Extremely Dry Weather in the Pacific Northwest Effects the Wild Herbs too!

It has been unusually hot here in the Pacific Northwest this Summer. Summer officially started on June 20th, but around here, it normally doesn’t get hot till late July!  So when the temperatures are hot and the rain is nowhere to be seen, it also effects all of my herbs that grow here on the farm, cultivated and Wild.

Todays Harvest of Wild Red Clover!

The season is on for harvesting wild blackberries, wild blueberries, mints: peppermint & spearmint, as well as some other beneficial herbs such as Wild Red Clover! I use the Wild Red Clover in my teas, as well as sell it in bulk.

It is helpful for the following reasons:

♦It helps the body get rid of excess fluid, in turn clearing the lungs of mucous. This may be helpful for allergies associated with runny noses and congestion!

♦it improves circulation and helps clear toxins from the liver. This can in turn provide extra energy as the liver is the workhorse of the body that needs all the help it can get!

♦It is also helpful for women who are needing additional estrogen in their body, as it acts this way in the body.

♦In the ways it helps, please consult your Dr. if you are already taking a diuretic or Estrogen replacement.

So today, I was excited to get some of the Wild Red Clover picked for drying! You can purchase some already dried in bulk here on my website. You can make the tea in large quantities in a mason jar or get a stainless steel tea ball here on my website to use on a cup-per-cup basis.

Please leave a comment answering the question………………..

HAVE YOU TRIED WILD RED CLOVER TEA BEFORE?

No Lye = No Soap

Jasmine Soap

Over the years that I have been making soap, there have always been questions customers have for me about my products. Today I am addressing the most frequent question I receive about my SOAP!

“Do you use LYE to make your soap?” My Answer is YES!

Yes, I use LYE to make my soap BUT the soap no longer contains Lye once it has combined with the oils and cured!

Without LYE, also known as Sodium Hydroxide, you cannot have soap!! Even glycerin bars, melt & pour bars, liquid soap…….ALL SOAP requires either Sodium Hydroxide(LYE for bar soap) or Potassium Hydroxide(LYE for Liquid soap) to make it soap. You see, Sodium Hydroxide is a chemical that is harmful ALONE! When you combine it with the right ratio of oils & water, it binds to the molecular structure of each producing a COMPLETELY different element, SOAP!

The end result is no longer, Lye, Oils OR water, but a combination of all to produce the soap!

The Babylonians were the ones who invented soap at 2800 B.C. when the mixing of animal fats & ashes produced a cleansing product used for utensils & skin conditions. Even today, Lye CAN be made from ashes, rock and hay in a large wooden barrel. Now, Lye is produced commercially so it can be calibrated for modern recipes using exact measurements, thus refined for exactness. It is still a caustic substance that can harm you if touched!

Do not approach Lye lightly. ALL precautions MUST be taken when handling it and making soap. The Saponification of the Lye & Oils, (chemical reaction that creates soap) happens over time.

Here I am mixing the Lye into the water wearing ALL of my protective gear!

Here you see me mixing the Lye with the water. I am wearing protective eye wear, long gloves and an apron. I am also mixing on a newspaper lined table in my work station AWAY from children, pets and distractions! This is the MOST important!

Getting the right temperature before combining the Lye into the oil!

After the Lye has come to the 100-98 degree temperature, I then mix it with the oils of the same temperature. It immediately starts swirling in the pan, showing me that the two are combining.

The oils & Lye start combining!

I then stir and “mix” with my immersion blender. This helps speed things along. You CAN use just a spatula or spoon to stir, but it does take much longer, as I have tried this method, before learning about the immersion blender 🙂

“Pudding” like consistency tells me it is ready to pour!

Then after it has produced a “pudding-like” texture, I pour it into wooden molds lined with freezer paper for easy removal once it is set.

Clay Tea Tree Soap Just poured into the mold!

