824

We had so much fun working on this design and concept.  We did a dry run the week before and finalized the design the day before the event opened to the public.  We also added two set of tiny battery powered lights to the ensemble, one in the birdcage and one for the rest of the table.

The event was a fundraising opportunity for the organization.  They offered tickets to a Tea on Thursday, Cocktail Party on Friday and Full Dinner on Saturday.  We had such a nice time creating our table and presence at this event and look forward to doing it again next year.

The Benefits of Goats Milk to your Skin…

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Goats MilkDid you know we use only LOCAL, fresh Goat’s Milk from a private family farm in our Goat’s Milk Soaps?  The farm is less than 20 minutes from where we make the soap.  We work with a sweet young girl who cares for her own goat’s and sells us extra milk as needed to use in our Orange Oatmeal, Lavender, Gingered White Tea and Good Clean Goat’s Milk Soaps.  Also once in awhile she sells us blue eggs from her chickens – that is always a treat for our entire family!

When we started soaping we knew pretty early on we wanted to include goat’s milk in some of our soaps.  We knew that the milk provided some great benefits to the skin, but we didn’t know much else.  Through research and trial and error we have found out some amazing things about goat’s milk. First and foremost we learned what those “great” benefits to the skin are but we also learned how soaping with goat’s milk or any milk is very different from soaping with water.

Goat’s milk is really wonderful both used in all natural skin care products and used alone as a beverage.  The family we purchase our goat’s milk from drinks it exclusively in place of cows milk; they think it tastes better and I am sure they feel comfortable knowing exactly what their herd are eating every day.  For us we like to use goat’s milk in our soaps.  The benefits are measurable.goat

Milk from goats helps to delay the signs of skin aging.  Let me mention that again – helps to delay the signs of aging…yes, please!  This is possible due to the high content of alpha-hydroxy acids in the milk.  These acids are the ones which break down dead skin cell bonds therefore removing the dead skin cells from the skin’s surface which in turn leaves new cells on the surface.  Those are the ones that make your skin appear smoother and more youthful.  Furthermore many commercial soap products use harsh chemicals to act like these natural acids and break down the skin cells that way.  Over time these chemicals can actually act like a chemical burn on the skin.  Goat’s milk is a fantastic all natural alternative to delaying the signs of skin aging.

Card CatalogGoat’s milk contains important anti-inflammatory properties.  The fat content in goat’s milk reduces skin inflammation while the cream present in the milk acts as a natural moisturizer.  This is why many soaps made with goat’s milk are more soothing to dry and damaged skin than soaps made without goat’s milk.  Some of our customers even report not needing to use lotion when they use their goat’s milk soap on a regular basis.

Goat’s milk feeds the skin from the inside out.  The milk is loaded with much needed essential nutrients and vitamins.  Vitamins such as D, C, B1, B6, B12, and E are absorbed into the body and feed and nourish the skin.    When your skin in nourished on the inside it is going to look and feel so much better on the outside.

Milk from goats may be effective for treating acne and skin conditions.  The reason this is possible is due to the fact the goat’s milk has anti-bacterial properties that delay the growth of microbial organisms that spur the spread of acne.  We recommend our goat’s milk soap for anyone suffering from allergies, eczema, psoriasis, and /or dermatitis.  We developed our Good Clean Goat’s Milk Soap for those customers with the strongest of sensitives as it contains no fragrance or exfoliants, just good clean soap.Pouring Goats Milk

Soaping with goat’s milk is a little different than soaping with just water.  First off as a soaper you have a choice to use powdered goat’s milk or fresh goat’s milk in your recipe.  We always use fresh milk in our soap recipes.  Normally when you begin a batch of soap you mix lye with a liquid, usually water.  Lye is an integral component to making soap but is also a caustic agent and must be handled carefully especially once it becomes in contact with the liquid.  Typically, in a well ventilated space or outside, a soaper, wearing a mask and safety gear, would pour the lye slowly into the water and stir until it was thoroughly combined.  The process of mixing the lye and water together produces steam and heat so the soaper would allow the mixture to sit and cool until it was the proper temperature to continue the soap making process.

