Ingredient Spotlight of the Week - June 19

I apologize for missing last weeks and today's Ingredient Spotlight. I have been at the hospital almost everyday with my father who has been in Hospice care for the past month. He had cancer and passed away this past Thursday, June 22nd. His Memorial Service was yesterday and my mind has not been on much of anything else these past few days. All I've wanted to do is throw myself into soaping and try to forget everything else. I will try to pick up and get back to the Ingredient Spotlight next week.
Thanks for your understanding.

Name That Soap!

Today was another day for an ALL NATURAL batch. Rich, creamy Goats Milk, Olive oil, Hemp oil, lots of Cocoa Butter and a bevy of other nutrient rich oils plus pure Indonesian Patchouli oil. It was supposed to have organic Montana honey too, but when I turned my back to warm the honey the soap traced on me in a hurry, so into the mold it went without the honey. That's ok, the honey was an after thought anyway. And this is still a lovely batch of soap that I can hardly wait to use.
However, I'm at a total loss as to what to name this bar. Everything escapes me. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Post yours in the comments and if we use it, we'll send you a $10 off coupon good on any purchase from Valhalla Soap Company.

Bags, Belts, and Bows

I wanted to share the cutest site I ran accross today. If you like handbags then this is the place for you. Surf over and check out 2 Fresh Petunias . They have the custest handbags and totes. I'm not a "cute handbag" kind of person, but these one even sold me. Here are a few of my favorites.

Turquoise Dreams Fresh Mum Tote ------->

(Quoted from website) "The Fresh Mum Tote is just what you need to battle thru the day in style. Sippy cups? Loads of paperwork? Snacks? Gym clothes? It is designed to carry it all and have you looking fabulously chic while doing so."

<----Innocence Sweet Gal Handbag

(Quoted from website) "Sassy and smart combine with retro vintage styling to create the Sweet Gal Handbag. Inspired by a sample from the 1940's this bag has charm written all over it. "

I'm telling you I love these bags. I'm adding them tomy wishlist for my birthday, Christmas, or just because I deserve it. And you do too. There are lots more bags and other fun items to choose from at 2 Fresh Petunias . The Preppy Paradise Beach Bag is just way too fun! And they even have some adorable items for the under age Fashion Divas in your life. So jump on over and check them out. You won't be sorry you did, and you have a great time at this fun site.

Mary Jane Comes Clean

And she smells nice too ;-)

Mary Jane = Hemp

Clean = Soap

Mary Jane is the newest creation on the drying rack. Loaded with hemp oil, cocoa & shea butter. And scented with a blend of Pink Grapefruit, Lavender and Juniper essential oils. We are excited about this one as it will be our very first ALL NATURAL bar added to the website. And it smells so incredible, the whole soap shop smells awesome. Be looking for this bar to be added to the site before the end of the month.

Free Product

We still need a few more testers for our Cafe' au Lait Gourmet Coffee Scrub. This is your chance to try out one of our products free of charge. You don't even have to pay for postage. All you have to do is use the product and answer a few questions of a postage paid postcard, and pop the card in the mail. Easy as that. And you keep the rest of the product! So what are you waiting for? You know you want to TRY IT. Yummy, luscious gourmet coffee scrub in your shower. You'll have a hard time not wanting to eat or maybe drink it ;-)

Cafe' au lait

I'm back with the result of yesterdays coffee scrub experiment. And I'm sitting here with soft, silky skin and smelling like Cafe Vienna. It is scrumptious!!

After a bit of tweaking the first batch, I finalized a recipe that I am very pleased with. Those of you who are regular customers know that I have a love affair with avocado oil and use it almost all of our formulations. It is high is vitamins A, D, and E, and is especially good for dry problematic skin. So naturally this scrub is no different, accept I used creamy avocado butter, as well luxuriously silky Bubassu oil and Virgin Coconut Oil.

I showered as normal this morning, washing with soap first. Then I turned off the water and used this new creation neck to toes. The aroma of the coffee, blended with the natural odor of the Virgin Coconut Oil and Cafe Vienna fragrance was an absolute delight first thing in the morning. I can see this scrub in mint, and citrus "flavors" as well for a morning wake up.

This is the part where you have a chance to get involved. I need testers for this scrub. So, be one of the first 3 people to respond with a comment here, and I will send you a free sample with the expectation of your feedback in return. If you follow suit with the feedback, you'll receive a 15% coupon code for it or any purchase on the website. So get those comments coming. I think you'll like this scrub.