It sits, covered, for 24-48 hours before being cut. It still MAY contain some traces of Lye in the water molecules left in the soap, so I handle WITH my gloves on!

Clay Tea Tree Soap Curing

They then are exposed to air for 4 weeks minimum, being rotated every day for even drying. They are then ready to use, OR the best option would be to let them dry/cure longer!

**Why CURE soap?**

There is a reason for “curing” the soap. This is to allow the traces of lye that may remain in the left over water found in the soap to evaporate. The longer the soap sits, the better! It will harden up nicely and last much, much longer!

Did you know that the longer it sits, the better it gets?

Soap is not going to “go bad”, it will actually get BETTER! For example, there is one bar from last year that I found in my toiletry bag used for travelling. When I used it recently on an overnight outing, it lathered up MORE than before and was VERY hard! Even though I used it frequently for a few days, it looked as though I had not used it at all!! This just goes to show that the longer it sits, the longer it lasts 🙂

Organic Cinnamon Roll Soap

*So the take away from this post is:

~Without Lye you do not have soap of ANY type!

~4 weeks minimum is needed before soap is ready to use.

~The longer it sits the better it gets!

~Keep soap well drained & dry in-between uses so it lasts longer! *************************************************************************

I will be covering different questions that are frequently sent to me about my products!

♦Do you have any questions about my products that you want answered?

♦Do you understand the basics of soap making and how LYE is on every soap?

Please leave your comments below!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone experienced with herbs and essential oils look at your overall health and situation and suggest products and lifestyle recommendations that fit into your life?

This question came up when I was helping a customer find a product that would work best with her. I have found from experience that the “product” itself does not “cure” the ailment, it merely “assists” the body to heal itself! The concentration on providing your body with the tools it needs to do so is not done with one product alone. It is achieved when ALL of the aspects of the body are addressed including but not limited to: environment, stress levels, supplements, foods, products used. There is not a SINGLE cure for everyone. Each one of us possesses a unique DNA structure that is solely our own, so with this in mind, How can one product be suited for everyone?

In truth, it is not. Some of the products I make are the EXACT item that the particular customer who purchased it needed. Sometimes it is not. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone experienced with herbs and essential oils look at your overall health and situation and suggest products and lifestyle recommendations that fit into your life?

I have been practicing herbal applications in my own life for over 8 years now. Over this time I have worked with Organic Essential Oils, Organic Herbs and also Wild Crafted herbs that grow in the Pacific Northwest. I am NOT formerly certified in Herbalisim, or any Medical Practice. It is of UTMOST importance that the disclaimer be read before any assumptions are made. I have seen the applications of the herbs work wonders in my life. My skin, hair, and overall health has been improved with the use of Herbs and Oils. I have also changed my diet and the foods I eat DRAMATICALLY over the course of these 8 years. A lot of the frustrations I have had with my body have been solved when I addressed the foods I was putting INTO it.
It is my gift to the world to share my acquired knowledge of these helpful plants & essences in the form of a consultation. Each individual has specific vibrations that are often blocked by the foods we eat, the products we use, and the mindset we have when using them. I have found in my own life, that the products I use to help alleviate my particular situation in my health, are only PART of the puzzle. The body is a wonderous machine that is equipped with the ability to repair itself. The Customized products, herbal recommendations and herbal oils are merely the missing catalyst your body needs to do what it already knows how to do!

Here is a picture of my Herb starts in the greenhouse!

So here are the details and information you have been waiting for on

What exactly is a Consultation?

It all begins with a Preliminary Evaluation. This provides you with a Wellness Questionnaire that you fill out prior to your initial evaluation & recommendations.

After I receive your questionnaire back, I will then evaluate the situation present with you & establish a course of action to attain your optimum well being!

Often times this path to wellness through herbs and their essential oils is not immediately shown. It takes at least 2 weeks minimum for your body to adjust and begin to heal itself through the assistance of the recommendations and custom products.