DSCN0313When working with goat’s milk you must first freeze it.  Ice cube trays work well for this.  Then very slowly you add your lye mixture to the goats milk ice cubes.  It helps to have the ice cubes sitting in a ice bath to continue to force down the temperature of the milk.  Where it might take 1 minute to add all of the lye to your liquid when using water, it takes closer to 15 to 30 minutes to add the same amount to the goats milk.  You want to be very careful to keep the temperate of the mixture as cool as possible.  Something interesting to note about goats milk is that it will change color as you add the lye.  It starts out a very creamy natural color and as the temperature begins to rise it takes on a yellow or yellowish orange hue and becomes thicker.  Not to worry, the yellow color does not stay in the end result.  Once the goats milk and lye are incorporated you can continue soaping as you would any other batch.

It takes a little bit of extra effort to make goat’s milk soap but we think it is worth it for all the wonderful skin benefits.  If you haven’t tried goat’s milk soap in the past I would encourage you to do so soon.

We are currently working on a lotion stick version of our Good Clean Goat’s Milk Soap for our customers who have asked to have the skin benefits in lotion form.  Follow our progress at https://www.facebook.com/puregracesoap.

Valentine’s Love, Hugs, Kisses and Product 2015….

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DSCN1255Yay, February is here and that means we are that much more closer to Valentine’s Day.  At Pure GRACE Soap we love to celebrate love – whether it’s Valentine’s Day or just a random Tuesday….  With that in mind we have been working hard to create some special products we think our customers will love.

Strawberry Sugar Scrub… $9.50
Our Strawberry Scrub smells as good as it looks and contains real strawberries! Strawberries are extremely beneficial for the skin for many reasons including being an excellent skin cleaner, improving complexion, helping to tone skin and protection from UV light. They also exhibit fantastic anti aging properties, they help with the treatment of acne, diminish under-eye puffiness and help to repair damaged skin.

Sugar scrub is the most natural way to soften, exfoliate and to freshen up the skin. Sugars fine texture gently exfoliates the skin without leaving harmful residue that can clog the pores. Skin loving oils provide the moisturizing properties that prevents the skin from drying. Our custom recipes use only organic cane sugar and are our recommendation for the driest of skin.

Our sugar scrub is packaged in a heavy glass jar with lid. The scrub is labeled on the top with its name and on the bottom with its ingredients, weight and directions. Each scrub is tied with a pretty fabric tie.

DSCN1281Set of Three Coconut Bath Bombs… $5.00
This set of 3 bright white Coconut Bath Bombs smells like tropical heaven. The smell is bright and crisp like you just cracked open a fresh island coconut.

Take a moment for yourself and enjoy a long relaxing bath. Our bath bombs give your skin a tingly treat while the scent relaxes your cares and stresses away. Once the bomb dissolves you will be enveloped in delicious smelling oils and butters that will make your skin silky smooth and moisturized.

Set of Three Raspberry Bath Bombs… $5.00
This set of 3 Raspberry Bath Bombs not only smells like fresh picked raspberries but their eye catching pink color looks pretty too!

Each clear gift bag contains 3 extremely moisturizing bath bombs which are perfect for year round use but especially wonderful for dry and parched skin or for people with skin aliments. Each set is tied with a pretty fabric tie and labeled on the back of the bag.

DSCN1279Grab and Go Cake Batter Lotion Stick Mini and Two Strawberry Bath Bombs… $10.00
We created this gift set with the young lady in your life in mind.  The mini lotion stick is perfect for her purse or backpack and is scented with one of her favorite smells.  It will stay with her throughout her day and leave her skin smooth and moisturized – perfect for this harsh winter weather.

The two strawberry bath bombs will certainly make bath time that much more special.  Not only do they smell good enough to eat but will help to relax her cares away.

DSCN0988Valentine Gift Baskets… $varies
For our customers looking for a special gift basket we have developed a limited edition Chocolate Almond Soap made with real cocoa.  This bar of soap is handcrafted using a hot process method of soap making and smells divine!  It is only available in our Valentine Gift Baskets and comes paired with many of the other Valentine specials.

All of our Valentine Specials are limited in quantity.  Most are available online here and are are available locally at the Downtown Terre Haute Farmer’s Market on Saturday February 7, 2015 from 9a-1p.  Pre-ordering is available and recommended.  In addition to the specials if you attend the Farmer’s Market on Feb 7, 2015 and spend $30 or more on Pure GRACE Soap products you will earn a FREE GIFT!  Enjoy a custom set of three bath bombs scented in Raspberry, Coconut and Coco-berry.  Give them to your loved one or save them for yourself!! Quantities are limited and only available at the February Farmer’s Market.

