Social Media and the Small Business

I had my second of two classes at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at ETSU today, and our subject was all about using social media! Social media has quickly became a dominate force in our lives... I mean, think about it... How often do you check your facebook? (I'll admit, I check mine often!) Small businesses can use social media to their advantage, if they know what they are doing!

We talked about 5 different social media sites: facebook, twitter, foursquare, linkedin, and youtube. Now, I am already on facebook and twitter, but I was very interested in the other three, as well as learning how to better communicate to (and with!) you guys through the sites.

One thing that I am very interested in is creating a YouTube channel! Back when I was really getting into the art of soap making, I would search youtube for hours, and was very inspired by other soap artists who posted videos of the soap making process, as well as follow-up videos once the soap was ready to cut!
So one of my goals in 2012 is to start a YouTube channel featuring my soaps! My husband and I are currently tinkering around with his iphone's video capabilities, as well as my own camera, and I want to start shooting and uploading videos by January or February! That way, you guys can get sneak previews of what will be coming up in my shop!! :oD

One interesting note that I learned today was the different in posting on Facebook and posting on twitter. On facebook, I try to only post once or twice a day, so my posts do not jam up everyone's newsfeed, so I was doing the same on twitter... Nope! I was doing it wrong! I learned that on twitter, people post more often in order to be seen in the real time feed! So, if you follow me on Twitter, look for me to start posting more often!

And of course, I'll still be on facebook! I love linking my blog to facebook, talking about new products, and uploading photos! Look for more polls and questions about what YOU want to see in new soaps and lip balms, as well as peeks into new products that I am developing for 2012!

Remember, to catch great (free!) classes like this one, and the one I went to a few days ago, contact your local SBA chapter! New classes start up in Tennessee in January, and I am looking forward to taking a few more!

Know your Oils: Cocoa Butter

Photograph by AgricultureSouce.com

Cocoa Butter has been around a very long time in the culinary world as well as the cosmetic world. Cocoa butter is one of the main ingredients used in both milk chocolate and white chocolate. It is completely edible, and can be used in baked goods as well. The natural form of cocoa butter is a creamy color and has a slight chocolate smell to it!
In the world of cosmetics, cocoa butter has always been reccomended for pregnant women to help reduce stretch marks. It's also found in lip balms and products used to heal dry and cracked skin. It is a fantastic moustiruzer, and a pot of it can last for years!

When used in soap, cocoa butter helps to add hardness to the bar, as well as creamy lather when used. Its lovely moisturizing property can be found in soap when used to superfat, and it helps to create a barrier between the skin and the envorinment. And in regular cocoa butter, the cocoa smell will sometimes come through! Yummy! (Unscented cocoa butter can be found as well!)

You can find cocoa butter at most stores, but I buy mine from my local health food store. I actually try to look for the "Fair Trade" logo on most special oils that I buy. "Fair Trade" simply means that companies are committed to buying products (like cocoa butter and palm oil) from developing countries at fair prices. Fair Trade is also applied to other items, like fruit, wine, coffee (probably the most well known fair trade product), and gold, among others.

As of this writing, I have only used cocoa butter in one soap, which is currently in the "curing" stage. In the curing stage, cold process soaps are losing water and becoming hard. This soap (see right) was made with cocoa butter, colored with cocoa powder, and is scented with a fragrance oil called "Chestnuts and brown sugar", which is a sweet, rich, warm smell that goes along perfectly with the undertones of cocoa!

Happy creating, everyone!!

Bergamot Eclipse and Honey Oatmeal

This week, I have been working on two delicious new soaps!

The first is a new soap of my own design. I call it "Bergamot Eclipse."

I started off by creating a half-circle loaf of bergamot soap, colored a rich gray by using powdered activated charcoal, which has a wonderful detoxifying effect on the body! After letting that set for a few days, it was removed and trimmed. Over the top and sides, I poured a lovely bergamot-scented accent soap colored with powdered tumeric, giving the soap a lovely, pale yellow tint!


Before letting the soap completely set, I gave the top a little swirl, which seemed to give the soap a life of its own!



Well, last night, I decided to venture in to very familiar soaping territory... Oatmeal and Honey! Nearly ever soap maker has made their own version of the classic Oatmeal and Honey soap, so I decided it was high time for me to head that way as well!

I started off by using regular old oatmeal (not the quick-cook stuff, the real oatmeal!) and I ground it up into powder using my Magic Bullet. I added the oatmeal to my soap batter once the batter had reached a nice, medium trace, and I added pure honey as well. I did not add any scents or dyes... I tried to keep this batch as natural as possible!
I am so excited about this batch, and I have not even cut it yet!

I added whole oats on top to give it a nice, country feel! And I had enough batter left over to make a 6 ounce teddy bear bar (one of my favorite molds! And a great thrift store find!)

They will be all cured up and ready for purchase at my Etsy shop by mid-September!