Today's Mission

I'm on a mission today to conjure a delicious coffee scrub. I've been wanting to do one for some time now and have been gathering ingredients for the past few months. I've also been jotting down notes whenever something else pops into my head that I think might work in a coffee scrub. So, I'm off to play mad scientist and see what I come up with. I'd be thrilled to hear your thoughts on coffee scrubs. Have you ever used one? Did you like/dislike it? What scent was it? What scents do you like? Please post a comment and give some feedback on this topic :)

I'll be back!!

Make the Connection Bracelet

Order a Free Bracelet Kit

Show your support and help make the connection between Cervical Cancer and HPV by ordering a Free Make the Connection Bracelet Kit!

With every order of the FREE Make the Connection bracelet kit you will get two kits, so you can invite someone to join you in showing support against cervical cancer.
By ordering a free Make the Connection bracelet kit, you will be helping to advance cervical cancer education and outreach. For every pair of bracelet kits ordered, Merck will donate one dollar to Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, up to $100,000, for cervical cancer awareness and screening programs among medically underserved women.

This may not be Bath & Body Care related but it is Body & Life related and an issue very important to us here at VSC. Please take a moment and order you free bracelet. It won't cost you a cent and the moment spent could help educate and save a life.

Ingredient Spotlight of the Week - Rice Bran Oil

We thought that it would be nice to detail one of the ingredients that we use in our products once a week. We get lots of questions about why we use the ingredients we use and how we chose certain ingredients. This seemed like the best way to answer some of those questions. So here is the first installment of our Ingredient Spotlight.

Rice Bran Oil

(Oryza Sativa Bran Oil)

Rice bran oil contains the highest amount of all natural
Vitamin E and is one of the most gentlest oils. Its softening
and moisturizing properties are excellent for sensitive, mature
and even delicate baby skin.

Rice bran oil (oryza sativa) is a nutty-flavored oil which
contains vitamin A and vitamin-E group anti-oxidants such as
tocopherol, oryzanol, and tocotrienol and is used in skin care
for its anti-aging properties. It is said to contain the highest
amount of vitamin E in liquid form.

Rice Bran is full of other antioxidants, such as linolic acid,
oleic acid, and palmitic acid. It is also rich in phytic and ferulic
acids, which promote microfoliation (a gentle form of
exfoliation) while helping balance melanin production. It also
contains proanthrocyanidins, which protect collagen and
elastin to ensure suppleness of the skin. Rice bran oil is
particularly high in essential fatty acids omega 3, omega 6,
and omega 9, which are precursors of prostagladins that help
in treating skin inflammations. These fatty acids are also
important for the respiration of cells. The oil acts as both a
carrier and emollient.

Benefits of Rice Bran Oil

• Promotes collagen formation
• Treats dry, mature skin
• Inhibits lipid peroxidation
• Safe for sensitive skin
• Provides smooth spreadability
• Provides moderate penetration with little greasiness

Trivia Fact

In Japan it has been the tradition for a long time that women
rub rice bran or rice bran oil on their face to keep their skin
smooth. These women due to their smooth and shiny skin
were called "Nuka-Bijin" or bran beauty.

There you have it. A brief synopsis on the wonders of Rice Bran Oil, aka RBO in the cosmetics world. This is an oil that we are very fond of here at Valhalla. It is so soothing to the skin even as a stand alone ingredient. It is light, absorbs easily and is not greasy in the slightest. And to top it off, it is a fantastic oil to use in the kitchen. Stir-fry's are awesome with this oil.

Hope you enjoyed the read. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please drop us line or leave a comment here on the blog. We would love to hear from you.

You Put the Lime in the Coconut and Drink the Bowl Up....

How many of you remember that song? It was sung by Harry Nilsson back in the late 60's or early 70's maybe. I heard it several months ago and it inspired me to make a batch of soap. Yes, sadly I can be inspired to soap by just about anything. Life got in the way, and the soap inspiration got put on hold. But alas, I finally made this marvelous sensation. Made with coconut milk, and a bounty of luscious oils, I scented it with a blend Lime essential and fragrance oils, and coconut fragrance oil, and sprinkled grated coconut on top. This is one of the funnest soaps I've made.
So, to my Newsletter readers whom I promised this bar to some time ago, It is now ready and will be on the website by next week. I promise you will love this fun bar and that it was worth the wait.