Business Update – Online Shopping Via the Website…

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Online OrderingSo if you have been following us very long you know we have been working hard to get our products online.  We are happy to announce most of them are finally available for purchase online via our website, PureGRACESoap.com.  In addition to getting the products online we have also done a major update of the website.  We hope you will take a few minutes to look around.  Maybe even leave us a comment if you feel so inclined.  We have tried to add features you will enjoy like the blog.  We now have an updated list of art and craft shows you can find us at for the year as well as our current retail locations.  We are taking on more custom work and will be expanding into wedding favors and the like later this year.

We love to talk to our clients and customers and ALWAYS appreciate all the love and support you have shown us.  We want to continue to grow and make you proud.  Let us know how we are doing and we hope you like the look of the new website and shopping experience!

Holy Fifth Retail Location Batman….

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Millie and Maude 2So we didn’t really go out searching for retail locations one through four….nor did we look for number five BUT boy are we excited to be partnering with them!  You can now find our laundry products at Millie & Maude, a local cool, fun, trendy boutique in downtown Terre Haute, Indiana.

Millie & Maude is located at 11 South 7th Street which is in the heart of the arts corridor.  There you can find our handmade, all natural and small batch laundry detergents – including a signature scent developed just for them – Good Energy.Millie and Maude

Millie & Maude also carries everyone’s favorite Pure GRACE Soap product, Wool Dryer Balls and they can’t keep them in stock.  In case you haven’t tried them yet you are missing out.  The balls are placed in your dryer with your wet clothes and they reduce the time it takes for the clothes to dry while eliminating the static.  Say goodbye to dryer sheets and  fabric softeners, this is an eco-friendly and green way to dry your clothes.

Be sure to stop in Millie & Maude and tell owner, Lori, hello for us.  She has the most gorgeous clothes and provides fantastic customer service.  Did we mention she is sweet as pie also?

Click here to see a complete listing our Pure GRACE Soap retail locations.  As always our products are available online and at the local Terre Haute Farmers Market as well as other area and local craft and art shows.

 

Valentines Day is right around the corner…

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DSCN0713We heart Valentines!!  Too cheesy?  Maybe, but we really do like the day and taking time to celebrate our loved ones.  Here at Pure GRACE Soap we are working on a couple of new products to celebrate the day.

Look for Raspberry Bath Bombs and Strawberry Sugar Scrub at the February Farmers Market.  We also will have $10 gift sets which pair a half size cake batter lotion and a pair of bath bombs.  Tied with a Valentines fabric tie, these are perfect for that young lady in your life.

Spa Soaps…

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Our new Spa Soaps came out this week.  We love them because each spa soap is made with only high quality essential oils and formulated with specific face and body beneficial clays. There are four different soaps in this collection.  These bars are more rustic looking and heavier in weight than the majority of our other bars due to the process we use to make these.

DSCN0185Spiced Orange Spa Soap contains French red clay and is best suited for normal to oily skin types. French red clay comes from Hematite Iron, its coloring the result of the copper oxides contained in the rock. It is rich in kaolinite, illite, montmorillonitea and calcite; it cleanses, detoxifies and exfoliates the skin, leaving it refreshed, toned and rejuvenated.DSCN0212

Lemongrass Spa Soap contains Kaolin clay and is recommended for all types of skin types but is especially beneficial for dry skin issues. Kaolin is the mildest of all clays and helps stimulate circulation to the skin while gently exfoliating and cleansing it. It does not draw oils from the skin, so it is best suited on dry skin types without negative results. Kaolin as found in nature usually contains varying amounts of other minerals such as muscovite, quartz, feldspar, and anatase.DSCN0206

Eucalyptus Mint Spa Soap contains Bentonite clay and is recommended for all types of skin problems and to speed healing. Bentonite, also referred to as Montmorillonite, is one of the most effective and powerful healing clays. It is composed of aged volcanic ash and unique due to its ability to produce an “electrical charge” when hydrated. Upon contact with fluid, its electrical components change, giving it the ability to absorb toxins. Bentonite is known for its ability to absorb and remove toxins, heavy metals, impurities, and chemicals. Healing clays like Bentonite have a high concentration of minerals including silica, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, and potassium.

