It's shea butter season!

So the temperature has plummeted and we all know the effect it has on our skin. It’s dry and uncomfortable, but applying shea butter will soothe your skin like no lotion can. I particularly enjoy Savon Salon’s Lavender Shea Butter because it’s made with pure shea  butter with just a touch of lavender essential oil to give it a very light, soothing lavender fragrance.

Why is shea butter better than lotions? Simply because lotions are in large part, water. When you fhink about water standing with oil for several months, it makes sense that we’re advised to throw out any lotion that’s more than 6 months old, because bacteria grows in sitting water. In fact, if you make your own home-made lotions, you need to keep them refrigerated and use them within two weeks. So then how is it that store-bought lotions are safe to use for months? Anti-bacterial ingredients are added to the formula simply because it’s necessary to prevent bacteria from growing in your lotions, basically giving them a shelf life so they can be sold commercially.

When you apply lotion to your skin, it’s very important that it doesn’t contain bacteria that can get into a small scratch or cut and cause an infection. But what about those additives, are they really safe for your skin? They are actually toxic chemicals that kill living organisms, ironically called “preservatives”. When making lotions, you are supposed to wear gloves, goggles and a mask when measuring the tablespoonful of preservative into the batch of lotion that you will eventually apply to your skin!

That’s the beauty of Savon Salon’s Shea Butter. All it contains is natural shea butter from the nut of the African shea tree, with a small amount of citric acid (a common, safe food additive. Shea butter itself is edible, commonly used in Africa for cooking, so you can trust that it’s safe for your skin. You can use it unscented, or lightly scented with natural lavender essential oil. It’s heavier than a lotion, so a very small amount goes a long way.

Shea butter is thick and waxy, and it melts on contact with your skin. Rather than seeping toxins from lotion into the small cracks in your dry skin, shea butter will melt and instantly sooth your dry skin and create a protective coating that’s silky, not greasy, and because it contains no water, the protective coating won’t wear off easily and will continue to protect your skin even after washing your hands. That’s one reason our product is very popular among nurses and hairdressers!

 Do be careful about where you shea butter comes from, though. The most cost-effective way to extract shea butter is using chemicals like hexane, but the shea butter we use is extracted using the traditional method. It provides a means for women in Ghana to make a living and provide for their families.

People who have dry skin on their face from using a CPAP machine are pleased with the results of applying unscented shea butter to the face at night to protect their skin from drying out from the blowing air. Applying it to your hands will help heal cracks and keep your cuticles from drying out.

I like to apply the lavender shea butter to my coat my hands and afterwards, run my hands though my hair, just the trace amount gives my hair a nice sheen and some protection from the elements. If I want to deeply moisturize my hair and scalp, I’ll coat my hair with shea butter and let it soak in for about 15 minutes, then wash it out for lasting shine and no more frizz! It’s also great for your heels and feet, as well as your legs after shaving, and your bikini area, too. Speaking of, folder women who experience dryness will appreciate shea butter as a personal moisturizer, and for men, it’s soothing applied après-manscape, and for anyone, it’s perfect for massage. What a versatile product!

 

 

What's in the soap that I'm making?

People are understandably concerned about what’s in the products they’re using, and that’s really nothing new. Years ago, I questioned why formaldehyde was in every shampoo on the market, and in Art school, I expressed concerns about the toxic discharge of raku kilns next to a hospital and students mixing chemicals such as arsenic for glass blowing.  Later in life I thought it unthinkable that the company was spraying my office with the now-banned Malathion while employees had left cups and dishes of candy on their desks, and I was told that it was perfectly safe; I was always made to feel like I was the only person ever concerned about these things. Still, I fought for the Children's Protection Act to stop unsafe spraying of pesticides in schools and on school fields without parent's knowing even though my daughter was nearly grown at the time.

You might say things have changed, but I rather think that there are far more like-minded people shaping the commercial production of the products we use. Thank you for your voices, even if it is only sounded by the choices you make in the products you buy!

I’d like to share some information about what goes into the soap I’m making.  I use three vegan friendly types of soap bases of the highest quality, my basic glycerin soap base, the extra clear soap base and the three-butter soap base and I also use a popular goat's milk base.

The basic glycerin base is detergent-free and contains no sodium lauryl sulfate, so it’s great for people who have sensitive skin or react to SLS or other detergents. The glycerin also leaves your skin feeling soft and has some protection from the dry air. The ingredients in this soap base are sodium cocoate (this is the fatty acid salts of coconut oil), proplylene glycol (a stabilizer, preserative and moisturizer; it’s an ingredient in food and supplements that’s non-irritating to the skin), sodium stearate (a type of surficant, an agent that makes it easier for water to remove dirt from your skin), glycerin (good for sensitive, easily irritated skin because it prevents skin dryness with its moisturizing properties), water, and sorbitol (sugar alcolol, used to keep the soap in a dry state).

One other base I use is the extra clear soap that I use more for the fun designs of my novelty soaps, such as the rainbow soaps. If you have sensitive skin, the basic glycerin soaps or the three-butter soap is probably a better choice for you. This soap base has all the same ingredients as my basic soap base, except that it also contains sodium laureth sulfate (a foaming agent and emulsifier that’s less irritating than sodium lauryl sulfate), sodium myristate (a fatty acid cleansing and emulsifying agent used in soaps and flavorings), sodium cocoyl isethionate (a sodium salt derived from coconut oil that helps water cling to the dirt and oil on your skin, allowing it to be washed away. Because of it’s mild nature, it’s often found in toothpastes and baby soap) and  triethanolamine (a pH balancer).

The most luxurious of my soaps is made with a three-butter blend soap base that contains shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter. It made with all the same quality ingredients as my basic soap base and also shea butter, cocoa  butter, mango butter and titanium dioxide (white coloring).  The shea butter is from Ghana, West Africa and is expeller pressed, not extracted with chemicals such as hexane. This allows the shea butter to retain its beneficial properties. Shea butter is said to be beneficial for many conditions, such as dry skin, eczema, blemishes, burns, and aging skin, and is a beautiful moisturizer for healthy and baby’s skin as well. Cocoa butter creates a barrier between sensitive skin and the environment, helping to retain moisture, and also is known to relieve symptoms of dermatitis and eczema. Mango butter is full of nourishing antioxidants, is used to treat skin rashes, reduce wrinkles and has a protective effect against UV radiation. Basically, you’ll probably  find that my three-butter soap is the nicest soap you’ve ever used!

Any of my soaps can be made with a variety of fragrances, or just using natural essential oils, or unscented. Most of the colors I use are mica, which is the highest-quality coloring used in eye shadow and other high priced cosmetics. I use other natural additives such as calendula petals, ground bamboo and mint leaves.

You can shop with confidence at www.SavonSalon.com Thanks for visiting!