§Wellness Consultation is a thorough examination of your particular situation including the consideration of changes to your: supplements, teas, and dietary needs. This will provide you with a concise path to start your journey to wellness!§
It includes:
♦An assessment of your current needs with recommendations that meet the needs of the ailments you are concerned with.
♦Two follow up emails with products that I recommend and/or customize for your individual needs. Please note: The product purchase is not included in this consultation. There will be a custom order specially designed for YOU! You WILL receive 15% off of your customized product purchase with the purchase of this consultation! For your personal constitution and needs, I customize the use of aromatherapy oils, home remedies, and healing applications through my Customized Handmade Products. These allow you the access to the tools to help return you to health!
♦It also includes recommended reading materials, links, and detailed information on what is best for YOU! You are welcome to voice any concerns at this time as well as explore any of our customized product options.
♦It also offers personalized guidance in maintaining a fulfilling life and recommendations for specific practices in diet, lifestyle and self-care. The consultation will also include suggestions for therapeutic herbs to help support your journey back to balance. The herbs are a “medicine“ for your body, but they are digested like food.
The herbs are not like drugs or vitamins that manipulate our body’s natural processes and mask the imbalances. They are simply HELPING your body do what it already knows how to do!

!!!Before ANY consultation is started, a signed confirmation of the Disclaimer/Liability Form is REQUIRED. This will be sent out once payment of the Consultation is made!!

The Introductory Price of a WELLNESS CONSULTATION is $35.

The product purchase is not included in this consultation. There will be a custom order specially designed for YOU! You will receive 15% off of your customized product purchase with the purchase of this consultation!

Please review the following disclaimer when considering purchasing a consultation for yourself!
**Disclaimer/Release of Liability:**
I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. I do not claim to cure any cause, condition or disease. I do not provide medical aid or nutrition for the purpose of health or disease and claim to be a doctor or dietitian.
The information contained in your evaluation is merely the opinion of a laymen individual. The research and information covered in this consultation/evaluation is open to public domain for discussion and in no way breaches or breaks the boundaries of the law in any state of the the United States of America where I live. I am not a doctor nor do I claim to have any formal medical background. I am not liable, either expressly or in an implied manner, nor claim any responsibility for any emotional or physical problems that may occur directly or indirectly from applying my suggestions.
I am in direct ability and use of conversation under following articles.
(9) A person who does not hold himself out to be a dietitian or nutritionist when that person furnishes nutrition information on food, food materials, or dietary supplements. This Article does not prohibit that person from making explanations to customers about foods or food products in connection with the marketing and distribution of these products.
(10) An herbalist or other person who does not hold himself out to be a dietitian or nutritionist when the person furnishes non fraudulent specific nutritional information and counseling about the reported or historical use of herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates, sugars, enzymes, food concentrates, or other foods. (1991, c. 668, s. 1; 1995, c. 509, s. 135.2(s).)

Again, you are not being consulted by a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian. If you wish to do so, please contact a board certified person in your state.

All information is generalized, presented for informational purposes only, not medical advice, and presented “as is” without warranty or guarantee of any kind. Readers are cautioned not to rely on this information as medical advice and to consult a qualified physician or practitioner. ****************************

Now that all of the pertinent disclaimers are presented, I present to YOU a chance to WIN a Consultation for FREE!!

☼☼PLEASE comment below with your NAME & EMAIL, plus WHY you feel this personalized consultation would assist you in becoming a healthier you?☼☼

**NOTE:A WINNER will be chosen Monday 2/10/2014. If for some reason you are unable to comment, please try accessing the blog from another browser. Firefox has proven the most successful in reaching the verification screen for commenting. ONLY comments on the post will be considered in the drawing held. The consultation MUST be redeemed before 02/28/2014, or will be forfeited.

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****DRAWING CLOSED********

WINNER of the WELLNESS CONSULTATION is Shawna Ligate – I will be in contact with you Shawna in a few days with the Questions to start your Initial Consultation!