DSCN0158Lavender Tea Tree Spa Soap contains French green clay and is recommended for all skin types but especially helpful for skin suffering from acne, eczema and psoriasis. French green clay contains montmorillonite, decomposed plant material such as kelp and seaweed, magnesium, calcium, potassium, dolomite, silica, manganese, phosporous, silicon, copper, selenium, and up to nine mineral oxides. These elements work synergistically to nourish and gently detoxify skin, while the added olive oil moisturizes and softens it.

Custom Orders for Custom Clients….

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Bridal show with soap and flowerWe love working on custom orders and are always happy to speak to a client who has an idea in their head for a product.  We have spent a lot of one on one time working with one local company, AAV Travel, to determine exactly the best product for their clients.

The first challenge we partnered with Stefanie, the owner of AAV Travel, on was for a bridal show she was attending as a vendor.  She wanted to give all the brides who visited her table a take home bar of soap made with a custom scent, color and packaging.  She had an estimate of how many brides she thought would come to the show along with a budget to work within.  We were thrilled to be able to produce for her a half size custom bar scented with a very tropical fragrance.  We infused organic olive oil with annatto seed oil to create the bright orange color and added poppy seeds for decoration and scrub.  We branded each package with her company logo and wrapped with her signature blue color tissue paper and pretty blue and white twine.  Her brides loved them!aav nov 2014

The next project she called on us for was a large scale thank you gift for her best clients.  Since she works with clients from all of the world one of our top priorities was to make sure whatever we came up with that it would ship well.  She knew she wanted 5 different soap bars, each to represent a portion of the world that she plans vacations and honeymoons for.  Working back and forth over several months we determined the regions that would be represented.  We sent her several fragrance profiles to review.  From there she picked the smell she thought best represented each of the 5 regions and we began to talk about appearance of the bars.

Top angel Sian Ka'an AAVWe finalized and finished the set of 5 bars several months after we began the project and she was very pleased.  We provided her with a custom shipping box and lots of kraft shredded paper for safe soap traveling.  We branded all of the bars with her logo and website and she choose names for each bar.  We packaged them 5 to a box and delivered them to her in time for holiday shipping.

We’d love to work with you on your custom needs.  Add that something special to your wedding, shower, event, party, holiday, reunion or work outing with a custom product/s.  We routinely customize soaps, scrubs, lotions, lip chaps, detergents, etc and in addition to your signature scent and look we can add your special date, photo, location, name, etc.  Contact us to discuss more.

Contact Stefanie at AAV Travel for all of our your destination vacation and honeymoon needs.  Stefanie is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and services the world. 

The Benefits of Homemade Natural Laundry Detergent…

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vanillaHomemade Laundry Detergent is very easy to make, economical and can be eco-friendly.  There are several different recipes available on the internet, both liquid and dry formulas.  Pure GRACE Soap makes a dry custom formula for sale online and at craft shows that is all natural and made without chemicals.

Many homemade laundry detergent recipes are easy to make and take few ingredients, most of which you probably have in your home all the time.  The recipe we like to use is based heavily on washing soda, baking soda and citric acid.  Washing soda, also known as sodium carbonate or soda ash, is very similar to baking soda but with a different chemical compound.  It has been used for many years by our mothers and grandmothers to clean clothes and is considered a natural ingredient.  It helps to soften the washing water while removing grease and stains.  Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, is a wonderful natural cleaning product.  Many people use it exclusively to clean their kitchens and bathrooms (along with vinegar).  In laundry detergent, baking soda quickly dissolves in water, helps to clean stains and does not damage fabrics.   Some people think baking soda possibly helps to neutralize odors and freshen fabrics.  Citric acid is included in our recipe because it helps to break down enzymes found in common stains.  Many recipes will call for a ratio of 4 parts washing soda to 1 part citric acid.  That ratio helps you get the cleaning power but does not allow sediment to build up.  Citric acid is also functional as a natural stain remover. Pure GRACE Soap Laundry Detergent

In addition to washing soda, baking soda and citric acid we use a bar of natural soap as the “glue” of the recipe, coarse sea salt and sometimes will include essential or fragrance oils for scent.   We like a high quality bar of natural glycerin soap but about any bar of soap will work keeping in mind some will clean better than others and some contain more questionable ingredients than others.  It is important to hand grate the bar of soap or use a food processor to shred it down until it looks like shredded cheese.  If you use your food processor make sure to rinse any soap residue off before running it through your dishwasher or you will find bubbles on the floor like I did the first time.  The bar of soap helps to hold all of the other ingredients together.  I like to really work it into the dry ingredients so they are thoroughly mixed.  Coarse sea salt helps to soften the washing water but does not aid in the actual cleaning process.  That being said some big name natural detergents on the market do include salt as one of their ingredients.  Essential and fragrance oils can be used to scent the detergent.  We add only a small amount so as not to possibly damage any clothes with an overabundance of oil but scents can be added to your liking or you might choose to leave your detergent unscented.

Laundry Detergent Pure GRACE SoapEach recipe is different but the process to make dry homemade laundry detergent is fairly straight forward and simple.  Place your pre-measured dry ingredients into a bowl.  You may wish to use gloves as washing soda can sometimes irritate sensitive hands.  Mix the dry ingredients well and then add your grated bar of soap.  The bar of soap will be somewhat sticky and should work into the dry mixture well.  I always try to hand mix for a few minutes to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.  Finally if you choose to add a scent add a few drops of it until you have reached your desired scent.  Packaging your detergent can be fun.  You can use anything from a cute glass jar to a leftover plastic food container.  Dry laundry detergent will last for a long time provided it does not get moisture in it.  The recipe we use sometimes tends to clump since we do not use anti-caking agents, like some commercial brands, therefore we tell our customers to break it up with a spoon or fork if they have clumping.  You can also add a desiccant to help with the moisture.

Homemade laundry detergent is economical, many times costing pennies per load.  Generally speaking all of the ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle of your supermarket or big box home store.  The more “natural” you decide to go with the recipe the more the individual ingredients might cost but keep in mind the batch you are making will last for many loads.  Also many times the amount needed to use in one load of laundry is much smaller than what you would use with a commercial laundry detergent.  The detergent we make and sell uses only one (1) tablespoon per load.  We find it to work as good or better than commercial brands we have used in the past.

The nice thing about making your own laundry detergent is you can control how eco-friendly you would like it to be.  Some ingredients such as Borax, Oxiclean, Fels Naptha, Bleach, etc may or may not be controversial based on the chemicals they include.  Some people feel quite safe using them while others don’t.  It’s a matter of personal preference on what ingredients you want to use in your detergent.  You can make it is eco-friendly as you would like it to be.  Also, we choose to make a dry version of laundry detergent over a liquid form because it will keep longer than some liquid recipes and we do not have to use a preservative, or chemical, to prevent the spread of possible bacteria and mold growth which could be a concern in some liquid recipes.DSCN0485

It is important to note that most homemade laundry detergents are good in both top loader and HE washing machines but always double check if you are concerned.  Many recipes will notate that as well as what water temperatures the detergent performs best in.  Finally if you are interested in continuing your eco-friendly-ness into the world of drying consider using 100% wool dryer balls in place of dryer sheets or fabric softener.  The wool balls will not only stop any static but will help to dry your clothes faster and with less electricity.  They do not have any chemicals associated with them since they are 100% wool.  Products such as homemade laundry detergent and wool dryer balls are economical, easy to make and use, eco-friendly and will go a long way to help winter dry, chapped and sensitive skin.

Below are a couple of basic recipes for making your own laundry detergent.

Homemade Dry Laundry Detergent for Heavy Loads
1 Cup Washing Soda
1 Cup Shredded Soap
¼ Cup Citric Acid
½ Cup Vinegar (added to rinse compartment)
Courtesy of Brambleberry.com
Found here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/three-diy-laundry-soap-recipes/

Basic Laundry Powder which works best in warm or hot water.  Use ½ to 1 tablespoon per load.
½ cup soap flakes or grated plain bar soap
½ cup borax
½ cup washing soda
Courtesy of The Nickel Pincher: 3 Easy Homemade Laundry Detergents
Found here: http://www.rodalenews.com/homemade-laundry-detergent